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At least 109 records · Page 6

Lateral Confinement in 2D Nanoplatelets: A Strategy to Expand the Colloidal Quantum Engineering Toolbox

Among colloidal nanocrystals, 2D nanoplatelets offer a unique set of properties with exceptionally narrow luminescence and low lasing thresholds. Furthermore, their anisotropic shape expands the playground for the complex design of heterostructures where spectra but also scattering rates can be engineered. A challenge that still remains is to combine shell growth which makes NPLs stable, with spectral tunability. Indeed, most reported shelled nanoplatelets end up being red emitters due to a loss of quantum confinement. Here, the combination of both lateral and in-plane confinements within a single heterostructure is explored. A CdS/CdSe/CdS/CdZnS core–crown–crown shell structure that enables yellow emission is grown and that is responsive to a large range of excitation including visible photons, X-ray photons, electron beams, and electrical excitations. k.p simulations predict that emission tunability of up to several 100 s of meV can be obtained in ideal structures. This material also displays stimulated emission resulting from bi-exciton emission with a low threshold. Once integrated into an LED stack, this material is compatible with sub-bandgap excitation and exhibits high luminance. Scaling of the electroluminescence properties by downsizing the pixel size is also investigated.

2D materials↗

Direct drive with the argon fluoride laser as a path to high fusion gain with sub-megajoule laser energy

Argon fluoride (ArF) is currently the shortest wavelength laser that can credibly scale to the energy and power required for high gain inertial fusion. ArF's deep ultraviolet light and capability to provide much wider bandwidth than other contemporary inertial confinement fusion (ICF) laser drivers would drastically improve the laser target coupling efficiency and enable substantially higher pressures to drive an implosion. Our radiation hydrodynamics simulations indicate gains greater than 100 are feasible with a sub-megajoule ArF driver. Our laser kinetics simulations indicate that the electron beam-pumped ArF laser can have intrinsic efficiencies of more than 16%, versus about 12% for the next most efficient krypton fluoride excimer laser. We expect at least 10% ‘wall plug' efficiency for delivering ArF light to target should be achievable using solid-state pulsed power and efficient electron beam transport to the laser gas that was demonstrated with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory's Electra facility. These advantages could enable the development of modest size and lower cost fusion power plant modules. This would drastically change the present view on inertial fusion energy as being too expensive and the power plant size too large.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Characterization of muon and electron beams in the Paul Scherrer Institute PiM1 channel for the MUSE experiment

The MUon Scattering Experiment, MUSE, at the Paul Scherrer Institute, Switzerland, investigates the proton charge radius puzzle, lepton universality, and two-photon exchange, via simultaneous measurements of elastic muon-proton and electron-proton scattering. The experiment uses the PiM1 secondary beam channel, which was designed for high precision pion scattering measurements. We review the properties of the beam line established for pions. We discuss the production processes that generate the electron and muon beams, and the simulations of these processes. Simulations of the π/μ/e beams through the channel using TURTLE and G4beamline are compared. The G4beamline simulation is then compared to several experimental measurements of the channel, including the momentum dispersion at the intermediate focal plane and target, the shape of the beam spot at the target, and timing measurements that allow the beam momenta to be determined. Finally, we conclude that the PiM1 channel can be used for high precision π, μ, and e scattering.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Focusing of laser-accelerated ions with spherically curved targets

A theoretical model for laser-accelerated ion focusing from spherically curved targets using a Gaussian self-similar solution is presented. This model describes the evolution of the focal location and focal radius with final ion energy and the initial radial boundary of the ions, the latter being a function of both target geometry and the ion acceleration radius for a given ion energy. The theory is supported by particle-in-cell simulations of a variety of target shapes with varying radii of curvature and target opening angles, as well as variations in the injected electron beam radius and energy spectrum. The theory and simulations suggest that the focal location varies linearly with the radius of curvature, with the square root of the ratio of ion energy to effective electron temperature, and monotonically increases with the energy-dependent ratio of the initial ion radial boundary to the radius of curvature. Considering ponderomotive acceleration, this suggests that the focal length should scale inversely with intensity, $(I_Lλ_L^2)$ −1/4 , suggesting a 10× increase in intensity will reduce the focal distance by ̃1.8× for a given ion energy.

Physics - Plasma physics↗

Transient Relativistic Plasma Grating to Tailor High-Power Laser Fields, Wakefield Plasma Waves, and Electron Injection

In this work, we show the first experiment of a transverse laser interference for electron injection into the laser plasma accelerators. Simulations show such an injection is different from previous methods, as electrons are trapped into later acceleration buckets other than the leading ones. With optimal plasma tapering, the dephasing limit of such unprecedented electron beams could be potentially increased by an order of magnitude. In simulations, the interference drives a relativistic plasma grating, which triggers the splitting of relativistic-intensity laser pulses and wakefield. Consequently, spatially dual electron beams are accelerated, as also confirmed by the experiment.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Dispersion calibration for the National Ignition Facility electron–positron–proton spectrometers for intense laser matter interactions

Electron–positron pairs, produced in intense laser–solid interactions, are diagnosed using magnetic spectrometers with image plates, such as the National Ignition Facility Electron–Positron–Proton Spectrometers (EPPSs). Although modeling can help infer the quantitative value, the accuracy of the models needs to be verified to ensure measurement quality. The dispersion of low-energy electrons and positrons may be affected by fringe magnetic fields near the entrance of the EPPS. We have calibrated the EPPS with six electron beams from a Siemens Oncor linear accelerator (linac) ranging in energy from 2.7 MeV to 15.2 MeV as they enter the spectrometer. A Geant4 Tool for Particle Simulation Monte Carlo simulation was set up to match depth dose curves and lateral profiles measured in water at 100 cm source–surface distance. An accurate relationship was established between the bending magnet current setting and the energy of the electron beam at the exit window. The simulations and measurements were used to determine the energy distributions of the six electron beams at the EPPS slit. Furthermore, analysis of the scanned image plates together with the determined energy distribution arriving in the spectrometer provides improved dispersion curves for the EPPS.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

JSPEC: A Program for IBS and Electron Cooling Simulation

JSPEC (JLab Simulation Package on Electron Cooling) is an open-source C++ program developed at Jefferson Lab to simulate the evolution of the ion beam under the intrabeam scattering effect and/or the electron cooling effect. JSPEC includes various models of the ion beam, the electron beam, and the friction force, aiming to reflect the latest advances in the field and to provide a useful tool to the community. JSPEC has been benchmarked against other cooling simulation codes and experimental data. It has been used to support the cooler design for JLEIC, an earlier JLab design for the Electron-Ion Collider. A Python wrapper of the C++ code, pyJSPEC, for Python 3.x environment has also been developed and released. It allows users to run JSPEC simulations in a Python environment and makes it possible for JSPEC to collaborate with other accelerator and beam modeling programs, as well as plentiful Python tools in data visualization, optimization, machine learning, etc. In this report, we introduce the features of JSPEC, with a focus on the latest development, and demonstrate how to use JSPEC and pyJSPEC with sample codes and numerical examples.

Accelerator Physics↗

From ground to excited electronic state dynamics of electron and ion irradiated graphene nanomaterials

Microscopes utilizing convergent electron and ion beams are emerging as powerful tools for both imaging and manipulating two-dimensional materials with atomic resolution, allowing the ultimate limits of nanofabrication to be realized. In this chapter, we detail the use of time-dependent electronic structure theory to determine the excited state properties and reactivity of functionalized graphene nanostructures. A time-dependent density functional theory treatment of electronic excitations of materials is presented, with specific emphasis on predicting the position-dependent electronic response of two-dimensional nanomaterials to electron beams. The method is demonstrated in a study highlighting the important role that electronic excitation can play in opening reaction pathways relevant to atomically precise defect manipulation in graphene. Finally, we provide some perspective on future development directions for methods of simulating nonequilibrium electronic and vibrational dynamics induced by electron/ion beams.

Lingerfelt, David↗

Characterization of an imploding cylindrical plasma for electron transport studies using x-ray emission spectroscopy

We report here on the characterization of the conditions of an imploding cylindrical plasma by time-resolved x-ray emission spectroscopy. Knowledge about this implosion platform can be applied to studies of particle transport for inertial confinement fusion schemes or to astrophysical plasmas. A cylindrical Cl-doped CH foam within a tube of solid CH was irradiated by 36 beams (I total ~5×10 14 W/cm 2 , 1.5ns square pulse, and E total ~ 16.2kJ) of the OMEGA-60 laser to radially compress the CH toward the axis. The analysis of the time-resolved spectra showed that the compression can be described by four distinct phases, each presenting different plasma conditions. First the ablation of the cylinder is dominant; second, the foam is heated and induces a significant jump in emission intensities; third, the temperature and density of the foam reaches a maximum; and finally, the plasma expands. Ranges for the plasma temperature were inferred with the atomic physics code SCRAM (Spectroscopic Collisional-Radiative Atomic Model) and the experimental data have been compared to hydrodynamic simulations performed with the 2D code FLASH, which showed a similar implosion dynamic over time.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Electron Modulational Instability in the Strong Turbulent Regime for an Electron Beam Propagating in a Background Plasma

We study collective processes for an electron beam propagating through a background plasma using simulations and analytical theory. A new regime where the instability of a Langmuir wave packet can grow locally much faster than ion frequency is clearly identified. The key feature of this new regime is an electron modulational instability that rapidly creates a local Langmuir wave packet, which in its turn produces local charge separation and strong ion density perturbations because of the action of the ponderomotive force, such that the beam-plasma wave interaction stops being resonant. Three evolution stages of the process and observed periodic burst features are discussed. In conclusion, different physical regimes in the plasma and beam parameter space are demonstrated for the first time.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Probing Dynamic Phase Changes in Electrochemical Systems with Cryogenic and in Situ Analytical Electron Microscopy (Final Technical Report)

In this project, we focus on the advancement of our newly developed, unique in situ and cryogenic analytical electron microscopy (AEM) techniques and the development of additional high-end capabilities to quantitatively elucidate the mechanisms of resistive state changes in solid-state electrochemical materials for non-volatile, neuromorphic memory. The objectives of the proposed research are (1) to characterize and elucidate the mechanisms by which electronic state changes occur in various solid-state devices to build guiding principles for electrochemically activated smart materials; (2) to advance our understanding of such mechanisms by coupling cryogenic and in situ techniques to control kinetics of the observed mechanisms while mitigating probe-induced damage; and (3) to utilize additional advanced techniques including electron-beam induced current and quantum mechanical simulations in order to identify the underlying fundamental science of such processes, including roles of defect formation and its effect on phase nucleation, as well as dynamics of these processes in the electrochemical systems at the nanometer scale.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Enhancement of reactive oxygen species production by ultra-short electron pulses

The development of laser-driven accelerators-on-chip has provided an opportunity to miniaturize devices for electron radiotherapy delivery. Laser-driven accelerators produce highly time-compressed electron pulses, on the 100 fs to 1 ps scale. This delivers electrons at high peak power yet low average beam current compared with conventional delivery devices, which generate pulses of approximately 3 µs. The biophysical effects of this time structure, however, are unclear. Here, we use a Monte Carlo simulation approach to explore the effects of the electron beam time structure on the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in water. Our results show a power law increase in the generation of hydroxyl ions per deposited electron with decreasing pulse length over the pulse length range of 10 µs to 100 fs. Similar trends were observed for hydrogen peroxide, superoxide, hydroperoxyl, hydronium and solvated electrons. In practical terms, this indicates a fourfold increase in the efficiency of free radical production for sub-picosecond pulses, relative to that of conventional microsecond pulses, for the same number of deposited electrons.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Improving the electrostatic design of the Jefferson Lab 300 kV DC photogun

The 300 kV DC high voltage photogun at Jefferson Lab was redesigned to deliver electron beams with a much higher bunch charge and improved beam properties. The original design provided only a modest longitudinal electric field ( E z ) at the photocathode, which limited the achievable extracted bunch charge. To reach the bunch charge goal of approximately few nC with 75 ps full-width at half-maximum Gaussian laser pulse width, the existing DC high voltage photogun electrodes and anode–cathode gap were modified to increase E z at the photocathode. In addition, the anode aperture was spatially shifted with respect to the beamline longitudinal axis to minimize the beam deflection introduced by the non-symmetric nature of the inverted insulator photogun design. We present the electrostatic design of the original photogun and the modified photogun and beam dynamics simulations that predict vastly improved performance. We also quantify the impact of the photocathode recess on beam quality, where recess describes the actual location of the photocathode inside the photogun cathode electrode relative to the intended location. A photocathode unintentionally recessed/misplaced by sub-millimeter distance can significantly impact the downstream beam size.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Modeling electron beam irradiation of methane

We built a chemical kinetic model for the electron beam irradiation of methane and report simulation results with dose rates ranging from 2 to 200 kGy s -1 at 298 K and 1 atm pressure. The model contains 92 species and 778 gas-phase reactions. We report the time evolution of concentrations of stable products (including H 2 , C 2 H 6 , C 3 H 8 , C 2 H 4 , C 3 H 6 , C 4 H 10 , C 2 H 2 , and C 3 H 4 ) as well as some radicals and ions. Here we discuss how yields of products depend on dose rate and how they change during the course of irradiation. To understand the processes controlling product formation, we quantify the extent to which various reactions produce and destroy major products and the key radicals and ions. Normalized sensitivity coefficients are computed for the production of stable products to gain further insight into factors controlling product yields. We were able to reduce the mechanism to 63 species and 331 reactions while incurring less than 5% error in the final concentrations of stable products.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Multiple electron beam generation with different energies and comparable currents from a single cathode potential for high power traveling wave tubes (TWTs)

We present a technique for generating multiple electron beams with different energies and comparable currents from a single cathode stalk at a single potential using nested magnetically insulated coaxial diodes (MICDs). The application is for a multi-stream traveling wave tube. Particle-in-cell simulations are performed for an experimental parameter-based geometry where two thin-walled intense relativistic electron beams immersed in a strong uniform magnetic field propagate through a cylindrical vacuum channel. The analytically derived results are obtained by extending Fedosov’s solution for generating a hollow electron beam from an MICD on a cathode stalk in an infinite magnetic field. Two electron beams are generated and accelerated downstream assuming zero initial kinetic energy of the electrons from the cathodes. Results show both electron beam currents ranging from 66 to 2.8 kA with an energy difference ranging from 6% to 27% depending on voltages applied from 100 to 600 kV and the geometry of the two MICDs. An optimal geometry is a crucial factor in achieving the maximum energy difference between the electron beams for comparable currents. The analytical and numerical simulation results show good agreement. We are currently in the process of planning experiments using the electron beam accelerator (SINUS-6 at UNM) to validate the analytical and simulation results.

Islam, K. N. (ORCID:0000000214397710)↗

Design of Silicide-Strengthened Nb–Si–Cr–(Mo) alloys for additive manufacturing

Three high–intermetallic volume Nb–Si–Cr–(Mo) alloys were designed using CALPHAD modeling with the goal of identifying high–specific strength, oxidation-resistant alloys that can be additively manufactured using powder bed fusion. The silicides Nb 5 Si 3 and Nb 9 Si 2 Cr3 were targeted as the primary strengthening phases, and the addition of Cr promoted the NbCr 2 phase. These alloys were cast and surface-processed with electron beam welding at different speeds to simulate additive manufacturing, and the phases and microstructures of both cast and welded regions were characterized. The weld processing was found to produce fine-grained microstructures in each alloy with fine-scale intermetallics uniformly distributed among a body-centered cubic Nb matrix. Microstructural refinement and hardness were found to increase with weld velocity; one alloy reached its highest hardness of approximately 16 GPa before the brittleness at higher velocities became detrimental. One alloy was found to be qualitatively the least brittle while also attaining a hardness of 13 GPa and was therefore identified as a good candidate for additive manufacturing.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗