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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 1,369 records · Page 76
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Signal amplification in a solid-state sensor through asymmetric many-body echo

Electronic spins of nitrogen–vacancy centres in diamond constitute a promising system for micro- and nanoscale magnetic sensing, because of their operation under ambient conditions, ease of placement in close proximity to sensing targets and biological compatibility. At high densities, the electronic spins interact through dipolar coupling, which typically limits but can also potentially enhance sensing performance. Here we report the experimental demonstration of many-body signal amplification in a solid-state, room-temperature quantum sensor. Our approach uses time-reversed two-axis-twisting interactions, engineered through dynamical control of the quantization axis and Floquet engineering in a two-dimensional ensemble of nitrogen–vacancy centres. We observe that optimal amplification occurs when the backward evolution time equals twice the forward evolution time, in sharp contrast to the conventional Loschmidt echo. These observations can be understood as resulting from an underlying time-reversed mirror symmetry of the microscopic dynamics, providing key insights into signal amplification and opportunities for practical entanglement-enhanced quantum sensing.

quantum information↗
DOE OSTI2020

Correlative Surface Imaging Reveals Chemical Signatures for Bacterial Hotspots on Plant Roots

The rhizosphere is arguably the most complex microbial habitat on earth, comprising an integrated network of plant roots, soil and a highly diverse microbial community (the rhizosphere microbiome)1. Understanding, predicting and controlling plant-microbe interactions in the rhizosphere will allow us to harness the plant microbiome as a means to increase or restore plant ecosystem productivity, improve plant responses to a wide range of environmental perturbations, and mitigate effects of climate change by designing ecosystems for long-term soil carbon storage1. To this end, it is imperative to develop new molecular approaches with high spatial resolution to capture interactions at the plant-microbe, microbe-microbe, and plant-plant interfaces. In this work, we designed an imaging sample holder that allows integrated surface imaging tools to map the same locations of a plant root-microbe interface with submicron lateral resolutions, providing novel in vivo analysis of root-microbe interactions. Specifically, confocal fluorescence microscopy, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were used for the first time for correlative imaging of the Brachypodium distachyon root and its interaction with Pseudomonas SW25, a typical plant growth-promoting soil bacterium. Imaging data suggest that the root surface is inhomogeneous and that the interaction between Pseudomonas and Brachypodium roots was confined to only few spots along the sampled root segments and that the bacterial attachment spots were enriched in Na- and S-related and high-mass organic species. We conclude that attachment of the Pseudomonas cells to the root surface is outcompeted by strong root-soil mineral interactions but facilitated by formation of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS).

Plant root, Plant growth-promoting bacteria, soil,↗
DOE OSTI2024

A soft departure from jamming: the compaction of deformable granular matter under high pressures

Here, the high-pressure compaction of three-dimensional granular packings is simulated using a bonded particle model (BPM) to capture linear elastic deformation. In the model, grains are represented by a collection of point particles connected by bonds. A simple multibody interaction is introduced to control Poisson's ratio and the arrangement of particles on the surface of a grain is varied to model both high- and low-frictional grains. At low pressures, the growth in packing fraction and coordination number follows the expected behavior near jamming and exhibit friction dependence. As the pressure increases, deviations from the low-pressure power-law scaling emerge after the packing fraction grows by approximately 0.1 and results from simulations with different friction coefficients converge. These results are compared to predictions from traditional discrete element method simulations which, depending on the definition of packing fraction and coordination number, may only differ by a factor of two. As grains deform under compaction, the average volumetric strain and asphericity, a measure of the change in the shape of grains, are found to grow as power laws and depend heavily on the Poisson's ratio of the constituent solid. Larger Poisson's ratios are associated with less volumetric strain and more asphericity and the apparent power-law exponent of the asphericity may vary. The elastic properties of the packed grains are also calculated as a function of packing fraction. In particular, we find the Poisson's ratio near jamming is 1/2 but decreases to around 1/4 before rising again as systems densify.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Ab initio polaritonic potential-energy surfaces for excited-state nanophotonics and polaritonic chemistry

Advances in nanophotonics, quantum optics, and low-dimensional materials have enabled precise control of light–matter interactions down to the nanoscale. Combining concepts from each of these fields, there is now an opportunity to create and manipulate photonic matter via strong coupling of molecules to the electromagnetic field. Toward this goal, here we demonstrate a first principles framework to calculate polaritonic excited-state potential-energy surfaces, transition dipole moments, and transition densities for strongly coupled light–matter systems. In particular, we demonstrate the applicability of our methodology by calculating the polaritonic excited-state manifold of a formaldehyde molecule strongly coupled to an optical cavity. This proof-of-concept calculation shows how strong coupling can be exploited to alter photochemical reaction pathways by influencing avoided crossings with tuning of the cavity frequency and coupling strength. Therefore, by introducing an ab initio method to calculate excited-state potential-energy surfaces, our work opens a new avenue for the field of polaritonic chemistry.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Observation of mode splitting in artificial spin ice: A comparative ferromagnetic resonance and Brillouin light scattering study

We report the dependence of the magnetization dynamics in a square artificial spin-ice lattice on the in-plane magnetic field angle. Using two complementary measurement techniques—broadband ferromagnetic resonance and micro-focused Brillouin light scattering spectroscopy—we systematically study the evolution of the lattice dynamics, for both a coherent radio frequency excitation and an incoherent thermal excitation of spin dynamics. We observe a splitting of modes facilitated by inter-element interactions that can be controlled by the external field angle and magnitude. Detailed time-dependent micromagnetic simulations reveal that the split modes are localized in different regions of the square network. Furthermore, this observation suggests that it is possible to disentangle modes with different spatial profiles by tuning the external field configuration.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2023

Ion concentration ratio measurements of ion beams generated by a commercial microwave electron cyclotron resonance plasma source

A commercially available electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma source (GenII Plasma Source, tectra GmbH) is widely used for surface processing. This plasma source is compatible with ultrahigh vacuum systems, and its working pressure is relatively low, around 10 –6 –10 –4 Torr even without differential pumping. Here, we report ion flux concentration ratios for each ion species in an ion beam from this source, as measured by a mass/energy analyzer that is a combination of a quadrupole mass spectrometer, an electrostatic energy analyzer, and focusing ion optics. In this study, the examined beams were those arising from plasmas produced from feed gases of H 2 , D 2 , N 2 , O 2 , Ar, and dry air over a range of input power and working pressures. H 2 (D 2 ) plasmas are widely used for nuclear fusion applications and, hence, the ion concentration ratios of H + , H 2 + , and H 3 + reported here will be useful information for research that applies this plasma source to well-controlled plasma-material interaction studies. Ion energy distributions, stability of operation, and impurity concentrations were also assessed for each of the plasma species investigated.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Near-field imaging of optical resonances in silicon metasurfaces using photoelectron microscopy

Precise control of light–matter interactions at the nanoscale lies at the heart of nanophotonics. However, experimental examination at this length scale is challenging since the corresponding electromagnetic near-field is often confined within volumes below the resolution of conventional optical microscopy. In semiconductor nanophotonics, electromagnetic fields are further restricted within the confines of individual subwavelength resonators, limiting access to critical light–matter interactions in these structures. In this work, we demonstrate that photoelectron emission microscopy (PEEM) can be used for polarization-resolved near-field spectroscopy and imaging of electromagnetic resonances supported by broken-symmetry silicon metasurfaces. We find that the photoemission results, enabled through an in situ potassium surface layer, are consistent with full-wave simulations and far-field reflectance measurements across visible and near-infrared wavelengths. In addition, we uncover a polarization-dependent evolution of collective resonances near the metasurface array edge taking advantage of the far-field excitation and full-field imaging of PEEM. Here, we deduce that coupling between eight resonators or more establishes the collective excitations of this metasurface. All told, we demonstrate that the high-spatial resolution hyperspectral imaging and far-field illumination of PEEM can be leveraged for the metrology of collective, non-local, optical resonances in semiconductor nanophotonic structures.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2025

Gyrokinetic simulations of the effects of magnetic islands on microturbulence in KSTAR

Gyrokinetic simulations are utilized to study effects of magnetic islands (MIs) on the ion temperature gradient (ITG) turbulence in the KSTAR tokamak with resonant magnetic perturbations. Simulations show that the transport is controlled by the nonlinear interactions between the ITG turbulence and self-generated vortex flows and zonal flows, leading to an anisotropic structure of fluctuation and transport on the poloidal plane and in the toroidal direction. MIs greatly enhance turbulent transport of both particle and heat. The turbulent transport exhibits variations in the toroidal direction, with transport through the resonant layer near the island X-point being enhanced when the X-point is located at the outer mid-plane. A quantitative agreement is shown between simulations and KSTAR experiments in terms of time frequency and perpendicular wavevector spectrum.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Scanning ultrafast electron microscopy reveals photovoltage dynamics at a deeply buried $p^- \mathrm{Si/SiO_2}$ interface

The understanding and control of charge carrier interactions with defects at buried insulator/semiconductor interfaces is essential for achieving optimum performance in modern electronics. In this work, we report on the use of scanning ultrafast electron microscopy (SUEM) to remotely probe the dynamics of excited carriers at a Si surface buried below a thick thermal oxide. Our measurements illustrate a previously unidentified SUEM contrast mechanism, whereby optical modulation of the space-charge field in the semiconductor modulates the electric field in the thick oxide, thus affecting its secondary electron yield. By analyzing the SUEM contrast as a function of time and laser fluence we demonstrate the diffusion mediated capture of excited carriers by interfacial traps.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2022

Crystallizing Kagome Artificial Spin Ice

Artificial spin ices are engineered arrays of dipolarly coupled nanobar magnets. They enable direct investigations of fascinating collective phenomena from their diverse microstates. However, experimental access to ground states in the geometrically frustrated systems has proven difficult, limiting studies and applications of novel properties and functionalities from the low energy states. In this work, we introduce a convenient approach to control the competing diploar interactions between the neighboring nanomagnets, allowing us to tailor the vertex degeneracy of the ground states. We achieve this by tuning the length of selected nanobar magnets in the spin ice lattice. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our method by realizing multiple low energy microstates in a kagome artificial spin ice, particularly the hardly accessible long range ordered ground state—the spin crystal state. Our strategy can be directly applied to other artificial spin systems to achieve exotic phases and explore new emergent collective behaviors.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Optical imprinting of superlattices in two-dimensional materials

We propose a novel optical method to imprint superlattice structures in two-dimensional electronic systems. By changing the shape of the optical field, we synthesize various lattice structures with different spatial symmetry, periodicity, and strength. We find that the wide optical tunability allows one to tune different properties of the effective band structure, including Chern number, energy bandwidths, and band gaps. We consider the high-frequency regime where the electronic system can remain in the quasi-equilibrium phase for an extended amount of time. The spatiotemporal reconfigurablity of our approach opens up new possibilities to control light-matter interaction to generate novel electronic states and optoelectronic devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Floquet engineering of polaritonic amplification in dispersive photonic time crystals

In this study, we investigate the dynamics of dispersive photonic time crystals (PTCs) and their potential applications for controlling light-matter interaction. Using the Lorentz-Drude as dispersive material model, we analyze the effects of periodic modulation of dispersion parameters through both theoretical and numerical analysis, revealing the emergence of hybrid bandgaps from the interaction of polaritonic branches with distinctive characteristics. Our study demonstrates that dispersive PTCs offer novel excitation channels and amplification possibilities, that require lower modulation frequencies compared to nondispersive systems thus alleviating experimental challenges for the realization of PTCs in the optical regime. These findings pave the way for advancements in polaritonic lasing and resonant Raman scattering.

Classical optics↗
DOE OSTI2024

A Transfer Learning Strategy for Improving the Data Efficiency of Deep Reinforcement Learning Control in Smart Buildings

Reinforcement learning (RL) is a powerful tool that has shown promising results in many domains such as robotics and game-playing. Because RL algorithms learn optimal control policies by continuously interacting with their environments, these algorithms require a lot of data to learn, which limits their application to a wide range of domains. For this reason, there is an immense need for improving the training and data efficiency of RL. Towards addressing this research gap, this paper proposes a transfer learning (TL) approach to improve the efficiency of the RL algorithms by reducing data need and, thus, reducing training time. To demonstrate the proposed approach, a knowledge transfer from a set of buildings to another building was conducted. The results show that the proposed TL approach is a promising method that can efficiently harness the information from similar RL tasks and reduce the data needs of RL algorithms.

Amasyali, Kadir↗
DOE OSTI2020

Low-Frequency Stability Analysis of Inverter-Based Islanded Multiple-Bus AC Microgrids Based on Terminal Characteristics

For system planning of three-phase inverter-based islanded ac microgrids, the low frequency instability issue caused by interactions of inverter droop controllers is a major concern. When internal control information of procured commercial inverters is unknown, impedance-based small-signal stability criteria facilitate prediction of resonances in medium and high frequency ranges, but they usually assume the grid fundamental frequency as constant and thus they are incapable of analyzing the low-frequency oscillation of the fundamental frequency in islanded microgrids. Aiming at solving this issue, this paper proposes two stability analysis methods based on terminal characteristics of inverters and passive connection network including the dynamics of the fundamental frequency for analysis of low-frequency stability in islanded multiple-bus microgrids. Based on the Component Connection Method (CCM) to systematically separate inverters from the passive connection network, a general approach is developed to model the microgrid as a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) negative feedback system in the common system d-q reference frame. By applying the generalized Nyquist stability criterion (GNC) to the return-ratio and return-difference matrices of the MIMO system model, the low-frequency stability related to the fundamental frequency can be analyzed using the measured terminal characteristics of inverters. Finally, analysis and simulation of a 37-bus microgrid verify the effectiveness of the proposed stability analysis methods.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2025

Circularity in polydiketoenamine thermoplastics via control over reactive chain conformation

Controlling the reactivity of bonds along polymer chains enables both functionalization and deconstruction with relevance to chemical recycling and circularity. Because the substrate is a macromolecule, however, understanding the effects of chain conformation on the reactivity of polymer bonds emerges as important yet underexplored. Here, we show how oxy-functionalization of chemically recyclable condensation polymers affects acidolysis to monomers through control over distortion and interaction energies in the rate-limiting transition states. Oxy-functionalization of polydiketoenamines at specific sites on either the amine or triketone monomer segments increased acidolysis rates by more than three orders of magnitude, opening the door to efficient deconstruction of linear chain architectures. These insights substantially broaden the scope of applications for polydiketoenamines in a circular manufacturing economy, including chemically recyclable adhesives for a diverse range of surfaces.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗
DOE OSTI2023

A superconducting quantum simulator based on a photonic-bandgap metamaterial

Synthesizing many-body quantum systems with various ranges of interactions facilitates the study of quantum chaotic dynamics. Such extended interaction range can be enabled by using nonlocal degrees of freedom such as photonic modes in an otherwise locally connected structure. Here, we present a superconducting quantum simulator in which qubits are connected through an extensible photonic-bandgap metamaterial, thus realizing a one-dimensional Bose-Hubbard model with tunable hopping range and on-site interaction. Using individual site control and readout, we characterize the statistics of measurement outcomes from many-body quench dynamics, which enables in situ Hamiltonian learning. Further, the outcome statistics reveal the effect of increased hopping range, showing the predicted crossover from integrability to ergodicity. Our work enables the study of emergent randomness from chaotic many-body evolution and, more broadly, expands the accessible Hamiltonians for quantum simulation using superconducting circuits.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗