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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 1,009 records · Page 56
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2015

Submicron cubic boron nitride as hard as diamond

Here, we report the sintering of aggregated submicron cubic boron nitride (sm-cBN) at a pressure of 8 GPa. The sintered cBN compacts exhibit hardness values comparable to that of single crystal diamond, fracture toughness about 5-fold that of cBN single crystal, in combination with a high oxidization temperature. Thus, another way has been demonstrated to improve the mechanical properties of cBN besides reducing the grain size to nano scale. In contrast to other ultrahard compacts with similar hardness, the sm-cBN aggregates are better placed for potential industrial application, as their relative low pressure manufacturing perhaps be easier and cheaper.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Low temperature growth of Co{sub 2}MnSi films on diamond semiconductors by ion-beam assisted sputtering

High quality Schottky junctions using Co{sub 2}MnSi/diamond heterostructures were fabricated. Low temperature growth at ∼300–400 °C by using ion-beam assisted sputtering (IBAS) was necessary to obtain abrupt Co{sub 2}MnSi/diamond interfaces. Only the Co{sub 2}MnSi films formed at ∼300–400 °C showed both saturation magnetization comparable to the bulk values and large negative anisotropic magnetoresistance, which suggests half-metallic nature of the Co{sub 2}MnSi films, of ∼0.3% at 10 K. Schottky junctions formed using the Co{sub 2}MnSi films showed clear rectification properties with rectification ratio of more than 10{sup 7} with Schottky barrier heights of ∼0.8 eV and ideality factors (n) of ∼1.2. These results indicate that Co{sub 2}MnSi films formed at ∼300–400 °C by IBAS are a promising spin source for spin injection into diamond semiconductors.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Control of coherence among the spins of a single electron and the three nearest neighbor {sup 13}C nuclei of a nitrogen-vacancy center in diamond

Individual nuclear spins in diamond can be optically detected through hyperfine couplings with the electron spin of a single nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center; such nuclear spins have outstandingly long coherence times. Among the hyperfine couplings in the NV center, the nearest neighbor {sup 13}C nuclear spins have the largest coupling strength. Nearest neighbor {sup 13}C nuclear spins have the potential to perform fastest gate operations, providing highest fidelity in quantum computing. Herein, we report on the control of coherences in the NV center where all three nearest neighbor carbons are of the {sup 13}C isotope. Coherence among the three and four qubits are generated and analyzed at room temperature.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Enhancing secondary yield of a diamond amplifier using a nitrogen layer

A thin nitrogen-doped layer less than 4% of the total thickness in diamond thin film amplifier is shown to reduce losses of generated secondaries to the back contact, generated by a high energy primary electron beam compared to a thin film without the substitutional nitrogen layer modification. Simulation indicates that the losses due to absorption of diffusing electrons by the back contact may be considerably reduced by a factor of 2 (depending on field across the film, width of the nitrogen layer, and boron doping level), thereby mitigating undesirable effects associated with trace amounts of boron.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Structural modification of nanocrystalline diamond films via positive/negative bias enhanced nucleation and growth processes for improving their electron field emission properties

Electron field emission (EFE) properties of nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) films synthesized by the bias-enhanced growth (beg) process under different bias voltages were investigated. The induction of the nanographitic phases is presumed to be the prime factor in enhancing the EFE properties of negative biased NCD films. Transmission electron microscopic investigations reveal that a negative bias voltage of −300 V increases the rate of growth for NCD films with the size of the grains changing from nano to ultranano size. This effect also is accompanied by the induction of nanographitic filaments in the grain boundaries of the films. The turn-on field (E{sub 0}) for the EFE process then effectively gets reduced. The EFE process of the beg-NCD{sub −300V} films can be turned on at E{sub 0} = 3.86 V/μm, and the EFE current density achieved is 1.49 mA/cm{sup 2} at an applied field of 7.85 V/μm. On the other hand, though a positive-bias beg process (+200 V) results in the reduction of grain size, it does not induce sufficient nanographitic phases to lower the E{sub 0} value of the EFE process. Moreover, the optical emission spectroscopic investigation indicates that one of the primary causes that changes the granular structure of the NCD films is the increase in the proportion of C{sub 2} and CH species induced in the growing plasma. The polarity of the bias voltage is of less importance in the microstructural evolution of the films.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Nanoimplantation and Purcell enhancement of single nitrogen-vacancy centers in photonic crystal cavities in diamond

We present the controlled creation of single nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers via ion implantation at the center of a photonic crystal cavity which is fabricated in an ultrapure, single crystal diamond membrane. High-resolution placement of NV centers is achieved using collimation of a 5 keV-nitrogen ion beam through a pierced tip of an atomic force microscope. We demonstrate coupling of the implanted NV centers' broad band fluorescence to a cavity mode and observe Purcell enhancement of the spontaneous emission. The results are in good agreement with a master equation model for the cavity coupling.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Temperature admittance spectroscopy of boron doped chemical vapor deposition diamond

Precision admittance spectroscopy measurements over wide temperature and frequency ranges were carried out for chemical vapor deposition epitaxial diamond samples doped with various concentrations of boron. It was found that the experimentally detected boron activation energy in the samples decreased from 314 meV down to 101 meV with an increase of B/C ratio from 600 to 18000 ppm in the gas reactants. For the heavily doped samples, a transition from thermally activated valence band conduction to hopping within the impurity band (with apparent activation energy 20 meV) was detected at temperatures 120–150 K. Numerical simulation was used to estimate the impurity DOS broadening. Accurate determination of continuously altering activation energy, which takes place during the transformation of conduction mechanisms, was proposed by numerical differentiation of the Arrhenius plot. With increase of boron doping level the gradual decreasing of capture cross section from 3 × 10{sup −13} down to 2 × 10{sup −17} cm{sup 2} was noticed. Moreover, for the hopping conduction the capture cross section becomes 4 orders of magnitude less (∼2 × 10{sup −20} cm{sup 2}). At T > T{sub room} in doped samples the birth of the second conductance peak was observed. We attribute it to a defect, related to the boron doping of the material.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Controlling the growth of epitaxial graphene on metalized diamond (111) surface

The 2-dimensional transformation of the diamond (111) surface to graphene has been demonstrated using ultrathin Fe films that catalytically reduce the reaction temperature needed for the conversion of sp{sup 3} to sp{sup 2} carbon. An epitaxial system is formed, which involves the re-crystallization of carbon at the Fe/vacuum interface and that enables the controlled growth of monolayer and multilayer graphene films. In order to study the initial stages of single and multilayer graphene growth, real time monitoring of the system was preformed within a photoemission and low energy electron microscope. It was found that the initial graphene growth occurred at temperatures as low as 500 °C, whilst increasing the temperature to 560 °C was required to produce multi-layer graphene of high structural quality. Angle resolved photoelectron spectroscopy was used to study the electronic properties of the grown material, where a graphene-like energy momentum dispersion was observed. The Dirac point for the first layer is located at 2.5 eV below the Fermi level, indicating an n-type doping of the graphene due to substrate interactions, while that of the second graphene layer lies close to the Fermi level.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Imaging in real and reciprocal space at the Diamond beamline I13

The Diamond Imaging and Coherence beamline I13 consists of two independent branchlines for imaging in real and reciprocal space. Different microscopies are available providing a range of spatial resolution from 5µm to potentially 5nm. The beamline operates in the energy range of 6-35keV covering different scientific areas such as biomedicine, materials science and geophysics. Several original devices have been developed at the beamline, such as the EXCALIBUR photon counting detector and the combined robot arms for coherent X-ray diffraction.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2015

Dynamic actuation of single-crystal diamond nanobeams

We show the dielectrophoretic actuation of single-crystal diamond nanomechanical devices. Gradient radio-frequency electromagnetic forces are used to achieve actuation of both cantilever and doubly clamped beam structures, with operation frequencies ranging from a few MHz to ∼50 MHz. Frequency tuning and parametric actuation are also studied.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2015

GaN-on-diamond electronic device reliability: Mechanical and thermo-mechanical integrity

The mechanical and thermo-mechanical integrity of GaN-on-diamond wafers used for ultra-high power microwave electronic devices was studied using a micro-pillar based in situ mechanical testing approach combined with an optical investigation of the stress and heat transfer across interfaces. We find the GaN/diamond interface to be thermo-mechanically stable, illustrating the potential for this material for reliable GaN electronic devices.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Screening metal nanoparticles using boron-doped diamond microelectrodes

Boron-doped diamond (BDD) microelectrodes were used to observe the correlation between electrocatalytic currents caused by individual Pt nanoparticle (Pt-np) collisions at the electrode. The BDD microelectrodes, ∼20 µm diameter and ∼2 µm particle size, were fabricated at the surface of tungsten wires. Pt-np with a size of 1 to 5 nm with agglomerations up to 20 nm was used for observation. The electrolytic currents were observed via catalytic reaction of 15 mM hydrazine in 50 mM phosphate buffer solution at Pt-np at 0.4 V when it collides with the surface of the microelectrodes. The low current noise and wider potential window in the measurements using BDD microelectrode produced a better results, which represents a better correlation to the TEM result of the Pt-np, compared to when gold microelectrodes was used.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Electroreduction of CO{sub 2} using copper-deposited on boron-doped diamond (BDD)

Electroreduction of CO{sub 2} was studied at copper-modified boron-doped diamond (Cu-BDD) electrodes as the working electrode. The Cu-BDD electrodes were prepared by electrochemical reduction with various concentrations of CuSO{sub 4} solutions. FE-SEM was utilized to characterize the electrodes. At Cu-BDD electrodes, a reduction peak at around -1.2 V (vs Ag/AgCl) attributtable to CO{sub 2} reductions could be observed by cyclic voltammetry technique of CO{sub 2} bubbled in water containing 0.1M NaCl. Accordingly, electroreduction of CO{sub 2} was conducted at -1.2 V (vs Ag/AgCl) using amperometry technique. The chemical products of the electroreduction analyzed by using HPLC showed the formation of formaldehyde, formic acid, and acetic acid at Cu-BDD electrodes.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

Anodic stripping voltammetry of synthesized CdS nanoparticles at boron-doped diamond electrodes

Cadmium sulphide (CdS) nanoparticles were chemically synthesized using reverse micelles microreactor methods. By using different washing treatments, UV-Vis spectroscopy showed that the absorption peaks appeared at 465 nm, 462 nm, 460 nm, and 459 nm respectively for CdS nanoparticles without and with 1, 2, and 3 times washing treatments using pure water. In comparison with the absorbance peak of bulk CdS at 512 nm, the shifted absorption peaks, indicates that the different sizes of CdS can be prepared. Anodic stripping voltammetry of the CdS nanoparticles was then studied at a boron-doped diamond electrode using 0.1 M KClO{sub 4} and 0.1 M HClO{sub 4} as the electrolytes. A scan rate of 100 mV/s with a deposition potential of -1000 mV (vs. Ag/AgCl) for 60 s at a potential scan from -1600 mV to +800 mV (vs. Ag/AgCl) was applied as the optimum condition of the measurements. Highly-accurate linear calibration curves (R{sup 2} = 0.99) in 0.1 M HClO{sub 4} with the sensitivity of 0.075 mA/mM and the limit of detection of 81 µM in 0.1 M HClO{sub 4} can be achieved, which is promising for an application of CdS nanoparticles as a label for biosensors.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Spectroscopic studies on diamond like carbon films synthesized by pulsed laser ablation

Hydrogen free Diamond like Carbon (DLC) thin films enriched with C-C sp{sup 3} bonding were grown on Si (111) substrates at laser pulse energies varying from 100 to 400 mJ (DLC-100, DLC-200, DLC-300, DLC-400), by Pulsed Laser Ablation (PLA) utilizing an Nd:YAG laser operating at fundamental wavelength. Structural, optical and morphological evolutions as a function of laser pulse energy were studied by micro Raman, UV-Vis spectroscopic studies and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), respectively. Raman spectra analysis provided critical clues for the variation in sp{sup 3} content and optical energy gap. The sp{sup 3} content was estimated using the FWHM of the G peak and found to be in the range of 62-69%. The trend of evolution of sp{sup 3} content matches well with the evolution of I{sub D}/I{sub G} ratio with pulse energy. UV-Vis absorption study of DLC films revealed the variation of optical energy gap with laser pulse energy (1.88 – 2.23 eV), which matches well with the evolution of G-Peak position of the Raman spectra. AFM study revealed that roughness, size and density of particulate in DLC films increase with laser pulse energy.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

Note: High-pressure in situ x-ray laminography using diamond anvil cell

A high-pressure in situ X-ray laminography technique was developed using a newly designed, laterally open diamond anvil cell. A low X-ray beam of 8 keV energy was used, aiming at future application to dual energy X-ray chemical imaging techniques. The effects of the inclination angle and the imaging angle range were evaluated at ambient pressure using the apparatus. Sectional images of ruby ball samples were successfully reconstructed at high pressures, up to approximately 50 GPa. The high-pressure in situ X-ray laminography technique is expected to provide new insights into the deep Earth sciences.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2016

High density nitrogen-vacancy sensing surface created via He{sup +} ion implantation of {sup 12}C diamond

We present a promising method for creating high-density ensembles of nitrogen-vacancy centers with narrow spin-resonances for high-sensitivity magnetic imaging. Practically, narrow spin-resonance linewidths substantially reduce the optical and RF power requirements for ensemble-based sensing. The method combines isotope purified diamond growth, in situ nitrogen doping, and helium ion implantation to realize a 100 nm-thick sensing surface. The obtained 10{sup 17 }cm{sup −3} nitrogen-vacancy density is only a factor of 10 less than the highest densities reported to date, with an observed 200 kHz spin resonance linewidth over 10 times narrower.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Fabrication of photonic amorphous diamonds for terahertz-wave applications

A recently proposed photonic bandgap material, named “photonic amorphous diamond” (PAD), was fabricated in a terahertz regime, and its terahertz-wave propagation properties were investigated. The PAD structure was fabricated from acrylic resin mixed with alumina powder, using laser lithographic, micro-additive manufacturing technique. After fabrication, the resulting structure was dewaxed and sintered. The formation of a photonic bandgap at around 0.45 THz was demonstrated by terahertz time-domain spectroscopy. Reflecting the disordered nature of the random network structure, diffusive terahertz-wave propagation was observed in the passbands; the scattering mean-free path decreased as the frequency approached the band edge. The mean-free paths evaluated at the band edges were close to the Ioffe-Regel threshold value for wave localization.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗