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At least 1,351 records · Page 75

Research investigation directed toward extending the useful range of the electromagnetic spectrum

The lifetimes and fine structure of He(-) were studied using time-of-flight techniques and quenching by a static axial magnetic field. Using level-crossing spectroscopy the hyperfine constants A and B and the lifetime of the 3 2P3/2 state of Li-7 were measured. Polarization of the Ru 7S level was created as a first step in determining the hyperfine structure of the alkali excited S state. The parametric interaction between light and microwaves in optically pumped Rb-87 vapor were investigated. Measurements and analyses of transitions in formaldehyde and its isotopic species and in the lowest two excited vibrational states of H2CO were also made, as well as of transitions in furan, pyrrole, formic acid, and cyanoacetylene. The Hanle effect was studied in the NO molecule, and RF oscillators were developed with flat, wideband output to observe excited state hyperfine transitions at zero field. Data was generated on the time-dependent behavior of photon echoes in ruby. Stimulated Raman scattering was studied in atomic Tl vapor. A Q switched, temperature-tuned ruby laser was developed which operates between 6934 and 6938 A. The frequency shift due to resonant interaction between identical radiating atoms was calculated.

Hartmann, S. R.↗

Magnetospheric State of Sawtooth Events

Magnetospheric sawtooth events, first identified in the early 1990s, are named for their characteristic appearance of multiple quasiperiodic intervals of slow decrease followed by sharp increase of proton differential energy fluxes in the geosynchronous region. The successive proton flux oscillations have been interpreted as recurrences of stretching and dipolarization of the nightside geomagnetic field. Due to their often extended intervals with 210 cycles, sawteeth occurrences are sometimes referred to as a magnetospheric mode. While studies of sawtooth events over the past two decades have yielded a wealth of information about such events, the magnetospheric state conditions for the occurrence of sawtooth events and how sawtooth oscillations may depend on the magnetospheric state conditions remain unclear. In this study, we investigate the characteristic magnetospheric state conditions (specified by Psw interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) Btot, IMF Bz Vsw, AE, Kp and Dst, all time shifted with respect to one another) associated with the intervals before, during, and after sawteeth occurrences. Applying a previously developed statistical technique, we have determined the most probable magnetospheric states propitious for the development and occurrence of sawtooth events, respectively. The statistically determined sawtooth magnetospheric state has also been validated by using out-of-sample events, confirming the notion that sawtooth intervals might represent a particular global state of the magnetosphere. We propose that the sawtooth state of the magnetosphere may be a state of marginal stability in which a slight enhancement in the loading rate of an otherwise continuous loading process can send the magnetosphere into the marginally unstable regime, causing it to shed limited amount of energy quickly and return to the marginally stable regime with the loading process continuing. Sawtooth oscillations result as the magnetosphere switches between the marginally stable (loading) and unstable (unloading) phases.

Fung, Shing F.↗

Numerical analysis of gas exhaust in Wendelstein 7-X using the direct simulation Monte Carlo method

The present work is focused on a 3D numerical assessment of the Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) particle exhaust. For all the numerical simulations the direct simulation Monte Carlo solver of the DIVGAS workflow, has been employed. The complex 3D geometry of the sub-divertor region includes the pumping gap panel, supporting structures, cooling pipes as well as the cryo-vacuum pump. All the considered flow simulations correspond to the Standard magnetic configuration of W7-X. The main conclusions, which can be extracted from the present numerical analysis could be summarized as follows; The coupling between EMC3-EIRENE and DIVGAS, which considers the fact that the incoming neutral particle flux at the sub-divertor is based on realistic plasma background, has been demonstrated. Three plasma scenarios have been considered, for which is clearly seen that by increasing the heating power, the neutral pressure as well as the resulting pumping efficiency is increased. The obtained numerical results of the neutral pressure in the sub-divertor lie within a more general scan matrix, which assumes a wider range of incoming particle flux, namely 10 19 –10 24 (s −1 ). It has been observed that, the sub-divertor neutral pressure is proportional to the incoming neutral particle flux, with the effective pumping speed to be a constant of proportionality. The influence of switching off the cryo-vacuum pump on the sub-divertor pressure is rather modest and a weak increase of the neutral pressure in the sub-divertor is expected. Correlations of the sub-divertor pressure with the total incoming particle flux as well as the individual pumped flux at each of the AEH and AEP sections have been deduced. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that the influence of the incoming neutral particle flux on the albedo coefficient at the AEH and AEP pumping gaps is rather weak. All the above numerical findings will actively support the optimization of the W7-X particle exhaust, in view of future experimental campaigns.

DSMC method↗

Development and Testing of Advanced Accelerator Structures and Technologies at 11.424 GHz (Final Report)

The areas of activity are grouped by Task. Task 1 involved a study of the key physics issues associated with the use of high gradient dielectric-loaded accelerating (DLA) structures in rf linear accelerators, and was carried out in collaboration with Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and Euclid Techlabs LLC; Task 2 involved a study of high-gain active microwave pulse compressors, and was carried out in collaboration with Omega-P, Inc. and the Institute of Applied Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The experiments were carried out in the X-band Magnicon Laboratory at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL). The studies under Task 1 were focused on multipactor and breakdown in externally driven DLA structures at the 200-ns timescale. Suppression of multipactor and breakdown are essential to the practical application of dielectric structures in rf linear accelerators. During the first year of this program, we carried out a study of a doubly tapered clamped quartz traveling-wave (TW) structure that operated at up to 15 MV/m without breakdown by eliminating dielectric joints, thus avoiding the joint breakdown that had characterized many earlier experiments. However, strong multipactor loading was observed in the structure. In the second year, we carried out a successful test of a TW DLA structure with a sputtered copper exterior coating that eliminated the need for a clamped metal enclosure to form the outer metallic boundary, thus simplifying the fabrication of the structure. In the second year, we also carried out the first test of a dielectric-loaded standing-wave (SW) accelerating structure. Multipactor loading limited the achievable accelerating gradient in the structure to 9 MV/m, but the SW structure proved to be a useful configuration for studying multipactor physics. To continue this study, a new standing-wave structure is in preparation that will permit direct measurements of the energy stored in the structure for new studies of multipactor physics. Finally, in the third year of the program, we focused on the suppression of multipactor loading using an applied axial magnetic field, as proposed by Chang et al. [C. Chang et al., J. Appl. Phys. 110, 063304 (2011).]. Chang used an analytic model and PIC simulations to show that an axial magnetic field can reduce the period of the secondary electron trajectories on the dielectric surface, and thus spoil the multipactor resonance condition. The optimum effect occurs when the ratio of the gyrofrequency to the rf frequency is in the range of ~ 0.7 to 1. For an X-band structure, this is equivalent to a solenoidal field of 2.8–4 kG. This approach to multipactor suppression is attractive because it maintains the advantages of a DLA structure and is independent of other accelerator parameters.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Predictive Design of Hybrid Improper Ferroelectric Double Perovskite Oxides

The computational design of suitable multiferroic double perovskite oxides requires finding materials that exhibit sizable polarization, magnetization, and coupling between them. Oxides with the chemical formula of AA'BB'O 6 with building blocks of ABO 3 single perovskite oxides in centrosymmetric Pnma symmetry are strong candidates that have been reported to satisfy such criteria. The system lowers to noncentrosymmetric, polar P2 1 symmetry if A/A' layered and B/B' rocksalt cation orderings are imposed. A detailed compositional search over a variety of chemical spaces followed by evaluating their polarization may lead to the identification of more of these compounds with ferroelectric ordering. The standard density functional theory practices to estimate polarization within the Berry phase formalism require the systems to be perfectly insulating. The number of compounds that can be evaluated using this method is therefore limited. In this work, we introduce a predictive learning strategy based on importance sampling to build a series of machine learning models using results from first-principles simulations to predict polarization and the corresponding switching barrier. The geometry-driven features related to charge states and cationic radii play key roles in predicting the switching barrier with complementary contributions from the key structural mode-based order parameters. These modes become important to draw reasonable predictions of polarization components from machine learning models. In conclusion, our predictive models identify candidates with high polarizations and low switching barriers from a pool of double perovskite oxides, suitable for future investigation for their potential applications in spintronic devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

KINEMATICS IN PARTIALLY IONIZED MOLECULAR CLOUDS: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE TRANSITION TO COHERENCE

A previous paper by Bailey and Basu shows analysis of density and mass-to-flux ratio maps for simulations with either an ionization profile which takes into account photoionization (step-like profile) or a cosmic ray only ionization profile. We extend this study to analyze the effect of these ionization profiles on velocity structures, kinematics, and synthetic spectra. Clump regions are found to occur at the convergence of two flows with a low velocity region and velocity direction transition occurring at the junction. Models with evident substructure show that core formation occurs on the periphery of these velocity valleys. Analysis of synthetic spectra reveals the presence of large non-thermal components within low-density gas, especially for models with the step-like ionization profile. All cores show small, sub-thermal relative motions compared to background gas. Large deviations within this analysis are due to the line of sight intersecting low- and high-density regions across the velocity switch transition. Positive deviations correspond to a foreground core moving away from the observer while negative deviations correspond to a background core moving toward the observer. Comparison of velocities resulting from different ionization profiles suggest that high ionization fractions yield supersonic velocities, up to two times the sound speed, while regions with low ionization fractions tend to be subsonic or mildly supersonic. This suggests that the transition to coherence within cores could be a transition between high and low ionization fractions within the gas.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Programmable Aperture with MEMS Microshutter Arrays

A microshutter array (MSA) has been developed for use as an aperture array for multi-object selections in James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) technology. Light shields, molybdenum nitride (MoN) coating on shutters, and aluminum/aluminum oxide coatings on interior walls are put on each shutter for light leak prevention, and to enhance optical contrast. Individual shutters are patterned with a torsion flexure that permits shutters to open 90 deg. with a minimized mechanical stress concentration. The shutters are actuated magnetically, latched, and addressed electrostatically. Also, micromechanical features are tailored onto individual shutters to prevent stiction. An individual shutter consists of a torsion hinge, a shutter blade, a front electrode that is coated on the shutter blade, a backside electrode that is coated on the interior walls, and a magnetic cobalt-iron coating. The magnetic coating is patterned into stripes on microshutters so that shutters can respond to an external magnetic field for the magnetic actuation. A set of column electrodes is placed on top of shutters, and a set of row electrodes on sidewalls is underneath the shutters so that they can be electrostatically latched open. A linear permanent magnet is aligned with the shutter rows and is positioned above a flipped upside-down array, and sweeps across the array in a direction parallel to shutter columns. As the magnet sweeps across the array, sequential rows of shutters are rotated from their natural horizontal orientation to a vertical open position, where they approach vertical electrodes on the sidewalls. When the electrodes are biased with a sufficient electrostatic force to overcome the mechanical restoring force of torsion bars, shutters remain latched to vertical electrodes in their open state. When the bias is removed, or is insufficient, the shutters return to their horizontal, closed positions. To release a shutter, both the electrode on the shutter and the one on the back wall where the shutter sits are grounded. The shutters with one or both ungrounded electrodes are held open. Sub-micron bumps underneath light shields and silicon ribs on back walls are the two features to prevent stiction. These features ensure that the microshutter array functions properly in mechanical motions. The MSA technology can be used primarily in multi-object imaging and spectroscopy, photomask generation, light switches, and in the stepper equipment used to make integrated circuits and MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) devices.

Moseley, Samuel↗

Generation of Tunable Stochastic Sequences Using the Insulator–Metal Transition

Probabilistic computing is a paradigm in which data are not represented by stable bits, but rather by the probability of a metastable bit to be in a particular state. The development of this technology has been hindered by the availability of hardware capable of generating stochastic and tunable sequences of “1s” and “0s”. The options are currently limited to complex CMOS circuitry and, recently, magnetic tunnel junctions. Here, we demonstrate that metal–insulator transitions can also be used for this purpose. We use an electrical pump/probe protocol and take advantage of the stochastic relaxation dynamics in VO 2 to induce random metallization events. A simple latch circuit converts the metallization sequence into a random stream of 1s and 0s. The resetting pulse in between probes decorrelates successive events, providing a true stochastic digital sequence.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

NASA Tech Briefs, February 2005

Topics discussed include: Instrumentation for Sensitive Gas Measurements; Apparatus for Testing Flat Specimens of Thermal Insulation; Quadrupole Ion Mass Spectrometer for Masses of 2 to 50 Da; Miniature Laser Doppler Velocimeter for Measuring Wall Shear; Coherent Laser Instrument Would Measure Range and Velocity; Printed Microinductors for Flexible Substrates; Digital Receiver for Microwave Radiometry; Printed Antennas Made Reconfigurable by Use of MEMS Switches; Traffic-Light-Preemption Vehicle-Transponder Software Module; Intersection-Controller Software Module; Central-Monitor Software Module; Estimating Effects of Multipath Propagation on GPS Signals; Parallel Adaptive Mesh Refinement Library; Predicting Noise From Aircraft Turbine-Engine Combustors; Generating Animated Displays of Spacecraft Orbits; Diagnosis and Prognosis of Weapon Systems; Training Software in Artificial-Intelligence Computing Techniques; APGEN Version 5.0; Single-Command Approach and Instrument Placement by a Robot on a Target; Three-Dimensional Audio Client Library; Isogrid Membranes for Precise, Singly Curved Reflectors; Nickel-Tin Electrode Materials for Nonaqueous Li-Ion Cells; Photocatalytic Coats in Glass Drinking-Water Bottles; Fast Laser Shutters With Low Vibratory Disturbances; Series-Connected Buck Boost Regulators; Space Physics Data Facility Web Services; Split-Resonator, Integrated-Post Vibratory Microgyroscope; Blended Buffet-Load-Alleviation System for Fighter Airplane; Gifford-McMahon/Joule-Thomson Refrigerator Cools to 2.5 K; High-Temperature, High-Load-Capacity Radial Magnetic Bearing; Fabrication of Spherical Reflectors in Outer Space; Automated Rapid Prototyping of 3D Ceramic Parts; Tissue Engineering Using Transfected Growth-Factor Genes; Automation of Vapor-Diffusion Growth of Protein Crystals; Atom Skimmers and Atom Lasers Utilizing Them; Gears Based on Carbon Nanotubes; Patched Off-Axis Bending/Twisting Actuators for Thin Mirrors; and Improving Control in a Joule-Thomson Refrigerator.

Source record↗

Effect of the oxide layer on current-induced spin-orbit torques in Hf|CoFeB|MgO and Hf|CoFeB|TaO{sub x} structures

We study the effect of the oxide layer on the current-induced spin-orbit torques (SOTs) in perpendicularly magnetized Hf|CoFeB|MgO (MgO-capped) or Hf|CoFeB|TaO{sub x} (TaO{sub x}-capped) structures. The effective fields corresponding to both the field-like and damping-like current-induced SOTs are characterized using electric transport measurements. Both torques are found to be significantly stronger in MgO-capped structures than those in TaO{sub x}-capped structures. The difference in field-like and damping-like SOTs in the different structures may be attributed to the different Rashba-like Hamiltonian, arising from the difference in the electric potential profiles across the oxide|ferromagnet interfaces in the two cases, as well as possible structural and oxidation differences in the underlying CoFeB and Hf layers. Our results show that the oxide layer in heavy-metal|ferromagnet|oxide trilayer structures has a very significant effect on the generated SOTs for manipulation of ferromagnetic layers. These findings could potentially be used to engineer SOT devices with enhanced current-induced switching efficiency.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Flexible Electrostatic Technologies for Capture and Handling, Phase 1

Fundamental to many of NASA's in-space transportation missions is the capture and handling of various objects and vehicles in various orbits for servicing, debris disposal, sample retrieval, and assembly without the benefit of sufficient grapple fixtures and docking ports. To perform similar material handling tasks on Earth, pincher grippers, suction grippers, or magnetic chucks are used, but are unable to reliably grip aluminum and composite spacecraft, insulation, radiators, solar arrays, or extra-terrestrial objects in the vacuum of outer space without dedicated handles in the right places. The electronic Flexible Electrostatic Technologies for space Capture and Handling (FETCH) will enable reliable and compliant gripping (soft dock) of practically any object in various orbits or surfaces without dedicated mechanical features, very low impact capture, and built-in proximity sensing without any conventional actuators. Originally developed to handle semiconductor and glass wafers during vacuum chamber processing without contamination, the normal rigid wafer handling chucks are replaced with thin metal foil segments laminated in flexible insulation driven by commercial off-the-shelf solid state, high-voltage power supplies. Preliminary testing in NASA Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC's) Flat Floor Robotics Lab demonstrated compliant alignment and gripping with a full-sized, 150-lb microsat mockup and translation before a clean release with a flip of a switch. The flexible electrostatic gripper pads can be adapted to various space applications with different sizes, shapes, and foil electrode layouts even with openings through the gripper pads for addition of guidance sensors or injection of permanent adhesives. With gripping forces estimated between 0.5 and 2.5 lb/in2 or 70-300 lb/ft2 of surface contact, the FETCH can turn on and off rapidly and repeatedly to enable sample handling, soft docking, in-space assembly, precision relocation, and surface translation for accurate anchoring.

Bryan, Thomas↗

GaP/Si(111) Nanowire Crystals Synthesized by Molecular-Beam Epitaxy with Switching between the Hexagonal and Cubic Phases

A theoretical and experimental description of the synthesis of GaP nanowire crystals by molecularbeam epitaxy on Si(111) substrates with the use of gold as a catalyst is presented. The ratio between the fluxes of materials to be deposited and the substrate temperature are varied for a short time during nanowire synthesis in order to analyze the possibility of producing nanoinclusions of different polytypes. It is established that variations in the ratio between the fluxes of materials to be deposited and in the growth temperature bring about the controllable formation of inclusions, among them are structurally cubic crystalline regions. The inclusions are several nanometers thick.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Spin Effects in Low Dimensional Correlated Systems (Final Technical Report)

Our program focuses on the behavior of two-dimensional superconducting systems that have been placed in high magnetic fields and/or in contact with magnetic materials. Our specific research agenda is organized into two separate but related areas. The first is a study of disorder and correlation effects in extremely thin superconducting aluminum, beryllium, and rhenium films that have been subjected to very high magnetic fields. We are particularly interested in understanding how the coupling between the applied field and the electron spins affects the system’s ability to form superconducting state. We now have good evidence that as the electron spins in these superconductors attempt to align to the magnetic field, a new superconducting phase emerges near the critical field transition and that this phase has a significant influence on the character of the transition. Thus, the spin behavior near the transition is much more complex than expected. The second class of systems is proximity structures comprised of superconducting/ferromagnetic (SC/FM) and superconducting/heavy metal (SC/HM) bilayers. We have developed spin-resolved tunneling probes that give us a direct measure of the proximity-induced exchange field in the SC/FM structures, as well as the spin-orbit scattering rate in SC/HM structures. Recently we have demonstrated that the magnitude of the exchange field can be modulated with an external gate, thereby producing a magneto-electric response in the bilayers. We plan to optimize this magneto-electric effect by getting a better understanding of the microscopic mechanism of the interface-induce exchange field, as well as improving the gate barriers and/or the bilayer interface quality. The ultimate goal is to develop a device such as a voltage-controlled superconducting switch or a spin- polarized electron source with a voltage-tunable Zeeman splitting.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Sub‐Nanosecond Reconfiguration of Ferroelectric Domains in Bismuth Ferrite

Abstract Domain switching is crucial for achieving desired functions in ferroic materials that are used in various applications. Fast control of domains at sub‐nanosecond timescales remains a challenge despite its potential for high‐speed operation in random‐access memories, photonic, and nanoelectronic devices. Here, ultrafast laser excitation is shown to transiently melt and reconfigure ferroelectric stripe domains in multiferroic bismuth ferrite on a timescale faster than 100 picoseconds. This dynamic behavior is visualized by picosecond‐ and nanometer‐resolved X‐ray diffraction and time‐resolved X‐ray diffuse scattering. The disordering of stripe domains is attributed to the screening of depolarization fields by photogenerated carriers resulting in the formation of charged domain walls, as supported by phase‐field simulations. Furthermore, the recovery of disordered domains exhibits subdiffusive growth on nanosecond timescales, with a non‐equilibrium domain velocity reaching up to 10 m s −1 . These findings present a new approach to image and manipulate ferroelectric domains on sub‐nanosecond timescales, which can be further extended into other complex photoferroic systems to modulate their electronic, optical, and magnetic properties beyond gigahertz frequencies. This approach could pave the way for high‐speed ferroelectric data storage and computing, and, more broadly, defines new approaches for visualizing the non‐equilibrium dynamics of heterogeneous and disordered materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Evidence for Lignin–Carbohydrate Complexes from Studies of Transgenic Switchgrass and a Model Lignin–Pectin Composite

Lignin–carbohydrate complexes (LCCs) form through interactions of lignin with plant cell wall polysaccharides and are thought to be a significant source of biomass recalcitrance. In this work, we investigated LCCs formed between lignin and pectin homogalacturonan (HG). The structural changes in HG deficient transgenic switchgrass (GAUT4-knockdown, GAUT4-KD) after hot water pretreatment were compared to wild-type plants using small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), which showed that there were ~2.2-fold more lignin aggregates in GAUT4-KD biomass compared to the wild type. This demonstrated that decreased pectin resulted in more lignin redistribution and suggested that interactions between lignin and HG restrict lignin mobility in plant cell walls. To better understand the types of interactions between lignin and pectin, a model composite was prepared by polymerizing either protiated or partially deuterated coniferyl alcohol to form a dehydrogenation polymer (DHP) in the presence of HG. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) showed that the DHP and HG form a highly interconnected network structure that is not observed in a physical mixture of the individual polymers. Contrast matching SANS revealed the structure of DHP and HG in the composite and showed that the HG forms a swollen interconnected polymer network (power-law exponent, P = 1.5) interspersed with DHP particles (radius of gyration, Rg, 264 Å) that are composed of solvent-accessible DHP polymers (P = 2.3). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed a unique ester absorption band in the DHP/HG composites. Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis also supports interactions between DHP and HG. Overall, this study provides new insights into the relationship between primary and secondary cell wall polymers during cell wall synthesis and how LCCs formed between pectin and lignin could represent a previously unrecognized source of biomass recalcitrance. This knowledge may help develop new approaches to modulate cell wall properties to improve biofuel and bioproduct production.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Differential voltage amplification from ferroelectric negative capacitance

Here, we demonstrate that a ferroelectric can cause a differential voltage amplification without needing an external energy source. As the ferroelectric switches from one polarization state to the other, a transfer of energy takes place from the ferroelectric to the dielectric, determined by the ratio of their capacitances, which, in turn, leads to the differential amplification. This amplification is very different in nature from conventional inductor-capacitor based circuits where an oscillatory amplification can be observed. The demonstration of differential voltage amplification from completely passive capacitor elements only has fundamental ramifications for next generation electronics.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Demonstration of transverse-magnetic deep-ultraviolet stimulated emission from AlGaN multiple-quantum-well lasers grown on a sapphire substrate

We demonstrate transverse-magnetic (TM) dominant deep-ultraviolet (DUV) stimulated emission from photo-pumped AlGaN multiple-quantum-well lasers grown pseudomorphically on an AlN/sapphire template by means of photoluminescence at room temperature. The TM-dominant stimulated emission was observed at wavelengths of 239, 242, and 243 nm with low thresholds of 280, 250, and 290 kW/cm{sup 2}, respectively. In particular, the lasing wavelength of 239 nm is shorter compared to other reports for AlGaN lasers grown on foreign substrates including sapphire and SiC. The peak wavelength difference between the transverse-electric (TE)-polarized emission and TM-polarized emission was approximately zero for the lasers in this study, indicating the crossover of crystal-field split-off hole and heavy-hole valence bands. The rapid variation of polarization between TE- and TM-dominance versus the change in lasing wavelength from 243 to 249 nm can be attributed to a dramatic change in the TE-to-TM gain coefficient ratio for the sapphire-based DUV lasers in the vicinity of TE-TM switch.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Room temperature p-type conductivity and coexistence of ferroelectric order in ferromagnetic Li doped ZnO nanoparticles

Memory and switching devices acquired new materials which exhibit ferroelectric and ferromagnetic order simultaneously. We reported multiferroic behavior in Zn{sub 1−y}Li{sub y}O(0.00≤y≤0.10) nanoparticles. The analysis of transmission electron micrographs confirmed the hexagonal morphology and wurtzite crystalline structure. We investigated p-type conductivity in doped samples and measured hole carriers in range 2.4 × 10{sup 17}/cc to 7.3 × 10{sup 17}/cc for different Li contents. We found that hole carriers are responsible for long range order ferromagnetic coupling in Li doped samples. Room temperature ferroelectric hysteresis loops were observed in 8% and 10% Li doped samples. We demonstrated ferroelectric coercivity (remnant polarization) 2.5 kV/cm (0.11 μC/cm{sup 2}) and 2.8 kV/cm (0.15 μC/cm{sup 2}) for y = 0.08 and y = 0.10 samples. We propose that the mechanism of Li induced ferroelectricity in ZnO is due to indirect dipole interaction via hole carriers. We investigated that if the sample has hole carriers ≥5.3 × 10{sup 17}/cc, they can mediate the ferroelectricity. Ferroelectric and ferromagnetic measurements showed that higher electric polarization and larger magnetic moment is attained when the hole concentration is larger and vice versa. Our results confirmed the hole dependent coexistence of ferromagnetic and ferroelectric behavior at room temperature, which provide potential applications for switchable and memory devices.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗