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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 973 records · Page 54
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2014

Observation of spontaneous ferroelectric polarization reversal in multiferroic Mn{sub 1−x}Ni{sub x}WO{sub 4} (x ≈ 0.16)

In this Letter, we report the effect of replacing Mn{sup 2+} ions with Ni{sup 2+} on the ferroelectricity of multiferroic MnWO{sub 4} single crystals. When the amount of substitution was close to 16%, the sign of ferroelectric polarization spontaneously became negative with respect to initial dc poling field at a few degrees below T{sub C}. Neutron diffraction intensities revealed a sudden change in the underlying spiral spin ordering that occurred coincidentally with the observed sign reversal. This unusual behavior in zero magnetic fields suggests that strong competitions between the two different magnetic ions may provide an efficient route to manipulation of existing multiferroics.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

A nitrogen doped low-dislocation density free-standing single crystal diamond plate fabricated by a lift-off process

A nitrogen-doped single crystal diamond plate with a low dislocation density is fabricated by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) from a high pressure high temperature synthetic type IIa seed substrate by ion implantation and lift-off processes. To avoid sub-surface damage, the seed surface was subjected to deep ion beam etching. In addition, we introduced a nitrogen flow during the CVD step to grow low-strain diamond at a relatively high growth rate. This resulted in a plate with low birefringence and a dislocation density as low as 400 cm{sup −2}, which is the lowest reported value for a lift-off plate. Reproducing this lift-off process may allow mass-production of single crystal CVD diamond plates with low dislocation density and consistent quality.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Multiple delta doping of single crystal cubic boron nitride films heteroepitaxially grown on (001)diamonds

Phase pure cubic boron nitride (c-BN) films have been epitaxially grown on (001) diamond substrates at 900 °C. The n-type doping of c-BN epitaxial films relies on the sequential growth of nominally undoped (p-) and Si doped (n-) layers with well-controlled thickness (down to several nanometer range) in the concept of multiple delta doping. The existence of nominally undoped c-BN overgrowth separates the Si doped layers, preventing Si dopant segregation that was observed for continuously doped epitaxial c-BN films. This strategy allows doping of c-BN films can be scaled up to multiple numbers of doped layers through atomic level control of the interface in the future electronic devices. Enhanced electronic transport properties with higher hall mobility (10{sup 2} cm{sup 2}/V s) have been demonstrated at room temperature as compared to the normally continuously Si doped c-BN films.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Clean surface processing of rubrene single crystal immersed in ionic liquid by using frequency modulation atomic force microscopy

Surface processing of a rubrene single crystal immersed in ionic liquids is valuable for further development of low voltage transistors operated by an electric double layer. We performed a precise and clean surface processing based on the tip-induced dissolution of rubrene molecules at the ionic liquid/rubrene single crystal interfaces by using frequency modulation atomic force microscopy. Molecular resolution imaging revealed that the tip-induced dissolution proceeded via metastable low density states derived from the anisotropic intermolecular interactions within the crystal structure.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Upgrades of imaging x-ray crystal spectrometers for high-resolution and high-temperature plasma diagnostics on EAST

Upgrade of the imaging X-ray crystal spectrometers continues in order to fulfill the high-performance diagnostics requirements on EAST. For the tangential spectrometer, a new large pixelated two-dimensional detector was deployed on tokamaks for time-resolved X-ray imaging. This vacuum-compatible detector has an area of 83.8 × 325.3 mm{sup 2}, a framing rate over 150 Hz, and water-cooling capability for long-pulse discharges. To effectively extend the temperature limit, a double-crystal assembly was designed to replace the previous single crystals for He-like argon line measurement. The tangential spectrometer employed two crystal slices attached to a common substrate and part of He- and H-like Ar spectra could be recorded on the same detector when crystals were chosen to have similar Bragg angles. This setup cannot only extend the measurable Te up to 10 keV in the core region, but also extend the spatial coverage since He-like argon ions will be present in the outer plasma region. Similarly, crystal slices for He-like iron and argon spectra were adopted on the poloidal spectrometer. Wavelength calibration for absolute rotation velocity measurement will be studied using cadmium characteristic L-shell X-ray lines excited by plasma radiation. A Cd foil is placed before the crystal and can be inserted and retracted for in situ wavelength calibration. The Geant4 code was used to estimate X-ray fluorescence yield and optimize the thickness of the foil.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2014

Semipolar (202{sup ¯}1) GaN and InGaN quantum wells on sapphire substrates

Here, we demonstrate a process to produce planar semipolar (202{sup ¯}1) GaN templates on sapphire substrates. We obtain (202{sup ¯}1) oriented GaN by inclined c-plane sidewall growth from etched sapphire, resulting in single crystal material with on-axis x-ray diffraction linewidth below 200 arc sec. The surface, composed of (101{sup ¯}1) and (101{sup ¯}0) facets, is planarized by the chemical-mechanical polishing of full 2 in. wafers, with a final surface root mean square roughness of <0.5 nm. We then analyze facet formation and roughening mechanisms on the (202{sup ¯}1) surface and establish a growth condition in N{sub 2} carrier gas to maintain a planar surface for further device layer growth. Finally, the capability of these semipolar (202{sup ¯}1) GaN templates to produce high quality device structures is verified by the growth and characterization of InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well structures. It is expected that the methods shown here can enable the benefits of using semipolar orientations in a scalable and practical process and can be readily extended to achieve devices on surfaces using any orientation of semipolar GaN on sapphire.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Ellipsometric characterization and density-functional theory analysis of anisotropic optical properties of single-crystal α-SnS

We report on the anisotropic optical properties of single-crystal tin monosulfide (SnS). The components ε{sub a}, ε{sub b}, and ε{sub c} of the pseudodielectric-function tensor (ε)=(ε₁)+i(ε₂) spectra are taken from 0.73 to 6.45 eV by spectroscopic ellipsometry. The measured (ε) spectra are in a good agreement with the results of the calculated dielectric response from hybrid density functional theory. The (ε) spectra show the direct band-gap onset and a total of eight above-band-gap optical structures that are associated with the interband-transition critical points (CPs). We obtain accurate CP energies by fitting analytic CP expressions to second-energy-derivatives of the (ε) data. Their probable electronic origins and implications for photovoltaic applications are discussed.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Plasma etching of superconducting Niobium tips for scanning tunneling microscopy

We have developed a reproducible technique for the fabrication of sharp superconducting Nb tips for scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and scanning tunneling spectroscopy. Sections of Nb wire with 250 μm diameter are dry etched in an SF₆ plasma in a Reactive Ion Etcher. The gas pressure, etching time, and applied power are chosen to control the ratio of isotropic to anisotropic etch rates and produce the desired tip shape. The resulting tips are atomically sharp, with radii of less than 100 nm, mechanically stable, and superconducting. They generate good STM images and spectroscopy on single crystal samples of Au(111), Au(100), and Nb(100), as well as a doped topological insulator Bi₂Se₃ at temperatures ranging from 30 mK to 9 K.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Direct observation of intrinsic piezoelectricity of Pb(Zr,Ti)O{sub 3} by time-resolved x-ray diffraction measurement using single-crystalline films

Lead zirconate titanate, Pb(Zr,Ti)O{sub 3} or PZT, is one of the most widely investigated ferroelectric and piezoelectric materials due to its superior properties. However, the intrinsic properties of PZT have not been directly measured due to the lack of fabrication of single crystals even though a basic understanding of intrinsic properties has been of interest developing lead-free piezoelectric materials. We demonstrated the direct observation of the intrinsic piezoelectric property by means of the detection of electric-field induced crystal lattice distortion of thick Pb(Zr{sub 0.35}Ti{sub 0.65})O{sub 3} single-crystalline films with single polar-axis orientation and negligible residual strain using the time-resolved X-ray diffraction (XRD) together with the polarization response. Consequently, the effective converse piezoelectric response was experimentally revealed; hence, the electrostrictive coefficient, which is the conversion coefficient between the electrical and mechanical response, was determined. The obtained effective electrostrictive coefficient was 5.2–6.3 × 10{sup −2} m{sup 4}/C{sup 2}, which agrees with theoretical prediction.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Magnetic properties of Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4} film with a coexistence of two preferential orientations

A Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4} film with a coexistence of two preferential orientations has been grown on a Pt(111)//Si(100) substrate by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. The structural characteristics and chemical compositions of the film are investigated by using X-ray diffraction, Raman, and X-ray photoelectron spectra in detail. Together with the magnetic tests, the film is demonstrated to be a polycrystalline hausmannite Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4} with no other impurities. Moreover, the hysteresis loops of the film are found to display a step or a characteristic shrinking at low fields. On the other hand, similar magnetic characteristics have also been discovered on the film with two phases grown on a MgAl{sub 2}O{sub 4}(001) substrate. In our opinion, considering the large magnetocrystalline anisotropy and shape anisotropy of the single crystal Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4} film reported in previous works, the special structures and phases of the two films result in both of them as soft+hard magnetic composites, in agreement with some other reports.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Shock wave compression of hexagonal-close-packed metal single crystals: Time-dependent, anisotropic elastic-plastic response of beryllium

Understanding and modeling the response of hcp metals to high stress impulsive loading is challenging because the lower crystal symmetry, compared to cubic metals, results in a significantly more complex material response. To gain insight into the inelastic deformation of hcp metals subjected to high dynamic stresses, shock wave compression of single crystals provides a useful approach because different inelastic deformation mechanisms can be examined selectively by shock compression along different crystal orientations. As a representative example, we report, here, on wave propagation simulations for beryllium (Be) single crystals shocked along the c-axis, a-axis, and several low-symmetry directions to peak stresses reaching 7 GPa. The simulations utilized a time-dependent, anisotropic material model that incorporated dislocation dynamics, deformation twinning, and shear cracking based descriptions of inelastic deformation. The simulation results showed good overall agreement with measured wave profiles for all the different crystal orientations examined [Pope and Johnson, J. Appl. Phys. 46, 720 (1975)], including features arising from wave mode coupling due to the highly anisotropic inelastic response of Be. This good agreement demonstrates that the measured profiles can be understood in terms of dislocation slip along basal, prismatic, and pyramidal planes, together with deformation twinning along (101{sup ¯}2) planes. Our results show that the response of shocked Be single crystals involves the simultaneous operation of multiple, distinct inelastic deformation mechanisms for all orientations except the c-axis. For shocked c-axis Be, the measured wave profiles do not provide good discrimination between pyramidal slip and other inelastic deformation mechanisms, such as shear cracking. The findings presented here provide insight into the complex inelastic deformation response of shocked Be single crystals and are expected to be useful for other hcp crystals. More broadly, the present work demonstrates the potential of shock wave propagation along low-symmetry directions to examine, and discriminate between, different inelastic deformation mechanisms in crystalline solids.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Magnetic properties of Sm-Co thin films grown on MgO(100) deposited from a single alloy target

We have grown epitaxial Sm-Co thin films by sputter deposition from a single alloy target with a nominal SmCo{sub 5} composition on Cr(100)-buffered MgO(100) single-crystal substrates. By varying the Ar gas pressure, we can change the composition of the film from a SmCo{sub 5}-like to a Sm{sub 2}Co{sub 7}-like phase. The composition, crystal structure, morphology, and magnetic properties of these films have been determined using Rutherford Backscattering, X-ray diffraction, and magnetization measurements. We find that we can grow films with, at room temperature, coercive fields as high as 3.3 T, but with a remanent magnetization which is lower than can be expected from the texturing. This appears to be due to the Sm content of the films, which is higher than expected from the content of the target, even at the lowest possible sputtering pressures. Moreover, we find relatively large variations of film properties using targets of nominally the same composition. At low temperatures, the coercive fields increase, as expected for these hard magnets, but in the magnetization, we observe a strong background signal from the paramagnetic impurities in the MgO substrates.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

In situ anodization of aluminum surfaces studied by x-ray reflectivity and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy

We present results from the anodization of an aluminum single crystal [Al(111)] and an aluminum alloy [Al 6060] studied by in situ x-ray reflectivity, in situ electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and ex situ scanning electron microscopy. For both samples, a linear increase of oxide film thickness with increasing anodization voltage was found. However, the slope is much higher in the single crystal case, and the break-up of the oxide film grown on the alloy occurs at a lower anodization potential than on the single crystal. The reasons for these observations are discussed as are the measured differences observed for x-ray reflectivity and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

X-ray polarization splitting by a single crystal evaluated with synchrotron x-rays

In hexagonal crystals such as quartz, an asymmetric Bragg reflection from two equivalent internal crystal planes can separate unpolarized x-rays into two linearly polarized components. The perfectly polarized and tunable x-rays from a synchrotron are ideal to evaluate polarization spitting in detail. One unanticipated feature is that additional reflections from the crystal affect the diffraction intensity of the two polarized components, an effect that is unlikely to matter in polarization spectroscopy of radiating plasmas for which the crystal is intended.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2014

Fermi level pinning in Fe-doped PbTe under pressure

We synthesize an iron-doped PbTe single-crystal ingot and investigate the phase and the elemental composition as well as galvanomagnetic properties in weak magnetic fields (4.2 K≤T≤300 K, B ≤ 0.07 T) of Pb{sub 1−y}Fe{sub y}Te alloys upon varying the iron content, at atmospheric pressure and under hydrostatic compression up to 10 kilobars. We find an increase of iron concentration along the length of the ingot and the appearance of microscopic inclusions enriched with iron in the heavily doped samples. Lightly doped alloys are characterized by the p-type metal conductivity. An increase of the iron impurity content leads to a decrease in the free hole concentration, a stabilization of galvanomagnetic parameters, indicating the pinning of the Fermi energy by the iron resonant impurity level lying under the bottom of the valence band, and to the p-n inversion of the conductivity type. Under pressure, the free hole concentration in the sample, in which the stabilization of galvanomagnetic parameters takes place, increases by approximately a factor of four due to the flow of electrons from the valence band to the iron-induced resonant level. Using the two-band Kane and the six-band Dimmock dispersion relations, the pressure dependence of the Fermi energy is calculated. The model of the electronic structure rearrangement of Pb{sub 1−y}Fe{sub y}Te under pressure is proposed. The energy position and the pressure coefficient of the resonant iron impurity level are determined.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Tailoring of crystal phase and Néel temperature of cobalt monoxides nanocrystals with synthetic approach conditions

Cobalt monoxide (CoO) nanocrystals were synthesized by thermal decomposition of cobalt oleate precursor in a high boiling point organic solvent 1-octadecene. The X-ray diffraction pattern and transmission electron microscopy studies suggest that pure face-centered-cubic (fcc) phase of CoO can be synthesized in the temperature range of 569–575 K. Thermolysis product at higher synthesis temperature 585 K is a mixture of fcc and hexagonal-closed-packed (hcp) phases. These nanocrystals are single crystals of CoO and exhibit mixture of two types of morphologies; one is nearly spherical with 5–25 nm diameter, and other one is 5–10 nm thick flake. The pure fcc-CoO nanocrystals show enhanced, and mixture of fcc- and hcp-CoO nanocrystals show reduced antiferromagnetic ordering temperature. Such results provide new opportunities for optimizing and enhancing the properties and performance of cobalt oxide nanomaterials.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Highly constrained ferroelectric [BaTiO{sub 3}]{sub (1−x)Λ}/[BaZrO{sub 3}]{sub xΛ} superlattices: X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy

We report an x-ray diffraction (XRD) and a Raman-scattering investigation of ferroelectric/paraelectric superlattices [BaTiO{sub 3}] {sub (1−x)Λ}/[BaZrO{sub 3}]{sub xΛ} for which the composition varied, 0.15 ≤ x ≤ 0.85, while the superlattice (SL) modulation period Λ was kept constant at about 100 Å. The samples were epitaxially grown by pulsed laser deposition on MgO substrates buffered with La{sub 0.5}Sr{sub 0.5}CoO{sub 3}. Based on the XRD analysis and on polarized Raman spectra, we have showed that the large strain in SLs induced ferroelectricity in BaZrO{sub 3} (BZ) for all SLs, a material that is paraelectric in the bulk form at any temperature and in the single film. The induced polar axis in BZ layers is perpendicular to the plane of substrate while BaTiO{sub 3} (BT) layers exhibit in-plane polar orientation. Raman spectroscopy revealed a lattice ordering in SLs due to the misfit strain generated by the large lattice mismatch between the alternating BZ and BT layers. This strain induced a huge upward frequency of the lowest E(1TO) soft mode from 60 cm{sup −1} in the BT single film to 215 cm{sup −1} in the SL with x = 0.85. These results show that in spite of relatively large periodicity of SLs, they are highly constrained and the variation of BZ ratio allowed modifying strains between layers. The temperature dependence of the Raman spectra for BT{sub 0.3Λ}/BZ{sub 0.7Λ} and BT{sub 0.7Λ}/BZ{sub 0.3Λ} samples revealed giant shift of the ferroelectric phase transition. The phase transition temperature was found to be upshifted by about 300 °C with respect to BT single crystal.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗