Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Nanostructure”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 901 records · Page 50
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2016

Self-assembled nanostructures of linear arylacetylenes and their aza-substituted analogues

A series of linear phenylene ethynylene molecules have been synthesized, and aza-substitution has been used as a strategy to fine-tune the properties of the molecules. All the compounds exhibited pure blue emission both in solution and solid state, and fluorescence quantum yields as high as 0.66, 0.63 and 0.82 were found in chloroform solutions. The well-defined nanostructures such as quasi-cubes, cubes and rods were fabricated by self-assembly method from these compounds. The photophysical properties and aggregation behavior of self-assembled structures were analyzed in detail. The morphology as well as photophysical properties of these nanostructures have been tuned with selective requirements.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

Plasmon-enhanced electron scattering in nanostructured thin metal films revealed by low-voltage scanning electron microscopy

The drastic enhancement of backscattered electrons (BSE) yield from nanostructured thin metal film which exceeded well the one from massive metal was observed at accelerating voltages below 400 V. The dependences of BSE signal from nanostructured gold film on accelerating voltage and on retarding grid potential applied to BSE detector were investigated. It was shown that enhanced BSE signal was formed by inelastic scattered electrons coming from the gaps between nanoparticles. A tentative explanation of the mechanism of BSE signal enhancement was suggested.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Synthesis of graphene and graphene nanostructures by ion implantation and pulsed laser annealing

In this paper, we report a systematic study that shows how the numerous processing parameters associated with ion implantation (II) and pulsed laser annealing (PLA) can be manipulated to control the quantity and quality of graphene (G), few-layer graphene (FLG), and other carbon nanostructures selectively synthesized in crystalline SiC (c-SiC). Controlled implantations of Si{sup −} plus C{sup −} and Au{sup +} ions in c-SiC showed that both the thickness of the amorphous layer formed by ion damage and the doping effect of the implanted Au enhance the formation of G and FLG during PLA. The relative contributions of the amorphous and doping effects were studied separately, and thermal simulation calculations were used to estimate surface temperatures and to help understand the phase changes occurring during PLA. In addition to the amorphous layer thickness and catalytic doping effects, other enhancement effects were found to depend on other ion species, the annealing environment, PLA fluence and number of pulses, and even laser frequency. Optimum II and PLA conditions are identified and possible mechanisms for selective synthesis of G, FLG, and carbon nanostructures are discussed.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Solvothermal synthesis of Fe{sub 7}C{sub 3} and Fe{sub 3}C nanostructures with phase and morphology control

A phase transition, from orthorhombic Fe{sub 3}C to hexagonal Fe{sub 7}C{sub 3}, was observed using a wet synthesis mediated by hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC). In this study, CTAC has been shown to control carbide phase, morphology, and size of the iron carbide nanostructures. Fe{sub 7}C{sub 3} hexagonal prisms were formed with an average diameter of 960 nm, the thickness of 150 nm, and Fe{sub 3}C nanostructures with an approximate size of 50 nm. Magnetic studies show ferromagnetic behavior with M{sub s} of 126 emu/g, and H{sub c} of 170 Oe with respect to Fe{sub 7}C{sub 3} and 95 emu/g and 590 Oe with respect to Fe{sub 3}C. The thermal studies using high temperature x-ray diffraction show stability of Fe{sub 7}C{sub 3} up to 500 °C. Upon slow cooling, the Fe{sub 7}C{sub 3} phase is recovered with an intermediate oxide phase occurring around 300 °C. This study has demonstrated a simple route in synthesizing iron carbides for an in depth magnetic study and crystal phase transition study of Fe{sub 7}C{sub 3} at elevated temperatures.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Field emission properties and strong localization effect in conduction mechanism of nanostructured perovskite LaNiO{sub 3}

We report the potential field emission of highly conducting metallic perovskite lanthanum nickelate (LaNiO{sub 3}) from the nanostructured pyramidal and whisker shaped tips as electron emitters. Nano particles of lanthanum nickelate (LNO) were prepared by sol-gel route. Structural and morphological studies have been carried out. Field emission of LNO exhibited high emission current density, J = 3.37 mA/cm{sup 2} at a low threshold electric field, E{sub th} = 16.91 V/μm, obeying Fowler–Nordheim tunneling. The DC electrical resistivity exhibited upturn at 11.6 K indicating localization of electron at low temperature. Magnetoresistance measurement at different temperatures confirmed strong localization in nanostructured LNO obeying Anderson localization effect at low temperature.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2014

Giant optical nonlinearity of plasmonic nanostructures

The experimental studies of giant optical nonlinearity of single metal nanostructures are briefly reviewed. A new hybrid nanostructure – split-hole resonator (SHR) – is investigated. This structure is characterised by a record-high efficiency of third-harmonic generation and multiphoton luminescence (its nonlinearity exceeds that of a single nanohole by five orders of magnitude) and an unprecedently high sensitivity to light polarisation (extinction coefficient 4 × 10{sup 4}). (extreme light fields and their applications)

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Investigation of the nonlocal nonlinear optical response of copper nanostructured thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition

Nanostructured copper thin films have been prepared using the pulsed laser deposition method. Optical absorption spectra of these films exhibit plasmonic absorption peaks around 619 nm, which suggests the formation of copper nanoparticles on their surfaces. Scanning electron micrographs of the films confirm the nanoparticle formation on the films surfaces. After laser beam passing through the thin films, the observed diffraction rings on a far-field screen have been recorded. Despite the smallness of the maximal axial phase shifts of the films, which have been obtained using the nonlocal z-scan theory, a series of low-intensity rings can be observed on the far field screen for some specific positions of the thin films from the focal point. It is shown that the best approach to determining the sign and magnitude of the nonlinear refractive index of thin samples is the application of the conventional closeaperture z-scan method. (nanostructures)

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

Third harmonic generation in the short-wavelength UV range by a single plasmonic nanostructure

The nonlinear optical interaction of laser radiation with nanostructures formed in gold and aluminium nanofilms has been experimentally studied. It is shown that, despite the high susceptibility χ{sub 3} of aluminium in comparison with gold, the third-harmonic generation efficiency at a wavelength of 260 nm is much higher for the nanostructures formed in a gold nanofilm because of the efficient excitation of a localised plasmon resonance at the fundamental frequency. (extreme laser radiation: physics and fundamental applications)

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2017

Effect of layered nanostructures on the linewidth of forbidden E2 transitions

In the framework of classical electrodynamics, analytical expressions are derived and investigated for the linewidth of forbidden E2 transitions in an atom (molecule) located near layered metal – dielectric nanostructures. It is shown that the radiation intensity at the forbidden transition during detection in the half-space behind a layered nanostructure can significantly exceed the intensity during detection in the half-space where an atom (molecule) is located.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Pulsed laser heating of diesel engine and turbojet combustor soot: Changes in nanostructure and implications

Here, carbonaceous particulate produced by a diesel engine and turbojet engine combustor are analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for differences in nanostructure before and after pulsed laser annealing. Soot is examined between low/high diesel engine torque and low/high turbojet engine thrust. Small differences in nascent nanostructure are magnified by the action of high-temperature annealing induced by pulsed laser heating. Lamellae length distributions show occurrence of graphitization while tortuosity analyses reveal lamellae straightening. Differences in internal particle structure (hollow shells versus internal graphitic ribbons) are interpreted as due to higher internal sp3 and O-atom content under the higher power conditions with hypothesized greater turbulence and resulting partial premixing. TEM in concert with fringe analyses reveal that a similar degree of annealing occurs in the primary particles in soot from both diesel engine and turbojet engine combustors—despite the aggregate and primary size differences between these sources. Implications of these results for source identification of the combustion particulate and for laser-induced incandescence (LII) measurements of concentration are discussed with inter-instrument comparison of soot mass from both diesel and turbojet soot sources.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2023

In-situ study of rules of nanostructure evolution, severe plastic deformations, and friction under high pressure

Severe plastic deformations under high pressure are used to produce nanostructured materials but were studied ex-situ. Rough diamond anvils are introduced to reach maximum friction equal to yield strength in shear and the first in-situ study of the evolution of the pressure-dependent yield strength and radial distribution of nanostructural parameters are performed for severely pre-deformed Zr. ω-Zr behaves like perfectly plastic, isotropic, and strain-path-independent and reaches steady values of the crystallite size and dislocation density, which are pressure-, strain- and strain-path-independent. However, steady states for a-Zr obtained with smooth and rough anvils are different, causing major challenge in plasticity theory. In-situ study of severe plastic deformation of α-Zr with rough diamond anvils revealed that pressure-dependent yield strength, crystallite size, and dislocation density are getting steady and plastic strain- and strain-path-independent.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Superior plastic flow stability of self-patterned carbide – amorphous ceramic nanostructures

Amorphous ceramics and carbides exhibit superb strength but poor plasticity. Here, we synthesized TiC-SiOC nanostructures with TiC-nanocarbides embedded in amorphous ceramic SiOC by co-sputtering followed by high-temperature annealing and/or irradiation. TiC-SiOC nanostructures exhibit high strength and good plastic flow stability even after heavy irradiation, 7 GPa at room temperature and 3.6 GPa at 700 ℃ with a uniform strain of about 10%∼18%. The uniform deformation is accommodated by the shearing of amorphous ceramic and the rotation of nanocarbides. Nanocarbides inhibit the propagation of shear banding in amorphous SiOC, and amorphous-crystal interfaces act as sinks to manage irradiation-induced defects.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2011

Enhancing or suppressing the spin Hall effect of light in layered nanostructures

The spin Hall effect (SHE) of light in layered nanostructures is investigated theoretically in this paper. A general propagation model describing the spin-dependent transverse splitting of wave packets in the SHE of light is established from the viewpoint of classical electrodynamics. We show that the transverse displacement of the wave-packet centroid can be tuned to either a negative or a positive value, or even zero, by just adjusting the structure parameters, suggesting that the SHE of light in layered nanostructures can be enhanced or suppressed in a desired way. The inherent physics behind this interesting phenomenon is attributed to the optical Fabry-Perot resonance. We believe that these findings will open the possibility for developing new nanophotonic devices.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2010

Contribution of double scattering to structural coloration in quasiordered nanostructures of bird feathers

We measured the polarization- and angle-resolved optical scattering and reflection spectra of the quasiordered nanostructures in the bird feather barbs. In addition to the primary peak that originates from single scattering, we observed a secondary peak which exhibits depolarization and distinct angular dispersion. We explained the secondary peak in terms of double scattering, i.e., light is scattered successively twice by the structure. The two sequential single-scattering events are considered uncorrelated. Using the Fourier power spectra of the nanostructures obtained from the small-angle x-ray scattering experiment, we calculated the double scattering of light in various directions. The double-scattering spectrum is broader than the single-scattering spectrum, and it splits into two subpeaks at larger scattering angle. The good agreement between the simulation results and the experimental data confirms that double scattering of light makes a significant contribution to the structural color.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Two-Photon Spontaneous Emission in Atomically Thin Plasmonic Nanostructures

The ability to harness light-matter interactions at the few-photon level plays a pivotal role in quantum technologies. Single photons—the most elementary states of light—can be generated on demand in atomic and solid state emitters. Two-photon states are also key quantum assets, but achieving them in individual emitters is challenging because their generation rate is much slower than competing one-photon processes. We demonstrate that atomically thin plasmonic nanostructures can harness two-photon spontaneous emission, resulting in giant far field two-photon production, a wealth of resonant modes enabling tailored photonic and plasmonic entangled states, and plasmon-assisted single-photon creation orders of magnitude more efficient than standard one-photon emission. We unravel the two-photon spontaneous emission channels and show that their spectral line shapes emerge from an intricate interplay between Fano and Lorentzian resonances. Enhanced two-photon spontaneous emission in two-dimensional nanostructures paves the way to an alternative efficient source of light-matter entanglement for on-chip quantum information processing and free-space quantum communications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Three-dimensional nanostructure determination from a large diffraction data set recorded using scanning electron nanodiffraction

A diffraction-based technique is developed for the determination of three-dimensional nanostructures. The technique employs high-resolution and low-dose scanning electron nanodiffraction (SEND) to acquire three-dimensional diffraction patterns, with the help of a special sample holder for large-angle rotation. Grains are identified in three-dimensional space based on crystal orientation and on reconstructed dark-field images from the recorded diffraction patterns. Application to a nanocrystalline TiN thin film shows that the three-dimensional morphology of columnar TiN grains of tens of nanometres in diameter can be reconstructed using an algebraic iterative algorithm under specified prior conditions, together with their crystallographic orientations. The principles can be extended to multiphase nanocrystalline materials as well. Thus, the tomographic SEND technique provides an effective and adaptive way of determining three-dimensional nanostructures.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2010

Influence of nanostructure on charge transport in RuO{sub 2} thin films

Polycrystalline thin films of RuO{sub 2} were grown on fused-quartz substrates and a parametric study was carried out to probe the influence of film nanostructure on the four-point Van der Pauw resistivity and Hall coefficient. The films were grown via reactive rf magnetron sputtering of a Ru target in an Ar/O{sub 2} plasma using deposition rates from 0.27 to 3.5 A/s and substrate temperatures from 16 to 500 deg. C Room-temperature resistivities of the RuO{sub 2} films ranged from 58 to 360 {mu}{Omega} cm. Upon first heating following deposition, some films showed decreasing resistivity with increasing temperature, but the resistivities also decreased upon subsequent cooling suggesting that the annealing treatment reduces the film defect density. The temperature coefficient of resistance was found to be small (<0.001 K{sup -1}) in agreement with previous investigations. Hall coefficient measurements of the polycrystalline thin films demonstrated that either n-type or p-type majority carriers can be present depending on deposition conditions and the resulting nanostructure, in contrast to single-crystal RuO{sub 2}, which is an n-type metal. Grain size and homogeneous strain within the films were measured by x-ray diffraction and are correlated to the majority carrier type.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Study of surface cleaning methods and pyrolysis temperatures on nanostructured carbon films using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Nanostructured carbon (ns-C) films fabricated by stabilization and pyrolysis of diblock copolymers are of interest for a variety of electrical/electronic applications due to their chemical inertness, high-temperature insensitivity, very high surface area, and tunable electrical resistivity over a wide range [Kulkarni et al., Synth. Met. 159, 177 (2009)]. Because of their high porosity and associated high specific surface area, controlled surface cleaning studies are important for fabricating electronic devices from these films. In this study, quantification of surface composition and surface cleaning studies on ns-C films synthesized by carbonization of diblock copolymers of polyacrylonitrile-b-poly(n-butyl acrylate) at two different temperatures were carried out. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used for elemental analysis and to determine the efficacy of various surface cleaning methods for ns-C films and to examine the polymer residues in the films. The in-situ surface cleaning methods included HF vapor treatment, vacuum annealing, and exposure to UV-ozone. Quantitative analysis of high-resolution XPS scans showed 11 at. % nitrogen was present in the films pyrolyzed at 600 Degree-Sign C, suggesting incomplete denitrogenation of the copolymer films. The nitrogen atomic concentration decreased significantly for films pyrolyzed at 900 Degree-Sign C confirming extensive denitrogenation at that temperature. Furthermore, quantitative analysis of nitrogen subpeaks indicated higher loss of nitrogen atoms residing at the edge of graphitic clusters relative to that of nitrogen atoms within the graphitic clusters, suggesting higher graphitization with increasing pyrolysis temperature. Of the surface cleaning methods investigated, in-situ annealing of the films at 300 Degree-Sign C for 40 min was found to be the most efficacious in removing adventitious carbon and oxygen impurities from the surface.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗