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DOE OSTI2024

Mechanisms of Hysteresis and Reversibility across the Voltage-Driven Perovskite–Brownmillerite Transformation in Electrolyte-Gated Ultrathin La 0.5 Sr 0.5 CoO 3−δ

Perovskite cobaltites have emerged as archetypes for electrochemical control of materials properties in electrolyte-gate devices. Voltage-driven redox cycling can be performed between fully oxygenated perovskite and oxygen-vacancy-ordered brownmillerite phases, enabling exceptional modulation of the crystal structure, electronic transport, thermal transport, magnetism, and optical properties. The vast majority of studies, however, have focused heavily on the perovskite and brownmillerite end points. In contrast, here we focus on hysteresis and reversibility across the entire perovskite ↔ brownmillerite topotactic transformation, combining gate-voltage hysteresis loops, minor hysteresis loops, quantitative operando synchrotron X-ray diffraction, and temperature-dependent (magneto)transport, on ion-gel-gated ultrathin (10-unit-cell) epitaxial La 0.5 Sr 0.5 CoO 3-δ films. Further, gate-voltage hysteresis loops combined with operando diffraction reveal a wealth of new mechanistic findings, including asymmetric redox kinetics due to differing oxygen diffusivities in the two phases, nonmonotonic transformation rates due to the first-order nature of the transformation, and limits on reversibility due to first-cycle structural degradation. Minor loops additionally enable the first rational design of an optimal gate-voltage cycle. Combining this knowledge, we demonstrate state-of-the-art nonvolatile cycling of electronic and magnetic properties, encompassing >10 5 transport ON/OFF ratios at room temperature, and reversible metal-insulator-metal and ferromagnet-nonferromagnet-ferromagnet cycling, all at 10-unit-cell thickness with high room-temperature stability. This paves the way for future work to establish the ultimate cycling frequency and endurance of such devices.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2021

Proton beam quality enhancement by spectral phase control of a PW-class laser system

We report on experimental investigations of proton acceleration from solid foils irradiated with PW-class laser-pulses, where highest proton cut-off energies were achieved for temporal pulse parameters that varied significantly from those of an ideally Fourier transform limited (FTL) pulse. Controlled spectral phase modulation of the driver laser by means of an acousto-optic programmable dispersive filter enabled us to manipulate the temporal shape of the last picoseconds around the main pulse and to study the effect on proton acceleration from thin foil targets. The results show that applying positive third order dispersion values to short pulses is favourable for proton acceleration and can lead to maximum energies of 70 MeV in target normal direction at 18 J laser energy for thin plastic foils, significantly enhancing the maximum energy compared to ideally compressed FTL pulses. The paper further proves the robustness and applicability of this enhancement effect for the use of different target materials and thicknesses as well as laser energy and temporal intensity contrast settings. We demonstrate that application relevant proton beam quality was reliably achieved over many months of operation with appropriate control of spectral phase and temporal contrast conditions using a state-of-the-art high-repetition rate PW laser system.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2026

Redirection and reshaping of intense extreme-ultraviolet radiation

The goal to control short-wavelength radiation for the investigation and manipulation of ultrafast dynamics in quantum systems coevolves with the growing availability of extreme-ultraviolet (XUV) and x-ray sources from high-harmonic generation and free-electron lasers. Here, we present an XUV spatio-spectral phase modulator based on an intense XUV laser beam propagating through an optically thick resonant target, introducing dispersion profile variations around the resonance both perpendicular to and along the laser propagation direction. The resulting dipole radiation gets spectrally reshaped and becomes more divergent as compared to the original beam in the far field. As an experimental demonstration, the intense-XUV–induced double-peak off-axis structure in the far-field spectrum obtained at the Free-Electron Laser in Hamburg (FLASH) shows indications of the underlying XUV-driven Rabi dynamics and resonant pulse propagation effects. The presented work highlights a ubiquitous phenomenon occurring when an intense laser beam passes through a resonant medium.

He, Yu [Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Heidel↗

NASA NTRS1971

Surface deviations and imaging performance

Telescope wave optical imaging performance, deriving point spread function, radial energy integral and modulation transfer functions for different wave front surface deviations

Tschunko, H. F. A.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Hypervelocity impacts on Skylab 4/Apollo windows

The three largest Skylab 4 Command Module windows that were exposed for 84 days to space were optically scanned for impact features as small as 30 microns in diameter. This scanning effort which was carried out at an opptical magnification of 35x, detected features approximately three times smaller than were found in the original 5x scanning effort over the entire window surface. Some 289 features were recorded from the 35x scan for later detailed analyses. Sixty of the largest and most promising features were cored from the windows for SEM and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS) analysis. Twenty-six of the cores contained craters with glassy pits, and of these, fourteen were found to contain strikingly obvious liners coating the interior of the glassy pit. The six largest features cored from the windows do not have a central glassy pit which leaves their previously reported hypervelocity origin in some doubt. The remaining twenty-eight features that were cored from the windows show no clear evidence for a hypervelocity origin and evidence available at this time is insufficient to identify an origin in Earth orbit or as ground damage. The EDS analysis of six of the seven liners that were examined show detectable aluminum in the liner or lip of the glassy pit. The source of aluminum is most probably an Earth orbiting population of aluminum oxide spherules, exhaust from solid rocket motors.

Clanton, U. S.↗

NASA NTRS1985

All-fibre sensing loop using pulse-modulated light-emitting diode

A sensing system is presented which includes a pulse-modulated light-emitting diode (LED) and an all-fibre-optic loop generating a reference signal in the time domain. The basic principle of operation and parameters are introduced, and some properties of such a system are experimentally examined using a microbend sensor.

Adamovsky, G.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Gaussian approximation versus nearly exact performance analysis of optical communication systems with PPM signaling and APD receivers

A 25-Mb/s direct-detection optical communication system that used Q = 4 PPM (pulse-position modulation) signaling was constructed and its performance measured under laboratory conditions. The system used a single-mode AlGaAs laser diode (lambda = 834 nm) and low-noise silicon avalanche photodiode (APD). A procedure for numerically computing system performance is given that uses the nearly exact Webb approximation of the true Conradi distribution for the APD output and does not require excessive amounts of computer time. Comparison revealed that modeling the APD ouptut as a Gaussian process under conditions of negligible background radiation and low (less than 10 to the -12 A) APD bulk leakage currents leads to substantial underestimates of optimal APD gain and overestimates of system bit error probability. Examples illustrate the breakdown of the Gaussian approximation in assessing system performance. The measured performance was in excellent agreement with that predicted by the computational procedure. The system achieved a bit error probability of 10 to the -6 at a received signal energy, corresponding to an average of 60 absorbed photons/bit and optimal APD gain of 700.

Davidson, Frederic M.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Analyzing Optical Communications Links

Optical Communication Link Analysis Program, OPTI, analyzes optical and near-infrared communication links using pulse-position modulation (PPM) and direct detention. Link margins and design-control tables generated from input parameters supplied by user. Enables user to save sets of input parameters that define given link and read them back into program later. Alters automatically any of input parameters to achieve desired link margin. Written in FORTRAN 77.

Marshall, William K.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Microstructure characterization by angle-resolved scatter and comparison to measurements made by other techniques

The theory and measurement of angle-resolved scatter are described. Values of rms roughness that were obtained by using this technique to characterize four different materials are compared with values that were obtained by using a total integrated scatter measuring instrument, an optical profiler, and a mechanical profiler. The spatial frequency bandwidths and modulation transfer functions of the four instruments are different, and results are described in light of these differences.

Jacobson, R. D.↗

NASA NTRS1994

New directions in phthalocyanine pigments

Phthalocyanines have been used as a pigment in coatings and related applications for many years. These pigments are some of the most stable organic pigments known. The phthalo blue and green pigments have been known to be ultraviolet (UV) stable and thermally stable to over 400 C. These phthalocyanines are both a semiconductor and photoconductor, exhibiting catalytic activity and photostabilization capability of polymers. Many metal free and metallic phthalocyanine derivatives have been prepared. Development of the new classes of phthalocyanine pigment could be used as coating on NASA spacecraft material such as glass to decrease the optical degradation from UV light, the outside of the space station modules for UV protection, and coating on solar cells to increase lifetime and efficiency.

Trinh, Diep VO↗

NASA NTRS2004

CHANDRA Detection of the AM CVn Binary ES Cet (KUV 01584-0939)

We report on Chandra ACE observations of the ultracompact AM CVn binary ES Cet. This object has a 10.3 minute binary period and is the most compact of the confirmed AM CVn systems. We have, for the first time, unambiguously detected the X-ray counterpart to ES Cet. In a 20 ksec ACIS-S image a point-like X-ray source is found within 1 sec. of the catalogued optical position. The mean countrate in ACIS-S is 0.013/s, and there is no strong evidence for variability. We folded the X-ray data using the optical ephemeris of Warner & Woudt, but did not detect any significant modulation. If an approx. = 100% modulation similar to those seen in the ultracompact candidates V407 Vu1 and Rx J0806.3+1527 were present then we would have detected it. The upper limit (3(sigma)) to any modulation at the putative orbital period is approx. 40% (rms). We extract the first X-ray spectrum from ES Cet, and find that it is not well described by simple continuum models. We find suggestive evidence for discrete spectral components at approx. 470 and 890 eV, that can be modelled as gaussian emission lines. In comparison with recent X-ray detections of nitrogen and neon in another AM CVn system (GP Com), it appears possible that these features may represent emission lines from these same elements; however, deeper spectroscopy will be required to confirm this. Our best spectral model includes a black body continuum with kT = 0.8 keV along with the gaussian lines. The 0.2 - 5 keV X-ray flux was approx. 7 x 10(exp -14) ergs/sq cm s. The luminosity implied by this flux for any reasonable distance is much smaller than that expected for a mass accretion rate as high as m = 10(exp -8) solar mass/yr, suggesting that the bulk of the accretion luminosity is below 100 eV and not seen with Chandra. We discuss the implications of our results for the nature of ES Cet.

Strohmayer, Tod E.↗

NASA NTRS2007

Analysis of Photogrammetry Data from ISIM Mockup

During ground testing of the Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM) for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the ISIM Optics group plans to use a Photogrammetry Measurement System for cryogenic calibration of specific target points on the ISIM composite structure and Science Instrument optical benches and other GSE equipment. This testing will occur in the Space Environmental Systems (SES) chamber at Goddard Space Flight Center. Close range photogrammetry is a 3 dimensional metrology system using triangulation to locate custom targets in 3 coordinates via a collection of digital photographs taken from various locations and orientations. These photos are connected using coded targets, special targets that are recognized by the software and can thus correlate the images to provide a 3 dimensional map of the targets, and scaled via well calibrated scale bars. Photogrammetry solves for the camera location and coordinates of the targets simultaneously through the bundling procedure contained in the V-STARS software, proprietary software owned by Geodetic Systems Inc. The primary objectives of the metrology performed on the ISIM mock-up were (1) to quantify the accuracy of the INCA3 photogrammetry camera on a representative full scale version of the ISIM structure at ambient temperature by comparing the measurements obtained with this camera to measurements using the Leica laser tracker system and (2), empirically determine the smallest increment of target position movement that can be resolved by the PG camera in the test setup, i.e., precision, or resolution. In addition, the geometrical details of the test setup defined during the mockup testing, such as target locations and camera positions, will contribute to the final design of the photogrammetry system to be used on the ISIM Flight Structure.

Nowak, Maria↗

NASA NTRS2007

Analysis of Photogrammetry Data from ISIM Mockup, June 1, 2007

Nowak, Maria↗

NASA NTRS2008

Low-Light-Shift Cesium Fountain without Mechanical Shutters

A new technique for reducing errors in a laser-cooled cesium fountain frequency standard provides for strong suppression of the light shift without need for mechanical shutters. Because mechanical shutters are typically susceptible to failure after operating times of the order of months, the elimination of mechanical shutters could contribute significantly to the reliability of frequency standards that are required to function continuously for longer time intervals. With respect to the operation of an atomic-fountain frequency standard, the term "light shift" denotes an undesired relative shift in the two energy levels of the atoms (in this case, cesium atoms) in the atomic fountain during interrogation by microwaves. The shift in energy levels translates to a frequency shift that reduces the precision and possibly accuracy of the frequency standard. For reasons too complex to describe within the space available for this article, the light shift is caused by any laser light that reaches the atoms during the microwave- interrogation period, but is strongest for near-resonance light. In the absence of any mitigating design feature, the light shift, expressed as a fraction of the standard fs frequency, could be as large as approx. 2 x 10(exp -11), the largest error in the standard. In a typical prior design, to suppress light shift, the intensity of laser light is reduced during the interrogation period by using a single-pass acoustooptic modulator to deflect the majority of light away from the main optical path. Mechanical shutters are used to block the remaining undeflected light to ensure complete attenuation. Without shutters, this remaining undeflected light could cause a light shift of as much as .10.15, which is unacceptably large in some applications. The new technique implemented here involves additionally shifting the laser wavelength off resonance by a relatively large amount (typically of the order of nanometers) during microwave interrogation. In this design, when microwave interrogation is not underway, the atoms are illuminated by a slave laser locked to the lasing frequency of a lower power master laser.

Enzer, Daphna↗

NASA NTRS2006

Programmable Pulse-Position-Modulation Encoder

A programmable pulse-position-modulation (PPM) encoder has been designed for use in testing an optical communication link. The encoder includes a programmable state machine and an electronic code book that can be updated to accommodate different PPM coding schemes. The encoder includes a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) that is programmed to step through the stored state machine and code book and that drives a custom high-speed serializer circuit board that is capable of generating subnanosecond pulses. The stored state machine and code book can be updated by means of a simple text interface through the serial port of a personal computer.

Zhu, David↗

NASA NTRS2016

Stray Light Modeling of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM)

This paper describes an integrated stray light model of each Science Instrument (SI) in the Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM) of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Optical Telescope Element Simulator (OSIM), the light source used to characterize the performance of ISIM in cryogenic-vacuum tests at the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). We present three cases where this stray light model was integral to solving questions that arose during the testing campaign - 1) ghosting and coherent diffraction from hardware surfaces in the Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (NIRISS) GR700XD grism mode, 2) ghost spots in the Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) GRISM modes, and 3) scattering from knife edges of the NIRCam focal plane array masks.

stray light modeling↗

NASA NTRS1977

Optically selective, acoustically resonant gas detecting transducer

A gas analyzer is disclosed which responds to the resonant absorption or emission spectrum of a specific gas by producing an acoustic resonance in a chamber containing a sample of that gas, and which measures the amount of that emission or absorption by measuring the strength of that acoustic resonance, e.g., the maximum periodic pressure, velocity or density achieved. In the preferred embodiment, a light beam is modulated periodically at the acoustical resonance frequency of a closed chamber which contains an optically dense sample of the gas of interest. Periodic heating of the absorbing gas by the light beam causes a cyclic expansion, movement, and pressure within the gas. An amplitude is reached where the increased losses were the cyclic radiation energy received. A transducing system is inclined for converting the pressure variations of the resonant gas into electronic readout signals.

Dimeff, J.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Prediction of optical propagation losses through turbulent boundary/shear layers

A simplified mathematical model was developed which predicts the optical propagation losses which occur when an optical beam of given wave length passes through a turbulent boundary layer or shear layer. The optical losses are predicted in terms of line spread function (or Strehl ratio) and modulation transfer function by using experimentally determined values of layer thickness, streamwise, lateral and beamwise density fluctuation length scales, and distribution of the standard deviation of the density fluctuations through the turbulent layer. The prediction model was applied to the analysis of a number of selected cases of interest from the aerodynamic-optical interaction wind-tunnel investigation conducted in the NASA-Ames 1.83 x 1.83 meter (6 x 6 ft) wind tunnel. Direct optical measurements are compared with the results predicted by the aerodynamic analysis.

Verhoff, A.↗