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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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Controlling the spontaneous emission rate of monolayer MoS 2 in a photonic crystal nanocavity
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Shape controlled Sn doped ZnO nanostructures for tunable optical emission and transport properties
Pure and Sn doped ZnO nanostructures have been grown on SiO{sub 2}/Si substrates by vapor-solid technique without using any catalysts. It has been found that the morphology of the nanostructures depend strongly on the growth temperature and doping concentration. By proper tuning of the growth temperature, morphology of pure ZnO can be changed from tetrapods to multipods. On the other hand, by varying the doping concentration of Sn in ZnO, the morphology can be tuned from tetrapods to flower-like multipods to nanowires. X-ray diffraction pattern reveals that the nanostructures have a preferred (0002) growth orientation, and they are tensile strained with the increase of Sn doping in ZnO. Temperature-dependent photoluminescence characteristics of these nanostructures have been investigated in the range from 10 to 300 K. Pure ZnO tetrapods exhibited less defect state emissions than that of pure ZnO multipods. The defect emission is reduced with low concentration of Sn doping, but again increases at higher concentration of doping because of increased defects. Transport properties of pure and Sn doped ZnO tetrapods have been studied using complex-plane impedance spectroscopy. The contribution from the arms and junctions of a tetrapod could be distinguished. Sn doped ZnO samples showed lower conductivity but higher relaxation time than that of pure ZnO tetrapods.
Quasi-two-dimensional electron gas at the epitaxial alumina/SrTiO{sub 3} interface: Control of oxygen vacancies
In this paper, we report on the highly conductive layer formed at the crystalline γ-alumina/SrTiO{sub 3} interface, which is attributed to oxygen vacancies. We describe the structure of thin γ-alumina layers deposited by molecular beam epitaxy on SrTiO{sub 3} (001) at growth temperatures in the range of 400–800 °C, as determined by reflection-high-energy electron diffraction, x-ray diffraction, and high-resolution electron microscopy. In situ x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to confirm the presence of the oxygen-deficient layer. Electrical characterization indicates sheet carrier densities of ∼10{sup 13 }cm{sup −2} at room temperature for the sample deposited at 700 °C, with a maximum electron Hall mobility of 3100 cm{sup 2}V{sup −1}s{sup −1} at 3.2 K and room temperature mobility of 22 cm{sup 2}V{sup −1}s{sup −1}. Annealing in oxygen is found to reduce the carrier density and turn a conductive sample into an insulator.
Optical control of electron phase space in plasma accelerators with incoherently stacked laser pulses
It is demonstrated that synthesizing an ultrahigh-bandwidth, negatively chirped laser pulse by incoherently stacking pulses of different wavelengths makes it possible to optimize the process of electron self-injection in a dense, highly dispersive plasma (n{sub 0}∼10{sup 19} cm{sup −3}). Avoiding transformation of the driving pulse into a relativistic optical shock maintains a quasi-monoenergetic electron spectrum through electron dephasing and boosts electron energy far beyond the limits suggested by existing scaling laws. In addition, evolution of the accelerating bucket in a plasma channel is shown to produce a background-free, tunable train of femtosecond-duration, 35–100 kA, time-synchronized quasi-monoenergetic electron bunches. The combination of the negative chirp and the channel permits acceleration of electrons beyond 1 GeV in a 3 mm plasma with 1.4 J of laser pulse energy, thus offering the opportunity of high-repetition-rate operation at manageable average laser power.
Strong field coherent control of molecular torsions—Analytical models
We introduce analytical models of torsional alignment by moderately intense laser pulses that are applicable to the limiting cases of the torsional barrier heights. Using these models, we explore in detail the role that the laser intensity and pulse duration play in coherent torsional dynamics, addressing both experimental and theoretical concerns. Our results suggest strategies for minimizing the risk of off-resonant ionization, noting the qualitative differences between the case of torsional alignment subject to a field-free torsional barrier and that of torsional alignment of a barrier-less system (equivalent to a 2D rigid rotor). We also investigate several interesting torsional phenomena, including the onset of impulsive alignment of torsions, field-driven oscillations in quantum number space, and the disappearance of an alignment upper bound observed for a rigid rotor in the impulsive torsional alignment limit.
Gyrotropic frequency control in ferromagnetic dots using a nanoscale vortex barrier
The vortex translational mode frequency is known to be only weakly dependent on the magnitude of an in-plane magnetic field (e.g. the vortex core position) for circular ferromagnetic dots. Here we demonstrated that the frequency-field dependence becomes discrete when a nanoscale vortex barrier is introduced in the dot structure. We found that the frequency is mostly defined by the outer diameter of the dot or the barrier size for the vortex core located outside or inside the barrier, correspondingly. The experimental results are in good agreement with the micromagnetic simulation.
Exquisite growth control and magnetic properties of yttrium iron garnet thin films
A layer-by-layer epitaxial growth up to 227 atomic layers of ferrimagnetic insulator yttrium iron garnet (YIG) thin films is achieved on (110)-oriented gadolinium gallium garnet substrates using pulsed laser deposition. Atomically smooth terraces are observed on YIG films up to 100 nm in thickness. The root-mean-square roughness is as low as 0.067 nm. The easy-axis lies in the film plane, indicating the dominance of shape anisotropy. For (110)-YIG films, there is well-defined two-fold in-plane anisotropy, with the easiest axis directed along [001]. The Gilbert damping constant is determined to be 1.0 × 10{sup −4} for 100 nm thick films.
Enhanced gamma ray sensitivity in bismuth triiodide sensors through volumetric defect control
In some of the more attractive semiconducting compounds for ambient temperature radiation detector applications are impacted by low charge collection efficiency due to the presence of point and volumetric defects. This has been particularly true in the case of BiI 3 , which features very attractive properties (density, atomic number, band gap, etc.) to serve as a gamma ray detector, but has yet to demonstrate its full potential. Here, we show that by applying growth techniques tailored to reduce defects, the spectral performance of this promising semiconductor can be realized. Gamma ray spectra from >100 keV source emissions are now obtained from high quality Sb:BiI 3 bulk crystals with limited concentrations of defects (point and extended). The spectra acquired in these high quality crystals feature photopeaks with resolution of 2.2% at 662 keV. Infrared microscopy is used to compare the local microstructure between radiation sensitive and non-responsive crystals. Our work demonstrates that BiI 3 can be prepared in melt-grown detector-grade samples with superior quality and can acquire the spectra from a variety of gamma ray sources.
Tuning metal-insulator behavior in LaTiO 3 /SrTiO 3 heterostructures integrated directly on Si(100) through control of atomic layer thickness
Abstract not provided
Phototropic growth control of nanoscale pattern formation in photoelectrodeposited Se–Te films
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Atomic-scale control of magnetic anisotropy via novel spin-orbit coupling effect in La2/3Sr1/3MnO3/SrIrO3 superlattices
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A glutamate/aspartate switch controls product specificity in a protein arginine methyltransferase
Trypanosoma brucei PRMT7 (TbPRMT7) is a protein arginine methyltransferase (PRMT) that strictly monomethylates various substrates, thus classifying it as a type III PRMT. However, the molecular basis of its unique product specificity has remained elusive. Here, we present the structure of TbPRMT7 in complex with its cofactor product S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine (AdoHcy) at 2.8 Å resolution and identify a glutamate residue critical for its monomethylation behavior. TbPRMT7 comprises the conserved methyltransferase and β-barrel domains, an N-terminal extension, and a dimerization arm. The active site at the interface of the N-terminal extension, methyltransferase, and β-barrel domains is stabilized by the dimerization arm of the neighboring protomer, providing a structural basis for dimerization as a prerequisite for catalytic activity. Mutagenesis of active-site residues highlights the importance of Glu181, the second of the two invariant glutamate residues of the double E loop that coordinate the target arginine in substrate peptides/proteins and that increase its nucleophilicity. Strikingly, mutation of Glu181 to aspartate converts TbPRMT7 into a type I PRMT, producing asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA). Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) using a histone H4 peptide showed that the Glu181Asp mutant has markedly increased affinity for monomethylated peptide with respect to the WT, suggesting that the enlarged active site can favorably accommodate monomethylated peptide and provide sufficient space for ADMA formation. In conclusion, these findings yield valuable insights into the product specificity and the catalytic mechanism of protein arginine methyltransferases and have important implications for the rational (re)design of PRMTs.
Engineering Cu surfaces for the electrocatalytic conversion of CO 2 : Controlling selectivity toward oxygenates and hydrocarbons
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Ion exchange selectivity in clay is controlled by nanoscale chemical–mechanical coupling
Ion exchange in nanoporous clay-rich media plays an integral role in water, nutrient, and contaminant storage and transport. In montmorillonite (MMT), a common clay mineral in soils, sediments, and muds, the swelling and collapse of clay particles through the addition or removal of discrete molecular layers of water alters cation exchange selectivities in a poorly understood way. Here, we show that ion exchange is coupled to the dynamic delamination and restacking of clay layers, which creates a feedback between the hydration state of the exchanging cation and the composition of the clay interlayer. Particles with different hydration states are distinct phases with unique binding selectivities. Surprisingly, equilibrium achieved through thermal fluctuations in cation concentration and hydration state leads to the exchange of both ions and individual MMT layers between particles, a process we image directly with high-resolution transmission electron microscopy at cryogenic conditions (cryo-TEM). We introduce an exchange model that accounts for the binding selectivities of different phases, which is likely applicable to many charged colloidal or macromolecular systems in which the structural conformation is correlated with the activities of water and counterions within spatially confined compartments.
Molecular control of gene expression by Brucella BaaR, an IclR-type transcriptional repressor
Abstract not provided
Comparison of Low Temperature Combustion Strategies for Advanced Compression Ignition Engines with a Focus on Controllability
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