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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2018

Tuning the Surface Plasmon Resonance of Lanthanum Hexaboride to Absorb Solar Heat: A Review

While traditional noble metal (Ag, Au, and Cu) nanoparticles are well known for their plasmonic properties, they typically only absorb in the ultraviolet and visible regions. The study of metal hexaborides, lanthanum hexaboride (LaB 6 ) in particular, expands the available absorbance range of these metals well into the near-infrared. As a result, LaB6 has become a material of interest for its energy and heat absorption properties, most notably to those trying to absorb solar heat. Given the growing popularity of LaB 6 , this review focuses on the advances made in the past decade with respect to controlling the plasmonic properties of LaB 6 nanoparticles. This review discusses the fundamental structure of LaB 6 and explains how decreasing the nanoparticle size changes the atomic vibrations on the surface and thus the plasmonic absorbance band. We explain how doping LaB 6 nanoparticles with lanthanide metals (Y, Sm, and Eu) red-shifts the absorbance band and describe research focusing on the correlation between size dependent and morphological effects on the surface plasmon resonance. This work also describes successes that have been made in dispersing LaB 6 nanoparticles for various optical applications, highlighting the most difficult challenges encountered in this field of study.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2011

Wave and transport studies utilizing dense plasma filaments generated with a lanthanum hexaboride cathode

A portable lanthanum hexaboride (LaB{sub 6}) cathode has been developed for use in the LArge Plasma Device (LAPD) at UCLA. The LaB{sub 6} cathode can be used as a tool for many different studies in experimental plasma physics. To date, the cathode has been used as a source of a plasma with a hot dense core for transport studies and diagnostics development, as a source of gradient driven modes, as a source of shear Alfven waves, and as a source of interacting current channels in reconnection experiments. The LaB{sub 6} cathode is capable of higher discharge current densities than the main barium oxide coated LAPD cathode and is therefore able to produce plasmas of higher densities and higher electron temperatures. The 8.25 cm diameter cathode can be introduced into the LAPD at different axial locations without the need to break vacuum. The cathode can be scaled up or down for use as a portable secondary plasma source in other machines.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Enhanced field emission from lanthanum hexaboride coated multiwalled carbon nanotubes: Correlation with physical properties

Detailed results from field emission studies of lanthanum hexaboride (LaB{sub 6}) coated multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) films, pristine LaB{sub 6} films, and pristine MWCNT films are reported. The films have been synthesized by a combination of chemical and physical deposition processes. An impressive increase in field enhancement factor and temporal stability as well as a reduction in turn-on field and threshold field are observed in LaB{sub 6}-coated MWCNTs compared to pristine MWCNT and pristine LaB{sub 6} films. Surface morphology of the films has been examined by scanning electron microscopy. Introduction of LaB{sub 6} nanoparticles on the outer walls of CNTs LaB{sub 6}-coated MWCNTs films is confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. The presence of LaB{sub 6} was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results and further validated by the Raman spectra. Raman spectroscopy also shows 67% increase in defect concentration in MWCNTs upon coating with LaB{sub 6} and an upshift in the 2D band that could be attributed to p-type doping. Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy studies reveal a reduction in the work function of LaB{sub 6}-coated MWCNT with respect to its pristine counterpart. The enhanced field emission properties in LaB{sub 6}-coated MWCNT films are correlated with a change in microstructure and work function.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

High-current lanthanum-hexaboride electron emitter for a quasi-stationary arc plasma generator

A high-current electron emitter on the basis of lanthanum hexaboride is developed for quasi-stationary arc plasma generators of ion sources. The emitter consists of a set of LaB{sub 6} washers interleaved with washers made of thermally extended graphite. The emitter is heated by the current flowing through the graphite washers. The thermal regime of emitter operation during plasma generation is considered. The emitter has been successfully used in the ion sources of the diagnostic injectors of fast hydrogen atomic beams.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2012

Effect of sputtered lanthanum hexaboride film thickness on field emission from metallic knife edge cathodes

We report experiments and analysis of field emission from metallic knife-edge cathodes, which are sputter-coated with thin films of lanthanum hexaboride (LaB{sub 6}), a low-work function material. The emission current is found to depend sensitively on the thickness of the LaB{sub 6} layer. We find that films thinner than 10 nm greatly enhance the emitted current. However, cathodes coated with a thicker layer of LaB{sub 6} are observed to emit less current than the uncoated metallic cathode. This result is unexpected due to the higher work function of the bare metal cathode. We show, based on numerical calculation of the electrostatic potential throughout the structure, that the external (LaB{sub 6}/vacuum) barrier is reduced with respect to uncoated samples for both thin and thick coatings. However, this behavior is not exhibited at the internal (metal/LaB{sub 6}) barrier. In thinly coated samples, electrons tunnel efficiently through both the internal and external barrier, resulting in current enhancement with respect to the uncoated case. In contrast, the thick internal barrier in thickly coated samples suppresses current below the value for uncoated samples in spite of the lowered external barrier. We argue that this coating thickness variation stems from a relatively low (no higher than 10{sup 18} cm{sup -3}) free carrier density in the sputtered polycrystalline LaB{sub 6}.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Boron ion beam generation utilizing lanthanum hexaboride cathodes: Comparison of vacuum arc and planar magnetron glow

Boron ion beams are widely used for semiconductor ion implantation and for surface modification for improving the operating parameters and increasing the lifetime of machine parts and tools. For the latter application, the purity requirements of boron ion beams are not as stringent as for semiconductor technology, and a composite cathode of lanthanum hexaboride may be suitable for the production of boron ions. We have explored the use of two different approaches to boron plasma production: vacuum arc and planar high power impulse magnetron in self-sputtering mode. For the arc discharge, the boron plasma is generated at cathode spots, whereas for the magnetron discharge, the main process is sputtering of cathode material. We present here the results of comparative test experiments for both kinds of discharge, aimed at determining the optimal discharge parameters for maximum yield of boron ions. For both discharges, the extracted ion beam current reaches hundreds of milliamps and the fraction of boron ions in the total extracted ion beam is as high as 80%.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2023

Design of the Lanthanum hexaboride based plasma source for the large plasma device at UCLA

The Large Plasma Device (LAPD) at UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) produces an 18 m long, magnetized, quiescent, and uniform plasma at a high repetition rate to enable studies of fundamental plasma physics. Here, we report on a major upgrade to the LAPD plasma source that allows for more robust operation and significant expansion of achievable plasma parameters. The original plasma source made use of a heated barium oxide (BaO) coated nickel sheet as an electron emitter. This source had a number of drawbacks, including a limited range of plasma density (≲4.0 × 10 12 cm −3 ), a limited discharge duration (∼10 ms), and susceptibility to poisoning following oxygen exposure. Further, the new plasma source utilizes a 38 cm diameter lanthanum hexaboride (LaB 6 ) cathode, which has a significantly higher emissivity, allowing for a much larger discharge power density, and is robust to exposure to air. Peak plasma density of up to 3.0 × 10 13 cm −33 in helium gas has been achieved. The typical operating pressure is ∼10 −5 Torr, while dynamic pressure can be achieved through the gas-puffing technique. Discharges as long as 70 ms have been produced, enabling a variety of long-time-scale studies of processes, such as turbulent particle transport. The new source has been in continuous operation for 14 months, having survived air leaks, power outages that led to rapid temperature changes on the cathode and heater, and planned machine openings. We describe the design, construction, and initial operation of this novel new large-area LaB6 plasma source.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Bulk electronic structure of lanthanum hexaboride (LaB 6 ) by hard x-ray angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy

In the last decade rare-earth hexaborides have been investigated for their fundamental importance in condensed matter, and for their applications in advanced technological fields. Among these compounds, LaB 6 has a special place, being a traditional d-band metal without additional f- bands. In order to understand the bulk electronic structure of the more complex rare-earth hexaborides, in this paper we investigate the bulk electronic structure of LaB 6 using tender/hard x-ray photoemission spectroscopy, measuring both core-level and angle-resolved valence-band spectra. Furthermore, we compare the La 3d core level spectrum to cluster model calculations in order to understand the bulk-like core-hole screening effects. The results show that the La 3d well-screened peak is at a lower binding energy compared to the main poorly-screened peak; the relative intensity between these peaks depends on how strong the hybridization is between La and B atoms. Here, we show that the recoil effect, negligible in the soft x-ray regime, becomes prominent at higher kinetic energies for lighter elements, such as boron, but is still negligible for heavy elements, such as lanthanum. In addition, we report the bulk-like band structure of LaB6 determined by tender/hard x-ray angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (HARPES). We compare HARPES experimental results to the free-electron final-state calculations and to the more precise one-step photoemission theory including matrix element and phonon excitation effects. The agreement between the features present in the experimental ARPES data and the theoretical calculations is very good. In addition, we consider the nature and the magnitude of phonon excitations in order to interpret HARPES experimental data measured at different temperatures and excitation energies. We demonstrate that one step theory of photoemission and HARPES experiments provide, at present, the only approach capable of probing, both experimentally and theoretically, true “bulk-like” electronic band structure of rare-earth hexaborides and strongly correlated materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Boron-rich plasma by high power impulse magnetron sputtering of lanthanum hexaboride

Boron-rich plasmas have been obtained using a LaB{sub 6} target in a high power impulse sputtering (HiPIMS) system. The presence of {sup 10}B{sup +}, {sup 11}B{sup +}, Ar{sup 2+}, Ar{sup +}, La{sup 2+}, and La{sup +} and traces of La{sup 3+}, {sup 12}C{sup +}, {sup 14}N{sup +}, and {sup 16}O{sup +} have been detected using an integrated mass and energy spectrometer. Peak currents as low as 20 A were sufficient to obtain plasma dominated by {sup 11}B{sup +} from a 5 cm planar magnetron. The ion energy distribution function for boron exhibits an energetic tail extending over several 10 eV, while argon shows a pronounced peak at low energy (some eV). This is in agreement with models that consider sputtering (B, La) and gas supply (from background and 'recycling'). Strong voltage oscillations develop at high current, greatly affecting power dissipation and plasma properties.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2018

Moving the Plasmon of LaB 6 from IR to Near-IR via Eu-Doping

Lanthanum hexaboride (LaB 6 ) has become a material of intense interest in recent years due to its low work function, thermal stability and intriguing optical properties. LaB 6 is also a semiconductor plasmonic material with the ability to support strong plasmon modes. Some of these modes uniquely stretch into the infrared, allowing the material to absorb around 1000 nm, which is of great interest to the window industry. It is well known that the plasmon of LaB 6 can be tuned by controlling particle size and shape. In this work, we explore the options available to further tune the optical properties by describing how metal vacancies and Eu doping concentrations are additional knobs for tuning the absorbance from the near-IR to far-IR in La 1-x Eu x B 6 (x = 0, 0.2, 0.5, 0.8, and 1.0). We also report that there is a direct correlation between Eu concentration and metal vacancies within the Eu 1-x La x B 6 .

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Novel borothermal route for the synthesis of lanthanum cerium hexaborides and their field emission properties

The present study describes the development of a simple approach to stabilize polycrystalline lanthanum cerium hexaborides without using any flux and at ambient pressure. The nanostructured lanthanum-cerium borides were synthesized using hydroxide precursors. These precursors (La{sub 1-x}Ce{sub x}(OH){sub 3}, x=0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.5) were synthesized via hydrothermal route in the presence of Tergitol (surfactant, nonylphenol ethoxylate) as a capping agent. The precursors on heating with boron at 1300 Degree-Sign C lead to the formation of nanostructures (cubes, rods and pyramids) of lanthanum cerium hexaboride. We have investigated the field emission behaviour of the hexaboride films fabricated by spin coating. It was observed that the pyramidal shaped nanostructures of La{sub 0.5}Ce{sub 0.5}B{sub 6} shows excellent field emission characteristics with high field enhancement factor of 4502. - Graphical abstract: Nanostructured lanthanum cerium hexaboride with efficient field emission have fabricated by low temperature hydroxide precursor mediated route. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer New methodology to prepare lanthanum cerium hexaboride at 1300 Degree-Sign C via borothermal route. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Nanostructured lanthanum cerium hexaboride film by spin coating process. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Nanopyramids based lanthanum cerium hexaboride shows excellent field emission.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2018

Angular Distributions of Plasma Flows in a Vacuum Arc with Boride Cathodes

Results of investigation of the angular distribution and mass-to-charge fractions of the ion flow generated in a pulsed vacuum arc with lanthanum hexaboride and boron carbide cathodes are presented. It is shown that the discharge with such cathodes provides efficient generation of the plasma with a high fraction of boron ions with charge states from 1+ to 3+ whose total fraction is determined by the fraction of the boron atoms in the cathode material. The angular distributions of ions in the plasma flow depend on the relationship between the masses of components of cathode materials: in the case of lanthanum hexaboride cathode, the distribution of boron ions is wider than that of lanthanum ions, and in the case of boron carbide cathode, the boron and carbon ion distributions are practically identical.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗