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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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At least 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Electromagnetic modeling and science reach of DMRadio-m 3

DMRadio-m 3 is an experimental search for dark matter axions. It uses a solenoidal dc magnetic field to convert an axion dark-matter signal to an ac electromagnetic response in a coaxial copper pickup. The current induced by this axion signal is measured by dc SQUIDs. DMRadio-m 3 is designed to be sensitive to Kim-Shifman-Vainshtein-Zakharov (KSVZ) and Dine-Fischler-Srednicki-Zhitnisky (DFSZ) QCD axion models in the 10–200 MHz (41 neV/𝑐 2 –0.83 μ⁢eV/𝑐 2 ) range, and to axions with 𝑔 𝑎⁢𝛾⁢𝛾 =𝑔 𝑎⁢𝛾⁢𝛾,DFSZ ⁡(30 MHz) =1.87 ×10 −17 GeV −1 over 5–30 MHz as an extended goal. In this work, we present the electromagnetic modeling of the response of the experiment to an axion signal over the full frequency range of DMRadio-m 3 , which extends from the low-frequency, lumped-element limit to a regime where the axion Compton wavelength is only a factor of 2 larger than the detector size. With these results, we determine the live time and sensitivity of the experiment. The primary science goal of sensitivity to DFSZ axions across 30–200 MHz can be achieved with a 3⁢𝜎 live scan time of 2.9 years.

Dark matter direct detection↗
DOE OSTI2024

Infrared phase-change chiral metasurfaces with tunable circular dichroism

Integrating phase-change materials in metasurfaces has emerged as a powerful strategy to realize optical devices with tunable electromagnetic responses. Here, phase-change chiral metasurfaces based on GST-225 material with the designed trapezoid-shaped resonators are demonstrated to achieve tunable circular dichroism (CD) responses in the infrared regime. The asymmetric trapezoid-shaped resonators are designed to support two chiral plasmonic resonances with opposite CD responses for realizing switchable CD between negative and positive values using the GST phase change from amorphous to crystalline. The electromagnetic field distributions of the chiral plasmonic resonant modes are analyzed to understand the chiroptical responses of the metasurface. Furthermore, the variations in the absorption spectrum and CD value for the metasurface as a function of the baking time during the GST phase transition are analyzed to reveal the underlying thermal tuning process of the metasurface. The demonstrated phase-change metasurfaces with tunable CD responses hold significant promise in enabling many applications in the infrared regime such as chiral sensing, encrypted communication, and thermal imaging.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2021

Quantum critical dynamics of a Josephson junction at the topological transition

We find the admittance Y(ω) of a Josephson junction at or near a topological transition. The dependence of the admittance on frequency and temperature at the critical point is universal and determined by the symmetries of the system. Despite the absence of a spectral gap at the transition, the dissipative response may remain weak at low energies: ReY(ω)∝max(ω,T) 2 . This behavior is strikingly different from the electromagnetic response of a normal metal. Away from the critical point, the scaling functions for the dependence of the admittance on frequency and temperature are controlled by at most two parameters.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Neural-adjoint method for the inverse design of all-dielectric metasurfaces

All-dielectric metasurfaces exhibit exotic electromagnetic responses, similar to those obtained with metal-based metamaterials. Research in all-dielectric metasurfaces currently uses relatively simple unit-cell designs, but increased geometrical complexity may yield even greater scattering states. Although machine learning has recently been applied to the design of metasurfaces with impressive results, the much more challenging task of finding a geometry that yields a desired spectra remains largely unsolved. We propose and demonstrate a method capable of finding accurate solutions to ill-posed inverse problems, where the conditions of existence and uniqueness are violated. A specific example of finding the metasurface geometry which yields a radiant exitance matching the external quantum efficiency of gallium antimonide is demonstrated. We also show how the neural-adjoint method can intelligently grow the design search space to include designs that increasingly and accurately approximate the desired scattering response. The neural-adjoint method is not restricted to the case demonstrated and may be applied to plasmonics, photonic crystal, and other artificial electromagnetic materials.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2023

A Reference Governor for Plasma-Shape Control in Tokamaks

Tokamaks are torus-shaped devices where a high-temperature, ionized gas (i.e. a plasma) is confined by means of helical magnetic fields. The ultimate goal of tokamaks is producing net electrical energy by means of nuclear-fusion reactions within the plasma. The shape of the plasma inside the tokamak is closely related with its confinement characteristics and, therefore, with the produced fusion power. In order to achieve and maintain plasma shapes that maximize the fusion yield, feedback controllers have been successfully developed during the years. However, machine-protection and plasma-stability requirements impose hard constraints on the plasma-shape targets that can be safely achieved by a feedback controller. In this work, a reference governor is proposed to provide, in real time, plasma-shape targets that fulfill the aforementioned safety requirements. The reference governor calculates such plasma-shape targets in response to changes in the state of the closed-loop system, as well as disturbances in the plasma energy and current. Here, the reference-governor design is based on a dynamical model of the plasma electromagnetic response. Simulation tests of the reference governor have been carried out for different plasma scenarios in the DIII-D tokamak to emulate realistic cases where safety may be compromised.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Terahertz response of monolayer and few-layer WTe2 at the nanoscale

Abstract Tungsten ditelluride (WTe 2 ) is an atomically layered transition metal dichalcogenide whose physical properties change systematically from monolayer to bilayer and few-layer versions. In this report, we use apertureless scattering-type near-field optical microscopy operating at Terahertz (THz) frequencies and cryogenic temperatures to study the distinct THz range electromagnetic responses of mono-, bi- and trilayer WTe 2 in the same multi-terraced micro-crystal. THz nano-images of monolayer terraces uncovered weakly insulating behavior that is consistent with transport measurements. The near-field signal on bilayer regions shows moderate metallicity with negligible temperature dependence. Subdiffractional THz imaging data together with theoretical calculations involving thermally activated carriers favor the semimetal scenario with $$\Delta \approx -10\,{{{\rm{meV}}}}$$ Δ ≈ − 10 meV over the semiconductor scenario for bilayer WTe 2 . Also, we observed clear metallic behavior of the near-field signal on trilayer regions. Our data are consistent with the existence of surface plasmon polaritons in the THz range confined to trilayer terraces in our specimens. Finally, data for microcrystals up to 12 layers thick reveal how the response of a few-layer WTe 2 asymptotically approaches the bulk limit.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2026

Disruption modelling for engineering and physics design of ST-E1 fusion power plant

Plasma disruptions represent a critical challenge for high-performance tokamak operations, as they can compromise machine integrity and reduce operational availability. Although future fusion devices essentially need to incorporate strategies to minimise disruption occurrence, complete avoidance remains unattainable. Consequently, assessing and characterising unmitigated disruption consequences is fundamental for the design and qualification of next-generation fusion power plants. This work supports the pre-conceptual design of ST-E1, a low aspect-ratio Tokamak Fusion Power Plant developed by Tokamak Energy Ltd., by presenting a comprehensive disruption modelling approach applied across different design stages. The methodology integrates both physics and engineering considerations to evaluate the impact of disruptions on machine performance and structural integrity. From an engineering perspective, several ST-E1 layout options were analysed to investigate the electromagnetic response of key components under disruption-induced loads, enabling comparison between alternative design solutions. On the physics side, a broad set of disruption scenarios was explored, scanning operational space parameters, plasma-material interactions, and associated thermal loads. Furthermore, the study examined variations in disruption behaviour arising from different reference equilibria, focusing on a range starting from Double Null to Single Null configurations, reflecting the increasing up-down asymmetry consequences. The results reveal significant contrasts in plasma dynamics and structures electromagnetic behaviour between configurations, highlighting the importance of disruption modelling in guiding design choices. These analyses have proven instrumental in shaping ST-E1 development, offering critical insights for mitigating risks and optimising future fusion power plant designs.

Borowiec, Katarzyna [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000335911739↗
DOE OSTI2024

Underwater unexploded ordnance discrimination based on intrinsic target polarizabilities – A case study

Seabed unexploded ordnance that resulted partly from the high failure rate among munitions from more than 80 years ago and from decades of military training and testing of weapons systems poses an increasing concern all around the world. Although existing magnetic systems can detect clusters of debris, they are not able to tell whether a munition is still intact requiring special removal (e.g. in situ detonation) or is harmless scrap metal. The marine environment poses unique challenges, and transferring knowledge and approaches from land to a marine environment has not been easy and straightforward. On land, the background soil conductivity is much lower than the conductivity of the unexploded ordnance and the electromagnetic response of a target is essentially the same as that in free space. For those frequencies required for target characterization in the marine environment, the seawater response must be accounted for and removed from the measurements. The system developed for this study uses fields from three orthogonal transmitters to illuminate the target and four three-component receivers to measure the signal arranged in a configuration that inherently cancels the system's response due to the enclosing seawater, the sea–bottom interface and the air–sea interface for shallow deployments. The system was tested as a cued system on land and underwater in San Francisco Bay – it was mounted on a simple platform on top of a support structure that extended 1 m below and allowed the diver to place metal objects to a specific location even in low-visibility conditions. The measurements were stable and repeatable. Furthermore, target responses estimated from marine measurements matched those from land acquisition, confirming that the seawater and air–sea interface responses were removed successfully. Thirty-six channels of normalized induction responses were used for the classification, which was done by estimating the target principal dipole polarizabilities. Our results demonstrated that the system can resolve the intrinsic polarizabilities of the target, with clear distinctions between those of symmetric intact unexploded ordnance and irregular scrap metal. The prototype system was able to classify an object based on its size, shape and metal content and correctly estimate its location and orientation.

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEF↗
DOE OSTI2023

Potential Constraints to Neutrino-Nucleus Interactions Based on Electron Scattering Data

A thorough understanding of neutrino-nucleus interactions physics is crucial to achieving precision goals in broader neutrino physics programs. The complexity of nuclei comprising the detectors and limited understanding of their weak response constitutes one of the biggest systematic uncertainties in neutrino experiments - both at intermediate energies affecting the short- and long-baseline neutrino programs as well as at lower energies affecting coherent scattering neutrino programs. While electron and neutrino interactions are different at the primary vertex, many underlying relevant physical processes in the nucleus are the same in both cases, and electron scattering data collected with precisely controlled kinematics, large statistics and high precision allows one to constrain nuclear properties and specific interaction processes. To this end, electron-nucleus scattering experiments provide vital complementary information to test, assess and validate different nuclear models and event generators intended to be used in neutrino experiments. In fact, for many decades, the study of electron scattering off a nucleus has been used as a tool to probe the properties of that nucleus and its electromagnetic response. While previously existing electron scattering data provide important information, new and proposed measurements are tied closely to what is required for the neutrino program in terms of expanding kinematic reach, the addition of relevant nuclei and information on the final states hadronic system.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Extremely Thin Perfect Absorber by Generalized Multipole Bianisotropic Effect

Symmetry breaking plays a crucial role in understanding the fundamental physics underlying numerous physical phenomena, including the electromagnetic response in resonators, giving rise to intriguing effects such as directional light scattering, supercavity lasing, and topologically protected states. Here, this work demonstrates that adding a small fraction of lossy metal (as low as 1 × 10 −6 in volume) to a lossless dielectric resonator breaks inversion symmetry (IS), thereby lifting its degeneracy, leading to a strong bianisotropic response. In the case of the metasurface composed of such resonators, this effect leads to unidirectional perfect absorption while maintaining nearly perfect reflection from the opposite direction. It has developed more general Onsager‐Casimir relations for the polarizabilities of particle arrays, taking into account the contributions of quadrupoles, which shows that bianisotropy is not solely due to dipoles, but also involves high‐order multipoles. The experimental validation demonstrates an extremely thin terahertz‐perfect absorber with a wavelength‐to‐thickness ratio of up to 25,000, where the material thickness is only 2% of the theoretical minimum thickness dictated by the fundamental limit. The findings can pave a new route to design devices for applications involving optical‐to‐heat conversion processes.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

The Kimberlina synthetic multiphysics dataset for CO 2 monitoring investigations

Abstract We present a synthetic multi‐scale, multi‐physics dataset constructed from the Kimberlina 1.2 CO 2 reservoir model based on a potential CO 2 storage site in the Southern San Joaquin Basin of California. Among 300 models, one selected reservoir‐simulation scenario produces hydrologic‐state models at the onset and after 20 years of CO 2 injection. Subsequently, these models were transformed into geophysical properties, including P‐ and S‐wave seismic velocities, saturated density where the saturating fluid can be a combination of brine and supercritical CO 2 , and electrical resistivity using established empirical petrophysical relationships. From these 3D distributions of geophysical properties, we have generated synthetic time‐lapse seismic, gravity and electromagnetic responses with acquisition geometries that mimic realistic monitoring surveys and are achievable in actual field situations. We have also created a series of synthetic well logs of CO 2 saturation, acoustic velocity, density and induction resistivity in the injection well and three monitoring wells. These were constructed by combining the low‐frequency trend of the geophysical models with the high‐frequency variations of actual well logs collected at the potential storage site. In addition, to better calibrate our datasets, measurements of permeability and pore connectivity have been made on cores of Vedder Sandstone, which forms the primary reservoir unit. These measurements provide the range of scales in the otherwise synthetic dataset to be as close to a real‐world situation as possible. This dataset consisting of the reservoir models, geophysical models, simulated time‐lapse geophysical responses and well logs forms a multi‐scale, multi‐physics testbed for designing and testing geophysical CO 2 monitoring systems as well as for imaging and characterization algorithms. The suite of numerical models and data have been made publicly available for downloading on the National Energy Technology Laboratory's (NETL) Energy Data Exchange (EDX) website.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Nanoparticle-Enhanced Plasma Discharge Using Nanosecond High-Voltage Pulses

By discharging nanosecond high-voltage (5 kV) pulses across an insulating substrate containing Au, Pt, or Cu nanoparticles, a 3 order of magnitude (1000×) enhancement in the generation of plasma can be achieved through local field enhancement on the surface of the nanoparticles. The low-temperature nature of this transient plasma is crucial to maintaining the structural integrity of these delicate nanoparticles. These nanoparticles provide up to a 1000-fold enhancement in the generation of the plasma, which is localized to the surface of the nanoparticles where it is potentially useful (e.g., for catalysis). Additionally, we performed both time-domain and frequency-domain calculations of the electromagnetic response of the nanoparticles based on high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) images, which show local field enhancement of the nanosecond high-voltage pulse on the order of 3×. Since the plasma initiation depends exponentially on the peak electric field strength, this 3-fold increase in the local electric field can result in a several orders of magnitude increases in the generation of plasma at a given applied external field strength. In order to rule out plasmon-resonance enhancement, which is often associated with small metal nanoparticles, we performed finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulations in the optical frequency domain, which show that the effect of plasmon resonance is negligible for Pt nanoparticles. We therefore attribute the nanoparticle-based enhancement to the generation of plasma (an electrostatic effect) rather than enhanced coupling of light from the near field to the far field via the plasmon resonance phenomenon (an optical effect).

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Electromagnetic signatures of a chiral quantum spin liquid

Quantum spin liquids (QSL) have emerged as a captivating subject within interacting spin systems that exhibit no magnetic ordering even at the lowest temperature accessible experimentally. However, definitive experimental evidence remains elusive. In light of the recent surge in theoretical and experimental interest in the half-filled Hubbard model on a triangular lattice, which offers the potential for stabilizing a chiral QSL, we investigate the electromagnetic signatures of this phase to facilitate experimental detection. Utilizing a combination of parton mean-field theory and unbiased density-matrix renormalization group calculations, we systematically examine the electrical charge and orbital electrical current associated with a spinon excitation in the chiral QSL. Additionally, we calculate the longitudinal and transverse optical conductivities below the Mott gap. Furthermore, employing quantum field theory analysis, we unravel the connection between spinon excitations and emergent as well as physical gauge fields. Our results demonstrate that the chiral QSL phase exhibits a distinct electromagnetic response, even within a Mott insulator regime. This finding holds great potential for enabling the experimental detection of this long-sought-after phase.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Metasurfaces for photonic devices

Notably, metasurfaces have attracted significant attention owing to their broad capability to achieve exotic electromagnetic responses, and their potential as optical devices for wavefront control. Wide ranging materials may be used to form metasurfaces including noble and non-noble metals, oxides, ceramics, phase change materials, and semiconductors, permitting versatile and reconfigurable properties ideal for applications. In particular, applications that affect the science and technology of light—i.e., photonics—are of interest and will continue to grow in importance as our society becomes more digitally connected, but yet environmentally conscious.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Evidence for current suppression in superconductor–superconductor bilayers

Superconducting radio frequency (SRF) cavities, which are critical components in many particle accelerators, need to be operated in the Meissner state to avoid strong dissipation from magnetic vortices. For a defect-free superconductor, the maximum attainable magnetic field for operation is set by the superheating field, B sh , which directly depends on the surface current. In heterostructures composed of different superconductors, the current in each layer depends not only on the properties of the individual material, but also on the electromagnetic response of the adjacent layers through boundary conditions at the interfaces. Three prototypical bilayers [Nb 1–x Ti x N (50 nm)/Nb, Nb 1–x Ti x N (80 nm)/Nb, and, Nb 1–x Ti x N (160 nm)/Nb] are investigated here by depth-resolved measurements of their Meissner screening profiles using low energy muon spin rotation (LE-µSR). From fits to a model based on London theory (with appropriate boundary and continuity conditions), a magnetic penetration depth for the thin Nb 1–x Ti x N layers of λ Nb 1–x Ti x N = 182.5(31) nm is found, in good agreement with literature values for the bulk alloy. Using the measured λ Nb 1–x Ti x N , the maximum vortex-free field, B max , of the superconductor-superconductor (SS) bilayer structure was estimated to be 610(40) mT. The strong suppression of the surface current in the Nb 1–x Ti x N layer suggests an optimal thickness of ~ 1.4λ Nb 1–x Ti x N = 261(14) nm.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2026

Near-field-driven radiative thermal dynamics in aperiodic photonic nanostructures

Harnessing structural correlations in near-field plasmonic and polaritonic systems hold untapped potential for controlling light–matter interactions at the nanoscale. By tuning these correlations, one can reshape mode localization, coupling, and spectral distribution which are properties central to manipulating energy transport and field enhancement in nanophotonic platforms. We exploit Vogel spirals, an aperiodic geometry where a single parameter dictates spatial correlations, to show how correlation strength reshapes the modal spectrum and transient dynamics of near-field coupling. As a proof of concept, we demonstrate that aperiodic configurations outperform both uncorrelated (random) and periodic arrays in controlling near-field radiative heat-transfer dynamics. These results establish deterministic aperiodic order as a powerful platform for tailoring correlated electromagnetic responses in next-generation nanophotonic devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Radiative strength functions from the energy-localized Brink-Axel hypothesis

Radiative strength functions (RSFs) model the bulk electromagnetic response of highly excited nuclei and are critical inputs for statistical reaction codes. In this paper, we present a definition of the RSF that is consistent with Hauser-Feshbach reaction codes and that can be efficiently computed with the shell model using the Lanczos strength-function (LSF) method. Here, we introduce a variant of the shell-model LSF method that exploits the energy-localized Brink-Axel hypothesis, which makes it possible to compute both electric and magnetic RSFs across all energies relevant to capture reactions. We verify agreement with the conventional definition of RSFs with benchmark calculations of 24 Mg and then present novel results for 56 Fe. For 56 Fe we find that (i) the 𝑀⁢1 RSF shape evolves smoothly with excitation energy, consistent with the energy-localized Brink-Axel hypothesis; (ii) both 𝑀⁢1 and 𝐸⁢1 transitions contribute significantly to the radiative strength below the photoabsorption threshold; and (iii) within the sdpf model space, the strength below 3 MeV observed in Oslo-type experiments cannot be fully reproduced. These results pave the way for a coherent microscopic description of RSFs and further motivate the use of energy-dependent RSFs in modern reaction codes.

Physics - Nuclear physics and radiation physics↗
DOE OSTI2025

One- and two-body current contributions to lepton-nucleus scattering

Modeling lepton-nucleus scattering with the accuracy required to extract neutrino-oscillation parameters from long- and short-baseline experiments necessitates retaining most quantum-mechanical effects. One such effect is the interference between one- and two-body current operators in the transition currents, which has been known to enhance the cross sections, especially in transverse kinematics. Here, we incorporate such interference in the spectral function formalism, which combines relativistic currents and kinematics with an accurate description of the initial target state. Our analysis of lepton-scattering off 12 C demonstrates that interference effects appreciably enhance the transverse electromagnetic response functions and the flux-folded neutrino-nucleus cross section, in both cases, improving the agreement with experimental data. We discuss the impact on the neutrino-oscillation program and the determination of nucleon axial form factors.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗