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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 541 records · Page 30
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2016

On the optical properties of carbon nanotubes. Part I. A general formula for the dynamical optical conductivity

This paper is the first one in a series of two articles in which we revisit the optical properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). Produced by rolling up a graphene sheet, SWNTs owe their intriguing properties to their cylindrical quasi-one-dimensional (quasi-1D) structure (the ratio length/radius is experimentally of order of 10{sup 3}). We model SWNT by circular cylinders of small diameters on the surface of which the conduction electron gas is confined by the electric field generated by the fixed carbon ions. The pair-interaction potential considered is the 3D Coulomb potential restricted to the cylinder. To reflect the quasi-1D structure, we introduce a 1D effective many-body Hamiltonian which is the starting-point of our analysis. To investigate the optical properties, we consider a perturbation by a uniform time-dependent electric field modeling an incident light beam along the longitudinal direction. By using Kubo’s method, we derive within the linear response theory an asymptotic expansion in the low-temperature regime for the dynamical optical conductivity at fixed density of particles. The leading term only involves the eigenvalues and associated eigenfunctions of the (unperturbed) 1D effective many-body Hamiltonian and allows us to account for the sharp peaks observed in the optical absorption spectrum of SWNT.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2019

A Total Internal Reflection Photoconductive Switch

We demonstrate a novel illumination technique for extrinsic photoconductive switches based on the creation of a total internal reflection trap to increase the optical path length. The optimal geometry is a square substrate illuminated from one of the corners along the diagonal, ensuring that the total internal reflection condition is maintained after any reflection off the device lateral sides. The optical absorption uniformity throughout the device bulk was improved by designing the entry window to have a cylindrical shape and by using a square core optical fiber as an illumination source. In conclusion, the concept is experimentally validated on a vanadium-doped silicon carbide device that shows approximately four-fold improvement in responsivity compared to normal illumination.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2012

Fast preparation of flower-like Bi{sub 4}Ge{sub 3}O{sub 12} microstructures via a microwave-assisted hydrothermal process

In the present paper, we report a facile and fast microwave-assisted solution-phase approach for the preparation of flower-like bismuth germanate (Bi{sub 4}Ge{sub 3}O{sub 12}) microstructures, employing bismuth nitrate pentahydrate (Bi(NO{sub 3}){sub 3}{center_dot}5H{sub 2}O) and germanium dioxide (GeO{sub 2}) as starting materials. The phase and morphology of the products were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectrum, energy dispersive spectrometry, and scanning electron microscopy. Some control experiments have been carried out to reveal the influencing factors involved in the formation, which suggested that reaction time, reaction temperature, the volume of ammonia and glycerol play crucial roles in the formation of the flower-like Bi{sub 4}Ge{sub 3}O{sub 12}. The optical absorption property of the product has been investigated. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Flower-like Bi4Ge3O12 was synthesized via a microwave-assisted solution route. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The phases and morphologies of the product have been characterized. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The optical property of the product has been studied.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

On the Morphology and Optical Properties of Molybdenum Disulfide Nanostructures from a Monomolecular Layer to a Fractal-Like Substructure

The impact of layer thickness on the morphology and optical properties of MoS{sub 2} nanostructures, including monomolecular layers, formed by the carrier-gas-assisted transport of sulfur vapor to the hot zone of a reactor containing metallic molybdenum and subsequent deposition on mica (muscovite) substrates is investigated. Molybdenum disulfide nanostructures of different thicknesses grown at different temperatures of gas-transport synthesis are studied by atomic-force microscopy, optical absorption spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. It is found that synthesis at temperatures of 525–600°C makes it possible to obtain monomolecular MoS{sub 2} layers containing trigonal domains and featuring direct-gap optical transitions at 1.84 eV with the formation of excitons at room temperature. Fractal-type MoS{sub 2} substructures are obtained for the first time. The frequencies of intralayer and interlayer vibrational modes E{sub 2g}{sup 1} and A{sub 1g}, respectively, in their Raman spectra (377.5 and 403.8 cm{sup –1}, respectively) differ both from the corresponding values for a monomolecular layer and the known frequencies for bulk samples. The frequency of the E{sub 2g}{sup 1} intralayer mode in these samples (377.5 cm{sup –1}) is the lowest of all previously reported.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2018

Electronic and Optical Properties of 2D Transition Metal Carbides and Nitrides (MXenes)

2D transition metal carbides, carbonitrides, and nitrides, known as MXenes, are a rapidly growing family of 2D materials with close to 30 members experimentally synthesized, and dozens more studied theoretically. They exhibit outstanding electronic, optical, mechanical, and thermal properties with versatile transition metal and surface chemistries. They have shown promise in many applications, such as energy storage, electromagnetic interference shielding, transparent electrodes, sensors, catalysis, photothermal therapy, etc. The high electronic conductivity and wide range of optical absorption properties of MXenes are the key to their success in the aforementioned applications. However, relatively little is currently known about their fundamental electronic and optical properties, limiting their use to their full potential. In this review, MXenes' electronic and optical properties from both theoretical and experimental perspectives, as well as applications related to those properties, are discussed, providing a guide for researchers who are exploring those properties of MXenes.

2D transition metal carbides↗
DOE OSTI2020

Long-Range Exciton Diffusion in Two-Dimensional Assemblies of Cesium Lead Bromide Perovskite Nanocrystals

Förster resonant energy transfer (FRET)-mediated exciton diffusion through artificial nanoscale building block assemblies could be used as an optoelectronic design element to transport energy. However, so far, nanocrystal (NC) systems supported only diffusion lengths of 30 nm, which are too small to be useful in devices. In this work, we demonstrate a FRET-mediated exciton diffusion length of 200 nm with 0.5 cm 2 /s diffusivity through an ordered, two-dimensional assembly of cesium lead bromide perovskite nanocrystals (CsPbBr 3 PNCs). Exciton diffusion was directly measured via steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) microscopy, with physical modeling providing deeper insight into the transport process. This exceptionally efficient exciton transport is facilitated by PNCs' high PL quantum yield, large absorption cross section, and high polarizability, together with minimal energetic and geometric disorder of the assembly. This FRET-mediated exciton diffusion length matches perovskites' optical absorption depth, thus enabling the design of device architectures with improved performances and providing insight into the high conversion efficiencies of PNC-based optoelectronic devices.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Enhanced magnetic and optical properties of Y 3 Fe 5 O 12 (YIG) films with Au nanoinclusions

Y 3 Fe 5 O 12 (YIG) thin films are well known for their ferrimagnetic insulating property and low Gilbert damping coefficient (α), allowing them to be used for various spintronic applications and as magneto-optical isolators for photonic devices. Instead of doping, incorporation of plasmonic metals as nanoinclusions could be a promising route for improved magneto-optical coupling properties. In this work, YIG–Au nanocomposites have been deposited with ferrimagnetic insulating YIG as the matrix and Au nanoinclusions which introduce plasmonic absorption, optical anisotropy, and hyperbolic properties. Films with varying Au nanoinclusion densities have been processed and annealed to compare with the as-deposited ones. The films that had low Au nanoinclusion density and were annealed presented a lower magnetic damping coefficient of 2.84 × 10 −4 than the pure YIG film (9.66 × 10 −4 ). The as-deposited film with the highest Au density shows the strongest hyperbolic properties among all samples. These results demonstrate that both magnetic damping and optical properties can be tuned through deposition conditions in YIG–Au nanocomposite thin films, allowing for a balance of both properties. This YIG–Au nanocomposite system presents promising potential in next-generation opto-spintronic devices.

Quigley, Lizabeth [Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, I↗
DOE OSTI2014

Photoionization of cold gas phase coronene and its clusters: Autoionization resonances in monomer, dimer, and trimer and electronic structure of monomer cation

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are key species encountered in a large variety of environments such as the Interstellar Medium (ISM) and in combustion media. Their UV spectroscopy and photodynamics in neutral and cationic forms are important to investigate in order to learn about their structure, formation mechanisms, and reactivity. Here, we report an experimental photoelectron-photoion coincidence study of a prototypical PAH molecule, coronene, and its small clusters, in a molecular beam using the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photons provided by the SOLEIL synchrotron facility. Mass-selected high resolution threshold photoelectron (TPES) and total ion yield spectra were obtained and analyzed in detail. Intense series of autoionizing resonances have been characterized as originating from the monomer, dimer, and trimer neutral species, which may be used as spectral fingerprints for their detection in the ISM by VUV absorption spectroscopy. Finally, a full description of the electronic structure of the monomer cation was made and discussed in detail in relation to previous spectroscopic optical absorption data. Tentative vibrational assignments in the near-threshold TPES spectrum of the monomer have been made with the support of a theoretical approach based on density functional theory.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2015

Study of the absorption coefficient in layers of a semiconductor laser heterostructure

A method of studying the absorption coefficient in layers of semiconductor lasers is proposed. Using lasers based on MOVPE-grown separate-confinement heterostructures with a broadened waveguide, the absorption coefficient is investigated under pulsed current pumping. It is found that when the pump current flows through the laser in question, an additional internal optical absorption arises in the heterostructure layers. It is shown that an increase in the pump current density up to 20 kA cm{sup -2} leads to an increase in absorption up to 2.5 cm{sup -1}. The feasibility of studying free-carrier absorption in the active region is demonstrated. (lasers)

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2017

Quantum interference effects on the intensity of the G modes in double-walled carbon nanotubes

The effects of quantum interferences on the excitation dependence of the intensity of G modes have been investigated on single-walled carbon nanotubes [Duque et al., Phys. Rev. Lett.108, 117404 (2012)]. In this work, by combining optical absorption spectroscopy and Raman scattering on individual index identified double-walled carbon nanotubes, we examine the experimental excitation dependence of the intensity of longitudinal optical and transverse optical G modes of the constituent inner and outer single-walled carbon nanotubes. The observed striking dependencies are understood in terms of quantum interference effects. Considering such effects, the excitation dependence of the different components of the G modes permit to unambiguously assign each of them as originating from the longitudinal or transverse G modes of inner and outer tubes.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Structure-property relations in amorphous carbon for photovoltaics

Carbon is emerging as a material with great potential for photovoltaics (PV). However, the amorphous form (a-C) has not been studied in detail as a PV material, even though it holds similarities with amorphous Silicon (a-Si) that is widely employed in efficient solar cells. In this work, we correlate the structure, bonding, stoichiometry, and hydrogen content of a-C with properties linked to PV performance such as the electronic structure and optical absorption. We employ first-principles molecular dynamics and density functional theory calculations to generate and analyze a set of a-C structures with a range of densities and hydrogen concentrations. We demonstrate that optical and electronic properties of interest in PV can be widely tuned by varying the density and hydrogen content. For example, sunlight absorption in a-C films can significantly exceed that of a same thickness of a-Si for a range of densities and H contents in a-C. Our results highlight promising features of a-C as the active layer material of thin-film solar cells.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2017

Donor-fullerene dyads for energy cascade organic solar cells

Organic bulk hetero junction (BHJ) solar cells require broad absorption of the incident solar spectrum by the donor and acceptor in the blend. Fullerene derivatives with covalently linked dyes, referred to as dyads, were designed to have strong optical absorption and appropriate electronic levels for electron transfer with common donor polymers in BHJs. Dyads with dyes based on diketopyrrolopyrrole and benzothiadiazole were synthesized using either a methanofullerene or a fulleropyrrolidine linkage. Here, the performance of these dyad acceptors in BHJ solar cells with poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and a low optical gap co-polymer of thiophene and diketopyrrolopyrrole (PDPP2FT) were examined. Although the solar power conversion efficiencies were low, charge generation from the molecular dye in the dyad could be observed in BHJs with PDPP2FT. The low power conversion efficiency was attributed to the morphology of the BHJs based on grazing incidence wide angle X-ray scattering patterns. Density functional theory was used to examine the charge transfer states between the donor and the dyad. The lowest energy charge-transfer state was found to be a transition from the donor polymer to the fullerene portion of the dyad.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Indium Tin Oxide Broadband Metasurface Absorber

Metamaterials have been designed to achieve a wide range of functionalities. Metamaterial absorbers are of particular interest for various applications such as infrared detectors, emissivity coatings, and photovoltaic cells. Various metamaterial platforms have been demonstrated to achieve perfect absorption and several attempts have been made to extend the absorption bandwidth of such devices. We demonstrate a broadband infrared absorber using an asymmetric Fabry–Perot cavity consisting of a monolithically fabricated two-layer metasurface. Superoctave optical absorption is achieved by tailoring the structure of the metasurface layers and the thickness of the cavity. Furthermore, the device yields absorptance of over 80% from λ = 4–16 μm, while maintaining the performance over a wide range of incident angles. In contrast to most metamaterial absorbers, our metasurface layers are made of customized indium tin oxide (ITO), conferring the advantage of CMOS compatibility compared to previous approaches using noble metals.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2012

One-pot synthesis of co-substituted manganese oxide nanosheets and physical properties of lamellar aggregates

Graphical abstract: Display Omitted Highlights: ► Solid solution nanosheets, (Mn{sub 1−x}Co{sub x})O{sub 2}, synthesized via facile one-pot process. ► The structural characterization of nanosheets revealing a single (Mn,Co)O{sub 2} layer and the solubility limit as x ∼ 0.20. ► The invariant charge density of the layer upon Co substitution. ► Systematic dependence of magnetic and optical properties of the lamellar aggregates. -- Abstract: Co-substituted manganese oxide nanosheets, (Mn{sub 1−x}Co{sub x})O{sub 2} have been synthesized in the form of a colloidal suspension via a simple one-pot method. Substitution effects on the structural, optical absorption, and magnetic properties are investigated for the nanosheets and their lamellar aggregates. The composition of the (Mn{sub 1−x}Co{sub x})O{sub 2} nanosheets can be controlled continuously by adjusting the molar ratio of the starting materials. The solubility limit is x ∼ 0.20 based on the cell volume. In the 0.00 ≤ x ≤ 0.20 range, the band gap energy, magnetic moment, and Weiss temperature change systematically with x. The charge density of the (Mn,Co)O{sub 2} layer is independent of x (i.e., [(Mn,Co)O{sub 2}]{sup 0.2−}) and the cobalt ions are trivalent in low-spin state.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Thin SiGe virtual substrates for Ge heterostructures integration on silicon

The possibility to reduce the thickness of the SiGe virtual substrate, required for the integration of Ge heterostructures on Si, without heavily affecting the crystal quality is becoming fundamental in several applications. In this work, we present 1 μm thick Si{sub 1−x}Ge{sub x} buffers (with x > 0.7) having different designs which could be suitable for applications requiring a thin virtual substrate. The rationale is to reduce the lattice mismatch at the interface with the Si substrate by introducing composition steps and/or partial grading. The relatively low growth temperature (475 °C) makes this approach appealing for complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor integration. For all the investigated designs, a reduction of the threading dislocation density compared to constant composition Si{sub 1−x}Ge{sub x} layers was observed. The best buffer in terms of defects reduction was used as a virtual substrate for the deposition of a Ge/SiGe multiple quantum well structure. Room temperature optical absorption and photoluminescence analysis performed on nominally identical quantum wells grown on both a thick graded virtual substrate and the selected thin buffer demonstrates a comparable optical quality, confirming the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

Structural, vibrational, thermal and optical studies of organic single crystal: Benzotriazolium p-toluene sulfonate (BTPTS)

Benzotriazolium p-toluene sulfonate (BTPTS) was grown by solution growth technique. The powder X-ray diffraction analysis was carried out to evaluate crystal system of the compound. LeBail Profile fitting analysis was performed to extract the individual peak intensities. FTIR spectrum analysis was recorded to study vibration frequencies of the prepared organic salt. Thermal studies were carried out using TG-DSC analysis. Optical absorption and energy band gap of the title compound was evaluated by UV-Vis spectral study.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2011

Nonlinear optical behavior of a four-level quantum well with coupled relaxation of optical and longitudinal phonons

We study analytically the characteristics of optical absorption and slow-light solitons in an asymmetrical four-level N configuration semiconductor quantum wells with the cross-coupling relaxation of longitudinal-optical phonons (CCRLOP). It is shown that, in the linear range, the electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) depends on the coherence control of both the optical fields and the CCRLOP. A double EIT is obtained under a relatively strong optical field which is from the hole and antibonding states in the wide well. Especially, the double EIT becomes perfect under the condition of increasing the CCRLOP. In the nonlinear range, the CCRLOP has an important effect on both the amplitude and the group velocity of the solitons. The amplitude of solitons reveals parabolic changes which obtain a maximum value with the increase of CCRLOP. The group velocity of the solitons continuously slows down if there are fixed three-photon detunings. These results may have potential applications for all-optical switching and some optical information engineering in solid systems.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Optical properties of PbS thin films

The complex dielectric function of PbS thin films is studied by spectroscopic ellipsometry in the spectral range from 0.74 to 6.45 eV at a temperature of 293 K. The critical energies are determined to be E{sub 1} = 3.53 eV and E{sub 2} = 4.57 eV. For both energy regions, the best fit is attained at the critical point 2D (m = 0). In addition, the Raman spectra and the optical-absorption spectra of PbS thin films are studied. From the dependence of the quantity (αhν){sup 2} on the photon energy hν, the band gap is established at E{sub g} = 0.37 eV.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗