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At least 703 records · Page 39

Low-Energy Defectless Dry Etching of the AlGaN/AlN/GaN HEMT Barrier Layer

A method of defectless dry etching of an AlGaN barrier layer is proposed, which consists in repeated plasmachemical oxidation of AlGaN and removal of the oxide layer by means of reactive ion etching in inductively coupled BCl{sub 3} plasma. Using the proposed etching technology, AlGaN/AlN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) with a buried gate have been successfully fabricated for the first time. It is shown that the currents of obtained HEMTs are independent of the number of etching cycles, while the gate operating point shifts toward positive voltages up to obtaining transistors operating in the enhancement mode.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Studies of the ultraviolet spectra of astronomical sources

An intensive program of observations of the Comet Halley during the week of the Vega 2 and Giotto encounters was carried out by the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) satellite observatory. The IUE Fine Error Sensor, normally used for target acquisition and tracking, was used in a photometer mode to provide nealy continuous light curves over an 8 hour observing shift, a unique capability relative to ground-bases observers. The ultraviolet data can be used to derive an estimate of the total gas production rate even though the models generally used for this purpose assume a steady-state gas production which is clearly not the case for Halley. Additionally, the IUE data provide column abundances of carbon, oxygen, sulfur, OH, CO, CS, C2, and CO2 to compare with the in-situ measurements of these species by Vega 2 and Giotto.

Source record↗

Nonlinear modal resonances in low-gravity slosh-spacecraft systems

Nonlinear models of low gravity slosh, when coupled to spacecraft vibrations, predict intense nonlinear eigenfrequency shifts at zero gravity. These nonlinear frequency shifts are due to internal quadratic and cubic resonances between fluid slosh modes and spacecraft vibration modes. Their existence has been verified experimentally, and they cannot be correctly modeled by approximate, uncoupled nonlinear models, such as pendulum mechanical analogs. These predictions mean that linear slosh assumptions for spacecraft vibration models can be invalid, and may lead to degraded control system stability and performance. However, a complete nonlinear modal analysis will predict the correct dynamic behavior. This paper presents the analytical basis for these results, and discusses the effect of internal resonances on the nonlinear coupled response at zero gravity.

Peterson, Lee D.↗

Surface-Emitting Distributed Feedback Terahertz Quantum-Cascade Lasers in Metal-Metal Waveguides

Single-mode surface-emitting distributed feedback terahertz quantumcascade lasers operating around 2.9 THz are developed in metal-metal waveguides. A combination of techniques including precise control of phase of reflection at the facets, and u e of metal on the sidewalls to eliminate higher-order lateral modes allow robust single-mode operation over a range of approximately 0.35 THz. Single-lobed far-field radiation pattern is obtained using a pi phase-shift in center of the second-order Bragg grating. A grating device operating at 2.93 THz lased up to 149 K in pulsed mode and a temperature tuning of 19 .7 GHz was observed from 5 K to 147 K. The same device lased up to 78 K in continuous-wave (cw) mode emitting more than 6 m W of cw power at 5 K. ln general, maximum temperature of pulsed operation for grating devices was within a few Kelvin of that of multi-mode Fabry-Perot ridge lasers

Kumar, Sushil↗

Oxidation and the Effects of High Temperature Exposures on Notched Fatigue Life of an Advanced Powder Metallurgy Disk Superalloy

Oxidation and the effects of high temperature exposures on notched fatigue life were considered for a powder metallurgy processed supersolvus heat-treated ME3 disk superalloy. The isothermal static oxidation response at 704 C, 760 C, and 815 C was consistent with other chromia forming nickel-based superalloys: a TiO2-Cr2O3 external oxide formed with a branched Al2O3 internal subscale that extended into a recrystallized - dissolution layer. These surface changes can potentially impact disk durability, making layer growth rates important. Growth of the external scales and dissolution layers followed a cubic rate law, while Al2O3 subscales followed a parabolic rate law. Cr- rich M23C6 carbides at the grain boundaries dissolved to help sustain Cr2O3 growth to depths about 12 times thicker than the scale. The effect of prior exposures was examined through notched low cycle fatigue tests performed to failure in air at 704 C. Prior exposures led to pronounced debits of up to 99 % in fatigue life, where fatigue life decreased inversely with exposure time. Exposures that produced roughly equivalent 1 m thick external scales at the various isotherms showed statistically equivalent fatigue lives, establishing that surface damage drives fatigue debit, not exposure temperature. Fractographic evaluation indicated the failure mode for the pre-exposed specimens involved surface crack initiations that shifted with exposure from predominately single intergranular initiations with transgranular propagation to multi-initiations from the cracked external oxide with intergranular propagation. Weakened grain boundaries at the surface resulting from the M23C6 carbide dissolution are partially responsible for the intergranular cracking. Removing the scale and subscale while leaving a layer where M23C6 carbides were dissolved did not lead to a significant fatigue life improvement, however, also removing the M23C6 carbide dissolution layer led to nearly full recovery of life, with a transgranular initiation typical to that observed in unexposed specimens.

Sudbrack, Chantal K.↗

Magnetic turbulence and pressure gradient feedback effect of the 1/2 mode soft-hard magnetohydrodynamic limit in large helical device

The aim of this study was to analyze the feedback process between the magnetic turbulence and the pressure gradients in Large Helical Device (LHD) inward-shifted configurations as well as its role in the transition between the soft-hard magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) regimes for instabilities driven by the mode 1/2 in the middle plasma. In the present paper, we summarize the results of two simulations with different Lundquist numbers, S=2.5×10{sup 5} and 10{sup 6}, assuming a plasma in the slow reconnection regime. The results for the high Lundquist number simulation show that the magnetic turbulence and the pressure gradient in the middle plasma region of LHD are below the critical value to drive the transition to the hard MHD regime, therefore only relaxations in the soft MHD limit are triggered (1/2 sawtooth-like events) [Phys. Plasmas 19, 082512 (2012)]. In the case of the simulation with low Lundquist number, the system reaches the hard MHD limit and a plasma collapse is observed.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Bandgap measurements and the peculiar splitting of E{sub 2}{sup H} phonon modes of In{sub x}Al{sub 1-x}N nanowires grown by plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy

The dislocation free In{sub x}Al{sub 1-x}N nanowires (NWs) are grown on Si(111) by nitrogen plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy in the temperature regime of 490 °C–610 °C yielding In composition ranges over 0.50 ≤ x ≤ 0.17. We study the optical properties of these NWs by spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE), photoluminescence, and Raman spectroscopies since they possesses minimal strain with reduced defects comparative to the planar films. The optical bandgap measurements of In{sub x}Al{sub 1-x}N NWs are demonstrated by SE where the absorption edges of the NW samples are evaluated irrespective of substrate transparency. A systematic Stoke shift of 0.04–0.27 eV with increasing x was observed when comparing the micro-photoluminescence spectra with the Tauc plot derived from SE. The micro-Raman spectra in the NWs with x = 0.5 showed two-mode behavior for A{sub 1}(LO) phonons and single mode behavior for E{sub 2}{sup H} phonons. As for x = 0.17, i.e., high Al content, we observed a peculiar E{sub 2}{sup H} phonon mode splitting. Further, we observe composition dependent frequency shifts. The 77 to 600 K micro-Raman spectroscopy measurements show that both AlN- and InN-like modes of A{sub 1}(LO) and E{sub 2}{sup H} phonons in In{sub x}Al{sub 1-x}N NWs are redshifted with increasing temperature, similar to that of the binary III group nitride semiconductors. These studies of the optical properties of the technologically important In{sub x}Al{sub 1-x}N nanowires will path the way towards lasers and light-emitting diodes in the wavelength of the ultra-violet and visible range.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Edge state selection by modulating E × B shearing profile in toroidally confined plasmas

We investigate how the E × B shearing profile impacts the energy transport induced by the MHD mode in the edge of H-mode plasmas. By enhancing the outer layer (ψ nor ≈ 0.9–1) shear, the growth rate spectrum γ(n) gets narrowed with the fastest growth rate having a lower toroidal mode number. In the nonlinear stage, the MHD fluctuations tend to reach a coherent, oscillating state, which is analogous to a quiescent (Q) H mode state with edge-harmonic-oscillations. By enhancing the inner layer (ψ nor ≈ 0.7–0.8) shear, γ(n) shifts to lower n, and its width does not change much. In the nonlinear stage, the edge fluctuations tend to stay in an incoherent, oscillating state, which is analogous to a turbulent QH-mode state. Here, we also explore the underlying physics of the results and show that they are closely related to the different cross-phase dynamics of the edge MHD fluctuations induced by the variation of the edge E × B shearing profile.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Fiber Optic Temperature Sensor System Using Air-Filled Fabry–Pérot Cavity with Variable Pressure

We report a high-resolution fiber optic temperature sensor system based on an air-filled Fabry–Pérot (FP) cavity, whose spectral fringes shift due to a precise pressure variation in the cavity. The absolute temperature can be deduced from the spectral shift and the pressure variation. For fabrication, a fused-silica tube is spliced with a single-mode fiber at one end and a side-hole fiber at the other to form the FP cavity. The pressure in the cavity can be changed by passing air through the side-hole fiber, causing the spectral shift. We analyzed the effect of sensor wavelength resolution and pressure fluctuation on the temperature measurement resolution. A computer-controlled pressure system and sensor interrogation system were developed with miniaturized instruments for the system operation. Experimental results show that the sensor had a high wavelength resolution (<0.2 pm) with minimal pressure fluctuation (~0.015 kPa), resulting in high-resolution (±0.32 ℃) temperature measurement. It shows good stability from the thermal cycle testing with the maximum testing temperature reaching 800 ℃.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Design and performance assessment of a dual-mode latent thermal storage integrated heat pump across multiple climate zones

The electrification of space cooling and heating systems risks overloading the existing electrical grid during peak hours. Heat pumps integrated with thermal energy storage (HP-TES) offer a promising solution by shifting peak loads to off-peak hours, reducing grid strains. This work presents the design and assessment of a dual-mode HP-TES that uses a single 22°C phase-change material (PCM) as a heat source or sink in heating and cooling modes, respectively. Performance assessment was conducted using Modelica-based transient models, and full-year simulations were conducted across eight US climate zones using typical weather data. Two HP-TES performance metrics: peak energy reduction and recharge energy increases, were defined by comparing HP-TES energy consumption with base HP peak consumptions. Annual heating demand reductions (40–65%) exceeded cooling demand reductions (15–20%) due to the elimination of peak-hour backup heating. Cooling mode recharge energy requirements (0–10%) were reduced in locations with lower summer nighttime temperatures, while heating recharge requirements were lower than the high base-peak energy demand from backup heating. Simplified rapid methods that were 10 7 times faster than annual simulations were developed to predict seasonal cooling and heating energy reductions, and recharge energy requirements, with maximum deviations of ±2.5% and ±3.5% points. These methods enabled rapid parametric studies that identified optimal location-specific PCM temperatures between 22°C and 27°C, highlighting the need to consider both discharge and recharge energy requirements to achieve sustainable, energy-efficient peak load shifting across various climate zones.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Self-induced flavor conversion of supernova neutrinos on small scales

Self-induced flavor conversion of supernova (SN) neutrinos is a generic feature of neutrino-neutrino dispersion. The corresponding run-away modes in flavor space can spontaneously break the original symmetries of the neutrino flux and in particular can spontaneously produce small-scale features as shown in recent schematic studies. However, the unavoidable “multi-angle matter effect” shifts these small-scale instabilities into regions of matter and neutrino density which are not encountered on the way out from a SN. The traditional modes which are uniform on the largest scales are most prone for instabilities and thus provide the most sensitive test for the appearance of self-induced flavor conversion. As a by-product we clarify the relation between the time evolution of an expanding neutrino gas and the radial evolution of a stationary SN neutrino flux. Our results depend on several simplifying assumptions, notably stationarity of the solution, the absence of a “backward” neutrino flux caused by residual scattering, and global spherical symmetry of emission.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

On the Behavior of Three-dimensional Wave Packets in Viscously Spreading Mixing Layers

We consider analytically the evolution of a three-dimensional wave packet generated by an impulsive source in a mixing layer. The base flow is assumed to be spreading due to viscous diffusion. The analysis is restricted to small disturbances (linearized theory). A suitable high-frequency ansatz is used to describe the packet; the key elements of this description are a complex phase and a wave action density. It is found that the product of this density and an infinitesimal material volume convecting at the local group velocity is not conserved: there is a continuous interaction between the base flow and the wave action. This interaction is determined by suitable mode-weighted averages of the second and fourth derivatives of the base-flow velocity profile. Although there is some tendency for the dominant wave number in the packet to shift from the most unstable value toward the neutral value, this shift is quite moderate. In practice, wave packets do not become locally neutral in a diverging base flow (as do instability modes), therefore, they are expected to grow more suddenly than pure instability modes and do not develop critical layers. The group velocity is complex; the full significance of this is realized by analytically continuing the equations for the phase and wave action into a complex domain. The implications of this analytic continuation are discussed vis-a-vis the secondary instabilities of the packet: very small scale perturbations on the phase can grow very rapidly initially, but saturate later because most of the energy in these perturbations is convected away by the group velocity. This remark, as well as the one regarding critical layers, has consequences for the nonlinear theories.

Balsa, Thomas F.↗

Forward modeling of standing slow modes in flaring coronal loops

Standing slow-mode waves in hot flaring loops are exclusively observed in spectrometers and are used to diagnose the magnetic field strength and temperature of the loop structure. Owing to the lack of spatial information, the longitudinal mode cannot be effectively identified. In this study, we simulate standing slow-mode waves in flaring loops and compare the synthesized line emission properties with Solar Ultraviolet Measurements of Emitted Radiation spectrographic and Solar Dynamics Observatory/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly imaging observations. We find that the emission intensity and line width oscillations are a quarter period out of phase with Doppler shift velocity in both time and spatial domain, which can be used to identify a standing slow-mode wave from spectroscopic observations. However, the longitudinal overtones could only be measured with the assistance of imagers. We find emission intensity asymmetry in the positive and negative modulations; this is because the contribution function pertaining to the atomic emission process responds differently to positive and negative temperature variations. One may detect half periodicity close to the loop apex, where emission intensity modulation is relatively small. The line-of-sight projection affects the observation of Doppler shift significantly. A more accurate estimate of the amplitude of velocity perturbation is obtained by de-projecting the Doppler shift by a factor of 1–2θ/π rather than the traditionally used cosθ. If a loop is heated to the hotter wing, the intensity modulation could be overwhelmed by background emission, while the Doppler shift velocity could still be detected to a certain extent.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Analysis of the MHD stability and energetic particles effects on EIC events in LHD plasma using a Landau-closure model

The aim of this study is to perform a theoretical analysis of the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) stability and energetic particle effects on a LHD equilibria, calculated during a discharge where energetic-ion-driven resistive interchange mode (EIC) events were triggered. Here, we use the reduced MHD equations to describe the linear evolution of the poloidal flux and the toroidal component of the vorticity in a full 3D system, coupled with equations of density and parallel velocity moments for the energetic particles species, including the effect of the acoustic modes, multiple energetic particles (EP) species, helical couplings and helically trapped EP. We add the Landau damping and resonant destabilization effects using a closure relation. The simulations suggest that the helically trapped EP driven by the perpendicular neutral beam injector (NBI) further destabilizes the 1/1 MHD-like mode located at the plasma periphery ( r / a = 0.88). If the β of the EP driven by the perpendicular NBI is larger than 0.0025 a 1/1 EIC with a frequency around 3 kHz is destabilized. If the effect of the passing EP driven by the tangential NBI is included on the model, any enhancement of the injection intensity of the tangential NBI below β leads to a decrease of the instability growth rate. The simulations indicate that the perpendicular NBI EP is the main driver of the EIC events, as it was observed in the experiment. If the effect of the helical couplings are added in the model, an 11/13 EIC is destabilized with a frequency around 9 kHz, inward shifted ( r / a = 0.81) compared to the 1/1 EIC. Thus, one possible explanation for the EIC frequency chirping down from 9 to 3 kHz is a transition between the 11/13 to the 1/1 EIC due to a weakening of the destabilizing effect of the high n modes, caused by a decrease of the EP drive due to a loss of helically trapped EP or a change in the EP distribution function after the EIC burst. The experimental data during the EIC bursting phase shows a complex mode structure and an inward shift of the instability, although no direct evidence of the proposed transition has been observed yet.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Phase effects from strong gravitational lensing of gravitational waves

Assessing the probability that two or more gravitational wave (GW) events are lensed images of the same source requires an understanding of the properties of the lensed images. For short enough wavelengths where wave effects can be neglected, lensed images will generically have a fixed relative phase shift that needs to be taken into account in the lensing hypothesis. For non-precessing, circular binaries dominated by quadrupole radiation these lensing phase shifts are degenerate with either a shift in the coalescence phase or a detector and inclination dependent shift in the orientation angle. This degeneracy is broken by the presence of higher harmonic modes with |m| ≠ 2 in the former and |m| ≠ l in the latter. The presence of precession or eccentricity will also break this degeneracy. This implies that a lensed GW image will not necessarily be consistent with (unlensed) predictions from general relativity (GR). Therefore, unlike the conventional scenario of electromagnetic waves, strong lensing of GWs can lead to images with a modified phase evolution that can be observed. However, we find that templates with a shifted orientation angle remain a good approximation, with signal-to-noise ratio differences of less than 1% for mass ratios up to 1/18, and less than 5% for precession parameters up to 0.5 and eccentricities up to 0.4. We conclude that an optimal strong lensing search strategy would incorporate phase information in all stages of the identification of strong-lensing, with an exact treatment in the final assessment of the probability of multiple lensed events. Here, this work clarifies the role that strong lensing plays in the phase evolution of GWs: how it can lead to apparent deviations from GR, how it can affect the detectability of GW events, and how it can be exploited to help identify cases of strong gravitational lensing of gravitational wave sources.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Tip-induced local strain on Mo S 2 / graphite detected by inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy

We report the detection of tip-induced local strain applied to the monolayer MoS 2 grown on a graphite substrate by scanning tunneling microscope. Monolayer MoS 2 behaves as both mechanical and tunneling barriers that prevent the tip from contacting the graphite while maintaining the tunneling current. Inelastic tunneling electron spectroscopy (IETS) is utilized to probe the phonon modes in graphite. As the tip pushes the sample, IETS reveals a continuous phonon softening in graphite, corroborated by a downward shift of the phonon energy as calculated by density-functional theory. Finally, our results demonstrate a way to apply local mechanical strain and simultaneously detect the induced change in phonon modes by unitizing IETS with two-dimensional materials as a tunneling barrier.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Observation of additional low-degree 5-min modes of solar oscillation

High-order solar oscillations with degrees l=3, 4, and 5 could be detected. The observations were made by measuring the difference between the shifts in the Fe 5,124 spectrum line from light integrated from a central circular portion of the solar disk and from an annular portion exterior to it. The frequencies of the octupole modes agree well with the values obtained from whole-disk measurements at the South Pole. A least-squares fit of the observed frequencies to values interpolated between and extrapolated from the predictions of a sequence of solar models with different chemical compositions selects two models. One, a helium-rich solution, agrees with that of similar analyses of whole-disk data. The extrapolated solution has a relatively deep convection zone, and is thus consistent with analyses of 5-min oscillations of high degree.

Scherrer, P. H.↗

Manufacturable Corrugated Substrates for High Efficiency Organic Light-Emitting Diodes (OLEDs)

In this project, we start with optical simulation of an OLED to have a basic understanding of the mode dispersion inside the device. We first fabricated 1-D photonic crystals’ (PhCs) for corrugated green OLED devices observed enhanced EQE from 20% to 27%, which has the drawbacks of angular color shift. To resolve this issue, we fabricated poly crystalline PhCs (poly PhC) devices and observed alleviated angular color shift. The outcoupling efficiency is enhanced from 30% to 35%, which can be further enhanced to 60% by extracting the substrate mode. To further enhance the efficiency, we used RCWA (rigorous coupled-wave analysis) simulation to study the optical property in the corrugated device. We found out the corrugation reduces the reflectance of the Al cathode, lowers the cavity resonance and weakens the cavity emission. To preserve the cavity effect, we insert a low index Teflon layer (n = 1.3) between the ITO anode and the corrugated substrate, which increased the index contrast and hence the reflectance of the bottom electrode. As a result, the corrugated OLED with a Teflon layer shows a maximum outcoupling efficiency of 75%.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗