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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 163 records · Page 9
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

Quantum Monte Carlo and Fewer-Body Approaches to Scattering, Reactions, and Related Properties of Nuclei

The overall goals of this project were to advance understanding of reactions and scattering states in light nuclei, as well as related properties of bound states, and to facilitate application of that understanding to astrophysics and cosmology. These goals were pursued mainly using quantum Monte Carlo methods to compute nuclear properties using protons and neutrons as the basic degrees of freedom.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2024

Reductive Dynamic and Static Excited State Quenching of a Homoleptic Ruthenium Complex Bearing Aldehyde Groups

A new homoleptic Ru polypyridyl complex bearing two aldehyde groups on each bipyridine ligand, [Ru(dab) 3 ](PF 6 ) 2 , where dab is 4,4′-dicarbaldehyde-2,2′-bipyridine, was synthesized, characterized, and utilized for iodide photo-oxidation studies. In acetonitrile (CH 3 CN) solution, the complex displayed an intense metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) absorbance maximum at 475 nm (ε = 22,000 M –1 cm –1 ) and an infrared (IR) band at 1712 cm –1 assigned to the pendent aldehyde groups. Visible light excitation in air-saturated solution resulted in room temperature photoluminescence (PL) with a maximum at 675 nm, a quantum yield, ϕ PL = 0.048, and an excited state lifetime, τ ο = 440 ns, from which radiative and nonradiative relaxation rate constants were extracted, k r = 9.1 × 10 4 s –1 and knr = 1.8 × 10 6 s –1 . Pulsed visible light excitation yielded transient UV–vis and IR absorption spectra consistent with an MLCT excited state; relaxation occurred with the maintenance of two isosbestic points in the visible region, and a lifetime that agreed with that measured by time-resolved PL. Cyclic voltammetry studies in a CH 3 CN solution with 0.1 M TBAPF 6 electrolyte revealed a quasi-reversible oxidation, E°(Ru III/II ) = +1.25 V vs. Fc +/0 , and three sequential one-electron reductions at −1.10, −1.25, and −1.54 V vs. Fc +/0 . Here, an excited state reduction potential of E°(Ru *2+/+ ) = +0.89 V vs. Fc +/0 was estimated with the Rehm–Weller expression. Titration of tetrabutylammonium iodide, TBAI, into a CD 3 CN solution of [Ru(dab) 3 ](PF 6 ) 2 resulted in significant shifts in the aldehyde H atom and 3,3′-biypridyl resonances that were analyzed with a 1:1 equilibrium model, from which K eq = 460 M –1 was extracted, increasing to 5800 M –1 when the solvent was changed to acetone-d 6 . Iodide titrations resulted in a significant quenching of the [Ru(dab) 3 ] *2+ lifetime and quantum yield in both CH 3 CN and acetone solvents. In CH 3 CN, the quenching was mainly dynamic and well described by the Stern–Volmer model, from which a quenching rate constant, k q , of 4.5 × 10 10 M –1 s –1 and an equilibrium constant, K eq , of 8.3 × 10 3 M –1 were obtained. In acetone, the static quenching pathway by iodide was greatly enhanced, with a K eq of 1.2 × 10 4 M –1 and a higher k q of 9.2 × 10 10 M –1 s –1 .

Aldehydes↗
DOE OSTI2024

Quantum Pair Generation in Nonlinear Metasurfaces with Mixed and Pure Photon Polarizations

Metasurfaces are highly effective at manipulating classical light in the linear regime; however, effectively controlling the polarization of nonclassical light generated from nonlinear resonant metasurfaces remains a challenge. Here, in this study, we present a solution by achieving polarization engineering of frequency-nondegenerate biphotons emitted via spontaneous parametric down-conversion in GaAs metasurfaces, utilizing quasi-bound states in the continuum (qBIC) resonances to enhance biphoton generation. Through comprehensive polarization tomography, we demonstrate that the emitted photons’ polarization directly reflects the qBIC mode’s far-field properties. Furthermore, we show that both the type of qBIC mode and the symmetry of the meta-atoms can be tailored to control each single-photon polarization state, and that the subsequent two-photon polarization states are nearly separable, offering potential applications in the heralded generation of single photons with adjustable polarization. This work provides a significant step toward utilizing metasurfaces to generate quantum light and engineer their polarization, a critical aspect for future quantum technologies.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2023

Colors of entangled two-photon absorption

Multiphoton absorption of entangled photons offers ways for obtaining unique information about chemical and biological processes. Measurements with entangled photons may enable sensing biological signatures with high selectivity and at very low light levels to protect against photodamage. In this paper, we present a theoretical and experimental study of the excitation wavelength dependence of the entangled two-photon absorption (ETPA) process in a molecular system, which provides insights into how entanglement affects molecular spectra. We demonstrate that the ETPA excitation spectrum can be different from that of classical TPA as well as that for one-photon resonant absorption (OPA) with photons of doubled frequency. These results are modeled by assuming the ETPA cross-section is governed by a two-photon excited state radiative linewidth rather than by electron-phonon interactions, and this leads to excitation spectra that match the observed results. Further, we find that the two-photon-allowed states with highest TPA and ETPA intensities have high electronic entanglements, with ETPA especially favoring states with the longest radiative lifetimes. These results provide concepts for the development of quantum light–based spectroscopy and microscopy that will lead to much higher efficiency of ETPA sensors and low-intensity detection schemes.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗
DOE OSTI2022

Microcavity-Modified Emission from Rare-Earth Ion-Based Molecular Complexes

Despite the remarkable optical properties of rare-earth ion materials, their applications as light sources and in quantum technologies are often hindered by their long lifetimes and weak emission. Leveraging the natural compatibility of rare-earth ion molecular complexes with photonic structures, here we modify their photoluminescence properties by coupling them to a flexible open Fabry-Perot cavity. The full in situ tunability of the Fabry-Perot cavity allows fine control over its cavity modes and the achievement of resonant coupling between the rare-earth ion emission and the cavity modes. This configuration allows us to achieve a maximum photoluminescence enhancement factor of 30 and accelerate the decay rate up to two orders of magnitude. Our pump-power-dependent spectroscopic studies of the emitter-cavity system suggest that the cavity-modified emission is primarily caused by amplified spontaneous emission. These results suggest that integrating rare-earth ion molecular complexes with photonic structures could be a viable approach for the effective tuning of their optical properties. This natural compatibility, together with their versatile molecular structures and the resultant electronic states, renders rare-earth ion molecular complexes a potential alternative material platform for lighting and quantum applications.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2023

Scalable photonic integrated circuits for high-fidelity light control

Advances in laser technology have driven discoveries in atomic, molecular, and optical (AMO) physics and emerging applications, from quantum computers with cold atoms or ions, to quantum networks with solid-state color centers. This progress is motivating the development of a new generation of optical control systems that can manipulate the light field with high fidelity at wavelengths relevant for AMO applications. These systems are characterized by criteria: (C1) operation at a design wavelength of choice in the visible (VIS) or near-infrared (IR) spectrum, (C2) a scalable platform that can support large channel counts, (C3) high-intensity modulation extinction and (C4) repeatability compatible with low gate errors, and (C5) fast switching times. Here, we provide a pathway to address these challenges by introducing an atom control architecture based on VIS-IR photonic integrated circuit (PIC) technology. Based on a complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor fabrication process, this atom-control PIC (APIC) technology can meet system requirements (C1)–(C5). As a proof of concept, we demonstrate a 16-channel silicon-nitride-based APIC with (5.8±0.4)ns response times and >30dB extinction ratio at a wavelength of 780 nm.

Menssen, Adrian J.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Polariton enhanced free charge carrier generation in donor–acceptor cavity systems by a second-hybridization mechanism

Cavity quantum electrodynamics has been studied as a potential approach to modify free charge carrier generation in donor–acceptor heterojunctions because of the delocalization and controllable energy level properties of hybridized light–matter states known as polaritons. However, in many experimental systems, cavity coupling decreases charge separation. In this work, we theoretically study the quantum dynamics of a coherent and dissipative donor–acceptor cavity system, to investigate the dynamical mechanism and further discover the conditions under which polaritons may enhance free charge carrier generation. We use open quantum system methods based on single-pulse pumping to find that polaritons have the potential to connect excitonic states and charge separated states, further enhancing free charge generation on an ultrafast timescale of several hundred femtoseconds. The mechanism involves polaritons with optimal energy levels that allow the exciton to overcome the high Coulomb barrier induced by electron–hole attraction. Moreover, we propose that a second-hybridization between a polariton state and dark states with similar energy enables the formation of the hybrid charge separated states that are optically active. These two mechanisms lead to a maximum of 50% enhancement of free charge carrier generation on a short timescale. However, our simulation reveals that on the longer timescale of picoseconds, internal conversion and cavity loss dominate and suppress free charge carrier generation, reproducing the experimental results. Thus, our work shows that polaritons can affect the charge separation mechanism and promote free charge carrier generation efficiency, but predominantly on a short timescale after photoexcitation.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

Field-resolved space–time characterization of few-cycle structured light pulses

Accompanied by the rapid development of ultrafast laser platforms in recent decades, the spatiotemporal manipulation of ultrashort laser pulses has attracted much attention due to the potential for cutting-edge applications of structured light, including optical tweezers, optical communications, super-resolution imaging, time-resolved spectroscopy in molecules and quantum materials, and strong-field physics. Today, techniques capable of characterizing the full spatial, temporal, and polarization state properties of structured light are strongly desired. Here, we demonstrate a technique, termed 3D TIPTOE, for characterizing structured mid-infrared waveforms, which uses only a two-dimensional silicon-based image sensor as both the detector and the nonlinear medium. By combining the advantages of the sub-cycle time resolution afforded by nonlinear excitation and the spatial resolution inherent to the two-dimensional sensor, the 3D TIPTOE technique allows full characterization of structured electric fields, significantly reducing the complexity of detection compared to other techniques. The validity of the technique is established by measuring both few-cycle Bessel–Gaussian pulses and radially polarized femtosecond vector beams.

Liu, Yangyang (ORCID:0000000335205332)↗
DOE OSTI2022

Understanding Heterogeneities in Quantum Materials

Quantum materials are usually heterogeneous, with structural defects, impurities, surfaces, edges, interfaces, and disorder. These heterogeneities are sometimes viewed as liabilities within conventional systems; however, their electronic and magnetic structures often define and affect the quantum phenomena such as coherence, interaction, entanglement, and topological effects in the host system. Therefore, a critical need is to understand the roles of heterogeneities in order to endow materials with new quantum functions for energy and quantum information science applications. In this article, several representative examples are reviewed on the recent progress in connecting the heterogeneities to the quantum behaviors of real materials. Specifically, three intertwined topic areas are assessed: i) Reveal the structural, electronic, magnetic, vibrational, and optical degrees of freedom of heterogeneities. ii) Understand the effect of heterogeneities on the behaviors of quantum states in host material systems. iii) Control heterogeneities for new quantum functions. This progress is achieved by establishing the atomistic-level structure-property relationships associated with heterogeneities in quantum materials. Finally, the understanding of the interactions between electronic, magnetic, photonic, and vibrational states of heterogeneities enables the design of new quantum materials, including topological matter and quantum light emitters based on heterogenous 2D materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Roadmap on perovskite light-emitting diodes

Abstract In recent years, the field of metal-halide perovskite emitters has rapidly emerged as a new community in solid-state lighting. Their exceptional optoelectronic properties have contributed to the rapid rise in external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) in perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) from <1% (in 2014) to over 30% (in 2023) across a wide range of wavelengths. However, several challenges still hinder their commercialization, including the relatively low EQEs of blue/white devices, limited EQEs in large-area devices, poor device stability, as well as the toxicity of the easily accessible lead components and the solvents used in the synthesis and processing of PeLEDs. This roadmap addresses the current and future challenges in PeLEDs across fundamental and applied research areas, by sharing the community’s perspectives. This work will provide the field with practical guidelines to advance PeLED development and facilitate more rapid commercialization.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Probing coherent electronic superpositions of singly and doubly excited states of krypton with extreme-ultraviolet four-wave-mixing spectroscopy

Radiative nonlinear four-wave mixing can monitor the evolution of electronic wave packets, providing access to lifetimes and quantifying the light-induced couplings between excited states. In this article, we report the observation of quantum beats in an autoionizing electronic wave packet in krypton, probed using this technique. Analysis of the signal reveals that these beats originate from the contribution of previously unassigned, doubly excited states interacting with singly excited ones. We introduce a minimal theoretical model, based on multichannel quantum-defect theory, which quantitatively reproduces both the wave-packet dynamics and the static spectrum. This work combines a versatile, noncommensurate XUV-IR-based experimental scheme with a tractable model, establishing a powerful approach for the metrology and control of complex, correlated electronic states.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Multifunctional Optical Outcouplers for Efficient and Stable White OLEDs (Final Technical Report)

Replacing fluorescence by phosphorescence in OLED-based solid-state lighting can realize the Department of Energy’s efficiency target of 83% Internal Quantum Efficiency (IQE). The principal challenge, however, is to fix the poor stability of phosphorescent blue OLEDs. To address this, we have fabricated novel plasmonic architectures that improve device stability by decreasing the exciton lifetime of the emitters without drastically decreasing the light extraction efficiency. We describe the impact on stability of these structures in high efficiency blue phosphorescent OLEDs. Although the benefit is appreciable, we find that targeting ‘bright’ triplets on phosphorescent emitter molecules is an incomplete solution, and that it is also necessary to stabilize ‘dark’ triplets formed in the host and blocking layers. We demonstrate substantial improvements in stability using the latter approach, and conclude with a discussion of potential approaches to managing dark triplets in OLEDs.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
NASA NTRS1993

Light Source

Research on food growth for long duration spacecraft has resulted in a light source for growing plants indoors known as Qbeam, a solid state light source consisting of a control unit and lamp. The light source, manufactured by Quantum Devices, Inc., is not very hot, although it generates high intensity radiation. When Ron Ignatius, an industrial partner of WCSAR, realized that terrestrial plant research lighting was not energy efficient enough for space use, he and WCSAR began to experiment with light emitting diodes. A line of LED products was developed, and QDI was formed to market the technology. An LED-based cancer treatment device is currently under development.

Source record↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Measurements of Temperature and Enthalpy in NASA Ames 60-MW Arcjet using Atomic Oxygen and Atomic Nitrogen Absorption

We report on measurements of temperature and enthalpy in the 60-MW Interaction Heating Facility (IHF) Arcjet at the NASA Ames Research Center. These quantities were measured at sub-second temporal resolution using tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy, employing four Distributed Feedback (DFB) lasers to simultaneously probe the arcjet flow. Optical access was achieved through a specially-designed optical disk mounted in series with the modules of the arc heater in the add-air plenum of the column, which is positioned between the downstream electrodes and the nozzle. Gas at this measurement location serves as the reservoir condition for the ensuing supersonic expansion. Conditions in the reservoir are extreme, with temperatures between 5000-8000 K and pressures between 1-9 atm. Absorption from the 5S state of atomic oxygen at 777.2 nm and the 4P state of atomic nitrogen at 868.0 nm, two electronically-excited quantum states, formed the basis of the flow characterization measurements. Fiber-coupled laser light was pitched through the IHF via 1/8" ports in the optical disks, permitting optical access with minimal intrusion to the flow. Data was collected at 3 nominal conditions, a Low condition (1600 A, 2000 V, 0.13 kg/s), a Medium condition (3500 A, 5700 V, 0.61 kg/s), and a High condition (5900 A, 6800 V, 0.84 kg/s). Measurements suggest agreement within 1-2% between excited oxygen and excited nitrogen thermometry, indicating approximate thermal and chemical equilibration of the arcjet reservoir state, a result in keeping with long-standing assumptions of CFD modelling. Spatial gradients are found in the flow due to enthalpy loss to the facility walls, but the measured spatial non-uniformities are consistent with axi-symmetry. Measurements of specific enthalpy in the reservoir are also made utilizing excited oxygen and excited nitrogen absorption under the assumption of chemical equilibration.

Peter M. Finch↗
DOE OSTI2020

Light cone dynamics in excitonic states of two-component Bose and Fermi gases

Herein we consider the non-equilibrium dynamics of two-component one dimensional quantum gases in the limit of extreme population imbalance where the minority species has but a single particle. We consider the situation where the gas is prepared in a state with a single spatially localized exciton: the single particle of the minority species is spatially localized while the density of the majority species in the vicinity of the minority particle sees a depression. Remarkably, we are able to consider cases where the gas contains on the order of $N$ = 100 particles, comparable to that studied in experiments on cold atomic gases. We are able to do so by exploiting the integrability of the gas together with the observation that the excitonic state can be constructed through a simple superposition of exact eigenstates of the gas. The number of states in this superposition, rather than being exponentially large in the number of particles, scales linearly with $N$. We study the evolution of such spatially localized states in both strongly interacting Bose and Fermi gases. The behavior of the light cones when the interaction strength and density of the gas is varied can be understood from exact results for the spin excitation spectrum in these systems. We argue that the light cone in both cases exhibits scaling collapse. However unique to the Bose gas, we show that the presence of gapped finite-momentum roton-like excitations provide the Bose gas dynamics with secondary light cones.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2021

Light by design: emerging frontiers in ultrafast photon sciences and light–matter interactions

Photon sciences and technologies establish the building blocks for myriad scientific and engineering frontiers in life and energy sciences. Because of their overarching functionality, the developmental roadmap and opportunities underpinned by photonics are often semiotically mediated by the delineation of subject areas of application. In this perspective article, we map current and emerging linkages between three intersecting areas of research stewarded by advanced photonics technologies, namely light by design, outlined as (a) quantum and structured photonics, (b) light–matter interactions in accelerators and accelerator-based light sources, and (c) ultrafast sciences and quantum molecular dynamics. In each section, we will concentrate on state-of-the-art achievements and present prospective applications in life sciences, biochemistry, quantum optics and information sciences, and environmental and chemical engineering, all founded on a broad range of photon sources and methodologies. We hope that this interconnected mapping of challenges and opportunities seeds new concepts, theory, and experiments in the advancement of ultrafast photon sciences and light–matter interactions. Additionally, through this mapping, we hope to inspire a critically interdisciplinary approach to the science and applications of light by design.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2021

Hybrid Entanglement between Optical Discrete Polarizations and Continuous Quadrature Variables

By coherently combining advantages while largely avoiding limitations of two mainstream platforms, optical hybrid entanglement involving both discrete and continuous variables has recently garnered widespread attention and emerged as a promising idea for building heterogenous quantum networks. In contrast to previous results, here we propose a new scheme to remotely generate hybrid entanglement between discrete polarization and continuous quadrature optical qubits heralded by two-photon Bell-state measurement. As a novel nonclassical light resource, we further use it to discuss two examples of ways—entanglement swapping and quantum teleportation—in which quantum information processing and communications could make use of this hybrid technique.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2024

Procrustean entanglement concentration in quantum-classical networking

The success of a future quantum internet will rest in part on the ability of quantum and classical signals to coexist in the same optical fiber infrastructure, a challenging endeavor given the orders of magnitude differences in flux of single-photon-level quantum fields and bright classical traffic. Here, we theoretically describe and experimentally implement Procrustean entanglement concentration for polarization-entangled states contaminated with classical light, showing significant mitigation of crosstalk noise in dense wavelength-division multiplexing. Our approach leverages a pair of polarization-dependent loss emulators to attenuate highly polarized crosstalk that results from imperfect isolation of conventional signals copropagating on shared fiber links. We demonstrate our technique both on the tabletop and over a deployed quantum local area network, finding a substantial improvement of two-qubit entangled state fidelity from approximately 75% to over 92%. This local filtering technique could be used as a preliminary step to reduce asymmetric errors, potentially improving the overall efficiency when combined with more complex error-mitigation techniques in future quantum repeater networks.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗