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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 145 records · Page 8
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2000

Mechanisms of Carbon Nanotube Production by Laser Ablation Process

We will present possible mechanisms for nanotube production by laser oven process. Spectral emission of excited species during laser ablation of a composite graphite target is compared with that of laser irradiated C60 vapor. The similarities in the transient and spectral data suggest that fullerenes are intermediate precursors for nanotube formation. The confinement of the ablation products by means of a 25-mm diameter tube placed upstream of the target seems to improve the production and purity of nanotubes. Repeated laser pulses vaporize the amorphous/graphitic carbon and possibly catalyst particles, and dissociate fullerenes yielding additional feedstock for SWNT growth.

Scott, Carl D.↗
DOE OSTI2021

In Situ Synthesis of Molybdenum Carbide Nanoparticles Incorporated into Laser‐Patterned Nitrogen‐Doped Carbon for Room Temperature VOC Sensing

Abstract Carbon laser‐patterning (CLaP) is emerging as a new tool for the precise and selective synthesis of functional carbon‐based materials for on‐chip applications. The aim of this work is to demonstrate the applicability of laser‐patterned nitrogen‐doped carbon (LP‐NC) for resistive gas‐sensing applications. Films of pre‐carbonized organic nanoparticles on polyethylenetherephthalate are carbonized with a CO 2 ‐laser. Upon laser‐irradiation a compositional and morphological gradient in the films is generated with a carbon content of 92% near the top surface. The specific surface areas of the LP‐NC are increased by introducing sodium iodide (NaI) as a porogen. Electronic conductivity and surface area measurements corroborate the deeper penetration of the laser‐energy into the film in the presence of NaI. Furthermore, impregnation of LP‐NC with MoC 1− x (<10 nm) nanoparticles is achieved by addition of ammonium heptamolybdate into the precursor film. The resulting doping‐sensitive nano‐grain boundaries between p‐type carbon and metallic MoC 1− x lead to an improvement of the volatile organic compounds sensing response of Δ R / R 0 = −3.7% or −0.8% for 1250 ppm acetone or 900 ppm toluene at room temperature, respectively, which is competitive with carbon‐based sensor materials. Further advances in sensitivity and in situ functionalization are expected to make CLaP a useful method for printing selective sensor arrays.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

When do molecular polaritons behave like optical filters?

This review outlines several linear optical effects featured by molecular polaritons arising in the collective strong light–matter coupling regime. Under weak laser irradiation and when the single-molecule light–matter coupling can be neglected (often in the limit when the number of molecules per photon mode is large), we show that the excited-state molecular dynamics under collective strong coupling can be exactly replicated without the cavity using a shaped (or “filtered”) laser, whose field amplitude is enhanced by the cavity quality factor, shining on the bare molecules. As a consequence, the absorption within a cavity can be understood as the overlap between the polariton transmission and the bare molecular absorption, suggesting that polaritons act in part as optical filters. This framework demystifies and provides a straightforward explanation for a large class of experiments and theoretical models in molecular polaritonics, highlighting that the same effects can be achieved without the cavity with shaped laser pulses. With a few modifications, this simple conceptual picture can also be adapted to understand the incoherent nonlinear response of polaritonic systems. This review establishes a clear distinction between polaritonic phenomena that can be fully explained through classical linear optics and those that require a quantum electrodynamics approach. It also highlights the need to differentiate between effects that necessitate polaritons (i.e., hybrid light–matter states) and those that can occur in the weak coupling regime. Here, we further discuss that certain quantum optical effects like fluorescence can be partially described as optical filtering, whereas some others like cavity-induced Raman scattering go beyond this. Further exploration in these areas is needed to uncover novel polaritonic phenomena beyond optical filtering.

Schwennicke, Kai [University of California, San Di↗
DOE OSTI2020

Laser propagation in a subcritical foam: Subgrid model

Here, we present a subgrid model for laser propagation in a subcritical foam. Our model describes the expansion of laser-irradiated foam elements that are below the resolution of the simulation grid and predicts the plasma conditions that result from burning down the foam. Our model can be included as a module within a larger multiphysics code, and we have implemented it within the code pF3D, which is used for simulating a laser-plasma interaction. The model predicts a reduced propagation velocity for a laser through a subcritical foam compared to simulating that foam as a homogeneous gas. This is attributed to the laser energy that goes into burning down the foam microstructure. We compare our model against experimental data by simulating a 2 mg/cc SiO 2 foam shot performed at the Janus laser facility at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. pF3D simulations with the foam model predict hot ion temperatures. This leads to a reduction in the level of stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS), bringing the simulated level of SBS into agreement with the data. Intensity fluctuations at the foam front due to laser speckles and refraction result in ion temperature fluctuations when the foam burns down. These drive long-lived electron density fluctuations on scales that are large compared to the pore size.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Demonstration of Scale-Invariant Rayleigh-Taylor Instability Growth in Laser-Driven Cylindrical Implosion Experiments

Rayleigh-Taylor instability growth is shown to be hydrodynamically scale-invariant in convergent cylindrical implosions for targets that varied in radial dimension and implosion timescale by a factor of three. The targets were driven directly by laser irradiation providing a short impulse, and instability growth at an embedded aluminum interface occurs as it converges radially inward by a factor of2.25 and decelerates on a central foam core. Late-time growth factors of 14 are observed for a single-modem= 20 azimuthal perturbation at both scales, despite the differences in laser drive conditions between the experimental facilities, consistent with predictions from radiation-hydrodynamics simulations. This platform enables detailed investigations into the limits of hydrodynamic scaling in high-energy-density systems.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Investigation of a gallium alloy liquid metal mirror for application in inertial fusion energy systems

The final optic in future inertial fusion energy plants must maintain high performance and survivability under gigashot laser irradiation while exposed to fusion byproducts. Although no practical solution has been demonstrated, a self-healing final turning mirror based on a grazing-incidence liquid metal mirror has been theoretically explored. This work investigates the suitability of a gallium alloy. The experimental system simulates key conditions, including vacuum exposure and 10-Hz, 355-nm, and 6-ns laser pulses. Experiments address reflectivity, damage, and response as a function of pressure. Results highlight the potential of liquid metal gallium alloys for robust final optics in laser-based fusion power plants and inform non-traditional optics for intense laser systems.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1999

Laser Optogalvanic Spectroscopy pf Neon and Argon in a Discharge Plasma and its Significance for Microgravity Combustion

A detailed study of combustion mechanisms in flames, employing laser-based diagnostics, has provided good knowledge and understanding of the physical phenomena, and led to better characterization of the dynamical and chemical combustion processes, both under low-gravity (in space) and normal gravity (in ground based facilities, e.g. drop towers). Laser induced fluorescence (LIF), laser-induced incandescence (LII) and LIF thermometry have been widely used to perform nonintrusive measurements and to better understand combustion phenomena. Laser optogalvanic (LOG) spectroscopy has well-established applications in ion mobility measurements, atomic and molecular spectroscopy, ionization rates, recombination rates, velocity measurements and as a combustion probe for trace element detection. Absorption spectra of atomic and molecular species in flames can be obtained via LOG spectroscopy by measuring the voltage and current changes induced by laser irradiation. There are different kinds of processes that contribute to a discharge current, namely: (1) electron impact ionization, (2) collisions among the excited atoms of the discharge species and (3) Penning ionization. In general, at higher discharge currents, the mechanism of electron impact ionization dominates over Penning ionization, whereby the latter is hardly noticeable. In a plasma, whenever the wavelength of a laser coincides with the absorption of an atomic or molecular species, the rate of ionization of the species momentarily increases or decreases due to laser-assisted acceleration of collisional ionization. Such a rate of change in the ionization is monitored as a variation in the transient current by inserting a high voltage electrode into the plasma. Optogalvanic spectroscopy in discharges has been useful for characterizing laser line-widths and for providing convenient calibration lines for tunable dye lasers in the ultraviolet, visible and infrared wavelength regions. Different kinds of quantitative information, such as the electron collisional ionization rate, can be extracted from the complex processes occurring within the discharge. In the optogalvanic effect (OGE), there is no problem of overlap from background emissions, and hence even weak signals can be detected with a high signal-to-noise ratio, which makes the optogalvanic effect sensitive enough to resolve vibrational changes in molecular bonds and differences in energy levels brought about by different electron spins. For calibration purposes, neon and argon gaseous discharges have been employed most extensively, because these gases are commonly used as buffer gases within hollow-cathode lamps and provide an acceptable density of calibration lines. In the present work, our main aim has been to understand the dominant physical processes responsible for the production of the OGE signal, based on the extensive time resolved optogalvanic waveforms recorded, and also to extract quantitative information on the rates of excited state collisional processes.

Misra, Prabhakar↗
DOE OSTI2024

Laser-induced quenching of metastability at the Mott insulator to metal transition

There is growing interest in strongly correlated insulator thin films because the intricate interplay of their intrinsic and extrinsic state variables causes memristive behavior that might be used for biomimetic devices in the emerging field of neuromorphic computing. Here, in this study, we find that laser irradiation tends to drive V 2 ⁢O 3 from supercooled/superheated metastable states toward thermodynamic equilibrium, most likely in a nonthermal way. We study thin films of the prototypical Mott-insulator V2⁢O3, which show spontaneous phase separation into metal-insulator herringbone domains during the Mott transition. Here, we use low-temperature microscopy to investigate how these metal-insulator domains can be modified by scanning a focused laser beam across the thin film surface. We find that the response depends on the thermal history: When the thin film is heated from below the Mott transition temperature, the laser beam predominantly induces metallic domains. On the contrary, when the thin film is cooled from a temperature above the transition, the laser beam predominantly induces insulating domains. Very likely, the V 2 ⁢O 3 thin film is in a superheated or supercooled state, respectively, during the first-order phase transition, and the perturbation by a laser beam drives these metastable states into stable ones. This way, the thermal history is locally erased. Our findings are supported by a phenomenological model with a laser-induced lowering of the energy barrier between the metastable and equilibrium states.

Materials Science↗
DOE OSTI2021

Low mode implosion symmetry sensitivity in low gas-fill NIF cylindrical hohlraums

Achieving an efficient capsule implosion in National Ignition Facility indirect-drive target experiments requires symmetric hohlraum x-ray drive for the duration of the laser pulse. This is commonly achieved using two-sided two-cone laser irradiation of cylindrical hohlraums that, in principle, can zero the time average of all spherical harmonic asymmetry modes <6 as well as the time dependence of the usually dominant mode 2. In practice, experimental evidence indicates that maintaining symmetric drive becomes limited late in the pulse due to the inward expansion of the hohlraum wall and outward expansion of the capsule ablator plasmas impairing the propagation of the inner-cone laser beams. This effect is enhanced in hohlraums employing low gas-fill, now used almost exclusively as these provide the highest performing implosions and reduce Stimulated Brillouin and Raman backscatter losses, since the gas plasma provides less back pressure to limit blow-in of the hohlraum wall and capsule ablator plasmas. In order to understand this dynamic behavior, we combined multi-keV X-ray imaging of the wall and imploded fuel plasmas as we changed a single parameter at a time: hohlraum gas-fill, laser outer cone picket energy, radius of high density carbon capsules used, and laser beam polar and azimuthal pointing geometry. In this work, we developed a physics-based multi-parameter experimental scaling to explain the results that extend prior scalings and compare those to radiation hydrodynamic simulations to develop a more complete picture of how hohlraum, capsule, and laser parameters affect pole vs equator drive symmetry.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

High-resolution x-ray radiography with Fresnel zone plates on the University of Rochester’s OMEGA Laser Systems

Experiments performed at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics with a continuous-wave (cw) x-ray source and on the OMEGA and OMEGA EP Laser Systems have utilized a Fresnel zone plate (FZP) to obtain x-ray images with a spatial resolution as small as ~1.5 μm. Such FZP images were obtained with a charge-coupled device or a framing camera at energies ranging from 4.5 keV to 6.7 keV using x-ray line emission from both the cw source and high-intensity, laser-beam–illuminated metal foils. In all cases, the resolution test results are determined from patterns and grids backlit by these sources. Here, the resolutions obtained are shown to be due to a combination of the spectral content of the x-ray sources and detector resolution limited by the magnification of the images (14× to 22×). High-speed framing cameras were used to obtain FZP images with frame times as short as ~30 ps. Double-shell implosions on OMEGA were backlit by laser-irradiated Fe foils, thus obtaining a framing-camera–limited, FZP-image resolution of ~3 μm–4 μm.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2026

Weibel-mediated filamentary structures observed in the ICF context

Here, in light of novel and past experimental results, we demonstrate how Weibel-mediated filamentary structures can develop in the expanding plasma plume of a laser-irradiated foil. The transverse ballistic cooling that occurs during the quasi-spherical plasma expansion naturally drives an electron pressure anisotropy, resulting in the growth of electron current filaments. This effect competes with electron–ion Coulomb collisions, which tend to isotropize the electron distribution function. Based on theoretical and particle-in-cell modeling, we provide estimates of the dominant wavelength and amplitude of the self-generated magnetic fluctuations, which are found to explain experimental data obtained at the OMEGA and Laser Megajoule facilities.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS2024

Investigating Space Weathering of Ryugu Grains Using Electron Microscopy and X-Ray Computed Tomography

The effects of micrometeorite bombardment and solar wind ion irradiation – collectively known as space weathering – alter the microstructural, chemical, and spectral properties of airless surfaces. Characteristics of space weathering include vesiculated textures, amorphous grain rims (upper ~100 nm), and the production of Fe-bearing nanoparticles (npFe). The resulting modifications in the optical properties of the surface regolith include changes in spectral slope and overall reflectance of the surfaces as well as the attenuation of their characteristic absorption bands across VIS-NIR wavelengths. As the surface is continuously exposed to interplanetary space over time, the accrual of these features complicates the interpretation of remote sensing spectral data and the characterization of returned samples. Laboratory experiments that simulate solar wind irradiation and micrometeoroid impacts using carbonaceous analogs have revealed novel and complex microstructural and chemical changes, including the decrease in organic species concentrations and the reduction of Fe 3+ . In 2020, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)’s Hayabusa2 mission returned over 5 g of regolith particles from near- Earth C-type asteroid (162173) Ryugu – a unique opportunity to study space weathering on carbonaceous materials. Initial studies have established that the surface morphology and chemical signatures of space weathering in returned samples share characteristics with laser irradiation experiments simulating micrometeoroid bombardment, indicating that impacts are a significant space weathering mechanism operating on Ryugu. Here, we seek to improve our understanding of space weathering of carbonaceous asteroidal regolith grains by characterizing its effects directly on returned samples to determine the nature of space weathering on Ryugu. To do so, we performed coordinated analyses using electron beam techniques and X-ray computed tomography (XCT) to examine the effects of space weathering on grains returned from the surface of Ryugu by the Hayabusa2 mission.

L. E. Melendez↗
DOE OSTI2023

Optically Enhanced Solid-State 1 H NMR Spectroscopy

Low sensitivity is the primary limitation to extending nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques to more advanced chemical and structural studies. Photochemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization (photo-CIDNP) is an NMR hyperpolarization technique where light is used to excite a suitable donor–acceptor system, creating a spin-correlated radical pair whose evolution drives nuclear hyperpolarization. Systems that exhibit photo-CIDNP in solids are not common, and this effect has, up to now, only been observed for 13 C and 15 N nuclei. However, the low gyromagnetic ratio and natural abundance of these nuclei trap the local hyperpolarization in the vicinity of the chromophore and limit the utility for bulk hyperpolarization. Here, we report the first example of optically enhanced solid-state 1 H NMR spectroscopy in the high-field regime. This is achieved via photo-CIDNP of a donor–chromophore–acceptor molecule in a frozen solution at 0.3 T and 85 K, where spontaneous spin diffusion among the abundant strongly coupled 1 H nuclei relays polarization through the whole sample, yielding a 16-fold bulk 1 H signal enhancement under continuous laser irradiation at 450 nm. These findings enable a new strategy for hyperpolarized NMR beyond the current limits of conventional microwave-driven DNP.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Methods and apparatus for comprehensive characterization of performance attributes and damage thresholds of ultrafast laser optics

It is presently well understood that the operational performance limits of optics are determined by three fundamental attributes: the initiation of laser-induced damage, the growth of damage sites, and the transient (nondamaging) modification of optical parameters. The comprehensive characterization of the performance limitations of ultrafast optics requires consideration of all three fundamental attributes. Here, the vast majority of literature to date, however, has focused primarily on damage-initiation and testing systems that are largely focused on determining the damage-initiation threshold under single- and multipulse excitation. In this work, we discuss a testing apparatus that was designed to offer the capability to adequately characterize all three of these performance attributes under femtosecond, near-infrared laser irradiation. Key aspects of methodology are discussed, including high-dynamic-range energy control, variable beam size, wavelength tunability, B-integral management, and functional performance characterization to explore the true operational limits of the components. Example results for a metal-dielectric mirror demonstrate the test station’s operation.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2025

THz Radiation Generation to Enable Internal Magnetic Field Measurement of Burning Plasmas (Final Scientific Report)

A one-year experimental program was performed using the Multi-TeraWatt (MTW) laser at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) to investigate the efficiency and physical process of laser-driven—wire THz generation. This process was evaluated as a potential high-repetition-rate source of powerful THz pulses for use in THz pulsed polarimetry of a moderate-density magnetic-confinement fusion concept developed by TAE. The goal was to develop a source for short pulses in the THz regime (150 μm wavelength) containing 10’s of mJ. The campaign tested the impact of Cu wire diameter (25, 75, 160 μm), length (250 – 750 μm), and laser irradiation orientation on THz production efficiency in comparison to 20-μm thick Cu foils. Of these targets, the 160 µm diameter, 750 µm long wires with sharpened tips and irradiated at the base were found to produce the highest energy and shortest wavelength THz pulses, exceeding 2.5 Joule/sr and meeting the requirements for the polarimetry diagnostic. The brightest THz signal was radiated in the direction of the sharpened wire tip. A combination of two models – a traveling wave antenna combined with coherent transition radiation – describes the emission pattern, pulse energy, and spectrum observed in the experiments.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Laser-Assisted Synthesis of Monolayer 2D MoSe 2 Crystals with Tunable Vacancy Concentrations: Implications for Gas and Biosensing

We report tuning the structural and electronic properties of atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) materials via defect and vacancy engineering is the key to enabling their potential use in various applications, including electronics, energy, and sensing devices. Vacancies are, for instance, becoming highly promising for the enhanced interaction of gases and biomolecules with 2D materials in energy and sensing applications. However, the deterministic generation of desirable vacancies with tunable concentrations remains a challenge in 2D materials due to the limitations in the current growth methods, such as the complex reaction chemistries and gas flow dynamics. Therefore, engineering defects and vacancies in 2D materials have been mainly limited to destructive top-down processes such as heating, ion bombardments, and laser postprocessing. Here, we introduce a single-step bottom-up synthesis approach for the growth of monolayer MoSe 2 crystals with tunable vacancy concentrations. This method utilizes the spatiotemporal properties and adjustable power densities of the lasers to control the vaporization dynamics of the stoichiometric MoSe 2 powders. Such a mechanism in the vaporization allows us to grow tunable stoichiometry monolayer MoSe 2–x crystals on the substrates. The localized and time-controlled (250 ms to 2 s) vaporization of the MoSe 2 powder by a CO 2 laser enables the formation of monolayer crystals with controlled vacancy concentrations ranging from ~1 to 20%. The effects of laser power, laser irradiation time, and background pressure on the tuning range and subsequent properties of the crystals are investigated and quantified using Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), and time-correlated single-photon counting (TCSPC). This bottom-up synthesis is a promising approach that allows the deterministic vacancy tuning for future electronics and, in particular, gas and biosensing applications without the need for further postprocessing and potential structural disruption of the crystals.

2D materials↗
DOE OSTI2022

The growth and nanothermite reaction of 2Al/3NiO multilayer thin films

Nanothermite NiO–Al is a promising material system for low gas emission heat sources; still, its reactive properties are highly dependent on material processing conditions. In the current study, sputter deposition is used to fabricate highly controlled nanolaminates comprised of alternating NiO and Al layers. Films having an overall stoichiometry of 2Al to 3NiO were produced with different bilayer thicknesses to investigate how ignition and self-sustained, high temperature reactions vary with changes to nanometer-scale periodicity and preheat conditions. Ignition studies were carried out with both hot plate and laser irradiation and compared to slow heating studies in hot-stage x-ray diffraction. Ignition behavior has bilayer thickness and heating rate dependencies. The 2Al/3NiO with λ ≤ 300 nm ignited via solid/solid diffusion mixing (activation energy, E a = 49 ± 3 kJ/mole). Multilayers having λ ≥ 500 nm required a more favorable mixing kinetics of solid/liquid dissolution into molten Al (E a = 30 ± 4 kJ/mole). This solid/liquid dissolution E a is a factor of 5 lower than that of the previously reported powder compacts due to the elimination of a passivating Al oxide layer present on the powder. The reactant mixing mechanism between 300 and 500 nm bilayer thicknesses was dependent on the ignition source's heating rate. The self-propagating reaction velocities of 2Al/3NiO multilayers varied from 0.4 to 2.5 m/s. Pre-heating nanolaminates to temperatures below the onset reaction temperatures associated with forming intermediate nickel aluminides at multilayer interfaces led to increased propagation velocities, whereas pre-heating samples above the onset temperatures inhibited subsequent attempts at laser ignition.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗