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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
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2018

Fractional Ornstein–Uhlenbeck noise

Highlights: •Calculation of the correlation function for the fractional Ornstein–Uhlenbeck noise. •Calculation of the mean energy of the harmonic oscillator driven by the fractional Ornstein–Uhlenbeck noise. •The model can be applied to the RLC circuit driven by a supercapacitor with the white noise. -- Abstract: Fractional Ornstein–Uhlenbeck noise is considered and investigated. The fractional Ornstein–Uhlenbeck noise may be linked with a supercapacitor driven by the white noise, and its correlation function for the stationary state shows monotonic and oscillatory decays. In the case of the oscillatory behavior the correlation function presents behaviors similar to those of the harmonic noise (harmonic oscillator driven by the white noise). For application, the Langevin equation with the harmonic potential driven by the fractional Ornstein–Uhlenbeck noise is considered; the first two moments and mean energy are investigated.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2022

Record >10 MV/cm mesa breakdown fields in Al 0.85 Ga 0.15 N/Al 0.6 Ga 0.4 N high electron mobility transistors on native AlN substrates

The ultra-wide bandgap of Al-rich AlGaN is expected to support a significantly larger breakdown field compared to GaN, but the reported performance thus far has been limited by the use of foreign substrates. In this Letter, the material and electrical properties of Al 0.85 Ga 0.15 N/Al 0.6 Ga 0.4 N high electron mobility transistors (HEMT) grown on a 2-in. single crystal AlN substrate are investigated, and it is demonstrated that native AlN substrates unlock the potential for Al-rich AlGaN to sustain large fields in such devices. We further study how Ohmic contacts made directly to a Si-doped channel layer reduce the knee voltage and increase the output current density. High-quality AlGaN growth is confirmed via scanning transmission electron microscopy, which also reveals the absence of metal penetration at the Ohmic contact interface and is in contrast to established GaN HEMT technology. Two-terminal mesa breakdown characteristics with 1.3 μm separation possess a record-high breakdown field strength of ~11.5 MV/cm for an undoped Al 0.6 Ga 0.4 N-channel layer. The breakdown voltages for three-terminal devices measured with gate-drain distances of 4 and 9 μm are 850 and 1500 V, respectively.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Determination of polarization fields in group III-nitride heterostructures by capacitance-voltage-measurements

The polarization fields in wurtzite group III-nitrides strongly influence the optical properties of InAlGaN-based light emitters, e.g., the electron and hole wave function overlap in quantum wells. In this paper, we propose a new approach to determine these fields by capacitance-voltage measurements (CVM). Sheet charges generated by a change of the microscopic polarization at heterointerfaces influence the charge distribution in PIN junctions and therefore the depletion width and the capacitance. We show that it is possible to determine the strength and direction of the internal fields by comparing the depletion widths of two PIN junctions, one influenced by internal polarization fields and one without as a reference. For comparison, we conducted coupled Poisson/carrier transport simulations on the CVM of the polarization-influenced sample. We also demonstrate the feasibility and limits of the method by determining the fields in GaN/InGaN and GaN/AlGaN double heterostructures on (0001) c-plane grown by metal organic vapor phase epitaxy and compare both evaluation methods. The method yields (−0.50 ± 0.07) MV/cm for In{sub 0.08}Ga{sub 0.92}N/GaN, (0.90 ± 0.13) MV/cm for Al{sub 0.18}Ga{sub 0.82}N/GaN, and (2.0 ± 0.3) MV/cm for Al{sub 0.31}Ga{sub 0.69}N/GaN heterostructures.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2019

Study of the operation optical power in modified uni-traveling carrier photodetector for low amplitude to phase conversion

The phase noise known as the amplitude to phase conversion (AM–PM) in modified uni-traveling carrier photodetector (MUTC-PD) is severely power-dependent. To achieve low AM–PM operation, applying proper injection optical power will be of crucial importance. For this purpose, the characterization of the phase change between the 60-GHz sinusoidal input and RF output of a MUTC-PD is analyzed under different incident optical power. Moreover, the equation of the phase change is deduced by applying an equivalent circuit model. The results demonstrate that the power-dependent nonlinear transit time plays a key role in the phase change. Besides, the absolute phase change is observed smallest when the differential capacitance equals to zero in a typical optical power. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of the relationship between the differential capacitance and the phase change. When the differential capacitance equals to zero, the total capacitance of the MUTC exhibits a valley which could be a measurable feature of the optimum optical power for low phase noise operation.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Current transport mechanisms in plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposited AlN thin films

Here, we report on the current transport mechanisms in AlN thin films deposited at a low temperature (i.e., 200 °C) on p-type Si substrates by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition. Structural characterization of the deposited AlN was carried out using grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction, revealing polycrystalline films with a wurtzite (hexagonal) structure. Al/AlN/ p-Si metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) capacitor structures were fabricated and investigated under negative bias by performing current-voltage measurements. As a function of the applied electric field, different types of current transport mechanisms were observed; i.e., ohmic conduction (15.2–21.5 MV/m), Schottky emission (23.6–39.5 MV/m), Frenkel-Poole emission (63.8–211.8 MV/m), trap-assisted tunneling (226–280 MV/m), and Fowler-Nordheim tunneling (290–447 MV/m). Electrical properties of the insulating AlN layer and the fabricated Al/AlN/p-Si MIS capacitor structure such as dielectric constant, flat-band voltage, effective charge density, and threshold voltage were also determined from the capacitance-voltage measurements.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Impedance characteristics of nanoparticle-LiCoO{sub 2}+PVDF

The impendance of np-LiCoO{sub 2}+xPVDF, as a cathode material candidate for lithium-ion battery (LIB), has been characterized using impedance spectroscopy for x = 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 volume percentage (%v/v) and for frequencies in the 42 Hz to 5 MHz range. Both real and imaginary components of the impedance were found to be frequency dependent, and both tend to increase for increasing PVDF (polyvinyilidene fluoride) concentration, except that for 10% PVDF both real and imaginary components of impedance are smaller than for 5%. The mechanism for relaxation time for each addition of PVDF was analyzed using Cole-Cole plots. The analysis showed that the relaxation times of the nanostructured LiCoO{sub 2} with PVDF additive is relatively constant. Further, PVDF addition increases the bulk resistance and decreases the bulk capacitance of the nanostructured LiCoO{sub 2}.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2015

Passivation of c-Si surfaces by sub-nm amorphous silicon capped with silicon nitride

A sub-nm hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) film capped with silicon nitride (SiN{sub x}) is shown to provide a high level passivation to crystalline silicon (c-Si) surfaces. When passivated by a 0.8 nm a-Si:H/75 nm SiN{sub x} stack, recombination current density J{sub 0} values of 9, 11, 47, and 87 fA/cm{sup 2} are obtained on 10 Ω·cm n-type, 0.8 Ω·cm p-type, 160 Ω/sq phosphorus-diffused, and 120 Ω/sq boron-diffused silicon surfaces, respectively. The J{sub 0} on n-type 10 Ω·cm wafers is further reduced to 2.5 ± 0.5 fA/cm{sup 2} when the a-Si:H film thickness exceeds 2.5 nm. The passivation by the sub-nm a-Si:H/SiN{sub x} stack is thermally stable at 400 °C in N{sub 2} for 60 min on all four c-Si surfaces. Capacitance–voltage measurements reveal a reduction in interface defect density and film charge density with an increase in a-Si:H thickness. The nearly transparent sub-nm a-Si:H/SiN{sub x} stack is thus demonstrated to be a promising surface passivation and antireflection coating suitable for all types of surfaces encountered in high efficiency c-Si solar cells.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Large-signal model of the bilayer graphene field-effect transistor targeting radio-frequency applications: Theory versus experiment

Bilayer graphene is a promising material for radio-frequency transistors because its energy gap might result in a better current saturation than the monolayer graphene. Because the great deal of interest in this technology, especially for flexible radio-frequency applications, gaining control of it requires the formulation of appropriate models for the drain current, charge, and capacitance. In this work, we have developed them for a dual-gated bilayer graphene field-effect transistor. A drift-diffusion mechanism for the carrier transport has been considered coupled with an appropriate field-effect model taking into account the electronic properties of the bilayer graphene. Extrinsic resistances have been included considering the formation of a Schottky barrier at the metal-bilayer graphene interface. The proposed model has been benchmarked against experimental prototype transistors, discussing the main figures of merit targeting radio-frequency applications.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Simulation of the effective concentration profiles in InGaAs/GaAs heterostructures containing δ-doped layers

InGaAs/GaAs heterostructures containing quantum wells and δ-doped layers are studied theoretically and experimentally. On the basis of the procedure of self-consistently solving the Schrödinger equation and Poisson equation, the differential capacitance and the apparent electron concentration profiles are numerically calculated for structures with different mutual arrangements of the quantum well and the δ layer. The results of the calculations are compared with the result of analyzing the experimental capacitance-voltage characteristics of the structures. The systematic features of the behavior of the apparent concentration profiles and capacitance-voltage characteristics in relation to the geometric properties of the structure, the temperature, and the doping level are established.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Imaging Electrons in Two Dimensional Materials (Final report)

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have extraordinary characteristics that offer promising new approaches for science and technology. Electrons in graphene can move ballistically through a sheet, even though it is only a single atom thick. And transition metal dichalcogenide materials can be cleaved into 2D flakes of all types – metals, semiconductors, insulators, magnetic materials, and superconductors. To benefit from these discoveries, the science needs to be understood to transform 2D materials into useful new devices and systems. The evolution in time of atomic scale graphene structures has been studied in time with a transmission electron microscope (TEM), and ballistic transport of electrons in graphene was been imaged using a cooled scanning probe microscope (SPM), as well as electron motion in MoS 2 . Graphene is only one atom thick but is extremely strong, creating the opportunity to fabricate atomic scale structures in the lateral direction. Using an atomic resolution TEM, a suspended sheet of graphene can be shaped by a Si impurity atom on its surface that acts like a chisel to open up apertures, one atom at a time. The electrons in the TEM provide both the chiseling energy and the ability to image the results. Electrons and holes in graphene form a new type of electronic system with conical conduction and valence bands that meet at the Dirac point, with no energy gap. For moderate densities, the carriers form a Fermi liquid with ballistic transport over micron-scale distances. Using a cooled SPM the cyclotron orbit of electrons in graphene has been imaged. In the magnetic focusing regime, electrons leaving a point contact circle around and leave from a second point contact when the cyclotron diameter is equal to the contact spacing. The paths of electrons are focused - they enter at different angles but converge again at the exiting contact. When the SPM tip knocks an electron out of its orbit, an imaging signal is created. The ballistic motion of carriers in graphene opens the way for ballistic devices that manipulate beams of electrons and holes. Our collaborator Gil-Ho Lee, in Philip Kim's group, created a collimating contact by placing zig-zag absorbers on either side of entering electrons. Our cooled SPM was used to image the electron beam and determine its 9-degree halfwidth. By changing the gate voltage, a collimated beam of holes was also created, opening the way for colliding beam experiments. Coherent beams of carriers are desirable for quantum information processing. Via Andreev reflection, superconducting contacts can covert Cooper pairs in a superconductor to an ingoing and outgoing electrons and holes. Using our cooled SPM, Andreev reflection was imaged from a superconducting contact on a graphene device. Magnetic focusing was used to create an incoming beam of electrons and an outgoing beam of holes, detected by a third point contact. The images show a clear transition from normal reflection above the superconducting transition temperature to Andreev reflection as the device is cooled. Transition metal dichalcogenides offer a wide array of materials that can be exfoliated into ultrathin 2D sheets. A cooled SPM can be used to detect quantum dots as well as to image electron flow. The tip charge capacitively couples to electrons on the dot, acting as a gate to tune the dot conductance. Coulomb blockade peaks appear as a bullseye pattern in an SPM image as the tip is raster scanned above the dot. This approach was used to detect quantum dots in a MoS 2 channel as the carrier density was reduced and electrons pooled in low energy points. Through our DOE supported research, cooled SPM imaging has proven to be a very useful tool to uncover the motion of electrons and holes in the new quantum materials graphene and MoS 2 .

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Giant magnetoelectric coupling interaction in BaTiO{sub 3}/BiFeO{sub 3}/BaTiO{sub 3} trilayer multiferroic heterostructures

Multiferroic trilayer thin films of BaTiO{sub 3}/BiFeO{sub 3}/BaTiO{sub 3} were prepared by RF-magnetron sputtering technique at different thicknesses of BiFeO{sub 3} layer. A pure phase polycrystalline growth of thin films was confirmed from X-ray diffraction results. The film showed maximum remnant electric polarization (2P{sub r}) of 13.5 μC/cm{sup 2} and saturation magnetization (M{sub s}) of 61 emu/cc at room temperature. Thermally activated charge transport dominated via oxygen vacancies as calculated by their activation energy, which was consistent with current–voltage characteristics. Magnetic field induced large change in resistance and capacitance of grain, and grain boundary was modeled by combined impedance and modulus spectroscopy in the presence of varied magnetic fields. Presence of large intrinsic magnetoelectric coupling was established by a maximum 20% increase in grain capacitance (C{sub g}) with applied magnetic field (2 kG) on trilayer having 20 nm BiFeO{sub 3} layer. Substantially higher magnetoelectric coupling in thinner films has been observed due to bonding between Fe and Ti atoms at interface via oxygen atoms. Room temperature magnetoelectric coupling was confirmed by dynamic magnetoelectric coupling, and maximum longitudinal magnetoelectric coupling of 515 mV/cm-Oe was observed at 20 nm thickness of BiFeO{sub 3}. The observed magnetoelectric properties are potentially useful for novel room temperature magnetoelectric and spintronic device applications for obtaining higher voltage at lower applied magnetic field.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2025

Dissolved CO 2 Modulates the Electrochemical Capacitance on Gold Electrodes

The presence of CO 2 at an electrified interface between an aqueous electrolyte and a metal electrode is the prerequisite for many electrochemical CO 2 capture technologies. To understand the behavior of dissolved CO 2 at an aqueous electrified interface, we characterized the electrochemical interface of planar gold electrodes with cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), electrochemical surface plasmon resonance (EC–SPR), and attenuated total reflectance surface-enhanced infrared spectroscopy (ATR–SEIRAS). Under all investigated conditions, we observed a decrease in the electrochemical capacitance upon saturation of the electrolyte with CO 2 , as compared to an electrolyte saturated with Ar. EIS and EC–SPR showed that this capacitance reduction was also potential dependent: it reached a minimum near the point of zero charge and became more significant as the applied potential moved further away from the point of zero charge. Hybrid quantum–classical simulations of the gold/aqueous electrolyte interface indicate that bicarbonate decreases the capacitance and modifies the composition of the electric double layer. In addition to the binding of bicarbonate under positive bias, we propose that molecular CO 2 can be induced by applied potential to concentrate in the diffuse layer of the electric double layer, leading to a reduction in the electrochemical capacitance under both negative and positive bias. Furthermore, this work advances the understanding of non-Faradaic effects of dissolved CO 2 at aqueous electrified interfaces of relevance for electrochemical CO 2 capture.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Effect of atomic-arrangement matching on La{sub 2}O{sub 3}/Ge heterostructures for epitaxial high-k-gate-stacks

We demonstrate a high-quality La{sub 2}O{sub 3} layer on germanium (Ge) as an epitaxial high-k-gate-insulator, where there is an atomic-arrangement matching condition between La{sub 2}O{sub 3}(001) and Ge(111). Structural analyses reveal that (001)-oriented La{sub 2}O{sub 3} layers were grown epitaxially only when we used Ge(111) despite low growth temperatures less than 300 °C. The permittivity (k) of the La{sub 2}O{sub 3} layer is roughly estimated to be ∼19 from capacitance-voltage (C-V) analyses in Au/La{sub 2}O{sub 3}/Ge structures after post-metallization-annealing treatments, although the C-V curve indicates the presence of carrier traps near the interface. By using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses, we find that only Ge–O–La bonds are formed at the interface, and the thickness of the equivalent interfacial Ge oxide layer is much smaller than that of GeO{sub 2} monolayer. We discuss a model of the interfacial structure between La{sub 2}O{sub 3} and Ge(111) and comment on the C-V characteristics.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2023

Time, momentum, and energy resolved pump-probe tunneling spectroscopy of two-dimensional electron systems

Abstract Real-time probing of electrons can uncover intricate relaxation mechanisms and many-body interactions in strongly correlated materials. Here, we introduce time, momentum, and energy resolved pump-probe tunneling spectroscopy (Tr-MERTS). The method allows the injection of electrons at a particular energy and observation of their subsequent decay in energy-momentum space. Using Tr-MERTS, we visualize electronic decay processes, with lifetimes from tens of nanoseconds to tens of microseconds, in Landau levels formed in a GaAs quantum well. Although most observed features agree with simple energy-relaxation, we discovered a splitting in the nonequilibrium energy spectrum in the vicinity of a ferromagnetic state. An exact diagonalization study suggests that the splitting arises from a maximally spin-polarized state with higher energy than a conventional equilibrium skyrmion. Furthermore, we observe time-dependent relaxation of the splitting, which we attribute to single-flipped spins forming skyrmions. These results establish Tr-MERTS as a powerful tool for studying the properties of a 2DES beyond equilibrium.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Quantized impedance dealing with the damping behavior of the one-dimensional oscillator

A quantized impedance is proposed to theoretically establish the relationship between the atomic eigenfrequency and the intrinsic frequency of the one-dimensional oscillator in this paper. The classical oscillator is modified by the idea that the electron transition is treated as a charge-discharge process of a suggested capacitor with the capacitive energy equal to the energy level difference of the jumping electron. The quantized capacitance of the impedance interacting with the jumping electron can lead the resonant frequency of the oscillator to the same as the atomic eigenfrequency. The quantized resistance reflects that the damping coefficient of the oscillator is the mean collision frequency of the transition electron. In addition, the first and third order electric susceptibilities based on the oscillator are accordingly quantized. Our simulation of the hydrogen atom emission spectrum based on the proposed method agrees well with the experimental one. Our results exhibits that the one-dimensional oscillator with the quantized impedance may become useful in the estimations of the refractive index and one- or multi-photon absorption coefficients of some nonmagnetic media composed of hydrogen-like atoms.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

High-performance beam steering using electrowetting-driven liquid prism fabricated by a simple dip-coating method

A high degree of beam steering is demonstrated using an electrowetting-driven liquid prism. While prism devices have typically relied on complex and expensive laboratory setups, such as high-vacuum facilities for fabrication of dielectric layers, this work utilizes a simple dip-coating method to provide an ion gel layer as a dielectric, offering 2 or 3 orders higher specific capacitance (c ≈ 10 μF/cm{sup 2}) than that of conventional dielectrics. Analytical studies present the effects of liquid selection and arrangement on overall prism performance. For experimental demonstrations of high-performance beam steering, we not only selected two immiscible liquids of water and 1-bromonaphthalene (1-BN) oil which provide the large refractive index difference (n{sub water} = 1.33 and n{sub 1-BN} = 1.65 at λ = 532 nm) between them, but also utilized a double-stacked prism configuration which increases the number of interfaces for incoming light to be steered. At a prism apex angle of φ = 27°, we were able to achieve significantly large beam steering of up to β = 19.06°, which is the highest beam steering performance ever demonstrated using electrowetting technology.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Evidence of large magneto-dielectric effect coupled to a metamagnetic transition in Yb{sub 2}CoMnO{sub 6}

The double perovskite Yb{sub 2}CoMnO{sub 6} has been synthesized with an almost perfect checkerboard arrangement of Co{sup 2+} and Mn{sup 4+} cations in the B-sublattice of the perovskite cell. It presents an anomaly in the electric capacitance and a strong magneto-dielectric effect at about 40 K whose interplay with the microscopic magnetic behavior has been investigated by means of neutron diffraction, magnetization, pyroelectric, and relative dielectric permittivity measurements. We show that the onset of an E-type antiferromagnetic ordering of Co{sup 2+} and Mn{sup 4+} moments monitored by neutron diffraction provokes the noticeable jump of the relative dielectric permittivity (∼9%) at about 40 K. It is also shown that this jump can be totally suppressed by application of a magnetic field of μ{sub 0}H = 5 T. Neutron experiments and magnetic measurements confirm that such a suppression leading to a significant magneto-dielectric effect is driven by a metamagnetic phase transition from the peculiar E-type ordering of 3d moments into a collinear ferromagnetic order. Pyroelectric current measurements do not show any spontaneous electric polarization, so the large dielectric anomaly at zero field cannot be ascribed to a ferroelectric ordering.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Determination of active doping in highly resistive boron doped silicon nanocrystals embedded in SiO{sub 2} by capacitance voltage measurement on inverted metal oxide semiconductor structure

We investigate the Capacitance-Voltage (CV) measurement to study the electrically active boron doping in Si nanocrystals (ncSi) embedded in SiO{sub 2}. The ncSi thin films with high resistivity (200–400 Ω cm) can be measured by using an inverted metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) structure (Al/ncSi (B)/SiO{sub 2}/Si). This device structure eliminates the complications from the effects of lateral current flow and the high sheet resistance in standard lateral MOS structures. The characteristic MOS CV curves observed are consistent with the effective p-type doping. The CV modeling method is presented and used to evaluate the electrically active doping concentration. We find that the highly boron doped ncSi films have electrically active doping of 10{sup 18}–10{sup 19 }cm{sup −3} despite their high resistivity. The saturation of doping at about 1.4 × 10{sup 19 }cm{sup −3} and the low doping efficiency less than 5% are observed and discussed. The calculated effective mobility is in the order of 10{sup −3} cm{sup 2}/V s, indicating strong impurity/defect scattering effect that hinders carriers transport.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗