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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 1,243 records · Page 69
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2013

Electron diffraction and high-resolution electron microscopy studies on layered Li{sub 2−δ}(Mn{sub 1−x}Co{sub x}){sub 1+δ}O{sub 3}

The structure of Li{sub 2}MnO{sub 3}–LiCoO{sub 2} solid solutions or Li{sub 2−δ}(Mn{sub 1−x}Co{sub x}){sub 1+δ}O{sub 3} (LMCO) which are promising lithium-battery cathodes was studied by high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM). X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses indicate that Li{sub 1.6}Mn{sub 0.2}Co{sub 1.2}O{sub 3} and Li{sub 1.7}Mn{sub 0.4}Co{sub 0.9}O{sub 3} take a rhombohedral (R3-bar m space group) structure, whereas Li{sub 1.85}Mn{sub 0.7}Co{sub 0.45}O{sub 3} and Li{sub 1.95}Mn{sub 0.9}Co{sub 0.15}O{sub 3} take a monoclinic (C2/m) superstructure. HREM studies on those samples reveal that all of the observed crystallites in sample Li{sub 1.95}Mn{sub 0.9}Co{sub 0.15}O{sub 3} contain sharp stripe structures due to the planar defects along the c{sub h}-axis (stacking direction of the hexagonal close-packed planes) of parent rhombohedral R3-bar m cell. Such stripe structures become faint with increasing x, Co content. The origin of the planar defects is mainly attributed not to the different structures but to the different local orientations of the monoclinic LMCO. Local disordering of Li and (Mn,Co) in (Li,Mn,Co) planes is developed with increasing x and the structures are transformed from C2/m to R3-bar m. The alternative (Li,Mn,Co)-plane stacking structure, trigonal P3{sub 1}12 LMCO, was occasionally observed. However, only P3{sub 1}12 LMCO platelets with a thickness of a single unit cell were detected. - Graphical abstract: An HREM image for Li{sub 1.95}(Mn{sub 0.9}Co{sub 0.15})O{sub 3} and schematic drawings of C2/m and P3{sub 1}12 Li{sub 2}MnO{sub 3} projected along the various zone axes. Each projected unit cell is indicated by rectangles and parallelograms . - Highlights: • Li{sub 2−δ}(Mn{sub 1−x}Co{sub x}){sub 1+δ}O{sub 3} was studied by high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM). • HREM studies revealed a large amount of planar defects in C2/m Li{sub 1.95}Mn{sub 0.9}Co{sub 0.15}O{sub 3}. • The origin of the defects is the different local orientations of the C2/m platelets. • P3{sub 1}12 platelets with only single unit cell sequence were detected.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2018

Microstructural development of electron beam processed Al-3Ti-1Sc alloy under different electron beam scanning speeds

A systematic study has been made of the microstructural development in as-cast 30 mm thick Al-3Ti-1Sc (wt%) plate samples that were processed by electron beam (EB) melting at different scanning speeds of 3, 5, 8, 12, 15 and 20 mm/s. The composition of the alloy is designed to capitalize on the potential for significantly extended solubility values of both Sc and Ti in Al when cooled at high cooling rates. The resulting microstructures are characterised using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and other analytical means, assisted with Thermo-Calc predictions and Vicker's microhardness measurements. EB scanning speed plays a key role in determining the phase formation and microstructural development in the Al-3Ti-1Sc alloy when the beam is applied an accelerating voltage of 50 kV and a current of 30 μA. The major microstructural features in the re-solidified zone include (i) the formation of the primary tetragonal Al{sub 3}(Ti,Sc) phases and their retention or subsequent transformation to stable cubic Al{sub 3}(Ti,Sc) phases; (ii) the complete suppression of the primary tetragonal Al{sub 3}(Ti,Sc) phases at the scanning speed of 20 mm/s; and (iii) the formation of cubic Al{sub 3}(Ti,Sc) precipitates in the α(Al) matrix supersaturated with both Sc and Ti. These experimental findings are informative for both EB processing of Al-Ti-Sc alloys and the design of new Al alloys for additive manufacturing processes.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Transmission Electron Microscopy and Electron Energy-Loss Spectroscopy Studies of Hole-Selective Molybdenum Oxide Contacts in Silicon Solar Cells

In this study, substochiometric hole-selective molybdenum oxide (MoO x ) contacts in crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells were investigated by a combination of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and spatially resolved electron energy-loss spectroscopy (SR-EELS). It was observed that a ≈ 4 nm SiO x interlayer grows at the MoO x /c-Si interface during the evaporation of MoO x over a c-Si substrate. SR-EELS analyses revealed the presence of a 1.5 nm diffused MoO x /indium tin oxide (ITO) interface in both as-deposited and annealed samples. Moreover, the presence of a 1 nm thin layer with a lower oxidation state of Mo was detected at the SiO x /MoO x interface in an as-deposited state, which disappears upon annealing. Altogether, it was evident that no hole-blocking interlayer is formed at the MoO x /ITO interface during annealing and homogenization of the MoO x layer takes place during the annealing process. Furthermore, device simulations revealed that efficient hole collection is dependent on MoO x work function and that reduction in the work function of MoO x results in loss of band bending and negatively impacts hole selectivity.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2013

Anomalous conductivity in Hall thrusters: Effects of the non-linear coupling of the electron-cyclotron drift instability with secondary electron emission of the walls

With the help of an implicit particle-in-cell code, we have shown in a previous paper that the electron-cyclotron drift instability was able to induce anomalous conductivity as well as anomalous heating. As such it can be a major actor among the mechanisms involved in the operation of Hall thrusters. However, experimental results show that the nature of wall material has a significant effect on the behavior of the thruster. The purpose of this paper is to study the plasma-wall interaction in the case where the plasma is heated self-consistently by electrostatic fluctuations induced by the electron-cyclotron drift instability.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Two-dimensional electron gas in a modulation-doped SrTiO{sub 3}/Sr(Ti, Zr)O{sub 3} heterostructure

A two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) in SrTiO{sub 3} is created via modulation doping by interfacing undoped SrTiO{sub 3} with a wider-band-gap material, SrTi{sub 1−x}Zr{sub x}O{sub 3}, which is doped n-type with La. All layers are grown using hybrid molecular beam epitaxy. Using magnetoresistance measurements, we show that electrons are transferred into the SrTiO{sub 3}, and a 2DEG is formed. In particular, Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations are shown to depend only on the perpendicular magnetic field. Experimental Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations are compared with calculations that assume multiple occupied subbands.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Polarized electron beams at milliampere average current

This contribution describes some of the challenges associated with developing a polarized electron source capable of uninterrupted days-long operation at milliAmpere average beam current with polarization greater than 80%. Challenges will be presented in the context of assessing the required level of extrapolation beyond the performance of today’s CEBAF polarized source operating at ∼ 200 uA average current. Estimates of performance at higher current will be based on hours-long demonstrations at 1 and 4 mA. Particular attention will be paid to beam-related lifetime-limiting mechanisms, and strategies to construct a photogun that operate reliably at bias voltage > 350kV.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Tunable power law in the desynchronization events of coupled chaotic electronic circuits

We study the statistics of the amplitude of the synchronization error in chaotic electronic circuits coupled through linear feedback. Depending on the coupling strength, our system exhibits three qualitatively different regimes of synchronization: weak coupling yields independent oscillations; moderate to strong coupling produces a regime of intermittent synchronization known as attractor bubbling; and stronger coupling produces complete synchronization. In the regime of moderate coupling, the probability distribution for the sizes of desynchronization events follows a power law, with an exponent that can be adjusted by changing the coupling strength. Such power-law distributions are interesting, as they appear in many complex systems. However, most of the systems with such a behavior have a fixed value for the exponent of the power law, while here we present an example of a system where the exponent of the power law is easily tuned in real time.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2014

A white noise approach to the Feynman integrand for electrons in random media

Using the Feynman path integral representation of quantum mechanics it is possible to derive a model of an electron in a random system containing dense and weakly coupled scatterers [see F. Edwards and Y. B. Gulyaev, “The density of states of a highly impure semiconductor,” Proc. Phys. Soc. 83, 495–496 (1964)]. The main goal of this paper is to give a mathematically rigorous realization of the corresponding Feynman integrand in dimension one based on the theory of white noise analysis. We refine and apply a Wick formula for the product of a square-integrable function with Donsker's delta functions and use a method of complex scaling. As an essential part of the proof we also establish the existence of the exponential of the self-intersection local times of a one-dimensional Brownian bridge. As a result we obtain a neat formula for the propagator with identical start and end point. Thus, we obtain a well-defined mathematical object which is used to calculate the density of states [see, e.g., F. Edwards and Y. B. Gulyaev, “The density of states of a highly impure semiconductor,” Proc. Phys. Soc. 83, 495–496 (1964)].

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2014

Calcium chloride electron injection/extraction layers in organic electronic devices

Nontoxic calcium chloride (CaCl{sub 2}) was introduced into organic electronic devices as cathode buffer layer (CBL). The turn-on voltage and maximum luminance of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) with 1.5 nm CaCl{sub 2} was 3.5 V and 21 960 cd/m{sup 2}, respectively. OLED with 1.5 nm CaCl{sub 2} possessed comparable electroluminescent characteristics to that of the commonly used LiF. Moreover, the performance of the organic photovoltaic device with 0.5 nm CaCl{sub 2} was comparable to that of the control device with LiF. Therefore, CaCl{sub 2} has the potential to be used as the CBL for organic electronic devices.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Measurement of electron temperature fluctuations using a tunable correlation electron cyclotron emission system on Alcator C-Mod

A tunable correlation electron cyclotron (CECE) system was recently installed on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak to provide local, quantitative measurement of electron temperature fluctuations in the tokamak core. This system represents a significant upgrade from the original CECE system, expanding the measurement capabilities from 4 to 8 total channels, including 2 remotely tunable YIG filters (6–18 GHz; 200 MHz bandwidth). Additional upgrades were made to the optical system to provide enhanced poloidal resolution and allow for measurement of turbulent fluctuations below k{sub θ}ρ{sub s} < 0.3. These expanded capabilities allow for single shot measurement of partial temperature fluctuation profiles in the region ρ = 0.7 − 0.9 (square root of normalized toroidal flux) in a wide variety of plasma conditions. These measurements are currently being used to provide stringent tests of the gyrokinetic model in ongoing model validation efforts. Details of the hardware upgrades, turbulent fluctuation measurements, and ongoing comparisons with simulations are presented.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2014

On the origin of the two-dimensional electron gas at AlGaN/GaN heterojunctions and its influence on recessed-gate metal-insulator-semiconductor high electron mobility transistors

It is commonly accepted that interface states at the passivation surface of AlGaN/GaN heterostructures play an important role in the formation of the 2DEG density. Several interface state models are cited throughout literature, some with discrete levels, others with different kinds of distributions, or a combination of both. The purpose of this article is to compare the existing interface state models with both direct and indirect measurements of these interface states from literature (e.g., through the hysteresis of transfer characteristics of Metal-Insulator-Semiconductor High Electron Mobility Transistors (MISHEMTs) employing such an interface in the gate region) and Technology Computer Aided Design (TCAD) simulations of 2DEG densities as a function of the AlGaN thickness. The discrepancies between those measurements and TCAD simulations (also those commonly found in literature) are discussed. Then, an alternative model inspired by the Disorder Induced Gap State model for compound semiconductors is proposed. It is shown that defining a deep border trap inside the insulator can solve these discrepancies and that this alternative model can explain the origin of the two dimensional electron gas in combination with a high-quality interface that, by definition, has a low interface state density.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Contribution of alloy clustering to limiting the two-dimensional electron gas mobility in AlGaN/GaN and InAlN/GaN heterostructures: Theory and experiment

The influence of alloy clustering on fluctuations in the ground state energy of the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) in AlGaN/GaN and InAlN/GaN heterostructures is studied. We show that because of these fluctuations, alloy clustering degrades the mobility even when the 2DEG wavefunction does not penetrate the alloy barrier unlike alloy disorder scattering. A comparison between the results obtained for AlGaN/GaN and InAlN/GaN heterostructures shows that alloy clustering limits the 2DEG mobility to a greater degree in InAlN/GaN heterostructures. Our study also reveals that the inclusion of an AlN interlayer increases the limiting mobility from alloy clustering. Moreover, Atom probe tomography is used to demonstrate the random nature of the fluctuations in the alloy composition.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Low energy electron microscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy studies of Cs-O activation layer on p-type GaAs photocathode

Work function, photoemission yield, and Auger electron spectra were measured on (001) p-type GaAs during negative electron affinity (NEA) surface preparation, surface degradation, and heating processes. The emission current sensitively depends on work function change and its dependence allows us to determine that the shape of the vacuum barrier was close to double triangular. Regarding the NEA surface degradation during photoemission, we discuss the importance of residual gas components the oxygen and hydrogen. We also found that gentle annealing (≤100 °C) of aged photocathodes results in a lower work function and may offer a patch to reverse the performance degradation.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Nanoscale strain distributions in embedded SiGe semiconductor devices revealed by precession electron diffraction and dual lens dark field electron holography

The detailed strain distributions produced by embedded SiGe stressor structures are measured at high spatial resolution with high precision, with dual lens dark field electron holography and precession electron diffraction. Shear strain and lattice rotation within the crystalline lattice are observed at the boundaries between the SiGe and Si regions. The experimental results are compared to micromechanical modeling simulations to understand the mechanisms of elastic relaxation on all the modes of deformation at a sub-micron length scale.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Electronic structure and correlated wave functions of a few electron quantum dots

The energy spectra and wave functions of a few electrons confined by a quasi-one-dimensional harmonic and anharmonic potentials have been studied by using a full configuration interaction method employing a Cartesian anisotropic Gaussian basis set. The energy spectra are classified into three regimes of the strength of confinement, namely, large, medium and small. The polyad quantum number defined by a total number of nodes in the wave functions is shown to be a key ingredient to interpret the energy spectra for the whole range of the confinement strength. The nodal pattern of the wave functions exhibits normal modes for the harmonic confining potential, indicating collective motions of electrons. These normal modes are shown to undergo a transition to local modes for an anharmonic potential with large anharmonicity.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Investigation of dislocations in Nb-doped SrTiO{sub 3} by electron-beam-induced current and transmission electron microscopy

This paper aims to clarify the electrical activities of dislocations in Nb-doped SrTiO{sub 3} substrates and the role of dislocations in the resistance switching phenomenon in Pt/SrTiO{sub 3} Schottky contacts. The electrical activities of dislocations have been studied by electron-beam-induced current (EBIC) technique. EBIC has found that dislocations can exhibit dark or bright contrast depending on their character and band bending condition. The character of dislocations has been analysed based on chemical etching and transmission electron microscopy. These data suggested that not all the dislocations contribute to the switching phenomenon. The active dislocations for resistance switching were discussed.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗