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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 91 records · Page 5
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Photon Frequency Conversion in High-Q Superconducting Resonators: Axion Electrodynamics, QED, and Nonlinear Meissner Radiation

High-Q superconducting resonators have been proposed and developed as detectors of light-by-light scattering mediated by the hypothesized axion or virtual electron–positron pairs in quantum electrodynamics: the Euler–Heisenberg (EH) interaction. Photon frequency and mode conversion is central to the scheme for detecting such rare events. Superconducting resonators are nonlinear devices. The Meissner screening currents that confine the electromagnetic fields to the vacuum region of a superconducting RF cavity are nonlinear functions of the EM field at the vacuum–superconducting interface, and as a result can generate source currents and frequency conversion of microwave photons in the cavity. In this report we consider photon frequency and mode conversion in superconducting resonators with high quality factors from Meissner currents in single- and dual-cavity setups proposed for axion and QED searches based on light-by-light scattering. In a single cavity with two pump modes, photon frequency conversion by the Meissner screening current dominates photon generation by the EH interaction for cavities with Q≲1012⁠. The Meissner currents also generate background photons that limit the operation of the resonator for axion detection in three-mode, single-cavity setups. We also consider the leakage of photons from pump modes into the signal mode for both axion- and EH-mediated light-by-light scattering. Photon frequency conversion by the EH interaction can compete with Meissner and leakage radiation in ultra-high-Q cavities that are beyond the current state of the art. Meissner radiation and leakage backgrounds can be suppressed in dual-cavity setups with appropriate choices for pump and spectator modes, as well as the single-cavity setup proposed for heterodyne detection of galactic axion dark matter.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Muon-induced fission as a probe of the underlying dynamics in nuclear fission

Muon-induced fission could be utilized as a probe to study the underlying dynamics of nuclear fission. Here, the probability of muon attachment to the light asymmetric fission fragment is sensitive to fission dynamics, such as the timescale and friction of the fission event, charge asymmetry, and possibly the shape of the fission fragments. We focus on muonic atoms that are formed with actinide nuclei. A relativistic approach is employed, solving the Dirac equation for the muonic wave function in the presence of a time-dependent electromagnetic field generated by the fissioning nucleus. Computations are carried out on a three-dimensional Cartesian lattice with no symmetry assumptions. The results show a strong dependence of the attachment probability on the fission charge asymmetry and a more modest dependence on friction.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Decoherence and Brownian motion of a polarizable particle near a medium

Optically levitated nanoparticles are ideal experimental testbeds for investigating macroscopic superpositions and microscopic thermodynamics. Integrating such levitated nanoparticles with photonic structures can enable strong coupling between their center-of-mass motion and guided photonic modes, facilitating enhanced control and probing of their motion. When coupling a particle to a photonic structure, such as a waveguide, the effects of fluctuations become prominent at nanoscales. In this work, we analyze the classical and quantized center-of-mass motion of a polarizable particle interacting with the fluctuations of the electromagnetic field in the presence of a medium. We derive a position localization master equation for the particle's quantized center of mass, and examine its classical center-of-mass momentum diffusion, elucidating correspondences between classical and quantum Brownian motion of polarizable particles near media. We study the decoherence rate of the particle in the presence of a planar surface as a function of temperature and distance from the surface, comparing it to common sources of decoherence. Our results are pertinent to experiments aimed at preparing levitated nanospheres in macroscopic quantum states and investigating their Brownian dynamics.

Brownian motion↗
DOE OSTI2025

Extracting symplectic maps for space-charge dominated beams

Symplecticity of transfer maps is important for reliable evaluation of space-charge dominated beams in accelerators. Unfortunately, most simulation codes that include collective effects, such as space charge, do not use canonical phase-space variables and therefore are not symplectic in the presence of electromagnetic fields. In this paper, we present a numerical method to extract local linear symplectic transfer maps using particle tracking simulation code for space-charge dominated beams. We demonstrate this method for the photoinjector (113 MHz SRF gun) section of the Coherent electron Cooling (CeC) Proof of Principle (POP) experiment.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Chiral kinematic theory and converse vortical effects

Response theories in condensed matter typically describe the response of an electron fluid to external electromagnetic fields, while perturbations on neutral particles are often designed to mimic such fields. Here, we study the response of fermions to a space-time-dependent velocity field, thereby sidestepping the issue of gauge charge. First, we use a semiclassical chiral kinematic theory to obtain the local density of current and extract the orbital magnetization. The theory immediately predicts a "converse vortical effect," defined as an orbital magnetization driven by linear velocity. It receives contributions from magnetic moments on the Fermi surface and the Berry curvature of the occupied bands. Then, transcending semiclassics via a complementary Kubo formalism reveals that the uniform limit of a clean system receives only the Berry curvature contribution while other limits sense the Fermi surface magnetic moments too. We propose CoSi as a candidate material and suggest magnetometry of a sample under a thermal gradient to detect the effect. Overall, our study sheds light on the effects of a space-time-dependent velocity field on electron fluids and paves the way for exploring quantum materials using new probes and perturbations.

Chen, Kai↗
DOE OSTI2025

Axion pulsarscope

Electromagnetic fields surrounding pulsars may source coherent ultralight axion signals at the known rotational frequencies of the neutron stars, which can be detected by laboratory experiments (e.g., pulsarscopes). As a promising case study, we model axion emission from the well-studied Crab pulsar, which would yield a prominent signal at 𝑓 ≈ 29.6 Hz regardless of whether the axion contributes to the dark matter abundance. We estimate the relevant sensitivity of future axion dark matter detection experiments such as DMRadio-GUT, Dark SRF, and CASPEr, assuming different magnetosphere models to bracket the uncertainty in astrophysical modeling. For example, depending on final experimental parameters, the Dark SRF experiment could probe axions with any mass 𝑚 𝑎 ≪ 10 −13 eV down to 𝑔 𝑎⁢𝛾⁢𝛾 ∼3 × 10 −13 GeV −1 with one year of data and assuming the vacuum magnetosphere model. These projected sensitivities may be degraded depending on the extent to which the magnetosphere is screened by charge-filled plasma. The promise of pulsar-sourced axions as a clean target for direct detection experiments motivates dedicated simulations of axion production in pulsar magnetospheres.

axions↗
DOE OSTI2024

Concept Study of Robotic Camera-Based Foreign Object Detection for EV Wireless Charging

Wireless charging of an electric vehicle (EV) is an emerging charging technology promising convenient, autonomous, and highly efficient EV charging without requiring heavy gauge cables. However, due to the strong electromagnetic field created by this process that surrounds the wireless charger, the presence of foreign objects can detrimentally interact with it, thus affecting wireless power transfer (WPT) performance or leading to harmful and unwanted safety risks. This paper presents the results for a concept study on a robotic camera-based foreign object detection (FOD) system, as a supplement to the industry-existing overlapped FOD coil array method, for EV wireless charging. A Raspberry PI 4 control board and compatible Raspberry PI Camera Module 2 are used to implement camera-based object detection. The FOD program was developed using a state-of-the-art deep learning object detection model with the OpenCV and Pytorch library and is compatible with camera module hardware. A dry-run test with Raspberry PI and a camera module was conducted and the preliminary FOD function was verified. The feasibility assessment is also validated by comparing the performance of five existing state-of-the-art deep learning object detection models for vehicles, animals, persons, and metals subsets, respectively. Satisfactory performance on the benchmark datasets is observed by the tests, but further improvements are needed in future work when detecting small-sized metallic objects. A programable robotic car is also under development as ongoing work for carrying the Raspberry PI and camera module while moving for the maintenance process.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2025

Dynamics of hot QCD matter 2024 — Bulk properties

The second Hot QCD Matter 2024 conference at IIT Mandi focused on various ongoing topics in high-energy heavy-ion collisions, encompassing theoretical and experimental perspectives. This proceedings volume includes 19 contributions that collectively explore diverse aspects of the bulk properties of hot QCD matter. The topics encompass the dynamics of electromagnetic fields, transport properties, hadronic matter, spin hydrodynamics, and the role of conserved charges in high-energy environments. These studies significantly enhance our understanding of the complex dynamics of hot QCD matter, the quark–gluon plasma (QGP) formed in high-energy nuclear collisions. Advances in theoretical frameworks, including hydrodynamics, spin dynamics and fluctuation studies, aim to improve theoretical calculations and refine our knowledge of the thermodynamic properties of strongly interacting matter. Experimental efforts, such as those conducted by the ALICE and STAR collaborations, play a vital role in validating these theoretical predictions and deepening our insight into the QCD phase diagram, collectivity in small systems, and the early-stage behavior of strongly interacting matter. In conclusion, combining theoretical models with experimental observations offers a comprehensive understanding of the extreme conditions encountered in relativistic heavy-ion and proton-proton collisions.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

HiTEM

SAND2025-03438O HiTEM3d v1.0 is a user-friendly software designed to simulate how electromagnetic signals move through large geological environments, particularly around wellbores. It helps geophysicists and resource explorers understand subsurface conditions more effectively and affordably. By simplifying complex geological models, HiTEM3d allows users to visualize and analyze electromagnetic fields, making it easier to identify valuable resources like minerals or water. Its efficient processing capabilities ensure quick results, making it an essential tool for anyone involved in geophysical research or exploration. Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA0003525.

Weiss, Chester [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Liv↗
DOE OSTI2024

Model-predictive optimal control of ferrofluidic microrobots in three-dimensional space

Ferrofluid microrobots have emerged as promising tools for minimally invasive medical procedures. Their unique properties to navigate complex fluids and reach otherwise inaccessible regions of the human body have enabled new applications in targeted drug delivery, tissue engineering, and diagnostics. Here, this paper proposes a model-predictive controller for the external magnetic manipulation of ferrofluid microrobots in three dimensions (3D). The internal optimization routine of the controller determines appropriate changes in the applied electromagnetic field to minimize the deviation between the actual and desired trajectories of the microrobot. A linear system governing locomotion is derived and used as the equality constraints of the optimization problems associated with the feedback index. In addition to ferrofluid droplets, the controller presented in this work may be applied to other magnetically-pulled microrobots. Several experiments are performed to validate the controller and showcase its ability to adapt to changes in system parameters such as the desired tracking trajectory and the size, orientation, deformation, and velocity of the microrobot. The accuracy of the controller is analyzed for each experiment, and the average error is found to be within 0.25 mm for small velocities. An additional experiment is performed to demonstrate significant improvement over a PID controller that is optimally tuned using Bayesian optimization. The results presented in this paper suggest that the proposed control algorithm could enable new microrobotic capabilities in minimally invasive medical procedures, lab-on-a-chip applications, and microfluidics.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Universal structure of propagation-invariant optical pulses

Space–time structuring of light—where spatial and temporal degrees of freedom are deliberately coupled and controlled—is an emerging area of optics that enables novel configurations of electromagnetic fields. Of particular importance for applications are optical pulses whose peak intensity travels at an arbitrary, tunable velocity while maintaining its spatiotemporal profile. Space–time wave packets (STWPs) and the ideal flying focus (FF) are two prominent realizations of these pulses. Here, we show that these realizations share an identical spatiotemporal field structure and that this structure represents a universal solution for constant-velocity, propagation-invariant pulses.

Almeida, R. (ORCID:0000000288435855)↗
DOE OSTI2025

On-chip terahertz emission from Floquet-Bloch states [Invited]

Floquet engineering uses time-periodic electromagnetic fields to modify the electronic properties of quantum materials via the creation of Floquet-Bloch states. These photon-dressed states inherit features from both the material and the driving field, enabling the exploration and control of quantum phenomena in light-matter hybrid systems. In non-centrosymmetric materials, shift currents can arise from the quantum geometric properties of electronic wavefunctions. However, shift currents from Floquet-Bloch states remain experimentally unexplored. Here, we employ an on-chip optoelectronic circuit to detect intrinsic terahertz emission from Floquet-Bloch states in T d -WTe 2 under intense optical driving. We observe strong edge-localized terahertz emission that scales linearly with the driving field, consistent with the theoretical prediction for shift currents generated by Floquet-Bloch states. The results advance our understanding of strongly driven quantum materials and provide insights for developing efficient, bias-free terahertz sources for future optoelectronic technologies.

Li, Xinyu [Max Planck Institute for the Structure ↗
DOE OSTI2025

Resonant metasurface‐enabled quantum light sources for single‐photon emission and entangled photon‐pair generation

Light encodes information in multiple degrees of freedom (e.g., frequency, amplitude, and phase), enabling high‐speed, high‐bandwidth communication through fiber optics. Unlike classical light, quantum light (single or entangled photons) can transmit quantum states over long distances without loss of coherence, thereby coherently interconnecting quantum nodes for distributed quantum entanglement. Quantum light sources are critical for developing scalable quantum networks aimed at distributed quantum computing, quantum teleportation, and secure quantum communications. However, existing quantum light sources suffer from limited integrability, insufficient spectral and spatial tunability, and inefficiencies in achieving mass‐produced, deterministic, on‐demand quantum light generation. These limitations significantly hinder progress toward direct, on‐chip integration with quantum processing units and detectors – an essential step toward scalable quantum networks. Resonant metasurfaces that leverage photonic modes – such as Mie resonances, guided‐mode resonances, or symmetry‐protected bound states in the continuum – offer strong spatial and temporal confinement of electromagnetic fields, characterized by high quality factors and small mode volumes. These metasurfaces greatly enhance linear and nonlinear light‐matter interactions, making them ideal for efficient on‐chip quantum light generation and manipulation. Here, we describe recent advances in nanoscale quantum light sources and quantum photonic state manipulation enabled by resonant metasurfaces. We also provide an outlook on next‐generation miniaturized quantum light sources achievable through materials innovations in quantum emitters, the co‐design of resonant metasurfaces, and ultimately, the heterogeneous integration of emerging layered van der Waals materials with resonant metasurfaces.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2024

Electron bunch position determination using a high frequency button beam position monitor in the AWAKE facility

The AWAKE facility uses novel proton beam-driven plasma wakefields to accelerate electron bunches over 10m of Rubidium plasma. Precise monitoring of 2 diverse beam types necessitates an electron beam position monitor (BPM) working in a frequency regime of tens of GHz. A high frequency conical button-style BPM with a working regime of up to 40 GHz has been investigated as a way to discriminate the electromagnetic fields of 19 MeV, 4 ps electron bunches propagating spatially and temporally together with a 400 GeV, 170 ps proton bunch in the AWAKE common beamline. The sensitivity of the HF BPM to the electron beam position is determined under various beam conditions, with both electrons and protons, and integration with a TRIUMF front-end is discussed.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Overview of Quantum Sensing Materials and Techniques for Energy Sector Applications

The energy sector is dependent upon highly sensitive sensing devices for a wide range of applications. Variables such as temperature, pH, electromagnetic fields, and pressure must be measured with high precision, often in harsh conditions (e.g. high temperature, pressure and humidity). These sensors are deployed in infrastructure such as transformers, pipelines, mines, nuclear power plants, and other areas to ensure safe operating conditions and uninterrupted, optimized service. Moreover, new opportunities for sensors have emerged due to the expansion of smart grids/meters, driverless vehicles, and the discovery of new oil/gas deposits. The continued maturation of quantum sensors offers exciting opportunities for quantum-enhanced measurements to improve sensitivity beyond the classical limit. Here, an overview of established and emerging quantum materials and methods for sensing applications will be provided. Opportunities within the energy sector for quantum sensors will then be analyzed, including oil/gas discovery, greenhouse gas emission monitoring, pH and ion sensing, current measurements, and quantum-enhanced spectroscopy, along with barriers such as quantum sensor platform miniaturization and ruggedization. A specific project at the National Energy Technology Laboratory involving the functionalization of qubits using metal-organic frameworks for enhanced quantum sensing will then be highlighted. Here, nitrogen vacancy centers (NV) in nanodiamonds, a commercially available qubit with long coherence times and utilizable quantum properties at room temperature, are encapsulated using the metal-organic framework ZIF-8. Significantly, the ZIF-8 coating increases the longitudinal spin relaxation lifetime of the NV centers, an important parameter for spin relaxometry-based quantum sensing experiments. These results demonstrate the importance of qubit functionalization as a crucial step for rationally designing high performance quantum sensors.

Crawford, Scott↗
DOE OSTI2024

2024 OES-Environmental 2024 State of the Science Report, Chapter 9: Beyond Single Marine Renewable Energy Devices: A System-wide Effects Approach

Global expansion of renewable energy, including marine renewable energy (MRE) technology development is necessary to mitigate the effects of climate change, facilitate a sustainable transition from carbon-based energy sources, and satisfy national energy security needs using locally produced electricity (European Commission 2022; IPCC 2023; IRENA 2020). As MRE engineering and research continue to focus on designing devices for deployment in nearshore and offshore waters around the world, researchers are also examining potential environmental effects on marine animals, habitats, and ecosystem processes. To date, the focus has been on interactions between small numbers of MRE devices (1-6) and the environment, such as collisions between animals and turbine blades, the effects of underwater noise and electromagnetic field (EMF) emissions, changes in habitats and oceanographic processes, risk of entanglement of animals, and displacement of animals (Boehlert & Gill 2010; Copping & Hemery 2020) (see Chapter 3).

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2024

Hydropower Black Start: A Guidebook for Retrofitting Grid Dependent Hydropower

Not all United States (US) hydropower plants were designed to provide black start, but they are increasingly needed to uphold resilience in the evolving electric grid. This guidance is designed to help understand the minimal retrofits required for grid dependent hydropower (GDH) plants behind the point of interconnection (POI). For distribution connected hydropower plants or those with dedicated cranking paths, such upgrades can be sufficient for the plant to provide black start. For others, more coordination with the transmission system operator will be needed. This guidebook answers a number of questions relevant to retrofitting hydropower plants with black start capabilities. For example, the guidebook answers: • How flexible do the wicket gate controls need to be? • Who needs to do hydro governor model validation, why, and how? • How robust and flexible do the excitation and AVR controls need to be? • What protection settings need to be adjusted? • What relay(s) will need to be bypassed or overridden and at what risk? • What is the electrical energy demand of the station load or auxiliary power systems? • What should the strategy to energize transformer(s) along cranking path to address inrush currents be? • How should the critical load restoration be sequenced? In addition to outlining the specifications that hydropower plants need to meet for each component to be able to perform black start, this guidebook provides a set of case studies for specific upgrades needed at actual plants. Between the case studies of plants that have already performed black start retrofits and the examples of how this guidebook can be applied to scope future retrofits, five key themes have been identified for retrofit needs. 1. Protection needs “black start” mode: hydropower plants that are not designed with black start capabilities will have protections that prevent them from interconnecting to a “dead bus.” These protections will need to be overridden in every retrofit case and a separate black start mode should be established so that operators can safely switch between black start and grid connected modes, minimizing the risk to the plant. 2. Wicket gates need modern controls: digital governors accelerate the parameter tuning process and gate position sensors improve controllability, so plants with mechanical governors should be upgraded. Furthermore, a black start and islanding mode should be established for controls to maximize plant performance. 3. Robust excitation support: the DC system or excitation generator needs to be reliable enough to form and sustain the rotor electromagnetic field. These systems are typically undersized in plants that were not designed for black start, so they will need to be upgraded. 4. Turbine-governor model validation and operator training: validation of a standard hydro governor model is needed to characterize the dynamic response (i.e., inertial and primary frequency response) of the GDH. This is required for control development and old hydropower plants often have outdated or incorrect models. Operator training is also typically required to ensure the hardware retrofits are utilized correctly during the black start process. 5. Transformer and cranking path energization: any upgradation and control adjustment in front of the POI will depend upon the existing interconnection. Coordination with the transmission or distribution operator may be required.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Misalignment Tolerant Three-phase Wireless Fast Charging System for Electric Vehicles

This project proposes improving the technology level of the three-phase wireless charging technology developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Successful commercialization of wireless charging systems require that they meet strict safety standards for electromagnetic field emissions and interoperability with other wireless charging technology. ORNL has previously demonstrated a 50kW three-phase wireless power transfer system with 95% efficiency. This prototype system weighed less than 50% of similar high-power wireless charging system while simultaneously exhibiting better safety characteristics. Due to better material utilization, the reduction in mass is expected to translate into similar cost reduction for the magnetic coupler. Additionally, the smaller footprint of the system can ease vehicle integration difficulties that would be encountered using other technology. Furthermore, the three-phase design can be made to operate with existing single-phase coupler design more easily and without intentional physical misalignment which would otherwise pose safety issues.This project developed ORNL’s WPT technology to satisfy the specifications and requirements for electric vehicle (EV) charging. The result of the project will be a prototype and reference design for a high-power wireless charging system—including magnetics, power electronics, and controls—serving as a baseline for product development.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗