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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 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2004

Chirped-Superlattice, Blocked-Intersubband QWIP

An Al(x)Ga(1-x)As/GaAs quantum-well infrared photodetector (QWIP) of the blocked-intersubband-detector (BID) type, now undergoing development, features a chirped (that is, aperiodic) superlattice. The purpose of the chirped superlattice is to increase the quantum efficiency of the device. A somewhat lengthy background discussion is necessary to give meaning to a brief description of the present developmental QWIP. A BID QWIP was described in "MQW Based Block Intersubband Detector for Low-Background Operation" (NPO-21073), NASA Tech Briefs Vol. 25, No. 7 (July 2001), page 46. To recapitulate: The BID design was conceived in response to the deleterious effects of operation of a QWIP at low temperature under low background radiation. These effects can be summarized as a buildup of space charge and an associated high impedance and diminution of responsivity with increasing modulation frequency. The BID design, which reduces these deleterious effects, calls for a heavily doped multiple-quantum-well (MQW) emitter section with barriers that are thinner than in prior MQW devices. The thinning of the barriers results in a large overlap of sublevel wave functions, thereby creating a miniband. Because of sequential resonant quantum-mechanical tunneling of electrons from the negative ohmic contact to and between wells, any space charge is quickly neutralized. At the same time, what would otherwise be a large component of dark current attributable to tunneling current through the whole device is suppressed by placing a relatively thick, undoped, impurity-free AlxGa1 x As blocking barrier layer between the MQW emitter section and the positive ohmic contact. [This layer is similar to the thick, undoped Al(x)Ga(1-x)As layers used in photodetectors of the blocked-impurity-band (BIB) type.] Notwithstanding the aforementioned advantage afforded by the BID design, the responsivity of a BID QWIP is very low because of low collection efficiency, which, in turn, is a result of low electrostatic- potential drop across the superlattice emitter. Because the emitter must be electrically conductive to prevent the buildup of space charge in depleted quantum wells, most of the externally applied bias voltage drop occurs across the blocking-barrier layer. This completes the background discussion. In the developmental QWIP, the periodic superlattice of the prior BID design is to be replaced with the chirped superlattice, which is expected to provide a built-in electric field. As a result, the efficiency of collection of photoexcited charge carriers (and, hence, the net quantum efficiency and thus responsivity) should increase significantly.

Gunapala, Sarath↗
NASA NTRS1988

Computed potential energy surfaces for chemical reactions

The minimum energy path for the addition of a hydrogen atom to N2 is characterized in CASSCF/CCI calculations using the (4s3p2d1f/3s2p1d) basis set, with additional single point calculations at the stationary points of the potential energy surface using the (5s4p3d2f/4s3p2d) basis set. These calculations represent the most extensive set of ab initio calculations completed to date, yielding a zero point corrected barrier for HN2 dissociation of approx. 8.5 kcal mol/1. The lifetime of the HN2 species is estimated from the calculated geometries and energetics using both conventional Transition State Theory and a method which utilizes an Eckart barrier to compute one dimensional quantum mechanical tunneling effects. It is concluded that the lifetime of the HN2 species is very short, greatly limiting its role in both termolecular recombination reactions and combustion processes.

Walch, Stephen P.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Improved Micromachined Transducers

Sensor systems of proposed type incorporate micromachined silicon-based structures as electrostatic force and displacement actuators and micromachined quantum-mechanical-tunneling electrodes as one form of displacement transducers, along with electronic circuits providing multiple electrical stimuli to displacement electrodes for measurement, calibration, monitoring of sensor status, and adjustment. Concept applicable to accelerometers, seismometers, geophones, magnetometers, pressure gauges, and other sensors in which phenomena of interest measured in terms of forces on, and/or displacements of, structural components. Provides completely remote measurement, control, health monitoring, treatment, and like, using telemetry commands.

Hartley, Frank T.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Rate Coefficients of C2H with C2H4, C2H6, and H2 from 150 to 359 K

Rate coefficients for the reactions C2H with C2H4, C2H6, and H2 are measured over the temperature range 150-359 K using transient infrared laser absorption spectroscopy. The ethynyl radical is formed by photolysis of C2H2 with a pulsed excimer laser at 193 nm, and its transient absorption is monitored with a color center laser on the Q(sub 11)(9) line of the A(sup 2) Pi-Chi(sup 2) Sigma transition at 3593.68 cm(exp -1). Over the experimental temperature range 150-359 K the rate constants of C2H with C2H4, C2H6, and H2 can be fitted to the Arrhenius expressions k(sub C2H4) = (7.8 +/- 0.6) x 10(exp -11) exp[(134 +/- 44)/T], k(sub C2H6) = (3.5 +/- 0.3) x 10(exp -11) exp[(2.9 +/- 16)/T], and k(sub H2) = (1.2 +/- 0.3) x 10(exp -11) exp[(-998 +/- 57)]/T cm(exp 3) molecule(exp -1) sec(exp -1). The data for C2H with C2H4 and C2H6 indicate a negligible activation energy to product formation shown by the mild negative temperature dependence of both reactions. When the H2 data are plotted together with the most recent high-temperature results from 295 to 854 K, a slight curvature is observed. The H2 data can be fit to the non-Arrhenius form k(sub H2) = 9.2 x 10(exp -18) T(sup 2.17 +/- 0.50) exp[(-478 +/- 165)/T] cm(exp 3) molecules(exp -1) sec(exp -1). The curvature in the Arrhenius plot is discussed in terms of both quantum mechanical tunneling of the H atom from H2 to the C2H radical and bending mode contributions to the partition function.

Opansky, Brian J.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Genetically Engineered Nanostructure Devices

Material variations on an atomic scale enable the quantum mechanical functionality of devices such as resonant tunneling diodes (RTDs), quantum well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs), quantum well lasers, and heterostructure field effect transistors (HFETs).

NEMO↗
NASA NTRS2000

"Genetically Engineered" Nanoelectronics

The quantum mechanical functionality of nanoelectronic devices such as resonant tunneling diodes (RTDs), quantum well infrared-photodetectors (QWIPs), quantum well lasers, and heterostructure field effect transistors (HFETs) is enabled by material variations on an atomic scale. The design and optimization of such devices requires a fundamental understanding of electron transport in such dimensions. The Nanoelectronic Modeling Tool (NEMO) is a general-purpose quantum device design and analysis tool based on a fundamental non-equilibrium electron transport theory. NEW was combined with a parallelized genetic algorithm package (PGAPACK) to evolve structural and material parameters to match a desired set of experimental data. A numerical experiment that evolves structural variations such as layer widths and doping concentrations is performed to analyze an experimental current voltage characteristic. The genetic algorithm is found to drive the NEMO simulation parameters close to the experimentally prescribed layer thicknesses and doping profiles. With such a quantitative agreement between theory and experiment design synthesis can be performed.

Klimeck, Gerhard↗
NASA NTRS1990

Tunable quantum well infrared detector

A novel infrared detector (20, 20', 20), is provided, which is characterized by photon-assisted resonant tunneling between adjacent quantum wells (22a, 22b) separated by barrier layers (28) in an intrinsic semiconductor layer (24) formed on an n.sup.+ substrate (26), wherein the resonance is electrically tunable over a wide band of wavelengths in the near to long infrared region. An n.sup.+ contacting layer (34) is formed over the intrinsic layer and the substrate is n.sup.+ doped to provide contact to the quantum wells. The detector permits fabrication of arrays (30) (one-dimensional and two-dimensional) for use in imaging and spectroscopy applications.

Maserjian, Joseph↗
NASA NTRS2018

Quantum Machine Learning

Quantum computing promises an unprecedented ability to solve intractable problems by harnessing quantum mechanical effects such as tunneling, superposition, and entanglement. The Quantum Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (QuAIL) at NASA Ames Research Center is the space agency's primary facility for conducting research and development in quantum information sciences. QuAIL conducts fundamental research in quantum physics but also explores how best to exploit and apply this disruptive technology to enable NASA missions in aeronautics, Earth and space sciences, and space exploration. At the same time, machine learning has become a major focus in computer science and captured the imagination of the public as a panacea to myriad big data problems. In this talk, we will discuss how classical machine learning can take advantage of quantum computing to significantly improve its effectiveness. Although we illustrate this concept on a quantum annealer, other quantum platforms could be used as well. If explored fully and implemented efficiently, quantum machine learning could greatly accelerate a wide range of tasks leading to new technologies and discoveries that will significantly change the way we solve real-world problems.

Biswas, Rupak↗
NASA NTRS2007

Enhancing Spin Filters by Use of Bulk Inversion Asymmetry

Theoretical calculations have shown that the degrees of spin polarization in proposed nonmagnetic semiconductor resonant tunneling spin filters could be increased through exploitation of bulk inversion asymmetry (BIA). These enhancements would be effected through suitable orientation of spin collectors (or spin-polarization- inducing lateral electric fields), as described below. Spin filters -- more precisely, sources of spin-polarized electron currents -- have been sought for research on, and development of, the emerging technological discipline of spintronics (spin-transport electronics). The proposed spin filters were to be based on the Rashba effect, which is an energy splitting of what would otherwise be degenerate quantum states, caused by a spinorbit interaction in conjunction with a structural-inversion asymmetry (SIA) in the presence of interfacial electric fields in a semiconductor heterostructure. The magnitude of the energy split is proportional to the electron wave number. In a spin filter, the spin-polarized currents produced by the Rashba effect would be extracted by quantum-mechanical resonant tunneling.

Ting, David↗
NASA NTRS1976

Optical electronics

The development of an optical diode consisting of a metal-dielectric-metal junction in which the high-speed electric conduction process occurs due to quantum mechanical electron tunneling across the dielectric barrier is briefly reviewed. Potential applications of the diode are discussed.

Javan, A.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Arrhenius' law in turbulent media and an equivalent tunnel effect

The indeterminacy inherent to the formal extension of Arrhenius' law to reactions in turbulent flows is shown to be surmountable in the case of a binary exchange reaction with a sufficiently high activation energy. A preliminary calculation predicts that the turbulent reaction rate is invariant in the Arrhenius form except for an equivalently lowered activation energy. This is a reflection of turbulence-augmented molecular vigor, and causes an appreciable increase in the reaction rate. A similarity to the tunnel effect in quantum mechanics is indicated. The anomaly associated with the mild ignition of oxy-hydrogen mixtures is discussed in this light.

Tsuge, S.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Variably spaced superlattice energy filter, a new device design concept for high-energy electron injection

A new variably spaced superlattice energy filter is proposed which provides high-energy injection of electrons into a bulk semiconductor layer based on resonant tunneling between adjacent quantum well levels which are brought into alignment by an applied bias. Applications of this concept to a variety of optoelectronic devices and to thin-film electroluminescent devices and photodetectors are discussed.

Summers, C. J.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Experimental results of a high Q quasioptical reflection cavity

A quasi-optical reflection cavity intended to be used as the resonant load of a submillimeter wavelength oscillator has been designed, constructed, and tested. The resonator consists of three elements in cascade: a high Q, high finesse folded Fabry-Perot resonator, a lower Q, low finesse Fabry-Perot resonator, and a Littrow mounted diffraction grating. The resonator exhibits a Q of 6600 and 2.5 dB of loss at 63 GHz. The design can be scaled to 1 THz, where waveguide structures become impractical, to serve as the resonator for high frequency quantum well resonant tunneling device oscillators.

Lee, Karen A.↗
NASA NTRS1989

High-resolution near-infrared spectroscopy of water dimer

High-resolution near-infrared spectra are reported for all of the O-H stretch vibrational bands of the water dimer. The four O-H vibrations are characterized as essentially independent proton-donor or proton-acceptor motions. In addition to the rotational and vibrational information contained in these spectra, details are obtained concerning the internal tunneling dynamics in both the ground and excited vibrational states. These results show that, for tunneling motions which involve the interchange of the proton donor and acceptor molecules, the associated frequencies decrease substantially due to vibrational excitation. The predissociation lifetimes for the various states of the dimer are determined from linewidth measurements. These results clearly show that the predissociation dynamics is strongly dependent on the tunneling states, as well as the Ka quantum number, indicating that the internal tunneling dynamics plays an important role in determining the dissociation rate in this complex.

Huang, Z. S.↗