Selected-area small-angle electron diffraction.
Selected-area small angle electron diffraction using double-condenser electron microscope, noting high resolution power
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Selected-area small angle electron diffraction using double-condenser electron microscope, noting high resolution power
Beam-shaping diffractive optical elements are used to create structured light patterns in fluid flows. Particle scattering results in detected signals that can be used to determine the particle size and velocity.
Diffractive optical elements fabricated on flat and non-flat substrates frequently act as dispersive elements in imaging spectrometers. We describe the design and electron-beam fabrication of blazed and computer-generated-hologram gratings for slit and tomographic imaging spectrometers.
Light scattering off particles flowing through a two-slit inteference pattern can be used to measure the shear stress of the fluid. We have designed and fabricated a miniature diffractive optic sensor based on this principle.
Diffractive optical elements fabricated on flat and non-flat substrates frequently act as dispersive elements in imaging spectrometers. We describe the design and electron-beam fabrication of blazed and computer-generated-hologram gratings for slit and tomographic imaging spectrometer.
Light scattering off particles flowing through a two-slit interference pattern can be used to measure the shear stress of the fluid. We have designed and fabricated a miniature diffractive optic sensor based on this principle.
The current NASA WFIRST (Wide-Field InfraRed Survey Telescope) coronagraph instrument (CGI) design allocates two subband filters per each full science band in order to contain system complexity and cost. We present our detailed investigation results on the adequacy of such a limited number of finite subband filters in achieving broadband dark hole contrast with a shaped pupil coronagraph (SPC). The study is based on diffraction propagation modeling with realistic WFIRST optics, where each subband’s image plane electric field is estimated from pairwise pupil plane deformable mirror (DM) probing and image plane intensity averaging of the resulting fields of multiple (subband) wavelengths. Multiple subband choices and probing and control strategies are explored, including standard subband probing; mixed wavelength and/or weighted Jacobian matrix; subband probing with intensity subtraction; and extended subband probing with intensity subtraction. Overall, the investigation shows that the achievable contrast with a limited number of finite subbands is about 2~2.5x worse than the designed contrast for the current SPC. The result suggests that future shaped pupil designs should be optimized for slightly broader bandwidths than the intended science bandpasses if limited subbands are used for wavefront sensing via probing.
An analytical description of the scattered light from a 10 meter diameter Diffractive Optical Element lens-based telescope operating at 1 micron wavelength has been formulated.
The overall scope of this NESC study was to identify (or develop) a tool, methodology, or process that can inspect a ceramic capacitor and consistently return repeatable grain size distribution results. It is important to note that the development of a machine learning technique was considered as an option for this study, but only if an existing automated tool was not available. This report explains why the Electron Backscatter Diffraction analysis method for grain structure and size distribution was deemed a suitable candidate for this work.
This is a guest lecture for University of Idaho graduate-level course Chemical and Materials Analysis. I will be talking about the fundamentals of X-ray Diffraction technique and some examples for its application in material science research.
The world-leading intensity and brightness of the NSLS-II at Brookhaven National Laboratory offers unique opportunities for studying materials for nuclear energy systems under prototypical operating conditions, i.e, in situ. Probing the microstructural evolution in situ is essential to understand both the fundamental material dynamics and to develop physically relent predictive material performance models for operation in the extreme environments of nuclear reactors. This presentation describes the unique opportunities for in situ experiments at the X-ray Powder Diffraction beamline (XPD) that are planned to be accessed through The Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF). Examples of recent in situ experiments at XPD are given for three different materials systems including; field assisted sintering of UO{sub 2}; phase evolution in high Ni-Cr alloys, and the corrosion of Zircaloy.
Abstract The deformation behavior of the three metal dodecaborides (YB 12 , ZrB 12 , and Zr 0.5 Y 0.5 B 12 ) is investigated using radial X‐ray diffraction under nonhydrostatic compression up to ≈60 GPa with a goal of understanding how bonding and metal composition control hardness. Zr 0.5 Y 0.5 B 12 , which has the highest Vickers hardness ( Hv = 45.8 ± 1.3 GPa at 0.49 N load), also shows the highest bulk modulus ( K 0 = 320 ± 5 GPa). The 0.49 N hardness for ZrB 12 and YB 12 are both lower and very similar, and both show lower bulk moduli ( K 0 = 276 ± 7 GPa, and K 0 = 238 ± 6 GPa, respectively). Differential stress is then measured to study the strength and strength anisotropy. Zr 0.5 Y 0.5 B 12 supports the highest differential stress, in agreement with its high hardness, a fact that likely arises from atomic size mismatch between Zr and Y combined with the rigid network of boron cages. The (200) plane for all samples supports the largest differential strain, while the (111) plane supports the smallest, consistent with the theoretically predicted slip system of {111} [ ]. Strain softening is also observed for ZrB 12 . Finally, the full elastic stiffness tensors for ZrB 12 and YB 12 are solved. ZrB 12 is the most isotropic, but the extent of elastic anisotropy for all dodecaborides studied is relatively low due to the highly symmetric boron cage network.
Doping-induced solubility control is a patterning technique for semiconducting polymers, which utilizes the reduction in polymer solubility upon p-type doping to provide direct, optical control of film topography and doping level. In situ direct-write patterning and imaging are demonstrated, revealing sub-diffraction-limited topographic features. Here, photoinduced force microscopy shows that doping level can be optically modulated with similar resolution.
Neutron diffraction under operando battery cycling is used to study the lithium and oxygen dynamics of high Li-rich Li(Li x/3 Ni (3/8-3x/8) Co (1/4-x/4) Mn (3/8+7x/24) O 2 (x = 0.6, HLR) and low Li-rich Li(Li x/3 Ni (1/3-x/3) Co (1/3-x/3) Mn(1/3+x/3)O 2 (x = 0.24, LLR) compounds that exhibit different degrees of oxygen activation at high voltage. The measured lattice parameter changes and oxygen position show largely contrasting changes for the two cathodes where the LLR exhibits larger movement of oxygen and lattice contractions in comparison to the HLR that maintains relatively constant lattice parameters and oxygen position during the high voltage plateau until the end of charge. Density functional theory calculations show the presence of oxygen vacancy during the high voltage plateau; changes in the lattice parameters and oxygen position are consistent with experimental observations. Lithium migration kinetics for the Li-rich material is observed under operando conditions for the first time to reveal the rate of lithium extraction from the lithium layer, and transition metal layer is related to the different charge and discharge characteristics. At the beginning of charging, the lithium extraction predominately occurs within the lithium layer. The lithium extraction from the lithium layer slows down and extraction from the transition metal layer evolves at a faster rate once the high voltage plateau is reached.
Abstract Understanding the electronic structures of high‐valent metal complexes aids the advancement of metal‐catalyzed cross coupling methodologies. A prototypical complex with formally high valency is [Cu(CF 3 ) 4 ] − (1), which has a formal Cu(III) oxidation state but whose physical analysis has led some to a Cu(I) assignment in an inverted ligand field model. Recent examinations of1by X‐ray spectroscopies have led previous authors to contradictory conclusions, motivating the re‐examination of its X‐ray absorption profile here by a complementary method, resonant diffraction anomalous fine structure (DAFS). From analysis of DAFS measurements for a series of seven mononuclear Cu complexes including1, here it is shown that there is a systematic trifluoromethyl effect on X‐ray absorption that blue shifts the resonant Cu K‐edge energy by 2–3 eV per CF 3 , completely accounting for observed changes in DAFS profiles between formally Cu(III) complexes like1and formally Cu(I) complexes like (Ph 3 P) 3 CuCF 3 (3). Thus, in agreement with the inverted ligand field model, the data presented herein imply that1is best described as containing a Cu(I) ion with d n count approaching 10.
LiNiO 2 (LNO) represents the end member in the compositional space of the LiNi 1-x-y Mn x Co y O 2 (as x and y approach zero) cathode system. Despite its high theoretical specific capacity (275 mAh/g), LNO suffers from phase transitions with large volume change and unfavorable reactions upon electrochemical cycling, which restricts its practical use in the application of lithium-ion batteries. While the contributing factor to the structural instability is commonly linked to the undesired volume collapse associated with the H2-H3 phase transition, detailed analysis of structural evolution following the entire route of phase transitions (H1-M-H2-H3) in real time under battery operating conditions remains a challenging task. In this work, we employ operando neutron diffraction to study the structural changes (crystal lattice, Li/Ni–O bond length, O–Ni–O bond angles, and LiO 2 /NiO 2 layer thickness) of LNO cathode in a home-built Li x NiO 2 || graphite full cell during Li + de-/intercalation. In particular, the anomalous increase(decrease) of Ni–O(Li–O) bond length at high SOC (>~85 %) in the H3 phase is discussed in the context of O 2- (2p)→Ni 4+ (3d) negative charge transfer.
Abstract A Mn(II) salt and A + CN − under anaerobic conditions react to form 2‐D and 3‐D extended structured compounds of A m Mn II n (CN) m+2n stoichiometry. Here, the creation and characterization of this large family of compounds, for example AMn II 3 (CN) 7 , A 2 Mn II 3 (CN) 8 , A 2 Mn II 5 (CN) 12 , A 3 Mn II 5 (CN) 13 , and A 2 Mn II [Mn II (CN) 6 ], where A represents alkali and tetraalkylammonium cations, is reviewed. Cs 2 Mn II [Mn II (CN) 6 ] has the typical Prussian blue face centered cubic unit cell. However, the other alkali salts are monoclinic or rhombohedral. This is in accord with smaller alkali cation radii creating void space that is minimized by increasing the van der Waals stabilization energy by reducing ∠Mn−N≡C, which, strengthens the magnetic coupling and increases the magnetic ordering temperatures. This is attributed to the non‐rigidity of the framework structure due the significant ionic character associated with the high‐spin Mn II sites. For larger tetraalkylammonium cations, the high‐spin Mn sites lack sufficient electrostatic A + ⋅⋅⋅NC stabilization and form unexpected 4‐ and 5‐coordinated Mn sites within a flexible, extended framework around the cation; hence, the size, shape, and charge of the cation dictate the unprecedented stoichio‐metry and unpredictable cation adaptive structures. Antiferromagnetic coupling between adjacent Mn II sites leads to ferrimagnetic ordering, but in some cases antiferromagnetic coupling of ferrimagnetic layers are compensated and synthetic antiferromagnets are observed. The magnetic ordering temperatures for ferrimagnetic A 2 Mn II [Mn II (CN) 6 ] with both octahedral high‐ and low‐spin Mn II sites increase with decreasing ∠Mn−N≡C. The crystal structures for all of the extended structured materials were obtained by powder diffraction.
Abstract An investigation combining neutron diffraction and DFT allows determining the most likely hydride migration pathway within the icosahedral metal framework of [RhH 2 Ag 19 {S 2 P(O n Pr) 2 } 12 ] (RhH 2 Ag 19 ). Starting from the experimentally derived solid‐state structures, a computational analysis is able to reveal an energetically favorable migration pathway with a maximum energy barrier of 4.2 kcal mol −1 . The two hydrides migrate simultaneously within the Rh@Ag 12 icosahedral core, traversing several positional isomers. This study expands the understanding of hydride dynamics in nanoclusters and provides critical insights into the structural flexibility of the superatom framework. These findings have significant implications for hydrogen storage, catalysis, and the design of advanced hydride‐containing materials.