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At least 1,675 records · Page 93

Blending Ionic and Coordinate Bonds in Hybrid Semiconductor Materials: A General Approach toward Robust and Solution-Processable Covalent/Coordinate Network Structures

Inorganic semiconductor materials are best known for their superior physical properties, as well as their structural rigidity and stability. However, the poor solubility and solution-processability of these covalently bonded network structures has long been a serious drawback that limits their use in many important applications. Here, we present a unique and general approach to synthesize robust, solution-processable, and highly luminescent hybrid materials built on periodic and infinite inorganic modules. Structure analysis confirms that all compounds are composed of one-dimensional anionic chains of copper iodide (Cu m I m+2 2- ) coordinated to cationic organic ligands via Cu-N bonds. The choice of ligands plays an important role in the coordination mode (μ 1 -MC or μ 2 -DC) and Cu-N bond strength. Greatly suppressed nonradiative decay is achieved for the μ 2 -DC structures. Record high quantum yields of 85% (λ ex = 360 nm) and 76% (λ ex = 450 nm) are obtained for an orange-emitting 1D-Cu 4 I 6 (L 6 ). Temperature dependent PL measurements suggest that both phosphorescence and thermally activated delayed fluorescence contribute to the emission of these 1D-AIO compounds, and that the extent of nonradiative decay of the μ 2 -DC structures is much less than that of the μ1 -DC structures. More significantly, all compounds are remarkably soluble in polar aprotic solvents, distinctly different from previously reported CuI based hybrid materials made of charge-neutral Cu m X m (X = Cl, Br, I), which are totally insoluble in all common solvents. Finally, the greatly enhanced solubility is a result of incorporation of ionic bonds into extended covalent/coordinate network structures, making it possible to fabricate large scale thin films by solution processes

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Penetration of lower hybrid current drive waves in tokamaks

Lower hybrid (LH) ray propagation in toroidal plasma is shown to be controlled by combination of the azimuthal spectrum launched by the antenna, the poloidal variation of the magnetic field, and the scattering of the waves by the drift wave fluctuations. The width of the poloidal and radial radio frequency wave spectrum increases rapidly as the rays penetrate into higher density and scatter from the drift waves. The electron temperature gradient (ETG) spectrum is particularly effective in scattering the LH waves due to its comparable wavelengths and phase velocities. ETG turbulence is also driven by the radial gradient of the electron current profile giving rise to an anomalous viscosity spreading the LH driven plasma currents. The LH wave scattering is derived from a Fokker-Planck equation for the distribution of the ray trajectories with diffusivities derived from the drift wave fluctuations. The condition for chaotic diffusion for the rays is derived. The evolution of the poloidal and radial mode number spectrum of the lower hybrid waves are both on the antenna spectrum and the spectrum of the drift waves. Antennas launching higher poloidal mode number spectra drive off-axis current density profiles producing negative central shear [RS] plasmas with improved thermal confinement from ETG transport. Core plasma current drive requires antennas with low azimuthal mode spectra peaked at m = 0 azimuthal mode numbers.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

A hybrid double-dot in silicon

We report electrical measurements of a single arsenic dopant atom in the tunnel barrier of a silicon single-electron transistor (SET). In addition to performing the electrical characterisation of the individual dopants, we study the series electrical transport through the dopant and SET. We measure the bias triangles of this hybrid double-dot and show that we can tune the electrostatic coupling between the two sub-systems. Additionally, we measured SET in which an additional plunger gate allows the reduction of the electron number in the SET down to the few-electron regime where the dot presents well-defined spin configurations. Finally, we discuss the challenges of operating a dopant-dot hybrid system in the few-electron regime.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Detection of lower hybrid waves in the scrape-off layer of tokamak plasmas with microwave backscattering

Microwave backscattering experiments have been performed on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak in order to investigate the propagation of lower hybrid (LH) waves in reactor-relevant, high-density plasmas. When the line-averaged density is raised above 1 × 10{sup 20} m{sup –3}, lower hybrid current drive efficiency is found to be lower than expected [Wallace et al., Phys. Plasmas 19, 062505 (2012)] and LH power is thought to be dissipated at the plasma edge. Using a single channel (60 GHz) ordinary-mode (O-mode) reflectometer system, we demonstrate radially localized LH wave measurements in the scrape-off layer of high density plasmas (n{sup ¯}{sub e} ≳ 0.9×10{sup 20} m{sup −3}). Measured backscattered O-mode power varies depending on the magnetic field line mapping, suggesting the resonance cone propagation of LH waves. Backscattered power is also sensitive to variations in plasma density and the launched parallel refractive index of the LH waves. LH ray-tracing simulations have been carried out to interpret the observed variations. To understand the measured LH waves in regions not magnetically connected to the launcher, two hypotheses are examined. One is the weak single pass absorption and the other is scattering of LH waves by non-linear effects.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Nonlinear lower hybrid modeling in tokamak plasmas

We present here new results concerning the nonlinear mechanism underlying the observed spectral broadening produced by parametric instabilities occurring at the edge of tokamak plasmas in present day LHCD (lower hybrid current drive) experiments. Low frequency (LF) ion-sound evanescent modes (quasi-modes) are the main parametric decay channel which drives a nonlinear mode coupling of lower hybrid (LH) waves. The spectrum of the LF fluctuations is calculated here considering the beating of the launched LH wave at the radiofrequency (RF) operating line frequency (pump wave) with the noisy background of the RF power generator. This spectrum is calculated in the frame of the kinetic theory, following a perturbative approach. Numerical solutions of the nonlinear LH wave equation show the evolution of the nonlinear mode coupling in condition of a finite depletion of the pump power. The role of the presence of heavy ions in a Deuterium plasma in mitigating the nonlinear effects is analyzed.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Study on lower hybrid current drive efficiency at high density towards long-pulse regimes in Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak

Significant progress on both L- and H-mode long-pulse discharges has been made recently in Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) with lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) [J. Li et al., Nature Phys. 9, 817 (2013) And B. N. Wan et al., Nucl. Fusion 53, 104006 (2013).]. In this paper, LHCD experiments at high density in L-mode plasmas have been investigated in order to explore possible methods of improving current drive (CD) efficiency, thus to extend the operational space in long-pulse and high performance plasma regime. It is observed that the normalized bremsstrahlung emission falls much more steeply than 1/n{sub e-av} (line-averaged density) above n{sub e-av} = 2.2 × 10{sup 19} m{sup −3} indicating anomalous loss of CD efficiency. A large broadening of the operating line frequency (f = 2.45 GHz), measured by a radio frequency (RF) probe located outside the EAST vacuum vessel, is generally observed during high density cases, which is found to be one of the physical mechanisms resulting in the unfavorable CD efficiency. Collisional absorption of lower hybrid wave in the scrape off layer (SOL) may be another cause, but this assertion needs more experimental evidence and numerical analysis. It is found that plasmas with strong lithiation can improve CD efficiency largely, which should be benefited from the changes of edge parameters. In addition, several possible methods are proposed to recover good efficiency in future experiments for EAST.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Density gradient effects on transverse shear driven lower hybrid waves

Shear driven instabilities are commonly observed in the near-Earth space, particularly in boundary layer plasmas. When the shear scale length (L{sub E}) is much less than the ion gyro-radius (ρ{sub i}) but greater than the electron gyro-radius (ρ{sub e}), the electrons are magnetized in the shear layer, but the ions are effectively un-magnetized. The resulting shear driven instability, the electron-ion hybrid (EIH) instability, is investigated in a new interpenetrating plasma configuration in the Auburn Linear EXperiment for Instability Studies. In order to understand the dynamics of magnetospheric boundary layers, the EIH instability is studied in the presence of a density gradient located at the boundary layer between two plasmas. This paper reports on a recent experiment in which electrostatic lower hybrid waves are identified as the EIH instability, and the effect of a density gradient on the instability properties are investigated.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Quasi-linear modeling of lower hybrid current drive in ITER and DEMO

First pass absorption of the Lower Hybrid waves in thermonuclear devices like ITER and DEMO is modeled by coupling the ray tracing equations with the quasi-linear evolution of the electron distribution function in 2D velocity space. As usually assumed, the Lower Hybrid Current Drive is not effective in a plasma of a tokamak fusion reactor, owing to the accessibility condition which, depending on the density, restricts the parallel wavenumber to values greater than n{sub ∥crit} and, at the same time, to the high electron temperature that would enhance the wave absorption and then restricts the RF power deposition to the very periphery of the plasma column (near the separatrix). In this work, by extensively using the “ray{sup star}” code, a parametric study of the propagation and absorption of the LH wave as function of the coupled wave spectrum (as its width, and peak value), has been performed very accurately. Such a careful investigation aims at controlling the power deposition layer possibly in the external half radius of the plasma, thus providing a valuable aid to the solution of how to control the plasma current profile in a toroidal magnetic configuration, and how to help the suppression of MHD mode that can develop in the outer part of the plasma. This analysis is useful not only for exploring the possibility of profile control of a pulsed operation reactor as well as the tearing mode stabilization, but also in order to reconsider the feasibility of steady state regime for DEMO.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Revealing pressure-driven structural transitions in the hybrid improper ferroelectric Sr 3 Sn 2 O 7

In this work, we combine diamond anvil cell techniques and synchrotron-based infrared spectroscopy with a detailed symmetry analysis and lattice dynamics calculations to uncover a series of pressure induced structural phase transitions in the hybrid improper ferroelectric Sr 3 Sn 2 O 7 . The microscopic character of each high pressure phase is determined by comparing the measured spectrum with the predicted vibrational patterns of several related but distinct candidate space groups. Our analysis reveals a sequence of compression-induced transitions from A2 1 am ↔ Pnab ↔ Acaa ↔ I4/mmm at room temperature. Remarkably, this space group progression matches the sequence of temperature-dependent structural transitions observed in Sr 3 Sn 2 O 7 between 77 and 1000 K. Other hybrid improper ferroelectrics display a similar set of transitions, suggesting that pressure and probably strain will be very effective tuning parameters for this entire class of materials.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

A Multiobjective Optimization Framework for Online Stochastic Optimal Control in Hybrid Electric Vehicles

The increasing urgency to extract additional efficiency from hybrid propulsion systems has led to the development of advanced power management control algorithms. In this paper we address the problem of online optimization of the supervisory power management control in parallel hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). We model HEV operation as a controlled Markov chain and we show that the control policy yielding the Pareto optimal solution minimizes online the long-run expected average cost per unit time criterion. The effectiveness of the proposed solution is validated through simulation and compared to the solution derived with dynamic programming using the average cost criterion. Both solutions achieved the same cumulative fuel consumption demonstrating that the online Pareto control policy is an optimal control policy.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Nuclear Hybrid Energy Systems - Regional Studies. West Texas and Northeastern Arizona

The primary objective of this study is to conduct a preliminary dynamic analysis of two realistic hybrid energy systems (HES) including a nuclear reactor as the main baseload heat generator (denoted as nuclear HES or nuclear hybrid energy systems [NHES]) and to assess the local (e.g., HES owners) and system (e.g., the electric grid) benefits attainable by the application of NHES in scenarios with multiple commodity production and high penetration of renewable energy. It is performed for regional cases - not generic examples - based on available resources, existing infrastructure, and markets within the selected regions. This study also briefly addresses the computational capabilities developed to conduct such analyses, reviews technical gaps, and suggests some research paths forward.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

Status on the Development of a Modeling and Simulation Framework for the Economic Assessment of Nuclear Hybrid Energy Systems

An effort to design and build a modeling and simulation framework to assess the economic viability of Nuclear Hybrid Energy Systems (NHES) was undertaken in fiscal year 2015 (FY15). The purpose of this report is to document the various tasks associated with the development of such a framework and to provide a status on its progress. Several tasks have been accomplished. First, starting from a simulation strategy, a rigorous mathematical formulation has been achieved in which the economic optimization of a Nuclear Hybrid Energy System is presented as a constrained robust (under uncertainty) optimization problem. Some possible algorithms for the solution of the optimization problem are presented. A variation of the Simultaneous Perturbation Stochastic Approximation algorithm has been implemented in RAVEN and preliminary tests have been performed. The development of the software infrastructure to support the simulation of the whole NHES has also moved forward. The coupling between RAVEN and an implementation of the Modelica language (OpenModelica) has been implemented, migrated under several operating systems and tested using an adapted model of a desalination plant. In particular, this exercise was focused on testing the coupling of the different code systems; testing parallel, computationally expensive simulations on the INL cluster; and providing a proof of concept for the possibility of using surrogate models to represent the different NHES subsystems. Another important step was the porting of the RAVEN code under the Windows™ operating system. This accomplishment makes RAVEN compatible with the development environment that is being used for dynamic simulation of NHES components. A very simplified model of a NHES on the electric market has been built in RAVEN to confirm expectations on the analysis capability of RAVEN to provide insight into system economics and to test the capability of RAVEN to identify limit surfaces even for stochastic constraints. This capability will be needed in the future to enforce the stochastic constraints on the electric demand coverage from the NHES. The development team gained experience with many of the tools that are currently envisioned for use in the economic analysis of NHES and completed several important steps. Given the complexity of the project, preference has been given to a structural approach in which several independent efforts have been used to build the cornerstone of the simulation framework. While this is good approach in establishing such a complex framework, it may delay reaching more complete results on the performance of analyzed system configurations. The integration of the previously reported exergy analysis approach was initially proposed as part of this milestone. However, in reality, the exergy-based apportioning of cost will take place only in a second stage of the implementation since it will be used to properly allocate cost among the different NHES subsystems. Therefore, exergy does not appear at the level of the main drivers in the analysis framework; the latter development of the base framework is the focus of this report.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Nuclear-Renewable Hybrid Energy Systems: FY17 Stakeholder Engagement and International Activities

A summary of stakeholder engagement associated with the nuclear-renewable hybrid energy systems (N-R HES) program is provided in this report, highlighting both previous and ongoing interactions for the INL-led program funded via the Crosscutting Technologies Office in the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy. The N-RHES program brings nuclear technology developers and industry users of nuclear energy together to establish a new paradigm for industrial energy production and use. Stakeholder engagement is essential to ensure that the N-R HES project focuses on RD&D activities relevant to future industry customers (reactor developers, utilities, and commercial industry) and to foster private/public cooperation leading to first-of-a-kind nuclear-utility-industry hybrid projects.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Mechanical and thermal behavior of additively manufactured Invar 36 using a laser hot wire hybrid DED process

Invar 36 alloy is a material of high interest in the composite tooling sector due to its low coefficient of thermal expansion. Current production of Invar 36 tooling using traditional manufacturing such as casting and forging is associated with long lead times due to a multitude of factors such as labor and component shortages, high material costs, foreign competition, and supply chain issues. An attractive alternate process is the use of an integrated 5-axis CNC hybrid Laser Hot Wire Deposition System (LHWD) for manufacturing invar molds. Here, the hybrid process provides a combination of the additive and subtractive technologies resulting in a synergistic platform for producing and repairing structures and molds. The main novelty and goal of this work is to study the properties of Invar deposited by a LHWD and to provide guidelines for the manufacture of parts using this process. In this study, the thermal expansion behavior of the manufactured specimens has been analyzed and related to its printing parameters and direction. Multiple specimens were extracted for mechanical, dilatometry and metallographic testing. A thermal IR recording of the printing process was also carried out to observe the thermal history of the produced parts to establish thermal influence on performance-property-processing relationship. The results of these tests show the advantage of LHWD technology for the manufacture of Invar alloy parts, as it presents similar thermal expansion behavior as those commercially available with minimal presence of precipitates and no macrostructural failures such as pores, cracks and lacks of fusion.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Project Startup: Evaluating the Performance of Hydraulic Hybrid Refuse Vehicles

The Fleet Test and Evaluation Team at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is evaluating the in-service performance of 10 next-generation hydraulic hybrid refuse vehicles (HHVs), 8 previous-generation HHVs, and 8 comparable conventional diesel vehicles operated by Miami-Dade County's Public Works and Waste Management Department in southern Florida. The HHVs under study - Autocar E3 refuse trucks equipped with Parker Hannifin's RunWise Advanced Series Hybrid Drive systems - can recover as much as 70 percent of the energy typically lost during braking and reuse it to power the vehicle. NREL's evaluation will assess the performance of this technology in commercial operation and help Miami-Dade County determine the ideal routes for maximizing the fuel-saving potential of its HHVs.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

Coherent Phonon-Induced Modulation of Charge Transfer in 2D Hybrid Perovskites

Electron–phonon interactions play an essential role in charge transport and transfer processes in semiconductors. For most structures, tailoring electron–phonon interactions for specific functionality remains elusive. Here, it is shown that, in hybrid perovskites, coherent phonon modes can be used to manipulate charge transfer. In the 2D double perovskite, (AE2T) 2 AgBiI 8 (AE2T: 5,5“-diylbis(amino-ethyl)-(2,2”-(2)thiophene)), the valence band maximum derived from the [Ag 0.5 Bi 0.5 I4] 2– framework lies in close proximity to the AE2T-derived HOMO level, thereby forming a type-II heterostructure. During transient absorption spectroscopy, pulsed excitation creates sustained coherent phonon modes, which periodically modulate the associated electronic levels. Thus, the energy offset at the organic–inorganic interface also oscillates periodically, providing a unique opportunity for modulation of interfacial charge transfer. Density-functional theory corroborates the mechanism and identifies specific phonon modes as likely drivers of the coherent charge transfer. These observations are a striking example of how electron–phonon interactions can be used to manipulate fundamentally important charge and energy transfer processes in hybrid perovskites.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Native Defects Hybridization and Electronic Transport in Cu 2 Se–CuGaSe 2 Hierarchical Composites

Engineering the energy distribution of electronic defects in semiconductors can afford the coexistence of degenerate and nondegenerate transport behavior. By leveraging native defects in Cu 2 Se and CuGaSe 2 phases, the tunability of the concentration and energy distribution of active electronic defects in hierarchical (1-x)Cu 2 Se-(x)CuGaSe 2 composites is demonstrated. This study found that the electrical conductivity of various composites decreases with rising temperature indicating degenerate semiconducting behavior, whereas the carrier density increases with temperature, which is consistent with non-degenerate semiconductivity. Remarkably, this study found that while the carrier density and electrical conductivity drop with the increasing CuGaSe 2 content for samples with x ≤ 0.45 is consistent with an increase in the activation energy of “active” electronic defects, the sudden increase by 140% in the electrical conductivity and by 109% in the carrier density for near equimolar composition suggests the formation of a large density of electronic defects with lower activation energy. This unusual behavior is understood within the context of the hybridization of coexisting native electronic defects to form degenerate hybrid acceptor states with lower activation energy. The reported unique electronic transport can be leveraged for the development of more versatile electronic and optoelectronic devices with superior performance.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Self-Assembled Ag–TiN Hybrid Plasmonic Metamaterial: Tailorable Tilted Nanopillar and Optical Properties

Key challenges limiting the adoption of metallic plasmonic nanostructures for practical devices include structural stability and the ease of large-scale fabrication. Overcoming these issues may require novel metamaterial fabrication with potentials for improved durability under extreme conditions. Here, in this paper, a self-assembled growth of a hybrid plasmonic metamaterial in thin-film form is reported, with epitaxial Ag nanopillars embedded in TiN, a mechanically strong and chemically inert matrix. One of the key achievements lies in the successful control of the tilt angle of the Ag nanopillars (from 0° to 50°), which is attributed to the interplay between the growth kinetics and thermodynamics during deposition. Such an anisotropic nature offered by the tilted Ag nanopillars in TiN matrix is crucial for achieving broadband, asymmetric optical selectivity. Optical spectra coupled with numerical simulations demonstrate strong plasmonic resonance, as well as angular selectivity in a broad UV–vis to near-infrared regime. The nanostructured metamaterials in this work, which consist of highly conductive metallic nanopillars in a durable nitride matrix, have the potential to serve as a novel hybrid material platform for highly tailorable nanoscale metamaterial designs, suitable for high temperature optical applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗