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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 1,063 records · Page 59
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

Ultra-thick three-dimensional interpenetrating graphene electrode architectures for high volumetric density energy storage

For electrochemical energy storage, increasing the electrode thickness is an effective approach to achieving higher energy density from a given material. However, this often compromises ion transport, leading to diminished performance. Here, in this study, we present a novel platform for fabricating complex 3D interpenetrating electrode structures via photo-polymerization 3D printing, integrated with computational structural optimization for energy storage. The platform employs an acrylate resin system infused with graphene oxide (GO), enabling high-fidelity printing of optimized porous structures and facilitating efficient electron and ion transport in ultra-thick electrodes. The optimized 3D layouts substantially enhance energy and power densities compared to conventional configurations, ensuring superior material utilization and minimal ohmic losses. Supercapacitors fabricated using this approach achieved an exceptional energy density of 4.7 Wh L−1 at a power density of 1689.0 W L−1, surpassing traditional designs. This work underscores the transformative role of structural optimization in advancing electrochemical performance and establishes a versatile pathway for developing next-generation energy storage systems with exceptional efficiency and functionality.

Wang, Zhen [University of California, Berkeley, CA↗
DOE OSTI2026

Operando neutron radiography validates a parameter-free transport–kinetics model for thick solid-state battery cathodes

Tortuosity-weighted interfacial flux for lithium (TWIF-Li) predicts through-thickness Li gradients in thick composite all-solid-state cathodes without fitted parameters. Image-derived microstructures, GITT-derived concentration-dependent solid diffusion, and tortuosity-weighted interfacial kinetics reproduce operando neutron radiography across practical rates, delivering transferable design rules to suppress transport-limited reaction fronts.

Adam, Andre [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000245023033)↗
DOE OSTI2023

StarHorse results for spectroscopic surveys and Gaia DR3: Chrono-chemical populations in the solar vicinity, the genuine thick disk, and young alpha-rich stars

The Gaia mission has provided an invaluable wealth of astrometric data for more than a billion stars in our Galaxy. The synergy between Gaia astrometry, photometry, and spectroscopic surveys gives us comprehensive information about the Milky Way. Using the Bayesian isochrone-fitting code StarHorse, we derive distances and extinctions for more than 10 million unique stars listed in both Gaia Data Release 3 and public spectroscopic surveys: 557 559 in GALAH+ DR3, 4 531 028 in LAMOST DR7 LRS, 347 535 in LAMOST DR7 MRS, 562 424 in APOGEE DR17, 471 490 in RAVE DR6, 249 991 in SDSS DR12 (optical spectra from BOSS and SEGUE), 67 562 in the Gaia-ESO DR5 survey, and 4 211 087 in the Gaia RVS part of the Gaia DR3 release. StarHorse can increase the precision of distance and extinction measurements where Gaia parallaxes alone would be uncertain. We used StarHorse for the first time to derive stellar ages for main-sequence turnoff and subgiant branch stars, around 2.5 million stars, with age uncertainties typically around 30%; the uncertainties drop to 15% for subgiant-branch-only stars, depending on the resolution of the survey. With the derived ages in hand, we investigated the chemical-age relations. In particular, the α and neutron-capture element ratios versus age in the solar neighbourhood show trends similar to previous works, validating our ages. We used the chemical abundances from local subgiant samples of GALAH DR3, APOGEE DR17, and LAMOST MRS DR7 to map groups with similar chemical compositions and StarHorse ages, using the dimensionality reduction technique t-SNE and the clustering algorithm HDBSCAN. We identify three distinct groups in all three samples, confirmed by their kinematic properties: the genuine chemical thick disk, the thin disk, and a considerable number of young alpha-rich stars (427) that are also a part of the delivered catalogues. We confirm that the genuine thick disk’s kinematics and age properties are radically different from those of the thin disk and compatible with high-redshift (z ≈ 2) star-forming disks with high dispersion velocities. We also find a few extra chemical populations in GALAH DR3 thanks to the availability of neutron-capture element information.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

On the small divergence of laser-driven ion beams from nanometer thick foils

We report on experimental studies of divergence of proton beams from nanometer thick diamond-like carbon foils irradiated by a linearly polarized intense laser with high contrast. Proton beams with extremely small divergence (half angle) of 2° are observed in addition with a remarkably well-collimated feature over the whole energy range, showing one order of magnitude reduction of the divergence angle in comparison to the results from μm thick targets. Similar features are reproduced in two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations with parameters representing our experiments, indicating a strong influence from the electron density distribution on the divergence of protons. Our comprehensive experimental study reveals grand opportunities for using nm foils in experiments that require high ion flux and small divergence.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Magnetic properties and microstructure of Sm-Co/α-Fe nanocomposite thick film-magnets composed of multi-layers over 700 layers

We synthesized Sm-Co/α-Fe nanocomposite film-magnets, approximately 10 μm in thickness, composed of 780 layers by the pulse laser deposition method. Transmission electron microscopic observations revealed that the synthesized film is composed of Sm-Co and α-Fe layers with the well-controlled α-Fe thickness of approximately 10–20 nm, which is suitable one predicted by the micromagnetic simulation. In spite of the enhanced interlayer diffusion of Fe and Co by annealing for crystallization, the (BH){sub max} value of 100 kJ/m{sup 3} was obtained at the averaged compositions of Sm/(Sm + Co) = 0.16 and Fe/(Sm + Co + Fe) = 0.47. The α-Fe fraction for obtaining the highest (BH){sub max} value was smaller than that expected from the micromagnetic simulation. Although the annealing for crystallization lay the easy direction of magnetization in the plane, the film is not expected to have strong crystallographic texture.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Observation of three crystalline layers in hydrothermally grown BiFeO{sub 3} thick films

We report the observation of three different crystalline layers in hydrothermally grown BiFeO{sub 3} (BFO) thick films on SrRuO{sub 3}/SrTiO{sub 3} substrates. High-resolution X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microcopy results suggest that compressively strained, partially relaxed epitaxial layers, and a mixture of polycrystalline and amorphous BFO layers, were successively formed from the bottom to the top of the films. The resistance and capacitance of the mixed layer were significantly lower than those of the epitaxial layers. The atomic concentrations of Bi and Fe in the mixed layer were fluctuating for each point. Based on the observed three crystalline layers, we have discussed the growth mechanism and the leakage current of hydrothermally grown BFO thick films.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Thickness dependent quantum oscillations of transport properties in topological insulator Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} thin films

The dependences of the electrical conductivity, the Hall coefficient, and the Seebeck coefficient on the layer thickness d (d = 18−600 nm) of p-type topological insulator Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} thin films grown by thermal evaporation in vacuum on glass substrates were obtained at room temperature. In the thickness range of d = 18–100 nm, sustained oscillations with a substantial amplitude were revealed. The observed oscillations are well approximated by a harmonic function with a period Δd = (9.5 ± 0.5) nm. At d > 100 nm, the transport coefficients practically do not change as d is increased. The oscillations of the kinetic properties are attributed to the quantum size effects due to the hole confinement in the Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} quantum wells. The results of the theoretical calculations of Δd within the framework of a model of an infinitely deep potential well are in good agreement with the experimental results. It is suggested that the substantial amplitude of the oscillations and their sustained character as a function of d are connected with the topologically protected gapless surface states of Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} and are inherent to topological insulators.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Mo layer thickness requirement on the ion source back plate for the HNB and DNB ion sources in ITER

All the inner surfaces of the ion sources and the upstream surface of the plasma grid of the ITER neutral beam ion sources are proposed to be coated with molybdenum. This is done to avoid sputtering of the base material (Cu or CuCrZr) by the ions in the source plasma (D{sup +}, D{sub 2}{sup +}, D{sub 3}{sup +} or H{sup +}, H{sub 2}{sup +}, H{sub 3}{sup +}). The sputtering of Mo by the ions in the source plasma is low compared to that from Cu, and the threshold energy for sputtering ∼80 eV) is high compared to the energy of the ions in the source. However the D{sub 2}{sup +}, H{sub 2}{sup +} and D{sup +}, H{sup +} ions backstreaming from the accelerators will have energies that substantially exceed that threshold and it is important that the Mo layer is not eroded such that the base material is exposed to the source plasma. In the case of the HNB, the backstreaming ion power is calculated to be in the order of ∼1 MW, and the average energy of the backstreaming ions is calculated to be ∼300 keV. The ion sources in the HNB beam lines, 40 A 1 MeV D and 46 A 870 keV H beams, are supposed to operate for a period of 2 x 10{sup 7} s. For the DNB, 60 A 100 keV H beams, the corresponding number is 1.4 × 10{sup 6} s considering a beam duty cycle of 3s ON/20s OFF with 5 Hz modulation. The Mo layer on the ion source back plate should be thick enough to survive this operational time. Thickness estimation has been carried out taking into account the sputtering yields (atoms/ion), the energy spectrum of the backstreaming ions and the estimated profiles on the ion source back plate.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Charge transport-accumulation in multilayer structures with Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} and thick(5.5 nm) SiO{sub 2}

Double-injection, transport, and accumulation of charge in metal-thick oxide-nitride-silicon and silicon-tunnel oxide-nitride-thick oxide-silicon structures have been theoretically studied. Calculation results were compared to experimental results. The charge transport in Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} is quantitatively described assuming the multiphonon ionization theory of neutral traps with a capture cross-section less than 10{sup −14} cm{sup 2}. With traps amphoterism taken into account, the calculation predicts the existence of a layer with their excessive concentration near the SiO{sub 2}/Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} interface. The model satisfactorily describes the write/erase characteristics in silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon-structures from Bu and White (Solid-State Electron. 45, 113 (2001))

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Resistive switching in a few nanometers thick tantalum oxide film formed by a metal oxidation

Resistive switching in a Cu/Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5}/Pt structure that consisted of a few nanometer-thick Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5} film was demonstrated. The Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5} film with thicknesses of 2–5 nm was formed with a combination of Ta metal film deposition and neutral oxygen particle irradiation at room temperature. The device exhibited a bipolar resistive switching with a threshold voltage of 0.2 V and multilevel switching operation.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Critical thickness for strain relaxation of Ge{sub 1−x}Sn{sub x} (x ≤ 0.17) grown by molecular beam epitaxy on Ge(001)

We investigated the critical thickness (h{sub c}) for plastic relaxation of Ge{sub 1−x}Sn{sub x} grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Ge{sub 1−x}Sn{sub x} films with various Sn mole fraction x (x ≤ 0.17) and different thicknesses were grown on Ge(001). The strain relaxation of Ge{sub 1−x}Sn{sub x} films and the h{sub c} were investigated by high-resolution x-ray diffraction and reciprocal space mapping. It demonstrates that the measured h{sub c} values of Ge{sub 1−x}Sn{sub x} layers are as much as an order of magnitude larger than that predicted by the Matthews and Blakeslee (M-B) model. The People and Bean (P-B) model was also used to predict the h{sub c} values in Ge{sub 1−x}Sn{sub x}/Ge system. The measured h{sub c} values for various Sn content follow the trend, but slightly larger than that predicted by the P-B model.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Illumination angle and layer thickness influence on the photo current generation in organic solar cells: A combined simulative and experimental study

In most future organic photovoltaic applications, such as fixed roof installations, facade or clothing integration, the solar cells will face the sun under varying angles. By a combined simulative and experimental study, we investigate the mutual interdependencies of the angle of light incidence, the absorber layer thickness and the photon harvesting efficiency within a typical organic photovoltaic device. For thin absorber layers, we find a steady decrease of the effective photocurrent towards increasing angles. For 90-140 nm thick absorber layers, however, we observe an effective photocurrent enhancement, exhibiting a maximum yield at angles of incidence of about 50°. Both effects mainly originate from the angle-dependent spatial broadening of the optical interference pattern inside the solar cell and a shift of the absorption maximum away from the metal electrode.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

An experimental study of energy dependence of saturation thickness of multiply scattered gamma rays in binary alloys

The present measurements are carried out to investigate the multiple scattering of 662 keV gamma photons emerging from targets of binary alloys (brass and soldering material). The scattered photons are detected by 51 mm × 51 mm NaI(Tl) scintillation detector whose response unscrambling converting the observed pulse–height distribution to a true photon energy spectrum, is obtained with the help of 10 × 10 inverse response matrix. The numbers of multiply scattered events, having same energy as in the singly scattered distribution, first increases with target thickness and then saturate. The application of response function of scintillation detector does not result in any change of measured saturation thickness. Monte Carlo calculation supports the present experimental results.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Pulsed-N{sub 2} assisted growth of 5-20 nm thick β-W films

A technique to deposit 5-20 nm thick β-phase W using a 2-second periodic pulse of 1 sccm-N{sub 2} gas on Si(001) and SiN(5 nm)/Si(001) substrates is reported. Resistivity, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray reflectivity were utilized to determine phase, bonding and thickness, respectively. X-ray diffraction patterns were utilized to determine the crystal structure, lattice constant and crystal size using the LeBail method. The flow rate of Nitrogen gas (continuous vs. pulsing) had significant impact upon the crystallinity and formation of β-phase W.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Upconverting core-shell nanocrystals with high quantum yield under low irradiance: On the role of isotropic and thick shells

Colloidal upconverter nanocrystals (UCNCs) that convert near-infrared photons to higher energies are promising for applications ranging from life sciences to solar energy harvesting. However, practical applications of UCNCs are hindered by their low upconversion quantum yield (UCQY) and the high irradiances necessary to produce relevant upconversion luminescence. Achieving high UCQY under practically relevant irradiance remains a major challenge. The UCQY is severely limited due to non-radiative surface quenching processes. We present a rate equation model for migration of the excitation energy to show that surface quenching does not only affect the lanthanide ions directly at the surface but also many other lanthanide ions quite far away from the surface. The average migration path length is on the order of several nanometers and depends on the doping as well as the irradiance of the excitation. Using Er{sup 3+}-doped β-NaYF{sub 4} UCNCs, we show that very isotropic and thick (∼10 nm) β-NaLuF{sub 4} inert shells dramatically reduce the surface-related quenching processes, resulting in much brighter upconversion luminescence at simultaneously considerably lower irradiances. For these UCNCs embedded in poly(methyl methacrylate), we determined an internal UCQY of 2.0% ± 0.2% using an irradiance of only 0.43 ± 0.03 W/cm{sup 2} at 1523 nm. Normalized to the irradiance, this UCQY is 120× higher than the highest values of comparable nanomaterials in the literature. Our findings demonstrate the important role of isotropic and thick shells in achieving high UCQY at low irradiances from UCNCs. Additionally, we measured the additional short-circuit current due to upconversion in silicon solar cell devices as a proof of concept and to support our findings determined using optical measurements.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Analysis of a hybrid balanced laminate as a structural material for thick composite beams with axial stiffeners

An accurate stress analysis has been carried out to investigate the suitability of a hybrid balanced laminate as a structural material for thick composite beams with axial stiffeners. Three different balanced laminates composed of dissimilar ply material as well as fiber orientations are considered for a thick beam on simple supports with stiffened lateral ends. A displacement potential based elasticity approach is used to obtain the numerical solution of the corresponding elastic fields. The overall laminate stresses as well as individual ply stresses are analysed mainly in the perspective of laminate hybridization. Both the fiber material and ply angle of individual laminas are found to play dominant roles in defining the design stresses of the present composite beam.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
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 OSTI2018

Passivation and thickness control of highly efficient kesterite solar cells

Kesterite Cu 2 ZnSn(S x Se 1-x ) 4 (CZTSSe) is an attractive photovoltaic absorber material because of its tunable bandgap, earth abundance, and low toxicity. However, efficiency and open circuit voltage remain significantly below theoretical limits. We recently showed that back-contact engineering with MoO 3 /Au on exfoliated vapor-deposited kesterite solar cells can improve device performance. In this work, we demonstrate more promising results, which translate into high power conversion efficiencies of up to 12.2% for solution-deposited CZTSe with thicknesses as low as 1.1 μm. Time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy of exfoliated films showed significantly faster recombination at the back surface than at the front. When atomic layer deposited Al 2 O 3 was used to passivate the exposed back surface of exfoliated films, front and back surfaces showed nearly identical recombination dynamics. After thermally depositing high work function MoO 3 and reflective Au as the back contact on the Al 2 O 3 -passivated absorber, we obtained devices with efficiencies of up to 11.6%. Applying the same strategy of exfoliating working devices and engineering the back contact resulted in efficiencies of up to 12.2% for passivation with a 10 nm layer of Se instead of Al 2 O 3 . Lastly, further development of such passivation and back-contact engineering approaches may lead to higher efficiency devices with absorber thicknesses below 1 μm.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗