Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Single photon sources”

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 415 records · Page 23

Use of Beacon Satellites for Efficient Uplink Transmission for Free-Space Quantum Entanglement Distribution

Efficient transmission of optical beams from ground to space is important for free-space entanglement distribution in a dual-uplink architecture in which photons from entanglement sources at two ground locations interact in an optical Bell-state measurement implemented on a satellite. Efficient transmission requires large transmitting apertures to minimize diffraction losses and high-performance adaptive optics to overcome the effects of atmospheric turbulence. Achieving good atmospheric compensation for beams transmitted to satellites is challenging because the need to point ahead of the satellite introduces anisoplanatism error that limits the effectiveness of the adaptive optics. An attractive approach for solving the point-ahead problem is to position a separate small satellite at the point-ahead location to provide a beacon source for the adaptive optics. This paper presents analysis of the requirements for the beacon source(s) for a dual-uplink entanglement-distribution demonstration. A relative performance metric is defined and evaluated for multiple beacon configurations, from a single, fixed beacon serving both ground sites to a dedicated beacon for each site continually adjusted to be at the correct point-ahead distance from the target satellite.

quantum↗

BeppoSAX Observation of NGC 7582: Constraints on the X-Ray Absorber

This paper presents a BeppoSAX observation of NGC 7582 made during 1998 November and an optical spectrum taken in 1998 October. The new X-ray data reveal a previously unknown hard X-ray component in NGC 7582, peaking close to 20 keV. Rapid variability is observed with correlated changes in the 5-10 and 13-60 keV bands indicating that a single continuum component, produced by the active nucleus, provides the, dominant flux across both bands. Comparison between RXTE and BeppoSAX data reveals changes in the 2 - 10 keV flux on timescales of months. Changes in the nuclear X-ray flux appear unrelated to the gradual decline in optical flux noted since the high-state in 1998 July. The 0.5 - 2 keV flux of NGC 7582 is not significantly variable within the BeppoSAX observation, but has brightened by a factor of approximately 2 since the ASCA observation of 1994. While there is some concern about contamination from spatially-unresolved sources, the long-term variability in soft X-ray flux seems most likely associated with the nucleus or an event within the host galaxy of NGC 7582. The 2 - 100 keV spectrum is well fit by a powerlaw of photon index Gamma = 1.95(sup +0.09, sub -0.18) steeper by Delta.Gamma approximately equal 0.40 than the index during the 1994 ASCA observation. The X-ray continuum is attenuated by a thick absorber of N(H) approximately 1.6 x10(exp 24)/sq cm covering approximately 60(sup +10%, sub -14%) of the nucleus plus a screen with N(sub H) approximately 1.4 x 10(exp 23)/ sq cm covering the entire nucleus. Comparison of the BeppoSAX and ASCA spectra shows an increase in the full screen by Delta.N(sub H) approximately equal 7 x 10(exp 22)/sq cm since 1994, confirming the absorption variability found by Xue et al. The increase in soft X-ray flux between 1994 and 1998 is consistent with the appearance of holes in the full screen allowing approximately < 1% of the nuclear flux to escape, and producing some clear lines-of-sight to the broad-line-region. The data are also consistent with the scenario suggested by Aretxaga et al, of the radiative onset of a type IIn supernova causing the observed optical change in NGC 7582.

Turner, T. J.↗

X-Ray Phase Contrast Imaging for Dynamic Material Mix Experiments, LAO-003-17, Year 3 of 3

X-ray phase contrast imaging with transmission gratings for density profile measurements has been developed and tested for dynamic experimental applications. Talbot-Lau x-ray deflectometry is a new method of measuring x-ray refraction in addition to attenuation and ultrasmall-angle scattering that has recently been developed for static imaging, primarily for medical and industrial applications. To obtain density profiles from fast-evolving systems, we must use a flash x-ray source with a spot size much larger than the continuous microfocus sources of static imaging systems, and we can obtain only a single exposure. The challenges to measuring electron density profiles of two mixed elements from a single-image, low spatial resolution system are addressed, and initial results from the first dynamic experiments with one such system, conducted on a gas launcher at the end of FY 2018 and beginning of FY 2019, are presented. In FY 2019, we designed and built a new deflectometer designed for detonator experiments to test new techniques to improve the sensitivity and reliability of the diagnostic.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

An Extremely Low Power Quantum Optical Communication Link for Autonomous Robotic Explorers

One concept for planetary exploration involves using many small robotic landers that can cover more ground than a single conventional lander. In addressing this vision, NASA has been challenged in the National Nanotechnology Initiative to research the development of miniature robots built from nano-sized components. These robots have very significant challenges, such as mobility and communication, given the small size and limited power generation capability. The research presented here has been focused on developing a communications system that has the potential for providing ultra-low power communications for robots such as these. In this paper an optical communications technique that is based on transmitting recognizable sets of photons is presented. Previously pairs of photons that have an entangled quantum state have been shown to be recognizable in ambient light. The main drawback to utilizing entangled photons is that they can only be generated through a very energy inefficient nonlinear process. In this paper a new technique that generates sets of photons from pulsed sources is described and an experimental system demonstrating this technique is presented. This technique of generating photon sets from pulsed sources has the distinct advantage in that it is much more flexible and energy efficient, and is well suited to take advantage of the very high energy efficiencies that are possible when using nano scale sources. For these reasons the communication system presented in this paper is well suited for use in very small, low power landers and rovers. In this paper a very low power optical communications system for miniature robots, as small as 1 cu cm is addressed. The communication system is a variant of photon counting communications. Instead of counting individual photons the system only counts the arrival of time coincident sets of photons. Using sets of photons significantly decreases the bit error rate because they are highly identifiable in the presence of ambient light. An experiment demonstrating reliable communication over a distance of 70 meters using less than a billionth of a watt of radiated power is presented. The components used in this system were chosen so that they could in the future be integrated into a cubic centimeter device.

Lekki, John↗

The point spread function of the soft X-ray telescope aboard Yohkoh

The point spread function of the SXT telescope aboard Yohkoh has been measured in flight configuration in three different X-ray lines at White Sands Missile Range. We have fitted these data with an elliptical generalization of the Moffat function. Our fitting method consists of chi squared minimization in Fourier space, especially designed for matching of sharply peaked functions. We find excellent fits with a reduced chi squared of order unity or less for single exposure point spread functions over most of the CCD. Near the edges of the CCD the fits are less accurate due to vignetting. From fitting results with summation of multiple exposures we find a systematic error in the fitting function of the order of 3% near the peak of the point spread function, which is close to the photon noise for typical SXT images in orbit. We find that the full width to half maximum and fitting parameters vary significantly with CCD location. However, we also find that point spread functions measured at the same location are consistent to one another within the limit determined by photon noise. A 'best' analytical fit to the PSF as function of position on the CCD is derived for use in SXT image enhancemnent routines. As an aside result we have found that SXT can determine the location of point sources to about a quarter of a 2.54 arc sec pixel.

Martens, Petrus C.↗

The structures of mcgovernite and carlfrancisite reconsidered: static disorder or ordered defects and twinning?

Here, the minerals mcgovernite and carlfrancisite possess an extraordinary rhombohedral unit cell [mcgovernite: a = b = 8.206 Å and c = 204.118 Å, with the complex formula unit M 2+ 19 Zn 3 (OH) 21 (AsO 3 )(AsO 4 ) 3 (SiO 4 ) 3 (M = Mn, Mg, Zn); carlfrancisite similar]. Hawthorne [(2018), Mineral. Mag. 82, 1101–1118] reported a single-crystal study using a centrosymmetric model ($R\bar{3}c$) containing disorder on three cationic sites and an AsIII lone-pair site for both mcgovernite and carlfrancisite. A solution of the structure of mcgovernite from high-resolution synchrotron powder diffraction data suggests a reinterpretation of the crystal structures of mcgovernite and carlfrancisite as noncentrosymmetric R3c with ordered planar defects which allows for merohedral twinning.

carlfrancisite↗

Characterization of LAPPD timing at CERN PS testbeam

Large Area Picosecond PhotoDetectors (LAPPDs) are photosensors based on microchannel plate technology with about 400 cm 2 sensitive area. The external readout plane of a capacitively coupled LAPPD can be segmented into pads providing a spatial resolution down to 1 mm scale. The LAPPD signals have about 0.5 ns rise time followed by a slightly longer fall time and their amplitude reaches a few dozens of mV per single photoelectron. In this article, we report on the measurement of the time resolution of an LAPPD prototype in a test beam exercise at CERN PS. Most of the previous measurements of LAPPD time resolution had been performed with laser sources. In this article we report time resolution measurements obtained through the detection of Cherenkov radiation emitted by high energy hadrons. Our approach has been demonstrated capable of measuring time resolutions as fine as 25-30 ps. The available prototype had performance limitations, which prevented us from applying the optimal high voltage setting. Finally, the measured time resolution for single photoelectrons is about 80 ps r.m.s.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

A compact approach to higher-resolution resonant inelastic x-ray scattering detection using photoelectrons

The detection of inelastically scattered soft x-rays with high energy resolution usually requires large grating spectrometers. Recently, photoelectron spectrometry for analysis of x-rays (PAX) has been rediscovered for modern spectroscopy experiments at synchrotron light sources. By converting scattered photons to electrons and using an electron energy analyser, the energy resolution for resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) becomes decoupled from the x-ray spot size and instrument length. In this work, we develop PAX towards high energy resolution using a modern photoemission spectroscopy setup studying Ba 2 Cu 3 O 4 Cl 2 at the Cu L 3 -edge. We measure a momentum transfer range of 24% of the first Brillouin zone simultaneously. Our results hint at the observation of a magnon excitation below 100 meV energy transfer and show intensity variations related to the dispersion of dd-excitations. With dedicated setups, PAX can complement the best and largest RIXS instruments, while at the same time opening new opportunities to acquire RIXS at a range of momentum transfers simultaneously and combine it with angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy in a single instrument.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Gain Stability of Hamamatsu R5912-MOD Photo-Multipliers at Low Temperature

The Photon Detection System is a crucial component of the ICARUS detector in the Short Baseline Neutrino (SBN) Program at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL). It consists of 360 Photo Multiplier Tubes (PMTs) 8” Hamamatsu R5912-MOD and, since June 2020, it has been operated at the liquid Argon cryogenic temperature. During these years, the PMTs have shown gain losses as an aging effect. Using a climatic chamber at the INFN Sezione di Catania, we confirmed a stable gain for a single PMT 8” Hamamatsu 5912-MOD when operated at room temperature, and a persistent gain loss at temperatures around -70°C, although far from the liquid Argon one. No gain recovery was obtained bringing the PMT back to room temperature. We suspect that dynode deterioration due to temperature gradient plays a significant role in this phenomenon. During our test, the PMT was illuminated by a 520 nm laser source and operated in current mode. The laser beam was split into two optical fibers, the first one transmitting light through Neutral Density filters and then diffusing it over the surface of the PMT photocathode. The other optical fiber was used for an independent reference measurement of the injected light via a bolometric photodetector. In this presentation, the main technical characteristics of the measurement system are shown together with preliminary results which need further investigation to elucidate the underlying mechanisms driving the gain loss and to propose new mitigation strategies.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

PLA Renewable Bio Polymer Based Solid-State Gamma Radiation Detector-Dosimeter for Biomedical and Nuclear Industry Applications

Polylactic acid (PLA) as a “green,” renewable corn-soy based polymer resin was assessed as a novel solid-state detector for rapid-turnaround gamma radiation dosimetry in the 1–100 kGy range–of significant interest in biomedical and general nuclear industry applications. Co-60 was used as the source of gamma photons. It was found that PLA resin responds well in terms of rheology and porosity metrics with an absorbed gamma dose (Dg). In this work, rheological changes were ascertained via measuring the differential mass loss ratio (MLR) of irradiated PLA placed within PTFE-framed (40 mm × 20 mm × 0.77 mm) cavities bearing ~0.9 g of PLA resin and pressed for 12–16 min in a controlled force hot press under ~6.6 kN loading and platens heated to 227 °C for the low Dg range: 0–11 kGy; and to 193 °C for the extended Dg range: 11–120 kGy. MLR varied quadratically from 0.05 to ~0.2 (1σ ~ 0.007) in the 0–11 kGy experiments, and from 0.05 to ~0.5 (1σ ~0.01) in the 0–120 kGy experiments. Rheological changes from gamma irradiation were modeled and simultaneously correlated with void-pocket formations, which increase with Dg. A single PLA resin bead (~0.04 g) was compressed 5 min at 216 °C in 0–16 kGy experiments, and compressed 2 min at 232 °C in the 16–110 kGy experiments, to form sturdy ~100 µm thick wafers in the same press. Aggregate coupon porosity was then readily measurable with conventional optical microscope imaging and analyzed with standard image processing; this provided complementary data to MLR. Average porosity vs. dose varied quadratically from ~0 to ~15% in the 0–16 kGy range and from ~0 to ~18% over the 16–114 kGy range. These results provide evidence for utilizing “green”/renewable (under $0.01) PLA resin beads for rapid and accurate (+/-5–10%) gamma dosimetry over a wide 0–120 kGy range, using simple to deploy mass and void measuring techniques using common laboratory equipment.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗

NASA Tech Briefs, October 2007

Topics covered include; Wirelessly Interrogated Position or Displacement Sensors; Ka-Band Radar Terminal Descent Sensor; Metal/Metal Oxide Differential Electrode pH Sensors; Improved Sensing Coils for SQUIDs; Inductive Linear-Position Sensor/Limit-Sensor Units; Hilbert-Curve Fractal Antenna With Radiation- Pattern Diversity; Single-Camera Panoramic-Imaging Systems; Interface Electronic Circuitry for an Electronic Tongue; Inexpensive Clock for Displaying Planetary or Sidereal Time; Efficient Switching Arrangement for (N + 1)/N Redundancy; Lightweight Reflectarray Antenna for 7.115 and 32 GHz; Opto-Electronic Oscillator Using Suppressed Phase Modulation; Alternative Controller for a Fiber-Optic Switch; Strong, Lightweight, Porous Materials; Nanowicks; Lightweight Thermal Protection System for Atmospheric Entry; Rapid and Quiet Drill; Hydrogen Peroxide Concentrator; MMIC Amplifiers for 90 to 130 GHz; Robot Would Climb Steep Terrain; Measuring Dynamic Transfer Functions of Cavitating Pumps; Advanced Resistive Exercise Device; Rapid Engineering of Three-Dimensional, Multicellular Tissues With Polymeric Scaffolds; Resonant Tunneling Spin Pump; Enhancing Spin Filters by Use of Bulk Inversion Asymmetry; Optical Magnetometer Incorporating Photonic Crystals; WGM-Resonator/Tapered-Waveguide White-Light Sensor Optics; Raman-Suppressing Coupling for Optical Parametric Oscillator; CO2-Reduction Primary Cell for Use on Venus; Cold Atom Source Containing Multiple Magneto- Optical Traps; POD Model Reconstruction for Gray-Box Fault Detection; System for Estimating Horizontal Velocity During Descent; Software Framework for Peer Data-Management Services; Autogen Version 2.0; Tracking-Data-Conversion Tool; NASA Enterprise Visual Analysis; Advanced Reference Counting Pointers for Better Performance; C Namelist Facility; and Efficient Mosaicking of Spitzer Space Telescope Images.

Source record↗

Forbidden scalar dark matter and dark Higgses

As experimental searches for WIMP dark matter continue to yield null results, models beyond the WIMP paradigm have proliferated in order to elude ever improving observational constraints, among them that of sub-GeV dark matter mediated by a massive vector portal (a dark photon) associated with a new dark U(1) gauge symmetry. It has been previously noted that for a significant range of the parameter space of this class of models, the annihilation of dark matter particles into a pair of dark photons can dominate the freeze-out process even when this process is kinematically forbidden for dark matter at rest — this is known as the “forbidden dark matter” (FDM) regime. Prior studies of this regime, however, assume that any “dark Higgs” associated with breaking the dark U(1) and imparting mass to the dark photon is decoupled from the dark matter and as such plays no role in the freeze-out process. In this paper, we explore the effects of a dark Higgs on sub-GeV dark matter phenomenology in this FDM regime by considering the simplest possible construction in which there exist non-trivial dark matter-dark Higgs couplings: a model with a single complex scalar DM candidate coupled directly to the dark Higgs field. We find that for a wide range of parameter space, the dark Higgs can alter the resulting relic abundance by many orders of magnitude, and that this effect can remain significant even for a small dark matter-dark Higgs coupling constant. Considering measurements from direct detection and measurements of the CMB, we further find that points in this model’s parameter space which recreate the appropriate dark matter relic abundance suffer only mild constraints from other sources at present, but may become accessible in near-future direct detection experiments.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

X-ray wavefront sensor development at the Advanced Light Source

At Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's Advanced Light Source, we are developing x-ray wavefront sensors to support the creation and operation of beamlines with diffraction-limited quality. Our new approach to rapid, intermittent wavefront sensing operates in reflection at glancing incidence angles and is compatible with the high-power densities of modern beamlines. For soft x-ray applications especially, the wavefront sensor can operate upstream of the exit slit in a vertically dispersed beam. This single-shot technique supports lateral shearing interferometry and Hartmann wavefront sensing; it can be adapted to speckle-based techniques as well. The reflected beam is directed to an off-axis YAG crystal that produces scintillated visible light. A small mirror reflects the light to a microscope and camera, and the measured wavefront shape information can be used as feedback to adaptive x-ray mirror elements. A compact array of gratings enables measurement across a broad range of photon energies or wavefront curvatures. We describe recent demonstrations at soft x-ray and hard x-ray wavelengths measuring an adaptive x-ray mirror, and a toroidal focusing mirror.

Goldberg, Kenneth A↗

The Single Aperture Far-Infrared (SAFIR) Observatory and its Cryogenic Detector Needs

The development of a large, far-infrared telescope in space has taken on a new urgency with breakthroughs in detector technology and recognition of the fundamental importance of the far-infrared spectral region to questions ranging from cosmology to our own Solar System. The Single Aperture Far-InfraRed (SAFIR) Observatory is l0m-class far-infrared observatory that would begin development later in this decade to meet these needs. SAFIR's science goals are driven by the fact that youngest stages of almost all phenomena in the universe are shrouded in absorption by and emission from cool dust that emits strongly in the far-infrared, 20 microns - 1mm. Its operating temperature (4 K) and instrument complement would be optimized to reach the natural sky confusion limit in the far-infrared with diffraction-limited performance down to at least the atmospheric cutoff at 40 microns. This would provide a point source sensitivity improvement of several orders of magnitude over that of SIRTF. In order to achieve this, large arrays of detectors with NEPs ranging from a few to a hundred zeptowatts/sqrt(Hz) are needed. Very low temperature superconducting transition edge sensors and far-infrared "photon counting" detectors are critical technologies requiring development for the SAFIR mission.

Benford, Dominic J.↗

Quadratic strong coupling in AlN Kerr cavity solitons

Photonic platforms with χ (2) nonlinearity offer new degrees of freedom for Kerr frequency comb development. Here, we demonstrate Kerr soliton generation at 1550 nm with phase-matched quadratic coupling to the 775 nm harmonic band in a single AlN microring and thus the formation of dual-band mode-locked combs. In the strong quadratic coupling regime where the χ (2) phase-matching window overlaps the pump mode, the pump-to-harmonic-comb conversion efficiency is optimized. However, the strong quadratic coupling also drastically modifies the Kerr comb generation dynamics and decreases the probability of soliton generation. By engineering the χ (2) phase-matching wavelength, we are able to achieve a balance between high conversion efficiency and high soliton formation rate under the available pump power and microring quality factors. Our numerical simulations confirm the experimental observations. These findings provide guidance on tailoring single-cavity dual-band coherent comb sources.

Gong, Zheng (ORCID:0000000301704870)↗

OH radical measurements by optical absorption spectroscopy

The long path absorption spectroscopy (LPA) measurement of OH utilizes the strong UV absorption spectrum of the molecule with well resolved rotational lines around 308 nm. The light source consists of an Ar ion laser pumped CW dye laser, the output of which is frequency doubled to emit a spectrally smooth light profile of 0.1 nm FWHM at 308 nm. This is considerably broader than the sharp (0.0018 nm wide) absorption features of OH and also wider than the total spectral region (0.06 nm) scanned around the OH lines. For field measurements a Cassegrain-type telescope expands the small diameter of the original laser beam by a factor of 50 to about a 0.25-m diameter in order to reduce the divergence of the beam as well as its mean photon flux density, thus reducing the maximum self-generated OH concentration to 40,000 cu. cm. The light is passed into the open atmosphere and reflected at about 5 km distance resulting in a 10-km light path length. A telescope focuses the returning light onto the entrance slit of a monochromator the single exit slit of which is replaced by a mechanical scanning device operating at a scan repetition rate of 6.6 KHz. For a typical measurement (1h duration) some 20,000,000 scans are averaged, rendering the contribution of atmospheric turbulence to the spectral noise negligible.

Platt, U.↗

The DQ Herculis stars

We review the properties of the DQ Herculis stars: cataclysmic variables containing an accreting, magnetic, rapidly rotating white dwarf. These stars are characterized by strong X-ray emission, high-excitation spectra, and very stable optical and X-ray pulsations in their light curves. There is considerable resemblance to their more famous cousins, the AM Herculis stars, but the latter class is additionally characterized by spin-orbit synchronism and the presence of strong circular polarization. We list eighteen stars passing muster as certain or very likely DQ Her stars. The rotational periods range from 33 s to 2.0 hr. Additional periods can result when the rotating searchlight illuminates other structures in the binary. A single hypothesis explains most of the observed properties: magnetically channeled accretion within a truncated disk. Some accretion flow still seems to proceed directly to the magnetosphere, however. The white dwarfs' magnetic moments are in the range 10(sup 32) - 10(sup 34) G cc, slightly weaker than in AM Her stars but with some probable overlap. The more important reason why DQ Hers have broken synchronism is probably their greater accretion rate and orbital separation. The observed L(sub x)/L(sub V) values are surprisingly low for a radially accreting white dwarf, suggesting that most of the accretion energy is not radiated in a strong shock above the magnetic pole. The fluxes can be more satisfactorily explained if most of the radial infall energy manages to bypass the shock and deposit itse lf directly in the white dwarf photosphere, where it should emerge as extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation. This also provides an adequate source of ionizing photons to power the high-excitation optical and UV emission lines. This is probably the DQ Her analog to the famous 'soft X-ray excess' in AM Her stars. However, unlike the AM Her case, this radiation has not been directly observed, so the analogy must not (yet) be embraced too firmly. There is some conventional wisdom today which segregates the short-period from the long-period DQ Her stars. But the observational grounds for this distinction are slim, except in one respect: X-ray emission from short-period systems appears to be weaker and softer. This must be due to the shallower depth of the potential well, and/or the greater difficulty the fast rotators have in enforcing radial accretion flow.

Patterson, Joseph↗

Sensitivity analysis towards trace-uranium detection with γ-γ coincidence NAA

An improved approach for detection of trace amounts of 238 U by means of neutron activation analysis (NAA) is presented. The analysis enhancement is obtained by utilizing γ-γ coincidence counting. An empirical method for evaluating the sensitivity gain in the presence of a large source-related background is presented. A comparison of detection limits is made between two counting schemes; namely, counting single gammas using one HPGe detector versus counting coincident gammas using two HPGe detectors placed face-to-face. Furthermore, a data-validated radiation transport model, created in GEANT4 for a single HPGe detector, is extended to handle the two detector setup. In this counting scheme, a 238 U-detection sensitivity enhancement of about a factor of 8 is predicted for a sample of Saint-Gobain G3 Sapphire when compared to the simpler singles counting approach.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗