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At least 73 records · Page 4

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DOE OSTI2025

Conductive Liquid Metal Vitrimer Composites for Reconfigurable and Recyclable Flexible Electronics

Liquid metal (LM) elastomer composites exhibit excellent functionality for stretchable electronics and wearables, but limited recycling and reuse pathways constrain their sustainable use. Here, to address these challenges amid growing concerns over electronic waste, a conductive LM–vitrimer composite is presented that enables recyclable and reconfigurable electronics. This soft and stretchable composite features uniformly distributed LM inclusions that enhance thermal conductivity by 6.53× and enable the formation of conductive traces with electrical self-healing, while the vitrimer provides structural restoration. The dynamic covalent bonds of the vitrimer matrix are leveraged for both reprocessing the composite and chemically recovering 94% of the LM. This liquid-state filler slightly reduces the vitrimer's stiffness to 2.63 MPa (≈20% lower), while maintaining its high stretchability (>135% strain) and thermal stability. It is further examined how ultrasonicated LM inclusions interact with the vitrimer matrix and demonstrate the composite's self-healing and recyclability through two distinct approaches: 1) thermomechanical reprocessing, which restores fragmented composites under heat and compression for circuit reconfiguration; and 2) chemical recycling, which recovers the embedded LM for reuse in fabricating new composites and redesigned circuitry. With the integration of recyclability and diverse functional capabilities, LM–vitrimer composites emerge as a promising material platform for sustainable, flexible electronics.

Han, Youngshang [Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA ↗

NASA NTRS1991

Silicon carbide, an emerging high temperature semiconductor

In recent years, the aerospace propulsion and space power communities have expressed a growing need for electronic devices that are capable of sustained high temperature operation. Applications for high temperature electronic devices include development instrumentation within engines, engine control, and condition monitoring systems, and power conditioning and control systems for space platforms and satellites. Other earth-based applications include deep-well drilling instrumentation, nuclear reactor instrumentation and control, and automotive sensors. To meet the needs of these applications, the High Temperature Electronics Program at the Lewis Research Center is developing silicon carbide (SiC) as a high temperature semiconductor material. Research is focussed on developing the crystal growth, characterization, and device fabrication technologies necessary to produce a family of silicon carbide electronic devices and integrated sensors. The progress made in developing silicon carbide is presented, and the challenges that lie ahead are discussed.

Matus, Lawrence G.↗

DOE OSTI2020

Thermal transport in compensated semimetals: Effect of electron-electron scattering on Lorenz ratio

It is well known that the electronic thermal conductivity of clean compensated semimetals can be greatly enhanced over the electric conductivity by the availability of an ambipolar mechanism of conduction, whereby electrons and holes flow in the same direction experiencing negligible Coulomb scattering as well as negligible impurity scattering. This enhancement—resulting in a breakdown of the Wiedemann-Franz law with an anomalously large Lorenz ratio—has been recently observed in two-dimensional monolayer and bilayer graphene near the charge neutrality point. In contrast to this, three-dimensional compensated semimetals such as WP 2 and Sb are typically found to show a reduced Lorenz ratio. Here, we investigate the reasons for this difference, focusing on the low-temperature regime where the electron-electron scattering is expected to dominate over other scattering mechanisms. We show that the different regimes of Fermi statistics (nondegenerate electron-hole liquid in graphene versus degenerate electron-hole liquid in compensated semimetals) are not sufficient to explain the reduction of the Lorenz ratio in the latter. We propose that the solution of the puzzle lies in the large separation of electron and hole pockets in momentum space, which allows compensated semimetals to sustain sizable regions of electron-hole accumulation near the contacts. These accumulations suppress the ambipolar conduction mechanism and effectively split the system into two independent electron and hole conductors. We present a quantitative theory of the crossover from ambipolar to unipolar conduction as a function of the size of the electron-hole accumulation regions, and show that it naturally leads to a sample-size-dependent thermal conductivity.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

NASA NTRS2003

Electron Beam Freeform Fabrication: A Rapid Metal Deposition Process

Manufacturing of structural metal parts directly from computer aided design (CAD) data has been investigated by numerous researchers over the past decade. Researchers at NASA Langley REsearch Center are developing a new solid freeform fabrication process, electron beam freeform fabrication (EBF), as a rapid metal deposition process that works efficiently with a variety of weldable alloys. The EBF process introduces metal wire feedstock into a molten pool that is created and sustained using a focused electron beam in a vacuum environment. Thus far, this technique has been demonstrated on aluminum and titanium alloys of interest for aerospace structural applications nickel and ferrous based alloys are also planned. Deposits resulting from 2219 aluminum demonstrations have exhibited a range of grain morphologies depending upon the deposition parameters. These materials ave exhibited excellent tensile properties comparable to typical handbook data for wrought plate product after post-processing heat treatments. The EBF process is capable of bulk metal deposition at deposition rated in excess of 2500 cubic centimeters per hour (150 cubic inches per our) or finer detail at lower deposition rates, depending upon the desired application. This process offers the potential for rapidly adding structural details to simpler cast or forged structures rather than the conventional approach of machining large volumes of chips to produce a monolithic metallic structure. Selective addition of metal onto simpler blanks of material can have a significant effect on lead time reduction and lower material and machining costs.

Taminger, Karen M. B.↗

DOE OSTI2024

Investigation of core transport changes in DIII-D discharges with off-axis T e profile peaks

Abstract DIII-D discharges that transition to H-mode solely with off-axis electron cyclotron heating (ECH) often exhibit strong off-axis peaking of electron temperature profiles at the heating location. Electron heat transport properties near these off-axis temperature peaks have been studied using modulated ECH. The Fourier analyzed electron temperature data have been used to infer electron thermal diffusivity. Comparisons with numerical solutions of the time-dependent electron thermal equation find that the data are consistent with a narrow region with electron diffusivity χ e an order of magnitude lower than the average value across the plasma, suggesting an electron internal transport barrier (ITB) near the ECH heating location. Detailed profile analysis and equilibrium reconstructions suggest that the formation of these ITBs are correlated with off-axis values of the safety factor q being near 1. Furthermore, the ECH driven H-mode discharges demonstrate more rapid electron heating rate near the ECH deposition location than L-mode discharges with higher auxiliary ECH heating power. Additional modeling attributes this difference to the modification of electron heat transport in the core at the L-H transition, which also sustains the off-axis electron temperature peaks.

Physics↗

NASA NTRS1990

Natural vacuum electronics

The ambient natural vacuum of space is proposed as a basis for electron valves. Each valve is an electron controlling structure similiar to a vacuum tube that is operated without a vacuum sustaining envelope. The natural vacuum electron valves discussed offer a viable substitute for solid state devices. The natural vacuum valve is highly resistant to ionizing radiation, system generated electromagnetic pulse, current transients, and direct exposure to space conditions.

Leggett, Nickolaus↗

NASA NTRS1978

Space plasma laboratory - Experiment in simulated ionospheric plasma

Several experiments with simulated ionospheric plasma were performed in the Johnson Space Center's large (17 m diameter x 27 m height) vacuum chamber. Two of these, the RF discharge and the electron-beam plasma discharge, are described here. The RF experiment involved measurement of the loading on a 5 m dipole and a 5 m loop antenna caused by the presence of a plasma. The results indicate that when the RF frequency is near the electron gyro frequency a self-sustained plasma discharge is set up and the real part of the complex antenna impedance increases. The beam-plasma experiment was carried out to study a discharge produced by an electron beam with an energy of about 1 keV when the electron beam was injected parallel to the ambient magnetic field. As the beam current was raised to a critical level, a spontaneous transition occurred whereby a luminous halo was formed around the electron beam indicating a sustained discharge.

Konradi, A.↗

NASA NTRS2006

Materials

NASA Langley Research Center has successfully developed an electron beam freeform fabrication (EBF3) process, a rapid metal deposition process that works efficiently with a variety of weldable alloys. The EBF3 process can be used to build a complex, unitized part in a layer-additive fashion, although the more immediate payoff is for use as a manufacturing process for adding details to components fabricated from simplified castings and forgings or plate products. The EBF3 process produces structural metallic parts with strengths comparable to that of wrought product forms and has been demonstrated on aluminum, titanium, and nickel-based alloys to date. The EBF3 process introduces metal wire feedstock into a molten pool that is created and sustained using a focused electron beam in a vacuum environment. Operation in a vacuum ensures a clean process environment and eliminates the need for a consumable shield gas. Advanced metal manufacturing methods such as EBF3 are being explored for fabrication and repair of aerospace structures, offering potential for improvements in cost, weight, and performance to enhance mission success for aircraft, launch vehicles, and spacecraft. Near-term applications of the EBF3 process are most likely to be implemented for cost reduction and lead time reduction through addition of details onto simplified preforms (casting or forging). This is particularly attractive for components with protruding details that would require a significantly large volume of material to be machined away from an oversized forging, offering significant reductions to the buy-to-fly ratio. Future far-term applications promise improved structural efficiency through reduced weight and improved performance by exploiting the layer-additive nature of the EBF3 process to fabricate tailored unitized structures with functionally graded microstructures and compositions.

Glaessgen, Edward H.↗

DOE OSTI2020

Tuning the structural and antiferromagnetic phase transitions in UCr 2 Si 2 : Hydrostatic pressure and chemical substitution

Structural phase transitions in $\textit{f}$-electron materials have attracted sustained attention both for practical and basic science reasons, including the fact that they offer an environment to directly investigate relationships between structure and the $\textit{f}$-state. Here we present results for UCr 2 Si 2 , where structural (tetragonal → monoclinic) and antiferromagnetic phase transitions are seen at $T_S$ = 205 K and $T_N$ = 25 K, respectively. We also provide evidence for an additional second-order phase transition at $T_X$ = 280 K. We show that $T_X$, $T_S$, and $T_N$ respond in distinct ways to the application of hydrostatic pressure and Cr → Ru chemical substitution. In particular, hydrostatic compression increases the structural ordering temperature, eventually causes it to merge with $T_X$, and destroys the antiferromagnetism. In contrast, chemical substitution in the series UCr 2– x Ru x Si 2 suppresses both $T_S$ and $T_N$, causing them to approach zero temperature near $\textit{x}$ ≈ 0.16 and 0.08, respectively. The distinct $\textit{T–P}$ and ${T–x}$ phase diagrams are related to the evolution of the rigid Cr-Si and Si-Si substructures, where applied pressure semiuniformly compresses the unit cell, and Cr → Ru substitution results in uniaxial lattice compression along the tetragonal $\textit{c}$-axis and an expansion in the $\textit{ab}$-plane. These results in this work provide insights into an interesting class of strongly correlated quantum materials in which degrees of freedom associated with $\textit{f}$-electron magnetism, strong electronic correlations, and structural instabilities are readily controlled.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2021

High-resolution planar electron beam induced current in bulk diodes using high-energy electrons

Understanding the impact of high-energy electron radiation on device characteristics remains critical for the expanding use of semiconductor electronics in space-borne applications and other radiation harsh environments. Here in this paper, we report on in situ measurements of high-energy electron radiation effects on the hole diffusion length in low threading dislocation density homoepitaxial bulk n-GaN Schottky diodes using electron beam induced current (EBIC) in high-voltage scanning electron microscopy mode. Despite the large interaction volume in this system, quantitative EBIC imaging is possible due to the sustained collimation of the incident electron beam. This approach enables direct measurement of electron radiation effects without having to thin the specimen. Using a combination of experimental EBIC measurements and Monte Carlo simulations of electron trajectories, we determine a hole diffusion length of 264 ± 11 nm for n-GaN. Irradiation with 200 kV electron beam with an accumulated dose of 24 × 10 16 electrons cm -2 led to an approximate 35% decrease in the minority carrier diffusion length.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2022

An Efficient Rechargeable Aluminium–Amine Battery Working Under Quaternization Chemistry

Rechargeable aluminium (Al) batteries (RABs) have long-been pursued due to the high sustainability and three-electron-transfer properties of Al metal. However, limited redox chemistry is available for rechargeable Al batteries, which restricts the exploration of cathode materials. Herein, we demonstrate an efficient Al–amine battery based on a quaternization reaction, in which nitrogen (radical) cations (R 3 N .+ or R 4 N + ) are formed to store the anionic Al complex. The reactive aromatic amine molecules further oligomerize during cycling, inhibiting amine dissolution into the electrolyte. Consequently, the constructed Al–amine battery exhibits a high reversible capacity of 135 mAh g -1 along with a superior cycling life (4000 cycles), fast charge capability and a high energy efficiency of 94.2 %. Moreover, the Al–amine battery shows excellent stability against self-discharge, far beyond conventional Al–graphite batteries. Our findings pave an avenue to advance the chemistry of RABs and thus battery performance.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

DOE OSTI2024

Toward a long-lifetime polarized photoelectron gun for the Ce+BAF positron source

The addition of spin-polarized, continuous-wave (c.w.) positron beams to the 12 GeV Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) would provide a significant capability to the experimental nuclear physics program at Jefferson Lab. Based on bremsstrahlung and pair-production in a high-Z target, the positron source requires a 120 MeV spin-polarized c.w. electron beam of several milliamperes. While the beam dynamics of the high-current electron beam are tenable, sustaining this current for weeks of user operations requires an unprecedented charge lifetime from a high-polarization GaAs-based photocathode. A promising approach to exceed the kilocoulomb charge lifetime barrier is reducing the ion back-bombardment fluence at the photocathode. By increasing the laser size and managing the emittance growth with an adequate cathode/anode design, significantly enhanced charge lifetime may be achieved. Based upon a new simulation model that qualitatively explains the lifetime data previously measured at different spot sizes, we describe the practical implications on the parameter space available for a kilocoulomb-lifetime polarized photogun design.

Bruker, M.↗

DOE OSTI2024

Toward a long-lifetime polarized photoelectron gun for the Ce+BAF positron source

Bruker, M.↗

DOE OSTI2024

TeV Neutrinos and Hard X-Rays from Relativistic Reconnection in the Corona of NGC 1068

Abstract The recent discovery of astrophysical neutrinos from the Seyfert galaxy NGC 1068 suggests the presence of nonthermal protons within a compact “coronal” region close to the central black hole. The acceleration mechanism of these nonthermal protons remains elusive. We show that a large-scale magnetic reconnection layer, of the order of a few gravitational radii, may provide such a mechanism. In such a scenario, rough energy equipartition between magnetic fields, X-ray photons, and nonthermal protons is established in the reconnection region. Motivated by recent 3D particle-in-cell simulations of relativistic reconnection, we assume that the spectrum of accelerated protons is a broken power law, with the break energy being constrained by energy conservation (i.e., the energy density of accelerated protons is at most comparable to the magnetic energy density). The proton spectrum is dn p / dE p ∝ E p − 1 below the break and dn p / dE p ∝ E p − s above the break, with IceCube neutrino observations suggesting s ≃ 3. Protons above the break lose most of their energy within the reconnection layer via photohadronic collisions with the coronal X-rays, producing a neutrino signal in good agreement with the recent observations. Gamma rays injected in photohadronic collisions are cascaded to lower energies, sustaining the population of electron–positron pairs that makes the corona moderately Compton thick.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗

DOE OSTI2025

Coupling magnons to an opto-electronic parametric oscillator

Hybrid magnonic systems have emerged as versatile modular components for quantum signal transduction and sensing applications owing to their capability of connecting distinct quantum platforms. To date, the majority of the magnonic systems have been explored in a local, near-field scheme, due to the close proximity required for realizing a strong coupling between magnons and other excitations. This constraint greatly limits the applicability of magnons in developing remotely coupled, distributed quantum network systems. On the contrary, opto-electronic architectures hosting self-sustained oscillations have been a unique platform for long-haul signal transmission and processing. Here, we integrated an opto-electronic oscillator with a magnonic oscillator consisting of a microwave waveguide and a Y 3 Fe 5 O 12 (YIG) sphere, and demonstrated strong and coherent coupling between YIG’s magnon modes and the opto-electronic oscillator’s characteristic photon modes—revealing the hallmark anti-crossing gap in the measured spectrum. In particular, the photon mode is produced on-demand via a nonlinear, parametric process as stipulated by an external seed pump. Both the internal cavity phase and the external pump phase can be precisely tuned to stabilize either degenerate or nondegenerate auto-oscillations. Our result lays out a new, hybrid platform for investigating the long-distance coupling and nonlinearity in coherent magnonic phenomena, which may be found useful in constructing the future “distributed hybrid magnonic systems.”

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2021

Sustained Ability of a Natural Microbial Community to Remove Nitrate from Groundwater

Abstract Microbial‐mediated nitrate removal from groundwater is widely recognized as the predominant mechanism for nitrate attenuation in contaminated aquifers and is largely dependent on the presence of a carbon‐bearing electron donor. The repeated exposure of a natural microbial community to an electron donor can result in the sustained ability of the community to remove nitrate; this phenomenon has been clearly demonstrated at the laboratory scale. However, in situ demonstrations of this ability are lacking. For this study, ethanol (electron donor) was repeatedly injected into a groundwater well (treatment) for six consecutive weeks to establish the sustained ability of a microbial community to remove nitrate. A second well (control) located upgradient was not injected with ethanol during this time. The treatment well demonstrated strong evidence of sustained ability as evident by ethanol, nitrate, and subsequent sulfate removal up to 21, 64, and 68%, respectively, as compared to the conservative tracer (bromide) upon consecutive exposures. Both wells were then monitored for six additional weeks under natural (no injection) conditions. During the final week, ethanol was injected into both treatment and control wells. The treatment well demonstrated sustained ability as evident by ethanol and nitrate removal up to 20 and 21%, respectively, as compared to bromide, whereas the control did not show strong evidence of nitrate removal (5% removal). Surprisingly, the treatment well did not indicate a sustained and selective enrichment of a microbial community. These results suggested that the predominant mechanism(s) of sustained ability likely exist at the enzymatic‐ and/or genetic‐levels. The results of this study demonstrated the in situ ability of a microbial community to remove nitrate can be sustained in the prolonged absence of an electron donor.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2024

Hysteresis between gas breakdown and plasma discharge

In direct-current (DC) discharge, it is well known that hysteresis is observed between the Townsend (gas breakdown) and glow regimes. Forward and backward voltage sweep is performed using a one-dimensional particle-in-cell Monte Carlo collision (PIC-MCC) model considering a ballast resistor. When increasing the applied voltage after reaching the breakdown voltage (V b ), transition from Townsend to glow discharges is observed. When decreasing the applied voltage from the glow regime, the discharge voltage (V d ) between the anode–cathode gap can be smaller than the breakdown voltage, resulting in a hysteresis, which is consistent with experimental observations. Next, the PIC-MCC model is used to investigate the self-sustaining voltage (V s ) in the presence of finite initial plasma densities between the anode and cathode gap. It is observed that the self-sustaining voltage coincides with the discharge voltage obtained from the backward voltage sweep. In addition, the self-sustaining voltage decreases with increased initial plasma density and saturates above a certain initial plasma density, which indicates a change in plasma resistivity. The decrease in self-sustaining voltage is associated with the electron heat loss at the anode for the low pd (rarefied) regime. In the high pd (collisional) regime, the ion energy loss toward the cathode due to the cathode fall and the inelastic collision loss of electrons in the bulk discharge balance out. Finally, it is demonstrated that the self-sustaining voltage collapses to a singular value, despite the presence of a initial plasma, for microgaps when field emission is dominant, which is also consistent with experimental observations.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2020

CO 2 –Based Dual–Tone Resists for Electron Beam Lithography

The increasing global environmental and energy crisis has urgently motivated the advancement of sustainable materials. Significant effort has been focused on developing new materials to replace the fossil-based resists in the semiconductor industry based on greener sources such as ice, dry ice, small organic molecules, and proteins. Such resist materials, however, have yet to meet the stringent requirements of high sensitivity, high resolution, reliable repeatability, and good compatibility with the current protocols. To this end, CO 2 -based polycarbonates (CO 2 -PCs) obtained from the copolymerization of CO 2 and epoxides are demonstrated as sustainable dual-tone (positive & negative tone) resists for electron beam lithography. By adjusting the chemical structure, developing agent, and molecular weight, the CO 2 -PCs present high sensitivities to electron beam (1.3/120 μC cm -2 ), narrow critical dimensions (29/58 nm), and moderate line edge roughness (4.6/26.7 nm) for negative and positive resists, respectively. Here, a deep understanding of the exposure mechanism of CO 2 -PC resists is provided on the basis of the Fourier transform infrared, Raman, and electron ionization mass spectroscopy. 2D photonic crystal devices are fabricated using the negative and positive CO 2 -PC resists, respectively, and both devices show distinct colors derived from their well-defined nanostructures, indicating the great practical potential of CO 2 -derived electron beam resists.

nanofabrication↗