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At least 1,063 records · Page 59
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1992

Monolithic semiconductor light emitter and amplifier

A semiconductor light emitter comprising a substrate of a semiconductor material having a pair of opposed surfaces and a body of semiconductor material on one of the surfaces. The body includes a pair of clad layers of opposite conductivity types having an intermediate quantum well region therebetween. The clad layers are of a semiconductor material which forms a heterojunction with the material of the quantum well region. The clad layers and the quantum well region form a waveguide which extends along the body. A plurality of gain sections are formed in the body spaced along and optically coupled by the waveguide. Each of the gain sections is adapted to generate light therein when a voltage is placed thereacross. One of the gain section has gratings at each end thereof which are adapted to reflect light back into the one gain section and thereby create a beam of light. The grating between the one gain section and an adjacent gain section is adapted to allow some of the light generated in the one gain section to pass therethrough along the waveguide to the next gain section. Each of the other gain sections have gratings adjacent an end opposite the first gain sections. The periods of the grating are such that no self-oscillation of the light in the waveguide occurs so that each of the other gain sections serve as single pass amplifiers. The gratings also direct the amplified light from the other gain sections out of the body.

Carlson, Nils W.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Tunable Optical Assembly with Vibration Dampening

Since their market introduction in 1995, fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) have emerged as excellent means of measuring such parameters as strain and temperature. Distributed-grating sensing is particularly beneficial for such structural-health monitoring applications such as those of 'smart' structures or integrated vehicle health management in aerospace vehicles. Because of the variability of their output wavelengths, tunable lasers have become widely used as means of measuring FBGs. Several versions of a lightweight assembly for strain-tuning an FBG and dampening its vibrations have been constructed. The main components of such an assembly are one or more piezoelectric actuators, an optical fiber containing one or more Bragg grating(s), a Bragg-grating strain-measurement system, and a voltage source for actuation. The piezoelectric actuators are, more specifically, piezoceramic fiber composite actuators and, can be, still more specifically, of a type known in the art as macro-fiber composite (MFC) actuators. In fabrication of one version of the assembly, the optical fiber containing the Bragg grating(s) is sandwiched between the piezoelectric actuators along with an epoxy that is used to bond the optical fiber to both actuators, then the assembly is placed in a vacuum bag and kept there until the epoxy is cured. Bonding an FBG directly into an MFC actuator greatly reduces the complexity, relative to assemblies, that include piezoceramic fiber composite actuators, hinges, ferrules, and clamp blocks with setscrews. Unlike curved actuators, MFC actuators are used in a flat configuration and are less bulky. In addition, the MFC offers some vibration dampening and support for the optical fiber whereas, in a curved piezoelectric actuator assembly, the optical fiber is exposed, and there is nothing to keep the exposed portion from vibrating.

Shams, Qamar A.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Piezo activated mode tracking system for widely tunable mode-hop-free external cavity mid-IR semiconductor lasers

A widely tunable, mode-hop-free semiconductor laser operating in the mid-IR comprises a QCL laser chip having an effective QCL cavity length, a diffraction grating defining a grating angle and an external cavity length with respect to said chip, and means for controlling the QCL cavity length, the external cavity length, and the grating angle. The laser of claim 1 wherein said chip may be tuned over a range of frequencies even in the absence of an anti-reflective coating. The diffraction grating is controllably pivotable and translatable relative to said chip and the effective QCL cavity length can be adjusted by varying the injection current to the chip. The laser can be used for high resolution spectroscopic applications and multi species trace-gas detection. Mode-hopping is avoided by controlling the effective QCL cavity length, the external cavity length, and the grating angle so as to replicate a virtual pivot point.

Wysocki, Gerard↗
NASA NTRS2010

Mode Tracker for Mode-Hop-Free Operation of a Laser

A mode-tracking system that includes a mode-controlling subsystem has been incorporated into an external-cavity (EC) quantum cascade laser that operates in a mid-infrared wavelength range. The mode-tracking system makes it possible to perform mode-hop-free wavelength scans, as needed for high-resolution spectroscopy and detection of trace gases. The laser includes a gain chip, a beam-collimating lens, and a diffraction grating. The grating is mounted on a platform, the position of which can be varied to effect independent control of the EC length and the grating angle. The position actuators include a piezoelectric stage for translation control and a motorized stage for coarse rotation control equipped with a piezoelectric actuator for fine rotation control. Together, these actuators enable control of the EC length over a range of about 90 m with a resolution of 0.9 nm, and control of the grating angle over a coarse-tuning range of +/-6.3deg and a fine-tuning range of +/-520 microrad with a resolution of 10 nrad. A mirror mounted on the platform with the grating assures always the same direction of the output laser beam.

Wysocki, Gerard↗
NASA NTRS2013

High-Power Single-Mode 2.65-micron InGaAsSb/AlInGaAsSb Diode Lasers

Central to the advancement of both satellite and in-situ science are improvements in continuous-wave and pulsed infrared laser systems coupled with integrated miniaturized optics and electronics, allowing for the use of powerful, single-mode light sources aboard both satellite and unmanned aerial vehicle platforms. There is a technological gap in supplying adequate laser sources to address the mid-infrared spectral window for spectroscopic characterization of important atmospheric gases. For high-power applications between 2 to 3 micron, commercial laser technologies are unsuitable because of limitations in output power. For instance, existing InP-based laser systems developed for fiber-based telecommunications cannot be extended to wavelengths longer than 2 micron. For emission wavelengths shorter than 3 micron, intersubband devices, such as infrared quantum cascade lasers, become inefficient due to band-offset limitations. To date, successfully demonstrated singlemode GaSb-based laser diodes emitting between 2 and 3 micron have employed lossy metal Bragg gratings for distributed- feedback coupling, which limits output power due to optical absorption. By optimizing both the quantum well design and the grating fabrication process, index-coupled distributed-feedback 2.65-micron lasers capable of emitting in excess of 25 mW at room temperature have been demonstrated. Specifically, lasers at 3,777/cm (2.65 micron) have been realized to interact with strong absorption lines of HDO and other isotopologues of H2O. With minor modifications of the optical cavity and quantum well designs, lasers can be fabricated at any wavelength within the 2-to-3-micron spectral window with similar performance. At the time of this reporting, lasers with this output power and wavelength accuracy are not commercially available. Monolithic ridge-waveguide GaSb lasers were fabricated that utilize secondorder lateral Bragg gratings to generate single-mode emission from InGaAsSb/ AlInGaAsSb multi-quantum well structures. The device fabrication utilizes etched index-coupled gratings in the top AlGaAsSb cladding of the laser chip along the ridge waveguide, whereas commercial lasers that emit close to this wavelength include loss-coupled metal gratings that limit the output power of the laser. Semiconductor-laser-based spectrometers can be used to replace gas sensors currently used in industry and government. With the availability of high-power laser sources at mid-infrared wavelengths, sensors can target strong fundamental gas absorption lines to maximize instrument sensitivity.

Frez, Clifford F.↗
NASA NTRS2013

A Technology Development Roadmap for a Near-Term Probe-Class X-ray Astrophysics Mission

This document presents a roadmap, including proposed budget and schedule, for maturing the instrumentation needed for an X-ray astrophysics Probe-class mission. The Physics of the Cosmos (PCOS) Program Office was directed to create this roadmap following the December 2012 NASA Astrophysics Implementation Plan (AIP). Definition of this mission is called for in the AIP, with the possibility of selection in 2015 for a start in 2017. The overall mission capabilities and instrument performance requirements were defined in the 2010 Astronomy and Astrophysics Decadal Survey report, New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics (NWNH), in connection with the highly ranked International X-ray Observatory (IXO). In NWNH, recommendations were provided regarding the size of, and instrumentation needed by, the next large X-ray observatory. Specifically, the key instrumental capability would be an X-ray calorimeter spectrometer at the focus of a large mirror with angular resolution of 10 arc seconds (arcsec) or better. If possible, a grating spectrometer should also be incorporated into the instrument complement. In response to these recommendations, four instrumentation technologies are included in this roadmap. Three of these are critical for an X-ray mission designed to address NWNH questions: segmented X-ray mirrors, transition edge sensor calorimeters, and gratings. Two approaches are described for gratings, which represent the least mature technology and thus most in need of a parallel path for risk reduction. Also, while current CCD detectors would likely meet the mission needs for grating spectrum readout, specific improvements are included as an additional approach for achieving the grating system effective area requirement. The technical steps needed for these technologies to attain technology readiness levels (TRL) of 5 and 6 are described, as well as desirable modest risk reduction steps beyond TRL-6. All of the technology development efforts are currently funded through the NASA Physics of the Cosmos (PCOS) Strategic Astrophysics Technology (SAT) program; some through the end of FY13, others though FY14. These technology needs are those identified as critical for a near-term mission and briefly described in the 2012 NASA X-ray Mission Concepts Study. This Technology Development Roadmap (TDR) provides a more complete description of each, updates the status, and describes the steps to mature them. For each technology, a roadmap is presented for attaining TRL-6 by 2020 at the latest, and 2018 for most. The funding required for each technology to attain TRL-5 and TRL-6 is presented and justified through a description of the steps needing completion. The total funding required for these technologies to reach TRL-6 is relatively modest, and is consistent with the planned PCOS SAT funding over the next several years. The approximate annual cost through 2018 is $8M. The total cost for all technologies to be matured is $62M (including funding already awarded for FY13 and FY14). This can be contrasted to the $180M recommended by NWNH for technology development for IXO, primarily for the maturation of the mirror technology. The technology described in Section 3 of this document is exclusively that needed for a near-term Probe-class mission, to start in 2017, or for a mission that can be recommended by the next Decadal survey committee for an immediate start. It is important to note that there are other critical X-ray instrumentation technologies under development that are less mature than the ones discussed here, but are essential for a major X-ray mission that might start in the late 2020s. These technologies, described briefly in Section 4, are more appropriately funded through the Astronomy and Physics Research and Analysis (APRA) program.

Development↗
NASA NTRS2018

Index-Coupled Distributed-Feedback Semiconductor Quantum Cascade Lasers Fabricated Without Epitaxial Regrowth

Quantum cascade (QC) lasers and methods of fabricating such QC lasers are provided. The QC lasers incorporate a DFB grating without requiring the use of relying on epitaxial regrowth processes. The DFB gratings are formed as sidewall gratings along the lateral length of the QC active region, or the DFB gratings are formed atop the lateral length of the QC active region, and wherein the top DFB grating is planarized with a polymeric material.

Briggs, Ryan M.↗
DOE OSTI2015

Development of an X-Ray Talbot-Lau Moire Deflectometer of Fast Density Profile Measurements of Dense Plasmas Generated by Beam Target Interactions

For the first time an x-ray Talbot-Lau moiré deflectometer is being developed that will use a flash tube source and fast detector for dynamic density gradient measurements. In Talbot-Lau moiré deflectometry, an x-ray grating makes an mage of itself on a second grating (the Talbot effect) to produce a moiré pattern on a detector. The test object is placed between these gratings, with variations in index of refraction changing the pattern. A third grating in front of an incoherent x-ray source produces an array of coherent sources. With a 150 kV x-ray flash tube as the source, the gratings are placed in a glancing angle setup for performance at ~60 keV. The detector is a gated CCD with a fast scintillator for x-ray conversion. This diagnostic, designed for the Dual-Axis Radiographic Hydrodynamic Test facility (DARHT) at Los Alamos National Laboratory, measures the density profile of dense plasma plumes ejected from beam-target interactions. DARHT has two high-current, pulsed, inductive linear electron accelerators with bremsstrahlung targets at the end of each beam line to create 2-D radiographic images of hydrodynamic tests. One multipulse accelerator has up to four beam pulses striking the same target within 2 μs. Computer simulations that model target evolution and ejected material between pulses are used to design these targets for optimal radiographic performance; the x-ray deflectometer will directly measure density gradients in the ejected plumes and provide the first experimental constraints to these models. During the first year, currently underway, the diagnostic systems are being designed. In year two, the flash tube and fast detector will be deployed at DARHT for radiographic imaging while the deflectometer is built and tested on the bench with a continuous source. In year three, the fast deflectometer will be installed on DARHT and density measurements will be performed.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2013

Improved efficiency of photoconductive THz emitters by increasing the effective contact length of electrodes

We study the effect of a surface modification at the interface between metallic electrodes and semiconducting substrate in Semi-Insulating GaAs (SI-GaAs) based photoconductive emitters (PCE) on the emission of Tera-Hertz (THz) radiation. We partially etch out a 500 nm thick layer of SI-GaAs in grating like pattern with various periods before the contact deposition. By depositing the electrodes on the patterned surface, the electrodes follow the contour of the grating period. This increases the effective contact length of the electrodes per unit area of the active regions on the PCE. The maxima of the electric field amplitude of the THz pulses emitted from the patterned surface are enhanced by up to more than a factor 2 as compared to an un-patterned surface. We attribute this increase to the increase of the effective contact length of the electrode due to surface patterning.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

X-ray Talbot-Lau interferometer for high-speed phase imaging and tomography using white synchrotron radiation

The Talbot interferometer using white synchrotron radiation has already been demonstrated for high-speed X-ray phase imaging and tomography as well as four-dimensional phase tomography for an observation of a dynamic specimen. In those previous experiments, the grating lines were oriented horizontally because the synchrotron radiation source size is large in the horizontal direction, and only the vertical spatial coherence satisfies the requirement for the operation of the Talbot interferometer given its distance from the source. For non-rigid samples, the horizontal axis of rotation causes unwanted motion of the sample due to gravity which results to artifact in the tomography reconstruction. For fluid samples, a vertical rotation axis is certainly necessary. While it is possible to orient the sample rotation axis perpendicular to the grating lines of the Talbot interferometer, solving the definite integral of the differential phase images to obtain the phase shift for x-ray phase tomography proves to be cumbersome when the sample extends outside the image and there is no null region for which the integration constant is known. In this work we aimed at increasing the spatial coherence of the x-rays along the horizontal so that the grating lines and the sample rotation axis could be oriented vertically. A Talbot-Lau interferometer was constructed by adding an absorption grating which acted as vertical line sources of horizontally spatially coherent white synchrotron radiation to the Talbot interferometer. An average of 20% moire fringe visibility was obtained. The set-up was demonstrated for highspeed phase tomography of a polymer sample.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2014

Moiré deflectometry using the Talbot-Lau interferometer as refraction diagnostic for High Energy Density plasmas at energies below 10 keV

The highly localized density gradients expected in High Energy Density (HED) plasma experiments can be characterized by x-ray phase-contrast imaging in addition to conventional attenuation radiography. Moiré deflectometry using the Talbot-Lau grating interferometer setup is an attractive HED diagnostic due to its high sensitivity to refraction induced phase shifts. We report on the adaptation of such a system for operation in the sub-10 keV range by using a combination of free standing and ultrathin Talbot gratings. This new x-ray energy explored matches well the current x-ray backlighters used for HED experiments, while also enhancing phase effects at lower electron densities. We studied the performance of the high magnification, low energy Talbot-Lau interferometer, for single image phase retrieval using Moiré fringe deflectometry. Our laboratory and simulation studies indicate that such a device is able to retrieve object electron densities from phase shift measurements. Using laboratory x-ray sources from 7 to 15 μm size we obtained accurate simultaneous measurements of refraction and attenuation for both sharp and mild electron density gradients.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2014

Extended-range grazing-incidence spectrometer for high-resolution extreme ultraviolet measurements on an electron beam ion trap

A high-resolution grazing-incidence grating spectrometer has been implemented on the Livermore electron beam ion traps for performing very high-resolution measurements in the soft x-ray and extreme ultraviolet region spanning from below 10 Å to above 300 Å. The instrument operates without an entrance slit and focuses the light emitted by highly charged ions located in the roughly 50 μm wide electron beam onto a cryogenically cooled back-illuminated charge-coupled device detector. The measured line widths are below 0.025 Å above 100 Å, and the resolving power appears to be limited by the source size and Doppler broadening of the trapped ions. Comparisons with spectra obtained with existing grating spectrometers show an order of magnitude improvement in spectral resolution.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2015

An improved phase shift reconstruction algorithm of fringe scanning technique for X-ray microscopy

The X-ray phase imaging method has been applied to observe soft biological tissues, and it is possible to image the soft tissues by using the benefit of the so-called “Talbot effect” by an X-ray grating. One type of the X-ray phase imaging method was reported by combining an X-ray imaging microscope equipped by a Fresnel zone plate with a phase grating. Using the fringe scanning technique, a high-precision phase shift image could be obtained by displacing the grating step by step and measuring dozens of sample images. The number of the images was selected to reduce the error caused by the non-sinusoidal component of the Talbot self-image at the imaging plane. A larger number suppressed the error more but increased radiation exposure and required higher mechanical stability of equipment. In this paper, we analyze the approximation error of fringe scanning technique for the X-ray microscopy which uses just one grating and proposes an improved algorithm. We compute the approximation error by iteration and substitute that into the process of reconstruction of phase shift. This procedure will suppress the error even with few sample images. The results of simulation experiments show that the precision of phase shift image reconstructed by the proposed algorithm with 4 sample images is almost the same as that reconstructed by the conventional algorithm with 40 sample images. We also have succeeded in the experiment with real data.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2015

Angle sensitive single photon avalanche diode

An ideal light sensor would provide exact information on intensity, timing, location, and angle of incoming photons. Single photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) provide such desired high (single photon) sensitivity with precise time information and can be implemented at a pixel-scale to form an array to extract spatial information. Furthermore, recent work has demonstrated photodiode-based structures (combined with micro-lenses or diffraction gratings) that are capable of encoding both spatial and angular information of incident light. In this letter, we describe the implementation of such a grating structure on SPADs to realize a pixel-scale angle-sensitive single photon avalanche diode (A-SPAD) built in a standard CMOS process. While the underlying SPAD structure provides high sensitivity, the time information of the two layers of diffraction gratings above offers angle-sensitivity. Such a unique combination of SPAD and diffraction gratings expands the sensing dimensions to pave a path towards lens-less 3-D imaging and light-field time-of-flight imaging.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Single shot x-ray phase contrast imaging using a direct conversion microstrip detector with single photon sensitivity

X-ray phase contrast imaging enables the measurement of the electron density of a sample with high sensitivity compared to the conventional absorption contrast. This is advantageous for the study of dose-sensitive samples, in particular, for biological and medical investigations. Recent developments relaxed the requirement for the beam coherence, such that conventional X-ray sources can be used for phase contrast imaging and thus clinical applications become possible. One of the prominent phase contrast imaging methods, Talbot-Lau grating interferometry, is limited by the manufacturing, alignment, and photon absorption of the analyzer grating, which is placed in the beam path in front of the detector. We propose an alternative improved method based on direct conversion charge integrating detectors, which enables a grating interferometer to be operated without an analyzer grating. Algorithms are introduced, which resolve interference fringes with a periodicity of 4.7 μm recorded with a 25 μm pitch Si microstrip detector (GOTTHARD). The feasibility of the proposed approach is demonstrated by an experiment at the TOMCAT beamline of the Swiss Light Source on a polyethylene sample.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2014

Investigation of free charge carrier dynamics in single-crystalline CVD diamond by two-photon absorption

By using the methods of transient gratings (TGs) and induced absorption, we have studied the kinetics of plasma of free charge carriers (FCCs) created by the action of a picosecond laser pulse in two high-purity diamond single crystals synthesised from the gas phase. The gratings with different spatial periods have been excited at the wavelengths of 266 or 213 nm (above and below the fundamental absorption edge in diamond) and probed with continuous-wave radiation in the visible region. At the moderate FCC concentrations (∼7 × 10{sup 17} cm{sup -3}), the coefficient of ambipolar diffusion and the carrier recombination time of two crystals are 20.3 and 18.9 cm{sup 2} s{sup -1} and 30 and 190 ns, respectively. The increase in the carrier concentration up to 5 × 10{sup 19} cm{sup -3} reduces the TG lifetime. We have determined the conditions under which the relaxation of the grating of carriers leads to the formation of a thermal grating, with the amplitude sufficient for its experimental observation. (interaction of laser radiation with matter. laser plasma)

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Comparative analysis of two methods for calculating reflectance of black silicon

We report a detailed numerical simulation of the reflection of visible light from a sub-wavelength grating with a rectangular profile on the silicon surface. Simulation is carried out by the effective refractive index method and rigorous coupled-wave analysis. The dependences of the reflectance on the grating depth, fill factor and angle of incidence for TE and TM polarisations are obtained and analysed. Good agreement between the results obtained by the two methods for grating periods of ∼100 nm is found. The possibility of reducing the polarised light reflectance to about 1% by adjusting the depth and the grating fill factor is demonstrated. The characteristics of the Brewster effect manifestation (pseudo-Brewster angle) in the system under study are considered. The possibility of the pseudo-Brewster angle existence and its absence for both polarisations of the incident light is shown as a function of the parameters of a rectangular nanostructure on the surface. (laser applications and other topics in quantum electronics)

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Behavior of the Fused Quartz Suspended Core Acoustic Waveguide Sensor in Gamma Radiation

Previously, a fused-quartz acoustic waveguide named the suspended core waveguide with tight-field confinement in a small diameter was developed and its sensing potential in harsh environment was demonstrated with the fabricated periodic acoustic fiber Bragg grating. In this paper, the acoustic sensor was exposed to around 70 Gy/h gamma radiation at room temperature for 3550 h at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. For comparisons, a thermocouple and two optical fiber Bragg gratings were tested under the same conditions. The central frequency reading of the acoustic sensor was found to encounter a relatively fast decrease of 0.5 kHz in the first 800 hours. The reading then became stable, centering at 478.5 kHz with a fluctuation of ±0.2 kHz, and responded to small environmental temperature variations less than 1.2 °C. The major effect to the fluctuation was concluded to be radiation-induced material compaction and expansion. For optical fiber Bragg gratings, the same one-directional fast change of readings in the first 500 hours were observed as well. Although the optical gratings were able to track temperature changes, they also showed continuous drifts. The survivability and consistency of the acoustic sensor under long-term gamma radiation could lead to new sensing methods in nuclear applications.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗