Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “atom mapping”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 289 records · Page 16

Atom Probe Tomography for the Observation of Hydrogen in Materials: A Review

Atom probe tomography (APT) is an emerging microscopy technique that has high sensitivity for hydrogen with sub-nanometre-scale spatial resolution, which makes it a unique method to investigate the atomic-scale distribution of hydrogen at interfaces and defects in materials. This article introduces the basics of APT-based hydrogen analysis, particularly the challenge of distinguishing a hydrogen background signal in APT by using hydrogen isotopes, along with strategies to yield high-quality analysis. This article also reviews several important findings on hydrogen distribution in a range of materials, including both structural alloys and functional materials, enabled by using APT. Limitations and future opportunities for hydrogen analysis by APT are also discussed.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Giant momentum-dependent spin splitting in centrosymmetric low-$\textit{Z}$ antiferromagnets

The energy vs crystal momentum $\textit{E(k)}$ diagram for a solid (band structure) constitutes the road map for navigating its optical, magnetic, and transport properties. By selecting crystals with specific atom types, composition, and symmetries, one could design a target band structure and thus desired properties. A particularly attractive outcome would be to design energy bands that are split into spin components with a momentum-dependent splitting, as envisioned by Pekar and Rashba, enabling spintronic application. The current paper provides “design principles” for wave-vector dependent spin splitting (SS) of energy bands that parallel the traditional Dresselhaus and Rashba spin-orbit coupling (SOC)–induced splitting, but originates from a fundamentally different source—antiferromagnetism. Here, we identify a few generic antiferromagnetic (AFM) prototypes with distinct SS patterns using magnetic symmetry design principles. These tools allow also the identification of specific AFM compounds with SS belonging to different prototypes. A specific compound—centrosymmetric tetragonal MnF 2 —is used via density functional band-structure calculations to quantitatively illustrate one type of AFM SS. Unlike the traditional SOC-induced effects restricted to noncentrosymmetric crystals, we show that antiferromagnetic-induced spin splitting broadens the playing field to include even centrosymmetric compounds, and gives SS comparable in magnitude to the best known (“giant’” SOC effects, even without traditional SOC, and consequently does not rely on the often-unstable high atomic number elements required for high SOC. We envision that use of the current design principles to identify an optimal antiferromagnet with spin-split energy bands would be beneficial for efficient spin-charge conversion and spin-orbit torque applications without the burden of requiring compounds containing heavy elements.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Origin of insulating and nonferromagnetic SrRuO 3 monolayers

The electro-magnetic properties of ultrathin epitaxial ruthenate films have long been the subject of debate. Here we combine experimental with theoretical investigations of (SrTiO 3 ) 5 -(SrRuO 3 ) n -(SrTiO 3 ) 5 (STO 5 -SRO n -STO 5 ) heterostructures with n = 1 and 2 unit cells, including extensive atomic-resolution scanning-transmission-electron-microscopy imaging, electron-energy-loss-spectroscopy chemical mapping, as well as transport and magneto-transport measurements. The experimental data demonstrate that the STO 5 -SRO 2 -STO 5 heterostructure is nearly stoichiometric, metallic, and ferromagnetic with T C ~ 128 K, even though it lacks the characteristic bulk-SRO octahedral tilts and matches the cubic STO structure. In contrast, the STO 5 -SRO 1 -STO 5 heterostructure features Ru-Ti intermixing in the RuO 2 layer, also without octahedral tilts, but is accompanied by a loss of metallicity and ferromagnetism. Density-functional-theory calculations show that stoichiometric n = 1 and n = 2 heterostructures are metallic and ferromagnetic with no octahedral tilts, while non-stoichiometry in the Ru sublattice in the n = 1 case opens an energy gap and induces antiferromagnetic ordering. Furthermore, the results indicate that the observed non-stoichiometry is the cause of the observed loss of metallicity and ferromagnetism in the n = 1 case.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Anharmonic Eigenvectors and Acoustic Phonon Disappearance in Quantum Paraelectric SrTiO 3

Pronounced anomalies in the SrTiO 3 dynamical structure factor, S(Q,E), including the disappearance of acoustic phonon branches at low temperatures, were uncovered with inelastic neutron scattering (INS) and simulations. The striking effect reflects anharmonic couplings between acoustic and optic phonons and the incipient ferroelectric instability near the quantum critical point. It is rationalized using a first-principles renormalized anharmonic phonon approach, pointing to nonlinear Ti-O hybridization causing unusual changes in real-space phonon eigenvectors, frequencies, group velocities, and scattering phase space. Lastly, our method is general and establishes how T dependences beyond the harmonic regime, assessed by INS mapping of large reciprocal-space volumes, provide real-space insights into anharmonic atomic dynamics near phase transitions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Boundary, SOL, and Divertor Physics Studies on TCV (Final Report for Research Funded by DoE Award DE-SC0020327)

Research supported under this grant was organized around two diagnostic systems installed on the TCV tokamak located at EPFL in Lausanne, Switzerland: Multi-Spectral Imaging (MSI) and Gas-Puff Imaging (GPI). MSI monitors 2-d time-history images of up to 10 spectral lines, in the visible, using identical views for all wavelengths. The primary application of MSI is to infer 2-d time histories of electron temperature and density in the Scrape-Off-Layer (SOL) of diverted plasmas, utilizing ratios of emission from multiple neutral helium lines. The atomic models are validated against 1-d Thomson scattering measurements. SOL density and temperature maps are analyzed to infer divertor dynamics, including particle and power flows, for a variety of divertor configurations, and specifically as flux expansion along the long-legged outboard divertor is systematically varied. GPI is used to measure details of edge fluctuations in the SOL, particularly as a function of plasma triangularity (δ), including both positive and negative δ. A threshold is found, whereby for δ<-0.3, edge turbulence in the far SOL is completely suppressed. Dynamics of the filamentary turbulence was also analyzed using advance machine learning techniques. Research in support of four PhD theses was carried out within the scope of this Award, including 2 at MIT and 2 at EPFL.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

H2 and H I emission line imaging of the ring nebula (NGC 6720)

Infrared emission-line images of the v = 1-0 S(1) transition of molecular hydrogen and Br-gamma recombination line of atomic hydrogen which cover the entire extent of NGC 6720, the Ring nebula. The maps presented here are the highest angular resolution images of these transitions yet produced for this object and have very low relative positional uncertainty. As a result, the spatial stratification of the ionized and shocked molecular zones within the nebula is clearly resolved. These data, and data from the Infrared Astronomical Satellite, are used to determine the H2, H I, and dust mass within the nebula. Energy sources for the dust heating, formation and destruction of the H2, and overall evolution of the nebula are also discussed.

Greenhouse, Matthew A.↗

Programmable interactions and emergent geometry in an array of atom clouds

Interactions govern the flow of information and the formation of correlations between constituents of many-body quantum systems, dictating phases of matter found in nature and forms of entanglement generated in the laboratory. Typical interactions decay with distance and thus produce a network of connectivity governed by geometry—such as the crystalline structure of a material or the trapping sites of atoms in a quantum simulator. However, many envisioned applications in quantum simulation and computation require more complex coupling graphs including non-local interactions, which feature in models of information scrambling in black hole, and mappings of hard optimization problems onto frustrated classical magnets. Here we describe the realization of programmable non-local interactions in an array of atomic ensembles within an optical cavity, in which photons carry information between atomic spins. By programming the distance dependence of the interactions, we access effective geometries for which the dimensionality, topology and metric are entirely distinct from the physical geometry of the array. As examples, we engineer an antiferromagnetic triangular ladder, a Möbius strip with sign-changing interactions and a treelike geometry inspired by concepts of quantum gravity. The tree graph constitutes a toy model of holographic duality, in which the quantum system lies on the boundary of a higher-dimensional geometry that emerges from measured correlations. Overall, our work provides broader prospects for simulating frustrated magnets and topological phases, investigating quantum optimization paradigms and engineering entangled resource states for sensing and computation.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

AtomAI framework for deep learning analysis of image and spectroscopy data in electron and scanning probe microscopy

Over the past several decades, electron and scanning probe microscopes have become critical components of condensed matter physics, materials science and chemistry research. At the same time, the infrastructure for establishing a connection between microscopy observations and materials behaviour over a broader parameter space is lacking. In this work, we introduce AtomAI, an open-source software package bridging instrument-specific Python libraries, deep learning and simulation tools into a single ecosystem. AtomAI allows direct applications of deep neural networks for atomic and mesoscopic image segmentation converting image and spectroscopy data into class-based local descriptors for downstream tasks such as statistical and graph analysis. For atomically resolved imaging data, the output is types and positions of atomic species, with an option for subsequent refinement. AtomAI further allows the implementation of a broad range of image and spectrum analysis functions, including invariant variational autoencoders for disentangling structural factors of variation and im2spec type of encoder–decoder models for mapping structure–property relationships. Finally, our framework allows seamless connection to the first principles modelling with a Python interface on the inferred atomic positions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Presentation of gas-phase-reactant-accessible single-rhodium-atom catalysts for CO oxidation, via MOF confinement of an Anderson polyoxometalate

Geometric or electronic confinement of guests within nanoporous hosts holds promise for imparting catalytic functionality, including single-metal-atom catalytic functionality, to existing materials. When the nanoporous host is a metal–organic framework (MOF), single-metal-ion catalysts have typically been installed by grafting to an open site on an inorganic node, with the node effectively becoming the support for the catalyst. This approach, however, imposes compositional constraints, as the node not only needs to be receptive to grafting, but also must be capable of stabilizing the framework against solvent evacuation, chemical exposure, and heating. Here, we show that disk-like, Anderson polyoxometalate clusters (RhMo 6 O 24 n- and Mo 7 O 24 m- ; POMs) can be confined in pore-specific and orientation-specific fashion within the hierarchically porous, Zr(IV)-based MOF, NU1K. Self-limiting loading of one cluster per pore, and associated nano-confinement, serve to isolate each POM and prevent consolidation caused by sintering. Additionally, the oriented confinement serves to expose individual rhodium atoms to candidate gas-phase reactants, while enabling the rhodium atom to employ a well-defined oxy-molybdenum cluster, rather than a MOF node, as a support. Synchrotron-based difference-electron-density maps and differential pair-distribution-function analyses of scattered X-rays establish cluster siting and orientation and confirm isolation. Nanoconfined (i.e., MOF- and POM-confined) single-rhodium(III)-atoms are catalytically competent for an illustrative gas-phase reaction, CO oxidation by O 2 , with the MOF-isolated POM enormously outperforming nonporous, MOF-free, solid (NH 4 ) 3 [H 6 RhMo 6 O 24 ]·6H 2 O. This paper highlights the value of MOF-based nano-confinement and oriented isolation of planar POMs as a means of uniformly presenting and stabilizing potent single-metal-atom catalysts, in reactant-accessible form, on well-defined supports.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Methanol Partial Oxidation on Cu(111) and PtCu(111) Single-Atom Alloy Surfaces: Effect of Surface Oxygen Coverage on Selectivity

The selective oxidation of methanol to formaldehyde on Cu surfaces is an important and well-studied reaction. However, a systematic analysis of product selectivity as a function of oxygen coverage on Cu(111) and Cu-based single-atom alloys (SAAs) has not been previously reported. In this work, we present a comprehensive investigation of deuterated methanol (CD 3 OH) partial oxidation on Cu(111) and 1% PtCu(111) SAA surfaces as a function of preadsorbed oxygen coverage. Temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) reveal that isolated Pt atoms inhibit the initial surface oxidation of Cu(111) under low oxygen exposures. Despite this difference in oxidation kinetics, the product selectivity remains largely unaffected: on both Cu(111) and PtCu(111), formaldehyde (CD 2 O) is the predominant partial oxidation product over a broad range of oxygen coverages. The selectivity toward formaldehyde peaks at intermediate oxygen coverages (∼0.3 monolayers, ML), indicating the existence of an optimal oxygen loading for partial oxidation. Notably, the similar product selectivities on Cu(111) and PtCu(111) over a range of surface oxygen coverage indicate that Pt single atoms do not significantly alter the reaction pathway or shift the optimal oxygen coverage for formaldehyde formation. Control experiments confirm that Cu(111) is unreactive toward methanol in the absence of oxygen, while PtCu(111) surfaces produce a small amount of formaldehyde even when oxygen is not preadsorbed, indicating that isolated Pt atoms facilitate O−H activation at below 150 K, leading to H 2 desorption, followed by C−D activation at higher temperatures (∼350 K). Density functional theory (DFT)-based calculations show that Pt atoms increase the O 2 dissociation barrier relative to Cu(111), consistent with the observed inhibition of oxidation at low exposures. Overall, this work provides the first detailed selectivity map for methanol oxidation on oxidized Cu(111) and PtCu(111) SAA surfaces. By linking classical mechanistic insights such as methoxy- and formate-mediated pathways with single-atom alloy catalyst design, this work demonstrates that while Pt substitution modulates the oxidation kinetics and oxygen binding, the overall selectivity toward formaldehyde is governed primarily by oxygen coverage. These findings underscore the potential of isolated dopants to tune surface oxidation behavior without compromising the intrinsic partial oxidation selectivity of copper-based catalysts.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Anomalous localization in a kicked quasicrystal

Abstract Quantum transport can distinguish between dynamical phases of matter. For instance, ballistic propagation characterizes the absence of disorder, whereas in many-body localized phases, particles do not propagate for exponentially long times. Additional possibilities include states of matter exhibiting anomalous transport in which particles propagate with a non-trivial exponent. Here we report the experimental observation of anomalous transport across a broad range of the phase diagram of a kicked quasicrystal. The Hamiltonian of our system has been predicted to exhibit a rich phase diagram, including not only fully localized and fully delocalized phases but also an extended region comprising a nested pattern of localized, delocalized and multifractal states, which gives rise to anomalous transport. Our cold-atom realization is enabled by new Floquet engineering techniques, which expand the accessible phase diagram by five orders of magnitude. Mapping transport properties throughout the phase diagram, we observe disorder-driven re-entrant delocalization and sub-ballistic transport, and we present a theoretical explanation of these phenomena based on eigenstate multifractality.

Physics↗

Cold, warm, and hot gas in the late-stage merger NGC 7252

We present the first observations of the neutral hydrogen distribution and x-ray emission in the prototypical merger remnant NGC 7252, the 'Atoms-for-Peace' galaxy. These data are supplemented by accurate B and R surface photometry, reaching a limit of mu(sub B) = 26.5 mag/sq arcsec, and images taken through a narrow-band H alpha filter. We find all of the 2 x 10(exp 9)/sq h solar mass of atomic gas to be restricted to the outer, tidal regions of this system (H(sub zero) = 100 h km/s/Mpc). By contrast, the molecular gas traced by the (12)CO(1 approaches zero) map of Wang et al. (1992) is confined to an inner rotating disk of radius 7 seconds and has an H alpha counterpart. The gap between the atomic and molecular gas distributions is filled in by diffuse H alpha emission and perhaps by x-ray emission. The velocity field of the atomic gas in the tidal tails indicates that they are swinging through space in the same sense as the rotation of the inner gas disk. The H I at the apparent base of the northwestern tail seems to be falling back toward the main body of the galaxy, yet there is no H I associated with this main stellar body: This suggests ongoing efficient conversion of the atomic gas into other phases in this region. The H alpha velocity anomalies previously found in the remnant body may be produced in part by the combination of tail-related, noncircular motions and the inner gas-disk rotation. Both tidal tails have bluer B-R colors than the main body of the remnant, with the bluest regions coinciding with peaks in the gas column density. Each tail contains one giant H II region near the end of its optical light distribution. These H II regions are associated with large concentrations of gas and stars that approach the sizes and gas contents of dwarf galaxies. The H I extends beyond the end of the optical tails and reaches projected distances of 62/h kpc east and 120/h kpc northwest from the center. We discuss the possible relevance of these data to : (1) the transformation of merged spirals into ellipticls; (2) the generation of ripples by returning tidal material; and (3) the formation of bound stellar systems from tidally torn material.

Hibbard, J. E.↗

Mapping protein dynamics at high spatial resolution with temperature-jump X-ray crystallography

Understanding and controlling protein motion at atomic resolution is a hallmark challenge for structural biologists and protein engineers because conformational dynamics are essential for complex functions such as enzyme catalysis and allosteric regulation. Time-resolved crystallography offers a window into protein motions, yet without a universal perturbation to initiate conformational changes the method has been limited in scope. Here we couple a solvent-based temperature jump with time-resolved crystallography to visualize structural motions in lysozyme, a dynamic enzyme. We observed widespread atomic vibrations on the nanosecond timescale, which evolve on the submillisecond timescale into localized structural fluctuations that are coupled to the active site. An orthogonal perturbation to the enzyme, inhibitor binding, altered these dynamics by blocking key motions that allow energy to dissipate from vibrations into functional movements linked to the catalytic cycle. Because temperature jump is a universal method for perturbing molecular motion, the method demonstrated here is broadly applicable for studying protein dynamics.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Lunar-surface UV Photometric Investigation of Exospheres (LUPINE): Thermal Modeling of Payload in a Relevant Daylit Environment

Direct upward remote sensing of the moon’s exosphere from a surface vantage can address production of water-related lunar volatiles as well as their exospheric loss, ballistic transport, and ultimate adsorption in permanently shadowed regions (PSRs). Far UV (FUV) dayside measurements of atomic oxygen, liberated from regolith by energetic solar protons and micrometeorite impact, can provide critical insight into the endogenic lunar water cycle by constraining total column density [O] at site of production. A notional Lunar-surface UV Photometric Investigation of Exospheres (LUPINE) instrument is designed to exploit solar-pumped atomic oxygen fluorescence at 130.4-nm, in a manner similar to the Apollo 17 UV Spectrometer (UVS) experiment [Fastie 1973; Feldman and Morrison, 1991] and the LRO Lyman-alpha Mapping Project (LAMP) spectrograph [Cook et al., 2013], by implementing a zenith-directed FUV photometer from the lunar surface at low (± 10°) selenographic latitude during the lunar day. Atomic oxygen production from solar energetic particle impact sources is thought to maximize in near solar noon [Sarantos et al., 2012], and the lander-embedded zenith-directed LUPINE photometer, in contrast to UVS and LAMP twilight measurements from orbit, can potentially capture the full column abundance of lunar regolith liberated oxygen. Herein we describe adaptation of FUV reflective optics, pulse-counting electronics, and scattered-light-suppression technologies developed for LEO FUV photometry for the challenging thermal environment of the daylit lunar surface. Preliminary thermal modeling and TVAC measurements of heritage FUV photometer components suggests that, if allowed to shed ~8W of waste heat into the bus of a reference Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) lander, the LUPINE photometer will be kept sufficiently cool to limit dark current to less than 20 counts/s. This level of dark signal enables an OI 130.4-nm 3-sigma detection threshold of ~1 mR for assumed 2-hour integrations.

Lunar UV Photometer↗

Mo Atom Rearrangement Drives Layer-Dependent Reactivity in Two-Dimensional MoS 2

Two-dimensional (2D) materials offer a valuable platform for manipulating and studying chemical reactions at the atomic level, owing to the ease of controlling their microscopic structure at the nanometer scale. While extensive research has been conducted on the structure-dependent chemical activity of 2D materials, the influence of structural transformation during the reaction has remained largely unexplored. In this work, we report the layer-dependent chemical reactivity of MoS 2 during a nitridation atomic substitution reaction and attribute it to the rearrangement of Mo atoms. Our results show that the chemical reactivity of MoS 2 decreases as the number of layers is reduced in the few-layer regime. In particular, monolayer MoS 2 exhibits significantly lower reactivity compared with its few-layer and multilayer counterparts. Atomic-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) reveals that MoN nanonetworks form as reaction products from monolayer and bilayer MoS 2 , with the continuity of the MoN crystals increasing with layer number, consistent with the local conductivity mapping data. The layer-dependent reactivity is attributed to the relative stability of the hypothetically formed MoN phase, which retains the number of Mo atomic layers present in the precursor. Specifically, the low chemical reactivity of monolayer MoS 2 is attributed to the high energy cost associated with Mo atom diffusion and migration necessary to form multilayer Mo lattices in the thermodynamically stable MoN phase. In conclusion, this study underscores the critical role of lattice rearrangement in governing chemical reactivity and highlights the potential of 2D materials as versatile platforms for advancing the understanding of materials chemistry at the atomic scale.

Chemical reactivity↗

Imaging a light-induced molecular elimination reaction with an X-ray free-electron laser

Tracking the motion of individual atoms during chemical reactions represents a severe experimental challenge, especially if several competing reaction pathways exist or if the reaction is governed by the correlated motion of more than two molecular constituents. Here we demonstrate how ultrashort X-ray pulses combined with coincident ion imaging can be used to trace molecular iodine elimination from laser-irradiated diiodomethane (CH 2 I 2 ), a reaction channel of fundamental importance but small relative yield that involves the breaking of two molecular bonds and the formation of a new one. We map bending vibrations of the bound molecule, disentangle different dissociation pathways, image the correlated motion of the iodine atoms and the methylene group leading to molecular iodine ejection, and trace the vibrational motion of the formed product. Our results provide a quantitative mechanistic picture behind previously suggested reaction mechanisms and prove that a variety of geometries are involved in the molecular bond formation.

Atomic and molecular interactions with photons↗

Au assisted smooth ultrathin epitaxial ZnO film grown by pulsed laser deposition on sapphire(0001)

High quality ZnO has applications in photonics and electronics. Literature has shown that continuous, but rough ZnO film can be grown on sapphire substrate by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). In this work, ZnO and Au were co-deposited by PLD on sapphire(0001) substrates from a single ZnO target overlaid with an Au strip that serves as a catalyst. The reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) patterns show paired double stripes from sample of ZnO-Au where the difference of in-plane lattice parameters between ZnO and Au is 11.4 %. The two-dimensional (2D) reciprocal space maps constructed from azimuthal RHEED (ARHEED) patterns reveal parallel epitaxial relationship between ZnO and Au in the continuous ZnO-Au film on sapphire substrate. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) cross section images and energy dispersive spectroscopy maps show a minute amount of Au nanocrystals distributed in the entire ultrathin ZnO film. Atomic force microscopy shows the root-mean-square roughness of the surface of ultrathin ZnO film with Au is in the sub-nm range. The ARHEED and TEM results show that a couple of atomic percentages of Au co-deposited with ZnO catalyzes the growth of smooth ultrathin epitaxial ZnO film.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Coarse-Grained Density Functional Theory Predictions via Deep Kernel Learning

Scalable electronic predictions are critical for soft materials design. Recently, the Electronic Coarse-Graining (ECG) method was introduced to renormalize all-atom quantum chemical (QC) predictions to coarse-grained (CG) resolutions using deep neural networks (DNNs). While DNNs can learn complex representations that prove challenging for kernel-based methods, they are susceptible to overfitting and the overconfidence of uncertainty estimations. Here, we develop ECG within a GPU-accelerated Deep Kernel Learning (DKL) framework to enable CG QC predictions using range-separated hybrid density functional theory (DFT), obtaining a 107 speedup relative to naive all-atom QC. By treating the predicted electronic properties as random Gaussian Processes, DKL incorporates CG mapping degeneracy by learning the distribution of electronic energies as a function of CG configuration. DKL-ECG accurately reproduces molecular orbital energies from range-separated DFT while facilitating efficient training via active learning using the uncertainties provided by DKL. Further, we show that while active learning algorithms enable efficient sampling of a more diverse configurational space relative to random sampling, all explored query methods exhibit comparable performance for the examined system. We attribute this result to the significant overlap of the feature space and output property distributions across multiple temperatures.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗