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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 127 records · Page 7
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DOE OSTI2025

Precision gyroscope from the helicity of light

We describe a gyroscope that measures rotation based on the effects of the rotation on the polarization of light. Rotation induces a differential phase shift in the propagation of left- and right-circularly polarized light and this phase shift can be measured in suitably designed interferometric setups. The signal in this setup is independent of the frequency of light, unlike various sources of noise such as vibrations, which cause phase shifts that depend on the frequency. Such vibrations are the practical limit on the sensitivity of conventional Sagnac-style optical interferometers that are typically used as gyroscopes. In the proposed setup, one can potentially mitigate this source of noise by simultaneously using two (or more) sources of light that have different frequencies. The signal in this setup scales with the total storage time of the light. Due to its frequency independence, it is thus most optimal to measure the signal using superconducting radio-frequency systems where the high finesse of the available cavities enables considerably longer storage times than is possible in an optical setup.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2021

Improved optical standing-wave beam splitters for dilute Bose–Einstein condensates

Bose–Einstein condensate (BEC)-based atom interferometry exploits low temperatures and long coherence lengths to facilitate high-precision measurements. Progress in atom interferometry promises improvements in navigational devices like gyroscopes and accelerometers, as well as applications in fundamental physics such as accurate determination of physical constants. Previous work demonstrates that beam splitters and mirrors for coherent manipulation of dilute BEC momentum in atom interferometers can be implemented with sequences of non-resonant standing-wave light pulses. While previous work focuses on the optimization of the optical pulses’ amplitude and duration to produce high-order momentum states with high fidelity, we explore how varying the shape of the optical pulses affects optimal beam-splitter performance, as well as the effect of pulse shape on the sensitivity of optimized parameters in achieving high fidelity in high-momentum states. Here, in simulations of two-pulse beam splitters utilizing optimized square, triangle, and sinc-squared pulse shapes applied to dilute BECs, we, in some cases, reduce parameter sensitivity by an order of magnitude while maintaining fidelity.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Design considerations for an ultrahigh-bandwidth Phase Contrast Imaging system applied to fusion grade devices

Abstract The PCI diagnostic is an internal reference interferometer that creates an image of absolutely calibrated electron density fluctuations integrated along the line of sight of the probing light beam. While conventional PCI diagnostics installed on fusion experiments worldwide employ light of wavelength equal to 10.59 μm, the same system using light at 1.55 μm wavelength would extend the spectral response in wave-number and frequency by factors of seven and over one hundred, respectively, thereby potentially providing quantitative measurements of the internal structure of density perturbations induced by either turbulent or radio-frequency waves, simultaneously covering ion to electron gyro-radius scales up to the GHz frequency region. Based on a previously developed 1.55 μm PCI prototype system, constraints to the design for such a diagnostic in fusion grade devices are presented and compared to those faced with the conventional method.

Instruments & Instrumentation↗
DOE OSTI2023

Modular chip-integrated photonic control of artificial atoms in diamond waveguides

A central goal in creating long-distance quantum networks and distributed quantum computing is the development of interconnected and individually controlled qubit nodes. Atom-like emitters in diamond have emerged as a leading system for optically networked quantum memories, motivating the development of visible-spectrum, multi-channel photonic integrated circuit (PIC) systems for scalable atom control. However, it has remained an open challenge to realize optical programmability with a qubit layer that can achieve high optical detection probability over many optical channels. Here, we address this problem by introducing a modular architecture of piezoelectrically actuated atom-control PICs (APICs) and artificial atoms embedded in diamond nanostructures designed for high-efficiency free-space collection. The high-speed four-channel APIC is based on a splitting tree mesh with triple-phase shifter Mach–Zehnder interferometers. This design simultaneously achieves optically broadband operation at visible wavelengths, high-fidelity switching (>40dB) at low voltages, submicrosecond modulation timescales (>30MHz), and minimal channel-to-channel crosstalk for repeatable optical pulse carving. Via a reconfigurable free-space interconnect, we use the APIC to address single silicon vacancy color centers in individual diamond waveguides with inverse tapered couplers, achieving efficient single photon detection probabilities (∼15%) and second-order autocorrelation measurements g (2) (0)<0.14 for all channels. The modularity of this distributed APIC–quantum memory system simplifies the quantum control problem, potentially enabling further scaling to thousands of channels.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2022

Time-resolved velocity and ion sound speed measurements from simultaneous bow shock imaging and inductive probe measurements

We present a technique to measure the time-resolved velocity and ion sound speed in magnetized, supersonic high-energy-density plasmas. We place an inductive (“b-dot”) probe in a supersonic pulsed-power-driven plasma flow and measure the magnetic field advected by the plasma. As the magnetic Reynolds number is large (R M > 10), the plasma flow advects a magnetic field proportional to the current at the load. This enables us to estimate the flow velocity as a function of time from the delay between the current at the load and the signal at the probe. The supersonic flow also generates a hydrodynamic bow shock around the probe, the structure of which depends on the upstream sonic Mach number. By imaging the shock around the probe with a Mach–Zehnder interferometer, we determine the upstream Mach number from the shock Mach angle, which we then use to determine the ion sound speed from the known upstream velocity. We use the sound speed to infer the value of Z̄T e , where Z̄ is the average ionization and T e is the electron temperature. We use this diagnostic to measure the time-resolved velocity and sound speed of a supersonic (M S ~ 8), super-Alfvénic (M A ~ 2) aluminum plasma generated during the ablation stage of an exploding wire array on the Magpie generator (1.4 MA, 250 ns). The velocity and Z̄T e measurements agree well with the optical Thompson scattering measurements reported in the literature and with 3D resistive magnetohydrodynamic simulations in GORGON.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2022

Real-time measurement of parametric influences on the refractive index and length changes in silica optical fibers

In this paper, we present a simple cascaded Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) that can be used to measure in real-time the refractive index (RI) and length variation in silica optical fibers caused due to external physical parameters, such as temperature, strain, and radiation. As a proof-of-concept, we experimentally demonstrate real-time monitoring of temperature effects on the RI and length and measure the thermo-optic coefficient (TOC) and thermal expansion coefficient (TEC) by using the cascaded FPI within a temperature range of 21–486°C. The experimental results provide a TEC of 5.53 × 10 −7 /°C and TOC of 4.28 × 10 −6 /°C within the specified temperature range. Such a simple cascaded FPI structure will enable the design of optical sensors to correct for measurement errors by understanding the change in RI and length of optical fiber caused by environment parameters.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2020

High-contrast Thermal Infrared Spectroscopy with ALES: The 3–4 μm Spectrum of κ Andromedae b

We present the first L-band (2.8–4.1 μm) spectroscopy of κ Andromedae b, a ~20 M Jup companion orbiting at 1" projected separation from its B9-type stellar host. We combine our Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) Arizona Lenslets for Exoplanet Spectroscopy (ALES) integral field spectrograph data with measurements from other instruments to analyze the atmosphere and physical characteristics of κ And b. We report a discrepancy of ~20% (2σ) in the L' flux of κ And b when comparing to previously published values. We add an additional L' constraint using an unpublished imaging data set collected in 2013 using the LBT Interferometer/LMIRCam, the instrument in which the ALES module has been built. The LMIRCam measurement is consistent with the ALES measurement, both suggesting a fainter L-band scaling than previous studies. The data, assuming the flux scaling measured by ALES and LMIRCam imaging, are well fit by an L3-type brown dwarf. Atmospheric model fits to measurements spanning 0.9–4.8 μm reveal some tension with the predictions of evolutionary models, but the proper choice of cloud parameters can provide some relief. In particular, models with clouds extending to very low pressures composed of grains ≤1 μm appear to be necessary. If the brighter L' photometry is accurate, there is a hint that subsolar metallicity may be required.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

A Fast Radio Burst Backend for the Tianlai Dish Pathfinder Array

The Tianlai Dish Pathfinder Array is a radio interferometer array consisting of 16 six-meter dish antennas. The original digital backend integration time is at the seconds level, designed for H I intensity mapping experiment. A new digital backend with millisecond response is added to enable it to search for fast radio burst during its observations. The design and calibration of this backend, and the real time search pipeline for it are described in this paper. It is capable of forming 16 digital beams for each linear polarization, covering an area of 19.6 square degrees. The search pipeline is capable of searching for, recording and classifying FRBs automatically in real time. Finally, in commissioning, we succeeded in capturing the signal pulses from the pulsars PSR B0329+54 and B2021+51.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2021

A Multiplexed Hybrid Velocimeter

Optical velocimetry systems play a crucial role in studying the dynamic behavior of materials under extreme conditions. Two prominent systems used at the Nevada National Security Site are the velocity interferometer system for any reflector(VISAR) and the photon Doppler velocimeter (PDV) system. Their ability to accurately measure surface motion ranging from 0 to > 20km=s without interacting with material flow enables experimenters to construct thermodynamic equations of state for materials of interest. A number of modifications to VISAR and PDV have taken place over the past five decades, leading to improved performance, increased recording capacity, and a reduction in operational burden. Prior efforts to develop a hybrid velocimeter combining the advantages of both PDV and VISAR into a single diagnostic did not take into account progress in PDV technology or new optical components that had not been developed. This thesis describes the design and implementation of a multiplexed hybrid velocimeter (MHV) based on time-multiplexing techniques, an optical hybrid, and polarization-maintaining fiber and components. Data from experiments, compared with current velocity systems, serve to demonstrate the hybrid's performance.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2021

Pipeline Monitoring Using Highly Sensitive Vibration Sensor Based on Fiber Ring Cavity Laser

A vibration fiber sensor based on a fiber ring cavity laser and an interferometer based single-mode-multimode-single-mode (SMS) fiber structure is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The SMS fiber sensor is positioned within the laser cavity, where the ring laser lasing wavelength can be swept to an optimized wavelength using a simple fiber loop design. To obtain a better signal-to-noise ratio, the ring laser lasing wavelength is tuned to the maximum gain region biasing point of the SMS transmission spectrum. A wide range of vibration frequencies from 10 Hz to 400 kHz are experimentally demonstrated. In addition, the proposed highly sensitive vibration sensor system was deployed in a field-test scenario for pipeline acoustic emission monitoring. An SMS fiber sensor is mounted on an 18” diameter pipeline, and vibrations were induced at different locations using a piezoelectric transducer. The proposed method was shown to be capable of real-time pipeline vibration monitoring.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2023

Truncated non-linear interferometer-based sensor system

A truncated non-linear interferometer-based sensor system includes an input that receives an optical beam and a non-linear amplifier that generates a probe beam and a conjugate beam from the optical beam. The system's local oscillators are related to the probe beam and the conjugate beam. The system includes a sensor that transduces an input with the probe beam and the conjugate beam. The transduction detects changes in the phase of each of the probe beam and the conjugate beam. The system's phase sensitive detectors detect phase modulations between the respective local oscillators, the probe beam, and the conjugate beam and outputs phase signals based on detected phase modulations. The system measures phase signals indicative of the sensor's input resulting from a sum or difference of the phase signals. The measurement exhibits a quantum noise reduction in an intensity difference, a phase sum, or an amplitude difference quadrature.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2023

Phase imaging of irradiated foils at the OMEGA EP facility using phase-stepping X-ray Talbot–Lau deflectometry

Abstract Diagnosing the evolution of laser-generated high energy density (HED) systems is fundamental to develop a correct understanding of the behavior of matter under extreme conditions. Talbot–Lau interferometry constitutes a promising tool, since it permits simultaneous single-shot X-ray radiography and phase-contrast imaging of dense plasmas. We present the results of an experiment at OMEGA EP that aims to probe the ablation front of a laser-irradiated foil using a Talbot–Lau X-ray interferometer. A polystyrene (CH) foil was irradiated by a laser of 133 J, 1 ns and probed with 8 keV laser-produced backlighter radiation from Cu foils driven by a short-pulse laser (153 J, 11 ps). The ablation front interferograms were processed in combination with a set of reference images obtained ex situ using phase-stepping. We managed to obtain attenuation and phase-shift images of a laser-irradiated foil for electron densities above ${10}^{22}\;{\mathrm{cm}}^{-3}$ . These results showcase the capabilities of Talbot–Lau X-ray diagnostic methods to diagnose HED laser-generated plasmas through high-resolution imaging.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2022

Cross-polarized common-path temporal interferometry for high-sensitivity strong-field ionization measurements

Absolute density measurements of low-ionization-degree or low-density plasmas ionized by lasers are very important for understanding strong-field physics, atmospheric propagation of intense laser pulses, Lidar etc. A cross-polarized common-path temporal interferometer using balanced detection was developed for measuring plasma density with a sensitivity of ∼0.6 mrad, equivalent to a plasma density-length product of ∼2.6 × 10 13 cm −2 if using an 800 nm probe laser. By using this interferometer, we have investigated strong-field ionization yield versus intensity for various noble gases (Ar, Kr, and Xe) using 800 nm, 55 fs laser pulses with both linear (LP) and circular (CP) polarization. The experimental results were compared to the theoretical models of Ammosov-Delone-Krainov (ADK) and Perelomov-Popov-Terent’ev (PPT). We find that the measured phase change induced by plasma formation can be explained by the ADK theory in the adiabatic tunneling ionization regime, while PPT model can be applied to all different regimes. We have also measured the photoionization and fractional photodissociation of molecular (MO) hydrogen. By comparing our experimental results with PPT and MO-PPT models, we have determined the likely ionization pathways when using three different pump laser wavelengths of 800 nm, 400 nm, and 267 nm.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2025

Photon-Counting Interferometry to Detect Geontropic Space-Time Fluctuations with GQuEST

The gravity from the quantum entanglement of space-time (GQuEST) experiment uses tabletop-scale Michelson laser interferometers to probe for fluctuations in space-time. We present a practicable interferometer design featuring a novel photon-counting readout method that provides unprecedented sensitivity, as it is not subject to the interferometric standard quantum limit. We evaluate the potential of this design to measure space-time fluctuations motivated by recent “geontropic” quantum gravity models. The accelerated accrual of Fisher information offered by the photon-counting readout enables GQuEST to detect the predicted quantum gravity phenomena within measurement times at least 100 times shorter than equivalent conventional interferometers. The GQuEST design, thus, enables a fast and sensitive search for signatures of quantum gravity in a laboratory-scale experiment.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2020

Laser-assisted embedding of all-glass optical fiber sensors into bulk ceramics for high-temperature applications

We develop a laser-assisted sensor embedding process to embed all-glass optical fiber sensors into bulk ceramics for high-temperature applications. A specially designed two-step microchannel was fabricated on an Al 2 O 3 substrate for sensor embedment using a picosecond (ps) laser. An optical fiber Intrinsic Fabry-Perot Interferometer (IFPI) sensor was embedded at the bottom of the microchannel and covered by Al 2 O 3 slurry which was subsequently sintered by a CO 2 laser. The sensor spectrum was in-situ monitored during the laser sintering process to ensure the survival of the sensor and optimize the laser sintering parameters. By testing in furnace through high temperature, the embedded optical fiber shows improved stability after CO 2 laser sealing, resulting in the linear temperature response of the embedded optical fiber IFPI sensor. To improve the embedded IFPI sensor for thermal strain measurement, a dummy fiber was co-embedded with the sensing fiber to improve the mechanical bonding between the sensing fiber and the ceramic substrate so that the thermal strain of the ceramic substrate can apply on the sensing fiber. The response sensitivity, measurement repeatability and high-temperature long-term stability of the embedded optical fiber IFPI sensor were evaluated in this work.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2021

High-speed programmable photonic circuits in a cryogenically compatible, visible–near-infrared 200 mm CMOS architecture

Abstract Recent advances in photonic integrated circuits have enabled a new generation of programmable Mach–Zehnder meshes (MZMs) realized by using cascaded Mach–Zehnder interferometers capable of universal linear-optical transformations on N input/output optical modes. MZMs serve critical functions in photonic quantum information processing, quantum-enhanced sensor networks, machine learning and other applications. However, MZM implementations reported to date rely on thermo-optic phase shifters, which limit applications due to slow response times and high power consumption. Here we introduce a large-scale MZM platform made in a 200 mm complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor foundry, which uses aluminium nitride piezo-optomechanical actuators coupled to silicon nitride waveguides, enabling low-loss propagation with phase modulation at greater than 100 MHz in the visible–near-infrared wavelengths. Moreover, the vanishingly low hold-power consumption of the piezo-actuators enables these photonic integrated circuits to operate at cryogenic temperatures, paving the way for a fully integrated device architecture for a range of quantum applications.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2023

Measurement of 2D density profiles using a second-harmonic, dispersion interferometer

A second-harmonic, dispersion interferometer is used to image large-area (≃5 cm 2 ) plasma-jet and gas-jet density profiles. Achromatic telescopes magnify the diameters of the primary-laser beam (1064 nm) and its second-harmonic (532 nm) before probing the sample and de-magnify the beam diameters after the sample, where the primary beam transfers its phase change to a second, second-harmonic beam, allowing the sample’s dispersive-phase change to be measured between two, orthogonally polarized second harmonic beams. The telescopes produce an azimuthally symmetric, dispersive-phase shift in the sample + background phase-change image and in the background phase-change image, which is removed by digital subtraction. The interferometer’s performance was verified using standard-optical components as dispersive elements (BK7 lenses and wedge plates), resolving a minimum, phase-change sensitivity of ΔΦ min ≳ 15 mrad and spatial resolution of Δx res ≃ 100 μm. The phase change produced by unknown-density objects (a pulsed-plasma-jet and a pulsed-gas-jet) was measured, and their data were used to recover the original, 2D density profiles using an inverse Abel transform: peak-number density, N gas ≃ 6 × 10 20 cm –3 and N e ≃ 5 × 10 16 cm –3 ; line-integrated density, ∫N gas dl ~ 2 × 10 19 cm –2 and ∫N e dl ~ 1 × 10 16 cm –2 . The techniques and methods developed here are scalable to even larger probe-beam diameters and frame-capture rates, leading to a diagnostic capability that is well-suited for applications involving the real-time measurement of density.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Theoretical and experimental analysis of the modulated phase grating X-ray interferometer

X-ray grating interferometry allows for the simultaneous acquisition of attenuation, differential-phase contrast, and dark-field images, resulting from X-ray attenuation, refraction, and small-angle scattering, respectively. The modulated phase grating (MPG) interferometer is a recently developed grating interferometry system capable of generating a directly resolvable interference pattern using a relatively large period grating envelope function that is sampled at a pitch that is small enough that X-ray spatial coherence can be achieved by using a microfocus X-ray source or G0 grating. We present the theory of the MPG interferometry system for a 2-dimensional staggered grating, derived using Fourier optics, and we compare the theoretical predictions with experiments we have performed with a microfocus X-ray system at Pennington Biomedical Research Center, LSU. The theoretical and experimental fringe visibility is evaluated as a function of grating-to-detector distance. Additionally, quantitative experiments are performed with porous carbon and alumina compounds, and the mean normalized dark-field signal is compared with independent porosimetry measurements. Qualitative analysis of attenuation and dark-field images of a dried anchovy are shown.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗