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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 1,315 records · Page 73
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2014

Time-domain detection of current controlled magnetization damping in Pt/Ni{sub 81}Fe{sub 19} bilayer and determination of Pt spin Hall angle

The effect of spin torque from the spin Hall effect in Pt/Ni{sub 81}Fe{sub 19} rectangular bilayer film was investigated using time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr microscopy. Current flow through the stack resulted in a linear variation of effective damping up to ±7%, attributed to spin current injection from the Pt into the Ni{sub 81}Fe{sub 19}. The spin Hall angle of Pt was estimated as 0.11 ± 0.03. The modulation of the damping depended on the angle between the current and the bias magnetic field. These results demonstrate the importance of optical detection of precessional magnetization dynamics for studying spin transfer torque due to spin Hall effect.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2018

Formation of nanoparticles from thin silver films irradiated by laser pulses in air

Some specific features of the transport of silver nanoparticles onto a SiO{sub 2} substrate under focused nanosecond IR laser pulses is experimentally investigated. A possibility of obtaining silver coatings is demonstrated. The formation of silver nanostructures as a result of pulsed laser ablation in air is studied. Nanoparticles are formed by exposing a silver film to radiation of an HTF MARK (Bulat) laser marker (λ = 1064 nm). The thus prepared nanoparticles are analysed using scanning electron microscopy and optical spectroscopy. (paper)

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2018

Multiscale characterization of irradiation behaviour of ion-irradiated SiC/SiC composites

Here, the irradiation tolerance of SiC/SiC composites was studied using 10 MeV Au ion irradiations at 350 °C, for surface doses between 1 and 50 displacements per atom (dpa). Atomic force microscopy and optical profilometry revealed irradiation-induced axial and radial shrinkage of SiC-fibers. At 50 dpa, net fiber shrinkage reached 2.8 ± 0.3%. We conclude that the primary cause of SiC-fiber shrinkage in SiC/SiC composites is the irradiation-induced loss of pre-existing carbon packets, which had occupied 2–3% fiber volume in unirradiated state. A compelling evidence of the carbon packet loss was revealed using a combination of state-of-art conventional transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution TEM, energy-filtered TEM and electron energy loss spectroscopy. Additionally, the carbon packet volume fraction decreased with increasing dose, reaching near-complete loss after 50 dpa. Carbon packet loss was further confirmed using Raman spectroscopy where the carbon D and G peaks disappeared after irradiation. In contrast, irradiation-induced swelling of 1 ± 0.5% was observed in the matrix after 50 dpa. The study also shows that up to 50 dpa, the multilayer pyrolytic-carbon (PyC) interface in the composite is highly irradiation tolerant as it maintained its morphology, graphitic nature and showed no signs of amorphization. Additionally, Raman spectroscopy revealed a saturation of TEM invisible disorder at 1 dpa for both ultra-fine grains of the fiber and the larger SiC-matrix grains. However, TEM visible extended defect formation such as dislocation loops were only detected in the larger matrix grains, thereby revealing a potential role of grain size on defect accumulation in SiC.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Stoichiometric Control and Optical Properties of BaTiO 3 Thin Films Grown by Hybrid MBE

BaTiO 3 is a technologically relevant material in the perovskite oxide class with above-room-temperature ferroelectricity and a very large electro-optical coefficient, making it highly suitable for emerging electronic and photonic devices. An easy, robust, straightforward, and scalable growth method is required to synthesize epitaxial BaTiO 3 thin films with sufficient control over the film's stoichiometry to achieve reproducible thin film properties. Here the growth of BaTiO 3 thin films by hybrid molecular beam epitaxy is reported. A self-regulated growth window is identified using complementary information obtained from reflection high energy electron diffraction, the intrinsic film lattice parameter, film surface morphology, and scanning transmission electron microscopy. Subsequent optical characterization of the BaTiO 3 films by spectroscopic ellipsometry revealed refractive index and extinction coefficient values closely resembling those of stoichiometric bulk BaTiO 3 crystals for films grown inside the growth window. Even in the absence of a lattice parameter change of BaTiO 3 thin films, degradation of optical properties is observed, accompanied by the appearance of a wide optical absorption peak in the IR spectrum, attributed to optical transitions involving defect states present. Therefore, the optical properties of BaTiO 3 can be utilized as a much finer and more straightforward probe to determine the stoichiometry level present in BaTiO 3 films.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2011

Structural and optical properties of Ga{sub 2}O{sub 3}:In films deposited on MgO (1 0 0) substrates by MOCVD

Ga{sub 2}O{sub 3}:In films with different indium (In) content x [x=In/(Ga+In) atomic ratio] have been deposited on MgO (1 0 0) substrates by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). Structural analyses revealed that the film deposited with actual In content (x') of 0.09 was an epitaxial film and the films with x'=0.18 and 0.37 had mixed-phase structures of monoclinic Ga{sub 2}O{sub 3} and bixbyite In{sub 2}O{sub 3}. The absolute average transmittance of the obtained films in the visible region exceeded 95%, and the band gap was in the range of 4.74-4.87 eV. Photoluminescence (PL) measurements were performed at room temperature, in which the visible luminescences were strong and could be seen by the naked eye. The strong emissions in the visible light region were proposed to originate from the gallium vacancies, oxygen deficiencies and other defects in these films. - Graphical abstract: Low magnification XTEM (a), HRTEM (b) and SAED (c) micrographs of the interface area between Ga{sub 1.82}In{sub 0.18}O{sub 3} film and MgO substrate have showed the Ga{sub 1.82}In{sub 0.18}O{sub 3} is an epitaxial film. Highlights: > Ga{sub 1.82}In{sub 0.18}O{sub 3} epitaxial film was deposited on MgO(1 0 0) substrate. > The transmittance of the Ga{sub 2}O{sub 3}:In films in the visible region exceeded 95%. > Strong emissions were observed in the photoluminescence measurements of the films.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2014

Phase states of water near the surface of a polymer membrane. Phase microscopy and luminescence spectroscopy experiments

Phase microscopy is used to show that the refractive index in the near-surface layer of water at the surface of a polymer Nafion membrane increases by a factor of 1.1 as compared to bulk water. Moreover, this layer exhibits birefringence. Experiments on UV irradiation of dry (anhydrous) and water-soaked Nafion are performed in grazing-incidence geometry to study their stimulated luminescence spectra. These spectra are found to be identical in both cases. For dry Nafion, luminescence can only be excited if probing radiation illuminates the polymer surface. The luminescence of water-soaked Nafion can also be excited if the distance between the optical axis and the surface is several hundred micrometers.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2021

Blinking statistics and molecular counting in direct stochastic reconstruction microscopy (dSTORM)

Abstract Motivation Many recent advancements in single-molecule localization microscopy exploit the stochastic photoswitching of fluorophores to reveal complex cellular structures beyond the classical diffraction limit. However, this same stochasticity makes counting the number of molecules to high precision extremely challenging, preventing key insight into the cellular structures and processes under observation. Results Modelling the photoswitching behaviour of a fluorophore as an unobserved continuous time Markov process transitioning between a single fluorescent and multiple dark states, and fully mitigating for missed blinks and false positives, we present a method for computing the exact probability distribution for the number of observed localizations from a single photoswitching fluorophore. This is then extended to provide the probability distribution for the number of localizations in a direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy experiment involving an arbitrary number of molecules. We demonstrate that when training data are available to estimate photoswitching rates, the unknown number of molecules can be accurately recovered from the posterior mode of the number of molecules given the number of localizations. Finally, we demonstrate the method on experimental data by quantifying the number of adapter protein linker for activation of T cells on the cell surface of the T-cell immunological synapse. Availability and implementation Software and data available at https://github.com/lp1611/mol_count_dstorm. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Patel, Lekha↗
DOE OSTI2014

Synthesis and growth of HgI{sub 2} nanocrystals in a glass matrix: Heat treatment

Mercury iodide (HgI{sub 2}) nanocrystals (NCs) were successfully grown in a barium phosphate glass matrix synthesized by fusion. Growth control of HgI{sub 2} NCs was investigated by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Optical Absorption (OA), Fluorescence (FL), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). AFM images reveal the formation of HgI{sub 2} nanocrystals in host glass matrix. HgI{sub 2} NCs growth was evidenced by an OA and FL band red-shift with increasing annealing time. XRD measurements revealed the β crystalline phase of the HgI{sub 2} nanocrystals.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2011

Synthesis,Structure and Electrical Properties of(SnO{sub 2}){sub x}(In{sub 2}O{sub 3}){sub 1-x}(x=0.5-1) Nanocomposites

The experimental results of synthesizing thin films (<1 {mu}m thick) of (SnO{sub 2}){sub x}(In{sub 2}O{sub 3}){sub 1-x} (x = 0.5-1 wt) nanocomposites fabricated by high-frequency magnetron sputtering of metal-oxide targets in a controlled Ar + O{sub 2} atmosphere are presented. The films, deposited on hot substrates (400 Degree-Sign C), are studied by the X-ray diffraction analysis, atomic-force microscopy, and optical and electrical methods. The effect of the synthesis conditions and film composition on the size of crystalline grains, band gap, and the concentration and mobility of free charge carriers was determined. It is shown that films of the composition (SnO{sub 2}){sub x}(In{sub 2}O{sub 3}){sub 1-x} with x = 0.9 are the most promising for applications in gas sensorics.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Histological evaluation of high-intensity focused ultrasound with lower-intensity focused ultrasound pre-exposure on the treatment of rabbit VX2 liver tumors

This study was to evaluate the effect of pre-exposure lower-intensity focused ultrasound(US), or LIFU, in high-intensity focused ultrasound(HIFU) ablation of rabbit VX2 liver tumors . Liver VX2 tumor models were established in 30 rabbits, which were divided randomly into two groups. The liver tumors of rabbits in Group A underwent single HIFU ablation; those in Group B were given LIFU exposure before HIFU treatment. Five rabbits from each of the two groups were sacrificed at 0 hours, 3 days, and 7 days after HIFU ablation. Tissue samples that included targeted and short-range sounding (s-RS, within 5 mm of the targeted) and far-range sounding (f-RS, more than 5 mm of the targeted) tissues were observed using light microscope and transmission electron microscopy. The histological examination indicated that not only the targeted tumor cells became irreversible damage, but also the short-range sounding tumors were severely damaged by the HIFU with LIFU pre-exposure in group B. It is concluded that LIFU pre-exposure can enhance the effects of HIFU ablation on the destruction of cell ultrastructures and can enlarge the region of HIFU ablation.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2011

Magnetization reversal processes of epitaxial Fe{sub 3}Si films on GaAs(001)

We report magneto-optical Kerr microscopy study of the magnetic reversal behavior of Fe{sub 3}Si/GaAs(100) epitaxial thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Results are described in the context of superconducting quantum interference device and Kerr effect vector magnetometry to study the magnetic switching behavior. By tuning the Fe concentration of the samples from 75% to 83%, we found that the ratio of uniaxial to cubic anisotropy constants {gamma} (=|K{sub u}/K{sub 1}|) would tremendously vary from 0.06 to 0.3. When the field was applied along the easy axis of Fe{sub 3}Si samples, a step feature was observed in the M-H loops. This feature has been resolved in the domain image by Kerr microscopy, in which we observed a two-switching behavior at the field where the step feature occurred. These can be qualitatively understood by considering the ratio {gamma}.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Broadband‐Tunable Third‐Harmonic Generation Using Phase‐Change Chalcogenides

Despite remarkable progress in passive nonlinear nanophotonics, dynamically controlled ultracompact nonlinear optical sources with high efficiency remain elusive. Nonvolatility, large refractive index contrast between amorphous and crystalline phases, low thermal threshold for crystallization, and particularly high‐third‐order nonlinear optical susceptibility of phase‐change alloy Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 (GST) make it a promising candidate for active subwavelength metaphotonic structures for realization of third‐harmonic generation (THG) devices. Herein, a GST‐based asymmetric Fabry–Perot cavity is numerically designed and experimentally demonstrated to show a dynamically reconfigurable structure with a large shift of the THG resonant band. In addition, continuous resonant spectral shifting bridged by a precisely controlled semicrystalline phase of GST is realized. Tunable THG with the fundamental wavelength ranging from 1150 to 1400 nm is presented, which corresponds to a broadband THG source in the violet‐blue visible wavelength range. Herein, the potential of GST subwavelength structures as a reliable platform for realization of the broadband‐tunable frequency‐conversion sources for applications such as THG microscopy and optical communication is indicated.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2019

Electron Microscopy and Elemental Composition of the Near-Surface Layer of Electron-Irradiated LiF Crystals

Electron microscopy and optical vibrational spectroscopy techniques have been used to study Li nanoparticles formed on the cleaved surface of lithium fluoride (LiF) crystals irradiated by 4-MeV electron beam to a total fluence of 5 × 10{sup 16} cm{sup –2}. It is suggested that ionization accompanying this intense irradiation leads to radiolysis of the target and removal of fluorine from interblock boundaries, where lithium cations are collected and mutually oriented to form microwires. This functional surface may be of practical interest.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Gamma and x-ray irradiation effects on different Ge and Ge/F doped optical fibers

We performed electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements on γ and X ray irradiated Ge doped and Ge/F co-doped optical fibers. We considered three different drawing conditions (speed and tension), and for each type of drawing, we studied Ge and Ge/F doped samples having Ge doping level above 4% by weight. The EPR data recorded for the γ ray irradiated fibers confirm that all the samples exhibit a very close radiation response regardless of the drawing conditions corresponding to values used for the production of specialty fibers. Furthermore, as for the X irradiated materials, in the γ ray irradiated F co-doped fibers, we observed that the Ge(1) and the Ge(2) defects generation is unchanged, whereas it was enhanced for the E'Ge. In the various fibers, the comparison of the γ and X-ray induced concentrations of these kinds of Ge related defects indicates that the two irradiations induce similar effects regardless of the different employed dose rates and sources. Confocal microscopy luminescence results show that the starting content of the Germanium Lone Pair Center (GLPC) is neither strongly affected by the Ge content nor by the drawing conditions, and we consider the similarity of the GLPC content as key factor in determining many of the above reported similarities.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Simple imaging for the diamond anvil cell: Applications to hard-to-reach places

The employment of high-pressure gases as a pressure-transmitting medium, sample, or reactant for diamond anvil cell experiments is widespread. As a pressure transmitter, high-pressure gases are crucial to forming quasi-hydrostatic compression atmospheres for samples inside the uniaxially driven cell. We describe an optical design for forming high-resolution images of the gasket and sample chamber of the diamond anvil cell under high gas pressures in a gas loading apparatus. Our design is simple, is of low-cost, and may be easily adapted to suit gas loading apparatus of any design, as well as other common hard-to-reach environments in diamond anvil cell experiments, i.e., those with large stand-off distances, such as cryostats.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2011

High-resolution in-situ characterization of the surface evolution of a polycrystalline NiTi SMA-alloy under pseudoelastic deformation

The current study addresses the relation between grain orientations, local strain concentrations and resulting topographical changes in NiTi on the meso- and microscale by means of a comprehensive experimental in-situ approach, involving electron backscatter diffraction, confocal laser scanning microscopy and digital image correlation. The findings presented herein clearly show that this approach is capable of identifying the relationships between the microstructural features and phase transformation-induced topographical evolutions, which govern defect formation in thin protective coatings. - Research Highlights: {yields} High local strain gradients are observed between highly misoriented grains. {yields} Pronounced surface alterations emerged across these boundaries. {yields} Roughness evolution induced highly localized strains in the vicinity of grain boundaries. {yields} EBSD at {epsilon} = 5.5% proved the existence of intergranular constraints.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Effects of germanium and nitrogen incorporation on crystallization of N-doped Ge{sub 2+x}Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 5} (x = 0,1) thin films for phase-change memory

The phase-change behavior and microstructure changes of N-doped Ge{sub 3}Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 5}[N-GST(3/2/5)] and Ge{sub 2}Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 5}[GST(2/2/5)] films during the phase transition from an amorphous to a crystalline phase were studied using in situ temperature-dependent sheet resistance measurements, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. The optical band gaps of N-GST(3/2/5) films are higher than that of GST(2/2/5) film in both the amorphous and face-centered-cubic (fcc) phases. Ge nitride formation by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis increased the optical band gap and suppressed crystalline grain growth, resulting in an increase in the crystallization temperature and resistance in the fcc phase. As a result, the Ge- and N-doped GST(2/2/5) composite films can be considered as a promising material for phase-change memory application because of improved thermal stability and reduced power consumption.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Direct electrochemical generation of supercooled sulfur microdroplets well below their melting temperature

Significance Since the first discovery of supercooling in 1724, the study of supercooled matter has been mainly limited to varying temperature or pressure. Here we demonstrate an electrochemical approach to generate and observe supercooled sulfur. Our methodology combines dark-field microscopy, a transparent electrochemical cell, and a fast camera to visualize the process at single microdroplet with millisecond time resolution. This platform may open up opportunities for studying supercooled liquids as the droplets approach either homogeneous nucleation to the crystalline state or enter into the glass transition. Relevant to understanding lithium-sulfur battery chemistry, liquid sulfur is observed to form in the electrochemical cell and elucidates a long-debated reaction pathway for sulfur redox reaction in this environment.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗