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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 1,171 records · Page 65
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2019

Nanoscale transfer of angular momentum mediated by the Casimir torque

Casimir interactions play an important role in the dynamics of nanoscale objects. Here, we investigate the noncontact transfer of angular momentum at the nanoscale through the analysis of the Casimir torque acting on a chain of rotating nanoparticles. We show that this interaction, which arises from the vacuum and thermal fluctuations of the electromagnetic field, enables an efficient transfer of angular momentum between the elements of the chain. Working within the framework of fluctuational electrodynamics, we derive analytical expressions for the Casimir torque acting on each nanoparticle in the chain, which we use to study the synchronization of chains with different geometries and to predict unexpected dynamics, including a “rattleback”-like behavior. Our results provide insights into the Casimir torque and how it can be exploited to achieve efficient noncontact transfer of angular momentum at the nanoscale, and therefore have important implications for the control and manipulation of nanomechanical devices.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2022

First-principles theory of the rate of magnetic reconnection in magnetospheric and solar plasmas

Abstract The rate of magnetic reconnection is of the utmost importance in a variety of processes because it controls, for example, the rate energy is released in solar flares, the speed of the Dungey convection cycle in Earth’s magnetosphere, and the energy release rate in harmful geomagnetic substorms. It is known from numerical simulations and satellite observations that the rate is approximately 0.1 in normalized units, but despite years of effort, a full theoretical prediction has not been obtained. Here, we present a first-principles theory for the reconnection rate in non-relativistic electron-ion collisionless plasmas, and show that the same prediction explains why Sweet-Parker reconnection is considerably slower. The key consideration of this analysis is the pressure at the reconnection site (i.e., the x-line). We show that the Hall electromagnetic fields in antiparallel reconnection cause an energy void, equivalently a pressure depletion, at the x-line, so the reconnection exhaust opens out, enabling the fast rate of 0.1. If the energy can reach the x-line to replenish the pressure, the exhaust does not open out. In addition to heliospheric applications, these results are expected to impact reconnection studies in planetary magnetospheres, magnetically confined fusion devices, and astrophysical plasmas.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

X-ray free-electron lasing in a flying-focus undulator

Laser-driven free-electron lasers (LDFELs) replace magnetostatic undulators with the electromagnetic fields of a laser pulse. Because the undulator period is half the wavelength of the laser pulse, LDFELs can amplify X rays using lower electron energies and over shorter interaction lengths than a traditional free-electron laser. In LDFELs driven by conventional laser pulses, the undulator uniformity required for high gain necessitates large laser-pulse energies. Here, we show that a flying-focus pulse provides the undulator uniformity required to reach high gain with a substantially lower energy than a conventional pulse. The flying-focus pulse features an intensity peak that travels in the opposite direction of its phase fronts. This enables an LDFEL configuration where an electron beam collides head-on with the phase fronts and experiences a near-constant undulator strength as it co-propagates with the intensity peak. Three-dimensional simulations of this configuration demonstrate the generation of megawatts of coherent X-ray radiation with 20 × less energy than a conventional laser pulse.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Polarization selective phase-change nanomodulator

Manipulating optical signals below the diffraction limit is crucial for next-generation data-storage and telecommunication technologies. Although controlling the flow of light around nanoscale waveguides was achieved over a decade ago, modulating optical signals at terahertz frequencies within nanoscale volumes remains a challenge. Since the physics underlying any modulator relies on changes in dielectric properties, the incorporation of strongly electron-correlated materials (SECMs) has been proposed because they can exhibit orders of magnitude changes in electrical and optical properties with modest thermal, electrical or optical trigger signals. Here we demonstrate a hybrid nanomodulator of deep sub-wavelength dimensions with an active volume of only 0.002 µm 3 by spatially confining light on the nanometre length scale using a plasmonic nanostructure while simultaneously controlling the reactive near-field environment at its optical focus with a single, precisely positioned SECM nanostructure. Since the nanomodulator functionality hinges on this near-field electromagnetic interaction, the modulation is also selectively responsive to polarization. Lastly, this architecture suggests one path for designing reconfigurable optoelectronic building blocks with responses that can be tailored with exquisite precision by varying size, geometry, and the intrinsic materials properties of the hybrid elements.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Nanoscale mapping of plasmon and exciton in ZnO tetrapods coupled with Au nanoparticles

Metallic nanoparticles can be used to enhance optical absorption or emission in semiconductors, thanks to a strong interaction of collective excitations of free charges (plasmons) with electromagnetic fields. Herein we present direct imaging at the nanoscale of plasmon-exciton coupling in Au/ZnO nanostructures by combining scanning transmission electron energy loss and cathodoluminescence spectroscopy and mapping. The Au nanoparticles (~30 nm in diameter) are grown in-situ on ZnO nanotetrapods by means of a photochemical process without the need of binding agents or capping molecules, resulting in clean interfaces. Interestingly, the Au plasmon resonance is localized at the Au/vacuum interface, rather than presenting an isotropic distribution around the nanoparticle. Moreover, on the contrary, a localization of the ZnO signal has been observed inside the Au nanoparticle, as also confirmed by numerical simulations.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Plasmonic Au nanoparticles embedding enhances the activity and stability of CdS for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

A composite photocatalyst of embedding plasmonic Au nanoparticle into CdS (Au@CdS) was prepared with a cysteine-assisted hydrothermal approach. This structure could take fully advantage of electromagnetic fields at the surface of the Au nanoparticles under visible light illumination. The photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity of CdS could be significantly improved. Without the use of any other metal or metal oxide as cocatalysts, the quantum efficiency can reach 12.1 % over 0.5%Au@CdS at 420 nm. When using 0.1%Pt as a cocatalyst, the quantum efficiency of 0.5%Au@CdS can be further improved to 45.6%. This efficiency can be maintained more than 100 h in the test 12 days, exhibiting a relatively high stability. Photoluminescence (PL) characterization shows that the formation rate of photoexcited e-/h+ was dramatically increased when Au nanoparticles were embedded into CdS. Time-resolved PL measurement shows that Au@CdS also has a longer luminescence lifetime than that of CdS, reflecting that the photoexcited electrons in Au@CdS be with much longer lifetime to reduce H+ forming H2. All these enhancements can be attributed to the effective energy transfer between the Au surface and CdS due to the well matched composite nanostructure. Dr. Xiang Wang gratefully acknowledges the US Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Biosciences Division for the support of this work.

Au nanoparticles↗
DOE OSTI2017

Imaging out-of-plane polarized emission patterns on gap mode SERS substrates: from high molecular coverage to the single molecule regime

Gap mode surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates are created when a single nanoparticle is deposited on a thin metal film, creating a region of significant electromagnetic field enhancement in the gap between the nanoparticle and the film due to excitation of a vertically-oriented, out-of-plane dipole plasmon mode, e.g. the gap plasmon. When molecules are located in the gap and couple to the gap plasmon mode, the resulting emission is polarized perpendicular to the thin film, generating SERS emission patterns that have a characteristic donut shape. We analyze these SERS emission patterns using a dipole emission model and extract out-of-plane and in-plane emission angles associated with the gap plasmon mode. Fluctuations in both of these angles reveal dynamic heterogeneity due to molecular motion within the hot spot that changes as a function of molecular coverage. We also reveal static heterogeneity associated with structural defects in the thin film component of the gap mode substrates, indicating that even nanometer-scale surface roughness can impact the quality of gap mode emission.

Chemistry↗
DOE OSTI2022

Angle-resolved polarimetry of hybrid perovskite emission for photonic technologies

Coupling between light and matter strongly depends on the polarization of the electromagnetic field and the nature of excitations in a material. As hybrid perovskites emerge as a promising class of materials for light-based technologies such as LEDs, LASERs, and photodetectors, it is critical to understand how their microstructure changes the intrinsic properties of the photon emission process. While the majority of optical studies have focused on the spectral content, quantum efficiency and lifetimes of emission in various hybrid perovskite thin films and nanostructures, few studies have investigated other properties of the emitted photons such as polarization and emission angle. Here, we use angle-resolved cathodoluminescence microscopy to access the full polarization state of photons emitted from large-grain hybrid perovskite films with spatial resolution well below the optical diffraction limit. In this work, mapping these Stokes parameters as a function of the angle at which the photons are emitted from the thin film surface, we reveal the effect of a grain boundary on the degree of polarization and angle at which the photons are emitted. Such studies of angle- and polarization-resolved emission at the single grain level are necessary for future development of perovskite-based flat optics, where effects of grain boundaries and interfaces need to be mitigated.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2012

Drifting localization of ionization runaway: Unraveling the nature of anomalous transport in high power impulse magnetron sputtering

The plasma over a magnetron's erosion ''racetrack'' is not azimuthally uniform but concentrated in distinct dense ionization zones which move in the ExB direction with about 10% of the electron ExB/B{sup 2} drift velocity. The ionization zones are investigated with a gated camera working in concert with a streak camera for Al, Nb, Cu, and W targets in Ar or Kr background gas. It is found that each ionization zone has a high plasma density edge, which is the origin of a plasma-generating electron jet leaving the target zone. Each region of strong azimuthal plasma density gradient generates an azimuthal electric field, which promotes the escape of magnetized electrons and the formation of electron jets and plasma flares. The phenomena are proposed to be caused by an ionization instability where each dense plasma zone exhibits a high stopping power for drifting high energy electrons, thereby enhancing itself.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

An air flow sensor for neonatal mechanical ventilation applications based on a novel fiber-optic sensing technique

In this work, a simple and low-cost air flow sensor, based on a novel fiber-optic sensing technique has been developed for monitoring air flows rates supplied by a neonatal ventilator to support infants in intensive care units. The device is based on a fiber optic sensing technique allowing (a) the immunity to light intensity variations independent by measurand and (b) the reduction of typical shortcomings affecting all biomedical fields (electromagnetic interference and patient electrical safety). The sensing principle is based on the measurement of transversal displacement of an emitting fiber-optic cantilever due to action of air flow acting on it; the fiber tip displacement is measured by means of a photodiode linear array, placed in front of the entrance face of the emitting optical fiber in order to detect its light intensity profile. As the measurement system is based on a detection of the illumination pattern, and not on an intensity modulation technique, it results less sensitive to light intensity fluctuation independent by measurand than intensity-based sensors. The considered technique is here adopted in order to develop two different configurations for an air flow sensor suitable for the measurement of air flow rates typically occurring during mechanical ventilation of newborns: a mono-directional and a bi-directional transducer have been proposed. A mathematical model for the air flow sensor is here proposed and a static calibration of two different arrangements has been performed: a measurement range up to 3.00 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -4} m{sup 3}/s (18.0 l/min) for the mono-directional sensor and a measurement range of {+-}3.00 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -4} m{sup 3}/s ({+-}18.0 l/min) for the bi-directional sensor are experimentally evaluated, according to the air flow rates normally encountered during tidal breathing of infants with a mass lower than 10 kg. Experimental data of static calibration result in accordance with the proposed theoretical model: for the mono-directional configuration, the coefficient of determination r{sup 2} is equal to 0.997; for the bi-directional configuration, the coefficient of determination r{sup 2} is equal to 0.990 for positive flows (inspiration) and 0.988 for negative flows (expiration). Measurement uncertainty {delta}Q of air flow rate has been evaluated by means of the propagation of distributions and the percentage error in the arrangement of bi-directional sensor ranges from a minimum of about 0.5% at -18.0 l/min to a maximum of about 9% at -12.0 l/min.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2013

Towards an electro-magnetic field separation of deposited material implemented in an ion beam sputter process

Nowadays, Ion Beam Sputter (IBS) processes are very well optimized on an empirical basis. To achieve further progresses, a modification of the IBS process by guiding the coating material using an axial magnetic field and an additional electrical field has been studied. The electro-magnetic (EM) field leads to a significant change in plasma properties and deposition rate distributions, whereas an increase in deposition rate along the centerline of the axial EM field around 150% was observed. These fundamental studies on the prototype are the basis for the development of an applicable and workable design of a separation device.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2013

Control of light polarization using optically spin-injected vertical external cavity surface emitting lasers

We fabricated and characterized an optically pumped (100)-oriented InGaAs/GaAsP multiple quantum well Vertical External Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VECSEL). The structure is designed to allow the integration of a Metal-Tunnel-Junction ferromagnetic spin-injector for future electrical injection. We report here the control at room temperature of the electromagnetic field polarization using optical spin injection in the active medium of the VECSEL. The switching between two highly circular polarization states had been demonstrated using an M-shaped extended cavity in multi-modes lasing. This result witnesses an efficient spin-injection in the active medium of the LASER.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2014

Linear and nonlinear physics of the magnetoacoustic cyclotron instability of fusion-born ions in relation to ion cyclotron emission

The magnetoacoustic cyclotron instability (MCI) probably underlies observations of ion cyclotron emission (ICE) from energetic ion populations in tokamak plasmas, including fusion-born alpha-particles in JET and TFTR [Dendy et al., Nucl. Fusion 35, 1733 (1995)]. ICE is a potential diagnostic for lost alpha-particles in ITER; furthermore, the MCI is representative of a class of collective instabilities, which may result in the partial channelling of the free energy of energetic ions into radiation, and away from collisional heating of the plasma. Deep understanding of the MCI is thus of substantial practical interest for fusion, and the hybrid approximation for the plasma, where ions are treated as particles and electrons as a neutralising massless fluid, offers an attractive way forward. The hybrid simulations presented here access MCI physics that arises on timescales longer than can be addressed by fully kinetic particle-in-cell simulations and by analytical linear theory, which the present simulations largely corroborate. Our results go further than previous studies by entering into the nonlinear stage of the MCI, which shows novel features. These include stronger drive at low cyclotron harmonics, the re-energisation of the alpha-particle population, self-modulation of the phase shift between the electrostatic and electromagnetic components, and coupling between low and high frequency modes of the excited electromagnetic field.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Dependence of electron trapping on bubble geometry in laser-plasma wakefield acceleration

The effect of bubble shape in laser-plasma electron acceleration was investigated. We showed the general existence of an ellipsoid bubble. The electromagnetic field in this bubble and its dependence on bubble shape were determined through theory. The electron-trapping cross-section for different bubble aspect ratios was studied in detail. When the shape of the bubble was close to spherical, the trapping cross-section reached to the maximum. When the bubble deviated from a spherical shape, the cross-section decreased until electron injection no longer occurred. These results were confirmed by particle-in-cell simulation.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗