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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

Laser techniques in high-pressure geophysics

Laser techniques in conjunction with the diamond-anvil cell can be used to study high-pressure properties of materials important to a wide range of problems in earth and planetary science. Spontaneous Raman scattering of crystalline and amorphous solids at high pressure demonstrates that dramatic changes in structure and bonding occur on compression. High-pressure Brillouin scattering is sensitive to the pressure variations of single-crystal elastic moduli and acoustic velocities. Laser heating techniques with the diamond-anvil cell can be used to study phase transitions, including melting, under deep-earth conditions. Finally, laser-induced ruby fluorescence has been essential for the development of techniques for generating the maximum pressures now possible with the diamond-anvil cell, and currently provides a calibrated in situ measure of pressure well above 100 gigapascals.

Hemley, R. J.↗

Ohmic contacts to GaAs for high-temperature device applications

Ohmic contacts to n-type GaAs were developed for high temperature device applications up to 300 C. Refractory metallizations were used with epitaxial Ge layers to form the contacts: TiW/Ge/GaAs, Ta/Ge/GaAs, Mo/Ge/GaAs, and Ni/Ge/GaAs. Contacts with high dose Si or Se ion implantation of the Ge/GaAs interface were also investigated. The contacts were fabricated on epitaxial GaAs layer grown on N+ or semi-insulating GaAs substrates. Ohmic contact was formed by both thermal annealing (at temperatures up to 700 C) and laser annealing (pulsed Ruby). Examination of the Ge/GaAs interface revealed Ge migration into GaAs to form an N+ doping layer. The specific contact resistances of specimens annealed by both methods are given.

Anderson, W. T., Jr.↗

Laser plasmadynamic energy conversion

The generation of electrons ions by interacting an intense laser beam with cesium vapor is considered. Theoretical calculation shows that the conversion efficiency is as high as 40 percent if the entire photon energy is utilized in ionizing the cesium vapor that is generated initially by the incoming laser beam. An output voltage is expected to be generated across two electrodes, one of which is the liquid cesium, by keeping the other electrode at a different work function. Evaluation of the laser plasmadynamic (LPD) converter was performed using pulsed ruby and Nd-glass lasers. Although the results obtained to date indicate an efficiency smaller than that of theoretical predictions, an unoptimized LPD converter did demonstrate the capability of converting laser energy at large power levels. The limitations in the performance may by due to converter geometry, the types of lasers used, and other limitations inherent to the cesium plasma.

Shimada, K.↗

Folded cavity design for a ruby resonator

A folded cavity laser resonator operating in the TEM(00) mode has been built and tested. The new oscillator configuration leads to an increase in efficiency and to better line narrowing due to the increased number of passes through the laser rod and tuning elements, respectively. The modification is shown to lead to cavity ruggedization.

Arunkumar, K. A.↗

Atmospheric lidar research applying to H2O, O2 and aerosols

Experimental research on a near infrared tunable dye laser was reported, and theoretical simulations were presented for various lidar configurations. The visible and nearinfrared wavelengths considered were suitable for observations of aerosols, water vapor, molecular oxygen pressure and temperature in the troposphere and above. The first phase of development work was described on a ruby pumped, tunable dye laser for the wavelength region 715 to 740 nanometers. Lidar simulations were summarized for measurements of H2O and for two color lidar observations of aerosols in the atmosphere.

Mcilrath, T. J.↗

High Speed Crystal Growth by Q-switched Laser Melting

The modification of the structural and electrical properties of semiconductors short radiation pulses obtained from Q-switched lasers is described. These modifications are accomplished by high heating and cooling rates. This processing revealed novel crystal growth and high speed resolidification phenomena. The behavior of semiconductor Si is analyzed. The annealing process typically employs short pulses of radiation in or near the visible region of the spectrum. The Q-switched ruby and Nd-YAG lasers are commonly used and these are sometimes mode locked to reduce the pulse length still further. Material to be annealed can be processed with a single large area radiation spot. Alternatively, a small radiation spot size can be used and a large sample area is covered by overlapping irradiated regions.

Cullis, A. G.↗

Sequential-Impulse Generator Uses Fiber-Optics

Light pulse from a ruby or neodymium-glass laser enters miniature optics of repetitive-detonation apparatus. Traveling along a bundle of optical fibers, light strikes laser-sensitive microdetonator and charge explodes. Apparatus then advances next charge in train into position. Possible applications of sequential-impulse generator are in creating shock waves for aerodynamics research and in generating electrical power by magnetohydrodynamics.

Yang, L. C.↗

Nonradiative relaxation in tunable solid state laser crystals

The characteristics of nonradiative transitions between the 4T2 and 2E excited states of trivalent-chromium-ion-activated ruby (containing 0.04 percent Cr2O3 by weight) and alexandrite (containing 0.4 at. percent chromium ion) laser crystals were studied using the technique described by Gayen et al. (1985). In this technique, a 527-nm pulse excites the 4T2 band of the Cr(3+), and the subsequent population kinetics among excited states is monitored by an IR picosecond probe pulse as a function of pump-probe delay. In ruby, a resolution-limited sharp rise in the excited state population was followed by a long-lifetime decay, leading to an upper limit of 7 ps for the 4T2-state nonradiative lifetime. In alexandrite, a longer rise time was followed by a multicomponent decay. A theoretical model is proposed for explaining the induced absorption and the transition dynamics observed in these crystals.

Gayen, S. K.↗

Analysis of differential absorption lidar from the Space Shuttle

A parametric analysis of the Shuttle-borne differential absorption lidar concept for the measurement of atmospheric trace constituent profiles in the nadir viewing mode is presented. The criterion of an optimum constituent optical depth is developed and applied to generate estimates of range resolved measurement errors. These errors emphasize the fundamental limitations for establishing the feasibility of range-resolved differential absorption lidar measurements from Shuttle. With current lidar system technology, atmospheric backscatter density profiles may be adequately determined up to about 60-km altitude at the doubled-ruby wavelength, 3472 A, for a 1-J/pulse laser and a 1-sq m receiver. Potential range-resolved measurements of stratospheric and mesospheric trace constituents by differential absorption from Shuttle altitudes are limited to H2O, CH4, N2O, O3, and CO, species which can be more easily measured by passive limb viewing techniques. Range-resolved water vapor data for the lower troposphere may be obtained with accuracies which would be competitive with those from passive sensors.

Remsberg, E. E.↗