Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Texturing”

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 1,693 records · Page 94
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2016

Modified inverse micelle synthesis for mesoporous alumina with a high D4 siloxane adsorption capacity

In this work, mesoporous aluminas (MAs) with uniform and monomodal pores were fabricated via a modified inverse micelle synthesis method, using a non-polar solvent (to minimize the effect of water content) and short reaction time (for a fast evaporation process). The effects of reaction times (4–8 h), surfactant chain lengths (non-ionic surfactants), and calcination temperatures and hold times (450–600 °C; 1–4 h) on the textural properties of MA were studied. Additionally, the targeted pore sizes of MA were obtained in the range of 3.1–5.4 nm by adjusting the surfactant and reaction time. The surface area and pore volume were controlled by the calcination temperature and hold time while maintaining the thermal stability of the materials. The tuned MA of the large mesopore volume achieved 168 mg/g octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4 siloxane) adsorption capacity, a 32% improvement compared to commercially activated alumina. Finally, after three adsorption recycles, the synthesized MA still maintained approximate 85% of its original adsorption capacity, demonstrating a sustainable adsorption performance and high potential for related industrial applications.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2021

On the exceptionally high ductility of Mg–2Zn-0.3Ca-0.2Ce-0.1Mn alloy

A newly developed Mg–2Zn-0.3Ca-0.2Ce-0.1Mn (in weight %, ZXEM2000) wrought alloy exhibits an exceptionally high tensile ductility (29% ± 1.4% tensile elongation) along the rolling direction at room temperature. In this work, we investigated the fundamental plastic deformation mechanisms that can contribute to the high ductility of ZXEM2000. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were carried out at selected strain levels to characterize the microstructural evolution. Compared with the deformed microstructures from the hot-rolled pure Mg and Mg–3Al–1Zn alloy at similar conditions, our results revealed that the high ductility of ZXEM2000 could be attributed to four key factors: weaker texture, fine grain size, reduced twinning, and increased cross-slip frequency of < c +a > dislocation. Furthermore, these direct observations offer a key insight into improving ductility of magnesium alloys for future alloy design and development.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Nanometric modulations of the magnetic structure of the element Nd

The rare earth neodymium arguably exhibits the most complex magnetic ordering and series of magnetic phase transitions of the elements. Here we report the results of small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements as a function of temperature and applied magnetic field to study magnetic correlations on nanometer length scales in Nd. We support these results with additional neutron diffraction, thermodynamic and synchrotron x-ray measurements. The SANS measurements reveal the presence of modulation vectors characterizing the ordered spin configuration which exhibit changes in magnitude and direction that are phase dependent. Between 5.9 and 7.6 K an additional modulation vector is observed with magnitude Q = 0.12 Å -1 . This scattering appears to originate from order of the Nd layers which contain a center of inversion. Tracking this modulation vector as a function of magnetic field indicates a phase boundary at ≈1 T. The modulation vectors observed in this study establish the presence of nanometer length scale spin textures which are likely stabilized by frustrated Ruderman–Kittel–Kasuya–Yosida (RKKY) interactions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

In-situ L-TEM observations of dynamics of nanometric skyrmions and antiskyrmions

Nanometer-scale magnetic skyrmions and antiskyrmions exhibit unique dynamical behaviors in response to external stimuli, which are critical for their applications in low-power-consumption spintronic devices. This review discusses recent advancements in in-situ Lorentz transmission electron microscopy (L-TEM) observations of skyrmion and antiskyrmion dynamics, and demonstrates the manipulation and evolution of these textures in various magnetic materials under electric, magnetic, and thermal stimuli. Specifically, the motion tracking of single skyrmions and their clusters, and the deformation and transformation of skyrmions has been demonstrated in chiral helimagnets FeGe, Co 9 Zn 9 Mn 2 , and Co 10 Zn 10 with precise application of electric currents. Skyrmions can undergo dynamic transitions in current-driven skyrmion motions, from pinned states to linear flows, and even exhibit deformation into elliptical shapes, underscoring their topological robustness and dynamic flexibility. In addition, the manipulation of single antiskyrmions and antiskyrmion-lattice phases in (Fe 0.63 Ni 0.3 Pd 0.07 ) 3 P with S 4 symmetry is discussed, highlighting their high mobility and unique sliding capabilities along stripe domains at room temperature, facilitated by nanosecond pulsed electric currents. Finally, the temperature gradient-driven motion and topological transformation of elliptical skyrmions and antiskyrmions in this same material are investigated. In conclusion, the comprehensive insights gained from the L-TEM imaging technique are pivotal in advancing the design and functionality of next-generation skyrmion/antiskyrmion-based spintronic devices.

(Anti)skyrmion↗
DOE OSTI2022

Ultrasensitive Sub-monolayer Palladium Induced Chirality Switching and Topological Evolution of Skyrmions

Chiral spin textures are fundamentally interesting, with promise for device applications. Stabilizing chirality is conventionally achieved by introducing Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) in asymmetric multilayers, where the thickness of each layer is at least a few monolayers. Here we report an ultrasensitive chirality switching in (Ni/Co) n multilayer induced by capping with only 0.22 monolayer of Pd. Using spin-polarized low-energy electron microscopy, we monitor the gradual evolution of domain walls from left-handed to right-handed Néel walls and quantify the DMI induced by the Pd capping layer. We also observe the chiral evolution of a skyrmion during the DMI switching, where no significant topological protection is found as the skyrmion winding number varies. This corresponds to a minimum energy cost of <1 attojoule during the skyrmion chirality switching. Here, our results demonstrate the detailed chirality evolution within skyrmions during the DMI sign switching, which is relevant to practical applications of skyrmionic devices.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2019

Tunable Thermal Energy Transport across Diamond Membranes and Diamond–Si Interfaces by Nanoscale Graphoepitaxy

The development of electronic devices, especially those that involve heterogeneous integration of materials, has led to increased challenges in addressing their thermal operational temperature demands. The heat flow in these systems is significantly influenced or even dominated by thermal boundary resistance at the interface between dissimilar materials. However, controlling and tuning heat transport across an interface and in the adjacent materials has so far drawn limited attention. In this work, we grow chemical vapor-deposited diamond on silicon substrates by graphoepitaxy and experimentally demonstrate tunable thermal transport across diamond membranes and diamond–silicon interfaces. We observed the highest diamond–silicon thermal boundary conductance (TBC) measured to date and increased diamond thermal conductivity due to strong grain texturing in the diamond near the interface. Additionally, nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations and a Landauer approach are used to understand the diamond–silicon TBC. Further, these findings pave the way for tuning or increasing thermal conductance in heterogeneously integrated electronics that involve polycrystalline materials and will impact applications including electronics thermal management and diamond growth.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Sensitivity of Surface Flux Simulations to Hydrologic Parameters Based on an Uncertainty Quantification Framework Applied to the Community Land Model

Uncertainties in hydrologic parameters could have significant impacts on the simulated water and energy fluxes and land surface states, which will in turn affect atmospheric processes and the carbon cycle. Quantifying such uncertainties is an important step toward better understanding and quantification of uncertainty of integrated earth system models. In this paper, we introduce an uncertainty quantification (UQ) framework to analyze sensitivity of simulated surface fluxes to selected hydrologic parameters in the Community Land Model (CLM4) through forward modeling. Thirteen flux tower footprints spanning a wide range of climate and site conditions were selected to perform sensitivity analyses by perturbing the parameters identified. In the UQ framework, prior information about the parameters was used to quantify the input uncertainty using the Minimum-Relative-Entropy approach. The quasi-Monte Carlo approach was applied to generate samples of parameters on the basis of the prior pdfs. Simulations corresponding to sampled parameter sets were used to generate response curves and response surfaces and statistical tests were used to rank the significance of the parameters for output responses including latent (LH) and sensible heat (SH) fluxes. Overall, the CLM4 simulated LH and SH show the largest sensitivity to subsurface runoff generation parameters. However, study sites with deep root vegetation are also affected by surface runoff parameters, while sites with shallow root zones are also sensitive to the vadose zone soil water parameters. Generally, sites with finer soil texture and shallower rooting systems tend to have larger sensitivity of outputs to the parameters. Our results suggest the necessity of and possible ways for parameter inversion/calibration using available measurements of latent/sensible heat fluxes to obtain the optimal parameter set for CLM4. This study also provided guidance on reduction of parameter set dimensionality and parameter calibration framework design for CLM4 and other land surface models under different hydrologic and climatic regimes.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Large anomalous Hall effect in the chiral-lattice antiferromagnet CoNb 3 S 6

An ordinary Hall effect in a conductor arises due to the Lorentz force acting on the charge carriers. In ferromagnets, an additional contribution to the Hall effect, the anomalous Hall effect (AHE), appears proportional to the magnetization. While the AHE is not seen in a collinear antiferromagnet, with zero net magnetization, recently it has been shown that an intrinsic AHE can be non-zero in non-collinear antiferromagnets as well as in topological materials hosting Weyl nodes near the Fermi energy. Here we report a large anomalous Hall effect with Hall conductivity of 27 Ω -1 cm -1 in a chiral-lattice antiferromagnet, CoNb 3 S 6 consisting of a small intrinsic ferromagnetic component (approximate to 0.0013 μ B per Co) along c-axis. This small moment alone cannot explain the observed size of the AHE. Finally, we attribute the AHE to either formation of a complex magnetic texture or the combined effect of the small intrinsic moment on the electronic band structure.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Well-isolated L1{sub 0} FePt-SiN{sub x}-C nanocomposite films with large coercivity and small grain size

FePt-SiN{sub x}-C films on TiN/CrRu/glass substrate with large coercivity, (001) texture, and small isolated grains were obtained by co-sputtering FePt, Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}, and C targets at 380 deg. C. It was found that when C was doped into the FePt-SiN{sub x} films, the out-of-plane coercivity increased while the small in-plane coercivity remained unchanged. Grain size decreased and grain size distribution became more uniform with increasing the C doping concentration. The x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) depth profile showed a uniform depth distribution of Si in the FePt layer. The Si2p XPS spectrum implied the existence of Fe-Si bonds, indicating that SiN{sub x} was located at the FePt grain boundaries and was stable against diffusion to the surface, thus favoring grain isolation. Well-isolated FePt (001) granular films with coercivity higher than 21.5 kOe and an average grain size of 5.6 nm were obtained by doping 40 vol. % of SiN{sub x} and 20 vol. % of C.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Columnar grain growth of FePt(L1{sub 0}) thin films

An experimental approach for obtaining perpendicular FePt-SiOx thin films with a large height to diameter ratio FePt(L1{sub 0}) columnar grains is presented in this work. The microstructure for FePt-SiOx composite thin films as a function of oxide volume fraction, substrate temperature, and film thickness is studied by plan view and cross section TEM. The relations between processing, microstructure, epitaxial texture, and magnetic properties are discussed. By tuning the thickness of the magnetic layer and the volume fraction of oxide in the film at a sputtering temperature of 410 deg. C, a 16 nm thick perpendicular FePt film with {approx}8 nm diameter of FePt grains was obtained. The height to diameter ratio of the FePt grains was as large as 2. Ordering at lower temperature can be achieved by introducing a Ag sacrificial layer.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Observation and simulation of hard x ray photoelectron diffraction to determine polarity of polycrystalline zinc oxide films with rotation domains

X ray photoelectron diffraction (XPD) patterns of polar zinc oxide (ZnO) surfaces were investigated experimentally using hard x rays and monochromatized Cr K{alpha} radiation and theoretically using a cluster model approach and a dynamical Bloch wave approach. We focused on photoelectrons emitted from the Zn 2p{sub 3/2} and O 1s orbitals in the analysis. The obtained XPD patterns for the (0001) and (0001) surfaces of a ZnO single crystal were distinct for a given emitter and polarity. Polarity determination of c-axis-textured polycrystalline ZnO thin films was also achieved with the concept of XPD, even though the in-plane orientation of the columnar ZnO grains was random.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Tailoring interfacial exchange coupling with low-energy ion beam bombardment: Tuning the interface roughness

By ascertaining NiO surface roughness in a Ni{sub 80}Fe{sub 20}/NiO film system, we were able to correlate the effects of altered interface roughness from low-energy ion-beam bombardment of the NiO layer and the different thermal instabilities in the NiO nanocrystallites. From experiment and by modelling the temperature dependence of the exchange bias field and coercivity, we have found that reducing the interface roughness and changing the interface texture from an irregular to striped conformation enhanced the exchange coupling strength. Our results were in good agreement with recent simulations using the domain state model that incorporated interface mixing.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2012

Epitaxial growth of Ti{sub 3}SiC{sub 2} thin films with basal planes parallel or orthogonal to the surface on {alpha}-SiC

The growth of Ti{sub 3}SiC{sub 2} thin films were studied onto {alpha}-SiC substrates differently oriented by thermal annealing of TiAl layers deposited by magnetron sputtering. For any substrate's orientation, transmission electron microscopy coupled with x-ray diffraction showed the coherent epitaxial growth of Ti{sub 3}SiC{sub 2} films along basal planes of SiC. Specifically for the (1120) 4H-SiC, Ti{sub 3}SiC{sub 2} basal planes are found to be orthogonal to the surface. The continuous or textured nature of Ti{sub 3}SiC{sub 2} films does not depend of the SiC stacking sequence and is explained by a step-flow mechanism of growth mode. The ohmic character of the contact was confirmed by current-voltage measurements.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Introduction to mathematical models and methods

Some well known mathematical models in the form of partial differential equations representing real world systems are introduced along with fundamental concepts of Image Processing. Notions such as seismic texture, seismic attributes, core data, well logging, seismic tomography and reservoirs simulation are discussed.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2012

Enhanced thermal conductivity of polycrystalline aluminum nitride thin films by optimizing the interface structure

The growth-temperature dependency and interface structure effects on the thermal conductivity of the highly textured AlN thin films on (001) Si substrates were systematically studied by characterizing the crystal structures, surface morphologies, interface structures, chemical compositions, and thermal conductivity using x-ray diffraction analysis, atomic force microscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and 3-omega method, respectively. By optimizing the interface microstructure and the growth temperature, thermal conductivity of polycrystalline AlN thin films can be greatly enhanced from 9.9 to 26.7 W/mK, when the growth temperature increases from 330 to 560 Degree-Sign C. This achievement is considered to be associated with the diminishment of the amorphous and disordered layer at the AlN/Si interface.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2013

Effects of high energy x ray and proton irradiation on lead zirconate titanate thin films' dielectric and piezoelectric response

The effects of irradiation by X rays and protons on the dielectric and piezoelectric response of highly (100)-textured polycrystalline Pb(Zr{sub x}Ti{sub 1-x})O{sub 3} (PZT) thin films have been studied. Low-field dielectric permittivity, remanent polarization, and piezoelectric d{sub 33,f} response all degraded with exposure to radiation, for doses higher than 300 krad. At first approximation, the degradation increased at higher radiation doses, and was stronger in samples exposed to X rays, compared to the proton-irradiated ones. Nonlinear and high-field dielectric characterization suggest a radiation-induced reduction of the extrinsic contributions to the response, attributed to increased pinning of the domain walls by the radiation-induced point defects.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2013

Modeling surface backgrounds from radon progeny plate-out

The next generation low-background detectors operating deep underground aim for unprecedented low levels of radioactive backgrounds. The surface deposition and subsequent implantation of radon progeny in detector materials will be a source of energetic background events. We investigate Monte Carlo and model-based simulations to understand the surface implantation profile of radon progeny. Depending on the material and region of interest of a rare event search, these partial energy depositions can be problematic. Motivated by the use of Ge crystals for the detection of neutrinoless double-beta decay, we wish to understand the detector response of surface backgrounds from radon progeny. We look at the simulation of surface decays using a validated implantation distribution based on nuclear recoils and a realistic surface texture. Results of the simulations and measured α spectra are presented.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2013

A comparative study on shock compression of nanocrystalline Al and Cu: Shock profiles and microscopic views of plasticity

Shock compressions of nanocrystalline (nc) metals Al and Cu with the same grain size and texture are studied by using molecular dynamics simulations. Results have revealed that the shock front of both Al and Cu can be divided into three stages: elastic, grain-boundary-mediated, and dislocation-mediated plastic deformation. The transition planes among these three stages are proven to be non-planar by two-dimensional shock response analysis, including local stress, shear, temperature, and atom configuration. The difference between shocked Al and Cu is that the rise rate of the elastic stage of Cu is slightly higher than that of Al, and that the shock-front width of Al is wider than Cu at the same loading conditions. For the plastic stage, the dislocation density of shocked Al is lower than Cu, and the contribution of grain-boundary-mediated plasticity to shock front and strain for nc Al is more pronounced than for nc Cu. These results are explained through intrinsic material properties and atomistic analysis of the plastic process. In the case of the shocked Al sample, partial dislocations, perfect dislocations, and twins are observed, but few evidence of perfect dislocations and twins are observed in the shocked Cu.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗