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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 1,315 records · Page 73
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2014

Intrinsic Nanostructure in Zr 2-x Fe 4 Si 16-y (x=0.81, y=6.06)

We present a study of the crystal structure and physical properties of single crystals of a new Fe-based ternary compound, Zr 2-x Fe 4 Si 16-y (x=0.81,y=6.06). Zr 1.19 Fe 4 Si 9.94 is a layered compound, where stoichiometric β-FeSi 2 -derived slabs are separated by Zr-Si planes with substantial numbers of vacancies. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) experiments show that these Zr-Si layers consist of 3.5nm domains where the Zrand Si vacancies are ordered within a supercell sixteen times the volume of the stoichiometric cell. Within these domains, the occupancies of the Zr and Si sites obey symmetry rules that permit only certain compositions, none of which by themselves reproduce the average composition found in x-ray diffraction experiments. Magnetic susceptibility and magnetization measurements reveal a small but appreciable number of magnetic moments that remain freely fluctuating to 1.8K, while neutron diffraction confirms the absence of bulk magnetic order with a moment of 0.2μB or larger down to 1.5K. Electrical resistivity measurements find that Zr 1.19 Fe 4 Si 9.94 is metallic, and the modest value of the Sommerfeld coefficient of the specific heat γ = C/T suggests that quasi-particle masses are not particularly strongly enhanced. The onset of superconductivity at T c ≃ 6K results in a partial resistive transition and a small Meissner signal, although a bulk-like transition is found in the specific heat. Sharp peaks in the ac susceptibility signal the interplay of the normal skin depth and the London penetration depth, typical of a system in which nano-sized superconducting grains are separated by a on-superconducting host. Ultra low field differential magnetic susceptibility measurements reveal the presence of a surprisingly large number of trace magnetic and superconducting phases, suggesting that the Zr-Fe-Si ternary system could be a potentially rich source of new bulk superconductor.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Imaging anisotropic vortex dynamics in FeSe

Strong vortex pinning in FeSe could be useful for technological applications and could provide clues about the coexistence of superconductivity and nematicity. To characterize the pinning of individual, isolated vortices, we simultaneously apply a local magnetic field and image the vortex motion with scanning SQUID susceptibility. We find that the pinning is highly anisotropic: the vortices move easily along directions that are parallel to the orientations of twin domain walls and pin strongly in a perpendicular direction. These results are consistent with a scenario in which the anisotropy arises from vortex pinning on domain walls and quantify the dynamics of individual vortex pinning in FeSe.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Catastrophe versus instability for the eruption of a toroidal solar magnetic flux rope

The onset of a solar eruption is formulated here as either a magnetic catastrophe or as an instability. Both start with the same equation of force balance governing the underlying equilibria. Using a toroidal flux rope in an external bipolar or quadrupolar field as a model for the current-carrying flux, we demonstrate the occurrence of a fold catastrophe by loss of equilibrium for several representative evolutionary sequences in the stable domain of parameter space. We verify that this catastrophe and the torus instability occur at the same point; they are thus equivalent descriptions for the onset condition of solar eruptions.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Spin phases of the helimagnetic insulator $\mathrm{Cu_2 OSeO_3}$ probed by magnon heat conduction

Here, we report studies of thermal conductivity as functions of magnetic field and temperature in the helimagnetic insulator $\mathrm{Cu_2 OSeO_3}$ that reveal novel features of the spin-phase transitions as probed by magnon heat conduction. The tilted conical spiral and low-temperature skyrmion phases, recently identified in small-angle neutron scattering studies, are clearly identified by sharp signatures in the magnon thermal conductivity.Magnon scattering associated with the presence of domain boundaries in the tilted conical phase and regions of skyrmion and conical-phase coexistence are identified.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Topological Structures in Multiferroics - Domain Walls, Skyrmions and Vortices

Topological structures in multiferroic materials have recently received considerable attention because of their potential use as nanoscale functional elements. Their reduced size in conjunction with exotic arrangement of the ferroic order parameter and potential order parameter coupling allows for emergent and unexplored phenomena in condensed matter and functional materials systems. This will lead to exciting new fundamental discoveries as well as application concepts that exploit their response to external stimuli such as mechanical strain, electric and magnetic fields. In this review we capture the current development of this rapidly moving field with specific emphasis on key achievements that have cast light on how such topological structures in multiferroic materials systems can be exploited for use in complex oxide nanoelectronics and spintronics.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Spatially resolved ultrafast magnetic dynamics initiated at a complex oxide heterointerface

Static strain in complex oxide heterostructures 1,2 has been extensively used to engineer electronic and magnetic properties at equilibrium 3 . In the same spirit, deformations of the crystal lattice with light may be used to achieve functional control across heterointerfaces dynamically 4 . Here, by exciting large-amplitude infrared-active vibrations in a LaAlO 3 substrate we induce magnetic order melting in a NdNiO 3 film across a heterointerface. Femtosecond resonant soft X-ray diffraction is used to determine the spatiotemporal evolution of the magnetic disordering. We observe a magnetic melt front that propagates from the substrate interface into the film, at a speed that suggests electronically driven motion. Lastly, light control and ultrafast phase front propagation at heterointerfaces may lead to new opportunities in optomagnetism, for example by driving domain wall motion to transport information across suitably designed devices.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2019

Exponential Bound for the Heating Rate of Periodically Driven Spin Systems

For the nuclear spin system of a solid in the presence of an inhomogeneous magnetic field, we have found a rigorous bound for the heating rate of the system under the action of a high-frequency magnetic field, which is applied, for example, to create effective Hamiltonians. We consider the autocorrelation function (ACF) of a spin rotating in a local field whose fluctuations are specified by a Gaussian random process. The correlation function of a random field is taken as the sum of a static inhomogeneous contribution and a time-dependent contribution expressed self-consistently via the spin ACF. The ACF singularities on the imaginary time axis whose coordinates determine the exponents of exponential asymptotics in the high-frequency domain are investigated. The dependences of the coordinates on field inhomogeneity for various approximations have been derived. The wing of the ACF spectrum in the cumulant approximation is shown to serve as a rigorous upper bound for the wing of the ACF spectrum and, consequently, for the heating rate of the system when subjected to variable magnetic fields. We have established that randomly distributed inhomogeneous magnetic fields increase the wings of the ACF spectra and, thus, speed up the system’s heating.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2014

Complementary study of molecular dynamics and domain sizes in heterogenous nanocomposites PBT/DA-C{sub 60} and PBT/TCNEO-C{sub 60}

A comprehensive study of molecular dynamics and structure in new heterogenous nanocomposites based on poly(butylene terephthalate) and nanoparticles C{sub 60} modified by n-decylamine or tetracyanoethylene oxide has been performed. The domain structure of new nanocomposites has been investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, wide-angle X-ray scattering, and differential scanning calorimetry techniques. Solid-state {sup 1}H NMR techniques were used to study molecular dynamics and domain sizes in new nanocomposites. Information about the electronic properties of these nanocomposites was obtained by means of electron paramagnetic resonance method. It was shown that the structure and molecular dynamics of new nanocomposites were strongly dependent on the properties and concentration of fullerene derivates.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Terahertz surface emission from Cu{sub 2}ZnSnSe{sub 4} thin film photovoltaic material excited by femtosecond laser pulses

We observed efficient terahertz (THz) emission from sol-gel grown Cu{sub 2}ZnSnSe{sub 4} (CZTSe) thin films using THz time domain spectroscopy technique. The THz emission bandwidth exceeds 2 THz with a dynamic range of 20 dB in the amplitude spectrum. The THz emission amplitude from CZTSe is found to be independent of external magnetic fields. Comparing the polarity of THz emission waveforms of CZTSe and GaAs, we suggest that the acceleration of photo-carriers in the surface accumulation layer of CZTSe is the dominant mechanism of radiation emission. Optical excitation fluence dependence measurements show that the saturation fluence of the CZTSe thin film reaches 1.48 μJ/cm{sup 2}.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

Visible light broadband perfect absorbers

The visible light broadband perfect absorbers based on the silver (Ag) nano elliptical disks and holes array are studied using finite difference time domain simulations. The semiconducting indium silicon dioxide thin film is introduced as the space layer in this sandwiched structure. Utilizing the asymmetrical geometry of the structures, polarization sensitivity for transverse electric wave (TE)/transverse magnetic wave (TM) and left circular polarization wave (LCP)/right circular polarization wave (RCP) of the broadband absorption are gained. The absorbers with Ag nano disks and holes array show several peaks absorbance of 100% by numerical simulation. These simple and flexible perfect absorbers are particularly desirable for various potential applications including the solar energy absorber.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Activated vortex lattice transition in a superconductor with combined sixfold and twelvefold anisotropic interactions

Abstract Numerical simulations are used to examine the transition dynamics between metastable and ground state vortex lattice phases in a system with combined sixfold and twelvefold contributions to the vortex–vortex interactions. The system is initially annealed using a twelvefold anisotropy, yielding domains of two different orientations and separated by grain boundaries. The vortex–vortex interaction is then suddenly changed to a sixfold anisotropy, rendering the twelvefold state metastable. Applying a drive that mimics an oscillating magnetic field causes the metastable state to decay, indicated by the structure factor that evolves from twelve to six peaks. The results fit the behavior seen in recent small-angle neutron scattering studies of the vortex lattice in MgB 2 . At higher drive amplitudes, the decay exhibits a two step process in which the initial fast decrease is followed by a slower regime where avalanches or bursts are correlated with dislocation annihilation events. The results are compared to other types of metastable systems with quenched disorder that decay under a periodic external drive.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2025

Emergent Inductance from Chiral Orbital Currents in a Bulk Ferrimagnet

Here, we report the discovery of a new form of inductance in the bulk ferrimagnet Mn 3 ⁢Si 2 ⁢Te 6 , which features strong spin-orbit coupling, large magnetic anisotropy, and pronounced magnetoelastic interactions. Below its Curie temperature (𝑇 𝐶 ≈ 78 K), Mn 3 ⁢Si 2 ⁢Te 6 hosts chiral orbital currents (COC) that circulate within the crystal lattice and give rise to collective electronic behavior [Control of chiral orbital currents in a colossal magnetoresistance material, Nature (London) 611, 467 (2022).]. By applying a magnetic field along the hard 𝑐 axis and driving the system with low-frequency currents, we uncover a giant inductive response up to millhenry scale, originating from first-order reconfigurations of COC domains. These domains act as coherent mesoscopic inductive elements that resist reversal upon current reduction, producing a large electromotive force and sharply increasing voltage. This emergent inductance defies classical models, occurs without superconductivity or engineered nanostructures, and opens a new frontier in orbital-based quantum functionality and device concepts.

complex materials↗
DOE OSTI2026

Unitary Qubit Lattice Algorithms for Plasma Physics

This final technical report summarizes research conducted under DOE Award DE-SC0021653 to develop unitary Quantum Lattice Algorithms for modeling electromagnetic wave propagation and scattering in complex media, including plasmas. The project developed and validated quantum-inspired formulations of Maxwell's equations that preserve unitary evolution and can be evaluated on classical high-performance computing systems while providing a foundation for future quantum-computing implementations. Major accomplishments include the development of two- and three-dimensional algorithms for electromagnetic scattering; scalable, distributed-memory implementations demonstrated on the Perlmutter supercomputer; formulations for nonlinear lossless fluid dynamics and cold, lossless, inhomogeneous magnetized plasmas; and an explicit quantum algorithm for a time-discretized Lorenz model. Simulations reproduced a range of characteristic wave phenomena, including transient effects that are not readily apparent in conventional frequency-domain studies, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed approach for modeling complex electromagnetic and plasma systems. The work establishes a unified theoretical and computational framework for quantum and quantum-inspired simulation and provides a foundation for future implementation on fault-tolerant quantum systems.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Generation of auroral kilometric radiation by a finite-size source in a dipole magnetic field

Generation, amplification, and propagation of auroral kilometric radiation in a narrow three-dimensional plasma cavity in which a weakly relativistic electron beam propagates is studied in the geometrical optics approximation. It is shown that the waves that start with a group velocity directed earthward and have optimal relation between the wave vector components determining the linear growth rate and the wave residence time inside the amplification region undergo the largest amplification. Taking into account the longitudinal velocity of fast electrons results in the shift of the instability domain toward wave vectors directed to the Earth and leads to a change in the dispersion relation, due to which favorable conditions are created for the generation of waves with frequencies above the cutoff frequency for the cold background plasma at the wave generation altitude. The amplification factor for these waves is lower than for waves that have the same wave vectors but are excited by the electron beams with lower velocities along the magnetic field. For waves excited at frequencies below the cutoff frequency of the background plasma at the generation altitude, the amplification factor increases with increasing longitudinal electron velocity, because these waves reside for a longer time in the amplification region.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

A transient near to far field transformation method and verification benchmarking procedure

The numerical calculation of electromagnetic far fields in the time-domain requires a near to far field transformation (NTFF) method. While time-domain NTFF methods for popular finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) approaches are well established, there is little discourse on NTFF methods for finite-element time-domain (FETD) codes. Here, this work is concerned with the development of an NTFF method for the Empire FETD code, which utilizes curl and divergence conforming elements. This discretization presents a difficulty in obtaining the equivalent electric current for the NTFF. Straightforward finite element interpolation of the fields is shown to give poor accuracy. Alternative interpolation methods are recommended. An expanding magnetic quadrupole pulse benchmark problem, which is fully developed in the appendices, provides the basis for quantitative comparison.

FETD↗
DOE OSTI2017

An ab initio study of the adsorption of Eu 3+ , Pu 3+ , Am 3+ , and Cm 3+ hydroxide complexes on hematite (001) surface: Role of magnetism on adsorption

Inner-sphere hydroxide complexes of Eu 3+ , Pu 3+ , Am 3+ , and Cm 3+ adsorbed to antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic hematite (001) surfaces were modeled by using DFT (GGA+U) calculations in order to compare the electronic properties, atomic structures, and adsorption energies between the trivalent actinide analog Eu 3+ and the corresponding actinides An 3+ . Eu 3+ forms a tridentate–binuclear surface complex on the hematite surface with an Eu–Fe distance of 3.4–3.8 Å. Eu 3+ is partially reduced upon adsorption, as indicated by the increase of original Eu 3+ spin value from 6 to ~7. Eu 3+ adsorption on the ferromagnetic surface is energetically more favorable than on the antiferromagnetic surface, while the opposite is the case for all actinides An 3+ . When retaining a similar adsorption configuration (e.g., coordination number = 6), An 3+ cations are adsorbed ~0.2 Å closer to the surface compared to Eu 3+ . Partial density of states analyses indicate ionic bonding between O ions on the hematite surface and the Eu 3+ /An 3+ adsorbates. An increasing number of bands above the Fermi energy were found when Eu 3+ and An 3+ were adsorbed to the ferromagnetic surface but not on the antiferromagnetic surface, indicating the ferromagnetic substrate becomes more semiconducting upon cation adsorption. Here, these results show that the spin configurations of the hematite (001) surface have a weak but distinct influence on the cation adsorption energy. Although the antiferromagnetic spin configuration of hematite is dominant in nature, metastable ferromagnetic domains on nanohematite grains may influence the energetics of certain cation adsorption reactions.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2019

Enhanced Conductivity via Homopolymer-Rich Pathways in Block Polymer-Blended Electrolytes

The optimization of ionic conductivity and lithium-ion battery stability can be achieved by independently tuning the ion transport and mechanical robustness of block polymer (BP) electrolytes. However, the ionic conductivity of BP electrolytes is inherently limited by the covalent attachment of the ionically conductive block to the mechanically robust block, among other factors. Herein, the BP electrolyte polystyrene-block-poly(oligo-oxyethylene methacrylate) [PS-b-POEM] was blended with POEM homopolymers of varying molecular weights. The incorporation of a higher molecular weight homopolymer additive (α > 1 state) promoted a “dry brush-like” homopolymer distribution within the BP self-assembly and led to higher lithium salt concentrations in the more mobile homopolymer-rich region, increasing overall ionic conductivity relative to the “wet brush-like” (α < 1 state) and unblended composites, where α is the molecular weight ratio between the POEM homopolymer and the POEM block in the copolymer. Here, neutron and X-ray reflectometry (NR and XRR, respectively) provided additional details on the lithium salt and polymer distributions. From XRR, the α > 1 blends showed increased interfacial widths in comparison to their BP (unblended) or α < 1 counterparts because of the more central distribution of the homopolymer. This result, paired with NR data that suggested even salt concentrations across the POEM domains, implied that there was a higher salt concentration in the homopolymer POEM-rich regions in the dry brush blend than in the wet brush blend. Furthermore, using 7 Li solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, we found a temperature corresponding to a transition in lithium mobility (T Li mobility ) that was a function of blend type. T Li mobility was found to be 39 °C above T g in all cases. Interestingly, the ionic conductivity of the blended BPs was highest in the α > 1 composites, even though these composites had higher T g s than the α < 1 composites, demonstrating that homopolymer-rich conducting pathways formed in the α > 1 assemblies had a larger influence on conductivity than the greater lithium ion mobility in the α < 1 blends.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗