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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Strain-graded quantum dots with spectrally pure, stable and polarized emission

Structural deformation modifies the bandgap, exciton fine structure and phonon energy of semiconductors, providing an additional knob to control their optical properties. The impact can be exploited in colloidal semiconductor quantum dots (QDs), wherein structural stresses can be imposed in three dimensions while defect formation is suppressed by controlling surface growth kinetics. Yet, the control over the structural deformation of QDs free from optically active defects has not been reached. Here, we demonstrate strain-graded CdSe-ZnSe core-shell QDs with compositionally abrupt interface by the coherent pseudomorphic heteroepitaxy. Resulting QDs tolerate mutual elastic deformation of varying magnitudes at the interface with high structural fidelity, allowing for spectrally stable and pure emission of photons at accelerated rates with near unity luminescence efficiency. We capitalize on the asymmetric strain effect together with the quantum confinement effect to expand emission envelope of QDs spanning the entire visible region and exemplify their use in photonic applications.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1991

Hybrid accretion disks in active galactic nuclei. I - Structure and spectra

A unified treatment is presented of the two distinct states of vertically thin AGN accretion disks: a cool (about 10 to the 6th K) optically thick solution, and a hot (about 10 to the 9th K) optically thin solution. A generalized formalism and a new radiative cooling equation valid in both regimes are introduced. A new luminosity limit is found at which the hot and cool alpha solutions merge into a single solution of intermediate optical depth. Analytic solutions for the disk structure are given, and output spectra are computed numerically. This is used to demonstrate the prospect of fitting AGN broadband spectra containing both the UV bump as well as the hard X-ray and gamma-ray tail, using a single accretion disk model. Such models are found to make definite predictions about the observed spectrum, such as the relation between the hard X-ray spectral index, the UV-to-X-ray luminosity ratio, and a feature of about 1 MeV.

Wandel, Amri↗
NASA NTRS2006

Microwave Oscillators Based on Nonlinear WGM Resonators

Optical oscillators that exploit resonantly enhanced four-wave mixing in nonlinear whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) resonators are under investigation for potential utility as low-power, ultra-miniature sources of stable, spectrally pure microwave signals. There are numerous potential uses for such oscillators in radar systems, communication systems, and scientific instrumentation. The resonator in an oscillator of this type is made of a crystalline material that exhibits cubic Kerr nonlinearity, which supports the four-photon parametric process also known as four-wave mixing. The oscillator can be characterized as all-optical in the sense that the entire process of generation of the microwave signal takes place within the WGM resonator. The resonantly enhanced four-wave mixing yields coherent, phase-modulated optical signals at frequencies governed by the resonator structure. The frequency of the phase-modulation signal, which is in the microwave range, equals the difference between the frequencies of the optical signals; hence, this frequency is also governed by the resonator structure. Hence, further, the microwave signal is stable and can be used as a reference signal. The figure schematically depicts the apparatus used in a proof-of-principle experiment. Linearly polarized pump light was generated by an yttrium aluminum garnet laser at a wavelength of 1.32 microns. By use of a 90:10 fiber-optic splitter and optical fibers, some of the laser light was sent into a delay line and some was transmitted to one face of glass coupling prism, that, in turn, coupled the laser light into a crystalline CaF2 WGM disk resonator that had a resonance quality factor (Q) of 6x10(exp 9). The output light of the resonator was collected via another face of the coupling prism and a single-mode optical fiber, which transmitted the light to a 50:50 fiber-optic splitter. One output of this splitter was sent to a slow photodiode to obtain a DC signal for locking the laser to a particular resonator mode. The other output of this splitter was combined with the delayed laser signal in another 50:50 fiber-optic splitter used as a combiner. The output.of the combiner was fed to a fast photodiode that demodulated light and generated microwave signal. In this optical configuration, the resonator was incorporated into one arm of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, which was necessary for the following reasons: It was found that when the output of the resonator was sent directly to a fast photodiode, the output of the photodiode did not include a measurable microwave signal. However, when the resonator was placed in an arm of the interferometer and the delay in the other arm was set at the correct value, the microwave signal appeared. Such behavior is distinctly characteristic of phase-modulated light. The phase-modulation signal had a frequency of about 8 GHz, corresponding to the free spectral range of the resonator. The spectral width of this microwave signal was less than 200 Hz. The threshold pump power for generating the microwave signal was about 1 mW. It would be possible to reduce the threshold power by several orders of magnitude if resonators could be made from crystalline materials in dimensions comparable to those of micro-resonators heretofore made from fused silica.

Maleki, Lute↗
NASA NTRS1991

System identification and control of the JPL active structure

This paper describes recent advances in structural quieting technology as applied to active truss structures intended for high precision space based optics applications. Collocated active damping control loops are designed in order to impedance match piezoelectric active members to the structure. Noncollocated control loops are also studied in relation to controlling lightly damped structures.

Fanson, J. L.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Ground test validation of large precision structure through adaptive structures

Without novel ground validation test (GVT) approaches for such space structures as those contemplated for an orbiting optical interferometer, this and other NASA missions will be stillborn. One such approach may involve the integration of adaptive structures concepts into initial structural designs, in order to accommodate GVT, as well as to allow for redundancy and enhance mission reliability. Adaptive structures are noted to intrinsically relax GVT requirements.

Wada, Ben K.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Toward a NASA Deep Space Optical Communications System

As discussed at SpaceOps in 2016, we expect the data rates from deep space missions to increase approximately one order of magnitude per decade for the next 50 years. The first order of magnitude improvement will come from existing plans for radio frequency (RF) communications including enhancements to both spacecraft and Deep Space Network (DSN) facilities. The next two orders of magnitude are predicted to come from the introduction of deep space optical communications. Studies indicate that optical receive apertures of between 8m12m are desired. The large cost of dedicated receive telescopes makes this method unrealistic – at least in the near-term. The cost of large optical ground terminals is driven primarily by the cost of the optics and by the cost of a stable structure for the telescope. We propose a novel hybrid design in which existing DSN 34m beam waveguide (BWG) radio antennas can be modified to include an 8m equivalent optical primary. By utilizing a low-cost segmented spherical mirror optical design, pioneered by the optical astronomical community, and by exploiting the already existing extremely stable large radio aperture structures in the DSN, we can minimize both of these cost drivers for implementing large optical communications ground terminals. Two collocated hybrid RF/optical antennas could be arrayed to synthesize the performance of an 11.3m receive aperture to support more capable or more distant space missions or used separately to communicate with two optical spacecraft simultaneously. NASA is in the midst of building six new 34m BWG antennas in the DSN. The final two are planned to be built at the DSN Goldstone, California and Canberra complexes. We are now investigating building these last two antennas as RF/optical hybrids. By delaying their operational dates by two years, we would be able to add the 8m optical receive capability for these two antennas while fitting within existing budgetary constraints. This paper describes the hybrid antenna design, the technical challenges being addressed, and plan for using this concept, together with ongoing work on optical flight terminals, to infuse operation optical communications into deep space missions.

Cornwell, Donald M.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Shape memory in self-adapting colloidal crystals

We report reconfigurable, mechanically responsive crystalline materials are central components in many sensing, soft robotic, and energy conversion and storage devices1,2,3,4. Crystalline materials can readily deform under various stimuli and the extent of recoverable deformation is highly dependent upon bond type1,2,5,6,7,8,9,10. Indeed, for structures held together via simple electrostatic interactions, minimal deformations are tolerated. By contrast, structures held together by molecular bonds can, in principle, sustain much larger deformations and more easily recover their original configurations. In this report we study the deformation properties of well-faceted colloidal crystals engineered with DNA. These crystals are large in size (greater than 100 µm) and have a body-centred cubic (bcc) structure with a high viscoelastic volume fraction (of more than 97%). Therefore, they can be compressed into irregular shapes with wrinkles and creases, and, notably, these deformed crystals, upon rehydration, assume their initial well-formed crystalline morphology and internal nanoscale order within seconds. For most crystals, such compression and deformation would lead to permanent, irreversible damage. The substantial structural changes to the colloidal crystals are accompanied by notable and reversible optical property changes. For example, whereas the original and structurally recovered crystals exhibit near-perfect (over 98%) broadband absorption in the ultraviolet–visible region, the deformed crystals exhibit significantly increased reflection (up to 50% of incident light at certain wavelengths), mainly because of increases in their refractive index and inhomogeneity.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

MUSE Analysis of Gas around Galaxies (MAGG) – IV. The gaseous environment of z ∼ 3–4 Ly α emitting galaxies

ABSTRACT We study the link between galaxies and H i-selected absorption systems at z ∼ 3–4 in the MUSE Analysis of Gas around Galaxies (MAGG) survey, an ESO large programme consisting of integral field spectroscopic observations of 28 quasar fields hosting 61 strong absorbers with $\rm N_{\rm H\,{\small I}}\gtrsim 10^{16.5}~\rm cm^{-2}$. We identify 127 Ly α emitting galaxies (LAEs) around the absorbers, corresponding to a detection rate of 82 ± 16 per cent. The luminosity function of these LAEs is ≈5 times higher in normalization than the field population and we detect a significant clustering of galaxies with respect to the gas, confirming that high column density absorbers and LAEs trace each other. Between 30 and 40 per cent of the absorbers are associated with multiple LAEs, which lie preferentially along filaments. Galaxies in groups also exhibit a three times higher covering factor of optically thick gas compared to isolated systems. No significant correlations are identified between the emission properties of LAEs and the absorption properties of optically thick gas clouds, except for a weak preference of brighter and multiple galaxies to reside near broad absorbers. Based on the measured impact parameters and the covering factor, we conclude that the near totality of optically thick gas in the Universe can be found in the outer circumgalactic medium (CGM) of LAEs or in the intergalactic medium (IGM) in proximity to these galaxies. Thus, LAEs act as tracers of larger scale structures within which both galaxies and optically thick clouds are embedded. The patchy and inhomogeneous nature of the CGM and IGM explains the lack of correlations between absorption and emission properties. This implies that very large samples are needed to unveil the trends that encode the properties of the baryon cycle.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗
DOE OSTI2025

Extreme-ultraviolet spatiotemporal vortices via high harmonic generation

Spatiotemporal optical vortices (STOVs) are space–time structured light pulses with a unique topology that couples spatial and temporal domains and carry transverse orbital angular momentum (OAM). Up to now, their generation has been limited to the visible and infrared regions of the spectrum. During the last decade, it was shown that through the process of high-order harmonic generation, it is possible to upconvert spatial optical vortices that carry longitudinal OAM from the near-infrared into the extreme-ultraviolet (EUV), thereby producing vortices with distinct femtosecond and attosecond structure. In this work, we demonstrate theoretically and experimentally the generation of EUV spatiotemporal and spatiospectral vortices using near-infrared STOV driving laser pulses. Here, we use analytical expressions for focused STOVs to perform macroscopic calculations of high-order harmonic generation that are directly compared to the experimental results. As STOV beams are not eigenmodes of propagation, we characterize the highly charged EUV STOVs in both the near and far fields to show that they represent conjugated spatiotemporal and spatiospectral vortex pairs. Our work provides high-frequency light beams topologically coupled at the nanometre/attosecond scales domains with transverse OAM that could be suitable to explore electronic dynamics in magnetic materials, chiral media and nanostructures.

High-harmonic generation↗
DOE OSTI2024

Optical pulse-induced ultrafast antiferrodistortive transition in SrTiO 3

The ultrafast dynamics of the antiferrodistortive phase transition in perovskite SrTiO 3 is monitored via time-domain Brillouin scattering. Using femtosecond optical pulses, we initiate a thermally driven tetragonal-to-cubic structural transformation and detect the crystal phase through changes in the frequency of Brillouin oscillations (BO) induced by propagating acoustic phonons. Coupling the measured BO frequency with a spatiotemporal heat diffusion model, we demonstrate that, for a sample kept in the tetragonal phase, deposition of sufficient thermal energy induces a rapid transformation of the heat-affected region to the cubic phase. The initial phase change is followed by a slower reverse cubic-to-tetragonal phase transformation occurring on a timescale of hundreds of picoseconds. Here, we attribute this ultrafast phase transformation in the perovskite to a structural resemblance between atomic displacements of the R-point soft optic mode of the cubic phase and the tetragonal phase, both characterized by anti-phase rotation of oxygen octahedra. The structural relaxation time exhibits a strong temperature dependence consistent with the prediction of the equation of motion describing collective oxygen octahedra rotation based on the energy landscape of the phenomenological Landau theory of phase transitions. Evidence of such a fast structural transition in perovskites can open up new avenues in information processing and energy storage sectors.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Broadband electro-optic polarization conversion with atomically thin black phosphorus

Metasurfaces tune polarization In photonic systems, the polarization state of light is typically manipulated with bulky components based on dielectrics and liquid crystals. Active metasurfaces now provide the possibility of shrinking the size of these components to the nanoscale. Biswas et al . demonstrate an active nanophotonic structure capable of versatile electro-optic polarization conversion. Using trilayer black phosphorus sandwiched between electrical gates forming a cavity, they show that the polarization state of light across telecommunication wavelengths can be electrically switched. Such control can be useful for a number of applications in communications, imaging, and beam steering where the wavefront of the propagating light can be actively manipulated. —ISO

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗
NASA NTRS1988

Optical waveguides in oxygen-implanted buried-oxide silicon-on-insulator structures

An analysis is made of the waveguiding properties of the oxygen-implanted, buried-oxide, silicon-on-insulator structures currently being developed for use in microelectronics. It is found that in spite of the fact that the buried-oxide layer is only a few tenths of a micrometer thick, the single-crystal overlayer can support TEo guided-wave propagation, at subbandgap wavelengths, with losses due to substrate radiation leakage at or below the benchmark level of 1 dB/cm.

Kurdi, B. N.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Fiber Optic Rosette Strain Gauge Development and Application on a Large-Scale Composite Structure

A detailed description of the construction, application, and measurement of 196 FO rosette strain gauges that measured multi-axis strain across the outside upper surface of the forward bulkhead component of a multibay composite fuselage test article is presented. A background of the FO strain gauge and the FO measurement system as utilized in this application is given and results for the higher load cases of the testing sequence are shown.

Moore, Jason P.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Hot-Carrier Photoluminescence in Low-Temperature CsSnI3 Nanocrystals

In the halide perovskites, the B-site metal lone-pairs electrons are strongly suspected to underpin many of the interesting properties of the inorganic halide perovskites. Recently, a stable low-temperature monoclinic polar phase was predicted for CsSnI3, opening the possibility of direct investigation of both these lone pair electrons and a ferroelectric distorted structure. To date there are no other reports of such a structure in CsSnI3, and a known low-temperature monoclinic structure in CsSnBr3 remains unexplored. We have found optical evidence of a transformation occurring around 240 K in CsSnI3 nanocrystals, with several changes in optical behavior below this transition point, including novel high-energy photoluminescene and new states in the transient absorption spectrum. We have successfully characterized the optical properties of this low-temperature phase and found evidence for a polar, monoclinic structure. Discovery of a stable monoclinic polar structure in the halide perovskites opens many new potential directions for further research and electronics applications.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS2011

Computational Models of the Eye and their Applications in Long Duration Space Flight

Astronauts are exposed to cephalad fluid shift, increased carbon dioxide levels and other environmental factors during space flight. As a result of these conditions, it is believed that they are at risk of developing increased intracranial pressure (ICP) and intraocular pressure (IOP), which in turn may cause papilledema and other disorders of the eye that can lead to temporary or permanent changes in vision. However, the mechanisms behind this risk are not fully understood. Ground analog and flight studies pose challenges because there are limited non-invasive methods that can be used to study the eye and intracranial space. Therefore it is proposed that computational models can be applied to help address this gap by providing a low cost method for studying the effects of IOP, ICP and various properties of the eye on these diseases. The information presented by the authors provides a summary of several models found in literature that could potentially be augmented and applied to inform research. Specifically, finite element models of the optic nerve head, sclera and other structures of the eye can be readily adapted as potential building blocks. These models may also be integrated with a brain/cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) model which will take into account the interaction between the CSF fluid and its pressure on the optic nerve. This integration can enable the study of the effects of microgravity on the interaction between the vasculature system and CSF system and can determine the effects of these changes on the optic nerve, and in turn the eye. Ultimately, it can help pinpoint the influences of long-term exposure to microgravity on vision and inform the future research into countermeasure development. In addition to spaceflight, these models can provide deeper understanding of the mechanisms of glaucoma, papilledema and other eye disorders observed in terrestrial conditions.

Chen, Richard↗
DOE OSTI2024

Multimodal Approach Reveals the Symmetry-Breaking Pathway to the Broken Helix in EuIn 2 ⁢As 2

Understanding and manipulating emergent phases, which are themes at the forefront of quantum-materials research, rely on identifying their underlying symmetries. This general principle has been particularly prominent in materials with coupled electronic and magnetic degrees of freedom, in which magnetic order influences the electronic band structure and can lead to exotic topological effects. However, identifying symmetry of a magnetically ordered phase can pose a challenge, particularly in the presence of small domains. Here we introduce a multimodal approach for determining magnetic structures, which combines symmetry-sensitive optical probes, scattering, and group-theoretical analysis. We apply it to EuIn 2 ⁢As 2 , a material that has received attention as a candidate axion insulator. While first-principles calculations predict this state on the assumption of a simple collinear antiferromagnetic structure, subsequent neutron-scattering measurements reveal a much more intricate magnetic ground state characterized by two coexisting magnetic wave vectors reached by successive thermal phase transitions. The proposed high- and low-temperature phases are a spin helix and a state with interpenetrating helical and Néel antiferromagnetic order termed a “broken helix,” respectively. Employing a multimodal approach, we identify the magnetic structure associated with these two phases of EuIn 2 ⁢As 2 . We find that the higher-temperature phase is characterized by a variation of the magnetic moment amplitude from layer to layer, with the moment vanishing entirely in every third Eu layer. The lower-temperature structure is similar to the broken helix, with one important difference: Because of local strain, the relative orientation of the magnetic structure and the lattice is not fixed. Consequently, the symmetry required to protect the axion phase is not generically protected in EuIn 2 ⁢As 2 , but we show that it can be restored if the magnetic structure is tuned with uniaxial strain. Finally, we present a spin Hamiltonian that identifies the spin interactions that account for the complex magnetic order in EuIn 2 ⁢As 2 . Our work highlights the importance of a multimodal approach in determining the symmetry of complex order parameters.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2020

Optically addressable molecular spins for quantum information processing

Spin-bearing molecules are promising building blocks for quantum technologies as they can be chemically tuned, assembled into scalable arrays, and readily incorporated into diverse device architectures. In molecular systems, optically addressing ground-state spins would enable a wide range of applications in quantum information science, as has been demonstrated for solid-state defects. However, this important functionality has remained elusive for molecules. Here, we demonstrate such optical addressability in a series of synthesized organometallic, chromium(IV) molecules. These compounds display a ground-state spin that can be initialized and read out using light and coherently manipulated with microwaves. In addition, through atomistic modification of the molecular structure, we vary the spin and optical properties of these compounds, indicating promise for designer quantum systems synthesized from the bottom-up.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗