Search NASA⌕ Search

Engineering topics

Moore, Samuel L.

Publications and source records attributed to Moore, Samuel L..

13 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Unzipping hBN with ultrashort mid-infrared pulses

Manipulating the nanostructure of materials is critical for numerous applications in electronics, magnetics, and photonics. However, conventional methods such as lithography and laser writing require cleanroom facilities or leave residue. We describe an approach to creating atomically sharp line defects in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) at room temperature by direct optical phonon excitation with a mid-infrared pulsed laser from free space. We term this phenomenon “unzipping” to describe the rapid formation and growth of a crack tens of nanometers wide from a point within the laser-driven region. Formation of these features is attributed to the large atomic displacement and high local bond strain produced by strongly driving the crystal at a natural resonance. This process occurs only via coherent phonon excitation and is highly sensitive to the relative orientation of the crystal axes and the laser polarization. Its cleanliness, directionality, and sharpness enable applications such as polariton cavities, phonon-wave coupling, and in situ flake cleaving.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Accelerated Nano-Optical Imaging through Sparse Sampling

The integration time and signal-to-noise ratio are inextricably linked when performing scanning probe microscopy based on raster scanning. This often yields a large lower bound on the measurement time, for example, in nano-optical imaging experiments performed using a scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM). Here, in this study, we utilize sparse scanning augmented with Gaussian process regression to bypass the time constraint. We apply this approach to image charge-transfer polaritons in graphene residing on ruthenium trichloride (α-RuCl 3 ) and obtain key features such as polariton damping and dispersion. Critically, nano-optical SNOM imaging data obtained via sparse sampling are in good agreement with those extracted from traditional raster scans but require 11 times fewer sampled points. As a result, Gaussian process-aided sparse spiral scans offer a major decrease in scanning time.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Programming twist angle and strain profiles in 2D materials

Moiré superlattices in twisted two-dimensional materials have generated tremendous excitement as a platform for achieving quantum properties on demand. However, the moiré pattern is highly sensitive to the interlayer atomic registry, and current assembly techniques suffer from imprecise control of the average twist angle, spatial inhomogeneity in the local twist angle, and distortions caused by random strain. We manipulated the moiré patterns in hetero- and homobilayers through in-plane bending of monolayer ribbons, using the tip of an atomic force microscope. This technique achieves continuous variation of twist angles with improved twist-angle homogeneity and reduced random strain, resulting in moiré patterns with tunable wavelength and ultralow disorder. Our results may enable detailed studies of ultralow-disorder moiré systems and the realization of precise strain-engineered devices.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗
DOE OSTI2015

High pressure studies using two-stage diamond micro-anvils grown by chemical vapor deposition

Ultra-high static pressures have been achieved in the laboratory using a two-stage micro-ball nanodiamond anvils as well as a two-stage micro-paired diamond anvils machined using a focused ion-beam system. The two-stage diamond anvils’ designs implemented thus far suffer from a limitation of one diamond anvil sliding past another anvil at extreme conditions. We describe a new method of fabricating two-stage diamond micro-anvils using a tungsten mask on a standard diamond anvil followed by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD) homoepitaxial diamond growth. A prototype two stage diamond anvil with 300 μm culet and with a CVD diamond second stage of 50 μm in diameter was fabricated. We have carried out preliminary high pressure X-ray diffraction studies on a sample of rare-earth metal lutetium sample with a copper pressure standard to 86 GPa. Furthermore, the micro-anvil grown by CVD remained intact during indentation of gasket as well as on decompression from the highest pressure of 86 GPa.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Fabrication of diamond based sensors for use in extreme environments

Electrical and magnetic sensors can be lithographically fabricated on top of diamond substrates and encapsulated in a protective layer of chemical vapor deposited single crystalline diamond. This process when carried out on single crystal diamond anvils employed in high pressure research is termed as designer diamond anvil fabrication. These designer diamond anvils allow researchers to study electrical and magnetic properties of materials under extreme conditions without any possibility of damaging the sensing elements. We describe a novel method for the fabrication of designer diamond anvils with the use of maskless lithography and chemical vapor deposition in this paper. This method can be utilized to produce diamond based sensors which can function in extreme environments of high pressures, high and low temperatures, corrosive and high radiation conditions. Here, we demonstrate applicability of these diamonds under extreme environments by performing electrical resistance measurements during superconducting transition in rare earth doped iron-based compounds under high pressures to 12 GPa and low temperatures to 10 K.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Nitrogen and silicon defect incorporation during homoepitaxial CVD diamond growth on (111) surfaces

Chemical Vapor Deposited (CVD) diamond growth on (111)-diamond surfaces has received increased attention lately because of the use of N-V related centers in quantum computing as well as application of these defect centers in sensing nano-Tesla strength magnetic fields. We have carried out a detailed study of homoepitaxial diamond deposition on (111)-single crystal diamond (SCD) surfaces using a 1.2 kW microwave plasma CVD (MPCVD) system employing methane/hydrogen/nitrogen/oxygen gas phase chemistry. We have utilized Type Ib (111)-oriented single crystal diamonds as seed crystals in our study. The homoepitaxially grown diamond films were analyzed by Raman spectroscopy, Photoluminescence Spectroscopy (PL), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The nitrogen concentration in the plasma was carefully varied between 0 and 1500 ppm while a ppm level of silicon impurity is present in the plasma from the quartz bell jar. The concentration of N-V defect centers with PL zero phonon lines (ZPL) at 575nm and 637nm and the Si-defect center with a ZPL at 737nm were experimentally detected from a variation in CVD growth conditions and were quantitatively studied. As a result, altering nitrogen and oxygen concentration in the plasma was observed to directly affect N-V and Si-defect incorporation into the (111)-oriented diamond lattice and these findings are presented.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗