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At least 145 records · Page 8

Variable Emittance Electrochromics Using Ionic Electrolytes and Low Solar Absorptance Coatings

One of the last remaining technical hurdles with variable emittance devices or skins based on conducting polymer electrochromics is the high solar absorptance of their top surfaces. This high solar absorptance causes overheating of the skin when facing the Sun in space. Existing technologies such as mechanical louvers or loop heat pipes are virtually inapplicable to micro (< 20 kg) and nano (< 5 kg) spacecraft. Novel coatings lower the solar absorption to Alpha(s) of between 0.30 and 0.46. Coupled with the emittance properties of the variable emittance skins, this lowers the surface temperature of the skins facing the Sun to between 30 and 60 C, which is much lower than previous results of 100 C, and is well within acceptable satellite operations ranges. The performance of this technology is better than that of current new technologies such as microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), electrostatics, and electrophoretics, especially in applications involving micro and nano spacecraft. The coatings are deposited inside a high vacuum, layering multiple coatings onto the top surfaces of variable emittance skins. They are completely transparent in the entire relevant infrared region (about 2 to 45 microns), but highly reflective in the visible-NIR (near infrared) region of relevance to solar absorptance.

Chandrasekhar, Prasanna↗

Emitter Reconstruction for Cleaved CdSexTe1-x Devices with Cu vs. As Doping

CdTe absorbers have had historically low carrier densities of ~10^14 cm-3 due to the self-compensating nature of copper dopants. Recent advances in group-V (e.g., arsenic) doping have increased this to 10^16-10^17 cm-3, but modeling suggests that the front interface and emitter properties become limiting in this case. By cleaving arsenic- and copper-doped CdTe device stacks at the emitter/absorber interface, we gain the ability to reconstruct emitters with known properties, which will not change during subsequent device processing, and directly test the modeling. By doing so, we find a much larger performance drop in arsenic devices; this is attributed to insufficient electron density in the emitter and increased sensitivity to interface changes due to collapsed depletion width. This work can help guide emitter engineering for highly-doped CdTe devices in both the as-grown-superstrate- and cleaved-substrate configurations.

As-doped↗

Organic light-emitting diodes with fluorescent and phosphorescent emitters

A light emitting device includes a first electrode, a hole transporting layer in contact with the first electrode, a second electrode, an electron transporting layer in contact with the second electrode; and an emissive layer between the hole transporting layer and the electron transporting layer. The emissive layer includes a phosphorescent emitter, a fluorescent emitter, and a host, and the phosphorescent emitter harvests electrogenerated excitons and transfers energy to the fluorescent emitter.

Li, Jian↗

Fermilab Booster Beam Emittances from Quadrupole Modes Measured by BPMs

The measurement of beam emittances by extracting the quadrupole mode signal from a 4 plate beam position monitor (BPM) was published at least 40 years ago. Unfortunately, in practice, this method suffers from poor signal to noise ratio and requires a lot of tuning to extract out the emittances. In this paper, an improved method where multiple BPMs are used together with better mathematical analysis is described. The BPM derived emittances are then compared with those measured by the Ion Profile Monitor (IPM). Surprisingly, the BPM measured emittances behave very well and are more realistic than those measured by the IPM.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Spectral emittance measurements of micro/nanostructures in energy conversion: a review

Micro/nanostructures play a key role in tuning the radiative properties of materials and have been applied to the high-temperature energy conversion systems for improved performance. Among the various radiative properties, spectral emittance is of integral importance for the design and analysis of materials that function as radiative absorbers or emitters. This article presents an overview of the spectral emittance measurement techniques using both the direct and indirect methods. Several micro/nanostructures are also introduced, and a special emphasis is placed on the emissometers developed for characterizing engineered micro/nanostructures in high-temperature applications (e.g., solar energy conversion and thermophotovoltaic devices). Both experimental facilities and measured results for different materials are summarized. Future prospects in developing instrumentation and micro/nanostructured surfaces for practical applications are also outlined. This study provides a comprehensive source of information for the application of micro/nanostructures in high-temperature energy conversion engineering.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Single photon emitters in van der Waals solids for quantum photonics: materials, theory and molecular-scale characterization probes

Strong light–matter interactions in two-dimensional layered materials (2D materials) have attracted the interest of researchers from interdisciplinary fields for more than a decade now. A unique phenomenon in some 2D materials is their large exciton binding energies (BEs), increasing the likelihood of exciton survival at room temperature. It is this large BE that mediates the intense light–matter interactions of many of the 2D materials, particularly in their monolayer limit, where the interplay of excitonic phenomena poses a wealth of opportunities for high-performance optoelectronics and quantum photonics. Within quantum photonics, quantum information science (QIS) is growing rapidly, where photons are a promising platform for information processing due to their low-noise properties, excellent modal control, and long-distance propagation. A central element for QIS applications is a single photon emitter (SPE) source, where an ideal on-demand SPE emits exactly one photon at a time into a given spatiotemporal mode. Recently, 2D materials have shown practical appeal for QIS which is directly driven from their unique layered crystalline structure. This structural attribute of 2D materials facilitates their integration with optical elements more easily than the SPEs in conventional three-dimensional solid state materials, such as diamond and SiC. In this review article, we will discuss recent advances made with 2D materials towards their use as quantum emitters, where the SPE emission properties maybe modulated deterministically. Here, the use of unique scanning tunneling microscopy tools for the in-situ generation and characterization of defects is presented, along with theoretical first-principles frameworks and machine learning approaches to model the structure-property relationship of exciton–defect interactions within the lattice towards SPEs. Given the rapid progress made in this area, the SPEs in 2D materials are emerging as promising sources of nonclassical light emitters, well-poised to advance quantum photonics in the future.

2D layered materials↗

Photophysics of Intrinsic Single‐Photon Emitters in Silicon Nitride at Low Temperatures

A robust process for fabricating intrinsic single-photon emitters in silicon nitride is recently established. These emitters show promise for quantum applications due to room-temperature operation and monolithic integration with technologically mature silicon nitride photonics platforms. Here, the fundamental photophysical properties of these emitters are probed through measurements of optical transition wavelengths, linewidths, and photon antibunching as a function of temperature from 4.2 to 300 K. Important insight into the potential for lifetime-limited linewidths is provided through measurements of inhomogeneous and temperature-dependent broadening of the zero-phonon lines. At 4.2 K, spectral diffusion is found to be the main broadening mechanism, while spectroscopy time series reveal zero-phonon lines with instrument-limited linewidths.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Mitigation of J–V distortion in CdTe solar cells by Ga-doping of MgZnO emitter

Distortions in the current–voltage curves of CdTe-based thin-film solar cells with MgZnO emitter layers are not uncommon. Even when such distortions are very subtle with standard sunlight, they can be greatly accentuated by the removal of short-wavelength photons with optical filters, and the dark-curve turn-on voltage can be noticeably increased. The strong suggestion is that good J–V curves with full-spectrum light often rely on photogeneration of electrons from trap states in the MgZnO emitter. When the carrier concentration of the CdTe absorber is increased with external doping, there is a corresponding need for a larger MgZnO carrier concentration. Based on the assumption that the emitter carrier concentration needs to be comparable to that of the absorber, Ga-doping of the MgZnO was shown to very nearly eliminate the large filtered-light distortions and is arguably superior to MgZnO that relies on photogeneration. In addition, it was shown that photogeneration and recovery in MgZnO is relatively slow, so that without Ga-doping, the cell efficiency improves gradually for most of an hour in the light, and the turn-on voltage of the dark curve increases on a similar time scale when the light is removed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

On-chip sensing of hotspots in superconducting terahertz emitters

Intrinsic Josephson junctions in high-temperature superconductor Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+δ (BSCCO) are known for their capability to emit high-power terahertz photons with widely tunable frequencies. Hotspots, as inhomogeneous temperature distributions across the junctions, are believed to play a critical role in synchronizing the gauge-invariant phase difference among the junctions, so as to achieve coherent strong emission. In this paper, we demonstrate an on-chip in situ sensing technique that can characterize hotspot distributions on BSCCO. This is achieved by fabricating a series of micro-nanosized "sensor" junctions on top of an "emitter" junction and measuring the critical current on the sensors versus the bias current applied to the emitter. Furthermore, this fully electronic on-chip design can enable efficient close-loop control of hotspots in BSCCO junctions and significantly enhance the functionality of superconducting terahertz emitters.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Sensitization for Highly Efficient Blue Fluorescent Emitters

Hyperfluorescence is emerging as a powerful strategy to develop optoelectronic devices with high-color purity and enhanced stability. It requires appropriate integration of a sensitizer displaying efficient thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) and an emitter displaying strong, narrow-band fluorescence. Here, through a joint computational and experimental approach, we provide an unprecedented, end-to-end systems level description of the electronic and optical processes that take place in a hyperfluorescent emissive layer composed of a TADF sensitizer, bis(2,5-di(9H-carbazol-9-yl)phenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole (4CzDPO), and a fluorescent emitter, 2,5,8,11-tetra-tert-butylperylene (TBPe). We combine the photophysical properties measurement of the emissive layer with the computational determination of the electronic properties, film morphology, and excitation transfer phenomena. The Förster resonance energy transfer rates from 4CzDPO to TBPe are on the order of 1011 s–1, considerably higher than the radiative and non-radiative recombination rates for 4CzDPO. These features ensure nearly complete energy transfer to TBPe, leading to a five-fold increase in the photoluminescence quantum yields in the 4CzDPO:TBPe system in comparison to neat films of 4CzDPO. Furthermore, our approach highlights the factors that can provide efficient energy transfer from TADF molecules to fluorescent emitters, suppress energy transfer among TADF molecules, and avoid the need for a host material within the emissive layer.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

InAs Terahertz Metalens Emitter for Focused Terahertz Beam Generation

Metasurfaces have opened doors to combining multiple photonic functionalities in a single compact device. In particular, the ability to generate short terahertz (THz) pulses with precise wavefront engineering in a single THz metasurface redefined the role metasurfaces can play in THz systems. Here, an InAs metalens emitter which generates and focuses a THz pulse beam is demonstrated using a 130 nm thick InAs metasurface designed as a binary‐phase Fresnel zone plate. The THz beam is focused to a spot of ≈430 μm at 1 THz with a short focal length of 5 mm and large numerical aperture of 0.5. Nanoscale InAs Mie resonators comprising the metasurface enable THz generation with an amplitude as high as 20 times compared to plasmonic THz emitters and several times compared to a 1 mm thick ZnTe crystal. This InAs metasurface emitter provides a new paradigm for designing THz imaging, spectroscopy, and communication systems, where THz beam generation and shaping are performed with a single device without compromising the generation efficiency, while eliminating losses and avoiding limitations of phase matching of conventional nonlinear optics approaches.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

High-efficiency solar thermophotovoltaic system using a nanostructure-based selective emitter

Herein, we present the design, fabrication, optimization, and experimental results of a high-efficiency planar solar thermophotovoltaic (STPV) system utilizing a micro-textured absorber and a nanostructure multilayer metal-dielectric coated selective emitter fabricated on a tungsten (W) substrate. Light absorptance of more than 90% was achieved at visible and near-infrared wavelengths using the microtextured absorbing surface. The nanostructure selective emitter consists of two thin-film optical coatings of silicon nitride (Si3N4) and a layer of W in between to increase the surface emissivity in spectral regimes matching the quantum efficiency of the thermophotovoltaic (TPV) cells. Gallium antimonide (GaSb)-based TPV cells are used in our STPV design. The experiment was conducted at different operating temperatures using a high-power continuous wave laser diode stack as a simulated source of concentrated incident radiation. Our experimental setup measured a maximum electrical output power density of 1.71 W/cm 2 at 1676 K STPV temperature, and the overall power conversion efficiency of 8.4% after normalizing the output power density to the emitter area. This is the highest STPV system efficiency reported so far for any experimental STPV device. The incident optical laser power on the absorber side was 131 W. This is equivalent to a solar concentration factor of ~2100, which is within the practical limit and readily achievable with Fresnel lens setup.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

THz generation by exchange-coupled spintronic emitters

Abstract The mechanism of THz generation in ferromagnet/metal (F/M) bilayers has been typically ascribed to the inverse spin Hall effect (ISHE). Here, we fabricated Pt/Fe/Cr/Fe/Pt multilayers containing two back-to-back spintronic THz emitters separated by a thin ( t Cr ≤ 3nm) wedge-shaped Cr spacer. In such an arrangement, magnetization alignment of the two Fe films can be controlled by the interplay between Cr-mediated interlayer exchange coupling (IEC) and an external magnetic field. This in turn results in a strong variation of the THz amplitude A , with A ↑ ↓ reaching up to 14 times A ↑ ↑ (arrows indicate the relative alignment of the magnetization of the two magnetic layers). This observed functionality is ascribed to the interference of THz transients generated by two closely spaced THz emitters. Moreover, the magnetic field dependence A ( H ) shows a strong asymmetry that points to an additional performance modulation of the THz emitter via IEC and multilayer design.

Adam, Roman↗

Modeling of emittance growth due to Coulomb collisions in plasma-based accelerators

Coulomb collisions with background plasma are one source of emittance degradation in plasma accelerators. This work shows that the emittance growth due to Coulomb collisions can be correctly captured in particle-in-cell simulations, with a proper Monte Carlo binary collision module. The theory of the emittance growth due to Coulomb collisions is extended from a monoenergetic matched beam to a mismatched beam with energy spread and is compared with simulation results.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Bias-free terahertz generation from a silicon-compatible photoconductive emitter operating at telecommunication wavelengths

Here, we present a telecommunication-compatible bias-free photoconductive terahertz emitter composed of a bilayer InAs structure directly grown on a high-resistivity silicon substrate. The bilayer InAs structure includes p + -doped and undoped InAs layers, inducing a strong built-in electric field that enables terahertz generation without requiring any external bias voltage. A large-area plasmonic nanoantenna array is used to enhance and confine optical generation inside the photoconductive region with the highest built-in electric field, leading to the generation of a strong ultrafast photocurrent and broadband terahertz radiation. Thanks to a higher terahertz transmission through the silicon substrate and a shorter carrier lifetime in the InAs layers grown on silicon, higher signal-to-noise ratios are achieved at high terahertz frequencies compared with previously demonstrated bias-free terahertz emitters realized on GaAs. In addition to compatibility with silicon integrated optoelectronic platforms, the presented bias-free photoconductive emitter provides more than a 6 THz radiation bandwidth with more than 100 dB dynamic range when used in a terahertz time-domain spectroscopy system.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Rational design of efficient defect-based quantum emitters

Single-photon emitters are an essential component of quantum networks, and defects or impurities in semiconductors are a promising platform to realize such quantum emitters. Here, we present a model that encapsulates the essential physics of coupling to phonons, which governs the behavior of real single-photon emitters, and critically evaluate several approximations that are commonly utilized. Emission in the telecom wavelength range is highly desirable, but our model shows that nonradiative processes are greatly enhanced at these low photon energies, leading to a decrease in efficiency. Our results suggest that reducing the phonon frequency is a fruitful avenue to enhance the efficiency.

Optics↗

Polariton creation in coupled cavity arrays with spectrally disordered emitters

Abstract Integrated photonics has been a promising platform for analog quantum simulation of condensed matter phenomena in strongly correlated systems. To that end, we explore the implementation of all-photonic quantum simulators in coupled cavity arrays with integrated ensembles of spectrally disordered emitters. Our model is reflective of color center ensembles integrated into photonic crystal cavity arrays. Using the Quantum Master equation and the Effective Hamiltonian approaches, we study energy band formation and wavefunction properties in the open quantum Tavis–Cummings–Hubbard framework. We find conditions for polariton creation and (de)localization under experimentally relevant values of disorder in emitter frequencies, cavity resonance frequencies, and emitter-cavity coupling rates. To quantify these properties, we introduce two metrics, the polaritonic and nodal participation ratios, that characterize the light-matter hybridization and the node delocalization of the wavefunction, respectively. These new metrics combined with the Effective Hamiltonian approach prove to be a powerful toolbox for cavity quantum electrodynamical engineering of solid-state systems.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

Energy transfer between localized emitters in photonic cavities from first principles

Radiative and nonradiative resonant couplings between defects are ubiquitous phenomena in photonic devices used in classical and quantum information technology applications. In this work, we present a first-principles approach to enable quantitative predictions of the energy transfer between defects in photonic cavities, beyond the dipole-dipole approximation and including the many-body nature of the electronic states. As an example, we discuss the energy transfer from a dipolelike emitter to an 𝐹 center in MgO in a spherical cavity. We show that the cavity can be used to controllably enhance or suppress specific spin-flip and spin-conserving transitions. Specifically, we predict that an ∼10–100 enhancement in the resonant energy transfer rate can be gained in the case of the 𝐹 center in MgO at ∼10 nm distances from a dipolar source, using rather moderate cavity with quality factor 𝑄 ∼ 400. We also show that a similar suppression in the transfer rate can be achieved by off-tuning the cavity resonance relative to the emitter transition energy. The framework presented here is general and readily applicable to a wide range of devices where localized emitters are embedded in microspheres, core-shell nanoparticles, and dielectric Mie resonators. Hence, our approach paves the way to predict how to control energy transfer in quantum memories and in ultrahigh-density optical memories, and in a variety of quantum information platforms.

First-principles calculations↗