Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Optical effects”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 163 records · Page 9

Chiral Spectroscopy of Nanostructures

Chirality is ubiquitous in the universe and in living creatures over detectable length scales from the subatomic to the galactic, as exemplified in the two extremes by subatomic particles (neutrinos) and spiral galaxies. Between them are living creatures that display multiple levels of chirality emerging from hierarchically assembled asymmetric building blocks. Not too far from the bottom of this pyramid are the foundational building blocks with chiral atomic centers on sp 3 carbon atoms exemplified by L-amino acids and D-sugars that are self-assembled into higher-order structures with increasing dimensions forming highly complex, amazingly functional, and energy-efficient living systems. The organization and materials employed in their construction inspired scientists to replicate complex living systems via the self-assembly of chiral components. Multiple studies pointed to unexpected and unique electromagnetic properties of chiral structures with nanoscale and microscale dimensions, including giant circular dichroism and collective circularly polarized scattering that their constituent units did not possess. To address the wide variety of chiral geometries observed in continuous materials, singular particles, and their complex systems, multiple analytic techniques are needed. Simultaneously, their spectroscopic properties create a pathway to multiple applications. For example, mirror-asymmetric vibrations at chiral centers formed by sp 3 carbon atoms lead to optical activity for the infrared (IR) wavelength regions. At the same time, understanding the optical activity in, for example, the IR region enables biomedical applications because multiple modalities of biomedical imaging and vibrational optical activity (VOA) of biomolecules are known for IR range. In turn, VOA can be realized in both absorption and emission modalities due to large magnetic transition moments, as vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) or Raman optical activity (ROA) spectroscopy. In addition to the VOA, in the range of longer wavelengths, lattice vibrational mode or phononic behavior occurs in chiral crystals and nanoassemblies, which can be readily detected by terahertz circular dichroism (TCD) spectroscopy. Meanwhile, chiral self-assembly can induce circularly polarized light emission (CPLE) regardless of the existence of chirality in coassembled fluorophores. The CPLE from self-assembled chiral materials is particularly interesting because the CPLE can originate from both circularly polarized luminescence and circularly polarized scattering (CPS). Furthermore, because self-assembled nanostructures often exhibit stronger optical activity than their building blocks owing to dimension and resonance effects, the optical activity of single assembled nanostructures can be investigated by using microscopic technology combined with chiral optics. Here, we describe the state of the art for spectroscopic methods for the comprehensive analysis of chiral nanomaterials at various photon wavelengths, addressed with special attention given to new tools emerging both for materials with self-organized hierarchical chirality and single-particle spectroscopy.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

An Algorithm to Retrieve Total Precipitable Water Vapor in the Atmosphere from FengYun 3D Medium Resolution Spectral Imager 2 (FY-3D MERSI-2) Data

The atmosphere has substantial effects on optical remote sensing imagery of the Earth’s surface from space. These effects come through the functioning of atmospheric particles on the radiometric transfer from the Earth’s surface through the atmosphere to the sensor in space. Precipitable water vapor (PWV), CO 2 , ozone, and aerosol in the atmosphere are very important among the particles through their functioning. This study presented an algorithm to retrieve total PWV from the Chinese second-generation polar-orbiting meteorological satellite FengYun 3D Medium Resolution Spectral Imager 2 (FY-3D MERSI-2) data, which have three near-infrared (NIR) water vapor absorbing channels, i.e., channel 16, 17, and 18. The algorithm was improved from the radiance ratio technique initially developed for Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data. MODTRAN 5 was used to simulate the process of radiant transfer from the ground surfaces to the sensor at various atmospheric conditions for estimation of the coefficients of ratio technique, which was achieved through statistical regression analysis between the simulated radiance and transmittance values for FY-3D MERSI-2 NIR channels. The algorithm was then constructed as a linear combination of the three-water vapor absorbing channels of FY-3D MERSI-2. Measurements from two ground-based reference datasets were used to validate the algorithm: the sun photometer measurements of Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) and the microwave radiometer measurements of Energy’s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program (ARMP). The validation results showed that the algorithm performs very well when compared with the ground-based reference datasets. The estimated PWV values come with root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.28 g/cm 2 for the ARMP and 0.26 g/cm 2 for the AERONET datasets, with bias of 0.072 g/cm 2 and 0.096 g/cm 2 for the two reference datasets, respectively. The accuracy of the proposed algorithm revealed a better consistency with ground-based reference datasets. Thus, the proposed algorithm could be used as an alternative to retrieve PWV from FY-3D MERSI-2 data for various remote sensing applications such as agricultural monitoring, climate change, hydrologic cycle, and so on at various regional and global scales.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Nonlinear X-ray Optics

Novel X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) are capable of producing radiation with unprecedented properties. Specifically, their ultrashort coherent X-ray pulses can generate extreme peak intensities where ordinary rules of light-matter interaction may no longer apply, and nonlinear processes start to become important. XFELs have made it possible to observe some of the most important coherent non-sequential nonlinearities, including X-ray-optical sum frequency generation (SFG), X-ray second harmonic generation (XSHG), two-photon absorption (TPA) and nonlinear two-photon Compton scattering (2PCS). In particular, the 2PCS experiment has led to unexpected results, namely the observation of a substantial anomalous red shift in the energy of photons generated by nonlinear two-photon X-ray Compton scattering in beryllium. The energy shift is in addition to the predicted nonlinear Compton shift and was neither expected from extrapolations from linear X-ray interactions nor from nonlinear effects at optical wavelengths. Our results suggest a novel nonlinear scattering mechanism that can only be observed at high fields at X-ray wavelengths, where the photon energy is a significant fraction of the electron rest mass (and thus a significant momentum transfer to the electron occurs during the scattering) and where the interaction is not dominated by the quiver motion of the electron in the field (ponderomotive potential) as is usually the case at longer (optical) wavelengths. The goal of this research project was the investigation of fundamental nonlinear X-ray-matter interactions. As these processes are typically weak, part of this research is the exploration of more efficient nonlinear X-ray processes by studying novel mechanisms including solid-state effects, the assistance of optical radiation and novel phase-matching techniques. These experiments require extremely large X-ray field strengths, such as produced by XFELs. Nonlinear X-ray effects can lead to important applications in many research fields. For example, it could lead to instantaneous plasma diagnostics for materials in extreme conditions, as a method for combining atomic-scale structural sensitivity with chemical specificity, or as a probe of electron dynamics in solids on the attosecond (1 as = 10 -18 s) time- and Ångstrom (10 -10 m) length scales. In addition, a detailed understanding of nonlinear X-ray matter interactions is crucial for understanding and extending the limits of structural determination at high intensity such as in serial femto-crystallography. The results could have a profound impact on advanced XFEL light sources such as the LCLS-II.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Field-Tunable Interactions and Frustration in Underlayer-Mediated Artificial Spin Ice

We report that artificial spin ice systems have opened experimental windows into a range of model magnetic systems through the control of interactions among nanomagnet moments. This control has previously been enabled by altering the nanomagnet size and the geometry of their placement. Here we demonstrate that the interactions in artificial spin ice can be further controlled by including a soft ferromagnetic underlayer below the moments. Such a substrate also breaks the symmetry in the array when magnetized, introducing a directional component to the correlations. Using spatially resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect microscopy to image the demagnetized ground states, we show that the correlation of the demagnetized states depends on the direction of the underlayer magnetization. Further, the relative interaction strength of nearest and next-nearest neighbors varies significantly with the array geometry. We exploit this feature to induce frustration in an inherently unfrustrated square lattice geometry, demonstrating new possibilities for effective geometries in two-dimensional nanomagnetic systems.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Hyperfine structures and isotopic shifts of uranium transitions using tunable laser spectroscopy of laser ablation plumes

We report isotopic shifts and hyperfine structures of selected U transitions employing tunable spectroscopy viz: laser-induced fluorescence and laser absorption spectroscopy of laser ablation plumes. The laser-produced plasmas were produced during ns laser ablation on a natural U metal which contains 0.7% 235U. Our results show that isotopic shifts between 238U and 235U are entangled with hyperfine structures of 235U. The isotopic ratio obtained using laser-induced fluorescence is affected by optical saturation effect. Time-resolved laser absorption spectroscopy is carried out for evaluating the optical absorption and estimating the hyperfine constants.

(020.3260) Isotope shifts↗

Manipulation of the van der Waals Magnet Cr 2 Ge 2 Te 6 by Spin–Orbit Torques

In this work, we report measurements of current-induced thermoelectric and spin-orbit torque effects within devices in which multilayers of the semiconducting 2-dimensional van der Waals magnet Cr 2 Ge 2 Te 6 (CGT) are integrated with Pt and Ta metal overlayers. We show that the magnetic orientation of the CGT can be detected accurately either electrically (using an anomalous Hall effect) or optically (using magnetic circular dichroism) with good consistency. The samples exhibit large thermoelectric effects, but nevertheless the spin-orbit torque can be measured quantitatively using the angle-dependent second harmonic Hall technique. For CGT/Pt we measure the spin-orbit torque efficiency to be similar to conventional metallic-ferromagnet/Pt devices with the same Pt resistivity. The interfacial transparency for spin currents is therefore similar in both classes of devices. Our results demonstrate the promise of incorporating semiconducting 2D magnets within spin-orbitronic and magneto-thermal devices.

2D magnets↗

The 2022 magneto-optics roadmap

Abstract Magneto-optical (MO) effects, viz. magnetically induced changes in light intensity or polarization upon reflection from or transmission through a magnetic sample, were discovered over a century and a half ago. Initially they played a crucially relevant role in unveiling the fundamentals of electromagnetism and quantum mechanics. A more broad-based relevance and wide-spread use of MO methods, however, remained quite limited until the 1960s due to a lack of suitable, reliable and easy-to-operate light sources. The advent of Laser technology and the availability of other novel light sources led to an enormous expansion of MO measurement techniques and applications that continues to this day (see section 1). The here-assembled roadmap article is intended to provide a meaningful survey over many of the most relevant recent developments, advances, and emerging research directions in a rather condensed form, so that readers can easily access a significant overview about this very dynamic research field. While light source technology and other experimental developments were crucial in the establishment of today’s magneto-optics, progress also relies on an ever-increasing theoretical understanding of MO effects from a quantum mechanical perspective (see section 2), as well as using electromagnetic theory and modelling approaches (see section 3) to enable quantitatively reliable predictions for ever more complex materials, metamaterials, and device geometries. The latest advances in established MO methodologies and especially the utilization of the MO Kerr effect (MOKE) are presented in sections 4 (MOKE spectroscopy), 5 (higher order MOKE effects), 6 (MOKE microscopy), 8 (high sensitivity MOKE), 9 (generalized MO ellipsometry), and 20 (Cotton–Mouton effect in two-dimensional materials). In addition, MO effects are now being investigated and utilized in spectral ranges, to which they originally seemed completely foreign, as those of synchrotron radiation x-rays (see section 14 on three-dimensional magnetic characterization and section 16 on light beams carrying orbital angular momentum) and, very recently, the terahertz (THz) regime (see section 18 on THz MOKE and section 19 on THz ellipsometry for electron paramagnetic resonance detection). Magneto-optics also demonstrates its strength in a unique way when combined with femtosecond laser pulses (see section 10 on ultrafast MOKE and section 15 on magneto-optics using x-ray free electron lasers), facilitating the very active field of time-resolved MO spectroscopy that enables investigations of phenomena like spin relaxation of non-equilibrium photoexcited carriers, transient modifications of ferromagnetic order, and photo-induced dynamic phase transitions, to name a few. Recent progress in nanoscience and nanotechnology, which is intimately linked to the achieved impressive ability to reliably fabricate materials and functional structures at the nanoscale, now enables the exploitation of strongly enhanced MO effects induced by light–matter interaction at the nanoscale (see section 12 on magnetoplasmonics and section 13 on MO metasurfaces). MO effects are also at the very heart of powerful magnetic characterization techniques like Brillouin light scattering and time-resolved pump-probe measurements for the study of spin waves (see section 7), their interactions with acoustic waves (see section 11), and ultra-sensitive magnetic field sensing applications based on nitrogen-vacancy centres in diamond (see section 17). Despite our best attempt to represent the field of magneto-optics accurately and do justice to all its novel developments and its diversity, the research area is so extensive and active that there remains great latitude in deciding what to include in an article of this sort, which in turn means that some areas might not be adequately represented here. However, we feel that the 20 sections that form this 2022 magneto-optics roadmap article, each written by experts in the field and addressing a specific subject on only two pages, provide an accurate snapshot of where this research field stands today. Correspondingly, it should act as a valuable reference point and guideline for emerging research directions in modern magneto-optics, as well as illustrate the directions this research field might take in the foreseeable future.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Inverse Faraday effect in Mott insulators

The inverse Faraday effect (IFE), where a static magnetization is induced by circularly polarized light, offers a promising route to ultrafast control of spin states. Here we study the IFE in Mott insulators using the Floquet theory. We find two distinct IFE behavior governed by the inversion symmetry. In the Mott insulators with inversion symmetry, we find that the effective magnetic field induced by the IFE couples ferromagnetically to the neighboring spins. While for the Mott insulators without inversion symmetry, the effective magnetic field due to IFE couples antiferromagnetically to the neighboring spins. We apply the theory to the spin-orbit coupled single- and multiorbital Hubbard model that is relevant for the Kitaev quantum spin liquid material and demonstrate that the magnetic interactions can be tuned by light.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Photogalvanic Effects in Surface States of Topological Insulators under Perpendicular Magnetic Fields

We present a theoretical study of the nonlinear magneto-optical shift conductivity in the surface states of the prototypical topological insulator Bi$_2$Se$_3$ under a perpendicular quantizing magnetic field. By describing the electronic states as Landau levels and using a perturbative approach, we derive the microscopic expression for the shift conductivity $\sigma^{(2);\alpha\beta\gamma}(-\omega,\omega)$, where $\alpha,\beta,\gamma=\pm$ stand for the circular polarization of light and $\omega$ is the light frequency; the spectra are further decomposed into contributions from the interband and intraband optical transitions, for which the selection rules are identified. Considering that the system possesses $C_3$ point group of symmetry, the nonzero components of the conductivity tensor are $\sigma^{(2);-++}=[\sigma^{(2);+--}]^\ast$. Therefore, a pure circularly polarized light generates zero shift current. In the clean limit, the conductivities are nonzero only for discrete photon energies because of the discrete Landau levels and energy conservation, and they become Lorentzian lineshapes with the inclusion of damping, which relaxes the condition of energy conservation. The dependence of the spectra on the damping parameters, the magnetic fields, and the chemical potentials is investigated in detail. Our results reveal that the shift current is highly tunable by the chemical potential and the magnetic field. Furthermore, these results underscore the potential of topological insulators for tunable, strong nonlinear magneto-optical applications.

Landau level↗

Spin Hall effect of radiofrequency waves in magnetized plasmas

In inhomogeneous media, electromagnetic-wave rays deviate from the trajectories predicted by the leading-order geometrical optics. This effect, called the spin Hall effect of light, is typically neglected in ray-tracing codes used for modeling waves in plasmas. Here, we demonstrate that the spin Hall effect can be significant for radiofrequency waves in toroidal magnetized plasmas whose parameters are in the ballpark of those used in fusion experiments. For example, an electron-cyclotron wave beam can deviate by as large as 10 wavelengths (~ 0.1 m) relative to the lowest-order ray trajectory in the poloidal direction. Finally, we calculate this displacement using gauge-invariant ray equations of extended geometrical optics, and we also compare our theoretical predictions with full-wave simulations.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

One-dimensional antilocalization of electrons from spin disorder probed by nonlinear Hall effect

In recent years, nonreciprocal transport measurement has emerged as a probe of spin orbit interaction, spin texture, superconductivity, and other fundamental properties of materials. Here, we study the nonlinear Hall effect (NLHE) in Bi 2 Se 3 /CoFeB heterostructures measured by second harmonic voltage method. Magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements demonstrate the origin of the NLHE to be the asymmetric magnon scattering mechanism. Moreover, a linear relation between the nonlinear Hall resistance and the electron phase coherence length of Bi 2 Se 3 is observed between 5 and 50 K. In this work, we propose a phenomenological model that explains the enhancement of the NLHE below 50 K as a result of one-dimensional antilocalization of electrons from spin disorder, enabled by spin-momentum locking and conservation of angular momentum.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Spin–orbit effects on the electronic and optical properties of lead iodide

Lead iodide (PbI2) has gained much interest due to its direct electronic gap in the visible range and layered crystal structure. It has thereby been considered as a promising material for applications in atomically thin optoelectronic devices. In this work, we present a detailed investigation of the effect of spin–orbit coupling (SOC) that arises from the presence of heavy atoms on the electronic and optical properties of PbI2 using first-principles calculations based on density-functional theory and many-body perturbation theory. We find that SOC not only alters the bandgap but also induces the mixing of orbital characters, resulting in a significant change in the overall band structure and charge carrier effective masses. Moreover, the band orbital mixing caused by SOC results in the dramatic change in optical transition matrix elements and, correspondingly, the absorption spectrum. Our experimentally measured absorption spectra validate the calculation results and demonstrate the importance of SOC in the optical processes of PbI2. Our findings provide insights that are important for the potential use of PbI2 as a material platform for visible optoelectronic devices.

Physics↗

Magnetization dynamics driven by displacement currents across a magnetic tunnel junction

Understanding the high-frequency transport characteristics of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) is crucial for the development of fast-operating spintronics memories and radio frequency devices. Here, we present the study of a frequency-dependent capacitive current effect in Co Fe B / Mg O -based MTJs and its influence on magnetization dynamics using a time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect technique. In our device, operating at gigahertz frequencies, we find a large displacement current of the order of mA, which does not break the tunnel barrier of the MTJ. Importantly, this current generates an Oersted field and spin-orbit torque, inducing magnetization dynamics. Our discovery holds promise for building robust MTJ devices operating under high current conditions, also highlighting the significance of capacitive impedance in high-frequency magnetotransport techniques. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Safeer, C. K. (ORCID:0000000323969730)↗

Low-energy interband transition in the infrared response of the correlated metal SrVO 3 in the ultraclean limit

We studied the low-energy electronic response of the prototypical correlated metal SrVO 3 in the ultraclean and disordered limit using infrared spectroscopy and density functional theory plus dynamical mean field theory calculations (DFT+DMFT). A strong optical excitation at 70 meV is observed in the optical response of the ultraclean samples but is hidden by the low-energy Drude-like response from intraband excitations in the more disordered samples. DFT+DMFT calculations reveal that this optical excitation originates from interband transitions between the bands split by orbital off-diagonal hopping, which has often been ignored in cubic systems, such as SrVO 3 . A memory function analysis of the optical data shows that this interband transition can lead to deviations of optical self-energy from the expected Fermi-liquid behavior. Our findings demonstrate that analysis schemes employed to extract many-body effects from optical spectra may be oversimplified to study the true electronic ground state and that improvements in material quality can guide efforts to refine theoretical approaches.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Focusing Optics for Axion Detection: Simulating Sensing Enhancements of Photons in InfraBREAD

The Broadband Reflector Experiment for Axion Detection (BREAD) will search for axions, a promising particle candidate for dark matter, in the high mass range of [$10^{-3}$,1]eV. BREAD acts like a telescope for dark matter, using a parabolic reflector to direct axion-induced photons onto a precise focal spot. InfraBREAD is the experimental version designed to detect photons resulting from axions with infrared frequency using a 1mm × 1mm Superconducting Nanowire Singe Photon Detector (SNSPD). However, at this frequency scale two problems arise: 1) the focal spot becomes smeared across an area larger than the size of the SNSPD detector; 2) any millimeter-scale misalignment shifts in the SNSPD can greatly diminish photon signal. This study performed simulations of novel optical configurations of lenses and reflectors placed around the SNSPD to achieve a greater efficiency than the SNSPD alone through both of these effects. One optical setup was identified called the “Parabolo id to Winston Cone (PTW) Configuration,” which exploits the optics of parabolic reflectors to focus incoming photons from the larger area of the smeared focal spot onto the smaller 1mm 2 area of the detector. The PTW configuration demonstrated overall improvements in efficiency by around 10% through misalignment shifts, with a maximal improvement of 55% in one region.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Cavity electro-optics in thin-film lithium niobate for efficient microwave-to-optical transduction

Linking superconducting quantum devices to optical fibers via microwave-optical quantum transducers may enable large-scale quantum networks. For this application, transducers based on the Pockels electro-optic (EO) effect are promising for their direct conversion mechanism, high bandwidth, and potential for low-noise operation. However, previously demonstrated EO transducers require large optical pump power to overcome weak EO coupling and reach high efficiency. Here, we create an EO transducer in thin-film lithium niobate, a platform that provides low optical loss and strong EO coupling. We demonstrate on-chip transduction efficiencies of up to and of optical pump power. The transduction efficiency can be improved by further reducing the microwave resonator’s piezoelectric coupling to acoustic modes, increasing the optical resonator quality factor to previously demonstrated levels, and changing the electrode geometry for enhanced EO coupling. We expect that with further development, EO transducers in thin-film lithium niobate can achieve near-unity efficiency with low optical pump power.

Holzgrafe, Jeffrey (ORCID:0000000160121451)↗

Particle–hole asymmetry and quantum confinement effects on the magneto-optical response of topological insulator thin-films

Intrinsically broken symmetries in the bulk of topological insulators (TIs) are manifested in their surface states. Despite particle–hole asymmetry in TIs, it has often been assumed that their surface states are characterized by a particle–hole symmetric Dirac energy dispersion. In this work, we demonstrate that the effect of particle–hole asymmetry is essential to correctly describe the energy spectrum and the magneto-optical response in TIs thin-films. In thin-films of TIs with a substantial degree of particle–hole symmetry breaking, such as Sb 2 Te 3 , the longitudinal optical conductivity displays absorption peaks arising from optical transitions between bulk and surface Landau levels for low photon energies. The transition energies between the bulk and surface Landau levels exhibit clearly discernable signatures from those between surface Landau levels due to their distinct magnetic field dependence. Furthermore, bulk contributions to the magneto-optical conductivity in a TI thin-film are enhanced via one type of doping while being suppressed by the other. This asymmetric dependence on the type of doping aids in revealing the particle–hole asymmetry in TI thin-films.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Dynamic computational optical fringe mitigation in tunable laser absorption spectroscopy

In optical spectroscopic systems where unwanted optical scattering cannot be eliminated, Fabry-Pérot etalons cause unpredictable changes in the spectral background. Frequent system calibration is then required to maintain the desired measurement accuracy, which presents a major limitation to the spectrometer. We introduce a computational approach to mitigate the adverse effects of optical fringing without hardware modifications. Motivated by experimental observations of complicated fringe behaviors, we simplify the problem by decomposing the fringe background into component etalons that can be addressed according to their individual characteristics. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated on a silicon photonic methane sensor, where accurate measurements of methane concentration are obtained from spectral data strongly affected by optical fringes.

Teng, Chu C. (ORCID:0000000152744835)↗