Diffusion lengths in irradiated N/P InP-on-Si solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wojtczuk, Steven; Colerico, Claudia; Summers, Geoffrey P.; Walters, Robert J.; Burke, Edward A.

1996-01-01

Indium phosphide (InP) solar cells were made on silicon (Si) wafers (InP/Si) by to take advantage of both the radiation-hardness properties of the InP solar cell and the light weight and low cost of Si wafers. The InP/Si cell application is for long duration and/or high radiation orbit space missions. Spire has made N/P InP/Si cells of sizes up to 2 cm by 4 cm with beginning-of-life (BOL) AM0 efficiencies over 13% (one-sun, 28C). These InP/Si cells have higher absolute efficiency and power density after a high radiation dose than gallium arsenide (GaAs) or silicon (Si) solar cells after a fluence of about 2e15 1 MeV electrons/sq. cm. In this work, we investigate the minority carrier (electron) base diffusion lengths in the N/P InP/Si cells. A quantum efficiency model was constructed for a 12% BOL AM0 N/P InP/Si cell which agreed well with the absolutely measured quantum efficiency and the sun-simulator measured AM0 photocurrent (30.1 mA/sq. cm). This model was then used to generate a table of AM0 photocurrents for a range of base diffusion lengths. AM0 photocurrents were then measured for irradiations up to 7.7e16 1 MeV electrons/sq. cm (the 12% BOL cell was 8% after the final irradiation). By comparing the measured photocurrents with the predicted photocurrents, base diffusion lengths were assigned at each fluence level. A damage coefficient K of 4e-8 and a starting (unirradiated) base electron diffusion length of 0.8 microns fits the data well. The quantum efficiency was measured again at the end of the experiment to verify that the photocurrent predicted by the model (25.5 mA/sq. cm) agreed with the simulator-measured photocurrent after irradiation (25.7 mA/sq. cm).

Analysis of the electron-beam-induced current of a polycrystalline p-n junction when the diffusion lengths of the material on either side of a grain boundary differ

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Von Roos, O.; Luke, K. L.

1984-01-01

The short circuit current generated by the electron beam of a scanning electron microscope in p-n junctions is reduced by enhanced recombination at grain boundaries in polycrystalline material. Frequently, grain boundaries separate the semiconductor into regions possessing different minority carrier life times. This markedly affects the short circuit current I(sc) as a function of scanning distance from the grain boundary. It will be shown theoretically that (1) the minimum of the I(sc) in crossing the grain boundary with the scanning electron beam is shifted away from the grain boundary toward the region with smaller life time (shorter diffusion length), (2) the magnitude of the minimum differs markedly from those calculated under the assumption of equal diffusion lengths on either side of the grain boundary, and (3) the minimum disappears altogether for small surface recombination velocities (s less than 10,000 cm/s). These effects become negligible, however, for large recombination velocities s at grain boundaries. For p-type silicon this happens for s not less than 100,000 cm/s.

Surface effects on exciton diffusion in non polar ZnO/ZnMgO heterostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sakr, G.; Sartel, C.; Sallet, V.; Lusson, A.; Patriarche, G.; Galtier, P.; Barjon, J.

2017-12-01

The diffusion of excitons injected in ZnO/Zn0.92Mg0.08O quantum well heterostructures grown by metal-organic-vapor-phase-epitaxy on non-polar ZnO substrates is investigated at room temperature. Cathodoluminescence linescans in a field-emission-gun scanning-electron-microscope are performed across cleaved cross-sections. A 55 nm diffusion length is assessed for excitons in bulk ZnMgO. When prepared as small angle bevels using focused ion beam (FIB), the effective diffusion length of excitons is shown to decrease down to 8 nm in the thinner part of the slab. This effect is attributed to non-radiative surface recombinations, with a 7  ×  104 cm s-1 recombination velocity estimated at the FIB-machined ZnMgO surface. The strong reduction of the diffusion extent in such thin lamellae usually used for transmission electron microscopy could be use improve the spatial resolution of cathodoluminescence images, often limited by diffusion processes.

Comparison of Three E-Beam Techniques for Electric Field Imaging and Carrier Diffusion Length Measurement on the Same Nanowires.

PubMed

Donatini, F; de Luna Bugallo, Andres; Tchoulfian, Pierre; Chicot, Gauthier; Sartel, Corinne; Sallet, Vincent; Pernot, Julien

2016-05-11

Whereas nanowire (NW)-based devices offer numerous advantages compared to bulk ones, their performances are frequently limited by an incomplete understanding of their properties where surface effect should be carefully considered. Here, we demonstrate the ability to spatially map the electric field and determine the exciton diffusion length in NW by using an electron beam as the single excitation source. This approach is performed on numerous single ZnO NW Schottky diodes whose NW radius vary from 42.5 to 175 nm. The dominant impact of the surface on the NW properties is revealed through the comparison of three different physical quantities recorded on the same NW: electron-beam induced current, cathodoluminescence, and secondary electron signal. Indeed, the space charge region near the Schottky contact exhibits an unusual linear variation with reverse bias whatever the NW radius. On the contrary, the exciton diffusion length is shown to be controlled by the NW radius through surface recombination. This systematic comparison performed on a single ZnO NW demonstrates the power of these complementary techniques in understanding NW properties.

Effect of 1.5 MeV electron irradiation on β-Ga2O3 carrier lifetime and diffusion length

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Jonathan; Flitsiyan, Elena; Chernyak, Leonid; Yang, Jiancheng; Ren, Fan; Pearton, Stephen J.; Meyler, Boris; Salzman, Y. Joseph

2018-02-01

The influence of 1.5 MeV electron irradiation on minority transport properties of Si doped β-Ga2O3 vertical Schottky rectifiers was observed for fluences up to 1.43 × 1016 cm-2. The Electron Beam-Induced Current technique was used to determine the minority hole diffusion length as a function of temperature for each irradiation dose. This revealed activation energies related to shallow donors at 40.9 meV and radiation-induced defects with energies at 18.1 and 13.6 meV. Time-resolved cathodoluminescence measurements showed an ultrafast 210 ps decay lifetime and reduction in carrier lifetime with increased irradiation.

Surface recombination velocity and diffusion length of minority carriers in heavily doped silicon layers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gatos, H. C.; Watanabe, M.; Actor, G.

1977-01-01

Quantitative analysis of the electron beam-induced current and the dependence of the effective diffusion length of the minority carriers on the penetration depth of the electron beam were employed for the analysis of the carrier recombination characteristics in heavily doped silicon layers. The analysis is based on the concept of the effective excitation strength of the carriers which takes into consideration all possible recombination sources. Two dimensional mapping of the surface recombination velocity of P-diffused Si layers will be presented together with a three dimensional mapping of minority carrier lifetime in ion implanted Si. Layers heavily doped with As exhibit improved recombination characteristics as compared to those of the layers doped with P.

Cathodoluminescence of stacking fault bound excitons for local probing of the exciton diffusion length in single GaN nanowires

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nogues, Gilles, E-mail: gilles.nogues@neel.cnrs.fr; Den Hertog, Martien; Inst. NEEL, CNRS, F-38042 Grenoble

We perform correlated studies of individual GaN nanowires in scanning electron microscopy combined to low temperature cathodoluminescence, microphotoluminescence, and scanning transmission electron microscopy. We show that some nanowires exhibit well localized regions emitting light at the energy of a stacking fault bound exciton (3.42 eV) and are able to observe the presence of a single stacking fault in these regions. Precise measurements of the cathodoluminescence signal in the vicinity of the stacking fault give access to the exciton diffusion length near this location.

Diffusion length measurement using the scanning electron microscope. [for silicon solar cell

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weizer, V. G.

1975-01-01

The present work describes a measuring technique employing the scanning electron microscope in which values of the true bulk diffusion length are obtained. It is shown that surface recombination effects can be eliminated through application of highly doped surface field layers. The effects of high injection level and low-high junction current generation are investigated. Results obtained with this technique are compared to those obtained by a penetrating radiation (X-ray) method, and a close agreement is found. The SEM technique is limited to cells that contain a back surface field layer.

Electric measurement and magnetic control of spin transport in InSb-based lateral spin devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viglin, N. A.; Ustinov, V. V.; Demokritov, S. O.; Shorikov, A. O.; Bebenin, N. G.; Tsvelikhovskaya, V. M.; Pavlov, T. N.; Patrakov, E. I.

2017-12-01

Electric injection and detection of spin-polarized electrons in InSb semiconductors have been realized in nonlocal experimental geometry using an InSb-based "lateral spin valve." The valve of the InSb /MgO /C o0.9F e0.1 composition has semiconductor/insulator/ferromagnet nanoheterojunctions in which the thickness of the InSb layer considerably exceeded the spin diffusion length of conduction electrons. The spin direction in spin diffusion current has been manipulated by a magnetic field under the Hanle effect conditions. The spin polarization of the electron gas has been registered using ferromagnetic C o0.9F e0.1 probes by measuring electrical potentials arising in the probes in accordance with the Johnson-Silsbee concept of the spin-charge coupling. The developed theory is valid at any degree of degeneracy of electron gas in a semiconductor. The spin relaxation time and spin diffusion length of conduction electrons in InSb have been determined, and the electron-spin polarization in InSb has been evaluated for electrons injected from C o0.9F e0.1 through an MgO tunnel barrier.

Simulations of high Mach number perpendicular shocks with resistive electrons

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quest, K. B.

1986-01-01

A simulation code which models the ions as microparticles and the electrons as a resistive massless fluid is employed to study the structure of high Mach number perpendicular shocks. It is found that stable stationary shock solutions can be obtained for Alfven Mach numbers (M sub A) between 5 and 60 for upstream plasmas where the ratio of the plasma pressure to the magnetic pressure is 1, providing that the upstream resistive diffusion length is much smaller than the ion inertial length. For much larger resistive diffusion lengths, the magnetic field overshoot is damped, and the imbalance in the electron momentum equation results in a periodic fluctuation of the fraction of reflected ions. In the limit of M sub A of less than 10, the magnetic overshoot and the fraction of reflected ions increase with increasing M sub A, while at higher Mach numbers the fraction of reflected ions peaks at about 40 percent and the magnetic field overshoot increases at a much slower rate. Electron inertial effects are also considered.

PbCl2-tuned inorganic cubic CsPbBr3(Cl) perovskite solar cells with enhanced electron lifetime, diffusion length and photovoltaic performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Bo; Zhang, Yanan; Zhang, Luyuan; Yin, Longwei

2017-08-01

Inorganic CsPbBr3 perovskite is arousing great interest following after organic-inorganic hybrid halide perovskites, and is found as a good candidate for photovoltaic devices for its prominent photoelectric property and stability. Herein, we for the first time report on PbCl2-tuned inorganic Cl-doped CsPbBr3(Cl) perovskite solar cells with adjustable crystal structure and Cl doping for enhanced carrier lifetime, extraction rate and photovoltaic performance. The effect of PbCl2 on the morphologies, structures, optical, and photovoltaic performance of CsPbBr3 perovskite solar cells is investigated systemically. Compared with orthorhombic CsPbBr3, cubic CsPbBr3 demonstrates a significant improvement for electron lifetime (from 6.7 ns to 12.3 ns) and diffusion length (from 69 nm to 197 nm), as well as the enhanced electron extraction rate from CsPbBr3 to TiO2. More importantly, Cl doping benefits the further enhancement of carrier lifetime (14.3 ns) and diffusion length (208 nm). The Cl doped cubic CsPbBr3(Cl) perovskite solar cell exhibits a Jsc of 8.47 mA cm-2 and a PCE of 6.21%, superior to that of pure orthorhombic CsPbBr3 (6.22 mA cm-2 and 3.78%). The improvement of photovoltaic performance can be attributed to enhanced carrier lifetime, diffusion length and extraction rates, as well as suppressed nonradiative recombination.

Determination of charge-carrier diffusion length in the photosensing layer of HgCdTe n-on-p photovoltaic infrared focal plane array detectors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vishnyakov, A. V.; Stuchinsky, V. A., E-mail: stuchin@isp.nsc.ru; Brunev, D. V.

2014-03-03

In the present paper, we propose a method for evaluating the bulk diffusion length of minority charge carriers in the photosensing layer of photovoltaic focal plane array (FPA) photodetectors. The method is based on scanning a strip-shaped illumination spot with one of the detector diodes at a low level of photocurrents j{sub ph} being registered; such scanning provides data for subsequent analysis of measured spot-scan profiles within a simple diffusion model. The asymptotic behavior of the effective (at j{sub ph} ≠ 0) charge-carrier diffusion length l{sub d} {sub eff} as a function of j{sub ph} for j{sub ph} → 0 inferred frommore » our experimental data proved to be consistent with the behavior of l{sub d} {sub eff} vs j{sub ph} as predicted by the model, while the obtained values of the bulk diffusion length of minority carriers (electrons) in the p-HgCdTe film of investigated HgCdTe n-on-p FPA photodetectors were found to be in a good agreement with the previously reported carrier diffusion-length values for HgCdTe.« less

An EBIC equation for solar cells. [Electron Beam Induced Current

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Luke, K. L.; Von Roos, O.

1983-01-01

When an electron beam of a scanning electron microscope (SEM) impinges on an N-P junction, the generation of electron-hole pairs by impact ionization causes a characteristic short circuit current I(sc) to flow. The I(sc), i.e., EBIC (electron beam induced current) depends strongly on the configuration used to investigate the cell's response. In this paper the case where the plane of the junction is perpendicular to the surface is considered. An EBIC equation amenable to numerical computations is derived as a function of cell thickness, source depth, surface recombination velocity, diffusion length, and distance of the junction to the beam-cell interaction point for a cell with an ohmic contact at its back surface. It is shown that the EBIC equation presented here is more general and easier to use than those previously reported. The effects of source depth, ohmic contact, and diffusion length on the normalized EBIC characteristic are discussed.

Diffusion lengths in irradiated N/P InP-on-Si solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wojtczuk, Steven; Colerico, Claudia; Summers, Geoffrey P.; Walters, Robert J.; Burke, Edward A.

1995-01-01

Indium phosphide (InP) solar cells are being made on silicon (Si) wafers (InP/Si) to take advantage of both the radiation-hardness properties of the InP solar cell and the light weight and low cost of Si wafers compared to InP or germanium (Ge) wafers. The InP/Si cell application is for long duration and/or high radiation orbit space missions. InP/Si cells have higher absolute efficiency after a high radiation dose than gallium arsenide (GaAs) or silicon (Si) solar cells. In this work, base electron diffusion lengths in the N/P cell are extracted from measured AM0 short-circuit photocurrent at various irradiation levels out to an equivalent 1 MeV fluence of 1017 1 MeV electrons/sq cm for a 1 sq cm 12% BOL InP/Si cell. These values are then checked for consistency by comparing measured Voc data with a theoretical Voc model that includes a dark current term that depends on the extracted diffusion lengths.

Three-temperature plasma shock solutions with gray radiation diffusion

DOE PAGES

Johnson, Bryan M.; Klein, Richard I.

2016-04-19

Here we discuss the effects of radiation on the structure of shocks in a fully ionized plasma are investigated by solving the steady-state fluid equations for ions, electrons, and radiation. The electrons and ions are assumed to have the same bulk velocity but separate temperatures, and the radiation is modeled with the gray diffusion approximation. Both electron and ion conduction are included, as well as ion viscosity. When the material is optically thin, three-temperature behavior occurs. When the diffusive flux of radiation is important but radiation pressure is not, two-temperature behavior occurs, with the electrons strongly coupled to the radiation.more » Since the radiation heats the electrons on length scales that are much longer than the electron–ion Coulomb coupling length scale, these solutions resemble radiative shock solutions rather than plasma shock solutions that neglect radiation. When radiation pressure is important, all three components are strongly coupled. Results with constant values for the transport and coupling coefficients are compared to a full numerical simulation with a good match between the two, demonstrating that steady shock solutions constitute a straightforward and comprehensive verification test methodology for multi-physics numerical algorithms.« less

Three-temperature plasma shock solutions with gray radiation diffusion

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Johnson, Bryan M.; Klein, Richard I.

Here we discuss the effects of radiation on the structure of shocks in a fully ionized plasma are investigated by solving the steady-state fluid equations for ions, electrons, and radiation. The electrons and ions are assumed to have the same bulk velocity but separate temperatures, and the radiation is modeled with the gray diffusion approximation. Both electron and ion conduction are included, as well as ion viscosity. When the material is optically thin, three-temperature behavior occurs. When the diffusive flux of radiation is important but radiation pressure is not, two-temperature behavior occurs, with the electrons strongly coupled to the radiation.more » Since the radiation heats the electrons on length scales that are much longer than the electron–ion Coulomb coupling length scale, these solutions resemble radiative shock solutions rather than plasma shock solutions that neglect radiation. When radiation pressure is important, all three components are strongly coupled. Results with constant values for the transport and coupling coefficients are compared to a full numerical simulation with a good match between the two, demonstrating that steady shock solutions constitute a straightforward and comprehensive verification test methodology for multi-physics numerical algorithms.« less

The effects of intragrain defects on the local photoresponse of polycrystalline silicon solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inoue, N.; Wilmsen, C. W.; Jones, K. A.

1981-02-01

Intragrain defects in Wacker cast and Monsanto zone-refined polycrystalline silicon materials were investigated using the electron-beam-induced current (EBIC) technique. The EBIC response maps were compared with etch pit, local diffusion length and local photoresponse measurements. It was determined that the Wacker polycrystalline silicon has a much lower density of defects than does the Monsanto polycrystalline silicon and that most of the defects in the Wacker material are not active recombination sites. A correlation was found between the recombination site density, as determined by EBIC, and the local diffusion length. It is shown that a large density of intragrain recombination sites greatly reduces the minority carrier diffusion length and thus can significantly reduce the photoresponse of solar cells.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rueda-Fonseca, P.; Orrù, M.; CNRS, Institut NEEL, F-38000 Grenoble

With ZnTe as an example, we use two different methods to unravel the characteristics of the growth of nanowires (NWs) by gold-catalyzed molecular beam epitaxy at low temperature. In the first approach, CdTe insertions have been used as markers, and the nanowires have been characterized by scanning transmission electron microscopy, including geometrical phase analysis and energy dispersive electron spectrometry; the second approach uses scanning electron microscopy and the statistics of the relationship between the length of the tapered nanowires and their base diameter. Axial and radial growth are quantified using a diffusion-limited model adapted to the growth conditions; analytical expressionsmore » describe well the relationship between the NW length and the total molecular flux (taking into account the orientation of the effusion cells), and the catalyst-nanowire contact area. A long incubation time is observed. This analysis allows us to assess the evolution of the diffusion lengths on the substrate and along the nanowire sidewalls, as a function of temperature and deviation from stoichiometric flux.« less

Spatial dimensions of the electron diffusion region in anti-parallel magnetic reconnection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakamura, Takuma; Nakamura, Rumi; Haseagwa, Hiroshi

2016-03-01

Spatial dimensions of the detailed structures of the electron diffusion region in anti-parallel magnetic reconnection were analyzed based on two-dimensional fully kinetic particle-in-cell simulations. The electron diffusion region in this study is defined as the region where the positive reconnection electric field is sustained by the electron inertial and non-gyrotropic pressure components. Past kinetic studies demonstrated that the dimensions of the whole electron diffusion region and the inner non-gyrotropic region are scaled by the electron inertial length de and the width of the electron meandering motion, respectively. In this study, we successfully obtained more precise scalings of the dimensions of these two regions than the previous studies by performing simulations with sufficiently small grid spacing (1/16-1/8 de) and a sufficient number of particles (800 particles cell-1 on average) under different conditions changing the ion-to-electron mass ratio, the background density and the electron βe (temperature). The obtained scalings are adequately supported by some theories considering spatial variations of field and plasma parameters within the diffusion region. In the reconnection inflow direction, the dimensions of both regions are proportional to de based on the background density. Both dimensions also depend on βe based on the background values, but the dependence in the inner region ( ˜ 0.375th power) is larger than the whole region (0.125th power) reflecting the orbits of meandering and accelerated electrons within the inner region. In the outflow direction, almost only the non-gyrotropic component sustains the positive reconnection electric field. The dimension of this single-scale diffusion region is proportional to the ion-electron hybrid inertial length (dide)1/2 based on the background density and weakly depends on the background βe with the 0.25th power. These firm scalings allow us to predict observable dimensions in real space which are indeed in reasonable agreement with past in situ spacecraft observations in the Earth's magnetotail and have important implications for future observations with higher resolutions such as the NASA Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission.

Electron temperature critical gradient and transport stiffness in DIII-D

DOE PAGES

Smith, Sterling P.; Petty, Clinton C.; White, Anne E.; ...

2015-07-06

The electron energy flux has been probed as a function of electron temperature gradient on the DIII-D tokamak, in a continuing effort to validate turbulent transport models. In the scan of gradient, a critical electron temperature gradient has been found in the electron heat fluxes and stiffness at various radii in L-mode plasmas. The TGLF reduced turbulent transport model [G.M. Staebler et al, Phys. Plasmas 14, 055909 (2007)] and full gyrokinetic GYRO model [J. Candy and R.E. Waltz, J. Comput. Phys. 186, 545 (2003)] recover the general trend of increasing electron energy flux with increasing electron temperature gradient scale length,more » but they do not predict the absolute level of transport at all radii and gradients. Comparing the experimental observations of incremental (heat pulse) diffusivity and stiffness to the models’ reveals that TGLF reproduces the trends in increasing diffusivity and stiffness with increasing electron temperature gradient scale length with a critical gradient behavior. Furthermore, the critical gradient of TGLF is found to have a dependence on q 95, contrary to the independence of the experimental critical gradient from q 95.« less

Mapping the nanoscale energetic landscape in conductive polymer films with spatially super-resolved exciton dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ginsberg, Naomi

2015-03-01

The migration of Frenkel excitons, tightly-bound electron-hole pairs, in polymeric organic semiconducting films is critical to the efficiency of bulk heterojunction solar cells. While these materials exhibit a high degree of structural heterogeneity on the nanoscale, traditional measurements of exciton diffusion lengths are performed on bulk samples. Since both the characteristic length scales of structural heterogeneity and the reported bulk diffusion lengths are smaller than the optical diffraction limit, we adapt far-field super-resolution fluorescence imaging to uncover the correlations between the structural and energetic landscapes that the excitons explore.

Quasi-ballistic Electronic Thermal Conduction in Metal Inverse Opals.

PubMed

Barako, Michael T; Sood, Aditya; Zhang, Chi; Wang, Junjie; Kodama, Takashi; Asheghi, Mehdi; Zheng, Xiaolin; Braun, Paul V; Goodson, Kenneth E

2016-04-13

Porous metals are used in interfacial transport applications that leverage the combination of electrical and/or thermal conductivity and the large available surface area. As nanomaterials push toward smaller pore sizes to increase the total surface area and reduce diffusion length scales, electron conduction within the metal scaffold becomes suppressed due to increased surface scattering. Here we observe the transition from diffusive to quasi-ballistic thermal conduction using metal inverse opals (IOs), which are metal films that contain a periodic arrangement of interconnected spherical pores. As the material dimensions are reduced from ∼230 nm to ∼23 nm, the thermal conductivity of copper IOs is reduced by more than 57% due to the increase in surface scattering. In contrast, nickel IOs exhibit diffusive-like conduction and have a constant thermal conductivity over this size regime. The quasi-ballistic nature of electron transport at these length scales is modeled considering the inverse opal geometry, surface scattering, and grain boundaries. Understanding the characteristics of electron conduction at the nanoscale is essential to minimizing the total resistance of porous metals for interfacial transport applications, such as the total electrical resistance of battery electrodes and the total thermal resistance of microscale heat exchangers.

Electron Distribution Functions in the Diffusion Region of Asymmetric Magnetic Reconnection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bessho, N.; Chen, L.-J.; Hesse, M.

2016-01-01

We study electron distribution functions in a diffusion region of antiparallel asymmetric reconnection by means of particle-in-cell simulations and analytical theory. At the electron stagnation point, the electron distribution comprises a crescent-shaped population and a core component. The crescent-shaped distribution is due to electrons coming from the magnetosheath toward the stagnation point and accelerated mainly by electric field normal to the current sheet. Only a part of magnetosheath electrons can reach the stagnation point and form the crescent-shaped distribution that has a boundary of a parabolic curve. The penetration length of magnetosheath electrons into the magnetosphere is derived. We expect that satellite observations can detect crescent-shaped electron distributions during magnetopause reconnection.

A nonlinear equation for ionic diffusion in a strong binary electrolyte

PubMed Central

Ghosal, Sandip; Chen, Zhen

2010-01-01

The problem of the one-dimensional electro-diffusion of ions in a strong binary electrolyte is considered. The mathematical description, known as the Poisson–Nernst–Planck (PNP) system, consists of a diffusion equation for each species augmented by transport owing to a self-consistent electrostatic field determined by the Poisson equation. This description is also relevant to other important problems in physics, such as electron and hole diffusion across semiconductor junctions and the diffusion of ions in plasmas. If concentrations do not vary appreciably over distances of the order of the Debye length, the Poisson equation can be replaced by the condition of local charge neutrality first introduced by Planck. It can then be shown that both species diffuse at the same rate with a common diffusivity that is intermediate between that of the slow and fast species (ambipolar diffusion). Here, we derive a more general theory by exploiting the ratio of the Debye length to a characteristic length scale as a small asymptotic parameter. It is shown that the concentration of either species may be described by a nonlinear partial differential equation that provides a better approximation than the classical linear equation for ambipolar diffusion, but reduces to it in the appropriate limit. PMID:21818176

Near-field cathodoluminescence studies on n-doped gallium nitride films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nogales, E.; Joachimsthaler, I.; Heiderhoff, R.; Piqueras, J.; Balk, L. J.

2002-07-01

Near-field cathodoluminescence (NFCL) has been used to characterize hydride vapor phase epitaxy grown n-GaN films. This technique can obtain high resolution luminescence images and perform local measurements of the diffusion length for minority carriers in different parts of the sample. NFCL contrast observed in round growth hillocks at the sample surface, with a diameter of less than 10 mum, is compared with that observed by conventional cathodoluminescence in scanning electron microscope (CLSEM) techniques. In particular NFCL images reveal features not detected by CLSEM which is explained by the fact that under near field conditions the signal arises from a depth of only several tens of nanometers and is then directly related to the surface hillocks. Diffusion lengths of about 0.4 and 4 mum have been found for the holes in different regions of the samples at room temperature. The order of magnitude of these minority carriers diffusion lengths is in good agreement with previous measurements performed at different GaN samples with other techniques. The NFCL contrast and the differences in the measured diffusion lengths are discussed and explained by variations in local trap concentrations.

Increase in the diffusion length of minority carriers in Al{sub x}Ga{sub 1–x}N alloys ({sub x} = 0–0.1) fabricated by ammonia molecular beam epitaxy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Malin, T. V., E-mail: mal-tv@mail.ru; Gilinsky, A. M.; Mansurov, V. G.

2015-10-15

The room-temperature diffusion length of minority carriers in n-Al{sub 0.1}Ga{sub 0.9}N layers grown by ammonia molecular beam epitaxy on sapphire (0001) substrates used in structures for ultraviolet photodetectors is studied. Measurements were performed using the spectral dependence of the photocurrent recorded in a built-in p–n junction for thin samples and using the induced electron-current procedure for films up to 2 µm thick. The results show that the hole diffusion length in n-AlGaN films is 120–150 nm, which is larger than in GaN films grown under similar growth conditions by a factor of 3–4. This result can be associated with themore » larger lateral sizes characteristic of hexagonal columns in AlGaN layers grown by molecular beam epitaxy. No increase in the hole diffusion length is observed for thicker films.« less

Evidence for Secondary Flux Rope Generated by the Electron Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability in a Magnetic Reconnection Diffusion Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhong, Z. H.; Tang, R. X.; Zhou, M.; Deng, X. H.; Pang, Y.; Paterson, W. R.; Giles, B. L.; Burch, J. L.; Tobert, R. B.; Ergun, R. E.; Khotyaintsev, Y. V.; Lindquist, P.-A.

2018-02-01

Secondary flux ropes are suggested to play important roles in energy dissipation and particle acceleration during magnetic reconnection. However, their generation mechanism is not fully understood. In this Letter, we present the first direct evidence that a secondary flux rope was generated due to the evolution of an electron vortex, which was driven by the electron Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in an ion diffusion region as observed by the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission. The subion scale (less than the ion inertial length) flux rope was embedded within the electron vortex, which contained a secondary electron diffusion region at the trailing edge of the flux rope. We propose that intense electron shear flow produced by reconnection generated the electron Kelvin-Helmholtz vortex, which induced a secondary reconnection in the exhaust of the primary X line and then led to the formation of the flux rope. This result strongly suggests that secondary electron Kelvin-Helmholtz instability is important for reconnection dynamics.

Evidence for Secondary Flux Rope Generated by the Electron Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability in a Magnetic Reconnection Diffusion Region.

PubMed

Zhong, Z H; Tang, R X; Zhou, M; Deng, X H; Pang, Y; Paterson, W R; Giles, B L; Burch, J L; Tobert, R B; Ergun, R E; Khotyaintsev, Y V; Lindquist, P-A

2018-02-16

Secondary flux ropes are suggested to play important roles in energy dissipation and particle acceleration during magnetic reconnection. However, their generation mechanism is not fully understood. In this Letter, we present the first direct evidence that a secondary flux rope was generated due to the evolution of an electron vortex, which was driven by the electron Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in an ion diffusion region as observed by the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission. The subion scale (less than the ion inertial length) flux rope was embedded within the electron vortex, which contained a secondary electron diffusion region at the trailing edge of the flux rope. We propose that intense electron shear flow produced by reconnection generated the electron Kelvin-Helmholtz vortex, which induced a secondary reconnection in the exhaust of the primary X line and then led to the formation of the flux rope. This result strongly suggests that secondary electron Kelvin-Helmholtz instability is important for reconnection dynamics.

Effect of Annealing on Exciton Diffusion in a High Performance Small Molecule Organic Photovoltaic Material.

PubMed

Long, Yun; Hedley, Gordon J; Ruseckas, Arvydas; Chowdhury, Mithun; Roland, Thomas; Serrano, Luis A; Cooke, Graeme; Samuel, Ifor D W

2017-05-03

Singlet exciton diffusion was studied in the efficient organic photovoltaic electron donor material DTS(FBTTh 2 ) 2 . Three complementary time-resolved fluorescence measurements were performed: quenching in planar heterojunctions with an electron acceptor, exciton-exciton annihilation, and fluorescence depolarization. The average exciton diffusivity increases upon annealing from 1.6 × 10 -3 to 3.6 × 10 -3 cm 2 s -1 , resulting in an enhancement of the mean two-dimensional exciton diffusion length (L D = (4Dτ) 1/2 ) from 15 to 27 nm. About 30% of the excitons get trapped very quickly in as-cast films. The high exciton diffusion coefficient of the material leads to it being able to harvest excitons efficiently from large donor domains in bulk heterojunctions.

Effect of Annealing on Exciton Diffusion in a High Performance Small Molecule Organic Photovoltaic Material

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Singlet exciton diffusion was studied in the efficient organic photovoltaic electron donor material DTS(FBTTh2)2. Three complementary time-resolved fluorescence measurements were performed: quenching in planar heterojunctions with an electron acceptor, exciton–exciton annihilation, and fluorescence depolarization. The average exciton diffusivity increases upon annealing from 1.6 × 10–3 to 3.6 × 10–3 cm2 s–1, resulting in an enhancement of the mean two-dimensional exciton diffusion length (LD = (4Dτ)1/2) from 15 to 27 nm. About 30% of the excitons get trapped very quickly in as-cast films. The high exciton diffusion coefficient of the material leads to it being able to harvest excitons efficiently from large donor domains in bulk heterojunctions. PMID:28358189

Exciton diffusion in disordered small molecules for organic photovoltaics: insights from first-principles simulations.

PubMed

Li, Z; Zhang, X; Lu, G

2014-05-07

Exciton diffusion in small molecules 3,6-bis(5-(benzofuran-2-yl)thiophen-2-yl)-2,5-bis(2-ethylhexyl)pyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrole-1,4-dione [DPP(TBFu)2] is studied using first-principles simulations. We have examined dependence of exciton diffusion on structure disorder, temperature and exciton energy. We find that exciton diffusion length and diffusivity increase with structural order, temperature and the initial exciton energy. Compared to conjugated polymer poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT), DPP(TBFu)2 small molecules exhibit a much higher exciton diffusivity, but a shorter lifetime. The exciton diffusion length in DPP(TBFu)2 is 50% longer than that in P3HT, yielding a higher exciton harvesting efficiency; the physical origin behind these differences is discussed. The time evolutions of exciton energy, electron-hole distance, and exciton localization are explored, and the widely speculated exciton diffusion mechanism is confirmed theoretically. The connection between exciton diffusion and carrier mobilities is also studied. Finally we point out the possibility to estimate exciton diffusivity by measuring carrier mobilities under AC electric fields.

LASER APPLICATIONS AND OTHER TOPICS IN QUANTUM ELECTRONICS Fibreoptic diffuse-light irradiators of biological tissues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Volkov, Vladimir V.; Loshchenov, V. B.; Konov, Vitalii I.; Kononenko, Vitalii V.

2010-10-01

We report techniques for the fabrication of laser radiation diffusers for interstitial photodynamic therapy. Using chemical etching of the distal end of silica fibre with a core diameter of 200 — 600 μm, we have obtained long (up to 40 mm) diffusers with good scattering uniformity. Laser ablation has been used to produce cylindrical diffusers with high emission contrast and a scattering uniformity no worse than ~10 % in their middle part. The maximum length of the diffusers produced by this method is 20 — 25 mm.

Electrical characterization of fluorinated benzothiadiazole based conjugated copolymer - a promising material for high-performance solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toušek, J.; Toušková, J.; Remeš, Z.; Chomutová, R.; Čermák, J.; Helgesen, M.; Carlé, J. E.; Krebs, F. C.

2015-12-01

Measurements of electrical conductivity, electron work function, carrier mobility of holes and the diffusion length of excitons were performed on samples of conjugated polymers relevant to polymer solar cells. A state of the art fluorinated benzothiadiazole based conjugated copolymer (PBDTTHD - DTBTff) was studied and benchmarked against the reference polymer poly-3-hexylthiophene (P3HT). We employed, respectively, four electrode conductivity measurements, Kelvin probe work function measurements, carrier mobility using charge extraction by linearly increasing voltage (CELIV) measurements and diffusion length determinaton using surface photovoltage measurements.

Charge transfer fluorescence and 34 nm exciton diffusion length in polymers with electron acceptor end traps

DOE PAGES

Zaikowski, Lori; Mauro, Gina; Bird, Matthew; ...

2014-12-22

Photoexcitation of conjugated poly-2,7-(9,9-dihexylfluorene) polyfluorenes with naphthylimide (NI) and anthraquinone (AQ) electron-acceptor end traps produces excitons that form charge transfer states at the end traps. Intramolecular singlet exciton transport to end traps was examined by steady state fluorescence for polyfluorenes of 17 to 127 repeat units in chloroform, dimethylformamide (DMF), tetrahydrofuran (THF), and p-xylene. End traps capture excitons and form charge transfer (CT) states at all polymer lengths and in all solvents. The CT nature of the end-trapped states is confirmed by their fluorescence spectra, solvent and trap group dependence and DFT descriptions. Quantum yields of CT fluorescence are asmore » large as 46%. This strong CT emission is understood in terms of intensity borrowing. Energies of the CT states from onsets of the fluorescence spectra give the depths of the traps which vary with solvent polarity. For NI end traps the trap depths are 0.06 (p-xylene), 0.13 (THF) and 0.19 eV (CHCl 3). For AQ, CT fluorescence could be observed only in p-xylene where the trap depth is 0.27 eV. Quantum yields, emission energies, charge transfer energies, solvent reorganization and vibrational energies were calculated. Fluorescence measurements on chains >100 repeat units indicate that end traps capture ~50% of the excitons, and that the exciton diffusion length L D =34 nm, which is much larger than diffusion lengths reported in polymer films or than previously known for diffusion along isolated chains. As a result, the efficiency of exciton capture depends on chain length, but not on trap depth, solvent polarity or which trap group is present.« less

Temperature dependence of damage coefficient in electron irradiated solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Faith, T. J.

1973-01-01

Measurements of light-generated current vs cell temperature on electron-irradiated n/p silicon solar cells show the temperature coefficient of this current to increase with increasing fluence for both 10-ohm and 20-ohm cells. A relationship between minority-carrier diffusion length and light-generated current was derived by combining measurements of these two parameters: vs fluence at room temperature, and vs cell temperature in cells irradiated to a fluence of 1 x 10 to the 15th power e/sq cm. This relationship was used, together with the light-generated current data, to calculate the temperature dependence of the diffusion-length damage coefficient. The results show a strong decrease in the damage coefficient with increasing temperature in the range experienced by solar panels in synchronous earth orbit.

Proton irradiation effects on minority carrier diffusion length and defect introduction in homoepitaxial and heteroepitaxial n-GaN [Proton irradiation effects on minority carrier diffusion length and defect introduction in homoepitaxial n-GaN

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Collins, K. C.; Armstrong, Andrew M.; Allerman, Andrew A.

Here, inherent advantages of wide bandgap materials make GaN-based devices attractive for power electronics and applications in radiation environments. Recent advances in the availability of wafer-scale, bulk GaN substrates have enabled the production of high quality, low defect density GaN devices, but fundamental studies of carrier transport and radiation hardness in such devices are lacking. Here, we report measurements of the hole diffusion length in low threading dislocation density (TDD), homoepitaxial n-GaN, and high TDD heteroepitaxial n-GaN Schottky diodes before and after irradiation with 2.5 MeV protons at fluences of 4–6 × 10 13 protons/cm 2. We also characterize themore » specimens before and after irradiation using electron beam-induced-current (EBIC) imaging, cathodoluminescence, deep level optical spectroscopy (DLOS), steady-state photocapacitance, and lighted capacitance-voltage (LCV) techniques. We observe a substantial reduction in the hole diffusion length following irradiation (50%–55%) and the introduction of electrically active defects which could be attributed to gallium vacancies and associated complexes (V Ga-related), carbon impurities (C-related), and gallium interstitials (Ga i). EBIC imaging suggests long-range migration and clustering of radiation-induced point defects over distances of ~500 nm, which suggests mobile Ga i. Following irradiation, DLOS and LCV reveal the introduction of a prominent optical energy level at 1.9 eV below the conduction band edge, consistent with the introduction of Ga i.« less

Proton irradiation effects on minority carrier diffusion length and defect introduction in homoepitaxial and heteroepitaxial n-GaN [Proton irradiation effects on minority carrier diffusion length and defect introduction in homoepitaxial n-GaN

DOE PAGES

Collins, K. C.; Armstrong, Andrew M.; Allerman, Andrew A.; ...

2017-12-21

Here, inherent advantages of wide bandgap materials make GaN-based devices attractive for power electronics and applications in radiation environments. Recent advances in the availability of wafer-scale, bulk GaN substrates have enabled the production of high quality, low defect density GaN devices, but fundamental studies of carrier transport and radiation hardness in such devices are lacking. Here, we report measurements of the hole diffusion length in low threading dislocation density (TDD), homoepitaxial n-GaN, and high TDD heteroepitaxial n-GaN Schottky diodes before and after irradiation with 2.5 MeV protons at fluences of 4–6 × 10 13 protons/cm 2. We also characterize themore » specimens before and after irradiation using electron beam-induced-current (EBIC) imaging, cathodoluminescence, deep level optical spectroscopy (DLOS), steady-state photocapacitance, and lighted capacitance-voltage (LCV) techniques. We observe a substantial reduction in the hole diffusion length following irradiation (50%–55%) and the introduction of electrically active defects which could be attributed to gallium vacancies and associated complexes (V Ga-related), carbon impurities (C-related), and gallium interstitials (Ga i). EBIC imaging suggests long-range migration and clustering of radiation-induced point defects over distances of ~500 nm, which suggests mobile Ga i. Following irradiation, DLOS and LCV reveal the introduction of a prominent optical energy level at 1.9 eV below the conduction band edge, consistent with the introduction of Ga i.« less

Mechanisms limiting the performance of large grain polycrystalline silicon solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Culik, J. S.; Alexander, P.; Dumas, K. A.; Wohlgemuth, J. W.

1984-01-01

The open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current of large-grain (1 to 10 mm grain diameter) polycrystalline silicon solar cells is determined by the minority-carrier diffusion length within the bulk of the grains. This was demonstrated by irradiating polycrystalline and single-crystal (Czochralski) silicon solar cells with 1 MeV electrons to reduce their bulk lifetime. The variation of short-circuit current with minority-carrier diffusion length for the polycrystalline solar cells is identical to that of the single-crystal solar cells. The open-circuit voltage versus short-circuit current characteristic of the polycrystalline solar cells for reduced diffusion lengths is also identical to that of the single-crystal solar cells. The open-circuit voltage of the polycrystalline solar cells is a strong function of quasi-neutral (bulk) recombination, and is reduced only slightly, if at all, by grain-boundary recombination.

Variables that influence energy partition in asymmetric reconnection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, S.; Chen, L. J.; Bessho, N.; Hesse, M.; Yamada, M.; Yoo, J.

2017-12-01

The energy conversion in the diffusion region during asymmetric reconnection is studied using particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations and measurements from the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft. The simulation analysis shows that the energy partition is highly region-dependent and varies with the guide field strength. Without a guide field, within the central electron diffusion region, the input magnetic energy is mostly converted to the electron thermal energies; half of the magnetic energy input to the region extending from the X-line to a few ion inertial lengths downstream where the ion outflow peaks is converted to the plasma energy gain, with approximately equal partition between ions and electrons, similar to the laboratory results from the Magnetic Reconnection Experiment (MRX); over the entire ion diffusion region, about half of the energy goes to ions, and 20% goes to electrons. Electrons obtain energies mainly from the reconnection electric field (Er). For the ion total energy gain in the diffusion region, about 2/3 comes from the in-plane electrostatic field Ein and 1/3 comes from Er. Adding a guide field tends to reduce the plasma energy gain through reducing the contribution from Ein, even though the reconnection rates are similar. The energy partition in the diffusion region observed by MMS is estimated and compared with the results from PIC simulations and MRX experiments.

Strongly extended diffusion length for the nonequilibrium magnons in Y 3 F e 5 O 12 by photoexcitation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, S. H.; Li, G.; Guo, E. J.

Y 3Fe 5O 12 (YIG) is known for its long magnon diffusion length. Although it has the known lowest damping rate, an even longer diffusion distance is still highly desired since it may lead to a much more efficient information transmission and processing. While most of previous works focused on the generation and detection of magnons in YIG, here we demonstrate how to depress the damping rate during the diffusion of magnon. By selectively exciting the spin state transition of the Fe ions in YIG, we successfully increase magnon diffusion length by one order of magnitude, i.e., from the previousmore » reported ~10 μm up to ~156 μm (for the sample prepared by liquid phase epitaxy) and ~180 μm (for the sample prepared by pulsed laser deposition) at room temperature. The diffusion length, determined by nonlocal geometry, is ~30 μm for the magnons induced by visible light and above 150 μm for the laser of 980 nm. In addition to thermal gradient, light excitation affects the electron configuration of the Fe 3+ ion in YIG. Long-wavelength laser is more effective since it causes a transition of the Fe 3+ ions in FeO 6 octahedron from a high spin to a low spin state and thus causes a magnon softening which favors a long-distance diffusion. Furthermore, the present work paves the way toward an efficient tuning of magnon transport which is crucially important for magnon spintronics.« less

Strongly extended diffusion length for the nonequilibrium magnons in Y 3 F e 5 O 12 by photoexcitation

DOE PAGES

Wang, S. H.; Li, G.; Guo, E. J.; ...

2018-05-09

Y 3Fe 5O 12 (YIG) is known for its long magnon diffusion length. Although it has the known lowest damping rate, an even longer diffusion distance is still highly desired since it may lead to a much more efficient information transmission and processing. While most of previous works focused on the generation and detection of magnons in YIG, here we demonstrate how to depress the damping rate during the diffusion of magnon. By selectively exciting the spin state transition of the Fe ions in YIG, we successfully increase magnon diffusion length by one order of magnitude, i.e., from the previousmore » reported ~10 μm up to ~156 μm (for the sample prepared by liquid phase epitaxy) and ~180 μm (for the sample prepared by pulsed laser deposition) at room temperature. The diffusion length, determined by nonlocal geometry, is ~30 μm for the magnons induced by visible light and above 150 μm for the laser of 980 nm. In addition to thermal gradient, light excitation affects the electron configuration of the Fe 3+ ion in YIG. Long-wavelength laser is more effective since it causes a transition of the Fe 3+ ions in FeO 6 octahedron from a high spin to a low spin state and thus causes a magnon softening which favors a long-distance diffusion. Furthermore, the present work paves the way toward an efficient tuning of magnon transport which is crucially important for magnon spintronics.« less

Strongly extended diffusion length for the nonequilibrium magnons in Y3F e5O12 by photoexcitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, S. H.; Li, G.; Guo, E. J.; Zhao, Y.; Wang, J. Y.; Zou, L. K.; Yan, H.; Cai, J. W.; Zhang, Z. T.; Wang, M.; Tian, Y. Y.; Zheng, X. L.; Sun, J. R.; Jin, K. X.

2018-05-01

Y3F e5O12 (YIG) is known for its long magnon diffusion length. Although it has the known lowest damping rate, an even longer diffusion distance is still highly desired since it may lead to a much more efficient information transmission and processing. While most of previous works focused on the generation and detection of magnons in YIG, here we demonstrate how to depress the damping rate during the diffusion of magnon. By selectively exciting the spin state transition of the Fe ions in YIG, we successfully increase magnon diffusion length by one order of magnitude, i.e., from the previous reported ˜10 μm up to ˜156 μm (for the sample prepared by liquid phase epitaxy) and ˜180 μm (for the sample prepared by pulsed laser deposition) at room temperature. The diffusion length, determined by nonlocal geometry, is ˜30 μm for the magnons induced by visible light and above 150 μm for the laser of 980 nm. In addition to thermal gradient, light excitation affects the electron configuration of the F e3 + ion in YIG. Long-wavelength laser is more effective since it causes a transition of the F e3 + ions in Fe O6 octahedron from a high spin to a low spin state and thus causes a magnon softening which favors a long-distance diffusion. The present work paves the way toward an efficient tuning of magnon transport which is crucially important for magnon spintronics.

Repetitively pulsed UV radiation source based on a run-away electron preionised diffuse discharge in nitrogen

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Baksht, E Kh; Burachenko, A G; Lomaev, M I

2015-04-30

An extended repetitively pulsed source of spontaneous UV radiation is fabricated, which may also be used for producing laser radiation. Voltage pulses with an incident wave amplitude of up to 30 kV, a half-amplitude duration of ∼4 ns and a rise time of ∼2.5 ns are applied to a gap with a nonuniform electric field. For an excitation region length of 35 cm and a nitrogen pressure of 30 – 760 Torr, a diffusive discharge up to a pulse repetition rate of 2 kHz is produced without using an additional system for gap preionisation. An investigation is made of themore » plasma of the run-away electron preionised diffuse discharge. Using a CCD camera it is found that the dense diffused plasma fills the gap in a time shorter than 1 ns. X-ray radiation is recorded from behind the foil anode throughout the pressure range under study; a supershort avalanche electron beam is recorded by the collector electrode at pressures below 100 Torr. (laser applications and other topics in quantum electronics)« less

Back-bombardment compensation in microwave thermionic electron guns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kowalczyk, Jeremy M. D.; Madey, John M. J.

2014-12-01

The development of capable, reliable, and cost-effective compact electron beam sources remains a long-standing objective of the efforts to develop the accelerator systems needed for on-site research and industrial applications ranging from electron beam welding to high performance x-ray and gamma ray light sources for element-resolved microanalysis and national security. The need in these applications for simplicity, reliability, and low cost has emphasized solutions compatible with the use of the long established and commercially available pulsed microwave rf sources and L-, S- or X-band linear accelerators. Thermionic microwave electron guns have proven to be one successful approach to the development of the electron sources for these systems providing high macropulse average current beams with picosecond pulse lengths and good emittance out to macropulse lengths of 4-5 microseconds. But longer macropulse lengths are now needed for use in inverse-Compton x-ray sources and other emerging applications. We describe in this paper our approach to extending the usable macropulse current and pulse length of these guns through the use of thermal diffusion to compensate for the increase in cathode surface temperature due to back-bombardment.

Repetitively pulsed UV radiation source based on a run-away electron preionised diffuse discharge in nitrogen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baksht, E. Kh; Burachenko, A. G.; Lomaev, M. I.; Panchenko, A. N.; Tarasenko, V. F.

2015-04-01

An extended repetitively pulsed source of spontaneous UV radiation is fabricated, which may also be used for producing laser radiation. Voltage pulses with an incident wave amplitude of up to 30 kV, a half-amplitude duration of ~4 ns and a rise time of ~2.5 ns are applied to a gap with a nonuniform electric field. For an excitation region length of 35 cm and a nitrogen pressure of 30 - 760 Torr, a diffusive discharge up to a pulse repetition rate of 2 kHz is produced without using an additional system for gap preionisation. An investigation is made of the plasma of the run-away electron preionised diffuse discharge. Using a CCD camera it is found that the dense diffused plasma fills the gap in a time shorter than 1 ns. X-ray radiation is recorded from behind the foil anode throughout the pressure range under study; a supershort avalanche electron beam is recorded by the collector electrode at pressures below 100 Torr.

Linear and nonlinear susceptibilities from diffusion quantum Monte Carlo: application to periodic hydrogen chains.

PubMed

Umari, P; Marzari, Nicola

2009-09-07

We calculate the linear and nonlinear susceptibilities of periodic longitudinal chains of hydrogen dimers with different bond-length alternations using a diffusion quantum Monte Carlo approach. These quantities are derived from the changes in electronic polarization as a function of applied finite electric field--an approach we recently introduced and made possible by the use of a Berry-phase, many-body electric-enthalpy functional. Calculated susceptibilities and hypersusceptibilities are found to be in excellent agreement with the best estimates available from quantum chemistry--usually extrapolations to the infinite-chain limit of calculations for chains of finite length. It is found that while exchange effects dominate the proper description of the susceptibilities, second hypersusceptibilities are greatly affected by electronic correlations. We also assess how different approximations to the nodal surface of the many-body wave function affect the accuracy of the calculated susceptibilities.

Radiation defect dynamics in Si at room temperature studied by pulsed ion beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wallace, J. B.; Charnvanichborikarn, S.; Bayu Aji, L. B.; Myers, M. T.; Shao, L.; Kucheyev, S. O.

2015-10-01

The evolution of radiation defects after the thermalization of collision cascades often plays the dominant role in the formation of stable radiation disorder in crystalline solids of interest to electronics and nuclear materials applications. Here, we explore a pulsed-ion-beam method to study defect interaction dynamics in Si crystals bombarded at room temperature with 500 keV Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe ions. The effective time constant of defect interaction is measured directly by studying the dependence of lattice disorder, monitored by ion channeling, on the passive part of the beam duty cycle. The effective defect diffusion length is revealed by the dependence of damage on the active part of the beam duty cycle. Results show that the defect relaxation behavior obeys a second order kinetic process for all the cases studied, with a time constant in the range of ˜4-13 ms and a diffusion length of ˜15-50 nm. Both radiation dynamics parameters (the time constant and diffusion length) are essentially independent of the maximum instantaneous dose rate, total ion dose, and dopant concentration within the ranges studied. However, both the time constant and diffusion length increase with increasing ion mass. This demonstrates that the density of collision cascades influences not only defect production and annealing efficiencies but also the defect interaction dynamics.

Defects in ZnO nanorods prepared by a hydrothermal method.

PubMed

Tam, K H; Cheung, C K; Leung, Y H; Djurisić, A B; Ling, C C; Beling, C D; Fung, S; Kwok, W M; Chan, W K; Phillips, D L; Ding, L; Ge, W K

2006-10-26

ZnO nanorod arrays were fabricated using a hydrothermal method. The nanorods were studied by scanning electron microscopy, photoluminescence (PL), time-resolved PL, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and positron annihilation spectroscopy before and after annealing in different environments and at different temperatures. Annealing atmosphere and temperature had significant effects on the PL spectrum, while in all cases the positron diffusion length and PL decay times were increased. We found that, while the defect emission can be significantly reduced by annealing at 200 degrees C, the rods still have large defect concentrations as confirmed by their low positron diffusion length and short PL decay time constants.

In situ visualization of metallurgical reactions in nanoscale Cu/Sn diffusion couples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Qiyue; Gao, Fan; Gu, Zhiyong; Stach, Eric A.; Zhou, Guangwen

2015-03-01

The Cu-Sn metallurgical soldering reaction in two-segmented Cu-Sn nanowires is studied by in situ transmission electron microscopy. By varying the relative lengths of Cu and Sn segments, we show that the metallurgical reaction results in a Cu-Sn solid solution for small Sn/Cu length ratio while Cu-Sn intermetallic compounds (IMCs) for larger Sn/Cu length ratios. Upon heating the nanowires to ~500 °C, two phase transformation pathways occur, η-Cu6Sn5 --> ε-Cu3Sn --> δ-Cu41Sn11 for nanowires with a long Cu segment and η-Cu6Sn5 --> ε-Cu3Sn --> γ-Cu3Sn with a short Cu segment. The evolution of Kirkendall voids in the nanowires demonstrates that Cu diffuses faster than Sn in IMCs. Void growth results in the nanowire breakage that shuts off the inter-diffusion of Cu and Sn and thus leads to changes in the phase transformation pathway in the IMCs.

Influence of annealing temperature on the Dy diffusion process in NdFeB magnets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Sheng-qing; Peng, Kun; Chen, Hong

2017-03-01

Sintered NdFeB magnets were coated with a layer of Dy metal using electron beam evaporation method and then annealed at various temperatures to investigate the temperature dependence of Dy diffusion process in NdFeB magnets. A Dy-rich phase was observed along the grain boundaries after the grain boundary diffusion process, the diffusion coefficients of various temperatures were obtained, the diffusion coefficients of Dy along the grain boundaries at 800 °C and 900 °C were determined to be 9.8×10-8 cm2 s-1 and 2.4×10-7 cm2 s-1, respectively. The diffusion length depended on the annealing temperature and the maximum diffusion length of approximately 1.8 mm and 3.0 mm can be obtained after annealing at 800 °C and 900 °C for 8 h. Higher diffusion temperature results in the diffusion not only along the grain boundaries but also into grains and then decrease in magnetic properties. The optimum annealing conditions can be determined as 900 °C for 8 h. The coercivity was improved from 1040 kA/m to 1450 kA/m and its magnetization has no significant reduction after the grain boundary diffusion process at the optimum annealing conditions.

One-Dimensional Electron Transport Layers for Perovskite Solar Cells

PubMed Central

Thakur, Ujwal K.; Kisslinger, Ryan; Shankar, Karthik

2017-01-01

The electron diffusion length (Ln) is smaller than the hole diffusion length (Lp) in many halide perovskite semiconductors meaning that the use of ordered one-dimensional (1D) structures such as nanowires (NWs) and nanotubes (NTs) as electron transport layers (ETLs) is a promising method of achieving high performance halide perovskite solar cells (HPSCs). ETLs consisting of oriented and aligned NWs and NTs offer the potential not merely for improved directional charge transport but also for the enhanced absorption of incoming light and thermodynamically efficient management of photogenerated carrier populations. The ordered architecture of NW/NT arrays affords superior infiltration of a deposited material making them ideal for use in HPSCs. Photoconversion efficiencies (PCEs) as high as 18% have been demonstrated for HPSCs using 1D ETLs. Despite the advantages of 1D ETLs, there are still challenges that need to be overcome to achieve even higher PCEs, such as better methods to eliminate or passivate surface traps, improved understanding of the hetero-interface and optimization of the morphology (i.e., length, diameter, and spacing of NWs/NTs). This review introduces the general considerations of ETLs for HPSCs, deposition techniques used, and the current research and challenges in the field of 1D ETLs for perovskite solar cells. PMID:28468280

The effect of recombination under short-circuit conditions on the determination of charge transport properties in nanostructured photoelectrodes.

PubMed

Villanueva-Cab, J; Anta, J A; Oskam, G

2016-01-28

We report on the commonly unaccounted for process of recombination under short-circuit conditions in nanostructured photoelectrodes with special attention to the charge collection efficiency. It is observed that when recombination under short circuit conditions is significant, small perturbation methods overestimate the charge-collection efficiency, which is related to the inaccurate determination of the electron diffusion coefficient and diffusion length.

Density-Gradient Theory: A Macroscopic Approach to Quantum Confinement and Tunneling in Semiconductor Devices

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

that are attractive as luminescent biolabels, and possibly also for optoelectronic devices and solar cells . The equilibrium nature of such situations...The boundary layers as- sociated with the diffusion and Debye lengths are familiar, while that of LQ defines the layer in which the quantum in...circuits, transmission lines Diffusion -drift, density-gradient Semi-classical electron dynamics, Boltzmann transport Schrödinger, density- matrix, Wigner

Electron Transport in Quasi-Two-Dimensional Porous Network of Titania Nanoparticles, Incorporating Electrical and Optical Advantages in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells.

PubMed

Javadi, Mohammad; Alizadeh, Saba; Khosravi, Yusef; Abdi, Yaser

2016-11-04

The integration of fast electron transport and large effective surface area is critical to attaining higher gains in the nanostructured photovoltaic devices. Here, we report facilitated electron transport in the quasi-two-dimensional (Q2D) porous TiO 2 . Liquid electrolyte dye-sensitized solar cells were prepared by utilizing photoanodes based on the Q2D porous substructures. Due to electron confinement in a microscale porous medium, directional diffusion toward collecting electrode is induced into the electron transport. Our measurements based on the photocurrent and photovoltage time-of-flight transients show that at higher Fermi levels, the electron diffusion coefficient in the Q2D porous TiO 2 is about one order of magnitude higher when compared with the conventional layer of porous TiO 2 . The results show that microstructuring of the porous TiO 2 leads to an approximately threefold improvement in the electron diffusion length. Such a modification may considerably affects the electrical functionality of moderate or low performance dye-sensitized solar cells for which the internal gain or collection efficiency is typically low. © 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Diffusion length damage coefficient and annealing studies in proton-irradiated InP

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hakimzadeh, Roshanak; Vargas-Aburto, Carlos; Bailey, Sheila G.; Williams, Wendell

1993-01-01

We report on the measurement of the diffusion length damage coefficient (K(sub L)) and the annealing characteristics of the minority carrier diffusion length (L(sub n)) in Czochralski-grown zinc-doped indium phosphide (InP), with a carrier concentration of 1 x 10(exp l8) cm(exp -3). In measuring K(sub L) irradiations were made with 0.5 MeV protons with fluences ranging from 1 x 10(exp 11) to 3 x 10(exp 13) cm(exp -2). Pre- and post-irradiation electron-beam induced current (EBIC) measurements allowed for the extraction of L(sub n) from which K(sub L) was determined. In studying the annealing characteristics of L(sub n) irradiations were made with 2 MeV protons with fluence of 5 x 10(exp 13) cm(exp -2). Post-irradiation studies of L(sub n) with time at room temperature, and with minority carrier photoinjection and forward-bias injection were carried out. The results showed that recovery under Air Mass Zero (AMO) photoinjection was complete. L(sub n) was also found to recover under forward-bias injection, where recovery was found to depend on the value of the injection current. However, no recovery of L(sub n) after proton irradiation was observed with time at room temperature, in contrast to the behavior of 1 MeV electron-irradiated InP solar cells reported previously.

Vapor Phase Synthesis of Organometal Halide Perovskite Nanowires for Tunable Room-Temperature Nanolasers.

PubMed

Xing, Jun; Liu, Xin Feng; Zhang, Qing; Ha, Son Tung; Yuan, Yan Wen; Shen, Chao; Sum, Tze Chien; Xiong, Qihua

2015-07-08

Semiconductor nanowires have received considerable attention in the past decade driven by both unprecedented physics derived from the quantum size effect and strong isotropy and advanced applications as potential building blocks for nanoscale electronics and optoelectronic devices. Recently, organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites have been shown to exhibit high optical absorption coefficient, optimal direct band gap, and long electron/hole diffusion lengths, leading to high-performance photovoltaic devices. Herein, we present the vapor phase synthesis free-standing CH3NH3PbI3, CH3NH3PbBr3, and CH3NH3PbIxCl3(-x) perovskite nanowires with high crystallinity. These rectangular cross-sectional perovskite nanowires have good optical properties and long electron hole diffusion length, which ensure adequate gain and efficient optical feedback. Indeed, we have demonstrated optical-pumped room-temperature CH3NH3PbI3 nanowire lasers with near-infrared wavelength of 777 nm, low threshold of 11 μJ/cm(2), and a quality factor as high as 405. Our research advocates the promise of optoelectronic devices based on organic-inorganic perovskite nanowires.

Application of Electron-Beam Controlled Diffuse Discharges to Fast Switching

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-06-01

pressure , switch area and length are estimated self-consistently for a given system efficiency is reviewed, The formalism is used to design a single pulse, 200 kV, 30 kA (6 omega) , 100 ns FWHM inductive storage generator.

Cold Ion Demagnetization near the X-line of Magnetic Reconnection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Toledo-Redondo, Serio; Andre, Mats; Khotyaintsev, Yuri V.; Vaivads, Andris; Walsh, Andrew; Li, Wenya; Graham, Daniel B.; Lavraud, Benoit; Masson, Arnaud; Aunai, Nicolas;

Cold ion demagnetization near the X-line of magnetic reconnection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toledo-Redondo, Sergio; André, Mats; Khotyaintsev, Yuri V.; Vaivads, Andris; Walsh, Andrew; Li, Wenya; Graham, Daniel B.; Lavraud, Benoit; Masson, Arnaud; Aunai, Nicolas; Divin, Andrey; Dargent, Jeremy; Fuselier, Stephen; Gershman, Daniel J.; Dorelli, John; Giles, Barbara; Avanov, Levon; Pollock, Craig; Saito, Yoshifumi; Moore, Thomas E.; Coffey, Victoria; Chandler, Michael O.; Lindqvist, Per-Arne; Torbert, Roy; Russell, Christopher T.

2016-07-01

Although the effects of magnetic reconnection in magnetospheres can be observed at planetary scales, reconnection is initiated at electron scales in a plasma. Surrounding the electron diffusion region, there is an Ion-Decoupling Region (IDR) of the size of the ion length scales (inertial length and gyroradius). Reconnection at the Earth's magnetopause often includes cold magnetospheric (few tens of eV), hot magnetospheric (10 keV), and magnetosheath (1 keV) ions, with different gyroradius length scales. We report observations of a subregion inside the IDR of the size of the cold ion population gyroradius (˜15 km) where the cold ions are demagnetized and accelerated parallel to the Hall electric field. Outside the subregion, cold ions follow the E × B motion together with electrons, while hot ions are demagnetized. We observe a sharp cold ion density gradient separating the two regions, which we identify as the cold and hot IDRs.

Radiation defect dynamics in Si at room temperature studied by pulsed ion beams

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wallace, J. B.; Myers, M. T.; Charnvanichborikarn, S.

The evolution of radiation defects after the thermalization of collision cascades often plays the dominant role in the formation of stable radiation disorder in crystalline solids of interest to electronics and nuclear materials applications. Here, we explore a pulsed-ion-beam method to study defect interaction dynamics in Si crystals bombarded at room temperature with 500 keV Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe ions. The effective time constant of defect interaction is measured directly by studying the dependence of lattice disorder, monitored by ion channeling, on the passive part of the beam duty cycle. The effective defect diffusion length is revealed by the dependencemore » of damage on the active part of the beam duty cycle. Results show that the defect relaxation behavior obeys a second order kinetic process for all the cases studied, with a time constant in the range of ∼4–13 ms and a diffusion length of ∼15–50 nm. Both radiation dynamics parameters (the time constant and diffusion length) are essentially independent of the maximum instantaneous dose rate, total ion dose, and dopant concentration within the ranges studied. However, both the time constant and diffusion length increase with increasing ion mass. This demonstrates that the density of collision cascades influences not only defect production and annealing efficiencies but also the defect interaction dynamics.« less

Radiation defect dynamics in Si at room temperature studied by pulsed ion beams

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wallace, J. B.; Charnvanichborikarn, S.; Bayu Aji, L. B.

The evolution of radiation defects after the thermalization of collision cascades often plays the dominant role in the formation of stable radiation disorder in crystalline solids of interest to electronics and nuclear materials applications. Here in this paper, we explore a pulsed-ion-beam method to study defect interaction dynamics in Si crystals bombarded at room temperature with 500 keV Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe ions. The effective time constant of defect interaction is measured directly by studying the dependence of lattice disorder, monitored by ion channeling, on the passive part of the beam duty cycle. The effective defect diffusion length ismore » revealed by the dependence of damage on the active part of the beam duty cycle. Results show that the defect relaxation behavior obeys a second order kinetic process for all the cases studied, with a time constant in the range of ~4–13 ms and a diffusion length of ~15–50 nm. Both radiation dynamics parameters (the time constant and diffusion length) are essentially independent of the maximum instantaneous dose rate, total ion dose, and dopant concentration within the ranges studied. However, both the time constant and diffusion length increase with increasing ion mass. This demonstrates that the density of collision cascades influences not only defect production and annealing efficiencies but also the defect interaction dynamics.« less

Radiation defect dynamics in Si at room temperature studied by pulsed ion beams

DOE PAGES

Wallace, J. B.; Charnvanichborikarn, S.; Bayu Aji, L. B.; ...

2015-10-06

The evolution of radiation defects after the thermalization of collision cascades often plays the dominant role in the formation of stable radiation disorder in crystalline solids of interest to electronics and nuclear materials applications. Here in this paper, we explore a pulsed-ion-beam method to study defect interaction dynamics in Si crystals bombarded at room temperature with 500 keV Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe ions. The effective time constant of defect interaction is measured directly by studying the dependence of lattice disorder, monitored by ion channeling, on the passive part of the beam duty cycle. The effective defect diffusion length ismore » revealed by the dependence of damage on the active part of the beam duty cycle. Results show that the defect relaxation behavior obeys a second order kinetic process for all the cases studied, with a time constant in the range of ~4–13 ms and a diffusion length of ~15–50 nm. Both radiation dynamics parameters (the time constant and diffusion length) are essentially independent of the maximum instantaneous dose rate, total ion dose, and dopant concentration within the ranges studied. However, both the time constant and diffusion length increase with increasing ion mass. This demonstrates that the density of collision cascades influences not only defect production and annealing efficiencies but also the defect interaction dynamics.« less

Length-dependent thermal transport in one-dimensional self-assembly of planar π-conjugated molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Hao; Xiong, Yucheng; Zu, Fengshuo; Zhao, Yang; Wang, Xiaomeng; Fu, Qiang; Jie, Jiansheng; Yang, Juekuan; Xu, Dongyan

2016-06-01

This work reports a thermal transport study in quasi-one-dimensional organic nanostructures self-assembled from conjugated planar molecules via π-π interactions. Thermal resistances of single crystalline copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) and perylenetetracarboxylic diimide (PTCDI) nanoribbons are measured via a suspended thermal bridge method. We experimentally observed the deviation from the linear length dependence for the thermal resistance of single crystalline β-phase CuPc nanoribbons, indicating possible subdiffusion thermal transport. Interestingly, a gradual transition to the linear length dependence is observed with the increase of the lateral dimensions of CuPc nanoribbons. The measured thermal resistance of single crystalline CuPc nanoribbons shows an increasing trend with temperature. However, the trend of temperature dependence of thermal resistance is reversed after electron irradiation, i.e., decreasing with temperature, indicating that the single crystalline CuPc nanoribbons become `amorphous'. Similar behavior is also observed for PTCDI nanoribbons after electron irradiation, proving that the electron beam can induce amorphization of single crystalline self-assembled nanostructures of planar π-conjugated molecules. The measured thermal resistance of the `amorphous' CuPc nanoribbon demonstrates a roughly linear dependence on the nanoribbon length, suggesting that normal diffusion dominates thermal transport.This work reports a thermal transport study in quasi-one-dimensional organic nanostructures self-assembled from conjugated planar molecules via π-π interactions. Thermal resistances of single crystalline copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) and perylenetetracarboxylic diimide (PTCDI) nanoribbons are measured via a suspended thermal bridge method. We experimentally observed the deviation from the linear length dependence for the thermal resistance of single crystalline β-phase CuPc nanoribbons, indicating possible subdiffusion thermal transport. Interestingly, a gradual transition to the linear length dependence is observed with the increase of the lateral dimensions of CuPc nanoribbons. The measured thermal resistance of single crystalline CuPc nanoribbons shows an increasing trend with temperature. However, the trend of temperature dependence of thermal resistance is reversed after electron irradiation, i.e., decreasing with temperature, indicating that the single crystalline CuPc nanoribbons become `amorphous'. Similar behavior is also observed for PTCDI nanoribbons after electron irradiation, proving that the electron beam can induce amorphization of single crystalline self-assembled nanostructures of planar π-conjugated molecules. The measured thermal resistance of the `amorphous' CuPc nanoribbon demonstrates a roughly linear dependence on the nanoribbon length, suggesting that normal diffusion dominates thermal transport. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr09043a

Spin pumping and inverse spin Hall effects in heavy metal/antiferromagnet/Permalloy trilayers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saglam, Hilal; Zhang, Wei; Jungfleisch, M. Benjamin; Jiang, Wanjun; Pearson, John E.; Hoffmann, Axel

Recent work shows efficient spin transfer via spin waves in insulating antiferromagnets (AFMs), suggesting that AFMs can play a more active role in the manipulation of ferromagnets. We use spin pumping and inverse spin Hall effect experiments on heavy metal (Pt and W)/AFMs/Py (Ni80Fe20) trilayer structures, to examine the possible spin transfer phenomenon in metallic AFMs, i . e . , FeMn and PdMn. Previous work has studied electronic effects of the spin transport in these materials, yielding short spin diffusion length on the order of 1 nm. However, the work did not examine whether besides diffusive spin transport by the conduction electrons, there are additional spin transport contributions from spin wave excitations. We clearly observe spin transport from the Py spin reservoir to the heavy metal layer through the sandwiched AFMs with thicknesses well above the previously measured spin diffusion lengths, indicating that spin transport by spin waves may lead to non-negligible contributions This work was supported by US DOE, OS, Materials Sciences and Engineering Division. Lithographic patterning was carried out at the CNM, which is supported by DOE, OS under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357.

Photoinduced Bimolecular Electron Transfer in Ionic Liquids: Cationic Electron Donors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wu, Boning; Liang, Min; Zmich, Nicole

Recently, we have reported a systematic study of photoinduced electron-transfer reactions in ionic liquid solvents using neutral and anionic electron donors and a series of cyano-substituted anthracene acceptors [Wu, B.; Maroncelli, M.; Castner, E. W., Jr.Photoinduced Bimolecular Electron Transfer in Ionic Liquids. J. Am. Chem. Soc.139, 2017, 14568]. In this paper, we report complementary results for a cationic class of 1-alkyl-4-dimethylaminopyridinium electron donors. Reductive quenching of cyano-substituted anthracene fluorophores by these cationic quenchers is studied in solutions of acetonitrile and the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide. Varying the length of the alkyl chain permits tuning of the quencher diffusivities in solution.more » The observed quenching kinetics are interpreted using a diffusion-reaction analysis. Finally, together with results from the prior study, these results show that the intrinsic electron-transfer rate constant does not depend on the quencher charge in this family of reactions.« less

Photoinduced Bimolecular Electron Transfer in Ionic Liquids: Cationic Electron Donors

DOE PAGES

Wu, Boning; Liang, Min; Zmich, Nicole; ...

2018-01-29

Recently, we have reported a systematic study of photoinduced electron-transfer reactions in ionic liquid solvents using neutral and anionic electron donors and a series of cyano-substituted anthracene acceptors [Wu, B.; Maroncelli, M.; Castner, E. W., Jr.Photoinduced Bimolecular Electron Transfer in Ionic Liquids. J. Am. Chem. Soc.139, 2017, 14568]. In this paper, we report complementary results for a cationic class of 1-alkyl-4-dimethylaminopyridinium electron donors. Reductive quenching of cyano-substituted anthracene fluorophores by these cationic quenchers is studied in solutions of acetonitrile and the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide. Varying the length of the alkyl chain permits tuning of the quencher diffusivities in solution.more » The observed quenching kinetics are interpreted using a diffusion-reaction analysis. Finally, together with results from the prior study, these results show that the intrinsic electron-transfer rate constant does not depend on the quencher charge in this family of reactions.« less

Diffusion length measurements in bulk and epitaxially grown 3-5 semiconductors using charge collection microscopy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leon, R. P.

1987-01-01

Diffusion lengths and surface recombination velocities were measured in GaAs diodes and InP finished solar cells. The basic techniques used was charge collection microscopy also known as electron beam induced current (EBIC). The normalized currents and distances from the pn junction were read directly from the calibrated curves obtained while using the line scan mode in an SEM. These values were then equated to integral and infinite series expressions resulting from the solution of the diffusion equation with both extended generation and point generation functions. This expands previous work by examining both thin and thick samples. The surface recombination velocity was either treated as an unknown in a system of two equations, or measured directly using low e(-) beam accelerating voltages. These techniques give accurate results by accounting for the effects of surface recombination and the finite size of the generation volume.

Enhancing energy transport in conjugated polymers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holmes, Russell J.

2018-05-01

The conversion of light into usable chemical energy by plants is enabled by the precise spatial arrangement of light-absorbing photosynthetic systems and associated molecular complexes (1). In organic solar cells, there is also the need to control intermolecular spacing and molecular orientation, as well as thin-film crystallinity and morphology, so as to enable efficient energy migration and photoconversion (2). In an organic solar cell, light absorption creates excitons, tightly bound electron-hole pairs that must be efficiently dissociated into their component charge carriers in order to create an electrical current. Thus, long-range exciton migration must occur from the point of photogeneration to a dissociating site. On page 897 of this issue, Jin et al. (3) report on a conjugated polymer nanofiber system that yields exciton diffusion lengths greater than 200 nm. In comparison, organic solar cells are typically constructed with materials having exciton diffusion lengths one order of magnitude smaller than this value, which limits device thickness and optical absorption. Their approach exploits a sequential synthesis method that enables measurement of this long exciton diffusion length (see the figure).

Analysis of the interaction of an electron beam with a solar cell. III - The effect of spacial variations of the number density of recombination centers on SEM measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Von Roos, O.

1979-01-01

By means of an exactly soluble model the short circuit current generated by a scanning electron microscope in a P-N junction has been determined in cases where the trap density is inhomogeneous. The diffusion length for minority carriers becomes then dependent on the spacial coordinates. It is shown that in this case the dependence of the Isc on characteristic parameters as cell thickness, distance of the beam excitation spot from ohmic contacts, etc., becomes very intricate. This fact precludes the determination of the local diffusion length in the usual manner. Although the model is somewhat simplified in order to make it amenable to exact solutions, it is nevertheless realistic enough to lead to the conclusion that SEM measurements of bulk transport parameters in inhomogeneous semiconductor material are impractical since they may lead to serious errors in the interpretation of the data by customary means.

A direct method of extracting surface recombination velocity from an electron beam induced current line scan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ong, Vincent K. S.

1998-04-01

The extraction of diffusion length and surface recombination velocity in a semiconductor with the use of an electron beam induced current line scan has traditionally been done by fitting the line scan into complicated theoretical equations. It was recently shown that a much simpler equation is sufficient for the extraction of diffusion length. The linearization coefficient is the only variable that is needed to be adjusted in the curve fitting process. However, complicated equations are still necessary for the extraction of surface recombination velocity. It is shown in this article that it is indeed possible to extract surface recombination velocity with a simple equation, using only one variable, the linearization coefficient. An intuitive feel for the reason behind the method was discussed. The accuracy of the method was verified with the use of three-dimensional computer simulation, and was found to be even slightly better than that of the best existing method.

Imaging the Impact of Proton Irradiation on Edge Terminations in Vertical GaN pin Diodes

DOE PAGES

Collins, Kimberlee C.; King, Michael P.; Dickerson, Jeramy R.; ...

2017-05-29

Devices based on GaN have shown great promise for high power electronics, including their potential use as radiation tolerant components. An important step to realizing high power diodes is the design and implementation of an edge termination to mitigate field crowding, which can lead to premature breakdown. However, little is known about the effects of radiation on edge termination functionality. We experimentally examine the effects of proton irradiation on multiple field ring edge terminations in high power vertical GaN pin diodes using in operando imaging with electron beam induced current (EBIC). We find that exposure to proton irradiation influences fieldmore » spreading in the edge termination as well as carrier transport near the anode. By using depth-dependent EBIC measurements of hole diffusion length in homoepitaxial n-GaN we demonstrate that the carrier transport effect is due to a reduction in hole diffusion length following proton irradiation.« less

Imaging the Impact of Proton Irradiation on Edge Terminations in Vertical GaN pin Diodes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Collins, Kimberlee C.; King, Michael P.; Dickerson, Jeramy R.

Devices based on GaN have shown great promise for high power electronics, including their potential use as radiation tolerant components. An important step to realizing high power diodes is the design and implementation of an edge termination to mitigate field crowding, which can lead to premature breakdown. However, little is known about the effects of radiation on edge termination functionality. We experimentally examine the effects of proton irradiation on multiple field ring edge terminations in high power vertical GaN pin diodes using in operando imaging with electron beam induced current (EBIC). We find that exposure to proton irradiation influences fieldmore » spreading in the edge termination as well as carrier transport near the anode. By using depth-dependent EBIC measurements of hole diffusion length in homoepitaxial n-GaN we demonstrate that the carrier transport effect is due to a reduction in hole diffusion length following proton irradiation.« less

Minority carrier diffusion and defects in InGaAsN grown by molecular beam epitaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurtz, Steven R.; Klem, J. F.; Allerman, A. A.; Sieg, R. M.; Seager, C. H.; Jones, E. D.

2002-02-01

To gain insight into the nitrogen-related defects of InGaAsN, nitrogen vibrational mode spectra, Hall mobilities, and minority carrier diffusion lengths are examined for InGaAsN (1.1 eV band gap) grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Annealing promotes the formation of In-N bonding, and lateral carrier transport is limited by large scale (≫mean free path) material inhomogeneities. Comparing solar cell quantum efficiencies with our earlier results for devices grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), we find significant electron diffusion in the MBE material (reversed from the hole diffusion in MOCVD material), and minority carrier diffusion in InGaAsN cannot be explained by a "universal," nitrogen-related defect.

Deep-level transient spectroscopy studies of Ni- and Zn-diffused vapor-phase-epitaxy n-GaAs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Partin, D. L.; Chen, J. W.; Milnes, A. G.; Vassamillet, L. F.

1979-01-01

The paper presents deep-level transient spectroscopy studies of Ni- and Zn-diffused vapor-phase epitaxy n-GaAs. Nickel diffused into VPE n-GaAs reduces the hole diffusion length L sub p from 4.3 to 1.1 microns. Deep-level transient spectroscopy was used to identify energy levels in Ni-diffused GaAs; the as-grown VPE GaAs contains traces of these levels and an electron trap. Ni diffusion reduces the concentration of this level by an amount that matches the increase in concentration of each of the two Ni-related levels. A technique for measuring minority-carrier capture cross sections was developed, which indicates that L sub p in Ni-diffused VPE n-GaAs is controlled by the E sub c - 0.39 eV defect level.

Creating and optimizing interfaces for electric-field and photon-induced charge transfer.

PubMed

Park, Byoungnam; Whitham, Kevin; Cho, Jiung; Reichmanis, Elsa

2012-11-27

We create and optimize a structurally well-defined electron donor-acceptor planar heterojunction interface in which electric-field and/or photon-induced charge transfer occurs. Electric-field-induced charge transfer in the dark and exciton dissociation at a pentacene/PCBM interface were probed by in situ thickness-dependent threshold voltage shift measurements in field-effect transistor devices during the formation of the interface. Electric-field-induced charge transfer at the interface in the dark is correlated with development of the pentacene accumulation layer close to PCBM, that is, including interface area, and dielectric relaxation time in PCBM. Further, we demonstrate an in situ test structure that allows probing of both exciton diffusion length and charge transport properties, crucial for optimizing optoelectronic devices. Competition between the optical absorption length and the exciton diffusion length in pentacene governs exciton dissociation at the interface. Charge transfer mechanisms in the dark and under illumination are detailed.

Proton irradiation effects on minority carrier diffusion length and defect introduction in homoepitaxial and heteroepitaxial n-GaN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collins, K. C.; Armstrong, A. M.; Allerman, A. A.; Vizkelethy, G.; Van Deusen, S. B.; Léonard, F.; Talin, A. A.

2017-12-01

Inherent advantages of wide bandgap materials make GaN-based devices attractive for power electronics and applications in radiation environments. Recent advances in the availability of wafer-scale, bulk GaN substrates have enabled the production of high quality, low defect density GaN devices, but fundamental studies of carrier transport and radiation hardness in such devices are lacking. Here, we report measurements of the hole diffusion length in low threading dislocation density (TDD), homoepitaxial n-GaN, and high TDD heteroepitaxial n-GaN Schottky diodes before and after irradiation with 2.5 MeV protons at fluences of 4-6 × 1013 protons/cm2. We also characterize the specimens before and after irradiation using electron beam-induced-current (EBIC) imaging, cathodoluminescence, deep level optical spectroscopy (DLOS), steady-state photocapacitance, and lighted capacitance-voltage (LCV) techniques. We observe a substantial reduction in the hole diffusion length following irradiation (50%-55%) and the introduction of electrically active defects which could be attributed to gallium vacancies and associated complexes (VGa-related), carbon impurities (C-related), and gallium interstitials (Gai). EBIC imaging suggests long-range migration and clustering of radiation-induced point defects over distances of ˜500 nm, which suggests mobile Gai. Following irradiation, DLOS and LCV reveal the introduction of a prominent optical energy level at 1.9 eV below the conduction band edge, consistent with the introduction of Gai.

On the Electron Diffusion Region in Asymmetric Reconnection with a Guide Magnetic Field

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hesse, Michael; Liu, Yi-Hsin; Chen, Li-Jen; Bessho, Naoki; Kuznetsova, Masha; Birn, Joachim; Burch, James L.

2016-01-01

Particle-in-cell simulations in a 2.5-D geometry and analytical theory are employed to study the electron diffusion region in asymmetric reconnection with a guide magnetic field. The analysis presented here demonstrates that similar to the case without guide field, in-plane flow stagnation and null of the in-plane magnetic field are well separated. In addition, it is shown that the electric field at the local magnetic X point is again dominated by inertial effects, whereas it remains dominated by nongyrotropic pressure effects at the in-plane flow stagnation point. A comparison between local electron Larmor radii and the magnetic gradient scale lengths predicts that distribution should become nongyrotropic in a region enveloping both field reversal and flow stagnation points. This prediction is verified by an analysis of modeled electron distributions, which show clear evidence of mixing in the critical region.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, Myoung-Jae; Jung, Young-Dae, E-mail: ydjung@hanyang.ac.kr

The influence of Dupree diffusivity on the occurrence scattering time advance for the electron-ion collision is investigated in turbulent plasmas. The second-order eikonal method and the effective Dupree potential term associated with the plasma turbulence are employed to obtain the occurrence scattering time as a function of the diffusion coefficient, impact parameter, collision energy, thermal energy, and Debye length. The result shows that the occurrence scattering time advance decreases with an increase of the Dupree diffusivity. Hence, we have found that the influence of plasma turbulence diminishes the occurrence time advance in forward electron-ion collisions in thermal turbulent plasmas. Themore » occurrence time advance shows that the propensity of the occurrence time advance increases with increasing scattering angle. It is also found that the effect of turbulence due to the Dupree diffusivity on the occurrence scattering time advance decreases with an increase of the thermal energy. In addition, the variation of the plasma turbulence on the occurrence scattering time advance due to the plasma parameters is also discussed.« less

Surface diffusion effects on growth of nanowires by chemical beam epitaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Persson, A. I.; Fröberg, L. E.; Jeppesen, S.; Björk, M. T.; Samuelson, L.

2007-02-01

Surface processes play a large role in the growth of semiconductor nanowires by chemical beam epitaxy. In particular, for III-V nanowires the surface diffusion of group-III species is important to understand in order to control the nanowire growth. In this paper, we have grown InAs-based nanowires positioned by electron beam lithography and have investigated the dependence of the diffusion of In species on temperature, group-III and -V source pressure and group-V source combinations by measuring nanowire growth rate for different nanowire spacings. We present a model which relates the nanowire growth rate to the migration length of In species. The model is fitted to the experimental data for different growth conditions, using the migration length as fitting parameter. The results show that the migration length increases with decreasing temperature and increasing group-V/group-III source pressure ratio. This will most often lead to an increase in growth rate, but deviations will occur due to incomplete decomposition and changes in sticking coefficient for group-III species. The results also show that the introduction of phosphorous precursor for growth of InAs1-xPx nanowires decreases the migration length of the In species followed by a decrease in nanowire growth rate.

Mechanisms of decoherence in electron microscopy.

PubMed

Howie, A

2011-06-01

The understanding and where possible the minimisation of decoherence mechanisms in electron microscopy were first studied in plasmon loss, diffraction contrast images but are of even more acute relevance in high resolution TEM phase contrast imaging and electron holography. With the development of phase retrieval techniques they merit further attention particularly when their effect cannot be eliminated by currently available energy filters. The roles of electronic excitation, thermal diffuse scattering, transition radiation and bremsstrahlung are examined here not only in the specimen but also in the electron optical column. Terahertz-range aloof beam electronic excitation appears to account satisfactorily for recent observations of decoherence in electron holography. An apparent low frequency divergence can emerge for the calculated classical bremsstrahlung event probability but can be ignored for photon wavelengths exceeding the required coherence distance or path lengths in the equipment. Most bremsstrahlung event probabilities are negligibly important except possibly in large-angle bending magnets or mandolin systems. A more reliable procedure for subtracting thermal diffuse scattering from diffraction pattern intensities is proposed. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A 20-liter test stand with gas purification for liquid argon research

DOE PAGES

Li, Y.; Thorn, C.; Tang, W.; ...

2016-06-06

Here, we describe the design of a 20-liter test stand constructed to study fundamental properties of liquid argon (LAr). Moreover, this system utilizes a simple, cost-effective gas argon (GAr) purification to achieve high purity, which is necessary to study electron transport properties in LAr. An electron drift stack with up to 25 cm length is constructed to study electron drift, diffusion, and attachment at various electric fields. Finally, a gold photocathode and a pulsed laser are used as a bright electron source. The operational performance of this system is reported.

A 20-liter test stand with gas purification for liquid argon research

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, Y.; Thorn, C.; Tang, W.

Here, we describe the design of a 20-liter test stand constructed to study fundamental properties of liquid argon (LAr). Moreover, this system utilizes a simple, cost-effective gas argon (GAr) purification to achieve high purity, which is necessary to study electron transport properties in LAr. An electron drift stack with up to 25 cm length is constructed to study electron drift, diffusion, and attachment at various electric fields. Finally, a gold photocathode and a pulsed laser are used as a bright electron source. The operational performance of this system is reported.

In situ visualization of metallurgical reactions in nanoscale Cu/Sn diffusion couples

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yin, Qiyue; Stach, Eric A.; Gao, Fan

2015-02-10

The Cu–Sn metallurgical soldering reaction in two-segmented Cu–Sn nanowires is visualized by in-situ transmission electron microscopy. By varying the relative lengths of Cu and Sn segments, we show that the metallurgical reaction starts at ~ 200 ° with the formation of a Cu–Sn solid solution for the Sn/Cu length ratio smaller than 1:5 while the formation of Cu–Sn intermetallic compounds (IMCs) for larger Sn/Cu length ratios. Upon heating the nanowires up to ~ 500 °C, two phase transformation pathways occur, η-Cu₆Sn₅ → ε-Cu₃Sn → δ-Cu₄₁Sn₁₁ for nanowires with a long Cu segment and η-Cu₆Sn₅ → ε-Cu₃Sn → γ-Cu₃Sn with amore » short Cu segment. The dynamic in situ TEM visualization of the evolution of Kirkendall voids demonstrates that Cu diffuses faster both in Sn and IMCs than that of Sn in Cu₃ and IMCs, which is the underlying cause of the dependence of the IMC formation and associated phase evolution on the relative lengths of the Cu and Sn segments.« less

Recombination properties of dislocations in GaN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yakimov, Eugene B.; Polyakov, Alexander Y.; Lee, In-Hwan; Pearton, Stephen J.

2018-04-01

The recombination activity of threading dislocations in n-GaN with different dislocation densities and different doping levels was studied using electron beam induced current (EBIC). The recombination velocity on a dislocation, also known as the dislocation recombination strength, was calculated. The results suggest that dislocations in n-GaN giving contrast in EBIC are charged and surrounded by a space charge region, as evidenced by the observed dependence of dislocation recombination strength on dopant concentration. For moderate (below ˜108 cm-2) dislocation densities, these defects do not primarily determine the average diffusion length of nonequilibrium charge carriers, although locally, dislocations are efficient recombination sites. In general, it is observed that the effect of the growth method [standard metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), epitaxial lateral overgrowth versions of MOCVD, and hydride vapor phase epitaxy] on the recombination activity of dislocations is not very pronounced, although the average diffusion lengths can widely differ for various samples. The glide of basal plane dislocations at room temperature promoted by low energy electron irradiation does not significantly change the recombination properties of dislocations.

Determination of bulk diffusion lengths for angle-lapped semiconductor material via the scanning electron microscope: A theoretical analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vonroos, O.

1978-01-01

A standard procedure for the determination of the minority carrier diffusion length by means of a scanning electron microscope (SEM) consists in scanning across an angle-lapped surface of a P-N junction and measuring the resultant short circuit current I sub sc as a function of beam position. A detailed analysis of the I sub sc originating from this configuration is presented. It is found that, for a point source excitation, the I sub sc depends very simply on x, the variable distance between the surface and the junction edge. The expression for the I sub sc of a planar junction device is well known. If d, the constant distance between the plane of the surface of the semiconductor and the junction edge in the expression for the I of a planar junction is merely replaced by x, the variable distance of the corresponding angle-lapped junction, an expression results which is correct to within a small fraction of a percent as long as the angle between the surfaces, 2 theta sub 1, is smaller than 10 deg.

The optimal thickness of a transmission-mode GaN photocathode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xiao-Hui; Shi, Feng; Guo, Hui; Hu, Cang-Lu; Cheng, Hong-Chang; Chang, Ben-Kang; Ren, Ling; Du, Yu-Jie; Zhang, Jun-Ju

2012-08-01

A 150-nm-thick GaN photocathode with a Mg doping concentration of 1.6 × 1017 cm-3 is activated by Cs/O in an ultrahigh vacuum chamber, and a quantum efficiency (QE) curve of the negative electron affinity transmission-mode (t-mode) of the GaN photocathode is obtained. The maximum QE reaches 13.0% at 290 nm. According to the t-mode QE equation solved from the diffusion equation, the QE curve is fitted. From the fitting results, the electron escape probability is 0.32, the back-interface recombination velocity is 5 × 104 cm·s-1, and the electron diffusion length is 116 nm. Based on these parameters, the influence of GaN thickness on t-mode QE is simulated. The simulation shows that the optimal thickness of GaN is 90 nm, which is better than the 150-nm GaN.

ELECTRON IRRADIATION OF SOLIDS

DOEpatents

Damask, A.C.

1959-11-01

A method is presented for altering physical properties of certain solids, such as enhancing the usefulness of solids, in which atomic interchange occurs through a vacancy mechanism, electron irradiation, and temperature control. In a centain class of metals, alloys, and semiconductors, diffusion or displacement of atoms occurs through a vacancy mechanism, i.e., an atom can only move when there exists a vacant atomic or lattice site in an adjacent position. In the process of the invention highenergy electron irradiation produces additional vacancies in a solid over those normally occurring at a given temperature and allows diffusion of the component atoms of the solid to proceed at temperatures at which it would not occur under thermal means alone in any reasonable length of time. The invention offers a precise way to increase the number of vacancies and thereby, to a controlled degree, change the physical properties of some materials, such as resistivity or hardness.

Generation of Z mode radiation by diffuse auroral electron precipitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dusenbery, P. B.; Lyons, L. R.

1985-03-01

The generation of Z mode waves by diffuse auroral electron precipitation is investigated assuming that a loss cone exists in the upgoing portion of the distribution due to electron interactions with the atmosphere. The waves are generated at frequencies above, but very near, the local electron cyclotron frequency omega(e) and at wave normal angles larger than 90 deg. In agreement with Hewitt et al. (1983), the group velocity is directed downward in regions where the ratio of the upper hybrid frequency omega(pe) to Omega(e) is less than 0.5, so that Z mode waves excited above a satellite propagate toward it and away from the upper hybrid resonance. Z mode waves are excited in a frequency band between Omega(e) and about 1.02 Omega(e), and with maximum growth rates of about 0.001 Omega(e). The amplification length is about 100 km, which allows Z mode waves to grow to the intensities observed by high-altitude satellites.

Generation of Z mode radiation by diffuse auroral electron precipitation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dusenbery, P. B.; Lyons, L. R.

1985-01-01

The generation of Z mode waves by diffuse auroral electron precipitation is investigated assuming that a loss cone exists in the upgoing portion of the distribution due to electron interactions with the atmosphere. The waves are generated at frequencies above, but very near, the local electron cyclotron frequency omega(e) and at wave normal angles larger than 90 deg. In agreement with Hewitt et al. (1983), the group velocity is directed downward in regions where the ratio of the upper hybrid frequency omega(pe) to Omega(e) is less than 0.5, so that Z mode waves excited above a satellite propagate toward it and away from the upper hybrid resonance. Z mode waves are excited in a frequency band between Omega(e) and about 1.02 Omega(e), and with maximum growth rates of about 0.001 Omega(e). The amplification length is about 100 km, which allows Z mode waves to grow to the intensities observed by high-altitude satellites.

Defects and annealing studies in 1-Me electron irradiated (AlGa)As-GaAs solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Li, S. S.; Wang, W. L.; Loo, R. Y.; Rahilly, W. P.

1982-01-01

The deep-level defects and recombination mechanisms in the one-MeV electron irradiated (AlGa)As-GaAs solar cells under various irradiation and annealing conditions are discussed. Deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) and capacitance-voltage (CV) techniques were used to determine the defect and recombination parameters such as energy levels and defect density, carrier capture cross sections and lifetimes for both electron and hole traps as well as hole diffusion lengths in these electron irradiated GaAs solar cells. GaAs solar cells used in this study were prepared by the infinite solution melt liquid phase epitaxial (LPE) technique at Hughes Research Lab., with (Al0.9Ga0.1)-As window layer, Be-diffused p-GaAs layer on Sn-doped n-GaAs or undoped n-GaAs active layer grown on n(+)-GaAs substrate. Mesa structure with area of 5.86x1000 sq cm was fabricated. Three different irradiation and annealing experiments were performed on these solar cells.

Development of high-efficiency solar cells on silicon web

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meier, D. L.; Greggi, J.; Rai-Choudhury, P.

1986-01-01

Work is reported aimed at identifying and reducing sources of carrier recombination both in the starting web silicon material and in the processed cells. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy measurements of several web cells were made and analyzed. The effect of the heavily twinned region on cell efficiency was modeled, and the modeling results compared to measured values for processed cells. The effects of low energy, high dose hydrogen ion implantation on cell efficiency and diffusion length were examined. Cells were fabricated from web silicon known to have a high diffusion length, with a new double layer antireflection coating being applied to these cells. A new contact system, to be used with oxide passivated cells and which greatly reduces the area of contact between metal and silicon, was designed. The application of DLTS measurements to beveled samples was further investigated.

Lateral carrier diffusion in InGaAs/GaAs coupled quantum dot-quantum well system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pieczarka, M.; Syperek, M.; Biegańska, D.; Gilfert, C.; Pavelescu, E. M.; Reithmaier, J. P.; Misiewicz, J.; Sek, G.

2017-05-01

The lateral carrier diffusion process is investigated in coupled InGaAs/GaAs quantum dot-quantum well (QD-QW) structures by means of spatially resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy at low temperature. Under non-resonant photo-excitation above the GaAs bandgap, the lateral carrier transport reflected in the distorted electron-hole pair emission profiles is found to be mainly governed by high energy carriers created within the 3D density of states of GaAs. In contrast, for the case of resonant excitation tuned to the QW-like ground state of the QD-QW system, the emission profiles remain unaffected by the excess kinetic energy of carriers and local phonon heating within the pump spot. The lateral diffusion lengths are determined and present certain dependency on the coupling strength between QW and QDs. While for a strongly coupled structure the diffusion length is found to be around 0.8 μm and monotonically increases up to 1.4 μm with the excitation power density, in weakly coupled structures, it is determined to ca. 1.6 μm and remained virtually independent of the pumping power density.

Simulation and measurement of complete dye sensitised solar cells: including the influence of trapping, electrolyte, oxidised dyes and light intensity on steady state and transient device behaviour.

PubMed

Barnes, Piers R F; Anderson, Assaf Y; Durrant, James R; O'Regan, Brian C

2011-04-07

A numerical model of the dye sensitised solar cell (DSSC) is used to assess the importance of different loss pathways under various operational conditions. Based on our current understanding, the simulation describes the processes of injection, regeneration, recombination and transport of electrons, oxidised dye molecules and electrolyte within complete devices to give both time dependent and independent descriptions of performance. The results indicate that the flux of electrons lost from the nanocrystalline TiO(2) film is typically at least twice as large under conditions equivalent to 1 sun relative to dark conditions at matched TiO(2) charge concentration. This is in agreement with experimental observations (Barnes et al. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. [DOI: 10.1039/c0cp01855d]). The simulated difference in recombination flux is shown to be due to variation in the concentration profile of electron accepting species in the TiO(2) pores between light and dark conditions and to recombination to oxidised dyes in the light. The model is able to easily incorporate non-ideal behaviour of a cell such as the variation of open circuit potential with light intensity and non-first order recombination of conduction band electrons. The time dependent simulations, described by the multiple trapping model of electron transport and recombination, show good agreement with both small and large transient photocurrent and photovoltage measurements at open circuit, including photovoltage rise measurements. The simulation of photovoltage rise also suggests the possibility of assessing the interfacial resistance between the TiO(2) and substrate. When cells with a short diffusion length relative to film thickness were modelled, the simulated small perturbation photocurrent transients at short circuit (but not open circuit) yielded significantly higher effective diffusion coefficients than expected from the mean concentration of electrons and the electrolyte in the cell. This implies that transient measurements can overestimate the electron diffusion length in cells which have a low collection efficiency. The model should provide a useful general framework for exploring new cell descriptions, architectures and other factors influencing device performance.

Effect of the geometry of the anodized titania nanotube array on the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells.

PubMed

Sun, Lidong; Zhang, Sam; Sun, Xiaowei; He, Xiaodong

2010-07-01

Highly ordered TiO2 nanotube arrays are superior photoanodes for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) due to reduced intertube connections, vectorial electron transport, suppressed electron recombination, and enhanced light scattering. Performance of the cells is greatly affected by tube geometry, such as wall thickness, length, inner diameter and intertube spacing. In this paper, effect of geometry on the photovoltaic characteristics of DSSCs is reviewed. The nanotube wall has to be thick enough for a space charge layer to form for faster electron transportation and reduced recombination. When the tube wall is too thin to support the space charge layer, electron transport in the nanotubes will be hindered and reduced to that similar in a typical nanoparticle photoanode, and recombination will easily take place. Length of the nanotubes also plays a role: longer tube length is desired because of more dye loading, however, tube length longer than the electron diffusion length results in low collecting efficiency, which in turn, results in low short-circuit current density and thus low overall conversion efficiency. The tube inner diameter (pore size) affects the conversion efficiency through effective surface area, i.e., larger pore size gives rise to smaller surface area for dye adsorption, which results in low short-circuit current density under the same light soaking. Another issue that may seriously affect the conversion efficiency is whether each of the tube stands alone (free from connecting to the neighboring tubes) to facilitate infiltration of dye and fully use the outer surface area.

Fokker-Planck description of electron and photon transport in homogeneous media

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Akcasu, A.Z.; Holloway, J.P.

1997-06-01

Starting from a Fokker-Planck description of particle transport, which is valid when the scattering is forwardly peaked and the energy change in scattering is small, we systematically obtain an approximate diffusionlike equation for the particle density by eliminating the direction variable {bold {cflx {Omega}}} with an elimination scheme based on Zwanzig{close_quote}s projection operator formalism in the interaction representation. The elimination procedure closely follows one described by Grigolini and Marchesoni [in {ital Memory Function Approaches to Stochastic Problems in Condensed Matter}, edited by Myron W. Evans, Paolo Grigolini, and Guiseppe P. Parravicini, Advances in Physical Chemistry, Vol. 62 (Wiley-Interscience, New York,more » 1985), Chap. II, p. 29], but with a different projection operator. The resulting diffusion equation is correct up to the second order in the coupling operator between the particle direction and position variable. The diffusion coefficients and mobility in the resulting diffusion equation depend on the initial distribution of the particles in direction and on the path length traveled by the particles. The full solution is obtained for a monoenergetic and monodirectional pulsed point source of particles in an infinite homogeneous medium. This solution is used to study the penetration and the transverse and longitudinal spread of the particles as they are transported through the medium. Application to diffusive wave spectroscopy in calculating the path-length distribution of photons, as well as application to dose calculations in tissue due to an electron beam are mentioned. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}« less

Long vertically aligned titania nanotubes on transparent conducting oxide for highly efficient solar cells.

PubMed

Varghese, Oomman K; Paulose, Maggie; Grimes, Craig A

2009-09-01

Dye-sensitized solar cells consist of a random network of titania nanoparticles that serve both as a high-surface-area support for dye molecules and as an electron-transporting medium. Despite achieving high power conversion efficiencies, their performance is limited by electron trapping in the nanoparticle film. Electron diffusion lengths can be increased by transporting charge through highly ordered nanostructures such as titania nanotube arrays. Although titania nanotube array films have been shown to enhance the efficiencies of both charge collection and light harvesting, it has not been possible to grow them on transparent conducting oxide glass with the lengths needed for high-efficiency device applications (tens of micrometres). Here, we report the fabrication of transparent titania nanotube array films on transparent conducting oxide glass with lengths between 0.3 and 33.0 microm using a novel electrochemistry approach. Dye-sensitized solar cells containing these arrays yielded a power conversion efficiency of 6.9%. The incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency ranged from 70 to 80% for wavelengths between 450 and 650 nm.

Transport Imaging of Multi-Junction and CIGS Solar Cell Materials

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-12-01

solar cells start with the material charge transport parameters, namely the charge mobility, lifetime and diffusion length . It is the goal of...every solar cell manufacturer to maintain high carrier lifetime so as to realize long diffusion lengths . Long diffusion lengths ensure that the charges...Thus, being able to accurately determine the diffusion length of any solar cell material proves advantageous by providing insights

Near-field transport imaging applied to photovoltaic materials

DOE PAGES

Xiao, Chuanxiao; Jiang, Chun -Sheng; Moseley, John; ...

2017-05-26

We developed and applied a new analytical technique - near-field transport imaging (NF-TI or simply TI) - to photovoltaic materials. Charge-carrier transport is an important factor in solar cell performance, and TI is an innovative approach that integrates a scanning electron microscope with a near-field scanning optical microscope, providing the possibility to study luminescence associated with recombination and transport with high spatial resolution. In this paper, we describe in detail the technical barriers we had to overcome to develop the technique for routine application and the data-fitting procedure used to calculate minority-carrier diffusion length values. The diffusion length measured bymore » TI agrees well with the results calculated by time-resolved photoluminescence on well-controlled gallium arsenide (GaAs) thin-film samples. We report for the first time on measurements on thin-film cadmium telluride using this technique, including the determination of effective carrier diffusion length, as well as the first near-field imaging of the effect of a single localized defect on carrier transport and recombination in a GaAs heterostructure. Furthermore, by changing the scanning setup, we were able to demonstrate near-field cathodoluminescence (CL), and correlated the results with standard CL measurements. In conclusion, the TI technique shows great potential for mapping transport properties in solar cell materials with high spatial resolution.« less

Dependence of Exciton Diffusion Length and Diffusion Coefficient on Photophysical Parameters in Bulk Heterojunction Organic Solar Cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeboah, Douglas; Singh, Jai

2017-11-01

Recently, the dependence of exciton diffusion length (LD ) on some photophysical parameters of organic solids has been experimentally demonstrated, however no systematic theoretical analysis of this phenomenon has been carried out. We have conducted a theoretical study by using the Förster resonance energy transfer and Dexter carrier transfer mechanisms together with the Einstein-Smoluchowski diffusion equation to derive analytical models for the diffusion lengths (LD ) and diffusion coefficients (D) of singlet (S) and triplet (T) excitons in organic solids as functions of spectral overlap integral (J) , photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield (φD ) , dipole moment (μT ) and refractive index (n) of the photoactive material. The exciton diffusion lengths and diffusion coefficients in some selected organic solids were calculated, and we found that the singlet exciton diffusion length (LDS ) increases with φD and J, and decreases with n. Also, the triplet exciton diffusion length (LDT ) increases with φD and decreases with μT . These may be achieved through doping the organic solids into broad optical energy gap host materials as observed in previous experiments. The calculated exciton diffusion lengths are compared with experimental values and a reasonably good agreement is found between them. The results presented are expected to provide insight relevant to the synthesis of new organic solids for fabrication of bulk heterojunction organic solar cells characterized by better power conversion efficiency.

Measurement of Beta Particles Induced Electron-Hole Pairs Recombination in Depletion Region of GaAs PN Junction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Hai-Yang; Jiang, Lan; Li, Da-Rang

2011-05-01

PN junctions and schottky diodes are widely employed as electron-hole pair collectors in electron beam induced current (EBIC) techniques and betavoltaic batteries, in which the recombination in depletion regions is ignored. We measured the beta particles induced electron-hole pairs recombination in the depletion region of a GaAs P+PN+ junction, based on comparisons between measured short currents and ideal values. The results show that only 20% electron-hole pairs in the depletion can be collected, causing the short current. This indicates an electron-hole pair diffusion length of 0.2μm in the depletion region. Hence, it is necessary to evaluate the recombination in the EBIC techniques and betavoltaic design.

Determination of carrier lifetime and diffusion length in Al-doped 4H-SiC epilayers by time-resolved optical techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liaugaudas, Gediminas; Dargis, Donatas; Kwasnicki, Pawel; Arvinte, Roxana; Zielinski, Marcin; Jarašiūnas, Kęstutis

2015-01-01

A series of p-type 4H-SiC epilayers with aluminium concentration ranging from 2  ×  1016 to 8  ×  1019 cm-3 were investigated by time-resolved optical techniques in order to determine the effect of aluminium doping on high-injection carrier lifetime at room temperature and the diffusion coefficient at different injections (from ≈3  ×  1018 to ≈5  ×  1019 cm-3) and temperatures (from 78 to 730 K). We find that the defect limited carrier lifetime τSRH decreases from 20 ns in the low-doped samples down to ≈0.6 ns in the heavily doped epilayers. Accordingly, the ambipolar diffusion coefficient decreases from Da = 3.5 cm2 s-1 down to ≈0.6 cm2 s-1, corresponding to the hole mobility of µh = 70 cm2 Vs-1 and 12 cm2 Vs-1, respectively. In the highly doped epilayers, the injection-induced decrease of the diffusion coefficient, due to the transition from the minority carrier diffusion to the ambipolar diffusion, provided the electron diffusion coefficient of De ≈ 3 cm2 s-1. The Al-doping resulted in the gradual decrease of the ambipolar diffusion length, from LD = 2.7 µm down to LD = 0.25 µm in the epilayers with the lowest and highest aluminium concentrations.

Self-similar space-time evolution of an initial density discontinuity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rekaa, V. L.; Pécseli, H. L.; Trulsen, J. K.

2013-07-01

The space-time evolution of an initial step-like plasma density variation is studied. We give particular attention to formulate the problem in a way that opens for the possibility of realizing the conditions experimentally. After a short transient time interval of the order of the electron plasma period, the solution is self-similar as illustrated by a video where the space-time evolution is reduced to be a function of the ratio x/t. Solutions of this form are usually found for problems without characteristic length and time scales, in our case the quasi-neutral limit. By introducing ion collisions with neutrals into the numerical analysis, we introduce a length scale, the collisional mean free path. We study the breakdown of the self-similarity of the solution as the mean free path is made shorter than the system length. Analytical results are presented for charge exchange collisions, demonstrating a short time collisionless evolution with an ensuing long time diffusive relaxation of the initial perturbation. For large times, we find a diffusion equation as the limiting analytical form for a charge-exchange collisional plasma, with a diffusion coefficient defined as the square of the ion sound speed divided by the (constant) ion collision frequency. The ion-neutral collision frequency acts as a parameter that allows a collisionless result to be obtained in one limit, while the solution of a diffusion equation is recovered in the opposite limit of large collision frequencies.

Evaluation of limiting factors affecting photovoltaic performance of low-temperature-processed TiO₂ films in dye-sensitized solar cells.

PubMed

Lee, Taek-Yong; Kim, Hui-Seon; Park, Nam-Gyu

2014-04-14

Limiting factors affecting photovoltaic performance of dye-sensitized solar cell employing low-temperature-processed TiO2 films were investigated. TiO2 films were prepared at a low temperature of 200 °C using the normal alcohol-containing binder-free TiO2 paste (LT200). Their photovoltaic performance was compared to a high-temperature (550 °C) annealed TiO2 film prepared using a polymer binder containing TiO2 paste (HT550). Compared to the proportional increase in conversion efficiency with TiO2 film thickness upto 14 μm for HT550, the increase in efficiency was terminated at relatively smaller thickness of about 8 μm for LT200 mainly due to unaugmented photocurrent. From the transient photocurrent-voltage studies, the electron transport rate was found to be almost identical, while charge recombination was one order of magnitude faster for LT200. Consequently, the electron diffusion length was more than 2-3 times shorter for LT200 than for HT550. Electron diffusion length and electron life time obtained from electrochemical impedance analysis were well consistent with those observed from transient measurement. Density of states (DOS) was evaluated to be shallow and narrow in LT200, which was responsible for limiting photovoltaic performance in the low-temperature processed TiO2 film. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Estimating the spin diffusion length and the spin Hall angle from spin pumping induced inverse spin Hall voltages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roy, Kuntal

2017-11-01

There exists considerable confusion in estimating the spin diffusion length of materials with high spin-orbit coupling from spin pumping experiments. For designing functional devices, it is important to determine the spin diffusion length with sufficient accuracy from experimental results. An inaccurate estimation of spin diffusion length also affects the estimation of other parameters (e.g., spin mixing conductance, spin Hall angle) concomitantly. The spin diffusion length for platinum (Pt) has been reported in the literature in a wide range of 0.5-14 nm, and in particular it is a constant value independent of Pt's thickness. Here, the key reasonings behind such a wide range of reported values of spin diffusion length have been identified comprehensively. In particular, it is shown here that a thickness-dependent conductivity and spin diffusion length is necessary to simultaneously match the experimental results of effective spin mixing conductance and inverse spin Hall voltage due to spin pumping. Such a thickness-dependent spin diffusion length is tantamount to the Elliott-Yafet spin relaxation mechanism, which bodes well for transitional metals. This conclusion is not altered even when there is significant interfacial spin memory loss. Furthermore, the variations in the estimated parameters are also studied, which is important for technological applications.

Spin-Hall effect and emergent antiferromagnetic phase transition in n-Si

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lou, Paul C.; Kumar, Sandeep

2018-04-01

Spin current experiences minimal dephasing and scattering in Si due to small spin-orbit coupling and spin-lattice interactions is the primary source of spin relaxation. We hypothesize that if the specimen dimension is of the same order as the spin diffusion length then spin polarization will lead to non-equilibrium spin accumulation and emergent phase transition. In n-Si, spin diffusion length has been reported up to 6 μm. The spin accumulation in Si will modify the thermal transport behavior of Si, which can be detected with thermal characterization. In this study, we report observation of spin-Hall effect and emergent antiferromagnetic phase transition behavior using magneto-electro-thermal transport characterization. The freestanding Pd (1 nm)/Ni80Fe20 (75 nm)/MgO (1 nm)/n-Si (2 μm) thin film specimen exhibits a magnetic field dependent thermal transport and spin-Hall magnetoresistance behavior attributed to Rashba effect. An emergent phase transition is discovered using self-heating 3ω method, which shows a diverging behavior at 270 K as a function of temperature similar to a second order phase transition. We propose that spin-Hall effect leads to the spin accumulation and resulting emergent antiferromagnetic phase transition. We propose that the length scale for Rashba effect can be equal to the spin diffusion length and two-dimensional electron gas is not essential for it. The emergent antiferromagnetic phase transition is attributed to the site inversion asymmetry in diamond cubic Si lattice.

Electrical detection of spin transport in Si two-dimensional electron gas systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Li-Te; Fischer, Inga Anita; Tang, Jianshi; Wang, Chiu-Yen; Yu, Guoqiang; Fan, Yabin; Murata, Koichi; Nie, Tianxiao; Oehme, Michael; Schulze, Jörg; Wang, Kang L.

2016-09-01

Spin transport in a semiconductor-based two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) system has been attractive in spintronics for more than ten years. The inherent advantages of high-mobility channel and enhanced spin-orbital interaction promise a long spin diffusion length and efficient spin manipulation, which are essential for the application of spintronics devices. However, the difficulty of making high-quality ferromagnetic (FM) contacts to the buried 2DEG channel in the heterostructure systems limits the potential developments in functional devices. In this paper, we experimentally demonstrate electrical detection of spin transport in a high-mobility 2DEG system using FM Mn-germanosilicide (Mn(Si0.7Ge0.3)x) end contacts, which is the first report of spin injection and detection in a 2DEG confined in a Si/SiGe modulation doped quantum well structure (MODQW). The extracted spin diffusion length and lifetime are l sf = 4.5 μm and {τ }{{s}}=16 {{ns}} at 1.9 K respectively. Our results provide a promising approach for spin injection into 2DEG system in the Si-based MODQW, which may lead to innovative spintronic applications such as spin-based transistor, logic, and memory devices.

Radiation damage annealing mechanisms and possible low temperature annealing in silicon solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weinberg, I.; Swartz, C. K.

1980-01-01

The defect responsible for reverse annealing in 2 ohm/cm n(+)/p silicon solar cells was identified. This defect, with energy level at e sub v + 0.30 eV was tentatively identified as a boron oxygen-vacancy complex. Results indicate that its removal could result in significant annealing for 2 ohm/cm and lower resistivity cells at temperatures as low as 200 C. These results were obtained by use of an expression derived from the Shockley-Read-Hall recombination theory which relates measured diffusion length ratios to relative defect concentrations and electron capture cross sections. The relative defect concentrations and one of the required capture cross sections are obtained from Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy. Four additional capture cross sections are obtained using diffusion length data and data from temperature dependent lifetime studied. These calculated results are in reasonable agreement with experimental data.

Propagation of intense laser radiation through a diffusion flame of burning oil

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gvozdev, S V; Glova, A F; Dubrovskii, V Yu

2015-06-30

We report the results of measuring the absorption coefficient of radiation from a cw ytterbium fibre single-mode laser with the power up to 1.5 kW by a diffusion flame of oil, burning in the atmosphere air at normal pressure on a free surface. For the constant length (30 mm) and width (30 mm) of the flame and the distance 10 mm between the laser beam axis and the oil surface the dependence of the absorption coefficient, averaged over the flame length, on the mean radiation intensity (varied from 4.5 × 10{sup 3} to 1.2 × 10{sup 6} W cm{sup -2})more » entering the flame is obtained. The qualitative explanation of nonmonotonic behaviour of the absorption coefficient versus the intensity is presented. (laser applications and other topics in quantum electronics)« less

Planar-integrated single-crystalline perovskite photodetectors

PubMed Central

Saidaminov, Makhsud I.; Adinolfi, Valerio; Comin, Riccardo; Abdelhady, Ahmed L.; Peng, Wei; Dursun, Ibrahim; Yuan, Mingjian; Hoogland, Sjoerd; Sargent, Edward H.; Bakr, Osman M.

2015-01-01

Hybrid perovskites are promising semiconductors for optoelectronic applications. However, they suffer from morphological disorder that limits their optoelectronic properties and, ultimately, device performance. Recently, perovskite single crystals have been shown to overcome this problem and exhibit impressive improvements: low trap density, low intrinsic carrier concentration, high mobility, and long diffusion length that outperform perovskite-based thin films. These characteristics make the material ideal for realizing photodetection that is simultaneously fast and sensitive; unfortunately, these macroscopic single crystals cannot be grown on a planar substrate, curtailing their potential for optoelectronic integration. Here we produce large-area planar-integrated films made up of large perovskite single crystals. These crystalline films exhibit mobility and diffusion length comparable with those of single crystals. Using this technique, we produced a high-performance light detector showing high gain (above 104 electrons per photon) and high gain-bandwidth product (above 108 Hz) relative to other perovskite-based optical sensors. PMID:26548941

Effect of strained Ge-based NMOSFETs with Ge0.93Si0.07 stressors on device layout

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsu, Hung-Wen; Lee, Chang-Chun

2017-12-01

This research proposes a germanium (Ge)-based n-channel MOSFET with Ge0.93Si0.07 S/D stressor. A simulation technique is utilized to understand the layout effect of shallow trench isolation (STI) length, gate width, dummy active of diffusion (OD) length, and extended poly width on stress distribution in a channel region. Stress distribution in a channel region was simulated by ANSYS software based on finite element analysis. Furthermore, carrier mobility gain was evaluated by a second-order piezoresistance model. The piezoresistance coefficient of Ge nMOSFET varies from that of Si nMOSFET. The piezoresistance coefficient shows that longitudinal and transverse stresses are the dominant factors affecting the change in electron mobility in the channel region. For Ge-based nMOSFET, longitudinal stress tends to be tensile, whereas transverse stress tends to be compressive. Stress along channel length becomes more tensile when STI length decreases. By contrast, stress along the channel width becomes more compressive when gate width or extended poly width decreases. Electron mobility in Ge-based nMOSFET could be enhanced under the aforementioned conditions. The enhanced electron mobility becomes more significant as the device combines with a contact etching stop layer stressor. Moreover, the mobility can be improved by changing the STI length, gate width, dummy OD length, or extended poly width. This investigation systematically analyzed the relationship between layout factor and stress distribution.

Electron-beam induced current characterization of back-surface field solar cells using a chopped scanning electron microscope beam

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Luke, K. L.; Cheng, L.-J.

1984-01-01

A chopped electron beam induced current (EBIC) technique for the chacterization of back-surface field (BSF) solar cells is presented. It is shown that the effective recombination velocity of the low-high junction forming the back-surface field of BSF cells, in addition to the diffusion length and the surface recombination velocity of the surface perpendicular to both the p-n and low-high junctions, can be determined from the data provided by a single EBIC scan. The method for doing so is described and illustrated. Certain experimental considerations taken to enhance the quality of the EBIC data are also discussed.

Nano-electron beam induced current and hole charge dynamics through uncapped Ge nanocrystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marchand, A.; El Hdiy, A.; Troyon, M.; Amiard, G.; Ronda, A.; Berbezier, I.

2012-04-01

Dynamics of hole storage in spherical Ge nanocrystals (NCs) formed by a two step dewetting/nucleation process on an oxide layer grown on an n-doped <001> silicon substrate is studied using a nano-electron beam induced current technique. Carrier generation is produced by an electron beam irradiation. The generated current is collected by an atomic force microscope—tip in contact mode at a fixed position away from the beam spot of about 0.5 µm. This distance represents the effective diffusion length of holes. The time constants of holes charging are determined and the effect of the NC size is underlined.

Rational material design for ultrafast rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.

PubMed

Tang, Yuxin; Zhang, Yanyan; Li, Wenlong; Ma, Bing; Chen, Xiaodong

2015-10-07

Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are important electrochemical energy storage devices for consumer electronics and emerging electrical/hybrid vehicles. However, one of the formidable challenges is to develop ultrafast charging LIBs with the rate capability at least one order of magnitude (>10 C) higher than that of the currently commercialized LIBs. This tutorial review presents the state-of-the-art developments in ultrafast charging LIBs by the rational design of materials. First of all, fundamental electrochemistry and related ionic/electronic conduction theories identify that the rate capability of LIBs is kinetically limited by the sluggish solid-state diffusion process in electrode materials. Then, several aspects of the intrinsic materials, materials engineering and processing, and electrode materials architecture design towards maximizing both ionic and electronic conductivity in the electrode with a short diffusion length are deliberated. Finally, the future trends and perspectives for the ultrafast rechargeable LIBs are discussed. Continuous rapid progress in this area is essential and urgent to endow LIBs with ultrafast charging capability to meet huge demands in the near future.

Channel length dependence of negative-bias-illumination-stress in amorphous-indium-gallium-zinc-oxide thin-film transistors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Um, Jae Gwang; Mativenga, Mallory; Jang, Jin, E-mail: jjang@khu.ac.kr

2015-06-21

We have investigated the dependence of Negative-Bias-illumination-Stress (NBIS) upon channel length, in amorphous-indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (a-IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs). The negative shift of the transfer characteristic associated with NBIS decreases for increasing channel length and is practically suppressed in devices with L = 100-μm. The effect is consistent with creation of donor defects, mainly in the channel regions adjacent to source and drain contacts. Excellent agreement with experiment has been obtained by an analytical treatment, approximating the distribution of donors in the active layer by a double exponential with characteristic length L{sub D} ∼ L{sub n} ∼ 10-μm, the latter being the electron diffusion length. The model alsomore » shows that a device with a non-uniform doping distribution along the active layer is in all equivalent, at low drain voltages, to a device with the same doping averaged over the active layer length. These results highlight a new aspect of the NBIS mechanism, that is, the dependence of the effect upon the relative magnitude of photogenerated holes and electrons, which is controlled by the device potential/band profile. They may also provide the basis for device design solutions to minimize NBIS.« less

Effect of etching time on morphological, optical, and electronic properties of silicon nanowires.

PubMed

Nafie, Nesma; Lachiheb, Manel Abouda; Bouaicha, Mongi

2012-07-16

Owing to their interesting electronic, mechanical, optical, and transport properties, silicon nanowires (SiNWs) have attracted much attention, giving opportunities to several potential applications in nanoscale electronic, optoelectronic devices, and silicon solar cells. For photovoltaic application, a superficial film of SiNWs could be used as an efficient antireflection coating. In this work we investigate the morphological, optical, and electronic properties of SiNWs fabricated at different etching times. Characterizations of the formed SiNWs films were performed using a scanning electron microscope, ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared spectroscopy, and light-beam-induced-current technique. The latter technique was used to determine the effective diffusion length in SiNWs films. From these investigations, we deduce that the homogeneity of the SiNWs film plays a key role on the electronic properties.

Noise and Bandwidth Measurements of Diffusion-Cooled Nb Hot-Electron Bolometer Mixers at Frequencies Above the Superconductive Energy Gap

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wyss, R. A.; Karasik, B. S.; McGrath, W. R.; Bumble, B.; LeDuc, H.

1999-01-01

Diffusion-cooled Nb hot-electron bolometer (HEB) mixers have the potential to simultaneously achieve high intermediate frequency (IF) bandwidths and low mixer noise temperatures for operation at THz frequencies (above the superconductive gap energy). We have measured the IF signal bandwidth at 630 GHz of Nb devices with lengths L = 0.3, 0.2, and 0.1 micrometer in a quasioptical mixer configuration employing twin-slot antennas. The 3-dB EF bandwidth increased from 1.2 GHz for the 0.3 gm long device to 9.2 GHz for the 0.1 gm long device. These results demonstrate the expected 1/L squared dependence of the IF bandwidth at submillimeter wave frequencies for the first time, as well as the largest EF bandwidth obtained to date. For the 0.1 gm device, which had the largest bandwidth, the double sideband (DSB) noise temperature of the receiver was 320-470 K at 630 GHz with an absorbed LO power of 35 nW, estimated using the isothermal method. A version of this mixer with the antenna length scaled for operation at 2.5 THz has also been tested. A DSB receiver noise temperature of 1800 plus or minus 100 K was achieved, which is about 1,000 K lower than our previously reported results. These results demonstrate that large EF bandwidth and low-noise operation of a diffusion-cooled HEB mixer is possible at THz frequencies with the same device geometry.

Modeling of electron behaviors under microwave electric field in methane and air pre-mixture gas plasma assisted combustion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akashi, Haruaki; Sasaki, K.; Yoshinaga, T.

2011-10-01

Recently, plasma-assisted combustion has been focused on for achieving more efficient combustion way of fossil fuels, reducing pollutants and so on. Shinohara et al has reported that the flame length of methane and air premixed burner shortened by irradiating microwave power without increase of gas temperature. This suggests that electrons heated by microwave electric field assist the combustion. They also measured emission from 2nd Positive Band System (2nd PBS) of nitrogen during the irradiation. To clarify this mechanism, electron behavior under microwave power should be examined. To obtain electron transport parameters, electron Monte Carlo simulations in methane and air mixture gas have been done. A simple model has been developed to simulate inside the flame. To make this model simple, some assumptions are made. The electrons diffuse from the combustion plasma region. And the electrons quickly reach their equilibrium state. And it is found that the simulated emission from 2nd PBS agrees with the experimental result. Recently, plasma-assisted combustion has been focused on for achieving more efficient combustion way of fossil fuels, reducing pollutants and so on. Shinohara et al has reported that the flame length of methane and air premixed burner shortened by irradiating microwave power without increase of gas temperature. This suggests that electrons heated by microwave electric field assist the combustion. They also measured emission from 2nd Positive Band System (2nd PBS) of nitrogen during the irradiation. To clarify this mechanism, electron behavior under microwave power should be examined. To obtain electron transport parameters, electron Monte Carlo simulations in methane and air mixture gas have been done. A simple model has been developed to simulate inside the flame. To make this model simple, some assumptions are made. The electrons diffuse from the combustion plasma region. And the electrons quickly reach their equilibrium state. And it is found that the simulated emission from 2nd PBS agrees with the experimental result. This work was supported by KAKENHI (22340170).

Effect of short wavelength illumination on the characteristic bulk diffusion length in ribbon silicon solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ho, C. T.; Mathias, J. D.

1981-01-01

The influence of short wavelength light on the characteristic bulk minority carrier diffusion length of the ribbon silicon photovoltaic cell has been investigated. We have measured the intensity and wavelength dependence of the diffusion length in an EFG ribbon cell, and compared it with a standard Czochralski grown silicon cell. While the various short wavelength illuminations have shown no influence on the diffusion length in the CZ cell, the diffusion lengths in the ribbon cell exhibit a strong dependence on the volume generation rate as well as on the wavelength of the superimposed lights. We have concluded that the trap-filling phenomenon at various depths in the bulk neutral region of the cell is consistent with the experimental observation.

Ultrastructural Characteristics of the Testis, Spermatogenesis and Taxonomic Values of Sperm Morphology in Male Ruditapes philippinarum in Western Korea.

PubMed

Kim, Jin Hee; Chung, Jae Seung; Lee, Ki-Young

2013-06-01

Ultrastructural characteristics of the germ cells and accessory cells in testis during spermatogenesis and taxonomic values of mature sperm morphology of Ruditapes philippinarum were investigated by the transmission electron microscope and scanning electron microscope observations. The testis is the diffuse organ that consists of branching acini containing developing germ cells and accessory cells associated with spermatogenesis. The morphology of the spermatozoon is of the primitive type and is somewhat different to those of other bivalves. The morphologies of the sperm nucleus type and the acrosome shape of this species have a cylinderical type and a modified cone shape, respectively. As some ultrastructural characteristics of the acrosomal vesicle, the peripheral parts of two basal rings show electron opaque part, while the apex part of the acrosome shows electron lucent part. These characteristics of sperm belong to the family Veneridae in the subclass Heterodonta, unlike a characteristic of the subclass Pteriomorphia showing all part of the acrosome being composed of electron opaque part. In particular, a cylinder-like nucleus of the sperm is curved. The spermatozoon is approximately 48-51 μm in length, including a long acrosome (about 2.40 μm in length), a curved sperm nucleus (about 3.40 μm in length), and a tail flagellum. The axoneme of the sperm tail shows a 9+2 structure.

Near Field Imaging of Gallium Nitride Nanowires for Characterization of Minority Carrier Diffusion

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-12-01

diffusion length in nanowires is critical to potential applications in solar cells , spectroscopic sensing, and/or lasers and light emitting diodes (LED...technique has been successfully demonstrated with thin film solar cell materials [4, 5]. In these experiments, the diffusion length was measured using a...minority carrier diffusion length . This technique has been used in the near-field collection mode to image the diffusion of holes in n-type GaN

Characterizing cosmic-ray propagation in massive star-forming regions: The case of 30 Doradus and the large Magellanic cloud

DOE PAGES

Murphy, E. J.; Porter, T. A.; Moskalenko, I. V.; ...

2012-04-24

We investigate the propagation characteristics of cosmic-ray (CR) electrons and nuclei in the 30 Doradus (30 Dor) star-forming region in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) using infrared, radio, and γ-ray data and a phenomenological model based on the radio-far-infrared correlation within galaxies. By employing a correlation analysis, we derive an average propagation length of ~100-140 pc for ~3 GeV CR electrons resident in 30 Dor from consideration of the radio and infrared data. Assuming that the observed γ-ray emission toward 30 Dor is associated with the star-forming region, and applying the same methodology to the infrared and γ-ray data, wemore » estimate a ~20 GeV propagation length of 200-320 pc for the CR nuclei. This is approximately twice as large as for ~3 GeV CR electrons, corresponding to a spatial diffusion coefficient that is ~4 times higher, scaling as (R/GV) δ with δ ≈ 0.7-0.8 depending on the smearing kernel used in the correlation analysis. This value is in agreement with the results found by extending the correlation analysis to include ~70 GeV CR nuclei traced by the 3-10 GeV γ-ray data (δ ≈ 0.66 ± 0.23). Using the mean age of the stellar populations in 30 Dor and the results from our correlation analysis, we estimate a diffusion coefficient D R ≈ (0.9-1.0) × 10 27(R/GV) 0.7 cm 2 s –1. We also compare the values of the CR electron propagation length and surface brightness for 30 Dor and the LMC as a whole with those of entire disk galaxies. We find that the trend of decreasing average CR propagation distance with increasing disk-averaged star formation activity holds for the LMC, and extends down to single star-forming regions, at least for the case of 30 Dor.« less

Nanopatterning the electronic properties of gold surfaces with self-organized superlattices of metallic nanostructures.

PubMed

Didiot, Clement; Pons, Stephane; Kierren, Bertrand; Fagot-Revurat, Yannick; Malterre, Daniel

2007-10-01

The self-organized growth of nanostructures on surfaces could offer many advantages in the development of new catalysts, electronic devices and magnetic data-storage media. The local density of electronic states on the surface at the relevant energy scale strongly influences chemical reactivity, as does the shape of the nanoparticles. The electronic properties of surfaces also influence the growth and decay of nanostructures such as dimers, chains and superlattices of atoms or noble metal islands. Controlling these properties on length scales shorter than the diffusion lengths of the electrons and spins (some tens of nanometres for metals) is a major goal in electronics and spintronics. However, to date, there have been few studies of the electronic properties of self-organized nanostructures. Here we report the self-organized growth of macroscopic superlattices of Ag or Cu nanostructures on Au vicinal surfaces, and demonstrate that the electronic properties of these systems depend on the balance between the confinement and the perturbation of the surface states caused by the steps and the nanostructures' superlattice. We also show that the local density of states can be modified in a controlled way by adjusting simple parameters such as the type of metal deposited and the degree of coverage.

In Situ Neutron Diffraction of Rare-Earth Phosphate Proton Conductors Sr/Ca-doped LaPO4 at Elevated Temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Wahish, Amal; Al-Binni, Usama; Bridges, C. A.; Huq, A.; Bi, Z.; Paranthaman, M. P.; Tang, S.; Kaiser, H.; Mandrus, D.

Acceptor-doped lanthanum orthophosphates are potential candidate electrolytes for proton ceramic fuel cells. We combined neutron powder diffraction (NPD) at elevated temperatures up to 800° C , X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to investigate the crystal structure, defect structure, thermal stability and surface topography. NPD shows an average bond length distortion in the hydrated samples. We employed Quasi-Elastic Neutron Scattering (QENS) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) to study the proton dynamics of the rare-earth phosphate proton conductors 4.2% Sr/Ca-doped LaPO4. We determined the bulk diffusion and the self-diffusion coefficients. Our results show that QENS and EIS are probing fundamentally different proton diffusion processes. Supported by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Volume nanograting formation in laser-silica interaction as a result of the 1D plasma-resonance ionization instability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gildenburg, V. B.; Pavlichenko, I. A.

2016-08-01

The initial stage of the small-scale ionization-induced instability developing inside the fused silica volume exposed to the femtosecond laser pulse is studied as a possible initial cause of the self-organized nanograting formation. We have calculated the spatial spectra of the instability with the electron-hole diffusion taken into account for the first time and have found that it results in the formation of some hybrid (diffusion-wave) 1D structure with the spatial period determined as the geometrical mean of the laser wavelength and characteristic diffusion length of the process considered. Near the threshold of the instability, this period occurs to be approximately equal to the laser half-wavelength in the silica, close to the one experimentally observed.

Investigation of diffusion length distribution on polycrystalline silicon wafers via photoluminescence methods

PubMed Central

Lou, Shishu; Zhu, Huishi; Hu, Shaoxu; Zhao, Chunhua; Han, Peide

2015-01-01

Characterization of the diffusion length of solar cells in space has been widely studied using various methods, but few studies have focused on a fast, simple way to obtain the quantified diffusion length distribution on a silicon wafer. In this work, we present two different facile methods of doing this by fitting photoluminescence images taken in two different wavelength ranges or from different sides. These methods, which are based on measuring the ratio of two photoluminescence images, yield absolute values of the diffusion length and are less sensitive to the inhomogeneity of the incident laser beam. A theoretical simulation and experimental demonstration of this method are presented. The diffusion length distributions on a polycrystalline silicon wafer obtained by the two methods show good agreement. PMID:26364565

Electron Dynamics Within the Electron Diffusion Region of Asymmetric Reconnection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Argall, M. R.; Paulson, K.; Alm, L.; Rager, A.; Dorelli, J.; Shuster, J.; Wang, S.; Torbert, R. B.; Vaith, H.; Dors, I.; Chutter, M.; Farrugia, C.; Burch, J.; Pollock, C.; Giles, B.; Gershman, D.; Lavraud, B.; Russell, C. T.; Strangeway, R.; Magnes, W.; Lindqvist, P.-A.; Khotyaintsev, Yu. V.; Ergun, R. E.; Ahmadi, N.

2018-01-01

We investigate the agyrotropic nature of electron distribution functions and their substructure to illuminate electron dynamics in a previously reported electron diffusion region (EDR) event. In particular, agyrotropy is examined as a function of energy to reveal detailed finite Larmor radius effects for the first time. It is shown that the previously reported ˜66 eV agyrotropic "crescent" population that has been accelerated as a result of reconnection is evanescent in nature because it mixes with a denser, gyrotopic background. Meanwhile, accelerated agyrotropic populations at 250 and 500 eV are more prominent because the background plasma at those energies is more tenuous. Agyrotropy at 250 and 500 eV is also more persistent than at 66 eV because of finite Larmor radius effects; agyrotropy is observed 2.5 ion inertial lengths from the EDR at 500 eV, but only in close proximity to the EDR at 66 eV. We also observe linearly polarized electrostatic waves leading up to and within the EDR. They have wave normal angles near 90°, and their occurrence and intensity correlate with agyrotropy. Within the EDR, they modulate the flux of 500 eV electrons travelling along the current layer. The net electric field intensifies the reconnection current, resulting in a flow of energy from the fields into the plasma.

Particle-in-Cell Simulation of Collisionless Driven Reconnection with Open Boundaries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kimas, Alex; Hesse, Michael; Zenitani, Seiji; Kuznetsova, Maria

2010-01-01

First results are discussed from an ongoing study of driven collisionless reconnection using a 2 1/2-dimensional electromagnetic particle-in-cell simulation model with open inflow and outflow boundaries. An extended electron diffusion region (EEDR) is defined as that region surrounding a reconnecting neutral line in which the out-of-plane nonideal electric field is positive. It is shown that the boundaries of this region in the directions of the outflow jets are at the positions where the electrons make the transition from unfrozen meandering motion in the current sheet to outward drifting with the magnetic field in the outflow jets; a turning length scale is defined to mark these positions, The initial width of the EEDR in the inflow directions is comparable to the electron bounce width. Later. as shoulders develop to form a two-scale structure. thc EEDR width expands to the ion bounce width scale. The inner portion of the EEDR or the electron diffusion region proper remains at the electron bounce width. Two methods are introduced for predicting the reconnection electric field using the dimensions of the EEDR. These results are interpreted as further evidence that the EEDR is the region that is relevant to understanding the electron role in the neutral line vicinity.

Effect of etching time on morphological, optical, and electronic properties of silicon nanowires

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Owing to their interesting electronic, mechanical, optical, and transport properties, silicon nanowires (SiNWs) have attracted much attention, giving opportunities to several potential applications in nanoscale electronic, optoelectronic devices, and silicon solar cells. For photovoltaic application, a superficial film of SiNWs could be used as an efficient antireflection coating. In this work we investigate the morphological, optical, and electronic properties of SiNWs fabricated at different etching times. Characterizations of the formed SiNWs films were performed using a scanning electron microscope, ultraviolet–visible-near-infrared spectroscopy, and light-beam-induced-current technique. The latter technique was used to determine the effective diffusion length in SiNWs films. From these investigations, we deduce that the homogeneity of the SiNWs film plays a key role on the electronic properties. PMID:22799265

Transport Regimes Spanning Magnetization-Coupling Phase Space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baalrud, Scott D.; Tiwari, Sanat; Daligault, Jerome

2017-10-01

The manner in which transport properties vary over the entire parameter-space of coupling and magnetization strength is explored. Four regimes are identified based on the relative size of the gyroradius compared to other fundamental length scales: the collision mean free path, Debye length, distance of closest approach and interparticle spacing. Molecular dynamics simulations of self-diffusion and temperature anisotropy relaxation spanning the parameter space are found to agree well with the predicted boundaries. Comparison with existing theories reveals regimes where they succeed, where they fail, and where no theory has yet been developed. The results suggest that magnetic fields may be used to assist ultracold neutral plasma experiments to reach regimes of stronger electron coupling by reducing heating of electrons in the direction perpendicular to the magnetic field.. By constraining electron motion along the direction of the magnetic field, the overall electron temperature is reduced nearly by a factor of three. A large temperature anisotropy develops as a result, which can be maintained for a long time in the regime of high electron magnetization. Work supported by LDRD project 20150520ER at LANL, AFOSR FA9550-16-1-0221 and US DOE Award DE-SC00161.

Spatial Variation in Mobility-Lifetime Product in Bulk TlBr and CZT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phillips, David; Haegel, Nancy; Blaine, Kevin; Kim, Hadong; Ciampi, Guido; Cirignano, Len

2012-02-01

The energy resolution of a semiconductor radiation detector depends on the charge transport properties of the semiconductor, and the mobility-lifetime (μτ) product is a key figure of merit for charge transport. In this work, we investigate the effects of two impurities, Na and Cu, on the μτ product in bulk thallium bromide (TlBr) using cathodoluminescence (CL) and transport imaging. Transport imaging uses a scanning electron microscope to generate a line of charge carriers on the surface of a bulk sample, and the intensity and spatial distribution of the recombination luminescence are recorded. A Green's function approach is used to model the generation, diffusion, and recombination of charge carriers under steady-state conditions. The luminescence distribution is fit to the model to extract the ambipolar diffusion length and the μτ product, providing a high-resolution correlation between the luminescence variations due to dopants/defects and the quantitative transport behavior. The μτ product has been mapped across a 40 μm segment of TlBr at a resolution of 2 μm. Additionally, this approach has been used to locally map variations in ambipolar diffusion length and μτ product due to extended defects in cadmium zinc telluride (CZT).

Wanted: A Positive Control for Anomalous Subdiffusion

PubMed Central

Saxton, Michael J.

2012-01-01

Anomalous subdiffusion in cells and model systems is an active area of research. The main questions are whether diffusion is anomalous or normal, and if it is anomalous, its mechanism. The subject is controversial, especially the hypothesis that crowding causes anomalous subdiffusion. Anomalous subdiffusion measurements would be strengthened by an experimental standard, particularly one able to cross-calibrate the different types of measurements. Criteria for a calibration standard are proposed. First, diffusion must be anomalous over the length and timescales of the different measurements. The length-scale is fundamental; the time scale can be adjusted through the viscosity of the medium. Second, the standard must be theoretically well understood, with a known anomalous subdiffusion exponent, ideally readily tunable. Third, the standard must be simple, reproducible, and independently characterizable (by, for example, electron microscopy for nanostructures). Candidate experimental standards are evaluated, including obstructed lipid bilayers; aqueous systems obstructed by nanopillars; a continuum percolation system in which a prescribed fraction of randomly chosen obstacles in a regular array is ablated; single-file diffusion in pores; transient anomalous subdiffusion due to binding of particles in arrays such as transcription factors in randomized DNA arrays; and computer-generated physical trajectories. PMID:23260043

Colloidal thallium halide nanocrystals with reasonable luminescence, carrier mobility and diffusion length.

PubMed

Mir, Wasim J; Warankar, Avinash; Acharya, Ashutosh; Das, Shyamashis; Mandal, Pankaj; Nag, Angshuman

2017-06-01

Colloidal lead halide based perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) have been recently established as an interesting class of defect-tolerant NCs with potential for superior optoelectronic applications. The electronic band structure of thallium halides (TlX, where X = Br and I) show a strong resemblance to lead halide perovskites, where both Pb 2+ and Tl + exhibit a 6s 2 inert pair of electrons and strong spin-orbit coupling. Although the crystal structure of TlX is not perovskite, the similarities of its electronic structure with lead halide perovskites motivated us to prepare colloidal TlX NCs. These TlX NCs exhibit a wide bandgap (>2.5 eV or <500 nm) and the potential to exhibit a reduced density of deep defect states. Optical pump terahertz (THz) probe spectroscopy with excitation fluence in the range of 0.85-5.86 × 10 13 photons per cm 2 on NC films shows that the TlBr NCs possess high effective carrier mobility (∼220 to 329 cm 2 V -1 s -1 ), long diffusion length (∼0.77 to 0.98 μm), and reasonably high photoluminescence efficiency (∼10%). This combination of properties is remarkable compared to other wide-bandgap (>2.5 eV) semiconductor NCs, which suggests a reduction in the deep-defect states in the TlX NCs. Furthermore, the ultrafast carrier dynamics and temperature-dependent reversible structural phase transition together with its influence on the optical properties of the TlX NCs are studied.

Electrochemical measurement of lateral diffusion coefficients of ubiquinones and plastoquinones of various isoprenoid chain lengths incorporated in model bilayers.

PubMed Central

Marchal, D; Boireau, W; Laval, J M; Moiroux, J; Bourdillon, C

1998-01-01

The long-range diffusion coefficients of isoprenoid quinones in a model of lipid bilayer were determined by a method avoiding fluorescent probe labeling of the molecules. The quinone electron carriers were incorporated in supported dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine layers at physiological molar fractions (<3 mol%). The elaborate bilayer template contained a built-in gold electrode at which the redox molecules solubilized in the bilayer were reduced or oxidized. The lateral diffusion coefficient of a natural quinone like UQ10 or PQ9 was 2.0 +/- 0.4 x 10(-8) cm2 s(-1) at 30 degrees C, two to three times smaller than the diffusion coefficient of a lipid analog in the same artificial bilayer. The lateral mobilities of the oxidized or reduced forms could be determined separately and were found to be identical in the 4-13 pH range. For a series of isoprenoid quinones, UQ2 or PQ2 to UQ10, the diffusion coefficient exhibited a marked dependence on the length of the isoprenoid chain. The data fit very well the quantitative behavior predicted by a continuum fluid model in which the isoprenoid chains are taken as rigid particles moving in the less viscous part of the bilayer and rubbing against the more viscous layers of lipid heads. The present study supports the concept of a homogeneous pool of quinone located in the less viscous region of the bilayer. PMID:9545054

Segmented all-electron Gaussian basis sets of double and triple zeta qualities for Fr, Ra, and Ac

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campos, C. T.; de Oliveira, A. Z.; Ferreira, I. B.; Jorge, F. E.; Martins, L. S. C.

2017-05-01

Segmented all-electron basis sets of valence double and triple zeta qualities plus polarization functions for the elements Fr, Ra, and Ac are generated using non-relativistic and Douglas-Kroll-Hess (DKH) Hamiltonians. The sets are augmented with diffuse functions with the purpose to describe appropriately the electrons far from the nuclei. At the DKH-B3LYP level, first atomic ionization energies and bond lengths, dissociation energies, and polarizabilities of a sample of diatomics are calculated. Comparison with theoretical and experimental data available in the literature is carried out. It is verified that despite the small sizes of the basis sets, they are yet reliable.

Length distributions of Au-catalyzed III-V nanowires in different regimes of the diffusion-induced growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berdnikov, Y.; Zhiglinsky, A. A.; Rylkova, M. V.; Dubrovskii, V. G.

2017-11-01

We present a model for kinetic broadening effects on the length distributions of Au-catalyzed III-V nanowires obtained in the growth regime with adatom diffusion from the substrate and the nanowire sidewalls to the top. We observe three different regimes for the length distribution evolution with time. For short growth times, the length distribution is sub-Poissonian, converting to broader than Poissonian with increasing the mean length above a certain threshold value. After the diffusion flux from the nanowire sidewalls has stabilized, the length distribution variance increases linearly with the mean length, as in the Poissonian process.

Diffusion length variation and proton damage coefficients for InP/In(x)Ga(1-x)As/GaAs solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jain, R. K.; Weinberg, I.; Flood, D. J.

1993-01-01

Indium phosphide solar cells are more radiation resistant than gallium arsenide and silicon solar cells, and their growth by heteroepitaxy offers additional advantages leading to the development of lighter, mechanically strong and cost-effective cells. Changes in heteroepitaxial InP cell efficiency under 0.5 and 3 MeV proton irradiations are explained by the variation in the minority-carrier diffusion length. The base diffusion length versus proton fluence is calculated by simulating the cell performance. The diffusion length damage coefficient K(L) is plotted as a function of proton fluence.

Response of GaAs charge storage devices to transient ionizing radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hetherington, D. L.; Klem, J. F.; Hughes, R. C.; Weaver, H. T.

Charge storage devices in which non-equilibrium depletion regions represent stored charge are sensitive to ionizing radiation. This results since the radiation generates electron-hole pairs that neutralize excess ionized dopant charge. Silicon structures, such as dynamic RAM or CCD cells are particularly sensitive to radiation since carrier diffusion lengths in this material are often much longer than the depletion width, allowing collection of significant quantities of charge from quasi-neutral sections of the device. For GaAs the situation is somewhat different in that minority carrier diffusion lengths are shorter than in silicon, and although mobilities are higher, we expect a reduction of radiation sensitivity as suggested by observations of reduced quantum efficiency in GaAs solar cells. Dynamic memory cells in GaAs have potential increased retention times. In this paper, we report the response of a novel GaAs dynamic memory element to transient ionizing radiation. The charge readout technique is nondestructive over a reasonable applied voltage range and is more sensitive to stored charge than a simple capacitor.

Positron annihilation spectroscopic studies of solvothermally synthesized ZnO nanobipyramids and nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghoshal, Tandra; Biswas, Subhajit; Kar, Soumitra; Chaudhuri, Subhadra; Nambissan, P. M. G.

2008-02-01

Zinc oxide (ZnO) samples in the form of hexagonal-based bipyramids and particles of nanometer dimensions were synthesized through solvothermal route and characterized by x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Positron annihilation experiments were performed to study the structural defects such as vacancies and surfaces in these nanosystems. From coincidence Doppler broadening measurements, the positron trapping sites were identified as Zn vacancies or Zn-O-Zn trivacancy clusters. The positron lifetimes, their relative intensities, and the Doppler broadened lineshape parameter S all showed characteristic changes across the nanobipyramid size corresponding to the thermal diffusion length of positrons. In large nanobipyramids, vacancies within the crystallites also trapped positrons and the effects of agglomeration of such vacancies due to increased temperatures of synthesis were reflected in the variation of the annihilation parameters with their base diameters. The sizes of the nanoparticles used were all in the limit of thermal diffusion length of positrons and the annihilation characteristics were in accordance with the decreasing contribution from surfaces with increasing particle size.

Positron annihilation spectroscopic studies of solvothermally synthesized ZnO nanobipyramids and nanoparticles.

PubMed

Ghoshal, Tandra; Biswas, Subhajit; Kar, Soumitra; Chaudhuri, Subhadra; Nambissan, P M G

2008-02-21

Zinc oxide (ZnO) samples in the form of hexagonal-based bipyramids and particles of nanometer dimensions were synthesized through solvothermal route and characterized by x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Positron annihilation experiments were performed to study the structural defects such as vacancies and surfaces in these nanosystems. From coincidence Doppler broadening measurements, the positron trapping sites were identified as Zn vacancies or Zn-O-Zn trivacancy clusters. The positron lifetimes, their relative intensities, and the Doppler broadened lineshape parameter S all showed characteristic changes across the nanobipyramid size corresponding to the thermal diffusion length of positrons. In large nanobipyramids, vacancies within the crystallites also trapped positrons and the effects of agglomeration of such vacancies due to increased temperatures of synthesis were reflected in the variation of the annihilation parameters with their base diameters. The sizes of the nanoparticles used were all in the limit of thermal diffusion length of positrons and the annihilation characteristics were in accordance with the decreasing contribution from surfaces with increasing particle size.

Stress and efficiency studies in EFG

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1986-01-01

The goals of this program were: (1) to define minimum stress configurations for silicon sheet growth at high speeds; (2) to quantify dislocation electrical activity and their limits on minority carrier diffusion length in deformed silicon; and (3) to study reasons for degradation of lifetime with increases in doping level in edge-defined film-fed growth (EFG) materials. A finite element model was developed for calculating residual stress with plastic deformation. A finite element model was verified for EFG control variable relationships to temperature field of the sheet to permit prediction of profiles and stresses encountered in EFG systems. A residual stress measurement technique was developed for finite size EFG material blanks using shadow Moire interferometry. Transient creep response of silicon was investigated in the temperature range between 800 and 1400 C in strain and strain regimes of interest in stress analysis of sheet growth. Quantitative relationships were established between minority carrier diffusion length and dislocation densities using Electron Beam Induced Current (EBIC) measurement in FZ silicon deformed in four point bending tests.

Volume nanograting formation in laser-silica interaction as a result of the 1D plasma-resonance ionization instability

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gildenburg, V. B., E-mail: gil@appl.sci-nnov.ru; Pavlichenko, I. A.; Institute of Applied Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Nizhny Novgorod 603950

2016-08-15

The initial stage of the small-scale ionization-induced instability developing inside the fused silica volume exposed to the femtosecond laser pulse is studied as a possible initial cause of the self-organized nanograting formation. We have calculated the spatial spectra of the instability with the electron-hole diffusion taken into account for the first time and have found that it results in the formation of some hybrid (diffusion-wave) 1D structure with the spatial period determined as the geometrical mean of the laser wavelength and characteristic diffusion length of the process considered. Near the threshold of the instability, this period occurs to be approximatelymore » equal to the laser half-wavelength in the silica, close to the one experimentally observed.« less

Diffusion lengths of silicon solar cells from luminescence images

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wuerfel, P.; Trupke, T.; Puzzer, T.

A method for spatially resolved measurement of the minority carrier diffusion length in silicon wafers and in silicon solar cells is introduced. The method, which is based on measuring the ratio of two luminescence images taken with two different spectral filters, is applicable, in principle, to both photoluminescence and electroluminescence measurements and is demonstrated experimentally by electroluminescence measurements on a multicrystalline silicon solar cell. Good agreement is observed with the diffusion length distribution obtained from a spectrally resolved light beam induced current map. In contrast to the determination of diffusion lengths from one single luminescence image, the method proposed heremore » gives absolute values of the diffusion length and, in comparison, it is much less sensitive to lateral voltage variations across the cell area as caused by local variations of the series resistance. It is also shown that measuring the ratio of two luminescence images allows distinguishing shunts or surface defects from bulk defects.« less

Localized Oscillatory Energy Conversion in Magnetopause Reconnection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burch, J. L.; Ergun, R. E.; Cassak, P. A.; Webster, J. M.; Torbert, R. B.; Giles, B. L.; Dorelli, J. C.; Rager, A. C.; Hwang, K.-J.; Phan, T. D.; Genestreti, K. J.; Allen, R. C.; Chen, L.-J.; Wang, S.; Gershman, D.; Le Contel, O.; Russell, C. T.; Strangeway, R. J.; Wilder, F. D.; Graham, D. B.; Hesse, M.; Drake, J. F.; Swisdak, M.; Price, L. M.; Shay, M. A.; Lindqvist, P.-A.; Pollock, C. J.; Denton, R. E.; Newman, D. L.

2018-02-01

Data from the NASA Magnetospheric Multiscale mission are used to investigate asymmetric magnetic reconnection at the dayside boundary between the Earth's magnetosphere and the solar wind. High-resolution measurements of plasmas and fields are used to identify highly localized ( 15 electron Debye lengths) standing wave structures with large electric field amplitudes (up to 100 mV/m). These wave structures are associated with spatially oscillatory energy conversion, which appears as alternatingly positive and negative values of J · E. For small guide magnetic fields the wave structures occur in the electron stagnation region at the magnetosphere edge of the electron diffusion region. For larger guide fields the structures also occur near the reconnection X-line. This difference is explained in terms of channels for the out-of-plane current (agyrotropic electrons at the stagnation point and guide field-aligned electrons at the X-line).

Role of spin polarization in FM/Al/FM trilayer film at low temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Ning; Webb, Richard

2014-03-01

Measurements of electronic transport in diffusive FM/normal metal/FM trilayer film are performed at temperature ranging from 2K to 300K to determine the behavior of the spin polarized current in normal metal under the influence of quantum phase coherence and spin-orbital interaction. Ten samples of Hall bar with length of 200 micron and width of 20 micron are fabricated through e-beam lithography followed by e-gun evaporation of Ni0.8Fe0.2, aluminum and Ni0.8Fe0.2 with different thickness (5nm to 45nm) in vacuum. At low temperature of 4.2K, coherent backscattering, Rashba spin-orbital interaction and spin flip scattering of conduction electrons contribute to magnetoresistance at low field. Quantitative analysis of magnetoresistance shows transition between weak localization and weak anti-localization for samples with different thickness ratio, which indicates the spin polarization actually affects the phase coherence length and spin-orbital scattering length. However, at temperature between 50K and 300K, only the spin polarization dominates the magnetoresistance.

Thermodynamic properties and transport coefficients of two-temperature helium thermal plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Xiaoxue; Murphy, Anthony B.; Li, Xingwen

2017-03-01

Helium thermal plasmas are in widespread use in arc welding and many other industrial applications. Simulation of these processes relies on accurate plasma property data, such as plasma composition, thermodynamic properties and transport coefficients. Departures from LTE (local thermodynamic equilibrium) generally occur in some regions of helium plasmas. In this paper, properties are calculated allowing for different values of the electron temperature, T e, and heavy-species temperature, T h, at atmospheric pressure from 300 K to 30 000 K. The plasma composition is first calculated using the mass action law, and the two-temperature thermodynamic properties are then derived. The viscosity, diffusion coefficients, electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity of the two-temperature helium thermal plasma are obtained using a recently-developed method that retains coupling between electrons and heavy species by including the electron-heavy-species collision term in the heavy-species Boltzmann equation. It is shown that the viscosity and the diffusion coefficients strongly depend on non-equilibrium ratio θ (θ ={{T}\\text{e}}/{{T}\\text{h}} ), through the plasma composition and the collision integrals. The electrical conductivity, which depends on the electron number density and ordinary diffusion coefficients, and the thermal conductivity have similar dependencies. The choice of definition of the Debye length is shown to affect the electrical conductivity significantly for θ  >  1. By comparing with literature data, it is shown that the coupling between electrons and heavy species has a significant influence on the electrical conductivity, but not on the viscosity. Plasma properties are tabulated in the supplementary data.

Diffusion length variation in 0.5- and 3-MeV-proton-irradiated, heteroepitaxial indium phosphide solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jain, Raj K.; Weinberg, Irving; Flood, Dennis J.

1993-01-01

Indium phosphide (InP) solar cells are more radiation resistant than gallium arsenide (GaAs) and silicon (Si) solar cells, and their growth by heteroepitaxy offers additional advantages leading to the development of light weight, mechanically strong, and cost-effective cells. Changes in heteroepitaxial InP cell efficiency under 0.5- and 3-MeV proton irradiations have been explained by the variation in the minority-carrier diffusion length. The base diffusion length versus proton fluence was calculated by simulating the cell performance. The diffusion length damage coefficient, K(sub L), was also plotted as a function of proton fluence.

Large area silicon sheet by EFG

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

Recent advances toward silicon growth stations and improved electronic quality of multiplesilicon are discussed. These advances were made in large measure by studies in which the composition of the gas environment around the meniscus area was varied. By introducing gases such as CO2, CO, and CH4 into this region, reproducible increases in diffusion length and cell performance were realized, with the best large area (5 cm x 10 cm) cells exceeding 11% efficiency.

Charge collection and pore filling in solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells.

PubMed

Snaith, Henry J; Humphry-Baker, Robin; Chen, Peter; Cesar, Ilkay; Zakeeruddin, Shaik M; Grätzel, Michael

2008-10-22

The solar to electrical power conversion efficiency for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) incorporating a solid-state organic hole-transporter can be over 5%. However, this is for devices significantly thinner than the optical depth of the active composites and by comparison to the liquid electrolyte based DSCs, which exhibit efficiencies in excess of 10%, more than doubling of this efficiency is clearly attainable if all the steps in the photovoltaic process can be optimized. Two issues are currently being addressed by the field. The first aims at enhancing the electron diffusion length by either reducing the charge recombination or enhancing the charge transport rates. This should enable a larger fraction of photogenerated charges to be collected. The second, though less actively investigated, aims to improve the physical composite formation, which in this instance is the infiltration of mesoporous TiO(2) with the organic hole-transporter 2,2',7,7'-tetrakis(N,N-di-p-methoxypheny-amine)-9,9'-spirobifluorene (spiro-MeOTAD). Here, we perform a broad experimental study to elucidate the limiting factors to the solar cell performance. We first investigate the charge transport and recombination in the solid-state dye-sensitized solar cell under realistic working conditions via small perturbation photovoltage and photocurrent decay measurements. From these measurements we deduce that the electron diffusion length near short-circuit is as long as 20 µm. However, at applied biases approaching open-circuit potential under realistic solar conditions, the diffusion length becomes comparable with the film thickness, ∼2 µm, illustrating that real losses to open-circuit voltage, fill factor and hence efficiency are occurring due to ineffective charge collection. The long diffusion length near short-circuit, on the other hand, illustrates that another process, separate from ineffective charge collection, is rendering the solar cell less than ideal. We investigate the process of TiO(2) mesopore infiltration with spiro-MeOTAD by examining the cross-sectional images of and performing photo-induced absorption spectroscopy on devices with a range of thickness, infiltrated with spiro-MeOTAD with a range of concentrations. We present our interpretation of the mechanism for material infiltration, and by improving the casting conditions demonstrate efficient charge collection through devices of over 7 µm in thickness. This investigation represents an improvement in our understanding of the limiting factors to the dye-sensitized solar cell. However, much work, focused on composite formation and improved kinetic competition, is required to realize the true potential of this concept.

Size dependent behavior of Fe 3O 4 crystals during electrochemical (de)lithiation: an in situ X-ray diffraction, ex situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and theoretical investigation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bock, David C.; Pelliccione, Christopher J.; Zhang, Wei

Here, the iron oxide magnetite, Fe 3O 4, is a promising conversion type lithium ion battery anode material due to its high natural abundance, low cost and high theoretical capacity. While the close packing of ions in the inverse spinel structure of Fe 3O 4 enables high energy density, it also limits the kinetics of lithium ion diffusion in the material. Nanosizing of Fe 3O 4 to reduce the diffusion path length is an effective strategy for overcoming this issue and results in improved rate capability. However, the impact of nanosizing on the multiple structural transformations that occur during themore » electrochemical (de)lithiation reaction in Fe 3O 4 is poorly understood. In this study, the influence of crystallite size on the lithiation-conversion mechanisms in Fe 3O 4 is investigated using complementary X-ray techniques along with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and continuum level simulations on electrodes of two different Fe 3O 4 crystallite sizes. In situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements were utilized to track the changes to the crystalline phases during (de)lithiation. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) measurements at multiple points during the (de)lithiation processes provided local electronic and atomic structural information. Tracking the crystalline and nanocrystalline phases during the first (de)lithiation provides experimental evidence that (1) the lithiation mechanism is non-uniform and dependent on crystallite size, where increased Li + diffusion length in larger crystals results in conversion to Fe 0 metal while insertion of Li + into spinel-Fe 3O 4 is still occurring, and (2) the disorder and size of the Fe metal domains formed when either material is fully lithiated impacts the homogeneity of the FeO phase formed during the subsequent delithiation.« less

Size dependent behavior of Fe 3O 4 crystals during electrochemical (de)lithiation: an in situ X-ray diffraction, ex situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and theoretical investigation

DOE PAGES

Bock, David C.; Pelliccione, Christopher J.; Zhang, Wei; ...

2017-07-17

Here, the iron oxide magnetite, Fe 3O 4, is a promising conversion type lithium ion battery anode material due to its high natural abundance, low cost and high theoretical capacity. While the close packing of ions in the inverse spinel structure of Fe 3O 4 enables high energy density, it also limits the kinetics of lithium ion diffusion in the material. Nanosizing of Fe 3O 4 to reduce the diffusion path length is an effective strategy for overcoming this issue and results in improved rate capability. However, the impact of nanosizing on the multiple structural transformations that occur during themore » electrochemical (de)lithiation reaction in Fe 3O 4 is poorly understood. In this study, the influence of crystallite size on the lithiation-conversion mechanisms in Fe 3O 4 is investigated using complementary X-ray techniques along with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and continuum level simulations on electrodes of two different Fe 3O 4 crystallite sizes. In situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements were utilized to track the changes to the crystalline phases during (de)lithiation. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) measurements at multiple points during the (de)lithiation processes provided local electronic and atomic structural information. Tracking the crystalline and nanocrystalline phases during the first (de)lithiation provides experimental evidence that (1) the lithiation mechanism is non-uniform and dependent on crystallite size, where increased Li + diffusion length in larger crystals results in conversion to Fe 0 metal while insertion of Li + into spinel-Fe 3O 4 is still occurring, and (2) the disorder and size of the Fe metal domains formed when either material is fully lithiated impacts the homogeneity of the FeO phase formed during the subsequent delithiation.« less

Measurement of Diffusion in Entangled Rod-Coil Triblock Copolymers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olsen, B. D.; Wang, M.

2012-02-01

Although rod-coil block copolymers have attracted increasing attention for functional nanomaterials, their dynamics relevant to self-assembly and processing have not been widely investigated. Because the rod and coil blocks have different reptation behavior and persistence lengths, the mechanism by which block copolymers will diffuse is unclear. In order to understand the effect of the rigid block on reptation, tracer diffusion of a coil-rod-coil block copolymer through an entangled coil polymer matrix was experimentally measured. A monodisperse, high molecular weight coil-rod-coil triblock was synthesized using artificial protein engineering to prepare the helical rod and bioconjugaiton of poly(ethylene glycol) coils to produce the final triblock. Diffusion measurements were performed using Forced Rayleigh scattering (FRS), at varying ratios of the rod length to entanglement length, where genetic engineering is used to control the protein rod length and the polymer matrix concentration controls the entanglement length. As compared to PEO homopolymer tracers, the coil-rod-coil triblocks show markedly slower diffusion, suggesting that the mismatch between rod and coil reptation mechanisms results in hindered diffusion of these molecules in the entangled state.

Steady motion of skyrmions and domains walls under diffusive spin torques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elías, Ricardo Gabriel; Vidal-Silva, Nicolas; Manchon, Aurélien

2017-03-01

We explore the role of the spin diffusion of conducting electrons in two-dimensional magnetic textures (domain walls and skyrmions) with spatial variation of the order of the spin precession length λex. The effect of diffusion reflects in four additional torques that are third order in spatial derivatives of magnetization and bilinear in λex and in the nonadiabatic parameter β'. In order to study the dynamics of the solitons when these diffusive torques are present, we derive the Thiele equation in the limit of steady motion and we compare the results with the nondiffusive limit. When considering a homogenous current these torques increase the longitudinal velocity of transverse domain walls of width Δ by a factor (λex/Δ)2(α/3), α being the magnetic damping constant. In the case of single skyrmions with core radius r0these new contributions tend to increase the Magnus effect in an amount proportional to (λex/r0) 2(1 +2 α β') .

Electronic shot noise in fractal conductors.

PubMed

Groth, C W; Tworzydło, J; Beenakker, C W J

2008-05-02

By solving a master equation in the Sierpiński lattice and in a planar random-resistor network, we determine the scaling with size L of the shot noise power P due to elastic scattering in a fractal conductor. We find a power-law scaling P proportional, variantL;{d_{f}-2-alpha}, with an exponent depending on the fractal dimension d_{f} and the anomalous diffusion exponent alpha. This is the same scaling as the time-averaged current I[over ], which implies that the Fano factor F=P/2eI[over ] is scale-independent. We obtain a value of F=1/3 for anomalous diffusion that is the same as for normal diffusion, even if there is no smallest length scale below which the normal diffusion equation holds. The fact that F remains fixed at 1/3 as one crosses the percolation threshold in a random-resistor network may explain recent measurements of a doping-independent Fano factor in a graphene flake.

Dependence of Ion Dynamics on the Polymer Chain Length in Poly(ethylene oxide)-Based Polymer Electrolytes.

PubMed

Chattoraj, Joyjit; Knappe, Marisa; Heuer, Andreas

2015-06-04

It is known from experiments that in the polymer electrolyte system, which contains poly(ethylene oxide) chains (PEO), lithium-cations (Li(+)), and bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide-anions (TFSI(-)), the cation and the anion diffusion and the ionic conductivity exhibit a similar chain-length dependence: with increasing chain length, they start dropping steadily, and later, they saturate to constant values. These results are surprising because Li-cations are strongly correlated with the polymer chains, whereas TFSI-anions do not have such bonding. To understand this phenomenon, we perform molecular dynamics simulations of this system for four different polymer chain lengths. The diffusion results obtained from our simulations display excellent agreement with the experimental data. The cation transport model based on the Rouse dynamics can successfully quantify the Li-diffusion results, which correlates Li diffusion with the polymer center-of-mass motion and the polymer segmental motion. The ionic conductivity as a function of the chain length is then estimated based on the chain-length-dependent ion diffusion, which shows a temperature-dependent deviation for short chain lengths. We argue that in the first regime, counterion correlations modify the conductivity, whereas for the long chains, the system behaves as a strong electrolyte.

Electron radiography

DOEpatents

Merrill, Frank E.; Morris, Christopher

2005-05-17

A system capable of performing radiography using a beam of electrons. Diffuser means receive a beam of electrons and diffuse the electrons before they enter first matching quadrupoles where the diffused electrons are focused prior to the diffused electrons entering an object. First imaging quadrupoles receive the focused diffused electrons after the focused diffused electrons have been scattered by the object for focusing the scattered electrons. Collimator means receive the scattered electrons and remove scattered electrons that have scattered to large angles. Second imaging quadrupoles receive the collimated scattered electrons and refocus the collimated scattered electrons and map the focused collimated scattered electrons to transverse locations on an image plane representative of the electrons' positions in the object.

A hybrid model describing ion induced kinetic electron emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanke, S.; Duvenbeck, A.; Heuser, C.; Weidtmann, B.; Wucher, A.

2015-06-01

We present a model to describe the kinetic internal and external electron emission from an ion bombarded metal target. The model is based upon a molecular dynamics treatment of the nuclear degree of freedom, the electronic system is assumed as a quasi-free electron gas characterized by its Fermi energy, electron temperature and a characteristic attenuation length. In a series of previous works we have employed this model, which includes the local kinetic excitation as well as the rapid spread of the generated excitation energy, in order to calculate internal and external electron emission yields within the framework of a Richardson-Dushman-like thermionic emission model. However, this kind of treatment turned out to fail in the realistic prediction of experimentally measured internal electron yields mainly due to the restriction of the treatment of electronic transport to a diffusive manner. Here, we propose a slightly modified approach additionally incorporating the contribution of hot electrons which are generated in the bulk material and undergo ballistic transport towards the emitting interface.

A Graphene-Based Terahertz Hot Electron Bolometer with Johnson Noise Readout

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miao, W.; Gao, H.; Wang, Z.; Zhang, W.; Ren, Y.; Zhou, K. M.; Shi, S. C.; Yu, C.; He, Z. Z.; Liu, Q. B.; Feng, Z. H.

2018-05-01

In this paper, we present the development of a graphene-based hot electron bolometer with Johnson noise readout. The bolometer is a graphene microbridge connected to a log spiral antenna by Au contact pads. The Fourier transform spectrometer measurement shows the bolometer has high coupling efficiency in the frequency range from 0.3 to 1.6 THz. Using 300/77 K blackbody loads, we measure an optical noise equivalent power of 5.6 × 10-12 W/Hz0.5 at 3.0 K. To understand the thermal transport inside the graphene microbridge, we measure the bolometers with different microbridge lengths at different bath temperatures. We find that the thermal conductance due to electron diffusion is significant in the bolometers.

Two-dimensional numerical model for the high electron mobility transistor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loret, Dany

1987-11-01

A two-dimensional numerical drift-diffusion model for the High Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT) is presented. Special attention is paid to the modeling of the current flow over the heterojunction. A finite difference scheme is used to solve the equations, and a variable mesh spacing was implemented to cope with the strong variations of functions near the heterojunction. Simulation results are compared to experimental data for a 0.7 μm gate length device. Small-signal transconductances and cut-off frequency obtained from the 2-D model agree well with the experimental values from S-parameter measurements. It is shown that the numerical models give good insight into device behaviour, including important parasitic effects such as electron injection into the bulk GaAs.

Recent development of a jet-diffuser ejector

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alperin, M.; Wu, J. J.

1980-01-01

The paper considers thrust augmenting ejectors in which the processes of mixing and diffusion are partly carried out downstream of the ejector solid surfaces. A jet sheet surrounding the periphery of a widely diverging diffuser prevents separation and forms a gaseous, curved surface to provide effective diffuser ratio and additional length for mixing of primary and induced flows. Three-dimensional potential flow methods achieved a large reduction in the length of the associated solid surface; primary nozzle design further reduced the volume required by the jet-diffuser ejectors, resulting in thrust augmentation in excess of two, and an overall length of about 2 1/2 times the throat width.

Evaluation of surface tension and Tolman length as a function of droplet radius from experimental nucleation rate and supersaturation ratio: metal vapor homogeneous nucleation.

PubMed

Onischuk, A A; Purtov, P A; Baklanov, A M; Karasev, V V; Vosel, S V

2006-01-07

Zinc and silver vapor homogeneous nucleations are studied experimentally at the temperature from 600 to 725 and 870 K, respectively, in a laminar flow diffusion chamber with Ar as a carrier gas at atmospheric pressure. The size, shape, and concentration of aerosol particles outcoming the diffusion chamber are analyzed by a transmission electron microscope and an automatic diffusion battery. The wall deposit is studied by a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Using SEM data the nucleation rate for both Zn and Ag is estimated as 10(10) cm(-3) s(-1). The dependence of critical supersaturation on temperature for Zn and Ag measured in this paper as well as Li, Na, Cs, Ag, Mg, and Hg measured elsewhere is analyzed. To this aim the classical nucleation theory is extended by the dependence of surface tension on the nucleus radius. The preexponent in the formula for the vapor nucleation rate is derived using the formula for the work of formation of noncritical embryo [obtained by Nishioka and Kusaka [J. Chem. Phys. 96, 5370 (1992)] and later by Debenedetti and Reiss [J. Chem. Phys. 108, 5498 (1998)

Path-length-resolved dynamic light scattering in highly scattering random media: The transition to diffusing wave spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bizheva, Kostadinka K.; Siegel, Andy M.; Boas, David A.

1998-12-01

We used low coherence interferometry to measure Brownian motion within highly scattering random media. A coherence gate was applied to resolve the optical path-length distribution and to separate ballistic from diffusive light. Our experimental analysis provides details on the transition from single scattering to light diffusion and its dependence on the system parameters. We found that the transition to the light diffusion regime occurs at shorter path lengths for media with higher scattering anisotropy or for larger numerical aperture of the focusing optics.

Band gap modulation of graphene by metal substrate: A first principles study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahoo, Mihir Ranjan; Sahu, Sivabrata; Kushwaha, Anoop Kumar; Nayak, S. K.

2018-04-01

Due to high in-plane charge carrier mobility with high electron velocity and long spin diffusion length, graphene guarantees as a completely unique material for devices with various applications. Unaffected 2pz orbitals of carbon atoms in graphene can be highly influenced by substrates and leads to tuning in electronic properties. We report here a density functional calculation of graphene monolayer based on metallic substrate like nickel surfaces. Band-gap of graphene near K points opens due to interactions between 2pz and d-orbitals of nickel atoms and the gap modulation can be done with the increasing number of layers of substrates.

Analysis of drift effects on the tokamak power scrape-off width using SOLPS-ITER

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meier, E. T.; Goldston, R. J.; Kaveeva, E. G.; Makowski, M. A.; Mordijck, S.; Rozhansky, V. A.; Senichenkov, I. Yu; Voskoboynikov, S. P.

2016-12-01

SOLPS-ITER, a comprehensive 2D scrape-off layer modeling package, is used to examine the physical mechanisms that set the scrape-off width ({λq} ) for inter-ELM power exhaust. Guided by Goldston’s heuristic drift (HD) model, which shows remarkable quantitative agreement with experimental data, this research examines drift effects on {λq} in a DIII-D H-mode magnetic equilibrium. As a numerical expedient, a low target recycling coefficient of 0.9 is used in the simulations, resulting in outer target plasma that is sheath limited instead of conduction limited as in the experiment. Scrape-off layer (SOL) particle diffusivity (D SOL) is scanned from 1 to 0.1 m2 s-1. Across this diffusivity range, outer divertor heat flux is dominated by a narrow (˜3-4 mm when mapped to the outer midplane) electron convection channel associated with thermoelectric current through the SOL from outer to inner divertor. An order-unity up-down ion pressure asymmetry allows net ion drift flux across the separatrix, facilitated by an artificial mechanism that mimics the anomalous electron transport required for overall ambipolarity in the HD model. At {{D}\\text{SOL}}=0.1 m2 s-1, the density fall-off length is similar to the electron temperature fall-off length, as predicted by the HD model and as seen experimentally. This research represents a step toward a deeper understanding of the power scrape-off width, and serves as a basis for extending fluid modeling to more experimentally relevant, high-collisionality regimes.

Analysis of drift effects on the tokamak power scrape-off width using SOLPS-ITER

DOE PAGES

Meier, E. T.; Goldston, R. J.; Kaveeva, E. G.; ...

2016-11-02

SOLPS-ITER, a comprehensive 2D scrape-off layer modeling package, is used to examine the physical mechanisms that set the scrape-off width (more » $${{\\lambda}_{q}}$$ ) for inter-ELM power exhaust. Guided by Goldston's heuristic drift (HD) model, which shows remarkable quantitative agreement with experimental data, this research examines drift effects on $${{\\lambda}_{q}}$$ in a DIII-D H-mode magnetic equilibrium. As a numerical expedient, a low target recycling coefficient of 0.9 is used in the simulations, resulting in outer target plasma that is sheath limited instead of conduction limited as in the experiment. Scrape-off layer (SOL) particle diffusivity (D SOL) is scanned from 1 to 0.1 m2 s –1. Across this diffusivity range, outer divertor heat flux is dominated by a narrow (~3–4mm when mapped to the outer midplane) electron convection channel associated with thermoelectric current through the SOL from outer to inner divertor. An order-unity up–down ion pressure asymmetry allows net ion drift flux across the separatrix, facilitated by an artificial mechanism that mimics the anomalous electron transport required for overall ambipolarity in the HD model. At $${{D}_{\\text{SOL}}}=0.1$$ m2 s –1, the density fall-off length is similar to the electron temperature fall-off length, as predicted by the HD model and as seen experimentally. Furthermore, this research represents a step toward a deeper understanding of the power scrape-off width, and serves as a basis for extending fluid modeling to more experimentally relevant, high-collisionality regimes.« less

Local Coulomb explosion of boron nitride nanotubes under electron beam irradiation.

PubMed

Wei, Xianlong; Tang, Dai-Ming; Chen, Qing; Bando, Yoshio; Golberg, Dmitri

2013-04-23

In many previous reports, the engineering of nanostructures using electron beam irradiation (EBI) in a high vacuum has primarily been based on the knock-on atom displacement. Herein, we report a new phenomenon under EBI that can also be effectively used to engineer a nanostructure: local Coulomb explosion (LCE) of cantilevered multiwalled boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) resulted from their profound positive charging. The nanotubes are gradually shortened, while the tubular shells at free ends are torn into graphene-like pieces and then removed during LCE. The phenomenon is dependent not only on the characteristics of an incident electron beam, as in the case of a common knock-on process, but also on the cantilevered tube length. Only after the electron beam density and tube length exceed the threshold values can LCE take place, and the threshold value for one of the parameters decreases with increasing the value of the other one. A model based on the diffusion of electron-irradiation-induced holes along a BNNT is proposed to describe the positive charge accumulation and can well explain the observed LCE. LCE opens up an efficient and versatile way to engineer BNNTs and other dielectric nanostructures with a shorter time and a lower beam density than those required for the knock-on effect-based engineering.

Hot Electrons from Two-Plasmon Decay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Russell, D. A.; Dubois, D. F.

2000-10-01

We solve, self-consistently, the relativistic quasilinear diffusion equation and Zakharov's model equations of Langmuir wave (LW) and ion acoustic wave (IAW) turbulence, in two dimensions, for saturated states of the Two-Plasmon Decay instability. Parameters are those of the shorter gradient scale-length (50 microns) high temperature (4 keV) inhomogeneous plasmas anticipated at LLE’s Omega laser facility. We calculate the fraction of incident laser power absorbed in hot electron production as a function of laser intensity for a plane-wave laser field propagating parallel to the background density gradient. Two distinct regimes are identified: In the strong-turbulent regime, hot electron bursts occur intermittently in time, well correlated with collapse in the LW and IAW fields. A significant fraction of the incident laser power ( ~10%) is absorbed by hot electrons during a single burst. In the weak or convective regime, relatively constant rates of hot electron production are observed at much reduced intensities.

Electronic Holography with a Broad Spectrum Laser for Time Gated Imaging Through Highly Scattering Media.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shih, Marian Pei-Ling

The problem of optical imaging through a highly scattering volume diffuser, in particular, biological tissue, has received renewed interest in recent years because of a search for alternative imaging diagnostics in the optical wavelengths for the early detection of human breast cancer. This dissertation discusses the optical imaging of objects obscured by diffusers that contribute an otherwise overwhelming degree of multiple scatter. Many optical imaging techniques are based on the first-arriving light principle. These methods usually combine a transilluminating optical short pulse with a time windowing gate in order to form a flat shadowgraph image of absorbing objects either embedded within or hidden behind a scattering medium. The gate selectively records an image of the first-arriving light, while simultaneously rejecting the later-arriving scattered light. One set of the many implementations of the first -arriving light principle relies on the gating property of holography. This thesis presents several holographic optical gating experiments that demonstrate the role that the temporal coherence function of the illumination source plays in the imaging of all objects with short coherence length holography, with special emphasis on the application to image through diffusers and its resolution capabilities. Previous researchers have already successfully combined electronic holography, holography in which the recording medium is a two dimensional detector array instead of photographic film, with light-in-flight holography into a short coherence length holography method that images through various types of multiply scattering random media, including chicken breast tissue and wax. This thesis reports further experimental exploration of the short coherence holography method for imaging through severely scattering diffusers. There is a study on the effectiveness of spatial filtering of the first-arriving light, as well as a report of the imaging, by means of the short coherence holographic method, of an absorber through a living human hand. This thesis also includes both theoretical analyses and experimental results of a spectral dispersion holography system which, instead of optically synthesizing the broad spectrum illumination source that is used for the short coherence holography method, digitally synthesizes a broad spectrum hologram from a collection of single frequency component holograms. This system has the time gating properties of short coherence length holography, as well as experimentally demonstrated applications for imaging through multiply scattering media.

Short circuit current changes in electron irradiated GaAlAs/GaAs solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walker, G. H.; Conway, E. J.

1978-01-01

Heteroface p-GaAlAs/p-GaAs/n-GaAs solar cells with junction depths of 0.8, 1.5, and 4 microns were irradiated with 1 MeV electrons. The short-circuit current for the 4 micron junction depth cells is significantly reduced by the electron irradiation. Reduction of the junction depth to 1.5 microns improves the electron radiation resistance of the cells while further reduction of the junction depth to 0.8 microns improves the stability of the cells even more. Primary degradation is in the blue region of the spectrum. Considerable recovery of lost response is obtained by annealing the cells at 200 C. Computer modeling shows that the degradation is caused primarily by a reduction in the minority carrier diffusion length in the p-GaAs.

Analysis of the interaction of an electron beam with a solar cell. I. II

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Von Roos, O.

1978-01-01

The short-circuit current generated by the electron beam of a scanning electron microscope when it impinges on the N-P junction of a solar cell is known to be dependent on the configuration used to investigate the cell's response, and the situation for one specific configuration is analyzed. This configuration is the case in which the highly collimated electron beam strikes the edge of a planar junction a variable distance away from the edge of the depletion layer. An earlier treatment is generalized to encompass the ohmic contact at the back surface. The analysis employing Fourier and Wiener-Hopf techniques shows that it is impractical to determine the bulk diffusion length of a solar cell by a SEM used in the studied configuration unless the ohmic contact is partially removed.

Electron scattering in graphene with adsorbed NaCl nanoparticles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Drabińska, Aneta, E-mail: Aneta.Drabinska@fuw.edu.pl; Kaźmierczak, Piotr; Bożek, Rafał

2015-01-07

In this work, the results of contactless magnetoconductance and Raman spectroscopy measurements performed for a graphene sample after its immersion in NaCl solution were presented. The properties of the immersed sample were compared with those of a non-immersed reference sample. Atomic force microscopy and electron spin resonance experiments confirmed the deposition of NaCl nanoparticles on the graphene surface. A weak localization signal observed using contactless magnetoconductance showed the reduction of the coherence length after NaCl treatment of graphene. Temperature dependence of the coherence length indicated a change from ballistic to diffusive regime in electron transport after NaCl treatment. The mainmore » inelastic scattering process was of the electron-electron type but the major reason for the reduction of the coherence length at low temperatures was additional, temperature independent, inelastic scattering. We associate it with spin flip scattering, caused by NaCl nanoparticles present on the graphene surface. Raman spectroscopy showed an increase in the D and D′ bands intensities for graphene after its immersion in NaCl solution. An analysis of the D, D′, and G bands intensities proved that this additional scattering is related to the decoration of vacancies and grain boundaries with NaCl nanoparticles, as well as generation of new on-site defects as a result of the decoration of the graphene surface with NaCl nanoparticles. The observed energy shifts of 2D and G bands indicated that NaCl deposition on the graphene surface did not change carrier concentration, but reduced compressive biaxial strain in the graphene layer.« less

Near Field Imaging of Charge Transport in Gallium Nitride and Zinc Oxide Nanostructures

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-12-01

distribution of recombination luminescence . While researching the diffusion lengths of these structures, the author also observed that many of these... diffusion length of these structures can be extracted. E. NEAR FIELD IMAGING WITH NEAR FIELD SCANNING OPTICAL MICROSCOPY Near field scanning optical...composite AFM/NSOM images and the slope analysis to extract Ld, the minority carrier diffusion length , as described in Chapter 3. In all cases, excitation

Scanning tunneling spectroscopy study of the proximity effect in a disordered two-dimensional metal.

PubMed

Serrier-Garcia, L; Cuevas, J C; Cren, T; Brun, C; Cherkez, V; Debontridder, F; Fokin, D; Bergeret, F S; Roditchev, D

2013-04-12

The proximity effect between a superconductor and a highly diffusive two-dimensional metal is revealed in a scanning tunneling spectroscopy experiment. The in situ elaborated samples consist of superconducting single crystalline Pb islands interconnected by a nonsuperconducting atomically thin disordered Pb wetting layer. In the vicinity of each superconducting island the wetting layer acquires specific tunneling characteristics which reflect the interplay between the proximity-induced superconductivity and the inherent electron correlations of this ultimate diffusive two-dimensional metal. The observed spatial evolution of the tunneling spectra is accounted for theoretically by combining the Usadel equations with the theory of dynamical Coulomb blockade; the relevant length and energy scales are extracted and found in agreement with available experimental data.

Isolating lattice from electronic contributions in thermal transport measurements of metals and alloys above ambient temperature and an adiabatic model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Criss, Everett M.; Hofmeister, Anne M.

2017-06-01

From femtosecond spectroscopy (fs-spectroscopy) of metals, electrons and phonons reequilibrate nearly independently, which contrasts with models of heat transfer at ordinary temperatures (T > 100 K). These electronic transfer models only agree with thermal conductivity (k) data at a single temperature, but do not agree with thermal diffusivity (D) data. To address the discrepancies, which are important to problems in solid state physics, we separately measured electronic (ele) and phononic (lat) components of D in many metals and alloys over ˜290-1100 K by varying measurement duration and sample length in laser-flash experiments. These mechanisms produce distinct diffusive responses in temperature versus time acquisitions because carrier speeds (u) and heat capacities (C) differ greatly. Electronic transport of heat only operates for a brief time after heat is applied because u is high. High Dele is associated with moderate T, long lengths, low electrical resistivity, and loss of ferromagnetism. Relationships of Dele and Dlat with physical properties support our assignments. Although kele reaches ˜20 × klat near 470 K, it is transient. Combining previous data on u with each D provides mean free paths and lifetimes that are consistent with ˜298 K fs-spectroscopy, and new values at high T. Our findings are consistent with nearly-free electrons absorbing and transmitting a small fraction of the incoming heat, whereas phonons absorb and transmit the majority. We model time-dependent, parallel heat transfer under adiabatic conditions which is one-dimensional in solids, as required by thermodynamic law. For noninteracting mechanisms, k≅ΣCikiΣCi/(ΣCi2). For metals, this reduces to k = klat above ˜20 K, consistent with our measurements, and shows that Meissner’s equation (k≅klat + kele) is invalid above ˜20 K. For one mechanism with multiple, interacting carriers, k≅ΣCiki/(ΣCi). Thus, certain dynamic behaviors of electrons and phonons in metals have been misunderstood. Implications for theoretical models and technological advancements are briefly discussed.

Diffusion length of positrons and positronium investigated using a positronbeam with longitudinal geometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Petegem, S.; Dauwe, C.; van Hoecke, T.; de Baerdemaeker, J.; Segers, D.

2004-09-01

Positronium emission from single crystalline Al2O3 , MgO and vitreous a-SiO2 surfaces was studied as a function of the positron implantation energy E by means of Doppler broadening spectroscopy and Compton-to-peak ratio analysis. When the Ge-detector is in-line with the positron beam, the emission of para-positronium yields a red-shifted fly-away peak with intensity IpPse . An analysis of IpPse versus E for Al2O3 and MgO where no Ps is formed in the bulk (fPs=0) results in positron diffusion lengths L+(Al2O3)=(18±1)nm and L+(MgO)=(14±1)nm , and efficiencies for the emission of Ps by picking up of a surface electron of fpu(Al2O3)=(0.28±0.2) and fpu(MgO)=(0.24±0.2) . For a-SiO2 the bulk Ps fraction is fPs(a-SiO2)=(0.72±0.01) , fpu(a-SiO2)=(0.12±0.01) and the diffusion lengths of positrons, para-positronium and ortho-positronium are L+(SiO2)=(8±2)nm , LpPs(SiO2)=(14.5±2)nm and LoPs(SiO2)=(11±2)=nm . Depending on the specimen-detector geometry the emission of Ps at low implantation energy may cause either an increase or a decrease of the width of the annihilation line shape at low implantation energies.

Measurement of radon diffusion in polyethylene based on alpha detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rau, Wolfgang

2012-02-01

Radon diffusion in different materials has been measured in the past. Usually the diffusion measurements are based on a direct determination of the amount of radon that diffuses through a thin layer of material. Here we present a method based on the measurement of the radon daughter products which are deposited inside the material. Looking at the decay of 210Po allows us to directly measure the exponential diffusion profile characterized by the diffusion length. In addition we can determine the solubility of radon in PE. We also describe a second method to determine the diffusion constant based on the short-lived radon daughter products 218Po and 214Po, using the identical experimental setup. Measurements for regular polyethylene (PE) and High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (HMWPE) yielded diffusion lengths of (1.3±0.3) mm and (0.8±0.2) mm and solubilities of 0.5±0.1 and 0.7±0.2, respectively, for the first method; the diffusion lengths extracted from the second method are noticeably larger which may be caused by different experimental conditions during diffusion.

Fractal Theory and Field Cover Experiments: Implications for the Fractal Characteristics and Radon Diffusion Behavior of Soils and Rocks.

PubMed

Tan, Wanyu; Li, Yongmei; Tan, Kaixuan; Duan, Xianzhe; Liu, Dong; Liu, Zehua

2016-12-01

Radon diffusion and transport through different media is a complex process affected by many factors. In this study, the fractal theories and field covering experiments were used to study the fractal characteristics of particle size distribution (PSD) of six kinds of geotechnical materials (e.g., waste rock, sand, laterite, kaolin, mixture of sand and laterite, and mixture of waste rock and laterite) and their effects on radon diffusion. In addition, the radon diffusion coefficient and diffusion length were calculated. Moreover, new formulas for estimating diffusion coefficient and diffusion length functional of fractal dimension d of PSD were proposed. These results demonstrate the following points: (1) the fractal dimension d of the PSD can be used to characterize the property of soils and rocks in the studies of radon diffusion behavior; (2) the diffusion coefficient and diffusion length decrease with increasing fractal dimension of PSD; and (3) the effectiveness of final covers in reducing radon exhalation of uranium tailings impoundments can be evaluated on the basis of the fractal dimension of PSD of materials.

Electrical and optical characterization of surface passivation in GaAs nanowires.

PubMed

Chang, Chia-Chi; Chi, Chun-Yung; Yao, Maoqing; Huang, Ningfeng; Chen, Chun-Chung; Theiss, Jesse; Bushmaker, Adam W; Lalumondiere, Stephen; Yeh, Ting-Wei; Povinelli, Michelle L; Zhou, Chongwu; Dapkus, P Daniel; Cronin, Stephen B

2012-09-12

We report a systematic study of carrier dynamics in Al(x)Ga(1-x)As-passivated GaAs nanowires. With passivation, the minority carrier diffusion length (L(diff)) increases from 30 to 180 nm, as measured by electron beam induced current (EBIC) mapping, and the photoluminescence (PL) lifetime increases from sub-60 ps to 1.3 ns. A 48-fold enhancement in the continuous-wave PL intensity is observed on the same individual nanowire with and without the Al(x)Ga(1-x)As passivation layer, indicating a significant reduction in surface recombination. These results indicate that, in passivated nanowires, the minority carrier lifetime is not limited by twin stacking faults. From the PL lifetime and minority carrier diffusion length, we estimate the surface recombination velocity (SRV) to range from 1.7 × 10(3) to 1.1 × 10(4) cm·s(-1), and the minority carrier mobility μ is estimated to lie in the range from 10.3 to 67.5 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) for the passivated nanowires.

Diffusion Study on Dissolved Hydrogen toward Effective Bioremediation of Chlorinated Ethenes in Aquitards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoshikawa, M.; Zhang, M.; Takeuchi, M.; Komai, T.

2010-12-01

In Japan, the demand for in-situ remediation of contaminated sediments is expected to increase in the future due to the recent amendment of Soil Contamination Countermeasures Act. The Japanese law requires remediating not only contaminated groundwater but also contaminated sediments including those in aquitards. In-situ remediation of contaminated aquitards has been a challenging issue and bioremediation is considered to be one of the effective techniques. In microbial degradation of chrolinated ethenes such as tetrachloroethene and trichloroethene under anaerobic environments, dissolved hydrogen plays an important role. The dechlorinating microbes utilize hydrogen and chlorinated ethenes as an electron donor and an electron accepter, respectively. The size of hydrogen molecule is extremely small and the diffusion rate of dissolved hydrogen in an aquitard would be the key factor that controls the process of microbial dechlorination. However, the diffusion behavior of dissolved hydrogen in subsurface sediments remains unclear. The purposes of this study are to develop a practically utilizable test apparatus, carry out a series of dissolved hydrogen diffusion tests on representative samples, and illustrate the applicability of bioremediation in aquitards. A completely leak-free apparatus was developed by using aluminum alloy and gas tight rubber. This apparatus is capable of testing specimens with a diameter as large as 100 mm by a length from 5 mm to 10 mm, depending on the maximum grain size within a test specimen. Preliminary tests have been performed with glass beads as an ideal material, commercially available kaolin clay, and core samples taken from a polluted site containing clay minerals. The effective diffusion coefficients of these samples were all on the order of 10E-10 m2/s, though their coefficients of permeability varied between the orders of 10E-2 and 10E-7 cm/s. These results showed that there was no obvious relationship between the effective diffusion coefficient of hydrogen and coefficient of permeability. This observation indicates that dissolved hydrogen also diffuses through hydraulically-tight soil particles and bioremediation of chlorinated ethenes in aquitards would be possible from the aspect of electron donor supply.

Probing sub-alveolar length scales with hyperpolarized-gas diffusion NMR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Wilson; Carl, Michael; Mooney, Karen; Mugler, John; Cates, Gordon

2009-05-01

Diffusion MRI of the lung is a promising technique for detecting alterations of normal lung microstructure in diseases such as emphysema. The length scale being probed using this technique is related to the time scale over which the helium-3 or xenon-129 diffusion is observed. We have developed new MR pulse sequence methods for making diffusivity measurements at sub-millisecond diffusion times, allowing one to probe smaller length scales than previously possible in-vivo, and opening the possibility of making quantitative measurements of the ratio of surface area to volume (S/V) in the lung airspaces. The quantitative accuracy of simulated and experimental measurements in microstructure phantoms will be discussed, and preliminary in-vivo results will be presented.

Molecular diffusion of stable water isotopes in polar firn as a proxy for past temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holme, Christian; Gkinis, Vasileios; Vinther, Bo M.

2018-03-01

Polar precipitation archived in ice caps contains information on past temperature conditions. Such information can be retrieved by measuring the water isotopic signals of δ18O and δD in ice cores. These signals have been attenuated during densification due to molecular diffusion in the firn column, where the magnitude of the diffusion is isotopologue specific and temperature dependent. By utilizing the differential diffusion signal, dual isotope measurements of δ18O and δD enable multiple temperature reconstruction techniques. This study assesses how well six different methods can be used to reconstruct past surface temperatures from the diffusion-based temperature proxies. Two of the methods are based on the single diffusion lengths of δ18O and δD , three of the methods employ the differential diffusion signal, while the last uses the ratio between the single diffusion lengths. All techniques are tested on synthetic data in order to evaluate their accuracy and precision. We perform a benchmark test to thirteen high resolution Holocene data sets from Greenland and Antarctica, which represent a broad range of mean annual surface temperatures and accumulation rates. Based on the benchmark test, we comment on the accuracy and precision of the methods. Both the benchmark test and the synthetic data test demonstrate that the most precise reconstructions are obtained when using the single isotope diffusion lengths, with precisions of approximately 1.0 °C . In the benchmark test, the single isotope diffusion lengths are also found to reconstruct consistent temperatures with a root-mean-square-deviation of 0.7 °C . The techniques employing the differential diffusion signals are more uncertain, where the most precise method has a precision of 1.9 °C . The diffusion length ratio method is the least precise with a precision of 13.7 °C . The absolute temperature estimates from this method are also shown to be highly sensitive to the choice of fractionation factor parameterization.

Measuring charge carrier diffusion in coupled colloidal quantum dot solids.

PubMed

Zhitomirsky, David; Voznyy, Oleksandr; Hoogland, Sjoerd; Sargent, Edward H

2013-06-25

Colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) are attractive materials for inexpensive, room-temperature-, and solution-processed optoelectronic devices. A high carrier diffusion length is desirable for many CQD device applications. In this work we develop two new experimental methods to investigate charge carrier diffusion in coupled CQD solids under charge-neutral, i.e., undepleted, conditions. The methods take advantage of the quantum-size-effect tunability of our materials, utilizing a smaller-bandgap population of quantum dots as a reporter system. We develop analytical models of diffusion in 1D and 3D structures that allow direct extraction of diffusion length from convenient parametric plots and purely optical measurements. We measure several CQD solids fabricated using a number of distinct methods and having significantly different doping and surface ligand treatments. We find that CQD materials recently reported to achieve a certified power conversion efficiency of 7% with hybrid organic-inorganic passivation have a diffusion length of 80 ± 10 nm. The model further allows us to extract the lifetime, trap density, mobility, and diffusion coefficient independently in each material system. This work will facilitate further progress in extending the diffusion length, ultimately leading to high-quality CQD solid semiconducting materials and improved CQD optoelectronic devices, including CQD solar cells.

Assessment of passive muscle elongation using Diffusion Tensor MRI: Correlation between fiber length and diffusion coefficients.

PubMed

Mazzoli, Valentina; Oudeman, Jos; Nicolay, Klaas; Maas, Mario; Verdonschot, Nico; Sprengers, Andre M; Nederveen, Aart J; Froeling, Martijn; Strijkers, Gustav J

2016-12-01

In this study we investigated the changes in fiber length and diffusion parameters as a consequence of passive lengthening and stretching of the calf muscles. We hypothesized that changes in radial diffusivity (RD) are caused by changes in the muscle fiber cross sectional area (CSA) as a consequence of lengthening and shortening of the muscle. Diffusion Tensor MRI (DT-MRI) measurements were made twice in five healthy volunteers, with the foot in three different positions (30° plantarflexion, neutral position and 15° dorsiflexion). The muscles of the calf were manually segmented on co-registered high resolution anatomical scans, and maps of RD and axial diffusivity (AD) were reconstructed from the DT-MRI data. Fiber tractography was performed and mean fiber length was calculated for each muscle group. Significant negative correlations were found between the changes in RD and changes in fiber length in the dorsiflexed and plantarflexed positions, compared with the neutral foot position. Changes in AD did not correlate with changes in fiber length. Assuming a simple cylindrical model with constant volume for the muscle fiber, the changes in the muscle fiber CSA were calculated from the changes in fiber length. In line with our hypothesis, we observed a significant positive correlation of the CSA with the measured changes in RD. In conclusion, we showed that changes in diffusion coefficients induced by passive muscle stretching and lengthening can be explained by changes in muscle CSA, advancing the physiological interpretation of parameters derived from skeletal muscle DT-MRI. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Resolving ultrafast exciton migration in organic solids at the nanoscale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ginsberg, Naomi

The migration of Frenkel excitons, tightly-bound electron-hole pairs, in photosynthesis and in organic semiconducting films is critical to the efficiency of natural and artificial light harvesting. While these materials exhibit a high degree of structural heterogeneity on the nanoscale, traditional measurements of exciton migration lengths are performed on bulk samples. Since both the characteristic length scales of structural heterogeneity and the reported bulk diffusion lengths are smaller than the optical diffraction limit, we adapt far-field super-resolution fluorescence imaging to uncover the correlations between the structural and energetic landscapes that the excitons explore. By combining the ultrafast super-resolved measurements with exciton hopping simulations we furthermore specify the nature (in addition to the extent) of exciton migration as a function of the intrinsic and ensemble chromophore energy scales that determine a spatio-energetic landscape for migration. In collaboration with: Samuel Penwell, Lucas Ginsberg, University of California, Berkeley and Rodrigo Noriega University of Utah.

THE DIFFUSION LENGTH OF THERMAL NEUTRONS IN PORTLAND CONCRETE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dugdale, R.A.; Healy, E.

1957-10-01

A measurement of the diffusion length of thermal neutrons in Portland concrete, originally raade by Salmon two years previously, has been repeated. An apparent decrease from 7.04 cm to 6.61 cm has oocurred. This change, which is only four times the standard deviation of the result, could be due to a small increase in water content. In assessing the amount required, a discrepancy between calculated and measured diffusion length was found. Possible explanations of the discrepancy are discussed. (auth)

Transport Imaging of Spatial Distribution of Mobility-Lifetime (Micro Tau) Product in Bulk Semiconductors for Nuclear Radiation Detection

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-01

the diffusion length L and the mobility-lifetime product  from the luminescence distribution using the 2D model for transport imaging in bulk...C. Scandrett, and N. M. Haegel, “Three-dimensional transport imaging for the spatially resolved determination of carrier diffusion length in bulk...that allows measurements of the diffusion length and extraction of the  product in luminescent materials without the need for device processing

Effective defect diffusion lengths in Ar-ion bombarded 3C-SiC

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bayu Aji, L. B.; Wallace, J. B.; Shao, L.

Above room temperature, SiC exhibits pronounced processes of diffusion and interaction of radiation-generated point defects. Here, we use the recently developed pulsed ion beam method to measure effective defect diffusion lengths in 3C-SiC bombarded in the temperature range of 25–200 °C with 500 keV Ar ions. Results reveal a diffusion length of ~10 nm, which exhibits a weak temperature dependence, changing from 9 to 13 nm with increasing temperature. Lastly, these results have important implications for understanding and predicting radiation damage in SiC and for the development of radiation-resistant materials via interface-mediated defect reactions.

Effective defect diffusion lengths in Ar-ion bombarded 3C-SiC

DOE PAGES

Bayu Aji, L. B.; Wallace, J. B.; Shao, L.; ...

2016-04-14

Above room temperature, SiC exhibits pronounced processes of diffusion and interaction of radiation-generated point defects. Here, we use the recently developed pulsed ion beam method to measure effective defect diffusion lengths in 3C-SiC bombarded in the temperature range of 25–200 °C with 500 keV Ar ions. Results reveal a diffusion length of ~10 nm, which exhibits a weak temperature dependence, changing from 9 to 13 nm with increasing temperature. Lastly, these results have important implications for understanding and predicting radiation damage in SiC and for the development of radiation-resistant materials via interface-mediated defect reactions.

Experimental measurement of coil-rod-coil block copolymer tracer diffusion through entangled coil homopolymers

PubMed Central

Wang, Muzhou; Timachova, Ksenia; Olsen, Bradley D.

2014-01-01

The diffusion of coil-rod-coil triblock copolymers in entangled coil homopolymers is experimentally measured and demonstrated to be significantly slower than rod or coil homopolymers of the same molecular weight. A model coil-rod-coil triblock was prepared by expressing rodlike alanine-rich α-helical polypeptides in E. coli and conjugating coillike poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) to both ends to form coil-rod-coil triblock copolymers. Tracer diffusion through entangled PEO homopolymer melts was measured using forced Rayleigh scattering at various rod lengths, coil molecular weights, and coil homopolymer concentrations. For rod lengths, L, that are close to the entanglementh length, a, the ratio between triblock diffusivity and coil homopolymer diffusivity decreases monotonically and is only a function of L/a, in quantitative agreement with previous simulation results. For large rod lengths, diffusion follows an arm retraction scaling, which is also consistent with previous theoretical predictions. These experimental results support the key predictions of theory and simulation, suggesting that the mismatch in curvature between rod and coil entanglement tubes leads to the observed diffusional slowing. PMID:25484454

Quasiparticle and excitonic gaps of one-dimensional carbon chains.

PubMed

Mostaani, E; Monserrat, B; Drummond, N D; Lambert, C J

2016-06-01

We report diffusion quantum Monte Carlo (DMC) calculations of the quasiparticle and excitonic gaps of hydrogen-terminated oligoynes and extended polyyne. The electronic gaps are found to be very sensitive to the atomic structure in these systems. We have therefore optimised the geometry of polyyne by directly minimising the DMC energy with respect to the lattice constant and the Peierls-induced carbon-carbon bond-length alternation. We find the bond-length alternation of polyyne to be 0.136(2) Å and the excitonic and quasiparticle gaps to be 3.30(7) and 3.4(1) eV, respectively. The DMC zone-centre longitudinal optical phonon frequency of polyyne is 2084(5) cm(-1), which is consistent with Raman spectroscopic measurements for large oligoynes.

Diffusion-limited mixing by incompressible flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miles, Christopher J.; Doering, Charles R.

2018-05-01

Incompressible flows can be effective mixers by appropriately advecting a passive tracer to produce small filamentation length scales. In addition, diffusion is generally perceived as beneficial to mixing due to its ability to homogenize a passive tracer. However we provide numerical evidence that, in cases where advection and diffusion are both actively present, diffusion may produce negative effects by limiting the mixing effectiveness of incompressible optimal flows. This limitation appears to be due to the presence of a limiting length scale given by a generalised Batchelor length (Batchelor 1959 J. Fluid Mech. 5 113–33). This length scale limitation may in turn affect long-term mixing rates. More specifically, we consider local-in-time flow optimisation under energy and enstrophy flow constraints with the objective of maximising the mixing rate. We observe that, for enstrophy-bounded optimal flows, the strength of diffusion may not impact the long-term mixing rate. For energy-constrained optimal flows, however, an increase in the strength of diffusion can decrease the mixing rate. We provide analytical lower bounds on mixing rates and length scales achievable under related constraints (point-wise bounded speed and rate-of-strain) by extending the work of Lin et al (2011 J. Fluid Mech. 675 465–76) and Poon (1996 Commun. PDE 21 521–39).

The SPARC_LAB Thomson source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vaccarezza, C.; Alesini, D.; Anania, M. P.; Bacci, A.; Biagioni, A.; Bisesto, F.; Bellaveglia, M.; Cardarelli, P.; Cardelli, F.; Cianchi, A.; Chiadroni, E.; Croia, M.; Curcio, A.; Delogu, P.; Giovenale, D. Di; Domenico, G. Di; Pirro, G. Di; Drebot, I.; Ferrario, M.; Filippi, F.; Gallo, A.; Galletti, M.; Gambaccini, M.; Giribono, A.; Golosio, B.; Li, W.; Mostacci, A.; Oliva, P.; Palmer, D.; Petrillo, V.; Petrarca, M.; Pioli, S.; Piersanti, L.; Pompili, R.; Romeo, S.; Rossi, A. R.; Scifo, J.; Serafini, L.; Suliman, G.; Villa, F.

2016-09-01

The SPARC_LAB Thomson source is a compact X-ray source based on the Thomson backscattering process presently under its second phase of commissioning at the LNF. The electron beam energy ranges between 30 and 150 MeV, the electrons collide head-on with the Ti:Sapphire FLAME laser pulse the energy of which ranges between 1 and 5 J with pulse lengths in the 25 fs-10 ps range, this provides an X-ray energy tunability in the range of 20-500 keV, with the further capability to generate strongly non-linear phenomena and to drive diffusion processes due to multiple and plural scattering effects. The experimental results of the obtained X-ray radiation are presented.

Correlation of doping, structure, and carrier dynamics in a single GaN nanorod

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Xiang; Lu, Ming-Yen; Lu, Yu-Jung; Gwo, Shangjr; Gradečak, Silvija

2013-06-01

We report the nanoscale optical investigation of a single GaN p-n junction nanorod by cathodoluminescence (CL) in a scanning transmission electron microscope. CL emission characteristic of dopant-related transitions was correlated to doping and structural defect in the nanorod, and used to determine p-n junction position and minority carrier diffusion lengths of 650 nm and 165 nm for electrons and holes, respectively. Temperature-dependent CL study reveals an activation energy of 19 meV for non-radiative recombination in Mg-doped GaN nanorods. These results directly correlate doping, structure, carrier dynamics, and optical properties of GaN nanostructure, and provide insights for device design and fabrication.

Importance of σ Bonding Electrons for the Accurate Description of Electron Correlation in Graphene.

PubMed

Zheng, Huihuo; Gan, Yu; Abbamonte, Peter; Wagner, Lucas K

2017-10-20

Electron correlation in graphene is unique because of the interplay between the Dirac cone dispersion of π electrons and long-range Coulomb interaction. Because of the zero density of states at Fermi level, the random phase approximation predicts no metallic screening at long distance and low energy, so one might expect that graphene should be a poorly screened system. However, empirically graphene is a weakly interacting semimetal, which leads to the question of how electron correlations take place in graphene at different length scales. We address this question by computing the equal time and dynamic structure factor S(q) and S(q,ω) of freestanding graphene using ab initio fixed-node diffusion Monte Carlo simulations and the random phase approximation. We find that the σ electrons contribute strongly to S(q,ω) for relevant experimental values of ω even at distances up to around 80 Å. These findings illustrate how the emergent physics from underlying Coulomb interactions results in the observed weakly correlated semimetal.

Edge roughness evaluation method for quantifying at-size beam blur in electron-beam lithography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoshizawa, Masaki; Moriya, Shigeru

2000-07-01

At-size beam blur at any given pattern size of an electron beam (EB) direct writer, HL800D, was quantified using the new edge roughness evaluation (ERE) method to optimize the electron-optical system. We characterized the two-dimensional beam-blur dependence on the electron deflection length of the EB direct writer. The results indicate that the beam blur ranged from 45 nm to 56 nm in a deflection field 2520 micrometer square. The new ERE method is based on the experimental finding that line edge roughness of a resist pattern is inversely proportional to the slope of the Gaussian-distributed quasi-beam-profile (QBP) proposed in this paper. The QBP includes effects of the beam blur, electron forward scattering, acid diffusion in chemically amplified resist (CAR), the development process, and aperture mask quality. The application the ERE method to investigating the beam-blur fluctuation demonstrates the validity of the ERE method in characterizing the electron-optical column conditions of EB projections such as SCALPEL and PREVAIL.

Linker-based control of electron propagation through ferrocene moieties covalently anchored onto insulator-based nanopores derived from a polystyrene-poly(methylmethacrylate) diblock copolymer.

PubMed

Li, Feng; Pandey, Bipin; Ito, Takashi

2012-12-04

This paper reports the effects of linker length on electron propagation through ferrocene moieties covalently anchored onto insulator-based cylindrical nanopores derived from a cylinder-forming polystyrene-poly(methylmethacrylate) diblock copolymer. These nanopores (24 nm in diameter, 30 nm long) aligned perpendicular to an underlying gold electrode were modified via esterification of their surface COOH groups with OH-terminated ferrocene derivatives having different alkyl linkers (FcCO(CH(2))(n)OH; n = 2, 5, 15). Cyclic voltammograms were measured in 0.1 M NaBF(4) at different scan rates to assess the efficiency of electron propagation through the ferrocene moieties. The redox peaks of the anchored ferrocenes were observed at nanoporous films decorated with FcCO(CH(2))(15)OH and FcCO(CH(2))(5)OH, but not at those with FcCO(CH(2))(2)OH. Importantly, the higher electron propagation efficiency was observed in the use of the longer linker, as shown by the apparent diffusion coefficients (ca. 10(-12) cm(2)/s for n = 15; ca. 10(-13) cm(2)/s for n = 5; no electron propagation for n = 2). The observed electron propagation resulted from electron hopping across relatively large spacing that was controlled by the motion of anchored redox sites (bounded diffusion). The longer linker led to the larger physical displacement range of anchored ferrocene moieties, facilitating the approach of the adjacent ferrocene moieties within a distance required for electron self-exchange reaction. The linker-based control of redox-involved electron propagation on nanostructured, insulating surfaces will provide a means for designing novel molecular electronics and electrochemical sensors.

Tailorable Exciton Transport in Doped Peptide–Amphiphile Assemblies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Solomon, Lee A.; Sykes, Matthew E.; Wu, Yimin A.

Light-harvesting biomaterials are an attractive target in photovoltaics, photocatalysis, and artificial photosynthesis. Through peptide self-assembly, complex nanostructures can be engineered to study the role of chromophore organization during light absorption and energy transport. To this end, we demonstrate the one-dimensional transport of excitons along naturally occurring, light-harvesting, Zn-protoporphyrin IX chromophores within self-assembled peptide-amphiphile nanofibers. The internal structure of the nanofibers induces packing of the porphyrins into linear chains. We find that this peptide assembly can enable long-range exciton diffusion, yet it also induces the formation of excimers between adjacent molecules, which serve as exciton traps. Electronic coupling between neighboring porphyrinmore » molecules is confirmed by various spectroscopic methods. The exciton diffusion process is then probed through transient photoluminescence and absorption measurements and fit to a model for one-dimensional hopping. Because excimer formation impedes exciton hopping, increasing the interchromophore spacing allows for improved diffusivity, which we control through porphyrin doping levels. We show that diffusion lengths of over 60 nm are possible at low porphyrin doping, representing an order of magnitude improvement over the highest doping fractions.« less

Tailorable Exciton Transport in Doped Peptide-Amphiphile Assemblies.

PubMed

Solomon, Lee A; Sykes, Matthew E; Wu, Yimin A; Schaller, Richard D; Wiederrecht, Gary P; Fry, H Christopher

2017-09-26

Light-harvesting biomaterials are an attractive target in photovoltaics, photocatalysis, and artificial photosynthesis. Through peptide self-assembly, complex nanostructures can be engineered to study the role of chromophore organization during light absorption and energy transport. To this end, we demonstrate the one-dimensional transport of excitons along naturally occurring, light-harvesting, Zn-protoporphyrin IX chromophores within self-assembled peptide-amphiphile nanofibers. The internal structure of the nanofibers induces packing of the porphyrins into linear chains. We find that this peptide assembly can enable long-range exciton diffusion, yet it also induces the formation of excimers between adjacent molecules, which serve as exciton traps. Electronic coupling between neighboring porphyrin molecules is confirmed by various spectroscopic methods. The exciton diffusion process is then probed through transient photoluminescence and absorption measurements and fit to a model for one-dimensional hopping. Because excimer formation impedes exciton hopping, increasing the interchromophore spacing allows for improved diffusivity, which we control through porphyrin doping levels. We show that diffusion lengths of over 60 nm are possible at low porphyrin doping, representing an order of magnitude improvement over the highest doping fractions.

Interacting Cosmic Rays with Molecular Clouds: A Bremsstrahlung Origin of Diffuse High-energy Emission from the Inner 2°×1° of the Galactic Center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yusef-Zadeh, F.; Hewitt, J. W.; Wardle, M.; Tatischeff, V.; Roberts, D. A.; Cotton, W.; Uchiyama, H.; Nobukawa, M.; Tsuru, T. G.; Heinke, C.; Royster, M.

2013-01-01

The high-energy activity in the inner few degrees of the Galactic center is traced by diffuse radio, X-ray, and γ-ray emission. The physical relationship between different components of diffuse gas emitting at multiple wavelengths is a focus of this work. We first present radio continuum observations using the Green Bank Telescope and model the nonthermal spectrum in terms of a broken power-law distribution of ~GeV electrons emitting synchrotron radiation. We show that the emission detected by Fermi is primarily due to nonthermal bremsstrahlung produced by the population of synchrotron emitting electrons in the GeV energy range interacting with neutral gas. The extrapolation of the electron population measured from radio data to low and high energies can also explain the origin of Fe I 6.4 keV line and diffuse TeV emission, as observed with Suzaku, XMM-Newton, Chandra, and the H.E.S.S. observatories. The inferred physical quantities from modeling multiwavelength emission in the context of bremsstrahlung emission from the inner ~300 × 120 pc of the Galactic center are constrained to have the cosmic-ray ionization rate ~1-10 × 10-15 s-1, molecular gas heating rate elevating the gas temperature to 75-200 K, fractional ionization of molecular gas 10-6-10-5, large-scale magnetic field 10-20 μG, the density of diffuse and dense molecular gas ~100 and ~103 cm-3 over 300 pc and 50 pc path lengths, and the variability of Fe I Kα 6.4 keV line emission on yearly timescales. Important implications of our study are that GeV electrons emitting in radio can explain the GeV γ-rays detected by Fermi and that the cosmic-ray irradiation model, like the model of the X-ray irradiation triggered by past activity of Sgr A*, can also explain the origin of the variable 6.4 keV emission from Galactic center molecular clouds.

INTERACTING COSMIC RAYS WITH MOLECULAR CLOUDS: A BREMSSTRAHLUNG ORIGIN OF DIFFUSE HIGH-ENERGY EMISSION FROM THE INNER 2 Degree-Sign Multiplication-Sign 1 Degree-Sign OF THE GALACTIC CENTER

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yusef-Zadeh, F.; Roberts, D. A.; Royster, M.

2013-01-01

The high-energy activity in the inner few degrees of the Galactic center is traced by diffuse radio, X-ray, and {gamma}-ray emission. The physical relationship between different components of diffuse gas emitting at multiple wavelengths is a focus of this work. We first present radio continuum observations using the Green Bank Telescope and model the nonthermal spectrum in terms of a broken power-law distribution of {approx}GeV electrons emitting synchrotron radiation. We show that the emission detected by Fermi is primarily due to nonthermal bremsstrahlung produced by the population of synchrotron emitting electrons in the GeV energy range interacting with neutral gas.more » The extrapolation of the electron population measured from radio data to low and high energies can also explain the origin of Fe I 6.4 keV line and diffuse TeV emission, as observed with Suzaku, XMM-Newton, Chandra, and the H.E.S.S. observatories. The inferred physical quantities from modeling multiwavelength emission in the context of bremsstrahlung emission from the inner {approx}300 Multiplication-Sign 120 pc of the Galactic center are constrained to have the cosmic-ray ionization rate {approx}1-10 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -15} s{sup -1}, molecular gas heating rate elevating the gas temperature to 75-200 K, fractional ionization of molecular gas 10{sup -6}-10{sup -5}, large-scale magnetic field 10-20 {mu}G, the density of diffuse and dense molecular gas {approx}100 and {approx}10{sup 3} cm{sup -3} over 300 pc and 50 pc path lengths, and the variability of Fe I K{alpha} 6.4 keV line emission on yearly timescales. Important implications of our study are that GeV electrons emitting in radio can explain the GeV {gamma}-rays detected by Fermi and that the cosmic-ray irradiation model, like the model of the X-ray irradiation triggered by past activity of Sgr A*, can also explain the origin of the variable 6.4 keV emission from Galactic center molecular clouds.« less

Screening of a dust particle charge in a humid air plasma created by an electron beam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filippov, A. V.; Derbenev, I. N.; Kurkin, S. A.

2018-01-01

A kinetic model has been developed for charged particle reactions in a humid air plasma produced by a fast electron beam. The model includes over 550 reactions with electrons, 33 positive ion species and 14 negative ion species. The model has been tested by solving 48 non-steady state equations for number densities of charged particles in humid air electron beam plasma, and by comparing with the available experimental data. The system of 48 steady state equations has been solved by iterative method in order to define the main ion species of the humid air plasma. A reduced kinetic model has been developed to describe the processes with the main ions and electrons. Screening constants have been calculated on the basis of the reduced system by means of Leverrier-Fadeev method. The dependencies of screening constants on gas ionization rates have been found for the rates from 10 to 1018 cm-3s-1 and the fraction of water molecules from 0 to 2%. The analysis of the constants has revealed that one of them is close to the inverse Debye length, and the other constants are defined by the inverse diffusion lengths passed by ions in the characteristic times of the attachment, recombination, and ion conversion. Pure imaginary screening constants appear at low rates of gas ionization.

Electronic transport in low dimensions: Carbon nanotubes and mesoscopic silver wires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghanem, Tarek Khairy

This thesis explores the physics of low-dimensional electronic conductors using two materials systems, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and lithographically-defined silver nanowires. In order to understand the intrinsic electronic properties of CNTs, it is important to eliminate the contact effects from the measurements. Here, this is accomplished by using a conductive-tip atomic force microscope cantilever as a local electrode in order to obtain length dependent transport properties. The CNT-movable electrode contact is fully characterized, and is largely independent of voltage bias conditions, and independent of the contact force beyond a certain threshold. The contact is affected by the fine positioning of the cantilever relative to the CNT due to parasitic lateral motion of the cantilever during the loading cycle, which, if not controlled, can lead to non-monotonic behavior of contact resistance vs. force. Length dependent transport measurements are reported for several metallic and semiconducting CNTs. The resistance versus length R(L) of semiconducting CNTs is linear in the on state. For the depleted state R(L) is linear for long channel lengths, but non-linear for short channel lengths due to the long depletion lengths in one-dimensional semiconductors. Transport remains diffusive under all depletion conditions, due to both low disorder and high temperature. The study of quantum corrections to classical conductivity in mesoscopic conductors is an essential tool for understanding phase coherence in these systems. A long standing discrepancy between theory and experiment regards the phase coherence time, which is expected theoretically to grow as a power law at low temperatures, but is experimentally found to saturate. The origins of this saturation have been debated for the last decade, with the main contenders being intrinsic decoherence by zero-point fluctuations of the electrons, and decoherence by dilute magnetic impurities. Here, the phase coherence time in quasi-one-dimensional silver wires is measured. The phase coherence times obtained from the weak localization correction to the conductivity at low magnetic field show saturation, while those obtained from universal conductance fluctuations at high field do not. This indicates that, for these samples, the origin of phase coherence time saturation obtained from weak localization is extrinsic, due to the presence of dilute magnetic impurities.

Surface photovoltage method extended to silicon solar cell junction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, E. Y.; Baraona, C. R.; Brandhorst, H. W., Jr.

1974-01-01

The conventional surface photovoltage (SPV) method is extended to the measurement of the minority carrier diffusion length in diffused semiconductor junctions of the type used in a silicon solar cell. The minority carrier diffusion values obtained by the SPV method agree well with those obtained by the X-ray method. Agreement within experimental error is also obtained between the minority carrier diffusion lengths in solar cell diffusion junctions and in the same materials with n-regions removed by etching, when the SPV method was used in the measurements.

On the channel width-dependence of the thermal conductivity in ultra-narrow graphene nanoribbons

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Karamitaheri, Hossein; Neophytou, Neophytos, E-mail: N.Neophytou@warwick.ac.uk

The thermal conductivity of low-dimensional materials and graphene nanoribbons, in particular, is limited by the strength of line-edge-roughness scattering. One way to characterize the roughness strength is the dependency of the thermal conductivity on the channel's width in the form W{sup β}. Although in the case of electronic transport, this dependency is very well studied, resulting in W{sup 6} for nanowires and quantum wells and W{sup 4} for nanoribbons, in the case of phonon transport it is not yet clear what this dependence is. In this work, using lattice dynamics and Non-Equilibrium Green's Function simulations, we examine the width dependencemore » of the thermal conductivity of ultra-narrow graphene nanoribbons under the influence of line edge-roughness. We show that the exponent β is in fact not a single well-defined number, but it is different for different parts of the phonon spectrum depending on whether phonon transport is ballistic, diffusive, or localized. The exponent β takes values β < 1 for semi-ballistic phonon transport, values β ≫ 1 for sub-diffusive or localized phonons, and β = 1 only in the case where the transport is diffusive. The overall W{sup β} dependence of the thermal conductivity is determined by the width-dependence of the dominant phonon modes (usually the acoustic ones). We show that due to the long phonon mean-free-paths, the width-dependence of thermal conductivity becomes a channel length dependent property, because the channel length determines whether transport is ballistic, diffusive, or localized.« less

Lifetime and diffusion length measurements on silicon material and solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Othmer, S.; Chen, S. C.

1978-01-01

Experimental methods were evaluated for the determination of lifetime and diffusion length in silicon intentionally doped with potentially lifetime-degrading impurities found in metallurgical grade silicon, impurities which may be residual in low-cost silicon intended for use in terrestrial flat-plate arrays. Lifetime measurements were made using a steady-state photoconductivity method. Diffusion length determinations were made using short-circuit current measurements under penetrating illumination. Mutual consistency among all experimental methods was verified, but steady-state photoconductivity was found preferable to photoconductivity decay at short lifetimes and in the presence of traps. The effects of a number of impurities on lifetime in bulk material, and on diffusion length in cells fabricated from this material, were determined. Results are compared with those obtained using different techniques. General agreement was found in terms of the hierarchy of impurities which degrade the lifetime.

The effects of electron and proton radiation on GaSb infrared solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gruenbaum, P. E.; Avery, J. E.; Fraas, L. M.

1991-01-01

Gallium antimonide (GaSb) infrared solar cells were exposed to 1 MeV electrons and protons up to fluences of 1 times 10(exp 15) cm (-2) and 1 times 10(exp 12) cm (-2) respectively. In between exposures, current voltage and spectral response curves were taken. The GaSb cells were found to degrade slightly less than typical GaAs cells under electron irradiation, and calculations from spectral response curves showed that the damage coefficient for the minority carrier diffusion length was 3.5 times 10(exp 8). The cells degraded faster than GaAs cells under proton irradiation. However, researchers expect the top cell and coverglass to protect the GaSb cell from most damaging protons. Some annealing of proton damage was observed at low temperatures (80 to 160 C).

Effects of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles on the longitudinal and transverse relaxation of hyperpolarized xenon gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burant, Alex; Antonacci, Michael; McCallister, Drew; Zhang, Le; Branca, Rosa Tamara

2018-06-01

SuperParamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles (SPIONs) are often used in magnetic resonance imaging experiments to enhance Magnetic Resonance (MR) sensitivity and specificity. While the effect of SPIONs on the longitudinal and transverse relaxation time of 1H spins has been well characterized, their effect on highly diffusive spins, like those of hyperpolarized gases, has not. For spins diffusing in linear magnetic field gradients, the behavior of the magnetization is characterized by the relative size of three length scales: the diffusion length, the structural length, and the dephasing length. However, for spins diffusing in non-linear gradients, such as those generated by iron oxide nanoparticles, that is no longer the case, particularly if the diffusing spins experience the non-linearity of the gradient. To this end, 3D Monte Carlo simulations are used to simulate the signal decay and the resulting image contrast of hyperpolarized xenon gas near SPIONs. These simulations reveal that signal loss near SPIONs is dominated by transverse relaxation, with little contribution from T1 relaxation, while simulated image contrast and experiments show that diffusion provides no appreciable sensitivity enhancement to SPIONs.

Room-temperature ballistic energy transport in molecules with repeating units

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rubtsova, Natalia I.; Nyby, Clara M.; Zhang, Hong

2015-06-07

In materials, energy can propagate by means of two limiting regimes: diffusive and ballistic. Ballistic energy transport can be fast and efficient and often occurs with a constant speed. Using two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy methods, we discovered ballistic energy transport via individual polyethylene chains with a remarkably high speed of 1440 m/s and the mean free path length of 14.6 Å in solution at room temperature. Whereas the transport via the chains occurs ballistically, the mechanism switches to diffusive with the effective transport speed of 130 m/s at the end-groups attached to the chains. A unifying model of the transport inmore » molecules is presented with clear time separation and additivity among the transport along oligomeric fragments, which occurs ballistically, and the transport within the disordered fragments, occurring diffusively. The results open new avenues for making novel elements for molecular electronics, including ultrafast energy transporters, controlled chemical reactors, and sub-wavelength quantum nanoseparators.« less

Diffusive transport of several hundred keV electrons in the Earth's slot region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Q.; Li, W.; Thorne, R. M.; Bortnik, J.

2017-12-01

We investigate the gradual diffusion of energetic electrons from the inner edge of the outer radiation belt into the slot region. The Van Allen Probes observed slow inward diffusion and decay of 200-600 keV electrons following the intense geomagnetic storm that occurred on 17 March 2013. During the 10-day non-disturbed period following the storm, the peak of electron fluxes gradually moved from L 2.7 to L 2.4, and the flux levels decreased by a factor of 2-4 depending on the electron energy. We simulated the radial intrusion and decay of electrons using a 3-dimentional diffusion code, which reproduced the energy-dependent transport of electrons from 100 keV to 1 MeV in the slot region. At energies of 100-200 keV, the electrons experience fast transport across the slot region due to the dominance of radial diffusion; at energies of 200-600 keV, the electrons gradually diffuse and decay in the slot region due to the comparable radial diffusion rate and pitch angle scattering rate by plasmaspheric hiss; at energies of E > 700 keV, the electrons stopped diffusing near the inner edge of outer radiation belt due to the dominant pitch angle scattering loss. In addition to plasmaspheric hiss, magnetosonic waves and VLF waves can cause the loss of high pitch angle electrons, relaxing the sharp `top-hat' shaped pitch angle distributions created by plasmaspheric hiss. Our simulation indicates the importance of radial diffusion and pitch angle scattering in forming the diffusive intrusion of energetic electrons across the slot region.

Diffusive Transport of Several Hundred keV Electrons in the Earth's Slot Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Q.; Li, W.; Thorne, R. M.; Bortnik, J.; Reeves, G. D.; Spence, H. E.; Turner, D. L.; Blake, J. B.; Fennell, J. F.; Claudepierre, S. G.; Kletzing, C. A.; Kurth, W. S.; Hospodarsky, G. B.; Baker, D. N.

2017-10-01

We investigate the gradual diffusion of energetic electrons from the inner edge of the outer radiation belt into the slot region. The Van Allen Probes observed slow inward diffusion and decay of 200-600 keV electrons following the intense geomagnetic storm that occurred on 17 March 2013. During the 10 day nondisturbed period following the storm, the peak of electron fluxes gradually moved from L 2.7 to L 2.4, and the flux levels decreased by a factor of 2-4 depending on the electron energy. We simulated the radial intrusion and decay of electrons using a three-dimensional diffusion code, which reproduced the energy-dependent transport of electrons from 100 keV to 1 MeV in the slot region. At energies of 100-200 keV, the electrons experience fast transport across the slot region due to the dominance of radial diffusion; at energies of 200-600 keV, the electrons gradually diffuse and decay in the slot region due to the comparable rate of radial diffusion and pitch angle scattering by plasmaspheric hiss; at energies of E > 700 keV, the electrons stopped diffusing near the inner edge of outer radiation belt due to the dominant pitch angle scattering loss. In addition to plasmaspheric hiss, magnetosonic waves and VLF transmitters can cause the loss of high pitch angle electrons, relaxing the sharp "top-hat" shaped pitch angle distributions created by plasmaspheric hiss. Our simulation indicates the importance of balance between radial diffusion and loss through pitch angle scattering in forming the diffusive intrusion of energetic electrons across the slot region.

Compact vacuum tubes with GaAs(Cs,O) photocathodes for studying spin-dependent phenomena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alperovich, V. L.; Orlov, D. A.; Grishaev, V. G.; Kosolobov, S. N.; Jaroshevich, A. S.; Scheibler, H. E.; Terekhov, A. S.

2009-08-01

Compact proximity focused vacuum tubes with GaAs(Cs,O) photocathodes are used for experimental studying spindependent phenomena. Firstly, spin-dependent emission of optically oriented electrons from p-GaAs(Cs,O) into vacuum in a magnetic field normal to the surface was observed in a nonmagnetic vacuum diode. This phenomenon is explained by the jump in the electron g-factor at the semiconductor-vacuum interface. Due to this jump, the effective electron affinity on the semiconductor surface depends on the mutual direction of optically oriented electron spins and the magnetic field, resulting in the spin-dependent photoemission. It is demonstrated that the observed effect can be used for the determination of spin diffusion length in semiconductors. Secondly, we developed a prototype of a new spin filter, which consists of a vacuum tube with GaAs(Cs,O) photocathode and a nickel-covered venetian blind dynode. Preliminary results on spin-dependent reflection of electrons from the oxidized polycrystal nickel layer are presented.

On the upstream boundary of electron foreshocks in the solar wind

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zimbardo, G.; Veltri, P.

1995-01-01

The upstream boundary of electron foreshocks is defined as the path of the fastest electrons reflected by collisionless shocks and moving along the magnetic field in the solar wind. Considerable levels of magnetic fluctuations are found in these regions of the solar wind, and their effect is to create both a broadening and a fine structure of the electron foreshock boundary. The magnetic structure is studied by means of a 3-D numerical simulation of a turbulent magnetic field. Enhanced, anomalous diffusion is found, (Delta x(exp 2)) varies as s(sup alpha), where alpha is greater than 1 for typical values of the parameters (here, Delta x(exp 2) is the mean square width of the tangent magnetic surface and s is the field line length). This corresponds to a Levy flight regime for the magnetic field line random walk, and allows very efficient electron propagation perpendicular to the magnetic field. Implications on the observations of planetary foreshocks and of the termination shock foreshock are considered.

Charge Transfer Dynamics of Highly Efficient Cyanidin-3-O- Glucoside Sensitizer for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prima, E. C.; Yuliarto, B.; Suyatman; Dipojono, H. K.

2016-08-01

This paper reports the novel efficiency achievement of black rice-based natural dye- sensitized solar cells. The higher dye concentration, the longer dye extraction as well as dye immersion onto a TiO2 film, and the co-adsorption addition are key strategies for improved-cell performance compared to the highest previous achievement. The black rice dye containing 1.38 mM cyanidin-3-O-glucoside has been extracted without purification for 3 weeks at dark condition and room temperature. The anatase TiO2 photoanode was dipped into dye solution within 4 days. Its electrode was firmly sealed to be a cell and was filled by I-/I3- electrolyte using vacuum technique. As a result, the overall solar-to-energy conversion efficiency was 1.49% at AM 1.5 illumination (100 mW.cm-2). The voltametric analysis has reported the interfacial electronic band edges of TiO2-Dye-Electrolyte. Furthermore, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy has shown the kinetic of interfacial electron transfer dynamics among TiO2-dye-electrolyte. The cell has the transfer resistance (Rt) of 12.5 ω, the recombination resistance (Rr) of 266.8 ω, effective electron diffusion coefficients (Dn) of 1.4 × 10-3 cm2/s, Dye-TiO2 effective electron transfer (τd) of 26.6 μs, effective diffusion length (Ln)of 33.78 μm, chemical capacitance (Cμ) of 12.43 μF, and electron lifetime (τn) of 3.32 ms.

Prediction of an Apparent Flame Length in a Co-Axial Jet Diffusion Flame Combustor.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-04-01

This report is comprised of two parts. In Part I a predictive model for an apparent flame length in a co-axial jet diffusion flame combustor is...Overall mass transfer coefficient, evaluated from an empirically developed correlation, is employed to predict total flame length . Comparison of the...experimental and predicted data on total flame length shows a reasonable agreement within sixteen percent over the investigated air and fuel flow rate

Investigation of Perforated Convergent-divergent Diffusers with Initial Boundary Layer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weinstein, Maynard I

1950-01-01

An experimental investigation was made at Mach number 1.90 of the performance of a series of perforated convergent-divergent supersonic diffusers operating with initial boundary layer, which was induced and controlled by lengths of cylindrical inlets affixed to the diffusers. Supercritical mass-flow and peak total-pressure recoveries were decreased slightly by use of the longest inlets (4 inlet diameters in length). Combinations of cylindrical inlets, perforated diffusers, and subsonic diffuser were evaluated as simulated wind tunnels having second throats. Comparisons with noncontracted configurations of similar scale indicated conservatively computed power reductions of 25 percent.

Current crowding issues on nanoscale planar organic transistors for spintronics applications.

PubMed

Verduci, Tindara; Chaumy, Guillaume; Dayen, Jean-Francois; Leclerc, Nicolas; Devaux, Eloïse; Stoeckel, Marc-Antoine; Orgiu, Emanuele; Samorì, Paolo; Doudin, Bernard

2018-06-12

The predominance of interface resistance makes current crowding ubiquitous in short channel organic electronics devices but its impact on spin transport has never been considered. We investigate electrochemically-doped nanoscale PBTTT short channel devices and observe the smallest reported values of crowding lengths, found for sub-100 nm electrodes separation. These observed values are nevertheless exceeding the spin diffusion lengths reported in the literature. We discuss here how current crowding can be taken into account in the framework of the Fert-Jaffrès model of spin current propagation in heterostructures, and predict that the anticipated resulting values of magnetoresistance can be significantly reduced. Current crowding therefore impacts spin transport applications and interpretation of the results on spin valve devices. © 2018 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Diffusion Region's Structure at the Subsolar Magnetopause with MMS Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cozzani, G.; Retino, A.; Califano, F.; Alexandrova, A.; Catapano, F.; Fu, H.; Le Contel, O.; Khotyaintsev, Y. V.; Vaivads, A.; Ahmadi, N.; Lindqvist, P. A.; Breuillard, H.; Mirioni, L.; Ergun, R.; Torbert, R. B.; Giles, B. L.; Russell, C. T.; Nakamura, R.; Moore, T. E.; Fuselier, S. A.; Mauk, B.; Burch, J.

2017-12-01

Magnetic reconnection occurs in the magnetosphere in thin current sheets, where a change in the magneticfield topology leads to rapid conversion of magnetic energy into ion and electron energy. To allow for magneticfield reconfiguration, both ions and electrons have to become demagnetized in the ion and electron diffusionregions, respectively. MMS spacecraft observations at inter-spacecraft separation ˜ 10 km (correspondingto ˜ 5 d_e at the magnetopause) allow, for the first time, to make multi-point studies of the structure of theelectron diffusion region (EDR). We present MMS observations on January,27th 2017 of one magnetopausecrossing close to the subsolar point showing several signatures consistent with an EDR encounter nearbya magnetic field minimum. The proximity to the reconnection site is further substantiated by the FirstOrder Taylor Expansion (FOTE) method applied to the magnetic field data. Observations suggest that allspacecraft passed through the EDR. Despite of the small inter-spacecraft separation (7 km), the observationsshow important differences among spacecraft. We focus on the comparison between MMS3 and MMS4 sincethey show the most striking differences. MMS3 measures a stronger parallel electron heating and highercurrent densities than MMS4. Both satellites observe crescent-shaped electron distribution functions on themagnetospheric side but MMS4 observes them over a longer time interval. These observations suggest thatMMS3 is passing closer to the reconnection site than MMS4. The differences between the observations by thetwo spacecraft indicate that the EDR is rather structured over scales of a few electron inertial lengths. Wealso evaluate the Generalized Ohm's law and find that the electric field is mainly balanced by the divergenceof the electron pressure tensor while the electron inertia term is negligible.

Length of intact plasma membrane determines the diffusion properties of cellular water.

PubMed

Eida, Sato; Van Cauteren, Marc; Hotokezaka, Yuka; Katayama, Ikuo; Sasaki, Miho; Obara, Makoto; Okuaki, Tomoyuki; Sumi, Misa; Nakamura, Takashi

2016-01-11

Molecular diffusion in a boundary-free medium depends only on the molecular size, the temperature, and medium viscosity. However, the critical determinant of the molecular diffusion property in inhomogeneous biological tissues has not been identified. Here, using an in vitro system and a high-resolution MR imaging technique, we show that the length of the intact plasma membrane is a major determinant of water diffusion in a controlled cellular environment and that the cell perimeter length (CPL) is sufficient to estimate the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of water in any cellular environment in our experimental system (ADC = -0.21 × CPL + 1.10). We used this finding to further explain the different diffusion kinetics of cells that are dying via apoptotic or non-apoptotic cell death pathways exhibiting characteristic changes in size, nuclear and cytoplasmic architectures, and membrane integrity. These results suggest that the ADC value can be used as a potential biomarker for cell death.

Length of intact plasma membrane determines the diffusion properties of cellular water

PubMed Central

Eida, Sato; Van Cauteren, Marc; Hotokezaka, Yuka; Katayama, Ikuo; Sasaki, Miho; Obara, Makoto; Okuaki, Tomoyuki; Sumi, Misa; Nakamura, Takashi

2016-01-01

Molecular diffusion in a boundary-free medium depends only on the molecular size, the temperature, and medium viscosity. However, the critical determinant of the molecular diffusion property in inhomogeneous biological tissues has not been identified. Here, using an in vitro system and a high-resolution MR imaging technique, we show that the length of the intact plasma membrane is a major determinant of water diffusion in a controlled cellular environment and that the cell perimeter length (CPL) is sufficient to estimate the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of water in any cellular environment in our experimental system (ADC = −0.21 × CPL + 1.10). We used this finding to further explain the different diffusion kinetics of cells that are dying via apoptotic or non-apoptotic cell death pathways exhibiting characteristic changes in size, nuclear and cytoplasmic architectures, and membrane integrity. These results suggest that the ADC value can be used as a potential biomarker for cell death. PMID:26750342

Damage coefficients in low resistivity silicon. [solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Srour, J. R.; Othmer, S.; Chiu, K. Y.; Curtis, O. L., Jr.

1975-01-01

Electron and proton damage coefficients are determined for low resistivity silicon based on minority-carrier lifetime measurements on bulk material and diffusion length measurements on solar cells. Irradiations were performed on bulk samples and cells fabricated from four types of boron-doped 0.1 ohm-cm silicon ingots, including the four possible combinations of high and low oxygen content and high and low dislocation density. Measurements were also made on higher resistivity boron-doped bulk samples and solar cells. Major observations and conclusions from the investigation are discussed.

Diffusive Transport of Several Hundred keV Electrons in the Earth's Slot Region

DOE PAGES

Ma, Q.; Li, W.; Thorne, R. M.; ...

2017-09-29

Here, we investigate the gradual diffusion of energetic electrons from the inner edge of the outer radiation belt into the slot region. The Van Allen Probes observed slow inward diffusion and decay of ~200–600 keV electrons following the intense geomagnetic storm that occurred on 17 March 2013. During the 10 day nondisturbed period following the storm, the peak of electron fluxes gradually moved from L ~ 2.7 to L ~ 2.4, and the flux levels decreased by a factor of ~2–4 depending on the electron energy. We simulated the radial intrusion and decay of electrons using a three–dimensional diffusion code,more » which reproduced the energy–dependent transport of electrons from ~100 keV to 1 MeV in the slot region. At energies of 100–200 keV, the electrons experience fast transport across the slot region due to the dominance of radial diffusion; at energies of 200–600 keV, the electrons gradually diffuse and decay in the slot region due to the comparable rate of radial diffusion and pitch angle scattering by plasmaspheric hiss; at energies of E > 700 keV, the electrons stopped diffusing near the inner edge of outer radiation belt due to the dominant pitch angle scattering loss. In addition to plasmaspheric hiss, magnetosonic waves and VLF transmitters can cause the loss of high pitch angle electrons, relaxing the sharp “top–hat” shaped pitch angle distributions created by plasmaspheric hiss. Our simulation indicates the importance of balance between radial diffusion and loss through pitch angle scattering in forming the diffusive intrusion of energetic electrons across the slot region.« less

Thermal diffusivity study of aged Li-ion batteries using flash method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagpure, Shrikant C.; Dinwiddie, Ralph; Babu, S. S.; Rizzoni, Giorgio; Bhushan, Bharat; Frech, Tim

Advanced Li-ion batteries with high energy and power density are fast approaching compatibility with automotive demands. While the mechanism of operation of these batteries is well understood, the aging mechanisms are still under investigation. Investigation of aging mechanisms in Li-ion batteries becomes very challenging, as aging does not occur due to a single process, but because of multiple physical processes occurring at the same time in a cascading manner. As the current characterization techniques such as Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and atomic force microscopy are used independent of each other they do not provide a comprehensive understanding of material degradation at different length (nm 2 to m 2) scales. Thus to relate the damage mechanisms of the cathode at mm length scale to micro/nanoscale, data at an intermediate length scale is needed. As such, we demonstrate here the use of thermal diffusivity analysis by flash method to bridge the gap between different length scales. In this paper we present the thermal diffusivity analysis of an unaged and aged cell. Thermal diffusivity analysis maps the damage to the cathode samples at millimeter scale lengths. Based on these maps we also propose a mechanism leading to the increase of the thermal diffusivity as the cells are aged.

Single-crystal charge transfer interfaces for efficient photonic devices (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alves, Helena; Pinto, Rui M.; Maçôas, Ermelinda M. S.; Baleizão, Carlos; Santos, Isabel C.

2016-09-01

Organic semiconductors have unique optical, mechanical and electronic properties that can be combined with customized chemical functionality. In the crystalline form, determinant features for electronic applications such as molecular purity, the charge mobility or the exciton diffusion length, reveal a superior performance when compared with materials in a more disordered form. Combining crystals of two different conjugated materials as even enable a new 2D electronic system. However, the use of organic single crystals in devices is still limited to a few applications, such as field-effect transistors. In 2013, we presented the first system composed of single-crystal charge transfer interfaces presenting photoconductivity behaviour. The system composed of rubrene and TCNQ has a responsivity reaching 1 A/W, corresponding to an external quantum efficiency of nearly 100%. A similar approach, with a hybrid structure of a PCBM film and rubrene single crystal also presents high responsivity and the possibility to extract excitons generated in acceptor materials. This strategy led to an extended action towards the near IR. By adequate material design and structural organisation of perylediimides, we demonstrate that is possible to improve exciton diffusion efficiency. More recently, we have successfully used the concept of charge transfer interfaces in phototransistors. These results open the possibility of using organic single-crystal interfaces in photonic applications.

Analytical resolution of the reactive diffusion equation for transient electronics including materials whose porosity value changes in terms of their thickness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vargas Toro, Agustín.

2014-05-01

Transient electronic devices are a new technology development whose main characteristic is that its components can disappear in a programmed and controlled way, which means such devices have a pre-engineered service life. Nowadays, transient electronics have a large application field, involving from the reduction of e-waste in the planet until the development of medical instruments and implants that can be discarded when the patients do not need it anymore, avoiding the trouble of having an extra procedure for them. These devices must be made from biocompatible materials avoiding long-term adverse effects in the environment and patients. It is fundamental to develop an analytical model that allows describing the behavior of these materials considering cases which its porosity may be constant or not, in presence of water or any other biofluid. In order to accomplish this analysis was solve the reactive diffusion equation based on Bromwich's integral and the Residue theorem for two material cases, those whose porosity is constant, and those whose porosity increases linearly in terms of its thickness, where was found a general expression. This allows to the analysis of the relation of the electric resistance (per unit length) and the rate of dissolution of the material.

The narrow pulse approximation and long length scale determination in xenon gas diffusion NMR studies of model porous media

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mair, R. W.; Sen, P. N.; Hurlimann, M. D.; Patz, S.; Cory, D. G.; Walsworth, R. L.

2002-01-01

We report a systematic study of xenon gas diffusion NMR in simple model porous media, random packs of mono-sized glass beads, and focus on three specific areas peculiar to gas-phase diffusion. These topics are: (i) diffusion of spins on the order of the pore dimensions during the application of the diffusion encoding gradient pulses in a PGSE experiment (breakdown of the narrow pulse approximation and imperfect background gradient cancellation), (ii) the ability to derive long length scale structural information, and (iii) effects of finite sample size. We find that the time-dependent diffusion coefficient, D(t), of the imbibed xenon gas at short diffusion times in small beads is significantly affected by the gas pressure. In particular, as expected, we find smaller deviations between measured D(t) and theoretical predictions as the gas pressure is increased, resulting from reduced diffusion during the application of the gradient pulse. The deviations are then completely removed when water D(t) is observed in the same samples. The use of gas also allows us to probe D(t) over a wide range of length scales and observe the long time asymptotic limit which is proportional to the inverse tortuosity of the sample, as well as the diffusion distance where this limit takes effect (approximately 1-1.5 bead diameters). The Pade approximation can be used as a reference for expected xenon D(t) data between the short and the long time limits, allowing us to explore deviations from the expected behavior at intermediate times as a result of finite sample size effects. Finally, the application of the Pade interpolation between the long and the short time asymptotic limits yields a fitted length scale (the Pade length), which is found to be approximately 0.13b for all bead packs, where b is the bead diameter. c. 2002 Elsevier Sciences (USA).

The narrow pulse approximation and long length scale determination in xenon gas diffusion NMR studies of model porous media.

PubMed

Mair, R W; Sen, P N; Hürlimann, M D; Patz, S; Cory, D G; Walsworth, R L

2002-06-01

We report a systematic study of xenon gas diffusion NMR in simple model porous media, random packs of mono-sized glass beads, and focus on three specific areas peculiar to gas-phase diffusion. These topics are: (i) diffusion of spins on the order of the pore dimensions during the application of the diffusion encoding gradient pulses in a PGSE experiment (breakdown of the narrow pulse approximation and imperfect background gradient cancellation), (ii) the ability to derive long length scale structural information, and (iii) effects of finite sample size. We find that the time-dependent diffusion coefficient, D(t), of the imbibed xenon gas at short diffusion times in small beads is significantly affected by the gas pressure. In particular, as expected, we find smaller deviations between measured D(t) and theoretical predictions as the gas pressure is increased, resulting from reduced diffusion during the application of the gradient pulse. The deviations are then completely removed when water D(t) is observed in the same samples. The use of gas also allows us to probe D(t) over a wide range of length scales and observe the long time asymptotic limit which is proportional to the inverse tortuosity of the sample, as well as the diffusion distance where this limit takes effect (approximately 1-1.5 bead diameters). The Padé approximation can be used as a reference for expected xenon D(t) data between the short and the long time limits, allowing us to explore deviations from the expected behavior at intermediate times as a result of finite sample size effects. Finally, the application of the Padé interpolation between the long and the short time asymptotic limits yields a fitted length scale (the Padé length), which is found to be approximately 0.13b for all bead packs, where b is the bead diameter. c. 2002 Elsevier Sciences (USA).

Direct minority carrier transport characterization of InAs/InAsSb superlattice nBn photodetectors

DOE PAGES

Zuo, Daniel; Liu, Runyu; Wasserman, Daniel; ...

2015-02-18

We present an extensive characterization of the minority carrier transport properties in an nBn mid-wave infrared detector incorporating a Ga-free InAs/InAsSb type-II superlattice as the absorbing region. Using a modified electron beam induced current technique in conjunction with time-resolved photoluminescence, we were able to determine several important transport parameters of the absorber region in the device, which uses a barrier layer to reduce dark current. For a device at liquid He temperatures we report a minority carrier diffusion length of 750 nm and a minority carrier lifetime of 202 ns, with a vertical diffusivity of 2.78 x 10 –2 cmmore » 2/s. We also report on the device's optical response characteristics at 78 K.« less

Impact of the Crystallite Orientation Distribution on Exciton Transport in Donor-Acceptor Conjugated Polymers.

PubMed

Ayzner, Alexander L; Mei, Jianguo; Appleton, Anthony; DeLongchamp, Dean; Nardes, Alexandre; Benight, Stephanie; Kopidakis, Nikos; Toney, Michael F; Bao, Zhenan

2015-12-30

Conjugated polymers are widely used materials in organic photovoltaic devices. Owing to their extended electronic wave functions, they often form semicrystalline thin films. In this work, we aim to understand whether distribution of crystallographic orientations affects exciton diffusion using a low-band-gap polymer backbone motif that is representative of the donor/acceptor copolymer class. Using the fact that the polymer side chain can tune the dominant crystallographic orientation in the thin film, we have measured the quenching of polymer photoluminescence, and thus the extent of exciton dissociation, as a function of crystal orientation with respect to a quenching substrate. We find that the crystallite orientation distribution has little effect on the average exciton diffusion length. We suggest several possibilities for the lack of correlation between crystallographic texture and exciton transport in semicrystalline conjugated polymer films.

Spin injection and transport in semiconductor and metal nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Lei

In this thesis we investigate spin injection and transport in semiconductor and metal nanostructures. To overcome the limitation imposed by the low efficiency of spin injection and extraction and strict requirements for retention of spin polarization within the semiconductor, novel device structures with additional logic functionality and optimized device performance have been developed. Weak localization/antilocalization measurements and analysis are used to assess the influence of surface treatments on elastic, inelastic and spin-orbit scatterings during the electron transport within the two-dimensional electron layer at the InAs surface. Furthermore, we have used spin-valve and scanned probe microscopy measurements to investigate the influence of sulfur-based surface treatments and electrically insulating barrier layers on spin injection into, and spin transport within, the two-dimensional electron layer at the surface of p-type InAs. We also demonstrate and analyze a three-terminal, all-electrical spintronic switching device, combining charge current cancellation by appropriate device biasing and ballistic electron transport. The device yields a robust, electrically amplified spin-dependent current signal despite modest efficiency in electrical injection of spin-polarized electrons. Detailed analyses provide insight into the advantages of ballistic, as opposed to diffusive, transport in device operation, as well as scalability to smaller dimensions, and allow us to eliminate the possibility of phenomena unrelated to spin transport contributing to the observed device functionality. The influence of the device geometry on magnetoresistance of nanoscale spin-valve structures is also demonstrated and discussed. Shortcomings of the simplified one-dimensional spin diffusion model for spin valve are elucidated, with comparison of the thickness and the spin diffusion length in the nonmagnetic channel as the criterion for validity of the 1D model. Our work contributes directly to the realization of spin valve and spin transistor devices based on III-V semiconductors, and offers new opportunities to engineer the behavior of spintronic devices at the nanoscale.

Pitch-angle diffusion of electrons through growing and propagating along a magnetic field electromagnetic wave in Earth's radiation belts

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Choi, C.-R., E-mail: crchoi@kaist.ac.kr; Dokgo, K.; Min, K.-W.

The diffusion of electrons via a linearly polarized, growing electromagnetic (EM) wave propagating along a uniform magnetic field is investigated. The diffusion of electrons that interact with the growing EM wave is investigated through the autocorrelation function of the parallel electron acceleration in several tens of electron gyration timescales, which is a relatively short time compared with the bounce time of electrons between two mirror points in Earth's radiation belts. Furthermore, the pitch-angle diffusion coefficient is derived for the resonant and non-resonant electrons, and the effect of the wave growth on the electron diffusion is discussed. The results can bemore » applied to other problems related to local acceleration or the heating of electrons in space plasmas, such as in the radiation belts.« less

Exciton Transport Simulations in Phenyl Cored Thiophene Dendrimers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Kwiseon; Erkan Kose, Muhammet; Graf, Peter; Kopidakis, Nikos; Rumbles, Garry; Shaheen, Sean E.

2009-03-01

Phenyl cored 3-arm and 4-arm thiophene dendrimers are promising materials for use in photovoltaic devices. It is important to understand the energy transfer mechanisms in these molecules to guide the synthesis of novel dendrimers with improved efficiency. A method is developed to estimate the exciton diffusion lengths for the dendrimers and similar chromophores in amorphous films. The approach exploits Fermi's Golden Rule to estimate the energy transfer rates for an ensemble of bimolecular complexes in random orientations. Using Poisson's equation to evaluate Coulomb integrals led to efficient calculation of excitonic couplings between the transition densities. Monte-Carlo simulations revealed the dynamics of energy transport in the dendrimers. Experimental exciton diffusion lengths of the dendrimers range 10 ˜ 20 nm, increasing with the size of the dendrimer. Simulated diffusion lengths correlate well with experiments. The chemical structure of the chromophore, the shape of the transition densities and the exciton lifetime are found to be the most important factors that determine the exciton diffusion length in amorphous films.

Method and apparatus for determining minority carrier diffusion length in semiconductors

DOEpatents

Goldstein, Bernard; Dresner, Joseph; Szostak, Daniel J.

1983-07-12

Method and apparatus are provided for determining the diffusion length of minority carriers in semiconductor material, particularly amorphous silicon which has a significantly small minority carrier diffusion length using the constant-magnitude surface-photovoltage (SPV) method. An unmodulated illumination provides the light excitation on the surface of the material to generate the SPV. A manually controlled or automatic servo system maintains a constant predetermined value of the SPV. A vibrating Kelvin method-type probe electrode couples the SPV to a measurement system. The operating optical wavelength of an adjustable monochromator to compensate for the wavelength dependent sensitivity of a photodetector is selected to measure the illumination intensity (photon flux) on the silicon. Measurements of the relative photon flux for a plurality of wavelengths are plotted against the reciprocal of the optical absorption coefficient of the material. A linear plot of the data points is extrapolated to zero intensity. The negative intercept value on the reciprocal optical coefficient axis of the extrapolated linear plot is the diffusion length of the minority carriers.

Diffusive and inelastic scattering in ballistic-electron-emission spectroscopy and ballistic-electron-emission microscopy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, E.Y.; Turner, B.R.; Schowalter, L.J.

1993-07-01

Ballistic-electron-emission microscopy (BEEM) of Au/Si(001) n type was done to study whether elastic scattering in the Au overlayer is dominant. It was found that there is no dependence of the BEEM current on the relative gradient of the Au surface with respect to the Si interface, and this demonstrates that significant elastic scattering must occur in the Au overlayer. Ballistic-electron-emission spectroscopy (BEES) was also done, and, rather than using the conventional direct-current BEES, alternating-current (ac) BEES was done on Au/Si and also on Au/PtSi/Si(001) n type. The technique of ac BEES was found to give linear threshold for the Schottkymore » barrier, and it also clearly showed the onset of electron-hole pair creation and other inelastic scattering events. The study of device quality PtSi in Au/PtSi/Si(001) yielded an attenuation length of 4 nm for electrons of energy 1 eV above the PtSi Fermi energy. 20 refs., 5 figs.« less

Carrier diffusion as a measure of carrier/exciton transfer rate in InAs/InGaAsP/InP hybrid quantum dot-quantum well structures emitting at telecom spectral range

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rudno-Rudziński, W.; Biegańska, D.; Misiewicz, J.; Lelarge, F.; Rousseau, B.; Sek, G.

2018-01-01

We investigate the diffusion of photo-generated carriers (excitons) in hybrid two dimensional-zero dimensional tunnel injection structures, based on strongly elongated InAs quantum dots (called quantum dashes, QDashes) of various heights, designed for emission at around 1.5 μm, separated by a 3.5 nm wide barrier from an 8 nm wide In0.64Ga0.36As0.78P0.22 quantum well (QW). By measuring the spectrally filtered real space images of the photoluminescence patterns with high resolution, we probe the spatial extent of the emission from QDashes. Deconvolution with the exciting light spot shape allows us to extract the carrier/exciton diffusion lengths. For the non-resonant excitation case, the diffusion length depends strongly on excitation power, pointing at carrier interactions and phonons as its main driving mechanisms. For the case of excitation resonant with absorption in the adjacent QW, the diffusion length does not depend on excitation power for low excitation levels since the generated carriers do not have sufficient excess kinetic energy. It is also found that the diffusion length depends on the quantum-mechanical coupling strength between QW and QDashes, controlled by changing the dash size. It influences the energy difference between the QDash ground state of the system and the quantum well levels, which affects the tunneling rates. When that QW-QDash level separation decreases, the probability of capturing excitons generated in the QW by QDashes increases, which is reflected by the decreased diffusion length from approx. 5 down to 3 μm.

Benchmark calculations of excess electrons in water cluster cavities: balancing the addition of atom-centered diffuse functions versus floating diffuse functions.

PubMed

Zhang, Changzhe; Bu, Yuxiang

2016-09-14

Diffuse functions have been proved to be especially crucial for the accurate characterization of excess electrons which are usually bound weakly in intermolecular zones far away from the nuclei. To examine the effects of diffuse functions on the nature of the cavity-shaped excess electrons in water cluster surroundings, both the HOMO and LUMO distributions, vertical detachment energies (VDEs) and visible absorption spectra of two selected (H2O)24(-) isomers are investigated in the present work. Two main types of diffuse functions are considered in calculations including the Pople-style atom-centered diffuse functions and the ghost-atom-based floating diffuse functions. It is found that augmentation of atom-centered diffuse functions contributes to a better description of the HOMO (corresponding to the VDE convergence), in agreement with previous studies, but also leads to unreasonable diffuse characters of the LUMO with significant red-shifts in the visible spectra, which is against the conventional point of view that the more the diffuse functions, the better the results. The issue of designing extra floating functions for excess electrons has also been systematically discussed, which indicates that the floating diffuse functions are necessary not only for reducing the computational cost but also for improving both the HOMO and LUMO accuracy. Thus, the basis sets with a combination of partial atom-centered diffuse functions and floating diffuse functions are recommended for a reliable description of the weakly bound electrons. This work presents an efficient way for characterizing the electronic properties of weakly bound electrons accurately by balancing the addition of atom-centered diffuse functions and floating diffuse functions and also by balancing the computational cost and accuracy of the calculated results, and thus is very useful in the relevant calculations of various solvated electron systems and weakly bound anionic systems.

Quality of Heusler single crystals examined by depth-dependent positron annihilation techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hugenschmidt, C.; Bauer, A.; Böni, P.; Ceeh, H.; Eijt, S. W. H.; Gigl, T.; Pfleiderer, C.; Piochacz, C.; Neubauer, A.; Reiner, M.; Schut, H.; Weber, J.

2015-06-01

Heusler compounds exhibit a wide range of different electronic ground states and are hence expected to be applicable as functional materials in novel electronic and spintronic devices. Since the growth of large and defect-free Heusler crystals is still challenging, single crystals of Fe2TiSn and Cu2MnAl were grown by the optical floating zone technique. Two positron annihilation techniques—angular correlation of annihilation radiation and Doppler broadening spectroscopy (DBS)—were applied in order to study both the electronic structure and lattice defects. Recently, we succeeded to observe clearly the anisotropy of the Fermi surface of Cu2MnAl, whereas the spectra of Fe2TiSn were disturbed by foreign phases. In order to estimate the defect concentration in different samples of Heusler compounds, the positron diffusion length was determined by DBS using a monoenergetic positron beam.

Stokes paradox in electronic Fermi liquids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lucas, Andrew

2017-03-01

The Stokes paradox is the statement that in a viscous two-dimensional fluid, the "linear response" problem of fluid flow around an obstacle is ill posed. We present a simple consequence of this paradox in the hydrodynamic regime of a Fermi liquid of electrons in two-dimensional metals. Using hydrodynamics and kinetic theory, we estimate the contribution of a single cylindrical obstacle to the global electrical resistance of a material, within linear response. Momentum relaxation, present in any realistic electron liquid, resolves the classical paradox. Nonetheless, this paradox imprints itself in the resistance, which can be parametrically larger than predicted by Ohmic transport theory. We find a remarkably rich set of behaviors, depending on whether or not the quasiparticle dynamics in the Fermi liquid should be treated as diffusive, hydrodynamic, or ballistic on the length scale of the obstacle. We argue that all three types of behavior are observable in present day experiments.

Nanoscale deformation analysis with high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and digital image correlation

DOE PAGES

Wang, Xueju; Pan, Zhipeng; Fan, Feifei; ...

2015-09-10

We present an application of the digital image correlation (DIC) method to high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images for nanoscale deformation analysis. The combination of DIC and HRTEM offers both the ultrahigh spatial resolution and high displacement detection sensitivity that are not possible with other microscope-based DIC techniques. We demonstrate the accuracy and utility of the HRTEM-DIC technique through displacement and strain analysis on amorphous silicon. Two types of error sources resulting from the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image noise and electromagnetic-lens distortions are quantitatively investigated via rigid-body translation experiments. The local and global DIC approaches are applied for themore » analysis of diffusion- and reaction-induced deformation fields in electrochemically lithiated amorphous silicon. As a result, the DIC technique coupled with HRTEM provides a new avenue for the deformation analysis of materials at the nanometer length scales.« less

Acid diffusion, standing waves, and information theory: a molecular-scale model of chemically amplified resist

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trefonas, Peter, III; Allen, Mary T.

1992-06-01

Shannon's information theory is adapted to analyze the photolithographic process, defining the mask pattern as the prior state. Definitions and constraints to the general theory are developed so that the information content at various stages of the lithographic process can be described. Its application is illustrated by exploring the information content within projected aerial images and resultant latent images. Next, a 3-dimensional molecular scale model of exposure, acid diffusion, and catalytic crosslinking in acid-hardened resists (AHR) is presented. In this model, initial positions of photogenerated acids are determined by probability functions generated from the aerial images and the local light intensity in the film. In order to simulate post-exposure baking processes, acids are diffused in a random walk manner, for which the catalytic chain length and the average distance between crosslinks can be set. Crosslink locations are defined in terms of the topologically minimized number required to link different chains. The size and location of polymer chains involved in a larger scale crosslinked network is established and related to polymer solubility. In this manner, the nature of the crosslinked latent image can be established. Good correlation with experimental data is found for the calculated percent insolubilization as a function of dose when the rms acid diffusion length is about 500 angstroms. Information analysis is applied in detail to the specific example of AHR chemistry. The information contained within the 3-D crosslinked latent image is explored as a function of exposure dose, catalytic chain length, average distance between crosslinks. Eopt (the exposure dose which optimizes the information contained within the latent image) was found to vary with catalytic chain length in a manner similar to that observed experimentally in a plot of E90 versus post-exposure bake time. Surprisingly, the information content of the crosslinked latent image remains high even when rms diffusion lengths are as long as 1500 angstroms. The information content of a standing wave is shown to decrease with increasing diffusion length, with essentially all standing wave information being lost at diffusion lengths greater than 450 angstroms. A unique mechanism for self-contrast enhancement and high resolution in AHR resist is proposed.

Plasma transport in an Eulerian AMR code

DOE PAGES

Vold, E. L.; Rauenzahn, R. M.; Aldrich, C. H.; ...

2017-04-04

A plasma transport model has been implemented in an Eulerian AMR radiation-hydrodynamics code, xRage, which includes plasma viscosity in the momentum tensor, viscous dissipation in the energy equations, and binary species mixing with consistent species mass and energy fluxes driven by concentration gradients, ion and electron baro-diffusion terms and temperature gradient forces. The physics basis, computational issues, numeric options, and results from several test problems are discussed. The transport coefficients are found to be relatively insensitive to the kinetic correction factors when the concentrations are expressed with the molar fractions and the ion mass differences are large. The contributions tomore » flow dynamics from plasma viscosity and mass diffusion were found to increase significantly as scale lengths decrease in an inertial confinement fusion relevant Kelvin-Helmholtz instability mix layer. The mixing scale lengths in the test case are on the order of 100 μm and smaller for viscous effects to appear and 10 μm or less for significant ion species diffusion, evident over durations on the order of nanoseconds. The temperature gradient driven mass flux is seen to deplete a high Z tracer ion at the ion shock front. The plasma transport model provides the generation of the atomic mix per unit of interfacial area between two species with no free parameters. The evolution of the total atomic mix then depends also on an accurate resolution or estimate of the interfacial area between the species mixing by plasma transport. High resolution simulations or a more Lagrangian-like treatment of species interfaces may be required to distinguish plasma transport and numerical diffusion in an Eulerian computation of complex and dynamically evolving mix regions.« less

Plasma transport in an Eulerian AMR code

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vold, E. L.; Rauenzahn, R. M.; Aldrich, C. H.; Molvig, K.; Simakov, A. N.; Haines, B. M.

2017-04-01

A plasma transport model has been implemented in an Eulerian AMR radiation-hydrodynamics code, xRage, which includes plasma viscosity in the momentum tensor, viscous dissipation in the energy equations, and binary species mixing with consistent species mass and energy fluxes driven by concentration gradients, ion and electron baro-diffusion terms and temperature gradient forces. The physics basis, computational issues, numeric options, and results from several test problems are discussed. The transport coefficients are found to be relatively insensitive to the kinetic correction factors when the concentrations are expressed with the molar fractions and the ion mass differences are large. The contributions to flow dynamics from plasma viscosity and mass diffusion were found to increase significantly as scale lengths decrease in an inertial confinement fusion relevant Kelvin-Helmholtz instability mix layer. The mixing scale lengths in the test case are on the order of 100 μm and smaller for viscous effects to appear and 10 μm or less for significant ion species diffusion, evident over durations on the order of nanoseconds. The temperature gradient driven mass flux is seen to deplete a high Z tracer ion at the ion shock front. The plasma transport model provides the generation of the atomic mix per unit of interfacial area between two species with no free parameters. The evolution of the total atomic mix then depends also on an accurate resolution or estimate of the interfacial area between the species mixing by plasma transport. High resolution simulations or a more Lagrangian-like treatment of species interfaces may be required to distinguish plasma transport and numerical diffusion in an Eulerian computation of complex and dynamically evolving mix regions.

Nanoenergetics and High Hydrogen Content Materials for Space Propulsion

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-01

carried out in an effort to determine the mechanisms that account for the effect of catalysts. Diffusion flame lengths , crystal burn times, and...times. The diffusion flame length was found to increase proportionally with the propellant’s burning rate. The findings of this experimental study

Electrical spin injection and detection in molybdenum disulfide multilayer channel

PubMed Central

Liang, Shiheng; Yang, Huaiwen; Renucci, Pierre; Tao, Bingshan; Laczkowski, Piotr; Mc-Murtry, Stefan; Wang, Gang; Marie, Xavier; George, Jean-Marie; Petit-Watelot, Sébastien; Djeffal, Abdelhak; Mangin, Stéphane; Jaffrès, Henri; Lu, Yuan

2017-01-01

Molybdenum disulfide has recently emerged as a promising two-dimensional semiconducting material for nano-electronic, opto-electronic and spintronic applications. However, the demonstration of an electron spin transport through a semiconducting MoS2 channel remains challenging. Here we show the evidence of the electrical spin injection and detection in the conduction band of a multilayer MoS2 semiconducting channel using a two-terminal spin-valve configuration geometry. A magnetoresistance around 1% has been observed through a 450 nm long, 6 monolayer thick MoS2 channel with a Co/MgO tunnelling spin injector and detector. It is found that keeping a good balance between the interface resistance and channel resistance is mandatory for the observation of the two-terminal magnetoresistance. Moreover, the electron spin-relaxation is found to be greatly suppressed in the multilayer MoS2 channel with an in-plane spin polarization. The long spin diffusion length (approximately ∼235 nm) could open a new avenue for spintronic applications using multilayer transition metal dichalcogenides. PMID:28387252

The High Energy cosmic-Radiation Detection (HERD) Facility onboard China's Future Space Station

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Bobing

2015-08-01

The High Energy cosmic-Radiation Detection (HERD) facility is one of several space astronomy payloads of the cosmic lighthouse program onboard China's Space Station, which is planned for operation starting around 2020 for about 10 years. The main scientific objectives of HERD are indirect dark matter search, precise cosmic ray spectrum and composition measurements up to the knee energy, and high energy gamma-ray monitoring and survey. HERD is composed of a 3-D cubic calorimeter (CALO) surrounded by microstrip silicon trackers (STKs)from five sides except the bottom. CALO is made of about 10^4 cubes of LYSO crystals, corresponding to about 55 radiation lengths and 3 nuclear interaction lengths, respectively. HERD can achieve the following performance: energy resolution of 1% for electrons and gamma-rays beyond 100 GeV, 20% for protons from 100 GeV to 1 PeV; 2) electron/proton separation power better than 10^5 ; effective geometrical factors of > 3 m^2 sr for electron and diffuse gamma-rays, > 2 m^2 sr for cosmic ray nuclei. The prototype of about 1/40 of HERD calorimeter is under construction. A beam test in CERN with the prototype is approved and will be carried out in Nov. 2015.

Forward and back diffusion through argillaceous formations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Minjune; Annable, Michael D.; Jawitz, James W.

2017-05-01

The exchange of solutes between aquifers and lower-permeability argillaceous formations is of considerable interest for solute and contaminant fate and transport. We present a synthesis of analytical solutions for solute diffusion between aquifers and single aquitard systems, validated in well-controlled experiments, and applied to several data sets from laboratory and field-scale problems with diffusion time and length scales ranging from 10-2 to 108 years and 10-2 to 102 m. One-dimensional diffusion models were applied using the method of images to consider the general cases of a finite aquitard bounded by two aquifers at the top and bottom, or a semiinfinite aquitard bounded by an aquifer. The simpler semiinfinite equations are appropriate for all domains with dimensionless relative diffusion length, ZD < 0.7. At dimensionless length scales above this threshold, application of semiinfinite equations to aquitards of finite thickness leads to increasing errors and solutions based on the method of images are required. Measured resident solute concentration profiles in aquitards and flux-averaged solute concentrations in surrounding aquifers were accurately modeled by appropriately accounting for generalized dynamic aquifer-aquitard boundary conditions, including concentration gradient reversals. Dimensionless diffusion length scales were used to illustrate the transferability of these relatively simple models to physical systems with dimensions that spanned 10 orders of magnitude. The results of this study offer guidance on the application of a simplified analytical approach to environmentally important layered problems with one or two diffusion interfaces.

The Effect of Limited Diffusion and Wet-Dry Cycling on Reversible Polymerization Reactions: Implications for Prebiotic Synthesis of Nucleic Acids.

PubMed

Higgs, Paul G

2016-06-08

A long-standing problem for the origins of life is that polymerization of many biopolymers, including nucleic acids and peptides, is thermodynamically unfavourable in aqueous solution. If bond making and breaking is reversible, monomers and very short oligomers predominate. Recent experiments have shown that wetting and drying cycles can overcome this problem and drive the formation of longer polymers. In the dry phase, bond formation is favourable, but diffusion is restricted, and bonds only form between monomers that are initially close together. In the wet phase, some of the bonds are hydrolyzed. However, repositioning of the molecules allows new bonds to form in the next dry phase, leading to an increase in mean polymer length. Here, we consider a simple theoretical model that explains the effect of cycling. There is an equilibrium length distribution with a high mean length that could be achieved if diffusion occurred freely in the dry phase. This equilibrium is inaccessible without diffusion. A single dry cycle without diffusion leads to mean lengths much shorter than this. Repeated cycling leads to a significant increase in polymerization relative to a single cycle. In the most favourable case, cycling leads to the same equilibrium length distribution as would be achieved if free diffusion were possible in the dry phase. These results support the RNA World scenario by explaining a potential route to synthesis of long RNAs; however, they also imply that cycling would be beneficial to the synthesis of other kinds of polymers, including peptides, where bond formation involves a condensation reaction.

The Effect of Limited Diffusion and Wet–Dry Cycling on Reversible Polymerization Reactions: Implications for Prebiotic Synthesis of Nucleic Acids

PubMed Central

Higgs, Paul G.

2016-01-01

A long-standing problem for the origins of life is that polymerization of many biopolymers, including nucleic acids and peptides, is thermodynamically unfavourable in aqueous solution. If bond making and breaking is reversible, monomers and very short oligomers predominate. Recent experiments have shown that wetting and drying cycles can overcome this problem and drive the formation of longer polymers. In the dry phase, bond formation is favourable, but diffusion is restricted, and bonds only form between monomers that are initially close together. In the wet phase, some of the bonds are hydrolyzed. However, repositioning of the molecules allows new bonds to form in the next dry phase, leading to an increase in mean polymer length. Here, we consider a simple theoretical model that explains the effect of cycling. There is an equilibrium length distribution with a high mean length that could be achieved if diffusion occurred freely in the dry phase. This equilibrium is inaccessible without diffusion. A single dry cycle without diffusion leads to mean lengths much shorter than this. Repeated cycling leads to a significant increase in polymerization relative to a single cycle. In the most favourable case, cycling leads to the same equilibrium length distribution as would be achieved if free diffusion were possible in the dry phase. These results support the RNA World scenario by explaining a potential route to synthesis of long RNAs; however, they also imply that cycling would be beneficial to the synthesis of other kinds of polymers, including peptides, where bond formation involves a condensation reaction. PMID:27338479

Two Birds with One Stone: Tailoring Singlet Fission for Both Triplet Yield and Exciton Diffusion Length

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhu, Tong; Wan, Yan; Guo, Zhi

2016-06-27

By direct imaging of singlet and triplet populations with ultrafast microscopy, it is shown that the triplet diffusion length and singlet fission yield can be simultaneously optimized for tetracene and its derivatives, making them ideal structures for application in bilayer solar cells.

Meso and Micro Scale Propulsion Concepts for Small Spacecraft

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-07-28

flame length , QF is the volumetric flow rate of the fuel, D is the binary diffusion coefficient of the fuel in the oxidizer, and YFsoi, is the...R, can yield the same flame length . Most laminar diffusion flames are buoyancy-controlled since a small exit velocity is generally required to

Spin diffusion in disordered organic semiconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Ling; Gao, Nan; Lu, Nianduan; Liu, Ming; Bässler, Heinz

2015-12-01

An analytical theory for spin diffusion in disordered organic semiconductors is derived. It is based on percolation theory and variable range hopping in a disordered energy landscape with a Gaussian density of states. It describes universally the dependence of the spin diffusion on temperature, carrier density, material disorder, magnetic field, and electric field at the arbitrary magnitude of the Hubbard energy of charge pairs. It is found that, compared to the spin transport carried by carriers hopping, the spin exchange will hinder the spin diffusion process at low carrier density, even under the condition of a weak electric field. Importantly, under the influence of a bias voltage, anomalous spreading of the spin packet will lead to an abnormal temperature dependence of the spin diffusion coefficient and diffusion length. This explains the recent experimental data for spin diffusion length observed in Alq3.

Cylindrical diffuser performance using a truncated plug nozzle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Galanga, F. L.; Mueller, T. J.

1976-01-01

Cylindrical diffuser performance for a truncated plug nozzle without external flow was tested in a blowdown wind tunnel. The nozzle was designed for an exit Mach number of 1.9 and the plug was conical in shape from the throat and converged to the axis of symmetry at an angle of 10 degrees. The diffuser section was fashioned into two 13.97 cm lengths to facilitate boring of the duct diameter and to allow for testing of two different duct lengths. A slotted hypotube was installed in the base of the diffuser to measure pressure distribution down the centerline of the diffuser. The data obtained included: the typical centerline and sidewall pressure ratio variation along the diffuser, cell pressure ratio vs overall pressure ratio for long and short diffusers and a comparison of minimum experimental cell pressure ratio vs area ratio.

Structural and diffusion characterizations of steam-stable mesostructured zeolitic UL-ZSM-5 materials.

PubMed

Vinh-Thang, Hoang; Huang, Qinglin; Ungureanu, Adrian; Eić, Mladen; Trong-On, Do; Kaliaguine, Serge

2006-05-09

A series of mesoporous UL-ZSM-5 materials (Si/Al = 50) with different micro- and mesoporosity as well as crystallinity was prepared following the procedure proposed in one of our recent studies (Trong-On, D.; Kaliaguine, S. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2001, 40, 3248-3251. Trong-On, D.; Kaliaguine, S. U.S. Patent 6,669,924, B1, 2003). These materials have zeolitic structure in the form of nanoparticles intergrown in the walls of the amorphous wormhole-like aluminosilicate mesopores of Al-Meso-50, which was used as a precursor in the synthesis. The structure, crystallinity, and textural properties of the synthesized materials, as well as a reference ZSM-5 zeolite sample, were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM)/scanning electron microscoy (SEM) analyses, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), 27Al magic angle spinning (MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and nitrogen adsorption/desorption techniques. The acid properties were examined by FTIR of adsorbed pyridine. UL-ZSM-5 materials were shown to be highly hydrothermally stable. The diffusion of two C7 hydrocarbons, i.e., n-heptane and toluene, in four UL-ZSM-5 materials with different microporosities, related acidities, and crystallinities were investigated using the zero-length column (ZLC) method. Furthermore, the wormhole-like mesostructured aluminosilicate precursor (Al-Meso-50) and a reference MFI zeolite sample were also investigated using the same technique. A theoretical model considering a combination of mesopore diffusion (with surface slip in the main channels) with an activated, mainly surface diffusion mechanism in the intrawall biporous structure, was proposed and employed to interpret the experimental ZLC results. A classical Knudsen type of diffusion was replaced by an activated surface slip type of diffusion mechanism in the mesopores. The transport of n-heptane in UL-ZSM-5 materials was found to be mainly controlled by mesopore diffusion in the main-channel structure, while that of toluene was dominated by the intrawall diffusion process. Diffusion activation energies of n-heptane are about 2 times higher in comparison to toluene, which has a larger kinetic diameter. The main mesopore channel structure seems to appreciably contribute to the overall mass transport. Furthermore, the effect of hydrothermal treatment (20% steam at 800 degrees C for 24 h) on the diffusion of these two sorbates on UL-ZSM-5 materials was also evaluated.

Mesospheric Odd Nitrogen Enhancements During Relativistic Electron Precipitation Events

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aikin, A. C.; Smith, H. J. P.

1999-01-01

The behavior of mesospheric odd nitrogen species during and following relativistic and diffuse auroral precipitation events is simulated, Below 75 km nitric oxide is enhanced in proportion to the ion pair production function associated with the electron precipitation and the length of the event. Nitrogen dioxide and nitric acid are also enhanced. At 65 km the percentage of odd nitrogen for N is 0.1%, HNO3 is 1.6%, NO2 is 15%, and NO is 83.3%. Between 75 and 85 km NO is depleted during particle events due to the faster destruction of NO by N relative to the production of NO by N reacting with O2. Recovery of NO depends on transport from the lower thermosphere, where NO is produced in abundant amounts during particle events.

Fractal growth of platinum electrodeposits revealed by in situ electron microscopy.

PubMed

Wang, Lifen; Wen, Jianguo; Sheng, Huaping; Miller, Dean J

2016-10-06

Fractals are commonly observed in nature and elucidating the mechanisms of fractal-related growth is a compelling issue for both fundamental science and technology. Here we report an in situ electron microscopy study of dynamic fractal growth of platinum during electrodeposition in a miniaturized electrochemical cell at varying growth conditions. Highly dendritic growth - either dense branching or ramified islands - are formed at the solid-electrolyte interface. We show how the diffusion length of ions in the electrolyte influences morphology selection and how instability induced by initial surface roughness, combined with local enhancement of electric field, gives rise to non-uniform branched deposition as a result of nucleation/growth at preferred locations. Comparing the growth behavior under these different conditions provides new insight into the fundamental mechanisms of platinum nucleation.

Modeling and optimal designs for dislocation and radiation tolerant single and multijunction solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mehrotra, A.; Alemu, A.; Freundlich, A.

2011-02-01

Crystalline defects (e.g. dislocations or grain boundaries) as well as electron and proton induced defects cause reduction of minority carrier diffusion length which in turn results in degradation of efficiency of solar cells. Hetro-epitaxial or metamorphic III-V devices with low dislocation density have high BOL efficiencies but electron-proton radiation causes degradation in EOL efficiencies. By optimizing the device design (emitter-base thickness, doping) we can obtain highly dislocated metamorphic devices that are radiation resistant. Here we have modeled III-V single and multi junction solar cells using drift and diffusion equations considering experimental III-V material parameters, dislocation density, 1 Mev equivalent electron radiation doses, thicknesses and doping concentration. Thinner device thickness leads to increment in EOL efficiency of high dislocation density solar cells. By optimizing device design we can obtain nearly same EOL efficiencies from high dislocation solar cells than from defect free III-V multijunction solar cells. As example defect free GaAs solar cell after optimization gives 11.2% EOL efficiency (under typical 5x1015cm-2 1 MeV electron fluence) while a GaAs solar cell with high dislocation density (108 cm-2) after optimization gives 10.6% EOL efficiency. The approach provides an additional degree of freedom in the design of high efficiency space cells and could in turn be used to relax the need for thick defect filtering buffer in metamorphic devices.

THEMIS Observations of the Magnetopause Electron Diffusion Region: Large Amplitude Waves and Heated Electrons

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tang, Xiangwei; Cattell, Cynthia; Dombeck, John; Dai, Lei; Wilson, Lynn B. III; Breneman, Aaron; Hupack, Adam

2013-01-01

We present the first observations of large amplitude waves in a well-defined electron diffusion region based on the criteria described by Scudder et al at the subsolar magnetopause using data from one Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) satellite. These waves identified as whistler mode waves, electrostatic solitary waves, lower hybrid waves, and electrostatic electron cyclotron waves, are observed in the same 12 s waveform capture and in association with signatures of active magnetic reconnection. The large amplitude waves in the electron diffusion region are coincident with abrupt increases in electron parallel temperature suggesting strong wave heating. The whistler mode waves, which are at the electron scale and which enable us to probe electron dynamics in the diffusion region were analyzed in detail. The energetic electrons (approx. 30 keV) within the electron diffusion region have anisotropic distributions with T(sub e(right angle))/T(sub e(parallel)) > 1 that may provide the free energy for the whistler mode waves. The energetic anisotropic electrons may be produced during the reconnection process. The whistler mode waves propagate away from the center of the "X-line" along magnetic field lines, suggesting that the electron diffusion region is a possible source region of the whistler mode waves.

Double diffusivity model under stochastic forcing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chattopadhyay, Amit K.; Aifantis, Elias C.

2017-05-01

The "double diffusivity" model was proposed in the late 1970s, and reworked in the early 1980s, as a continuum counterpart to existing discrete models of diffusion corresponding to high diffusivity paths, such as grain boundaries and dislocation lines. It was later rejuvenated in the 1990s to interpret experimental results on diffusion in polycrystalline and nanocrystalline specimens where grain boundaries and triple grain boundary junctions act as high diffusivity paths. Technically, the model pans out as a system of coupled Fick-type diffusion equations to represent "regular" and "high" diffusivity paths with "source terms" accounting for the mass exchange between the two paths. The model remit was extended by analogy to describe flow in porous media with double porosity, as well as to model heat conduction in media with two nonequilibrium local temperature baths, e.g., ion and electron baths. Uncoupling of the two partial differential equations leads to a higher-ordered diffusion equation, solutions of which could be obtained in terms of classical diffusion equation solutions. Similar equations could also be derived within an "internal length" gradient (ILG) mechanics formulation applied to diffusion problems, i.e., by introducing nonlocal effects, together with inertia and viscosity, in a mechanics based formulation of diffusion theory. While being remarkably successful in studies related to various aspects of transport in inhomogeneous media with deterministic microstructures and nanostructures, its implications in the presence of stochasticity have not yet been considered. This issue becomes particularly important in the case of diffusion in nanopolycrystals whose deterministic ILG-based theoretical calculations predict a relaxation time that is only about one-tenth of the actual experimentally verified time scale. This article provides the "missing link" in this estimation by adding a vital element in the ILG structure, that of stochasticity, that takes into account all boundary layer fluctuations. Our stochastic-ILG diffusion calculation confirms rapprochement between theory and experiment, thereby benchmarking a new generation of gradient-based continuum models that conform closer to real-life fluctuating environments.

Hall-Effect Thruster Simulations with 2-D Electron Transport and Hydrodynamic Ions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mikellides, Ioannis G.; Katz, Ira; Hofer, Richard H.; Goebel, Dan M.

2009-01-01

A computational approach that has been used extensively in the last two decades for Hall thruster simulations is to solve a diffusion equation and energy conservation law for the electrons in a direction that is perpendicular to the magnetic field, and use discrete-particle methods for the heavy species. This "hybrid" approach has allowed for the capture of bulk plasma phenomena inside these thrusters within reasonable computational times. Regions of the thruster with complex magnetic field arrangements (such as those near eroded walls and magnets) and/or reduced Hall parameter (such as those near the anode and the cathode plume) challenge the validity of the quasi-one-dimensional assumption for the electrons. This paper reports on the development of a computer code that solves numerically the 2-D axisymmetric vector form of Ohm's law, with no assumptions regarding the rate of electron transport in the parallel and perpendicular directions. The numerical challenges related to the large disparity of the transport coefficients in the two directions are met by solving the equations in a computational mesh that is aligned with the magnetic field. The fully-2D approach allows for a large physical domain that extends more than five times the thruster channel length in the axial direction, and encompasses the cathode boundary. Ions are treated as an isothermal, cold (relative to the electrons) fluid, accounting for charge-exchange and multiple-ionization collisions in the momentum equations. A first series of simulations of two Hall thrusters, namely the BPT-4000 and a 6-kW laboratory thruster, quantifies the significance of ion diffusion in the anode region and the importance of the extended physical domain on studies related to the impact of the transport coefficients on the electron flow field.

Shape transition in nano-pits after solid-phase etching of SiO{sub 2} by Si islands

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Leroy, F.; Curiotto, S.; Cheynis, F.

2015-05-11

We study the nano-pits formed during the etching of a SiO{sub 2} film by reactive Si islands at T≈1000 °C. Combining low energy electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, kinetic Monte Carlo simulations, and an analytic model based on reaction and diffusion at the solid interface, we show that the shape of the nanopits depend on the ratio R/x{sub s} with R the Si island radius and x{sub s} the oxygen diffusion-length at the Si/SiO{sub 2} interface. For small R/x{sub s}, nanopits exhibit a single-well V-shape, while a double-well W-shape is found for larger R/x{sub s}. The analysis of the transition revealsmore » that x{sub s}∼60 nm at T≈1000 °C.« less

Structure of Soot-Containing Laminar Jet Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mortazavi, S.; Sunderland, P. B.; Jurng, J.; Koylu, U. O.; Faeth, G. M.

1993-01-01

The structure and soot properties of nonbuoyant and weakly-buoyant round jet diffusion flames were studied, considering ethylene, propane and acetylene burning in air at pressures of 0.125-2.0 atm. Measurements of flame structure included radiative heat loss fractions, flame shape and temperature distributions in the fuel-lean (overfire) region. These measurements were used to evaluate flame structure predictions based on the conserved-scalar formalism in conjunction with the laminar flamelet concept, finding good agreement betweem predictions and measurements. Soot property measurements included laminar smoke points, soot volume function distributions using laser extinction, and soot structure using thermophoretic sampling and analysis by transmission electron microscopy. Nonbuoyant flames were found to exhibit laminar smoke points like buoyant flames but their properties are very different; in particular, nonbuoyant flames have laminar smoke point flame lengths and residence times that are shorter and longer, respectively, than buoyant flames.

Direct minority carrier transport characterization of InAs/InAsSb superlattice nBn photodetectors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zuo, Daniel, E-mail: dzuo@illinois.edu; Liu, Runyu; Wasserman, Daniel

2015-02-16

We present an extensive characterization of the minority carrier transport properties in an nBn mid-wave infrared detector incorporating a Ga-free InAs/InAsSb type-II superlattice as the absorbing region. Using a modified electron beam induced current technique in conjunction with time-resolved photoluminescence, we were able to determine several important transport parameters of the absorber region in the device, which uses a barrier layer to reduce dark current. For a device at liquid He temperatures, we report a minority carrier diffusion length of 750 nm and a minority carrier lifetime of 200 ns, with a vertical diffusivity of 3 × 10{sup −2} cm{sup 2}/s. We also report onmore » the device's optical response characteristics at 78 K.« less

Theoretical prediction of the impact of Auger recombination on charge collection from an ion track

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edmonds, Larry D.

1991-01-01

A recombination mechanism that significantly reduces charge collection from very dense ion tracks in silicon devices was postulated by Zoutendyk et al. The theoretical analysis presented here concludes that Auger recombination is such a mechanism and is of marginal importance for higher density tracks produced by 270-MeV krypton, but of major importance for higher density tracks. The analysis shows that recombination loss is profoundly affected by track diffusion. As the track diffuses, the density and recombination rate decrease so fast that the linear density (number of electron-hole pairs per unit length) approaches a non-zero limiting value as t yields infinity. Furthermore, the linear density is very nearly equal to this limiting value in a few picoseconds or less. When Auger recombination accompanies charge transport processes that have much longer time scales, it can be simulated by assigning a reduced linear energy transfer to the ion.

Ultra-high gain diffusion-driven organic transistor.

PubMed

Torricelli, Fabrizio; Colalongo, Luigi; Raiteri, Daniele; Kovács-Vajna, Zsolt Miklós; Cantatore, Eugenio

2016-02-01

Emerging large-area technologies based on organic transistors are enabling the fabrication of low-cost flexible circuits, smart sensors and biomedical devices. High-gain transistors are essential for the development of large-scale circuit integration, high-sensitivity sensors and signal amplification in sensing systems. Unfortunately, organic field-effect transistors show limited gain, usually of the order of tens, because of the large contact resistance and channel-length modulation. Here we show a new organic field-effect transistor architecture with a gain larger than 700. This is the highest gain ever reported for organic field-effect transistors. In the proposed organic field-effect transistor, the charge injection and extraction at the metal-semiconductor contacts are driven by the charge diffusion. The ideal conditions of ohmic contacts with negligible contact resistance and flat current saturation are demonstrated. The approach is general and can be extended to any thin-film technology opening unprecedented opportunities for the development of high-performance flexible electronics.

Ultra-high gain diffusion-driven organic transistor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torricelli, Fabrizio; Colalongo, Luigi; Raiteri, Daniele; Kovács-Vajna, Zsolt Miklós; Cantatore, Eugenio

2016-02-01

Emerging large-area technologies based on organic transistors are enabling the fabrication of low-cost flexible circuits, smart sensors and biomedical devices. High-gain transistors are essential for the development of large-scale circuit integration, high-sensitivity sensors and signal amplification in sensing systems. Unfortunately, organic field-effect transistors show limited gain, usually of the order of tens, because of the large contact resistance and channel-length modulation. Here we show a new organic field-effect transistor architecture with a gain larger than 700. This is the highest gain ever reported for organic field-effect transistors. In the proposed organic field-effect transistor, the charge injection and extraction at the metal-semiconductor contacts are driven by the charge diffusion. The ideal conditions of ohmic contacts with negligible contact resistance and flat current saturation are demonstrated. The approach is general and can be extended to any thin-film technology opening unprecedented opportunities for the development of high-performance flexible electronics.

Effect of neutrino rest mass on ionization equilibrium freeze-out

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Grohs, Evan Bradley; Fuller, George M.; Kishimoto, Chad T.

2015-12-23

We show how small neutrino rest masses can increase the expansion rate near the photon decoupling epoch in the early Universe, causing an earlier, higher temperature freeze-out for ionization equilibrium compared to the massless neutrino case. This yields a larger free-electron fraction, thereby affecting the photon diffusion length differently than the sound horizon at photon decoupling. This neutrino-mass and recombination effect depends strongly on the neutrino rest masses. Ultimately, though below current sensitivity, this effect could be probed by next-generation cosmic microwave background experiments, giving another observational handle on neutrino rest mass.

Hydrogen-Helium shock Radiation tests for Saturn Entry Probes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cruden, Brett A.

2016-01-01

This paper describes the measurement of shock layer radiation in Hydrogen/Helium mixtures representative of that encountered by probes entering the Saturn atmosphere. Normal shock waves are measured in Hydrogen-Helium mixtures (89:11% by volume) at freestream pressures between 13-66 Pa (0.1-0.5 Torr) and velocities from 20-30 km/s. Radiance is quantified from the Vacuum Ultraviolet through Near Infrared. An induction time of several centimeters is observed where electron density and radiance remain well below equilibrium. Radiance is observed in front of the shock layer, the characteristics of which match the expected diffusion length of Hydrogen.

What sets the minimum tokamak scrape-off layer width?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joseph, Ilon

2016-10-01

The heat flux width of the tokamak scrape-off layer is on the order of the poloidal ion gyroradius, but the ``heuristic drift'' physics model is still not completely understood. In the absence of anomalous transport, neoclassical transport sets the minimum width. For plateau collisionality, the ion temperature width is set by qρi , while the electron temperature width scales as the geometric mean q(ρeρi) 1 / 2 and is close to qρi in magnitude. The width is enhanced because electrons are confined by the sheath potential and have a much longer time to radially diffuse before escaping to the wall. In the Pfirsch-Schluter regime, collisional diffusion increases the width by the factor (qR / λ) 1 / 2 where qR is the connection length and λ is the mean free path. This qualitatively agrees with the observed transition in the scaling law for detached plasmas. The radial width of the SOL electric field is determined by Spitzer parallel and ``neoclassical'' radial electric conductivity and has a similar scaling to that for thermal transport. Prepared under US DOE contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.

In Situ Graphene Growth Dynamics on Polycrystalline Catalyst Foils

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

The dynamics of graphene growth on polycrystalline Pt foils during chemical vapor deposition (CVD) are investigated using in situ scanning electron microscopy and complementary structural characterization of the catalyst with electron backscatter diffraction. A general growth model is outlined that considers precursor dissociation, mass transport, and attachment to the edge of a growing domain. We thereby analyze graphene growth dynamics at different length scales and reveal that the rate-limiting step varies throughout the process and across different regions of the catalyst surface, including different facets of an individual graphene domain. The facets that define the domain shapes lie normal to slow growth directions, which are determined by the interfacial mobility when attachment to domain edges is rate-limiting, as well as anisotropy in surface diffusion as diffusion becomes rate-limiting. Our observations and analysis thus reveal that the structure of CVD graphene films is intimately linked to that of the underlying polycrystalline catalyst, with both interfacial mobility and diffusional anisotropy depending on the presence of step edges and grain boundaries. The growth model developed serves as a general framework for understanding and optimizing the growth of 2D materials on polycrystalline catalysts. PMID:27576749

Embedding of electrodes within a microchannel interfacing a permselective medium for sensing and active control of the concentration-polarization layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yossifon, Gilad; Park, Sinwook

2016-11-01

Previously, it has been shown that for a prescribed system, the diffusion length may be affected by any number of mechanisms including natural and forced convection, electroosmotic flow of the second kind and electro-convective instability. In all of the above mentioned cases the length of the diffusion layer is indirectly prescribed by the complicated competition between several mechanisms which are primarily dictated by the various system parameters and applied voltage. In contrast, we suggest that by embedding electrodes/heaters within a microchannel interfacing a permselective medium, the diffusion layer length may be controlled regardless of the dominating overlimiting current mechanism and system parameters. As well as demonstrating that the simple presence of electrodes can enhance mixing via induced-charge electrokinetic effects, we also offer a means of externally activating embedded electrodes and heaters to maintain external, dynamic control of the diffusion length. Such control is particularly important in applications requiring intense ion transport, such as electrodialysis. At the same time, we will also investigate means of suppressing these mechanisms which is of fundamental importance for sensing applications.

Understanding molecular structure dependence of exciton diffusion in conjugated small molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Zi; Zhang, Xu; Woellner, Cristiano F.; Lu, Gang

2014-04-01

First-principles simulations are carried out to understand molecular structure dependence of exciton diffusion in a series of small conjugated molecules arranged in a disordered, crystalline, and blend structure. Exciton diffusion length (LD), lifetime, and diffusivity in four diketopyrrolopyrrole derivatives are calculated and the results compare very well with experimental values. The correlation between exciton diffusion and molecular structure is examined in detail. In the disordered molecule structure, a longer backbone length leads to a shorter exciton lifetime and a higher exciton diffusivity, but it does not change LD substantially. Removal of the end alkyl chains or the extra branch on the side alkyl chains reduces LD. In the crystalline structure, exciton diffusion exhibits a strong anisotropy whose origin can be elucidated from the intermolecular transition density interaction point of view. In the blend structure, LD increases with the crystalline ratios, which are estimated and consistent with the experimental results.

The growth of ultralong and highly blue luminescent gallium oxide nanowires and nanobelts, and direct horizontal nanowire growth on substrates.

PubMed

Kuo, Chi-Liang; Huang, Michael H

2008-04-16

We report the growth of ultralong β-Ga(2)O(3) nanowires and nanobelts on silicon substrates using a vapor phase transport method. The growth was carried out in a tube furnace, with gallium metal serving as the gallium source. The nanowires and nanobelts can grow to lengths of hundreds of nanometers and even millimeters. Their full lengths have been captured by both scanning electron microscope (SEM) and optical images. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns and transmission electron microscope (TEM) images have been used to study the crystal structures of these nanowires and nanobelts. Strong blue emission from these ultralong nanostructures can be readily observed by irradiation with an ultraviolet (UV) lamp. Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy measurements gave a band gap of 4.56 eV for these nanostructures. The blue emission shows a band maximum at 470 nm. Interestingly, by annealing the silicon substrates in an oxygen atmosphere to form a thick SiO(2) film, and growing Ga(2)O(3) nanowires over the sputtered gold patterned regions, horizontal Ga(2)O(3) nanowire growth in the non-gold-coated regions can be observed. These horizontal nanowires can grow to as long as over 10 µm in length. Their composition has been confirmed by TEM characterization. This represents one of the first examples of direct horizontal growth of oxide nanowires on substrates.

Turbulence in Three-Dimensional Simulations of Magnetopause Reconnection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Price, L.; Swisdak, M.; Drake, J. F.; Burch, J. L.; Cassak, P. A.; Ergun, R. E.

2017-11-01

We present detailed analysis of the turbulence observed in three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations of magnetic reconnection at the magnetopause. The parameters are representative of an electron diffusion region encounter of the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission. The turbulence is found to develop around both the magnetic X line and separatrices, is electromagnetic in nature, is characterized by a wave vector k given by kρe˜(meTe/miTi)0.25 with ρe the electron Larmor radius, and appears to have the ion pressure gradient as its source of free energy. Taken together, these results suggest the instability is a variant of the lower hybrid drift instability. The turbulence produces electric field fluctuations in the out-of-plane direction (the direction of the reconnection electric field) with an amplitude of around ±10 mV/m, which is much greater than the reconnection electric field of around 0.1 mV/m. Such large values of the out-of-plane electric field have been identified in the MMS data. The turbulence in the simulations controls the scale lengths of the density profile and current layers in asymmetric reconnection, driving them closer to √{ρeρi} than the ρe or de scalings seen in 2-D reconnection simulations, and produces significant anomalous resistivity and viscosity in the electron diffusion region.

High-power diffusing-tip fibers for interstitial photocoagulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinofsky, Edward L.; Farr, Norman; Baxter, Lincoln; Weiler, William

1997-05-01

A line of optical fiber based diffusing tips has been designed, developed, and tested that are capable of distributing tens of watts of cw laser power over lengths ranging from two millimeters to over 10 cm. The result is a flexible non-stick diffuser capable of coagulating large volumes of tissue in reasonably short exposures of 3 - 5 minutes. Sub-millimeter diameter devices have a distinct effect on reducing the force needed to insert the applicator interstitially into tissue. Utilizing our design approach, we have produced diffusers based on 200 micrometer core fiber that has delivered over 35 watts of Nd:YAG energy over diffusion lengths as short as 4 mm. These applicators are being tested for applications in oncology, cardiology, electrophysiology, urology and gynecology.

Neurite density from magnetic resonance diffusion measurements at ultrahigh field: Comparison with light microscopy and electron microscopy

PubMed Central

Jespersen, Sune N.; Bjarkam, Carsten R.; Nyengaard, Jens R.; Chakravarty, M. Mallar; Hansen, Brian; Vosegaard, Thomas; Østergaard, Leif; Yablonskiy, Dmitriy; Nielsen, Niels Chr.; Vestergaard-Poulsen, Peter

2010-01-01

Due to its unique sensitivity to tissue microstructure, diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has found many applications in clinical and fundamental science. With few exceptions, a more precise correspondence between physiological or biophysical properties and the obtained diffusion parameters remain uncertain due to lack of specificity. In this work, we address this problem by comparing diffusion parameters of a recently introduced model for water diffusion in brain matter to light microscopy and quantitative electron microscopy. Specifically, we compare diffusion model predictions of neurite density in rats to optical myelin staining intensity and stereological estimation of neurite volume fraction using electron microscopy. We find that the diffusion model describes data better and that its parameters show stronger correlation with optical and electron microscopy, and thus reflect myelinated neurite density better than the more frequently used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and cumulant expansion methods. Furthermore, the estimated neurite orientations capture dendritic architecture more faithfully than DTI diffusion ellipsoids. PMID:19732836

Diffusion and scaling during early embryonic pattern formation.

PubMed

Gregor, Thomas; Bialek, William; de Ruyter van Steveninck, Rob R; Tank, David W; Wieschaus, Eric F

2005-12-20

Development of spatial patterns in multicellular organisms depends on gradients in the concentration of signaling molecules that control gene expression. In the Drosophila embryo, Bicoid (Bcd) morphogen controls cell fate along 70% of the anteroposterior axis but is translated from mRNA localized at the anterior pole. Gradients of Bcd and other morphogens are thought to arise through diffusion, but this basic assumption has never been rigorously tested in living embryos. Furthermore, because diffusion sets a relationship between length and time scales, it is hard to see how patterns of gene expression established by diffusion would scale proportionately as egg size changes during evolution. Here, we show that the motion of inert molecules through the embryo is well described by the diffusion equation on the relevant length and time scales, and that effective diffusion constants are essentially the same in closely related dipteran species with embryos of very different size. Nonetheless, patterns of gene expression in these different species scale with egg length. We show that this scaling can be traced back to scaling of the Bcd gradient itself. Our results, together with constraints imposed by the time scales of development, suggest that the mechanism for scaling is a species-specific adaptation of the Bcd lifetime.

Modeling radiation belt electron dynamics during GEM challenge intervals with the DREAM3D diffusion model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tu, Weichao; Cunningham, G. S.; Chen, Y.; Henderson, M. G.; Camporeale, E.; Reeves, G. D.

2013-10-01

a response to the Geospace Environment Modeling (GEM) "Global Radiation Belt Modeling Challenge," a 3D diffusion model is used to simulate the radiation belt electron dynamics during two intervals of the Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite (CRRES) mission, 15 August to 15 October 1990 and 1 February to 31 July 1991. The 3D diffusion model, developed as part of the Dynamic Radiation Environment Assimilation Model (DREAM) project, includes radial, pitch angle, and momentum diffusion and mixed pitch angle-momentum diffusion, which are driven by dynamic wave databases from the statistical CRRES wave data, including plasmaspheric hiss, lower-band, and upper-band chorus. By comparing the DREAM3D model outputs to the CRRES electron phase space density (PSD) data, we find that, with a data-driven boundary condition at Lmax = 5.5, the electron enhancements can generally be explained by radial diffusion, though additional local heating from chorus waves is required. Because the PSD reductions are included in the boundary condition at Lmax = 5.5, our model captures the fast electron dropouts over a large L range, producing better model performance compared to previous published results. Plasmaspheric hiss produces electron losses inside the plasmasphere, but the model still sometimes overestimates the PSD there. Test simulations using reduced radial diffusion coefficients or increased pitch angle diffusion coefficients inside the plasmasphere suggest that better wave models and more realistic radial diffusion coefficients, both inside and outside the plasmasphere, are needed to improve the model performance. Statistically, the results show that, with the data-driven outer boundary condition, including radial diffusion and plasmaspheric hiss is sufficient to model the electrons during geomagnetically quiet times, but to best capture the radiation belt variations during active times, pitch angle and momentum diffusion from chorus waves are required.

Exciton diffusion in WSe2 monolayers embedded in a van der Waals heterostructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cadiz, F.; Robert, C.; Courtade, E.; Manca, M.; Martinelli, L.; Taniguchi, T.; Watanabe, K.; Amand, T.; Rowe, A. C. H.; Paget, D.; Urbaszek, B.; Marie, X.

2018-04-01

We have combined spatially resolved steady-state micro-photoluminescence with time-resolved photoluminescence to investigate the exciton diffusion in a WSe2 monolayer encapsulated with hexagonal boron nitride. At 300 K, we extract an exciton diffusion length of LX = 0.36 ± 0.02 μm and an exciton diffusion coefficient of DX = 14.5 ± 2 cm2/s. This represents a nearly 10-fold increase in the effective mobility of excitons with respect to several previously reported values on nonencapsulated samples. At cryogenic temperatures, the high optical quality of these samples has allowed us to discriminate the diffusion of the different exciton species: bright and dark neutral excitons, as well as charged excitons. The longer lifetime of dark neutral excitons yields a larger diffusion length of LXD=1.5 ±0.02 μ m.

Spin transport at high temperatures in epitaxial Heusler alloy/n-GaAs lateral spin valves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peterson, Timothy A.; Christie, Kevin D.; Patel, Sahil J.; Crowell, Paul A.; Palmstrøm, Chris J.

2015-03-01

We report on electrical injection and detection of spin accumulation in ferromagnet/ n-GaAs lateral spin-valve devices, observed up to and above room temperature. The ferromagnet in these measurements is the Heusler alloy Co2FeSi, and the semiconductor channel is GaAs doped at 3 ×1016 cm-3. The spin signal is enhanced by operating the detection contact under forward bias. The enhancement originates from drift effects at low-temperatures and an increase of the detection efficiency at all temperatures. The detector bias dependence of the observed spin-valve signal is interpreted by taking into account the quantum well (QW) which forms in the degenerately doped region immediately behind the Schottky tunnel barrier. In particular, we believe the QW is responsible for the minority spin accumulation (majority spin current) under large forward bias. The spin diffusion length and lifetime are determined by measuring the separation dependence of the non-local spin valve signal in a family of devices patterned by electron beam lithography. A spin diffusion length of 700 nm and lifetime of 46 picoseconds are found at a temperature of 295 K. This work was supported by the NSF under DMR-1104951, the NSF MRSEC program and C-SPIN, a SRC STARNET center sponsored by MARCO and DARPA.

Effect of Mesostructured Layer upon Crystalline Properties and Device Performance on Perovskite Solar Cells.

PubMed

Listorti, Andrea; Juarez-Perez, Emilio J; Frontera, Carlos; Roiati, Vittoria; Garcia-Andrade, Laura; Colella, Silvia; Rizzo, Aurora; Ortiz, Pablo; Mora-Sero, Ivan

2015-05-07

One of the most fascinating characteristics of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is the retrieved obtainment of outstanding photovoltaic (PV) performances withstanding important device configuration variations. Here we have analyzed CH3NH3PbI3-xClx in planar or in mesostructured (MS) configurations, employing both titania and alumina scaffolds, fully infiltrated with perovskite material or presenting an overstanding layer. The use of the MS scaffold induces to the perovskite different structural properties, in terms of grain size, preferential orientation, and unit cell volume, in comparison to the ones of the material grown with no constraints, as we have found out by X-ray diffraction analyses. We have studied the effect of the PSC configuration on photoinduced absorption and time-resolved photoluminescence, complementary techniques that allow studying charge photogeneration and recombination. We have estimated electron diffusion length in the considered configurations observing a decrease when the material is confined in the MS scaffold with respect to a planar architecture. However, the presence of perovskite overlayer allows an overall recovering of long diffusion lengths explaining the record PV performances obtained with a device configuration bearing both the mesostructure and a perovskite overlayer. Our results suggest that performance in devices with perovskite overlayer is mainly ruled by the overlayer, whereas the mesoporous layer influences the contact properties.

Simulation of energy-dependent electron diffusion processes in the Earth's outer radiation belt

DOE PAGES

Ma, Q.; Li, W.; Thorne, R. M.; ...

2016-04-28

The radial and local diffusion processes induced by various plasma waves govern the highly energetic electron dynamics in the Earth's radiation belts, causing distinct characteristics in electron distributions at various energies. In this study, we present our simulation results of the energetic electron evolution during a geomagnetic storm using the University of California, Los Angeles 3-D diffusion code. Following the plasma sheet electron injections, the electrons at different energy bands detected by the Magnetic Electron Ion Spectrometer (MagEIS) and Relativistic Electron Proton Telescope (REPT) instruments on board the Van Allen Probes exhibit a rapid enhancement followed by a slow diffusivemore » movement in differential energy fluxes, and the radial extent to which electrons can penetrate into depends on energy with closer penetration toward the Earth at lower energies than higher energies. We incorporate radial diffusion, local acceleration, and loss processes due to whistler mode wave observations to perform a 3-D diffusion simulation. Here, our simulation results demonstrate that chorus waves cause electron flux increase by more than 1 order of magnitude during the first 18 h, and the subsequent radial extents of the energetic electrons during the storm recovery phase are determined by the coupled radial diffusion and the pitch angle scattering by EMIC waves and plasmaspheric hiss. The radial diffusion caused by ULF waves and local plasma wave scattering are energy dependent, which lead to the observed electron flux variations with energy dependences. Lastly, this study suggests that plasma wave distributions in the inner magnetosphere are crucial for the energy-dependent intrusions of several hundred keV to several MeV electrons.« less

Investigation of a combined platinum and electron lifetime control treatment for silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Yunpeng; Cui, Zhihang; Yang, Fei; Zhao, Bao; Zou, Shikai; Liang, Yongsheng

2017-02-01

In silicon, the effect of Combined Lifetime Treatment (CLT) involving platinum diffusion and subsequent electron irradiation is different from the separate treatments of platinum diffusion and electron irradiation, even the treatment of electron irradiation followed by platinum diffusion. In this paper, we investigated the experimental behavior of different kinds of lifetime treated samples. We found that the reverse leakage current (Irr) increases with the increasing platinum diffusion temperature or electron irradiation dose in the separate treatments. Conversely, Irr of the CLT samples decreased with rising platinum diffusion temperature at the same dose of subsequent electron irradiation. By deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS), a new energy level E7 (Ec -0.376 eV) was found in our CLT samples. The new level E7 suppresses the dominance of the deeper level E8 (Ec -0.476 eV), which is caused by electron irradiation directly and results in Irr's increase. The formation of the level E7 comes from the complex defect-combined effect between platinum atoms and silicon vacancies, and it affects device's characteristics finally. These research will be helpful to the development of platinum-diffused devices used in intense electron irradiation environments.

Saturation Length of Erodible Sediment Beds Subject to Shear Flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Casler, D. M.; Kahn, B. P.; Furbish, D. J.; Schmeeckle, M. W.

2016-12-01

We examine the initial growth and wavelength selection of sand ripples based on probabilistic formulations of the flux and the Exner equation. Current formulations of this problem as a linear stability analysis appeal to the idea of a saturation length-the lag between the bed stress and the flux-as a key stabilizing influence leading to selection of a finite wavelength. We present two contrasting formulations. The first is based on the Fokker-Planck approximation of the divergence form of the Exner equation, and thus involves particle diffusion associated with variations in particle activity, in addition to the conventionally assumed advective term. The role of a saturation length associated with the particle activity is similar to previous analyses. However, particle diffusion provides an attenuating influence on the growth of small wavelengths, independent of a saturation length, and is thus a sufficient, if not necessary, condition contributing to selection of a finite wavelength. The second formulation is based on the entrainment form of the Exner equation. As a precise, probabilistic formulation of conservation, this form of the Exner equation does not distinguish between advection and diffusion, and, because it directly accounts for all particle motions via a convolution of the distribution of particle hop distances, it pays no attention to the idea of a saturation length. The formulation and resulting description of initial ripple growth and wavelength selection thus inherently subsume the effects embodied in the ideas of advection, diffusion, and a saturation length as used in other formulations. Moreover, the formulation does not distinguish between bed load and suspended load, and is thus broader in application. The analysis reveals that the length scales defined by the distribution of hop distances are more fundamental than the saturation length in determining the initial growth or decay of bedforms. Formulations involving the saturation length coincide with the special case of an exponential distribution of hop distance, where the saturation length is equal to the mean hop distance.

In Vivo Protein Dynamics on the Nanometer Length Scale and Nanosecond Time Scale

DOE PAGES

Anunciado, Divina B.; Nyugen, Vyncent P.; Hurst, Gregory B.; ...

2017-04-07

Selectively labeled GroEL protein was produced in living deuterated bacterial cells to enhance its neutron scattering signal above that of the intracellular milieu. Quasi-elastic neutron scattering shows that the in-cell diffusion coefficient of GroEL was (4.7 ± 0.3) × 10 –12 m 2/s, a factor of 4 slower than its diffusion coefficient in buffer solution. Furthermore, for internal protein dynamics we see a relaxation time of (65 ± 6) ps, a factor of 2 slower compared to the protein in solution. Comparison to the literature suggests that the effective diffusivity of proteins depends on the length and time scale beingmore » probed. Retardation of in-cell diffusion compared to the buffer becomes more significant with the increasing probe length scale, suggesting that intracellular diffusion of biomolecules is nonuniform over the cellular volume. This approach outlined here enables investigation of protein dynamics within living cells to open up new lines of research using “in-cell neutron scattering” to study the dynamics of complex biomolecular systems.« less

In Vivo Protein Dynamics on the Nanometer Length Scale and Nanosecond Time Scale

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Anunciado, Divina B.; Nyugen, Vyncent P.; Hurst, Gregory B.

Selectively labeled GroEL protein was produced in living deuterated bacterial cells to enhance its neutron scattering signal above that of the intracellular milieu. Quasi-elastic neutron scattering shows that the in-cell diffusion coefficient of GroEL was (4.7 ± 0.3) × 10 –12 m 2/s, a factor of 4 slower than its diffusion coefficient in buffer solution. Furthermore, for internal protein dynamics we see a relaxation time of (65 ± 6) ps, a factor of 2 slower compared to the protein in solution. Comparison to the literature suggests that the effective diffusivity of proteins depends on the length and time scale beingmore » probed. Retardation of in-cell diffusion compared to the buffer becomes more significant with the increasing probe length scale, suggesting that intracellular diffusion of biomolecules is nonuniform over the cellular volume. This approach outlined here enables investigation of protein dynamics within living cells to open up new lines of research using “in-cell neutron scattering” to study the dynamics of complex biomolecular systems.« less

Theoretical analysis of nBn infrared photodetectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ting, David Z.; Soibel, Alexander; Khoshakhlagh, Arezou; Gunapala, Sarath D.

2017-09-01

The depletion and surface leakage dark current suppression properties of unipolar barrier device architectures such as the nBn have been highly beneficial for III-V semiconductor-based infrared detectors. Using a one-dimensional drift-diffusion model, we theoretically examine the effects of contact doping, minority carrier lifetime, and absorber doping on the dark current characteristics of nBn detectors to explore some basic aspects of their operation. We found that in a properly designed nBn detector with highly doped excluding contacts the minority carriers are extracted to nonequilibrium levels under reverse bias in the same manner as the high operating temperature (HOT) detector structure. Longer absorber Shockley-Read-Hall (SRH) lifetimes result in lower diffusion and depletion dark currents. Higher absorber doping can also lead to lower diffusion and depletion dark currents, but the benefit should be weighted against the possibility of reduced diffusion length due to shortened SRH lifetime. We also briefly examined nBn structures with unintended minority carrier blocking barriers due to excessive n-doping in the unipolar electron barrier, or due to a positive valence band offset between the barrier and the absorber. Both types of hole blocking structures lead to higher turn-on bias, although barrier n-doping could help suppress depletion dark current.

Use of interfacial layers to prolong hole lifetimes in hematite probed by ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paradzah, Alexander T.; Diale, Mmantsae; Maabong, Kelebogile; Krüger, Tjaart P. J.

2018-04-01

Hematite is a widely investigated material for applications in solar water oxidation due primarily to its small bandgap. However, full realization of the material continues to be hampered by fast electron-hole recombination rates among other weaknesses such as low hole mobility, short hole diffusion length and low conductivity. To address the problem of fast electron-hole recombination, researchers have resorted to growth of nano-structured hematite, doping and use of under-layers. Under-layer materials enhance the photo-current by minimising electron-hole recombination through suppressing of back electron flow from the substrate, such as fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO), to hematite. We have carried out ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy on hematite in which Nb2O5 and SnO2 materials were used as interfacial layers to enhance hole lifetimes. The transient absorption data was fit with four different lifetimes ranging from a few hundred femtoseconds to a few nanoseconds. We show that the electron-hole recombination is slower in samples where interfacial layers are used than in pristine hematite. We also develop a model through target analysis to illustrate the effect of under-layers on electron-hole recombination rates in hematite thin films.

Observation of Three-Dimensional Magnetic Reconnection in the Terrestrial Magnetotail

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Meng; Ashour-Abdalla, Maha; Deng, Xiaohua; Pang, Ye; Fu, Huishan; Walker, Raymond; Lapenta, Giovanni; Huang, Shiyong; Xu, Xiaojun; Tang, Rongxin

2017-09-01

Study of magnetic reconnection has been focused on two-dimensional geometry in the past decades, whereas three-dimensional structures and dynamics of reconnection X line are poorly understood. In this paper, we report Cluster multispacecraft observations of a three-dimensional magnetic reconnection X line with a weak guide field ( 25% of the upstream magnetic field) in the Earth's magnetotail. We find that the X line not only retreated tailward but also expanded across the tail following the electron flow direction with a maximum average speed of (0.04-0.15) VA,up, where VA,up is the upstream Alfvén speed, or (0.14-0.57) Vde, where Vde is the electron flow speed in the out-of-plane direction. An ion diffusion region was observed by two spacecraft that were separated about 10 ion inertial lengths along the out-of-plane direction; however, these two spacecraft observed distinct magnetic structures associated with reconnection: one spacecraft observed dipolarization fronts, while the other one observed flux ropes. This indicates that reconnection proceeds in drastically different ways in different segments along the X line only a few ion inertial lengths apart.

Preparation of 3D nanoporous copper-supported cuprous oxide for high-performance lithium ion battery anodes.

PubMed

Liu, Dequan; Yang, Zhibo; Wang, Peng; Li, Fei; Wang, Desheng; He, Deyan

2013-03-07

Three-dimensional (3D) nanoporous architectures can provide efficient and rapid pathways for Li-ion and electron transport as well as short solid-state diffusion lengths in lithium ion batteries (LIBs). In this work, 3D nanoporous copper-supported cuprous oxide was successfully fabricated by low-cost selective etching of an electron-beam melted Cu(50)Al(50) alloy and subsequent in situ thermal oxidation. The architecture was used as an anode in lithium ion batteries. In the first cycle, the sample delivered an extremely high lithium storage capacity of about 2.35 mA h cm(-2). A high reversible capacity of 1.45 mA h cm(-2) was achieved after 120 cycles. This work develops a promising approach to building reliable 3D nanostructured electrodes for high-performance lithium ion batteries.

Study of fluorescence quenching due to 2, 3, 5, 6-tetrafluoro-7, 7', 8, 8'-tetracyano quinodimethane and its solid state diffusion analysis using photoluminescence spectroscopy.

PubMed

Tyagi, Priyanka; Tuli, Suneet; Srivastava, Ritu

2015-02-07

In this work, we have studied the fluorescence quenching and solid state diffusion of 2, 3, 5, 6-tetrafluoro-7,  7',  8,  8'-tetracyano quinodimethane (F4-TCNQ) using photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. Quenching studies were performed with tris (8-hydroxyquinolinato) aluminum (Alq3) in solid state samples. Thickness of F4-TCNQ was varied in order to realize different concentrations and study the effect of concentration. PL intensity has reduced with the increase in F4-TCNQ thicknesses. Stern-Volmer and bimolecular quenching constants were evaluated to be 13.8 M(-1) and 8.7 × 10(8) M(-1) s(-1), respectively. The quenching mechanism was found to be of static type, which was inferred by the independent nature of excited state life time from the F4-TCNQ thickness. Further, solid state diffusion of F4-TCNQ was studied by placing a spacing layer of α-NPD between F4-TCNQ and Alq3, and its thickness was varied to probe the diffusion length. PL intensity was found to increase with the increase in this thickness. Quenching efficiency was evaluated as a function of distance between F4-TCNQ and Alq3. These studies were performed for the samples having 1, 2.5, and 5.5 nm thicknesses of F4-TCNQ to study the thickness dependence of diffusion length. Diffusion lengths were evaluated to be 12.5, 15, and 20 nm for 1, 2.5, and 5.5 nm thicknesses of F4-TCNQ. These diffusion lengths were found to be very close to that of determined by secondary ion mass spectroscopy technique.

Analytical model for fast reconnection in large guide field plasma configurations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simakov, A. N.; Chacón, L.; Grasso, D.; Borgogno, D.; Zocco, A.

2009-11-01

Significant progress in understanding magnetic reconnection without a guide field was made recently by deriving quantitatively accurate analytical models for reconnection in electron [1] and Hall [2] MHD. However, no such analytical model is available for reconnection with a guide field. Here, we derive such an analytical model for the large-guide-field, low-β, cold-ion fluid model [3] with electron inertia, ion viscosity μ, and resistivity η. We find that the reconnection is Sweet-Parker-like when the Sweet-Parker layer thickness δSP> (ρs^4 + de^4)^1/4, with ρs and de the sound Larmor radius and electron inertial length. However, reconnection changes character otherwise, resulting in reconnection rates Ez/Bx^2 √2 η/μ (ρs^2 + de^2)/(ρsw) with Bx the upstream magnetic field and w the diffusion region length. Unlike the zero-guide-field case, μ plays crucial role in manifesting fast reconnection rates. If it represents the perpendicular viscosity [3], √η/μ ˜&-1circ;√(me/mi)(Ti/Te) and Ez becomes dissipation independent and therefore potentially fast.[0pt] [1] L. Chac'on, A. N. Simakov, and A. Zocco, PRL 99, 235001 (2007).[0pt] [2] A. N. Simakov and L. Chac'on, PRL 101, 105003 (2008).[0pt] [3] D. Biskamp, Magnetic reconnection in plasmas, Cambridge University Press, 2000.

Response of radiation belt simulations to different radial diffusion coefficients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drozdov, A.; Shprits, Y.; Subbotin, D.; Kellerman, A. C.

2013-12-01

Resonant interactions between Ultra Low Frequency (ULF) waves and relativistic electrons may violate the third adiabatic invariant of motion, which produces radial diffusion in the electron radiation belts. This process plays an important role in the formation and structure of the outer electron radiation belt and is important for electron acceleration and losses in that region. Two parameterizations of the resonant wave-particle interaction of electrons with ULF waves in the magnetosphere by Brautigam and Albert [2000] and Ozeke et al. [2012] are evaluated using the Versatile Electron Radiation Belt (VERB) diffusion code to estimate their relative effect on the radiation belt simulation. The period of investigation includes quiet time and storm time geomagnetic activity and is compared to data based on satellite observations. Our calculations take into account wave-particle interactions represented by radial diffusion transport, local acceleration, losses due to pitch-angle diffusion, and mixed diffusion. We show that the results of the 3D diffusion simulations depend on the assumed parametrization of waves. The differences between the simulations and potential missing physical mechanisms are discussed. References Brautigam, D. H., and J. M. Albert (2000), Radial diffusion analysis of outer radiation belt electrons during the October 9, 1990, magnetic storm, J. Geophys. Res., 105(A1), 291-309, doi:10.1029/1999JA900344 Ozeke, L. G., I. R. Mann, K. R. Murphy, I. J. Rae, D. K. Milling, S. R. Elkington, A. A. Chan, and H. J. Singer (2012), ULF wave derived radiation belt radial diffusion coefficients, J. Geophys. Res., 117, A04222, doi:10.1029/2011JA017463.

Crystal surface integrity and diffusion measurements on Earth and planetary materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watson, E. B.; Cherniak, D. J.; Thomas, J. B.; Hanchar, J. M.; Wirth, R.

2016-09-01

Characterization of diffusion behavior in minerals is key to providing quantitative constraints on the ages and thermal histories of Earth and planetary materials. Laboratory experiments are a vital source of the needed diffusion measurements, but these can pose challenges because the length scales of diffusion achievable in a laboratory time are commonly less than 1 μm. An effective strategy for dealing with this challenge is to conduct experiments involving inward diffusion of the element of interest from a surface source, followed by quantification of the resulting diffusive-uptake profile using a high-resolution depth-profiling technique such as Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS), nuclear reaction analysis (NRA), or ion microprobe (SIMS). The value of data from such experiments is crucially dependent on the assumption that diffusion in the near-surface of the sample is representative of diffusion in the bulk material. Historical arguments suggest that the very process of preparing a polished surface for diffusion studies introduces defects-in the form of dislocations and cracks-in the outermost micrometer of the sample that make this region fundamentally different from the bulk crystal in terms of its diffusion properties. Extensive indirect evidence suggests that, in fact, the near-surface region of carefully prepared samples is no different from the bulk crystal in terms of its diffusion properties. A direct confirmation of this conclusion is nevertheless clearly important. Here we use transmission electron microscopy to confirm that the near-surface regions of olivine, quartz and feldspar crystals prepared using careful polishing protocols contain no features that could plausibly affect diffusion. This finding does not preclude damage to the mineral structure from other techniques used in diffusion studies (e.g., ion implantation), but even in this case the role of possible structural damage can be objectively assessed and controlled. While all evidence points to the reliability of diffusivities obtained from in-diffusion experiments, we do not recommend experiments of this type using a powder source as a means of obtaining diffusant solubility or partitioning information for the mineral of interest.

Investigating Whistler Mode Wave Diffusion Coefficients at Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shane, A. D.; Liemohn, M. W.; Xu, S.; Florie, C.

2017-12-01

Observations of electron pitch angle distributions have suggested collisions are not the only pitch angle scattering process occurring in the Martian ionosphere. This unknown scattering process is causing high energy electrons (>100 eV) to become isotropized. Whistler mode waves are one pitch angle scattering mechanism known to preferentially scatter high energy electrons in certain plasma regimes. The distribution of whistler mode wave diffusion coefficients are dependent on the background magnetic field strength and thermal electron density, as well as the frequency and wave normal angle of the wave. We have solved for the whistler mode wave diffusion coefficients using the quasi-linear diffusion equations and have integrated them into a superthermal electron transport (STET) model. Preliminary runs have produced results that qualitatively match the observed electron pitch angle distributions at Mars. We performed parametric sweeps over magnetic field, thermal electron density, wave frequency, and wave normal angle to understand the relationship between the plasma parameters and the diffusion coefficient distributions, but also to investigate what regimes whistler mode waves scatter only high energy electrons. Increasing the magnetic field strength and lowering the thermal electron density shifts the distribution of diffusion coefficients toward higher energies and lower pitch angles. We have created an algorithm to identify Mars Atmosphere Volatile and EvolutioN (MAVEN) observations of high energy isotropic pitch angle distributions in the Martian ionosphere. We are able to map these distributions at Mars, and compare the conditions under which these are observed at Mars with the results of our parametric sweeps. Lastly, we will also look at each term in the kinetic diffusion equation to determine if the energy and mixed diffusion coefficients are important enough to incorporate into STET as well.

Determination of carrier diffusion length in p- and n-type GaN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hafiz, Shopan; Metzner, Sebastian; Zhang, Fan; Monavarian, Morteza; Avrutin, Vitaliy; Morkoç, Hadis; Karbaum, Christopher; Bertram, Frank; Christen, Jürgen; Gil, Bernard; Özgür, Ümit

2014-03-01

Diffusion lengths of photo-excited carriers along the c-direction were determined from photoluminescence (PL) measurements in p- and n-type GaN epitaxial layers grown on c-plane sapphire by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. The investigated samples incorporate a 6 nm thick In0.15Ga0.85N active layer capped with either 500 nm p- GaN or 1300 nm n-GaN. The top GaN layers were etched in steps and PL from the InGaN active region and the underlying layers was monitored as a function of the top GaN thickness upon photogeneration near the surface region by above bandgap excitation. Taking into consideration the absorption in the active and underlying layers, the diffusion lengths at 295 K and at 15 K were measured to be about 92 ± 7 nm and 68 ± 7 nm for Mg-doped p-type GaN and 432 ± 30 nm and 316 ± 30 nm for unintentionally doped n-type GaN, respectively. Cross-sectional cathodoluminescence line-scan measurement was performed on a separate sample and the diffusion length in n-type GaN was measured to be 280 nm.

How does passive lengthening change the architecture of the human medial gastrocnemius muscle?

PubMed

Bolsterlee, Bart; D'Souza, Arkiev; Gandevia, Simon C; Herbert, Robert D

2017-04-01

There are few comprehensive investigations of the changes in muscle architecture that accompany muscle contraction or change in muscle length in vivo. For this study, we measured changes in the three-dimensional architecture of the human medial gastrocnemius at the whole muscle level, the fascicle level and the fiber level using anatomical MRI and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Data were obtained from eight subjects under relaxed conditions at three muscle lengths. At the whole muscle level, a 5.1% increase in muscle belly length resulted in a reduction in both muscle width (mean change -2.5%) and depth (-4.8%). At the fascicle level, muscle architecture measurements obtained at 3,000 locations per muscle showed that for every millimeter increase in muscle-tendon length above the slack length, average fascicle length increased by 0.46 mm, pennation angle decreased by 0.27° (0.17° in the superficial part and 0.37° in the deep part), and fascicle curvature decreased by 0.18 m -1 There was no evidence of systematic variation in architecture along the muscle's long axis at any muscle length. At the fiber level, analysis of the diffusion signal showed that passive lengthening of the muscle increased diffusion along fibers and decreased diffusion across fibers. Using these measurements across scales, we show that the complex shape changes that muscle fibers, whole muscles, and aponeuroses of the medial gastrocnemius undergo in vivo cannot be captured by simple geometrical models. This justifies the need for more complex models that link microstructural changes in muscle fibers to macroscopic changes in architecture. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Novel MRI and DTI techniques revealed changes in three-dimensional architecture of the human medial gastrocnemius during passive lengthening. Whole muscle belly width and depth decreased when the muscle lengthened. Fascicle length, pennation, and curvature changed uniformly or near uniformly along the muscle during passive lengthening. Diffusion of water molecules in muscle changes in the same direction as fascicle strains. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

Theory and Simulation of Attractive Nanoparticle Transport in Polymer Melts

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yamamoto, Umi; Carrillo, Jan-Michael Y.; Bocharova, Vera

We theoretically study the diffusion of a single attractive nanoparticle (NP) in unentangled and entangled polymer melts based on combining microscopic “core–shell” and “vehicle” mechanisms in a dynamic bond percolation theory framework. A physical picture is constructed which addresses the role of chain length (N), degree of entanglement, nanoparticle size, and NP–polymer attraction strength. The nanoparticle diffusion constant is predicted to initially decrease with N due to the dominance of the core–shell mechanism, then to cross over to the vehicle diffusion regime with a weaker N dependence, and eventually plateau at large enough N. This behavior corresponds to decoupling ofmore » NP diffusivity from the macroscopic melt viscosity, which is reminiscent of repulsive NPs in entangled melts, but here it occurs for a distinct physical reason. Specifically, it reflects a crossover to a transport mechanism whereby nanoparticles adsorb on polymer chains and diffuse using them as “vehicles” over a characteristic desorption time scale. Repetition of random desorption events then leads to Fickian long time NP diffusion. Complementary simulations for a range of chain lengths and low to moderate NP–polymer attraction strengths are also performed. They allow testing of the proposed diffusion mechanisms and qualitatively support the theoretically predicted dynamic crossover behavior. In conclusion, when the desorption time is smaller than or comparable to the onset of entangled polymer dynamics, the NP diffusivity becomes almost chain length independent.« less

Theory and Simulation of Attractive Nanoparticle Transport in Polymer Melts

DOE PAGES

Yamamoto, Umi; Carrillo, Jan-Michael Y.; Bocharova, Vera; ...

2018-03-06

We theoretically study the diffusion of a single attractive nanoparticle (NP) in unentangled and entangled polymer melts based on combining microscopic “core–shell” and “vehicle” mechanisms in a dynamic bond percolation theory framework. A physical picture is constructed which addresses the role of chain length (N), degree of entanglement, nanoparticle size, and NP–polymer attraction strength. The nanoparticle diffusion constant is predicted to initially decrease with N due to the dominance of the core–shell mechanism, then to cross over to the vehicle diffusion regime with a weaker N dependence, and eventually plateau at large enough N. This behavior corresponds to decoupling ofmore » NP diffusivity from the macroscopic melt viscosity, which is reminiscent of repulsive NPs in entangled melts, but here it occurs for a distinct physical reason. Specifically, it reflects a crossover to a transport mechanism whereby nanoparticles adsorb on polymer chains and diffuse using them as “vehicles” over a characteristic desorption time scale. Repetition of random desorption events then leads to Fickian long time NP diffusion. Complementary simulations for a range of chain lengths and low to moderate NP–polymer attraction strengths are also performed. They allow testing of the proposed diffusion mechanisms and qualitatively support the theoretically predicted dynamic crossover behavior. In conclusion, when the desorption time is smaller than or comparable to the onset of entangled polymer dynamics, the NP diffusivity becomes almost chain length independent.« less

Interaction dynamics of two diffusing particles: contact times and influence of nearby surfaces.

PubMed

Tränkle, B; Ruh, D; Rohrbach, A

2016-03-14

Interactions of diffusing particles are governed by hydrodynamics on different length and timescales. The local hydrodynamics can be influenced substantially by simple interfaces. Here, we investigate the interaction dynamics of two micron-sized spheres close to plane interfaces to mimic more complex biological systems or microfluidic environments. Using scanned line optical tweezers and fast 3D interferometric particle tracking, we are able to track the motion of each bead with precisions of a few nanometers and at a rate of 10 kilohertz. From the recorded trajectories, all spatial and temporal information is accessible. This way, we measure diffusion coefficients for two coupling particles at varying distances h to one or two glass interfaces. We analyze their coupling strength and length by cross-correlation analysis relative to h and find a significant decrease in the coupling length when a second particle diffuses nearby. By analysing the times the particles are in close contact, we find that the influence of nearby surfaces and interaction potentials reduce the diffusivity strongly, although we found that the diffusivity hardly affects the contact times and the binding probability between the particles. All experimental results are compared to a theoretical model, which is based on the number of possible diffusion paths following the Catalan numbers and a diffusion probability, which is biased by the spheres' surface potential. The theoretical and experimental results agree very well and therefore enable a better understanding of hydrodynamically coupled interaction processes.

Ionic-Electronic Ambipolar Transport in Metal Halide Perovskites: Can Electronic Conductivity Limit Ionic Diffusion?

PubMed

Kerner, Ross A; Rand, Barry P

2018-01-04

Ambipolar transport describes the nonequilibrium, coupled motion of positively and negatively charged particles to ensure that internal electric fields remain small. It is commonly invoked in the semiconductor community where the motion of excess electrons and holes drift and diffuse together. However, the concept of ambipolar transport is not limited to semiconductor physics. Materials scientists working on ion conducting ceramics understand ambipolar transport dictates the coupled diffusion of ions and the rate is limited by the ion with the lowest diffusion coefficient. In this Perspective, we review a third application of ambipolar transport relevant to mixed ionic-electronic conducting materials for which the motion of ions is expected to be coupled to electronic carriers. In this unique situation, the ambipolar diffusion model has been successful at explaining the photoenhanced diffusion of metal ions in chalcogenide glasses and other properties of materials. Recent examples of photoenhanced phenomena in metal halide perovskites are discussed and indicate that mixed ionic-electronic ambipolar transport is similarly important for a deep understanding of these emerging materials.

SELF-HEALING NANOMATERIALS: MULTIMILLION-ATOM REACTIVE MOLECULAR DYNAMICS SIMULATIONS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hakamata, Tomoya; Shimamura, Kohei; Shimojo, Fuyuki

Organometal halide perovskites are attracting great attention as promising material for solar cells because of their high power conversion efficiency. The high performance has been attributed to the existence of free charge carriers and their large diffusion lengths, but the nature of carrier transport at the atomistic level remains elusive. Here, nonadiabatic quantum molecular dynamics simulations elucidate the mechanisms underlying the excellent free-carrier transport in CH 3NH 3PbI 3. Pb and I sublattices act as disjunct pathways for rapid and balanced transport of photoexcited electrons and holes, respectively, while minimizing efficiency-degrading charge recombination. On the other hand, CH 3NH 3more » sublattice quickly screens out electrostatic electron-hole attraction to generate free carriers within 1 ps. Together this nano-architecture lets photoexcited electrons and holes dissociate instantaneously and travel far away to be harvested before dissipated as heat. As a result, this work provides much needed structure-property relationships and time-resolved information that potentially lead to rational design of efficient solar cells.« less

Edge Stabilized Ribbon (ESR); Stress, Dislocation Density and Electronic Performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sachs, E. M.

1984-01-01

The edge stabilized ribbon (ESR) silicon ribbon was grown in widths of 1, 2.2 and 4.0 inches at speeds ranging from .6 to 7 in/min, which result in ribbon thicknesses of 5 to 400 microns. One of the primary problems remaining in ESR growth is that of thermally induced mechanical stresses. This problem is manifested as ribbon with a high degree of residual stress or as ribbon with buckled ribbon. Thermal stresses result in a high dislocation density in the grown material, resulting in compromised electronic performance. Improvements in ribbon flatness were accomplished by modification of the ribbon cooling profile. Ribbon flatness and other experimental observations of ESR ribbon are discussed. Laser scanner measurements show a good correlation between diffusion length and dislocation density which indicates that the high dislocation densities are the primary cause of the poor current performance of ESR materials. Dislocation densities were reduced and improved electronic performance resulted. Laser scanner data on new and old material are presented.

The nature of free-carrier transport in organometal halide perovskites

PubMed Central

Hakamata, Tomoya; Shimamura, Kohei; Shimojo, Fuyuki; Kalia, Rajiv K.; Nakano, Aiichiro; Vashishta, Priya

2016-01-01

Organometal halide perovskites are attracting great attention as promising material for solar cells because of their high power conversion efficiency. The high performance has been attributed to the existence of free charge carriers and their large diffusion lengths, but the nature of carrier transport at the atomistic level remains elusive. Here, nonadiabatic quantum molecular dynamics simulations elucidate the mechanisms underlying the excellent free-carrier transport in CH3NH3PbI3. Pb and I sublattices act as disjunct pathways for rapid and balanced transport of photoexcited electrons and holes, respectively, while minimizing efficiency-degrading charge recombination. On the other hand, CH3NH3 sublattice quickly screens out electrostatic electron-hole attraction to generate free carriers within 1 ps. Together this nano-architecture lets photoexcited electrons and holes dissociate instantaneously and travel far away to be harvested before dissipated as heat. This work provides much needed structure-property relationships and time-resolved information that potentially lead to rational design of efficient solar cells. PMID:26781627

Point defect induced degradation of electrical properties of Ga2O3 by 10 MeV proton damage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Polyakov, A. Y.; Smirnov, N. B.; Shchemerov, I. V.; Yakimov, E. B.; Yang, Jiancheng; Ren, F.; Yang, Gwangseok; Kim, Jihyun; Kuramata, A.; Pearton, S. J.

2018-01-01

Deep electron and hole traps in 10 MeV proton irradiated high-quality β-Ga2O3 films grown by Hydride Vapor Phase Epitaxy (HVPE) on bulk β-Ga2O3 substrates were measured by deep level transient spectroscopy with electrical and optical injection, capacitance-voltage profiling in the dark and under monochromatic irradiation, and also electron beam induced current. Proton irradiation caused the diffusion length of charge carriers to decrease from 350-380 μm in unirradiated samples to 190 μm for a fluence of 1014 cm-2, and this was correlated with an increase in density of hole traps with optical ionization threshold energy near 2.3 eV. These defects most likely determine the recombination lifetime in HVPE β-Ga2O3 epilayers. Electron traps at Ec-0.75 eV and Ec-1.2 eV present in as-grown samples increase in the concentration after irradiation and suggest that these centers involve native point defects.

Slow positron beam production by a 14 MeV C.W. electron accelerator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Begemann, M.; Gräff, G.; Herminghaus, H.; Kalinowsky, H.; Ley, R.

1982-10-01

A 14 MeV c.w. electron accelerator is used for pair production in a tungsten target of 0.7 radiation lengths thickness. A small fraction of the positrons is thermalized and diffuses out of the surface ofsurface of a well annealed tungsten foil coated with MgO which is positioned immediately behind the target. The slow positrons are extracted from the target region and magnetically guided over a distance of 10 m onto a channelplate multiplier at the end of an S-shaped solenoid. The positrons are identified by their annihilation radiation using two NaI-detectors. The intensity of the slow positrons is proportional to the accelerator electron beam current. The maximum intensity of 2.2 × 10 5 slow positrons per second reaching thedetector at an accelerator current of 15 μA was limited by the power deposited in the uncooled target. The energy of the positrons is concentrated in a small region at about 1 eV and clearly demonstrates the emission of thermal positrons.

Copper silicide/silicon nanowire heterostructures: in situ TEM observation of growth behaviors and electron transport properties.

PubMed

Chiu, Chung-Hua; Huang, Chun-Wei; Chen, Jui-Yuan; Huang, Yu-Ting; Hu, Jung-Chih; Chen, Lien-Tai; Hsin, Cheng-Lun; Wu, Wen-Wei

2013-06-07

Copper silicide has been studied in the applications of electronic devices and catalysts. In this study, Cu3Si/Si nanowire heterostructures were fabricated through solid state reaction in an in situ transmission electron microscope (TEM). The dynamic diffusion of the copper atoms in the growth process and the formation mechanism are characterized. We found that two dimensional stacking faults (SF) may retard the growth of Cu3Si. Due to the evidence of the block of edge-nucleation (heterogeneous) by the surface oxide, center-nucleation (homogeneous) is suggested to dominate the silicidation. Furthermore, the electrical transport properties of various silicon channel length with Cu3Si/Si heterostructure interfaces and metallic Cu3Si NWs have been investigated. The observations not only provided an alternative pathway to explore the formation mechanisms and interface properties of Cu3Si/Si, but also suggested the potential application of Cu3Si at nanoscale for future processing in nanotechnology.

Dynamics of Phenanthrenequinone on Carbon Nano-Onion Surfaces Probed by Quasielastic Neutron Scattering

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Anjos, Daniela M; Mamontov, Eugene; Brown, Gilbert M

We used quasielastic neutron scattering (QENS) to study the dynamics of phenanthrenequinone (PQ) on the surface of onion-like carbon (OLC), or so called carbon onions, as a function of surface coverage and temperature. For both the high- and low-coverage samples, we observed two diffusion processes; a faster process and nearly an order of magnitude slower process. On the high-coverage surface, the slow diffusion process is of long-range translational character, whereas the fast diffusion process is spatially localized on the length scale of ~ 4.7 . On the low-coverage surface, both diffusion processes are spatially localized; on the same length scalemore » of ~ 4.7 for the fast diffusion and a somewhat larger length scale for the slow diffusion. Arrhenius temperature dependence is observed except for the long-range diffusion on the high-coverage surface. We attribute the fast diffusion process to the generic localized in-cage dynamics of PQ molecules, and the slow diffusion process to the long-range translational dynamics of PQ molecules, which, depending on the coverage, may be either spatially restricted, or long-range. On the low-coverage surface, uniform surface coverage is not attained, and the PQ molecules experience the effect of spatial constraints on their long-range translational dynamics. Unexpectedly, the dynamics of PQ molecules on OLC as a function of temperature and surface coverage bears qualitative resemblance to the dynamics of water molecules on oxide surfaces, including practically temperature-independent residence times for the low-coverage surface. The dynamics features that we observed may be universal across different classes of surface adsorbates.« less

Fractal analysis of lateral movement in biomembranes.

PubMed

Gmachowski, Lech

2018-04-01

Lateral movement of a molecule in a biomembrane containing small compartments (0.23-μm diameter) and large ones (0.75 μm) is analyzed using a fractal description of its walk. The early time dependence of the mean square displacement varies from linear due to the contribution of ballistic motion. In small compartments, walking molecules do not have sufficient time or space to develop an asymptotic relation and the diffusion coefficient deduced from the experimental records is lower than that measured without restrictions. The model makes it possible to deduce the molecule step parameters, namely the step length and time, from data concerning confined and unrestricted diffusion coefficients. This is also possible using experimental results for sub-diffusive transport. The transition from normal to anomalous diffusion does not affect the molecule step parameters. The experimental literature data on molecular trajectories recorded at a high time resolution appear to confirm the modeled value of the mean free path length of DOPE for Brownian and anomalous diffusion. Although the step length and time give the proper values of diffusion coefficient, the DOPE speed calculated as their quotient is several orders of magnitude lower than the thermal speed. This is interpreted as a result of intermolecular interactions, as confirmed by lateral diffusion of other molecules in different membranes. The molecule step parameters are then utilized to analyze the problem of multiple visits in small compartments. The modeling of the diffusion exponent results in a smooth transition to normal diffusion on entering a large compartment, as observed in experiments.

Study of electron transport in a Hall thruster by axial–radial fully kinetic particle simulation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cho, Shinatora, E-mail: choh.shinatora@jaxa.jp; Kubota, Kenichi; Funaki, Ikkoh

2015-10-15

Electron transport across a magnetic field in a magnetic-layer-type Hall thruster was numerically investigated for the future predictive modeling of Hall thrusters. The discharge of a 1-kW-class magnetic-layer-type Hall thruster designed for high-specific-impulse operation was modeled using an r-z two-dimensional fully kinetic particle code with and without artificial electron-diffusion models. The thruster performance results showed that both electron transport models captured the experimental result within discrepancies less than 20% in thrust and discharge current for all the simulated operation conditions. The electron cross-field transport mechanism of the so-called anomalous diffusion was self-consistently observed in the simulation without artificial diffusion models;more » the effective electron mobility was two orders of magnitude higher than the value obtained using the classical diffusion theory. To account for the self-consistently observed anomalous transport, the oscillation of plasma properties was speculated. It was suggested that the enhanced random-walk diffusion due to the velocity oscillation of low-frequency electron flow could explain the observed anomalous diffusion within an order of magnitude. The dominant oscillation mode of the electron flow velocity was found to be 20 kHz, which was coupled to electrostatic oscillation excited by global ionization instability.« less

Hot-electron thermocouple and the diffusion thermopower of two-dimensional electrons in GaAs.

PubMed

Chickering, W E; Eisenstein, J P; Reno, J L

2009-07-24

A simple hot-electron thermocouple is realized in a two-dimensional electron system (2DES) and used to measure the diffusion thermopower of the 2DES at zero magnetic field. This hot-electron technique, which requires no micron-scale patterning of the 2DES, is much less sensitive than conventional methods to phonon-drag effects. Our thermopower results are in good agreement with the Mott formula for diffusion thermopower for temperatures up to T approximately 2 K.

Differential Microscopic Mobility of Components within a Deep Eutectic Solvent

DOE PAGES

Wagle, Durgesh V.; Baker, Gary A.; Mamontov, Eugene

2015-07-13

From macroscopic measurements of deep eutectic solvents such as glyceline (1:2 molar ratio of choline chloride to glycerol), the long-range translational diffusion of the larger cation (choline) is known to be slower compared to that of the smaller hydrogen bond donor (glycerol). However, when the diffusion dynamics are analyzed on the subnanometer length scale, we discover that the displacements associated with the localized diffusive motions are actually larger for choline. This counterintuitive diffusive behavior can be understood as follows. The localized diffusive motions confined in the transient cage of neighbor particles, which precede the cage-breaking long-range diffusion jumps, are moremore » spatially constrained for glycerol than for choline because of the stronger hydrogen bonds the former makes with chloride anions. The implications of differential localized mobility of the constituents should be especially important for applications where deep eutectic solvents are confined on the nanometer length scale and their long-range translational diffusion is strongly inhibited (e.g., within microporous media).« less

The dynamics of oceanic fronts. I - The Gulf Stream

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kao, T. W.

1980-01-01

The establishment and maintenance of the mean hydrographic properties of large-scale density fronts in the upper ocean is considered. The dynamics is studied by posing an initial value problem starting with a near-surface discharge of buoyant water with a prescribed density deficit into an ambient stationary fluid of uniform density; full time dependent diffusion and Navier-Stokes equations are then used with constant eddy diffusion and viscosity coefficients, together with a constant Coriolis parameter. Scaling analysis reveals three independent scales of the problem including the radius of deformation of the inertial length, buoyancy length, and diffusive length scales. The governing equations are then suitably scaled and the resulting normalized equations are shown to depend on the Ekman number alone for problems of oceanic interest. It is concluded that the mean Gulf Stream dynamics can be interpreted in terms of a solution of the Navier-Stokes and diffusion equations, with the cross-stream circulation responsible for the maintenance of the front; this mechanism is suggested for the maintenance of the Gulf Stream dynamics.

Measuring a diffusion coefficient by single-particle tracking: statistical analysis of experimental mean squared displacement curves.

PubMed

Ernst, Dominique; Köhler, Jürgen

2013-01-21

We provide experimental results on the accuracy of diffusion coefficients obtained by a mean squared displacement (MSD) analysis of single-particle trajectories. We have recorded very long trajectories comprising more than 1.5 × 10(5) data points and decomposed these long trajectories into shorter segments providing us with ensembles of trajectories of variable lengths. This enabled a statistical analysis of the resulting MSD curves as a function of the lengths of the segments. We find that the relative error of the diffusion coefficient can be minimized by taking an optimum number of points into account for fitting the MSD curves, and that this optimum does not depend on the segment length. Yet, the magnitude of the relative error for the diffusion coefficient does, and achieving an accuracy in the order of 10% requires the recording of trajectories with about 1000 data points. Finally, we compare our results with theoretical predictions and find very good qualitative and quantitative agreement between experiment and theory.

Diffusion and scaling during early embryonic pattern formation

PubMed Central

Gregor, Thomas; Bialek, William; van Steveninck, Rob R. de Ruyter; Tank, David W.; Wieschaus, Eric F.

2005-01-01

Development of spatial patterns in multicellular organisms depends on gradients in the concentration of signaling molecules that control gene expression. In the Drosophila embryo, Bicoid (Bcd) morphogen controls cell fate along 70% of the anteroposterior axis but is translated from mRNA localized at the anterior pole. Gradients of Bcd and other morphogens are thought to arise through diffusion, but this basic assumption has never been rigorously tested in living embryos. Furthermore, because diffusion sets a relationship between length and time scales, it is hard to see how patterns of gene expression established by diffusion would scale proportionately as egg size changes during evolution. Here, we show that the motion of inert molecules through the embryo is well described by the diffusion equation on the relevant length and time scales, and that effective diffusion constants are essentially the same in closely related dipteran species with embryos of very different size. Nonetheless, patterns of gene expression in these different species scale with egg length. We show that this scaling can be traced back to scaling of the Bcd gradient itself. Our results, together with constraints imposed by the time scales of development, suggest that the mechanism for scaling is a species-specific adaptation of the Bcd lifetime. PMID:16352710

Magnetospheric Multiscale Observations of the Electron Diffusion Region of Large Guide Field Magnetic Reconnection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eriksson, S.; Wilder, F. D.; Ergun, R. E.; Schwartz, S. J.; Cassak, P. A.; Burch, J. L.; Chen, Li-Jen; Torbert, R. B.; Phan, T. D.; Lavraud, B.;

Causes and implications of suppressed vesiculation and crystallization in phenocryst embayments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cashman, K. V.; Rust, A.

2016-12-01

Recent studies of crystal-hosted melt embayments have modeled water diffusion to estimate rates of magma ascent. Uncertainties in these calculations have been linked primarily to the assumed initial pressure. None of these studies, however, have addressed the conditions under which crystal-hosted clear glass channels form in samples dominated by crystal- and bubble-rich groundmass. Embayments are common in phenocrysts from the 1974 basaltic eruption of Fuego volcano. They are hosted by both plagioclase and olivine phenocrysts where rapid and spatially heterogeneous growth creates a local melt channel. Embayment shapes differ in the two phases, however, depending on the characteristic rapid growth morphologies. Embayment channels are typically 20-50 µm wide and may reach 100-200 µm in length. Interestingly, these length scales are similar to those of melt embayments in plagioclase within the dacitic Mount St. Helens. We suggest that these characteristic length scales are key to embayment preservation as clear glass. We explore two hypotheses: (1) that the space constraints of the embayment inhibit bubble nucleation and growth, or (2) that rapid decompression-driven crystal growth on all sides of the melt channel temporarily increases the melt temperature and water content (and therefore element diffusivity) above ambient. Support for the second hypothesis - that diffusion out of the melt channels is energetically more favorable than nucleation of new bubble and crystal phases - is suggested by observed diffusion profiles of melt components within the embayments. Understanding the origin of melt channels has important implications for diffusion-based studies of magma decompression. First, if the embayments are formed by rapid, syn-eruptive crystal growth, then the effective diffusion length scale must increase with time. Second, if local and temporary heating increase elemental diffusion rates, then characteristic diffusion time scales will be overestimated. By extension, we also note that similar conditions may characterize rapid growth of skeletal and hopper crystals.

Characterization of TiN/B-C-N multilayers by transmission electron microscopy, ion beam backscattering, and low angle x-ray diffraction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kung, H.; Fayeulle, S.; Nastasi, M.

1997-10-01

The effects of Ar ion irradiation on the structure and stability of multilayered DC sputtered thin films of TiN/B-C-N have been studied. An increase of the bilayer repeat length to a maximum of 12.8% and departure of nitrogen from the film was observed indicating the interdiffusion between TiN and B-C-N layers. For the highest dose (5 {times} 10{sup 16} ions/cm{sup 2}) the multilayered structure partly disappears. The various mechanisms are discussed in terms of stress-driven diffusion and viscous flow of atoms.

Graphene-Rich Wrapped Petal-Like Rutile TiO2 tuned by Carbon Dots for High-Performance Sodium Storage.

PubMed

Zhang, Yan; Foster, Christopher W; Banks, Craig E; Shao, Lidong; Hou, Hongshuai; Zou, Guoqiang; Chen, Jun; Huang, Zhaodong; Ji, Xiaobo

2016-11-01

Carbon dots inducing petal-like rutile TiO 2 wrapped by ultrathin graphene-rich layers are proposed to fabricate superior anodes for sodium-ion batteries, featuring high-rate capabilities and long-term cyclelife, benefiting from promoted electron transport and a shortened Na + diffusion length. High capacities of 144.4 mA h g -1 (at 837.5 mA g -1 ) after 1100 cycles and 74.6 mA h g -1 (at 3350 mA g -1 ) after 4000 cycles are delivered outstandingly. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Electron Currents and Heating in the Ion Diffusion Region of Asymmetric Reconnection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Graham, D. B.; Khotyaintsev, Yu. V.; Norgren, C.; Vaivads, A.; Andre, M.; Lindqvist, P. A.; Marklund, G. T.; Ergun, R. E.; Paterson, W. R.; Gershman, D. J.;

Effect of the structure of imidazolium cations in [BF4](-)-type ionic liquids on direct electrochemistry and electrocatalysis of horseradish peroxidase in Nafion films.

PubMed

Lu, Lu; Huang, Xirong; Qu, Yinbo

2011-10-01

The direct electrochemistry and bioelectrocatalysis of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) in Nafion films at glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was investigated in three [BF(4)](-)-type room-temperature ionic liquids (ILs) to understand the structural effect of imidazolium cations. The three ILs are 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([Emim][BF(4)]), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([Bmim][BF(4)]) and 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([Hmim][BF(4)]). A small amount of water in the three ILs is indispensable for maintaining the electrochemical activity of HRP in Nafion films, and the optimum water contents decrease with the increase of alkyl chain length on imidazole ring. Analysis shows that the optimum water contents are primarily determined by the hydrophilicity of ILs used. In contrast to aqueous medium, ILs media facilitate the direct electron transfer of HRP, and the electrochemical parameters obtained in different ILs are obviously related to the nature of ILs. The direct electron transfer between HRP and GCE is a surface-confined quasi-reversible single electron transfer process. The apparent heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant decreases gradually with the increase of alkyl chain length on imidazole ring, but the changing extent is relatively small. The electrocatalytic reduction current of H(2)O(2) at the present electrode decreases obviously with the increase of alkyl chain length, and the mass transfer of H(2)O(2) via diffusion in ILs should be responsible for the change. In addition, the modified electrode has good stability and reproducibility; the ability to tolerate high levels of F(-) has been greatly enhanced due to the use of Nafion film. When an appropriate mediator is included in the sensing layer, a sensitive nonaqueous biosensor could be fabricated. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Two-Oxide Disequilibrium: A New Geospeedometer Based on Diffusion in Ilmenite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, K. B.; Krawczynski, M. J.; Van Orman, J. A.

2016-12-01

Diffusion-annealing experiments were conducted in a 0.5" piston cylinder apparatus to investigate diffusivity of Fe2+, Mg2+, and Mn2+ in ilmenite solid solutions between 800ºC and 1000ºC. Polycrystalline ilmenite (FeTiO3) was juxtaposed against either an oriented geikielite (MgTiO3) single crystal or polycrystalline Mn-bearing (5 mol% Mn) ilmenite, in a "diffusion-couple" geometry. Geikielite single crystals were synthesized at Los Alamos National Laboratory, cut into 1 mm edge-length cubes, and polished either perpendicular or parallel to the c-axis. Polycrystalline ilmenite starting materials were synthesized by mixing high purity reagent-grade oxides (FeO, MnO, and TiO2) and sintering in a piston cylinder apparatus, then cut into wafers and polished. Experimental run products were analyzed by electron microprobe at Washington University in St. Louis. Microprobe analyses were obtained perpendicularly across the diffusion interface for each experiment. Experimental diffusion profiles create smooth curves that, when fit with an error function, define Fe-Mg and Fe-Mn interdiffusion coefficients in ilmenite. The diffusion coefficients do not appear compositionally dependent, but do show significant anisotropy. Preliminary results suggest diffusion activation energies are lower in ilmenite than in titanomagnetite [1]. Ilmenite-titanomagnetite equilibria define pre-eruptive temperatures and oxygen fugacities. However, oxides often exist out of equilibrium [2]. We use the cation diffusion data for ilmenite and existing data on titanomagnetite to establish two-oxide disequilibrium as a geospeedometer. Our data constrain oxide-oxide re-equilibration timescales at Mt. Unzen to months, consistent with estimates from zoned, single crystals of magnetite [3,4]. Future experiments will examine the effect of oxygen fugacity on diffusivity in ilmenite solid solutions. References:[1] Van Orman & Crispin (2010) RiMG 72, 757-825.[2] Bacon & Hirschmann (1988) Am. Min. 73, 57-61.[3] Nakamura (1995) Geology 23, 807-810.[4] Venezky & Rutherford (1999) J. Volc. Geo. Res. 89, 213-230.

Cu diffusion in single-crystal and polycrystalline TiN barrier layers: A high-resolution experimental study supported by first-principles calculations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mühlbacher, Marlene; Bochkarev, Anton S.; Mendez-Martin, Francisca; Sartory, Bernhard; Chitu, Livia; Popov, Maxim N.; Puschnig, Peter; Spitaler, Jürgen; Ding, Hong; Schalk, Nina; Lu, Jun; Hultman, Lars; Mitterer, Christian

2015-08-01

Dense single-crystal and polycrystalline TiN/Cu stacks were prepared by unbalanced DC magnetron sputter deposition at a substrate temperature of 700 °C and a pulsed bias potential of -100 V. The microstructural variation was achieved by using two different substrate materials, MgO(001) and thermally oxidized Si(001), respectively. Subsequently, the stacks were subjected to isothermal annealing treatments at 900 °C for 1 h in high vacuum to induce the diffusion of Cu into the TiN. The performance of the TiN diffusion barrier layers was evaluated by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy in combination with energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry mapping and atom probe tomography. No Cu penetration was evident in the single-crystal stack up to annealing temperatures of 900 °C, due to the low density of line and planar defects in single-crystal TiN. However, at higher annealing temperatures when diffusion becomes more prominent, density-functional theory calculations predict a stoichiometry-dependent atomic diffusion mechanism of Cu in bulk TiN, with Cu diffusing on the N sublattice for the experimental N/Ti ratio. In comparison, localized diffusion of Cu along grain boundaries in the columnar polycrystalline TiN barriers was detected after the annealing treatment. The maximum observed diffusion length was approximately 30 nm, yielding a grain boundary diffusion coefficient of the order of 10-16 cm2 s-1 at 900 °C. This is 10 to 100 times less than for comparable underdense polycrystalline TiN coatings deposited without external substrate heating or bias potential. The combined numerical and experimental approach presented in this paper enables the contrasting juxtaposition of diffusion phenomena and mechanisms in two TiN coatings, which differ from each other only in the presence of grain boundaries.

Response of radiation belt simulations to different radial diffusion coefficients for relativistic and ultra-relativistic electrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drozdov, Alexander; Mann, Ian; Baker, Daniel N.; Subbotin, Dmitriy; Ozeke, Louis; Shprits, Yuri; Kellerman, Adam

Two parameterizations of the resonant wave-particle interactions of electrons with ULF waves in the magnetosphere by Brautigam and Albert [2000] and Ozeke et al. [2012] are evaluated using the Versatile Electron Radiation Belt (VERB) diffusion code to estimate the effect of changing a diffusion coefficient on the radiation belt simulation. The period of investigation includes geomagnetically quiet and active time. The simulations take into account wave-particle interactions represented by radial diffusion transport, local acceleration, losses due to pitch-angle diffusion, and mixed diffusion. 1. Brautigam, D. H., and J. M. Albert (2000), Radial diffusion analysis of outer radiation belt electrons during the October 9, 1990, magnetic storm, J. Geophys. Res., 105(A1), 291-309, doi:10.1029/1999JA900344 2. Ozeke, L. G., I. R. Mann, K. R. Murphy, I. J. Rae, D. K. Milling, S. R. Elkington, A. A. Chan, and H. J. Singer (2012), ULF wave derived radiation belt radial diffusion coefficients, J. Geophys. Res., 117, A04222, doi:10.1029/2011JA017463.

Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Energy Interchange in the Electron Diffuse Aurora

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Khazanov, George V.; Glocer, Alex; Himwich, E. W.

2014-01-01

The diffuse aurora has recently been shown to be a major contributor of energy flux into the Earth's ionosphere. Therefore, a comprehensive theoretical analysis is required to understand its role in energy redistribution in the coupled ionosphere-magnetosphere system. In previous theoretical descriptions of precipitated magnetospheric electrons (E is approximately 1 keV), the major focus has been the ionization and excitation rates of the neutral atmosphere and the energy deposition rate to thermal ionospheric electrons. However, these precipitating electrons will also produce secondary electrons via impact ionization of the neutral atmosphere. This paper presents the solution of the Boltzman-Landau kinetic equation that uniformly describes the entire electron distribution function in the diffuse aurora, including the affiliated production of secondary electrons (E greater than 600 eV) and their ionosphere-magnetosphere coupling processes. In this article, we discuss for the first time how diffuse electron precipitation into the atmosphere and the associated secondary electron production participate in ionosphere-magnetosphere energy redistribution.

Many-body Effects in a Laterally Inhomogeneous Semiconductor Quantum Well

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ning, Cun-Zheng; Li, Jian-Zhong; Biegel, Bryan A. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Many body effects on conduction and diffusion of electrons and holes in a semiconductor quantum well are studied using a microscopic theory. The roles played by the screened Hartree-Fock (SHE) terms and the scattering terms are examined. It is found that the electron and hole conductivities depend only on the scattering terms, while the two-component electron-hole diffusion coefficients depend on both the SHE part and the scattering part. We show that, in the limit of the ambipolax diffusion approximation, however, the diffusion coefficients for carrier density and temperature are independent of electron-hole scattering. In particular, we found that the SHE terms lead to a reduction of density-diffusion coefficients and an increase in temperature-diffusion coefficients. Such a reduction or increase is explained in terms of a density-and temperature dependent energy landscape created by the bandgap renormalization.

On the diffusion of ferrocenemethanol in room-temperature ionic liquids: an electrochemical study.

PubMed

Lovelock, Kevin R J; Ejigu, Andinet; Loh, Sook Fun; Men, Shuang; Licence, Peter; Walsh, Darren A

2011-06-07

The electrochemical behaviour of ferrocenemethanol (FcMeOH) has been studied in a range of room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) using cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperomery and scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). The diffusion coefficient of FcMeOH, measured using chronoamperometry, decreased with increasing RTIL viscosity. Analysis of the mass transport properties of the RTILs revealed that the Stokes-Einstein equation did not apply to our data. The "correlation length" was estimated from diffusion coefficient data and corresponded well to the average size of holes (voids) in the liquid, suggesting that a model in which the diffusing species jumps between holes in the liquid is appropriate in these liquids. Cyclic voltammetry at ultramicroelectrodes demonstrated that the ability to record steady-state voltammograms during ferrocenemethanol oxidation depended on the voltammetric scan rate, the electrode dimensions and the RTIL viscosity. Similarly, the ability to record steady-state SECM feedback approach curves depended on the RTIL viscosity, the SECM tip radius and the tip approach speed. Using 1.3 μm Pt SECM tips, steady-state SECM feedback approach curves were obtained in RTILs, provided that the tip approach speed was low enough to maintain steady-state diffusion at the SECM tip. In the case where tip-induced convection contributed significantly to the SECM tip current, this effect could be accounted for theoretically using mass transport equations that include diffusive and convective terms. Finally, the rate of heterogeneous electron transfer across the electrode/RTIL interface during ferrocenemethanol oxidation was estimated using SECM, and k(0) was at least 0.1 cm s(-1) in one of the least viscous RTILs studied.

Radiation belt electron acceleration during the 17 March 2015 geomagnetic storm: Observations and simulations

DOE PAGES

Li, W.; Ma, Q.; Thorne, R. M.; ...

2016-06-10

Various physical processes are known to cause acceleration, loss, and transport of energetic electrons in the Earth's radiation belts, but their quantitative roles in different time and space need further investigation. During the largest storm over the past decade (17 March 2015), relativistic electrons experienced fairly rapid acceleration up to ~7 MeV within 2 days after an initial substantial dropout, as observed by Van Allen Probes. In the present paper, we evaluate the relative roles of various physical processes during the recovery phase of this large storm using a 3-D diffusion simulation. By quantitatively comparing the observed and simulated electronmore » evolution, we found that chorus plays a critical role in accelerating electrons up to several MeV near the developing peak location and produces characteristic flat-top pitch angle distributions. By only including radial diffusion, the simulation underestimates the observed electron acceleration, while radial diffusion plays an important role in redistributing electrons and potentially accelerates them to even higher energies. Moreover, plasmaspheric hiss is found to provide efficient pitch angle scattering losses for hundreds of keV electrons, while its scattering effect on > 1 MeV electrons is relatively slow. Although an additional loss process is required to fully explain the overestimated electron fluxes at multi-MeV, the combined physical processes of radial diffusion and pitch angle and energy diffusion by chorus and hiss reproduce the observed electron dynamics remarkably well, suggesting that quasi-linear diffusion theory is reasonable to evaluate radiation belt electron dynamics during this big storm.« less

Radiation belt electron acceleration during the 17 March 2015 geomagnetic storm: Observations and simulations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, W.; Ma, Q.; Thorne, R. M.

Various physical processes are known to cause acceleration, loss, and transport of energetic electrons in the Earth's radiation belts, but their quantitative roles in different time and space need further investigation. During the largest storm over the past decade (17 March 2015), relativistic electrons experienced fairly rapid acceleration up to ~7 MeV within 2 days after an initial substantial dropout, as observed by Van Allen Probes. In the present paper, we evaluate the relative roles of various physical processes during the recovery phase of this large storm using a 3-D diffusion simulation. By quantitatively comparing the observed and simulated electronmore » evolution, we found that chorus plays a critical role in accelerating electrons up to several MeV near the developing peak location and produces characteristic flat-top pitch angle distributions. By only including radial diffusion, the simulation underestimates the observed electron acceleration, while radial diffusion plays an important role in redistributing electrons and potentially accelerates them to even higher energies. Moreover, plasmaspheric hiss is found to provide efficient pitch angle scattering losses for hundreds of keV electrons, while its scattering effect on > 1 MeV electrons is relatively slow. Although an additional loss process is required to fully explain the overestimated electron fluxes at multi-MeV, the combined physical processes of radial diffusion and pitch angle and energy diffusion by chorus and hiss reproduce the observed electron dynamics remarkably well, suggesting that quasi-linear diffusion theory is reasonable to evaluate radiation belt electron dynamics during this big storm.« less

Spin-orbit torque in a thin film of the topological insulator Bi2Se3: Crossover from the ballistic to diffusive regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Y. J.; Deng, W. Y.; Geng, H.; Shen, R.; Shao, L. B.; Sheng, L.; Xing, D. Y.

2017-12-01

The spin-orbit torque provides an efficient method for switching the direction of a magnetization by using an electric field. Owing to the spin-orbit coupling, when an electric field is applied, a nonequilibrium spin density is generated, which exerts a torque on the local magnetization. Here, we investigate the spin-orbit torque in a thin film of topological insulator \\text{Bi}2\\text{Se}3 based upon a Boltzmann equation, with proper boundary conditions, which is applicable from the ballistic regime to the diffusive regime. It is shown that due to the spin-momentum interlocking of the electron surface states, the magnitude of the field-like torque is simply in linear proportion to the longitudinal electrical current. For a fixed electric field, the spin-orbit torque is proportional to the sample length in the ballistic limit, and saturates to a constant in the diffusive limit. The dependence of the torque on the magnetization direction and exchange coupling strength is also studied. Our theory may offer useful guidance for experimental investigations of the spin-orbit torque in finite-size systems.

Fast oxygen diffusion in bismuth oxide probed by quasielastic neutron scattering

DOE PAGES

Mamontov, Eugene

2016-09-24

In this paper, we present the first, to our knowledge, study of solid state oxygen translational diffusion by quasielastic neutron scattering. Such studies in the past might have been precluded by relatively low diffusivities of oxygen anions in the temperature range amenable to neutron scattering experiments. To explore the potential of the quasielastic scattering technique, which can deduce atomic diffusion jump length of oxygen anions through the momentum transfer dependence of the scattering signal, we have selected the fastest known oxygen conductor, bismuth oxide. Finally, we have found the oxygen anion jump length in excellent agreement with the nearest oxygen-vacancymore » distance in the anion sublattice of the fluorite-related structure of bismuth oxide.« less

Evaluating Graphene as a Channel Material in Spintronic Logic Devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anugrah, Yoska

Spintronics, a class of devices that exploit the spin properties of electrons in addition to the charge properties, promises the possibility for nonvolatile logic and memory devices that operate at low power. Graphene is a material in which the spin orientation of electrons can be conserved over a long distance, which makes it an attractive channel material in spintronics devices. In this dissertation, the properties of graphene that are interesting for spintronics applications are explored. A robust fabrication process is described for graphene spin valves using Al2O3 tunnel tunnel barriers and Co ferromagnetic contacts. Spin transport was characterized in both few-layer exfoliated and single-layer graphene, and spin diffusion lengths and spin relaxation times were extracted using the nonlocal spin valve geometry and Hanle measurements. The effect of input-output asymmetry on the spin transport was investigated. The effect of an applied drift electric field on spin transport was investigated and the spin diffusion length was found to be tunable by a factor of 8X (suppressed to 1.6 microm and enhanced to 13 microm from the intrinsic length of 4.6 microm using electric field of +/-1800 V/cm). A mechanism to induce asymmetry without excess power dissipation is also described which utilizes a double buried-gate structure to tune the Fermi levels on the input and output sides of a graphene spin logic device independently. It was found that different spin scattering mechanisms were at play in the two halves of a small graphene strip. This suggests that the spin properties of graphene are strongly affected by its local environment, e.g. impurities, surface topography, defects. Finally, two-dimensional materials beyond graphene have been explored as spin channels. One such material is phosphorene, which has low spin-orbit coupling and high mobility, and the interface properties of ferromagnets (cobalt and permalloy) with this material were explored. This work could potentially enable spin injection without the need for a physical tunnel barrier to solve the conductivity mismatch problem inherent to graphene.

Phase-driven collapse of the Cooper condensate in a nanosized superconductor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ronzani, Alberto; D'Ambrosio, Sophie; Virtanen, Pauli; Giazotto, Francesco; Altimiras, Carles

2017-12-01

Superconductivity can be understood in terms of a phase transition from an uncorrelated electron gas to a condensate of Cooper pairs in which the relative phases of the constituent electrons are coherent over macroscopic length scales. The degree of correlation is quantified by a complex-valued order parameter, whose amplitude is proportional to the strength of the pairing potential in the condensate. Supercurrent-carrying states are associated with nonzero values of the spatial gradient of the phase. The pairing potential and several physical observables of the Cooper condensate can be manipulated by means of temperature, current bias, dishomogeneities in the chemical composition, or application of a magnetic field. Here we show evidence of complete suppression of the energy gap in the local density of quasiparticle states (DOS) of a superconducting nanowire upon establishing a phase difference equal to π over a length scale comparable to the superconducting coherence length. These observations are consistent with a complete collapse of the pairing potential in the center of the wire, in accordance with theoretical modeling based on the quasiclassical theory of superconductivity in diffusive systems. Our spectroscopic data, fully exploring the phase-biased states of the condensate, highlight the profound effect that extreme phase gradients exert on the amplitude of the pairing potential. Moreover, the sharp magnetic response (up to 27 mV/Φ0) observed near the onset of the superconducting gap collapse regime is exploited to realize magnetic flux detectors with noise-equivalent resolution as low as 260 n Φ0/√{Hz} .

Ultrafast demagnetization by hot electrons: Diffusion or super-diffusion?

PubMed

Salvatella, G; Gort, R; Bühlmann, K; Däster, S; Vaterlaus, A; Acremann, Y

2016-09-01

Ultrafast demagnetization of ferromagnetic metals can be achieved by a heat pulse propagating in the electron gas of a non-magnetic metal layer, which absorbs a pump laser pulse. Demagnetization by electronic heating is investigated on samples with different thicknesses of the absorber layer on nickel. This allows us to separate the contribution of thermalized hot electrons compared to non-thermal electrons. An analytical model describes the demagnetization amplitude as a function of the absorber thickness. The observed change of demagnetization time can be reproduced by diffusive heat transport through the absorber layer.

Application of the SEM to the measurement of solar cell parameters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weizer, V. G.; Andrews, C. W.

1977-01-01

A pair of techniques are described which make use of the SEM to measure, respectively, the minority carrier diffusion length and the metallurgical junction depth in silicon solar cells. The former technique permits the measurement of the true bulk diffusion length through the application of highly doped field layers to the back surfaces of the cells being investigated. The technique yields an absolute value of the diffusion length from a knowledge of the collected fraction of the injected carriers and the cell thickness. It is shown that the secondary emission contrast observed in the SEM on a reverse-biased diode can depict the location of the metallurgical junction if the diode has been prepared with the proper beveled geometry. The SEM provides the required contrast and the option of high magnification, permitting the measurement of extremely shallow junction depths.

The high energy cosmic-radiation detection (HERD) facility onboard China's Space Station

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, S. N.; Adriani, O.; Albergo, S.; Ambrosi, G.; An, Q.; Bao, T. W.; Battiston, R.; Bi, X. J.; Cao, Z.; Chai, J. Y.; Chang, J.; Chen, G. M.; Chen, Y.; Cui, X. H.; Dai, Z. G.; D'Alessandro, R.; Dong, Y. W.; Fan, Y. Z.; Feng, C. Q.; Feng, H.; Feng, Z. Y.; Gao, X. H.; Gargano, F.; Giglietto, N.; Gou, Q. B.; Guo, Y. Q.; Hu, B. L.; Hu, H. B.; He, H. H.; Huang, G. S.; Huang, J.; Huang, Y. F.; Li, H.; Li, L.; Li, Y. G.; Li, Z.; Liang, E. W.; Liu, H.; Liu, J. B.; Liu, J. T.; Liu, S. B.; Liu, S. M.; Liu, X.; Lu, J. G.; Mazziotta, M. N.; Mori, N.; Orsi, S.; Pearce, M.; Pohl, M.; Quan, Z.; Ryde, F.; Shi, H. L.; Spillantini, P.; Su, M.; Sun, J. C.; Sun, X. L.; Tang, Z. C.; Walter, R.; Wang, J. C.; Wang, J. M.; Wang, L.; Wang, R. J.; Wang, X. L.; Wang, X. Y.; Wang, Z. G.; Wei, D. M.; Wu, B. B.; Wu, J.; Wu, X.; Wu, X. F.; Xia, J. Q.; Xiao, H. L.; Xu, H. H.; Xu, M.; Xu, Z. Z.; Yan, H. R.; Yin, P. F.; Yu, Y. W.; Yuan, Q.; Zha, M.; Zhang, L.; Zhang, L.; Zhang, L. Y.; Zhang, Y.; Zhang, Y. J.; Zhang, Y. L.; Zhao, Z. G.

2014-07-01

The High Energy cosmic-Radiation Detection (HERD) facility is one of several space astronomy payloads of the cosmic lighthouse program onboard China's Space Station, which is planned for operation starting around 2020 for about 10 years. The main scientific objectives of HERD are indirect dark matter search, precise cosmic ray spectrum and composition measurements up to the knee energy, and high energy gamma-ray monitoring and survey. HERD is composed of a 3-D cubic calorimeter (CALO) surrounded by microstrip silicon trackers (STKs) from five sides except the bottom. CALO is made of about 104 cubes of LYSO crystals, corresponding to about 55 radiation lengths and 3 nuclear interaction lengths, respectively. The top STK microstrips of seven X-Y layers are sandwiched with tungsten converters to make precise directional measurements of incoming electrons and gamma-rays. In the baseline design, each of the four side SKTs is made of only three layers microstrips. All STKs will also be used for measuring the charge and incoming directions of cosmic rays, as well as identifying back scattered tracks. With this design, HERD can achieve the following performance: energy resolution of 1% for electrons and gamma-rays beyond 100 GeV, 20% for protons from 100 GeV to 1 PeV; electron/proton separation power better than 10-5; effective geometrical factors of >3 m2sr for electron and diffuse gamma-rays, >2 m2sr for cosmic ray nuclei. R and D is under way for reading out the LYSO signals with optical fiber coupled to image intensified CCD and the prototype of one layer of CALO.

The Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission: New Data on Magnetic Reconnection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burch, James

2015-11-01

The Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission was launched on March 12, 2015 into its Phase 1 elliptical orbit with apogee at 12 Earth radii (RE) . The baseline science goal for MMS is to Understand the microphysics of magnetic reconnection by determining the kinetic processes occurring in the electron diffusion region that are responsible for collisionless magnetic reconnection, especially how reconnection is initiated.In priority order, MMS will address three specific objectives: (1) Determine the role played by electron inertial effects and turbulent dissipation in driving magnetic reconnection in the electron diffusion region; (2) Determine the rate of magnetic reconnection and the parameters that control it. (3) Determine the role played by ion inertial effects in the physics of magnetic reconnection. During the six months of commissioning following launch, all of the instruments on the four spacecraft were made fully operational. Beginning on September 1, 2015 the spacecraft began their first scan of the dayside magnetopause in a tetrahedral formation with separations of 160 km. During Phase 1 the separation will be reduced in steps to 10 km and then adjusted to the separation that is judged to be optimum for reconnection studies. A second scan of the dayside magnetopause will be conducted at this optimum separation. Then apogee will be raised to 25 RE for a scan of the magnetotail with separations variable from 30 km to 400 km. Throughout the mission the payload will be operated at its maximum data rate, which is sufficient to investigate reconnection down to approximately the electron diffusion length scale with full 3D plasma electron distributions obtained in 30 ms, ion distributions at 150 ms, and magnetic and electric fields at 1 ms resolution. 3D plasma and energetic ion composition an energetic electron measurements along with plasma waves will also be made. The spacecraft potential is maintained below +4V by an ion emitter. Because of the large amount of data and the downlink limitations, only a few per cent of data at the highest rates can be sent to the ground. An on-board data selection system, supplemented by a Scientist-in-the Loop (SITL) system will be used to obtain the best segments of high-rate data for reconnection studies. Results from the first three months of Phase 1 will be presented in this paper.

Controlling Morphological Parameters of Anodized Titania Nanotubes for Optimized Solar Energy Applications

PubMed Central

Haring, Andrew; Morris, Amanda; Hu, Michael

2012-01-01

Anodized TiO2 nanotubes have received much attention for their use in solar energy applications including water oxidation cells and hybrid solar cells [dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) and bulk heterojuntion solar cells (BHJs)]. High surface area allows for increased dye-adsorption and photon absorption. Titania nanotubes grown by anodization of titanium in fluoride-containing electrolytes are aligned perpendicular to the substrate surface, reducing the electron diffusion path to the external circuit in solar cells. The nanotube morphology can be optimized for the various applications by adjusting the anodization parameters but the optimum crystallinity of the nanotube arrays remains to be realized. In addition to morphology and crystallinity, the method of device fabrication significantly affects photon and electron dynamics and its energy conversion efficiency. This paper provides the state-of-the-art knowledge to achieve experimental tailoring of morphological parameters including nanotube diameter, length, wall thickness, array surface smoothness, and annealing of nanotube arrays.

The determination of transport parameters of minority carriers in n-p junctions by means of an electron microscope - Critique of recent developments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Von Roos, O.

1980-01-01

It has recently been shown that amplitude modulated electron beams provide a novel means for the determination of minority carrier lifetimes, diffusion lengths, etc., in n-p junctions. In this paper it is shown that: (1) a recently published analysis based on a cylindrically symmetric configuration is incorrect, (2) the correct approach leads to a system of dual integral equations for which the formal solution is given, (3) in general, the short circuit current can only be determined by means of extensive computer calculations except in the case of large front surface recombination velocities, and (4) the difficulties encountered with cylindrically symmetric configurations (circular ohmic contacts and the like) are completely avoided with a choice of a planar geometry since simple closed form expressions for the short circuit current are readily available in this case.

A Hydrothermal Route to the Synthesis of CaTiO3 Nanocuboids Using P25 as the Titanium Source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Yuxiang; Yang, Hua; Zhao, Xinxin; Zhang, Haimin; Jiang, Jinlong

2018-03-01

CaTiO3 nanocuboids (width 0.3-0.5 μm, length 0.8-1.1 μm) have been synthesized by a hydrothermal route using commercial P25 as the titanium source. The as-prepared sample was systematically characterized by means of x-ray powder diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, field-emission transmission electron microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity of the sample was evaluated by degrading rhodamine B under simulated sunlight irradiation. It is demonstrated that CaTiO3 nanocuboids exhibit superior photocatalytic activity when compared with CaTiO3 nanoparticles. By investigating the effect of scavengers on the dye degradation and the yield of hydroxyl (·OH) radicals, it is concluded that ·OH is the dominant reactive species.

Surface and allied studies in silicon solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lindholm, F. A.

1984-01-01

Measuring small-signal admittance versus frequency and forward bias voltage together with a new transient measurement apparently provides the most reliable and flexible method available for determining back surface recombination velocity and low-injection lifetime of the quasineutral base region of silicon solar cells. The new transient measurement reported here is called short-circuit-current decay (SCCD). In this method, forward voltage equal to about the open-circuit or the maximum power voltage establishes excess holes and electrons in the junction transition region and in the quasineutral regions. The sudden application of a short circuit causes an exiting of the excess holes and electrons in the transition region within about ten picoseconds. From observing the slope and intercept of the subsequent current decay, the base lifetime and surface recombination velocity can be determined. The admittance measurement previously mentioned then enters to increase accuracy particularly for devices for which the diffusion length exceeds the base thickness.

Solvent annealing of perovskite-induced crystal growth for photovoltaic-device efficiency enhancement

DOE PAGES

Xiao, Zhengguo; Dong, Qingfeng; Bi, Cheng; ...

2014-08-26

Solvent-annealing is found to be an effective method to increase the grain size and carrier diffusion lengths of trihalide perovskite materials. Thus, the carrier diffusion length of MAPbI 3 is increased to over 1 μm. The efficiency remains above 14.5% when the MAPbI 3 thickness changes from 250 nm to 1 μm, with the highest efficiency reaching 15.6%.

Ultrahigh-density sub-10 nm nanowire array formation via surface-controlled phase separation.

PubMed

Tian, Yuan; Mukherjee, Pinaki; Jayaraman, Tanjore V; Xu, Zhanping; Yu, Yongsheng; Tan, Li; Sellmyer, David J; Shield, Jeffrey E

2014-08-13

We present simple, self-assembled, and robust fabrication of ultrahigh density cobalt nanowire arrays. The binary Co-Al and Co-Si systems phase-separate during physical vapor deposition, resulting in Co nanowire arrays with average diameter as small as 4.9 nm and nanowire density on the order of 10(16)/m(2). The nanowire diameters were controlled by moderating the surface diffusivity, which affected the lateral diffusion lengths. High resolution transmission electron microscopy reveals that the Co nanowires formed in the face-centered cubic structure. Elemental mapping showed that in both systems the nanowires consisted of Co with undetectable Al or Si and that the matrix consisted of Al with no distinguishable Co in the Co-Al system and a mixture of Si and Co in the Co-Si system. Magnetic measurements clearly indicate anisotropic behavior consistent with shape anisotropy. The dynamics of nanowire growth, simulated using an Ising model, is consistent with the experimental phase and geometry of the nanowires.

Transparent, Ultrahigh-Gas-Barrier Films with a Brick-Mortar-Sand Structure.

PubMed

Dou, Yibo; Pan, Ting; Xu, Simin; Yan, Hong; Han, Jingbin; Wei, Min; Evans, David G; Duan, Xue

2015-08-10

Transparent and flexible gas-barrier materials have shown broad applications in electronics, food, and pharmaceutical preservation. Herein, we report ultrahigh-gas-barrier films with a brick-mortar-sand structure fabricated by layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly of XAl-layered double hydroxide (LDH, X=Mg, Ni, Zn, Co) nanoplatelets and polyacrylic acid (PAA) followed by CO2 infilling, denoted as (XAl-LDH/PAA)n-CO2. The near-perfectly parallel orientation of the LDH "brick" creates a long diffusion length to hinder the transmission of gas molecules in the PAA "mortar". Most significantly, both the experimental studies and theoretical simulations reveal that the chemically adsorbed CO2 acts like "sand" to fill the free volume at the organic-inorganic interface, which further depresses the diffusion of permeating gas. The strategy presented here provides a new insight into the perception of barrier mechanism, and the (XAl-LDH/PAA)n-CO2 film is among the best gas barrier films ever reported. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The Synthesis and Characterization of Cerium Carbonate Hydroxide Nanorods as an Anode for Lithium-Ion Batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Yining; Liu, Hefen; Liu, Jianqiang; Liu, Haowen

2018-03-01

Nanorods cerium carbonate hydroxide, CeCO3OH, was synthesized through a low-temperature reaction route. The data of x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy revealed that the as-prepared samples were CeCO3OH nanorods. The diameters of the nanorods were in the range of 50-100 nm, and the lengths were around 300-500 nm. As an anode of a lithium ion battery, the charge-discharge capacity, cyclability and lithium-ion diffusion kinetics of CeCO3OH nanorods were investigated. The calculated lithium ion diffusion coefficient was 1.36 × 10-19 cm2 s-1. The initial discharge capacity was about 621.6 mA h g-1 at 0.2 mA cm-2 in 0.05-2.5 V. After 100 cycles, the discharge capacity stabilized at about 362 mA h g-1 and the Coulombic efficiency was nearly 98%, indicating the potential application in anodes of lithium-ion batteries.

Ultra-high gain diffusion-driven organic transistor

PubMed Central

Torricelli, Fabrizio; Colalongo, Luigi; Raiteri, Daniele; Kovács-Vajna, Zsolt Miklós; Cantatore, Eugenio

2016-01-01

Emerging large-area technologies based on organic transistors are enabling the fabrication of low-cost flexible circuits, smart sensors and biomedical devices. High-gain transistors are essential for the development of large-scale circuit integration, high-sensitivity sensors and signal amplification in sensing systems. Unfortunately, organic field-effect transistors show limited gain, usually of the order of tens, because of the large contact resistance and channel-length modulation. Here we show a new organic field-effect transistor architecture with a gain larger than 700. This is the highest gain ever reported for organic field-effect transistors. In the proposed organic field-effect transistor, the charge injection and extraction at the metal–semiconductor contacts are driven by the charge diffusion. The ideal conditions of ohmic contacts with negligible contact resistance and flat current saturation are demonstrated. The approach is general and can be extended to any thin-film technology opening unprecedented opportunities for the development of high-performance flexible electronics. PMID:26829567

Structure and Soot Properties of Nonbuoyant Ethylene/Air Laminar Jet Diffusion Flames. Appendix I

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Urban, D. L.; Yuan, Z.-G.; Sunderland, P. B.; Linteris, G. T.; Voss, J. E.; Lin, K.-C.; Dai, Z.; Sun, K.; Faeth, G. M.; Ross, Howard D. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The structure and soot properties of round, soot-emitting, nonbuoyant, laminar jet diffusion flames are described, based on long-duration (175-230/s) experiments at microgravity carried out on orbit In the Space Shuttle Columbia. Experiments] conditions included ethylene-fueled flames burning in still air at nominal pressures of 50 and 100 kPa and an ambient temperature of 300 K with luminous Annie lengths of 49-64 mm. Measurements included luminous flame shapes using color video imaging, soot concentration (volume fraction) distributions using deconvoluted laser extinction imaging, soot temperature distributions using deconvoluted multiline emission imaging, gas temperature distributions at fuel-lean (plume) conditions using thermocouple probes, not structure distributions using thermophoretic sampling and analysis by transmission electron microscopy, and flame radiation using a radiometer. The present flames were larger, and emitted soot men readily, than comparable observed during ground-based microgravity experiments due to closer approach to steady conditions resulting from the longer test times and the reduced gravitational disturbances of the space-based experiments.

Evaluation of Hamaker coefficients using Diffusion Monte Carlo method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maezono, Ryo; Hongo, Kenta

We evaluated the Hamaker's constant for Cyclohexasilane to investigate its wettability, which is used as an ink of 'liquid silicon' in 'printed electronics'. Taking three representative geometries of the dimer coalescence (parallel, lined, and T-shaped), we evaluated these binding curves using diffusion Monte Carlo method. The parallel geometry gave the most long-ranged exponent, ~ 1 /r6 , in its asymptotic behavior. Evaluated binding lengths are fairly consistent with the experimental density of the molecule. The fitting of the asymptotic curve gave an estimation of Hamaker's constant being around 100 [zJ]. We also performed a CCSD(T) evaluation and got almost similar result. To check its justification, we applied the same scheme to Benzene and compared the estimation with those by other established methods, Lifshitz theory and SAPT (Symmetry-adopted perturbation theory). The result by the fitting scheme turned to be twice larger than those by Lifshitz and SAPT, both of which coincide with each other. It is hence implied that the present evaluation for Cyclohexasilane would be overestimated.

Kinetics of Surface-Mediated Fibrillization of Amyloid-β (12-28) Peptides.

PubMed

Lin, Yi-Chih; Li, Chen; Fakhraai, Zahra

2018-04-17

Surfaces or interfaces are considered to be key factors in facilitating the formation of amyloid fibrils under physiological conditions. In this report, we study the kinetics of the surface-mediated fibrillization (SMF) of an amyloid-β fragment (Aβ 12-28 ) on mica. We employ a spin-coating-based drying procedure to control the exposure time of the substrate to a low-concentration peptide solution and then monitor the fibril growth as a function of time via atomic force microscopy (AFM). The evolution of surface-mediated fibril growth is quantitatively characterized in terms of the length histogram of imaged fibrils and their surface concentration. A two-dimensional (2D) kinetic model is proposed to numerically simulate the length evolution of surface-mediated fibrils by assuming a diffusion-limited aggregation (DLA) process along with size-dependent rate constants. We find that both monomer and fibril diffusion on the surface are required to obtain length histograms as a function of time that resemble those observed in experiments. The best-fit simulated data can accurately describe the key features of experimental length histograms and suggests that the mobility of loosely bound amyloid species is crucial in regulating the kinetics of SMF. We determine that the mobility exponent for the size dependence of the DLA rate constants is α = 0.55 ± 0.05, which suggests that the diffusion of loosely bound surface fibrils roughly depends on the inverse of the square root of their size. These studies elucidate the influence of deposition rate and surface diffusion on the formation of amyloid fibrils through SMF. The method used here can be broadly adopted to study the diffusion and aggregation of peptides or proteins on various surfaces to investigate the role of chemical interactions in two-dimensional fibril formation and diffusion.

Highly efficient single-junction GaAs thin-film solar cell on flexible substrate.

PubMed

Moon, Sunghyun; Kim, Kangho; Kim, Youngjo; Heo, Junseok; Lee, Jaejin

2016-07-20

There has been much interest in developing a thin-film solar cell because it is lightweight and flexible. The GaAs thin-film solar cell is a top contender in the thin-film solar cell market in that it has a high power conversion efficiency (PCE) compared to that of other thin-film solar cells. There are two common structures for the GaAs solar cell: n (emitter)-on-p (base) and p-on-n. The former performs better due to its high collection efficiency because the electron diffusion length of the p-type base region is much longer than the hole diffusion length of the n-type base region. However, it has been limited to fabricate highly efficient n-on-p single-junction GaAs thin film solar cell on a flexible substrate due to technical obstacles. We investigated a simple and fast epitaxial lift-off (ELO) method that uses a stress originating from a Cr/Au bilayer on a 125-μm-thick flexible substrate. A metal combination of AuBe/Pt/Au is employed as a new p-type ohmic contact with which an n-on-p single-junction GaAs thin-film solar cell on flexible substrate was successfully fabricated. The PCE of the fabricated single-junction GaAs thin-film solar cells reached 22.08% under air mass 1.5 global illumination.

4H-SiC p i n diodes grown by sublimation epitaxy in vacuum (SEV) and their application as microwave diodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Camara, N.; Zekentes, K.; Zelenin, V. V.; Abramov, P. L.; Kirillov, A. V.; Romanov, L. P.; Boltovets, N. S.; Krivutsa, V. A.; Thuaire, A.; Bano, E.; Tsoi, E.; Lebedev, A. A.

2008-02-01

Sublimation epitaxy under vacuum (SEV) was investigated as a method for growing 4H-SiC epitaxial structures for p-i-n diode fabrication. The SEV-grown 4H-SiC material was investigated with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), x-ray diffraction, photo-luminescence spectroscopy (PL), cathodo-luminescence (CL) spectroscopy, photocurrent method for carrier diffusion length determination, electro-luminescence microscopy (EL), deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS), C-V profiling and Hall-effect measurements. When possible, the same investigation techniques were used in parallel with similar layers grown by chemical vapour deposition (CVD) epitaxy and the physical properties of the two kind of epitaxied layers were compared. p-i-n diodes were fabricated in parallel on SEV and CVD-grown layers and showed close electrical performances in dc mode in term of capacitance, resistance and transient time switching, despite the lower mobility and the diffusion length of the SEV-grown layers. X-band microwave switches based on the SEV-grown p-i-n diodes have been demonstrated with insertion loss lower than 4 dB and an isolation higher than 17 dB. These single-pole single-throw (SPST) switches were able to handle a pulsed power up to 1800 W in isolation mode, similar to the value obtained with switches incorporating diodes with CVD-grown layers.

Proton transfer and the diffusion of H+ and OH- ions along water wires.

PubMed

Lee, Song Hi; Rasaiah, Jayendran C

2013-09-28

Hydrogen and hydroxide ion transport in narrow carbon nanotubes (CNTs) of diameter 8.1 Å and lengths up to 582 Å are investigated by molecular dynamics simulations using a dissociating water model. The diffusion coefficients of the free ions in an open chain are significantly larger than in periodically replicated wires that necessarily contain D or L end defects, and both are higher than they are in bulk water. The free hydroxide ion diffuses faster than the free hydronium ion in short CNTs, unlike diffusion in liquid water, and both coefficients increase and converge to nearly the same value with increasing tube length. The diffusion coefficients of the two ions increase further when the tubes are immersed in a water reservoir and they move easily out of the tube, suggesting an additional pathway for proton transport via OH(-) ions in biological channels.

Fabrication and analysis of cylindrical diffusing optical fiber probe for photodynamic therapy in cancer treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Gaye; Lee, HyeYeon; Cho, HyungSu; Kim, DaeYoung; Han, JaeWan; Ouh, ChiHwan; Jung, ChangHyun

2018-02-01

The treatment using photodynamic therapy (PDT) among cancer treatment methods shows remedial value in various cancers. The optical fiber probe infiltrates into affected parts of the tissues that are difficult to access, such as pancreatic cancer, carcinoma of extrahepatic bile duct, prostate cancer, and bladder cancer by using endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) with various types of diffusing tips. In this study, we developed cylindrical diffusing optical fiber probe (CDOFP) for PDT, manufactured ball-shaped end which is easily infiltrated into tissues with diffusing length ranging from 10mm to 40mm through precision laser processing, and conducted beam profile characterization of manufactured CDOFP. Also, chemical reaction between photo-sensitizer and laser in PDT is important, and hence the thermal effect in tissues as per diffusing length of probe was also studied as it was used in a recent study.

40Ar* loss in experimentally deformed muscovite and biotite with implications for 40Ar/39Ar geochronology of naturally deformed rocks

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cosca, M.; Stunitz, H.; Bourgeix, A.-L.; Lee, J.P.

2011-01-01

The effects of deformation on radiogenic argon (40Ar*) retentivity in mica are described from high pressure experiments performed on rock samples of peraluminous granite containing euhedral muscovite and biotite. Cylindrical cores, ???15mm in length and 6.25mm in diameter, were drilled from granite collected from the South Armorican Massif in northwestern France, loaded into gold capsules, and weld-sealed in the presence of excess water. The samples were deformed at a pressure of 10kb and a temperature of 600??C over a period 29 of hours within a solid medium assembly in a Griggs-type triaxial hydraulic deformation apparatus. Overall shortening in the experiments was approximately 10%. Transmitted light and secondary and backscattered electron imaging of the deformed granite samples reveals evidence of induced defects and for significant physical grain size reduction by kinking, cracking, and grain segmentation of the micas.Infrared (IR) laser (CO2) heating of individual 1.5-2.5mm diameter grains of muscovite and biotite separated from the undeformed granite yield well-defined 40Ar/39Ar plateau ages of 311??2Ma (2??). Identical experiments on single grains separated from the experimentally deformed granite yield results indicating 40Ar* loss of 0-35% in muscovite and 2-3% 40Ar* loss in biotite. Intragrain in situ ultraviolet (UV) laser ablation 40Ar/39Ar ages (??4-10%, 1??) of deformed muscovites range from 309??13 to 264??7Ma, consistent with 0-16% 40Ar* loss relative to the undeformed muscovite. The in situ UV laser ablation 40Ar/39Ar ages of deformed biotite vary from 301 to 217Ma, consistent with up to 32% 40Ar* loss. No spatial correlation is observed between in situ 40Ar/39Ar age and position within individual grains. Using available argon diffusion data for muscovite the observed 40Ar* loss in the experimentally treated muscovite can be utilized to predict average 40Ar* diffusion dimensions. Maximum 40Ar/39Ar ages obtained by UV laser ablation overlap those of the undeformed muscovite, indicating argon loss of <1% and an average effective grain radius for 40Ar* diffusion ???700??m. The UV laser ablation and IR laser incremental 40Ar/39Ar ages indicating 40Ar* loss of 16% and 35%, respectively, are consistent with an average diffusion radius ???100??m. These results support a hypothesis of grain-scale 40Ar* diffusion distances in undeformed mica and a heterogeneous mechanical reduction in the intragrain effective diffusion length scale for 40Ar* in deformed mica. Reduction in the effective diffusion length scale in naturally deformed samples occurs most probably through production of mesoscopic and submicroscopic defects such as, e.g., stacking faults. A network of interconnected defects, continuously forming and annealing during dynamic deformation likely plays an important role in controlling both 40Ar* retention and intragrain distribution in deformed mica. Intragrain 40Ar/39Ar ages, when combined with estimates of diffusion kinetics and distances, may provide a means of establishing thermochronological histories from individual micas. ?? 2011.

Stretchable Persistent Spin Helices in GaAs Quantum Wells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dettwiler, Florian; Fu, Jiyong; Mack, Shawn; Weigele, Pirmin J.; Egues, J. Carlos; Awschalom, David D.; Zumbühl, Dominik M.

2017-07-01

The Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit (SO) interactions in 2D electron gases act as effective magnetic fields with momentum-dependent directions, which cause spin decay as the spins undergo arbitrary precessions about these randomly oriented SO fields due to momentum scattering. Theoretically and experimentally, it has been established that by fine-tuning the Rashba α and renormalized Dresselhaus β couplings to equal fixed strengths α =β , the total SO field becomes unidirectional, thus rendering the electron spins immune to decay due to momentum scattering. A robust persistent spin helix (PSH), i.e., a helical spin-density wave excitation with constant pitch P =2 π /Q , Q =4 m α /ℏ2, has already been experimentally realized at this singular point α =β , enhancing the spin lifetime by up to 2 orders of magnitude. Here, we employ the suppression of weak antilocalization as a sensitive detector for matched SO fields together with independent electrical control over the SO couplings via top gate voltage VT and back gate voltage VB to extract all SO couplings when combined with detailed numerical simulations. We demonstrate for the first time the gate control of the renormalized β and the continuous locking of the SO fields at α =β ; i.e., we are able to vary both α and β controllably and continuously with VT and VB, while keeping them locked at equal strengths. This makes possible a new concept: "stretchable PSHs," i.e., helical spin patterns with continuously variable pitches P over a wide parameter range. Stretching the PSH, i.e., gate controlling P while staying locked in the PSH regime, provides protection from spin decay at the symmetry point α =β , thus offering an important advantage over other methods. This protection is limited mainly by the cubic Dresselhaus term, which breaks the unidirectionality of the total SO field and causes spin decay at higher electron densities. We quantify the cubic term, and find it to be sufficiently weak so that the extracted spin-diffusion lengths and decay times show a significant enhancement near α =β . Since within the continuous-locking regime quantum transport is diffusive (2D) for charge while ballistic (1D) for spin and thus amenable to coherent spin control, stretchable PSHs could provide the platform for the much heralded long-distance communication ˜8 - 25 μ m between solid-state spin qubits, where the spin diffusion length for α ≠β is an order of magnitude smaller.

GaP betavoltaic cells as a power source

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pool, F. S.; Stella, Paul M.; Anspaugh, B.

1991-01-01

Maximum power output for the GaP cells of this study was found to be on the order of 1 microW. This resulted from exposure to 200 and 40 KeV electrons at a flux of 2 x 10(exp 9) electrons/sq cm/s, equivalent to a 54 mCurie source. The efficiencies of the cells ranged from 5 to 9 percent for 200 and 40 KeV electrons respectively. The lower efficiency at higher energy is due to a substantial fraction of energy deposition in the substrate, further than a diffusion length from the depletion region of the cell. Radiation damage was clearly observed in GaP after exposure to 200 KeV electrons at a fluence of 2 x 10(exp 12) electrons/sq cm. No discernable damage was observed after exposure to 40 KeV electrons at the same fluence. Analysis indicates that a GaP betavoltaic system would not be practical if limited to low energy beta sources. The power available would be too low even in the ideal case. By utilizing high activity beta sources, such as Sr-90/Y-90, it may be possible to achieve performance that could be suitable for some space power applications. However, to utilize such a source the problem of radiation damage in the beta cell material must be overcome.

Status of thermoelectronic laser energy conversion, TELEC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Britt, E. J.

1982-01-01

A concept known as a thermo-electronic laser energy converter (TELEC), was studied as a method of converting a 10.6 micron CO2 laser beam into electric power. The calculated characteristics of a TELEC seem to be well matched to the requirements of a spacecraft laser energy conversion system. The TELEC is a high power density plasma device which absorbs an intense laser beam by inverse bremsstrahlung with the plasma electrons. In the TELEC process, electromagnetic radiation is absorbed directly in the plasma electrons producing a high electron temperature. The energetic electrons diffuse out of the plasma striking two electrodes which are in contact with the plasma at the boundaries. These two electrodes have different areas: the larger one is designated as the collector, the smaller one is designated as the emitter. The smaller electrode functions as an electron emitter provide continuity of the current. Waste heat is rejected from the collector electrode. An experiment was carried out with a high power laser using a cesium vapor TELEC cell with 30 cm active length. Laser supported plasma were produced in the TELEC device during a number of laser runs over a period of several days. Electric power from the TELEC was observed with currents in the range of several amperes and output potentials of less than 1 volt.

Understanding the Origin of Jupiter's Diffuse Aurora Using Juno's First Perijove Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, W.; Thorne, R. M.; Ma, Q.; Zhang, X.-J.; Gladstone, G. R.; Hue, V.; Valek, P. W.; Allegrini, F.; Mauk, B. H.; Clark, G.; Kurth, W. S.; Hospodarsky, G. B.; Connerney, J. E. P.; Bolton, S. J.

2017-10-01

Juno observed the low-altitude polar region during perijove 1 on 27 August 2016 for the first time. Auroral intensity and false-color maps from the Ultraviolet Spectrograph (UVS) instrument show extensive diffuse aurora observed equatorward of the main auroral oval. Juno passed over the diffuse auroral region near the System III longitude of 120°-150° (90°-120°) in the northern (southern) hemisphere. In the region where these diffuse auroral emissions were observed, the Jupiter Energetic Particle Detector Instrument (JEDI) and Jovian Auroral Distributions Experiment (JADE) instruments measured nearly full loss cone distributions for the downward going electrons over energies of 0.1-700 keV but very few upward going electrons. The false-color maps from UVS indicate more energetic electron precipitation at lower latitudes than less energetic electron precipitation, consistent with observations of precipitating electrons measured by JEDI and JADE. The comparison between particle and aurora measurements provides first direct evidence that these precipitating energetic electrons are mainly responsible for the diffuse auroral emissions at Jupiter.

Excess entropy scaling for the segmental and global dynamics of polyethylene melts.

PubMed

Voyiatzis, Evangelos; Müller-Plathe, Florian; Böhm, Michael C

2014-11-28

The range of validity of the Rosenfeld and Dzugutov excess entropy scaling laws is analyzed for unentangled linear polyethylene chains. We consider two segmental dynamical quantities, i.e. the bond and the torsional relaxation times, and two global ones, i.e. the chain diffusion coefficient and the viscosity. The excess entropy is approximated by either a series expansion of the entropy in terms of the pair correlation function or by an equation of state for polymers developed in the context of the self associating fluid theory. For the whole range of temperatures and chain lengths considered, the two estimates of the excess entropy are linearly correlated. The scaled bond and torsional relaxation times fall into a master curve irrespective of the chain length and the employed scaling scheme. Both quantities depend non-linearly on the excess entropy. For a fixed chain length, the reduced diffusion coefficient and viscosity scale linearly with the excess entropy. An empirical reduction to a chain length-independent master curve is accessible for both dynamic quantities. The Dzugutov scheme predicts an increased value of the scaled diffusion coefficient with increasing chain length which contrasts physical expectations. The origin of this trend can be traced back to the density dependence of the scaling factors. This finding has not been observed previously for Lennard-Jones chain systems (Macromolecules, 2013, 46, 8710-8723). Thus, it limits the applicability of the Dzugutov approach to polymers. In connection with diffusion coefficients and viscosities, the Rosenfeld scaling law appears to be of higher quality than the Dzugutov approach. An empirical excess entropy scaling is also proposed which leads to a chain length-independent correlation. It is expected to be valid for polymers in the Rouse regime.

Measuring short electron bunch lengths using coherent smith-purcell radiation

DOEpatents

Nguyen, Dinh C.

1999-01-01

A method is provided for directly determining the length of sub-picosecond electron bunches. A metallic grating is formed with a groove spacing greater than a length expected for the electron bunches. The electron bunches are passed over the metallic grating to generate coherent and incoherent Smith-Purcell radiation. The angular distribution of the coherent Smith-Purcell radiation is then mapped to directly deduce the length of the electron bunches.

Measuring short electron bunch lengths using coherent Smith-Purcell radiation

DOEpatents

Nguyen, D.C.

1999-03-30

A method is provided for directly determining the length of sub-picosecond electron bunches. A metallic grating is formed with a groove spacing greater than a length expected for the electron bunches. The electron bunches are passed over the metallic grating to generate coherent and incoherent Smith-Purcell radiation. The angular distribution of the coherent Smith-Purcell radiation is then mapped to directly deduce the length of the electron bunches. 8 figs.

Effect of EMIC Wave Normal Angle Distribution on Relativistic Electron Scattering in Outer RB

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Khazanov, G. V.; Gamayunov, K. V.

2007-01-01

We present the equatorial and bounce average pitch angle diffusion coefficients for scattering of relativistic electrons by the H+ mode of EMIC waves. Both the model (prescribed) and self consistent distributions over the wave normal angle are considered. The main results of our calculation can be summarized as follows: First, in comparison with field aligned waves, the intermediate and highly oblique waves reduce the pitch angle range subject to diffusion, and strongly suppress the scattering rate for low energy electrons (E less than 2 MeV). Second, for electron energies greater than 5 MeV, the |n| = 1 resonances operate only in a narrow region at large pitch-angles, and despite their greatest contribution in case of field aligned waves, cannot cause electron diffusion into the loss cone. For those energies, oblique waves at |n| greater than 1 resonances are more effective, extending the range of pitch angle diffusion down to the loss cone boundary, and increasing diffusion at small pitch angles by orders of magnitude.

Subdiffusive exciton transport in quantum dot solids.

PubMed

Akselrod, Gleb M; Prins, Ferry; Poulikakos, Lisa V; Lee, Elizabeth M Y; Weidman, Mark C; Mork, A Jolene; Willard, Adam P; Bulović, Vladimir; Tisdale, William A

2014-06-11

Colloidal quantum dots (QDs) are promising materials for use in solar cells, light-emitting diodes, lasers, and photodetectors, but the mechanism and length of exciton transport in QD materials is not well understood. We use time-resolved optical microscopy to spatially visualize exciton transport in CdSe/ZnCdS core/shell QD assemblies. We find that the exciton diffusion length, which exceeds 30 nm in some cases, can be tuned by adjusting the inorganic shell thickness and organic ligand length, offering a powerful strategy for controlling exciton movement. Moreover, we show experimentally and through kinetic Monte Carlo simulations that exciton diffusion in QD solids does not occur by a random-walk process; instead, energetic disorder within the inhomogeneously broadened ensemble causes the exciton diffusivity to decrease over time. These findings reveal new insights into exciton dynamics in disordered systems and demonstrate the flexibility of QD materials for photonic and optoelectronic applications.

Mathematical analysis of the Photovoltage Decay (PVD) method for minority carrier lifetime measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vonroos, O. H.

1982-01-01

When the diffusion length of minority carriers becomes comparable with or larger than the thickness of a p-n junction solar cell, the characteristic decay of the photon-generated voltage results from a mixture of contributions with different time constants. The minority carrier recombination lifetime tau and the time constant l(2)/D, where l is essentially the thickness of the cell and D the minority carrier diffusion length, determine the signal as a function of time. It is shown that for ordinary solar cells (n(+)-p junctions), particularly when the diffusion length L of the minority carriers is larger than the cell thickness l, the excess carrier density decays according to exp (-t/tau-pi(2)Dt/4l(2)), tau being the lifetime. Therefore, tau can be readily determined by the photovoltage decay method once D and L are known.

Exciton transport, charge extraction, and loss mechanisms in organic photovoltaics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scully, Shawn Ryan

Organic photovoltaics have attracted significant interest over the last decade due to their promise as clean low-cost alternatives to large-scale electric power generation such as coal-fired power, natural gas, and nuclear power. Many believe power conversion efficiency targets of 10-15% must be reached before commercialization is possible. Consequently, understanding the loss mechanisms which currently limit efficiencies to 4-5% is crucial to identify paths to reach higher efficiencies. In this work, we investigate the dominant loss mechanisms in some of the leading organic photovoltaic architectures. In the first class of architectures, which include planar heterojunctions and bulk heterojunctions with large domains, efficiencies are primarily limited by the distance photogenerated excitations (excitons) can be transported (termed the exciton diffusion length) to a heterojunction where the excitons may dissociate. We will discuss how to properly measure the exciton diffusion length focusing on the effects of optical interference and of energy transfer when using fullerenes as quenching layers and show how this explains the variety of diffusion lengths reported for the same material. After understanding that disorder and defects limit exciton diffusion lengths, we suggest some approaches to overcome this. We then extensively investigate the use of long-range resonant energy transfer to increase exciton harvesting. Using simulations and experiments as support, we discuss how energy transfer can be engineered into architectures to increase the distance excitons can be harvested. In an experimental model system, DOW Red/PTPTB, we will show how the distance excitons are harvested can be increased by almost an order of magnitude up to 27 nm from a heterojunction and give design rules and extensions of this concept for future architectures. After understanding exciton harvesting limitations we will look at other losses that are present in planar heterojunctions. One of the primary losses that puts stringent requirements on the charge carrier mobilities in these cells is the recombination losses due to space charge build up at the heterojunction. Because electrons are confined to the acceptor and holes to the donor, net charge density always exists even when mobilities are matched, in contrast to bulk heterojunctions wherein matched mobilities lead to zero net charge. This net charge creates an electric field which opposes the built-in field and limits the current that can be carried away from this heterojunction. Using simulations we show that for relevant current densities charge carrier mobilities must be higher than 10-4 cm2/V.s to avoid significant losses due to space charge formation. In the last part of this work, we will focus on the second class of architectures in which exciton harvesting is efficient. We will present a systematic analysis of one of the leading polymer:fullerene bulk heterojunction cells to show that losses in this architecture are due to charge recombination. Using optical measurements and simulations, exciton harvesting measurements, and device characteristics we will show that the dominant loss is likely due to field-dependent geminate recombination of the electron and hole pair created immediately following exciton dissociation. No losses in this system are seen due to bimolecular recombination or space charge which provides information on charge-carrier mobility targets necessary for the future design of high efficiency organic photovoltaics.

Quantifying the Precipitation Loss of Radiation Belt Electrons during a Rapid Dropout Event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pham, K. H.; Tu, W.; Xiang, Z.

2017-12-01

Relativistic electron flux in the radiation belt can drop by orders of magnitude within the timespan of hours. In this study, we used the drift-diffusion model that includes azimuthal drift and pitch angle diffusion of electrons to simulate low-altitude electron distribution observed by POES/MetOp satellites for rapid radiation belt electron dropout event occurring on May 1, 2013. The event shows fast dropout of MeV energy electrons at L>4 over a few hours, observed by the Van Allen Probes mission. By simulating the electron distributions observed by multiple POES satellites, we resolve the precipitation loss with both high spatial and temporal resolution and a range of energies. We estimate the pitch angle diffusion coefficients as a function of energy, pitch angle, and L-shell, and calculate corresponding electron lifetimes during the event. The simulation results show fast electron precipitation loss at L>4 during the electron dropout, with estimated electron lifetimes on the order of half an hour for MeV energies. The electron loss rate show strong energy dependence with faster loss at higher energies, which suggest that this dropout event is dominated by quick and localized scattering process that prefers higher energy electrons. The estimated pitch angle diffusion rates from the model are then compared with in situ wave measurements from Van Allen Probes to uncover the underlying wave-particle-interaction mechanisms that are responsible for the fast electron precipitation. Comparing the resolved precipitation loss with the observed electron dropouts at high altitudes, our results will suggest the relative role of electron precipitation loss and outward radial diffusion to the radiation belt dropouts during storm and non-storm times, in addition to its energy and L dependence.

Monte Carlo simulation of HERD calorimeter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, M.; Chen, G. M.; Dong, Y. W.; Lu, J. G.; Quan, Z.; Wang, L.; Wang, Z. G.; Wu, B. B.; Zhang, S. N.

2014-07-01

The High Energy cosmic-Radiation Detection (HERD) facility onboard China's Space Station is planned for operation starting around 2020 for about 10 years. It is designed as a next generation space facility focused on indirect dark matter search, precise cosmic ray spectrum and composition measurements up to the knee energy, and high energy gamma-ray monitoring and survey. The calorimeter plays an essential role in the main scientific objectives of HERD. A 3-D cubic calorimeter filled with high granularity crystals as active material is a very promising choice for the calorimeter. HERD is mainly composed of a 3-D calorimeter (CALO) surrounded by silicon trackers (TK) from all five sides except the bottom. CALO is made of 9261 cubes of LYSO crystals, corresponding to about 55 radiation lengths and 3 nuclear interaction lengths, respectively. Here the simulation results of the performance of CALO with GEANT4 and FLUKA are presented: 1) the total absorption CALO and its absorption depth for precise energy measurements (energy resolution: 1% for electrons and gammarays beyond 100 GeV, 20% for protons from 100 GeV to 1 PeV); 2) its granularity for particle identification (electron/proton separation power better than 10-5); 3) the homogenous geometry for detecting particles arriving from every unblocked direction for large effective geometrical factor (<3 m2sr for electron and diffuse gammarays, >2 m2sr for cosmic ray nuclei); 4) expected observational results such as gamma-ray line spectrum from dark matter annihilation and spectrum measurement of various cosmic ray chemical components.

Halide perovskite solar cells using monocrystalline TiO2 nanorod arrays as electron transport layers: impact of nanorod morphology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thakur, Ujwal Kumar; Askar, Abdelrahman M.; Kisslinger, Ryan; Wiltshire, Benjamin D.; Kar, Piyush; Shankar, Karthik

2017-07-01

This is the first report of a 17.6% champion efficiency solar cell architecture comprising monocrystalline TiO2 nanorods (TNRs) coupled with perovskite, and formed using facile solution processing without non-routine surface conditioning. Vertically oriented TNR ensembles are desirable as electron transporting layers (ETLs) in halide perovskite solar cells (HPSCs) because of potential advantages such as vectorial electron percolation pathways to balance the longer hole diffusion lengths in certain halide perovskite semiconductors, ease of incorporating nanophotonic enhancements, and optimization between a high contact surface area for charge transfer (good) versus high interfacial recombination (bad). These advantages arise from the tunable morphology of hydrothermally grown rutile TNRs, which is a strong function of the growth conditions. Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy of the HPSCs demonstrated a stronger quenching of the perovskite PL when using TNRs as compared to mesoporous/compact TiO2 thin films. Due to increased interfacial contact area between the ETL and perovskite with easier pore filling, charge separation efficiency is dramatically enhanced. Additionally, solid-state impedance spectroscopy results strongly suggested the suppression of interfacial charge recombination between TNRs and perovskite layer, compared to other ETLs. The optimal ETL morphology in this study was found to consist of an array of TNRs ∼300 nm in length and ∼40 nm in width. This work highlights the potential of TNR ETLs to achieve high performance solution-processed HPSCs.

One-dimensional Si/Ge nanowires and their heterostructures for multifunctional applications—a review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ray, Samit K.; Katiyar, Ajit K.; Raychaudhuri, Arup K.

2017-03-01

Remarkable progress has been made in the field of one-dimensional semiconductor nanostructures for electronic and photonic devices. Group-IV semiconductors and their heterostructures have dominated the years of success in microelectronic industry. However their use in photonic devices is limited since they exhibit poor optical activity due to indirect band gap nature of Si and Ge. Reducing their dimensions below a characteristic length scale of various fundamental parameters like exciton Bohr radius, phonon mean free path, critical size of magnetic domains, exciton diffusion length etc result in the significant modification of bulk properties. In particular, light emission from Si/Ge nanowires due to quantum confinement, strain induced band structure modification and impurity doping may lead to the integration of photonic components with mature silicon CMOS technology in near future. Several promising applications based on Si and Ge nanowires have already been well established and studied, while others are now at the early demonstration stage. The control over various forms of energy and carrier transport through the unconstrained dimension makes Si and Ge nanowires a promising platform to manufacture advanced solid-state devices. This review presents the progress of the research with emphasis on their potential application of Si/Ge nanowires and their heterostructures for electronic, photonic, sensing and energy devices.

Currents and Associated Electron Scattering and Bouncing Near the Diffusion Region at Earth's Magnetopause

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lavraud, B.; Zhang, Y. C.; Vernisse, Y.; Gershman, D. J.; Dorelli, J.; Cassak, P. A.; Dargent, J.; Pollock, C.; Giles, B.; Aunai, N.;

Ex Vivo Diffusion Tensor Imaging of Spinal Cord Injury in Rats of Varying Degrees of Severity

PubMed Central

Jirjis, Michael B.; Kurpad, Shekar N.

2013-01-01

Abstract The aim of this study was to characterize magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in proximal regions of the spinal cord following a thoracic spinal cord injury (SCI). Sprague–Dawley rats (n=40) were administered a control, mild, moderate, or severe contusion injury at the T8 vertebral level. Six direction diffusion weighted images (DWIs) were collected ex vivo along the length of the spinal cord, with an echo/repetition time of 31.6 ms/14 sec and b=500 sec/mm2. Diffusion metrics were correlated to hindlimb motor function. Significant differences were found for whole cord region of interest (ROI) drawings for fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), longitudinal diffusion coefficient (LD), and radial diffusion coefficient (RD) at each of the cervical levels (p<0.01). Motor function correlated with MD in the cervical segments of the spinal cord (r2=0.80). The diffusivity of water significantly decreased throughout “uninjured” portions of the spinal cord following a contusion injury (p<0.05). Diffusivity metrics were found to be altered following SCI in both white and gray matter regions. Injury severity was associated with diffusion changes over the entire length of the cord. This study demonstrates that DTI is sensitive to SCI in regions remote from injury, suggesting that the diffusion metrics may be used as a biomarker for severity of injury. PMID:23782233

Non-local damage rheology and size effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lyakhovsky, V.

2011-12-01

We study scaling relations controlling the onset of transiently-accelerating fracturing and transition to dynamic rupture propagation in a non-local damage rheology model. The size effect is caused principally by growth of a fracture process zone, involving stress redistribution and energy release associated with a large fracture. This implies that rupture nucleation and transition to dynamic propagation are inherently scale-dependent processes. Linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) and local damage mechanics are formulated in terms of dimensionless strain components and thus do not allow introducing any space scaling, except linear relations between fracture length and displacements. Generalization of Weibull theory provides scaling relations between stress and crack length at the onset of failure. A powerful extension of the LEFM formulation is the displacement-weakening model which postulates that yielding is complete when the crack wall displacement exceeds some critical value or slip-weakening distance Dc at which a transition to kinetic friction is complete. Scaling relations controlling the transition to dynamic rupture propagation in slip-weakening formulation are widely accepted in earthquake physics. Strong micro-crack interaction in a process zone may be accounted for by adopting either integral or gradient type non-local damage models. We formulate a gradient-type model with free energy depending on the scalar damage parameter and its spatial derivative. The damage-gradient term leads to structural stresses in the constitutive stress-strain relations and a damage diffusion term in the kinetic equation for damage evolution. The damage diffusion eliminates the singular localization predicted by local models. The finite width of the localization zone provides a fundamental length scale that allows numerical simulations with the model to achieve the continuum limit. A diffusive term in the damage evolution gives rise to additional damage diffusive time scale associated with the structural length scale. The ratio between two time scales associated with damage accumulation and diffusion, the damage diffusivity ratio, reflects the role of the diffusion-controlled delocalization. We demonstrate that localized fracturing occurs at the damage diffusivity ratio below certain critical value leading to a linear scaling between stress and crack length compatible with size effect for failures at crack initiation. A subseuqent quasi-static fracture growth is self-similar with increasing size of the process zone proportional to the fracture length. At a certain stage, controlled by dynamic weakening, the self-similarity breaks down and crack velocity significantly deviates from that predicted by the quasi-static regime, the size of the process zone decreases, and the rate of crack growth ceases to be controlled by the rate of damage increase. Furthermore, the crack speed approaches that predicted by the elasto-dynamic equation. The non-local damage rheology model predicts that the nucleation size of the dynamic fracture scales with fault zone thickness distance of the stress interraction.

Comparison Between Path Lengths Traveled by Solar Electrons and Ions in Ground-Level Enhancement Events

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tan, Lun C.; Malandraki, Olga E.; Reames, Donald; NG, Chee K.; Wang, Linghua; Patsou, Ioanna; Papaioannou, Athanasios

2013-01-01

We have examined the Wind/3DP/SST electron and Wind/EPACT/LEMT ion data to investigate the path length difference between solar electrons and ions in the ground-level enhancement (GLE) events in solar cycle 23. Assuming that the onset time of metric type II or decameter-hectometric (DH) type III radio bursts is the solar release time of non-relativistic electrons, we have found that within an error range of plus or minus 10% the deduced path length of low-energy (approximately 27 keV) electrons from their release site near the Sun to the 1 AU observer is consistent with the ion path length deduced by Reames from the onset time analysis. In addition, the solar longitude distribution and IMF topology of the GLE events examined are in favor of the coronal mass ejection-driven shock acceleration origin of observed non-relativistic electrons.We have also found an increase of electron path lengths with increasing electron energies. The increasing rate of path lengths is correlated with the pitch angle distribution (PAD) of peak electron intensities locally measured, with a higher rate corresponding to a broader PAD. The correlation indicates that the path length enhancement is due to the interplanetary scattering experienced by first arriving electrons. The observed path length consistency implies that the maximum stable time of magnetic flux tubes, along which particles transport, could reach 4.8 hr.

Chemical effect on diffusion in intermetallic compounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yi-Ting

With the trend of big data and the Internet of things, we live in a world full of personal electronic devices and small electronic devices. In order to make the devices more powerful, advanced electronic packaging such as wafer level packaging or 3D IC packaging play an important role. Furthermore, ?-bumps, which connect silicon dies together with dimension less than 10 ?m, are crucial parts in advanced packaging. Owing to the dimension of ?-bumps, they transform into intermetallic compound from tin based solder after the liquid state bonding process. Moreover, many new reliability issues will occur in electronic packaging when the bonding materials change; in this case, we no longer have tin based solder joint, instead, we have intermetallic compound ?-bumps. Most of the potential reliability issues in intermetallic compounds are caused by the chemical reactions driven by atomic diffusion in the material; thus, to know the diffusivities of atoms inside a material is significant and can help us to further analyze the reliability issues. However, we are lacking these kinds of data in intermetallic compound because there are some problems if used traditional Darken's analysis. Therefore, we considered Wagner diffusivity in our system to solve the problems and applied the concept of chemical effect on diffusion by taking the advantage that large amount of energy will release when compounds formed. Moreover, by inventing the holes markers made by Focus ion beam (FIB), we can conduct the diffusion experiment and obtain the tracer diffusivities of atoms inside the intermetallic compound. We applied the technique on Ni3Sn4 and Cu3Sn, which are two of the most common materials in electronic packaging, and the tracer diffusivities are measured under several different temperatures; moreover, microstructure of the intermetallic compounds are investigated to ensure the diffusion environment. Additionally, the detail diffusion mechanism was also discussed in aspect of diffusion activation enthalpy and diffusion pre-factor by using lattice structure simulation. Last but not the least, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and First principal calculation simulation were used to observe the electron binding energies in the intermetallic compound and illustrate the partial covalent bonding behavior in the intermetallic compounds.

Photoactivatable fluorescent probes reveal heterogeneous nanoparticle permeation through biological gels at multiple scales

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schuster, Benjamin S.; Allan, Daniel B.; Kays, Joshua C.

Diffusion through biological gels is crucial for effective drug delivery using nanoparticles. Here, we demonstrate a new method to measure diffusivity over a large range of length scales – from tens of nanometers to tens of micrometers – using photoactivatable fluorescent nanoparticle probes. We have applied this method to investigate the length-scale dependent mobility of nanoparticles in fibrin gels and in sputum from patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Nanoparticles composed of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid), with polyethylene glycol coatings to resist bioadhesion, were internally labeled with caged rhodamine to make the particles photoactivatable. We activated particles within a region of sample usingmore » brief, targeted exposure to UV light, uncaging the rhodamine and causing the particles in that region to become fluorescent. We imaged the subsequent spatiotemporal evolution in fluorescence intensity and observed the collective particle diffusion over tens of minutes and tens of micrometers. We also performed complementary multiple particle tracking experiments on the same particles, extending significantly the range over which particle motion and its heterogeneity can be observed. In fibrin gels, both methods showed an immobile fraction of particles and a mobile fraction that diffused over all measured length scales. In the CF sputum, particle diffusion was spatially heterogeneous and locally anisotropic but nevertheless typically led to unbounded transport extending tens of micrometers within tens of minutes. Lastly, these findings provide insight into the mesoscale architecture of these gels and its role in setting their permeability on physiologically relevant length scales, pointing toward strategies for improving nanoparticle drug delivery.« less

Photoactivatable fluorescent probes reveal heterogeneous nanoparticle permeation through biological gels at multiple scales

DOE PAGES

Schuster, Benjamin S.; Allan, Daniel B.; Kays, Joshua C.; ...

2017-05-31

Diffusion through biological gels is crucial for effective drug delivery using nanoparticles. Here, we demonstrate a new method to measure diffusivity over a large range of length scales – from tens of nanometers to tens of micrometers – using photoactivatable fluorescent nanoparticle probes. We have applied this method to investigate the length-scale dependent mobility of nanoparticles in fibrin gels and in sputum from patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Nanoparticles composed of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid), with polyethylene glycol coatings to resist bioadhesion, were internally labeled with caged rhodamine to make the particles photoactivatable. We activated particles within a region of sample usingmore » brief, targeted exposure to UV light, uncaging the rhodamine and causing the particles in that region to become fluorescent. We imaged the subsequent spatiotemporal evolution in fluorescence intensity and observed the collective particle diffusion over tens of minutes and tens of micrometers. We also performed complementary multiple particle tracking experiments on the same particles, extending significantly the range over which particle motion and its heterogeneity can be observed. In fibrin gels, both methods showed an immobile fraction of particles and a mobile fraction that diffused over all measured length scales. In the CF sputum, particle diffusion was spatially heterogeneous and locally anisotropic but nevertheless typically led to unbounded transport extending tens of micrometers within tens of minutes. Lastly, these findings provide insight into the mesoscale architecture of these gels and its role in setting their permeability on physiologically relevant length scales, pointing toward strategies for improving nanoparticle drug delivery.« less

Method of measuring field funneling and range straggling in semiconductor charge-collecting junctions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zoutendyk, John A. (Inventor); Malone, Carl J. (Inventor)

1987-01-01

Electric-field funneling length is measured while irradiating a semiconductor charge-collecting junction with electron-hole-pair generating charged particles at a first junction bias voltage. The bias voltage is then reduced to a second level in order to reduce the depth of the depletion region such that the total charge can no longer be collected by drift and measured in the energy band previously displayed in the multichannel analyzer. This is representative of the maximum electric field funnelling length which may be calculated by measuring the difference at the second bias voltage level of the depletion width and the ion penetration range. The bias voltage is further lowered to a third level at which the particles are collected over a spread of energy levels while at least some of the particles are still collected at the selected energy level. From this the different depths of penetration of the particles are determined while additional effects due to diffusion are minimized.

Method of measuring field funneling and range straggling in semiconductor charge-collecting junctions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zoutendyk, J. A. (Inventor)

1985-01-01

Electric-field funneling length is measured while irradiating a semiconductor charge-collecting junction with electron-hole-pair generating charged particles at a first junction bias voltage. The bias voltage is then reduced to a second level in order to reduce the depth of the depletion region such that the total charge can no longer be collected by drift and measured in the energy band previously displayed in the multichannel analyzer. This is representative of the maximum electric field funneling length which may be calculated by measuring the difference at the second bias voltage level of the depletion width and the ion penetration range. The bias voltage is further lowered to a third level at which the particles are collected over a spread of energy levels while at least some of the particles are still collected at the selected energy level. From this the different depths of penetration of the particles are determined while additional effects due to diffusion are minimized.

Characteristic length scale dependence on conductivity for La2-xErxMo2O9 (0.05 ≤ x ≤ 0.3) oxide ion conductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paul, T.; Ghosh, A.

2016-05-01

Structural property of polycrystalline La2-xErxMo2O9 has been investigated. Rietveld refinements at room temperature of the materials suggest a single phase nature with cubic symmetry (space group P213). The electron density contour plot confirms the nature of different cation-oxygen bonds. Time dependent mean square displacement (√) and the spatial extent of the sub-diffusive motion (√) are evaluated using the linear response theory. The localized hop at O2 and O3 sites is found to be favorable for oxygen ion migration for these systems.

One-dimensional α-MoO3 nanorods for high energy density pseudocapacitor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dutta, Shibsankar; Pal, Shreyasi; De, Sukanta

2018-04-01

Ultralong α-MoO3 nanorods having length of 500 nm to 1 µm and uniform width of around ˜50 nm have been synthesized by a simple one step hydrothermal route using a molybdenum organic salt precursor. An evaluation of the electrochemical properties of the nanorods was done by cyclic voltammetry (CV), and galvanometric charging- discharging (GCD) test. Because of the high active sites and rapid ion diffusion and electron transport of the electrodes using as prepared nanorods reveals energy density of 65 Wh/kg at a power density of 940 W/ kg and a maximum specific capacitance of 474 F/g. It also shows excellent cycling stability.

Performance Characteristics of Plane-Wall Two-Dimensional Diffusers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reid, Elliott G

1953-01-01

Experiments have been made at Stanford University to determine the performance characteristics of plane-wall, two-dimensional diffusers which were so proportioned as to insure reasonable approximation of two-dimensional flow. All of the diffusers had identical entrance cross sections and discharged directly into a large plenum chamber; the test program included wide variations of divergence angle and length. During all tests a dynamic pressure of 60 pounds per square foOt was maintained at the diffuser entrance and the boundary layer there was thin and fully turbulent. The most interesting flow characteristics observed were the occasional appearance of steady, unseparated, asymmetric flow - which was correlated with the boundary-layer coalescence - and the rapid deterioration of flow steadiness - which occurred as soon as the divergence angle for maximum static pressure recovery was exceeded. Pressure efficiency was found to be controlled almost exclusively by divergence angle, whereas static pressure recovery was markedly influenced by area ratio (or length) as well as divergence angle. Volumetric efficiency. diminished as area ratio increased, and at a greater rate with small lengths than with large ones. Large values of the static-pressure-recovery coefficient were attained only with long diffusers of large area ratio; under these conditions pressure efficiency was high and. volumetric efficiency low. Auxiliary tests with asymmetric diffusers demonstrated that longitudinal pressure gradient, rather than wall divergence angle, controlled flow separation. Others showed that the addition of even a short exit duct of uniform section augmented pressure recovery. Finally, it was found that the installation of a thin, central, longitudinal partition suppressed flow separation in short diffusers and thereby improved pressure recovery

Role of Multiple Atmospheric Reflections in Formation of Electron Distribution Function in the Diffuse Aurora Region. Chapter 9

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Khazanov, George V.; Himwich, Elizabeth W.; Glocer, Alex; Sibeck, David G.

2015-01-01

The precipitation of high-energy magnetospheric electrons (E greater than 500-600 electronvolts) in the diffuse aurora contributes significant energy flux into Earth's ionosphere. In the diffuse aurora, precipitating electrons initially injected from the plasmasheet via wave-particle interaction processes degrade in the atmosphere toward lower energies and produce secondary electrons via impact ionization of the neutral atmosphere. These initially precipitating electrons of magnetospheric origin can be additionally reflected back into the magnetosphere by the two magnetically conjugated atmospheres, leading to a series of multiple reflections that can greatly influence the initially precipitating flux at the upper ionospheric boundary (700-800 kilometers) and the resultant population of secondary electrons and electrons cascading toward lower energies. We present the solution of the Boltzmann.Landau kinetic equation that uniformly describes the entire electron distribution function in the diffuse aurora, including the affiliated production of secondary electrons (E is less than or equal to 600 electronvolts) and their energy interplay in the magnetosphere and two conjugated ionospheres. This solution takes into account the role of multiple atmospheric reflections of the precipitated electrons that were initially moved into the loss cone via wave.particle interaction processes in Earth's plasmasheet.

Electron heat transport measured in a stochastic magnetic field.

PubMed

Biewer, T M; Forest, C B; Anderson, J K; Fiksel, G; Hudson, B; Prager, S C; Sarff, J S; Wright, J C; Brower, D L; Ding, W X; Terry, S D

2003-07-25

New profile measurements have allowed the electron thermal diffusivity profile to be estimated from power balance in the Madison Symmetric Torus where magnetic islands overlap and field lines are stochastic. The measurements show that (1) the electron energy transport is conductive not convective, (2) the measured thermal diffusivities are in good agreement with numerical simulations of stochastic transport, and (3) transport is greatly reduced near the reversal surface where magnetic diffusion is small.

Electron Energization and Mixing Observed by MMS in the Vicinity of an Electron Diffusion Region During Magnetopause Reconnection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, Li-Jen; Hesse, Michael; Wang, Shan; Gershman, Daniel; Ergun, Robert; Pollock, Craig; Torbert, Roy; Bessho, Naoki; Daughton, William; Dorelli, John;

Electron energization and mixing observed by MMS in the vicinity of an electron diffusion region during magnetopause reconnection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Li-Jen; Hesse, Michael; Wang, Shan; Gershman, Daniel; Ergun, Robert; Pollock, Craig; Torbert, Roy; Bessho, Naoki; Daughton, William; Dorelli, John; Giles, Barbara; Strangeway, Robert; Russell, Christopher; Khotyaintsev, Yuri; Burch, Jim; Moore, Thomas; Lavraud, Benoit; Phan, Tai; Avanov, Levon

2016-06-01

Measurements from the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission are reported to show distinct features of electron energization and mixing in the diffusion region of the terrestrial magnetopause reconnection. At the ion jet and magnetic field reversals, distribution functions exhibiting signatures of accelerated meandering electrons are observed at an electron out-of-plane flow peak. The meandering signatures manifested as triangular and crescent structures are established features of the electron diffusion region (EDR). Effects of meandering electrons on the electric field normal to the reconnection layer are detected. Parallel acceleration and mixing of the inflowing electrons with exhaust electrons shape the exhaust flow pattern. In the EDR vicinity, the measured distribution functions indicate that locally, the electron energization and mixing physics is captured by two-dimensional reconnection, yet to account for the simultaneous four-point measurements, translational invariant in the third dimension must be violated on the ion-skin-depth scale.

Photonic Devices Based on Surface and Composition-Engineered Infrared Colloidal Nanocrystals

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-27

NQD/P3HT solar cells , the need for submicron-phase-separated polymer-NQD blends is therefore expressed by the limiting exciton diffusion length ...P3HT:PbSe are very critical in designing the PM-HJ solar cells : The thickness of P3HT should approximate to the thickness of exciton diffuse length in... cells , luminescent solar concentrators, light emitting diodes, lasers, photonic crystals, CdSe, PbSe, Germanium Jian Xu Pennsylvania State University

Record Charge Carrier Diffusion Length in Colloidal Quantum Dot Solids via Mutual Dot-To-Dot Surface Passivation.

PubMed

Carey, Graham H; Levina, Larissa; Comin, Riccardo; Voznyy, Oleksandr; Sargent, Edward H

2015-06-03

Through a combination of chemical and mutual dot-to-dot surface passivation, high-quality colloidal quantum dot solids are fabricated. The joint passivation techniques lead to a record diffusion length for colloidal quantum dots of 230 ± 20 nm. The technique is applied to create thick photovoltaic devices that exhibit high current density without losing fill factor. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Determination of carrier diffusion length in GaN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hafiz, Shopan; Zhang, Fan; Monavarian, Morteza; Avrutin, Vitaliy; Morkoç, Hadis; Özgür, Ümit; Metzner, Sebastian; Bertram, Frank; Christen, Jürgen; Gil, Bernard

2015-01-01

Diffusion lengths of photo-excited carriers along the c-direction were determined from photoluminescence (PL) and cross-sectional cathodoluminescence (CL) measurements in p- and n-type GaN epitaxial layers grown on c-plane sapphire by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. The investigated samples incorporate a 6 nm thick In0.15Ga0.85N active layer capped with either 500 nm p-GaN or 1500 nm n-GaN. The top GaN layers were etched in steps and PL from the InGaN active region and the underlying layers was monitored as a function of the top GaN thickness upon photo-generation near the surface region by above bandgap excitation. Taking into consideration the absorption in the top GaN layer as well as active and underlying layers, the diffusion lengths at 295 K and at 15 K were measured to be 93 ± 7 nm and 70 ± 7 nm for Mg-doped p-type GaN and 432 ± 30 nm and 316 ± 30 nm for unintentionally doped n-type GaN, respectively, at photogenerated carrier densities of 4.2 × 1018 cm-3 using PL spectroscopy. CL measurements of the unintentionally doped n-type GaN layer at much lower carrier densities of 1017 cm-3 revealed a longer diffusion length of 525 ± 11 nm at 6 K.

Particle size dependent confinement and lattice strain effects in LiFePO4.

PubMed

Shahid, Raza; Murugavel, Sevi

2013-11-21

We report the intrinsic electronic properties of LiFePO4 (LFP) with different particle sizes measured by broad-band impedance spectroscopy and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The electronic properties show typical size-dependent effects with decreasing particle size (up to 150 nm). However, at the nanoscale level, we observed an enhancement in the polaronic conductivity about an order of magnitude. We found that the origin of the enhanced electronic conductivity in LFP is due to the significant lattice strain associated with the reduction of particle size. The observed lattice strain component corresponds to the compressive part which leads to a decrease in the hopping length of the polarons. We reproduce nonlinearities in the transport properties of LFP with particle size, to capture the interplay between confinement and lattice strain, and track the effects of strain on the electron-phonon interactions. These results could explain why nano-sized LFP has a better discharge capacity and higher rate capability than the bulk counterpart. We suggest that these new correlations will bring greater insight and better understanding for the optimization of LFP as a cathode material for advanced lithium ion batteries.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kaufman, H.R.

Bohm diffusion has been found to be approximately valid for many plasmas in strong magnetic fields. Assuming Bohm diffusion describes electron diffusion directly (H. R. Kaufman, AIAA J. {bold 23}, 78 (1985)), with an equal ion loss possible from the ambipolar field that is generated (F. F. Chen, {ital Introduction} {ital to} {ital Plasma} {ital Physics} (Plenum, New York, 1974), p. 169), an order-of-magnitude analysis can show why such electron diffusion should be expected.

A Diffusive-Particle Theory of Free Recall

PubMed Central

Fumarola, Francesco

2017-01-01

Diffusive models of free recall have been recently introduced in the memory literature, but their potential remains largely unexplored. In this paper, a diffusive model of short-term verbal memory is considered, in which the psychological state of the subject is encoded as the instantaneous position of a particle diffusing over a semantic graph. The model is particularly suitable for studying the dependence of free-recall observables on the semantic properties of the words to be recalled. Besides predicting some well-known experimental features (forward asymmetry, semantic clustering, word-length effect), a novel prediction is obtained on the relationship between the contiguity effect and the syllabic length of words; shorter words, by way of their wider semantic range, are predicted to be characterized by stronger forward contiguity. A fresh analysis of archival free-recall data allows to confirm this prediction. PMID:29085521

Effective optical path length for tandem diffuse cubic cavities as gas absorption cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, J.; Gao, Q.; Zhang, Y. G.; Zhang, Z. G.; Wu, S. H.

2014-12-01

Tandem diffuse cubic cavities designed by connecting two single diffuse cubic-shaped cavities, A and B, with an aperture (port fraction fap) in the middle of the connecting baffle was developed as a gas absorption cell. The effective optical path length (EOPL) was evaluated by comparing the oxygen absorption signal in the cavity and in air based on tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS). Experimental results manifested an enhancement of EOPL for the tandem diffuse cubic cavities as the decrease of fap and can be expressed as the sum of EOPL of two single cubic cavities at fap < 0.01, which coincided well with theoretical analysis. The simulating EOPL was smaller than experimental results at fap > 0.01, which indicated that back scattering light from cavity B to cavity A cannot be ignored at this condition.

Experimental determination of positron-related surface characteristics of 6H-SiC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nangia, A.; Kim, J. H.; Weiss, A. H.; Brauer, G.

2002-03-01

The positron work function of 6H-SiC was determined to be -2.1±0.1 eV from an analysis of the energy spectrum of positrons reemitted from the surface. The positron reemission yield, highest in the sample inserted into vacuum after atmospheric exposure and cleaning with ethanol, was significantly reduced after sputtering with 3 keV, 125 μA min Ne+ ions. The yield was not recovered even after annealing at 900 °C, presumably due to the stability of sputter induced defects. Sputtering at lower energies caused a smaller decrease in the reemission yield that was largely recovered after annealing at 850 °C. Analysis using electron induced Auger electron spectroscopy and positron-annihilation-induced Auger electron spectroscopy indicated that the surface was Si enriched after sputtering and C enriched after subsequent annealing. Values of positron diffusion length and mobility in the unsputtered material were extracted from the dependence of the reemission yield on the beam energy. The application of SiC as a field-assisted positron moderator is discussed.

The Diffusion of Electronic Text among University Students and Faculty: A Strategy for Laboratory Research. Monograph Number One of the Electronic Text Monograph Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dozier, David M.

This monograph defines and describes research in the study of adoption of electronic text services in higher education institutions. Electronic text here includes text and graphic information encoded and transmitted via broadcast, signal, or cable, under user control. It places the diffusion of electronic text in higher education within the…

Dynamics of an Unsteady Diffusion Flame: Effects of Heat Release and Gravity

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-09-27

UNSTEADY DIFFUSION FLAME: EFFECTS OF HEAT RELEASE AND GRAVITY INTRODUCTION Experiments on laminar diffusion flames have shown that gravity affects the flame ... length and width as well as its extinction characteristics (1-4). These studies have been conducted in drop towers and have focused on fuel jets with

Nonlinear conductance in weakly disordered mesoscopic wires: Interaction and magnetic field asymmetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Texier, Christophe; Mitscherling, Johannes

2018-02-01

We study the nonlinear conductance G ˜∂2I /∂ V2|V =0 in coherent quasi-one-dimensional weakly disordered metallic wires. Our analysis is based on the scattering approach and includes the effect of Coulomb interaction. The nonlinear conductance correlations can be related to integrals of two fundamental correlation functions: the correlator of functional derivatives of the conductance and the correlator of injectivities (the injectivity is the contribution to the local density of states of eigenstates incoming from one contact). These correlators are obtained explicitly by using diagrammatic techniques for weakly disordered metals. In a coherent wire of length L , we obtain rms (G )≃0.006 ETh-1 (and =0 ), where ETh=ℏ D /L2 is the Thouless energy of the wire and D the diffusion constant; the small dimensionless factor results from screening, i.e., cannot be obtained within a simple theory for noninteracting electrons. Electronic interactions are also responsible for an asymmetry under magnetic field reversal; the antisymmetric part of the nonlinear conductance (at high magnetic field) being much smaller than the symmetric one, rms (Ga)≃0.001 (gETh) -1 , where g ≫1 is the dimensionless (linear) conductance of the wire. In a weakly coherent wire (i.e., Lφ≪L , where Lφ is the phase coherence length), the nonlinear conductance is of the same order as the result G0 of a free electron calculation (although screening again strongly reduces the dimensionless prefactor); we get G ˜G0˜(Lφ/L ) 7 /2ETh-1 , while the antisymmetric part (at high magnetic field) now behaves as Ga˜(Lφ/L ) 11 /2(gETh) -1≪G . The effect of thermal fluctuations is studied: when the thermal length LT=√{ℏ D /kBT } is the smallest length scale, LT≪Lφ≪L , the free electron result G0˜(LT/L ) 3(Lφ/L ) 1 /2ETh-1 is negligible and the dominant contribution is provided by screening, G ˜(LT/L ) (Lφ/L ) 7 /2ETh-1 ; in this regime, the antisymmetric part is Ga˜(LT/L ) 2(Lφ/L ) 7 /2(gETh) -1 . All the precise dimensionless prefactors are obtained. Crossovers from zero to strong magnetic field regimes are also analyzed.

Derivation of effective fission gas diffusivities in UO2 from lower length scale simulations and implementation of fission gas diffusion models in BISON

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Andersson, Anders David Ragnar; Pastore, Giovanni; Liu, Xiang-Yang

2014-11-07

This report summarizes the development of new fission gas diffusion models from lower length scale simulations and assessment of these models in terms of annealing experiments and fission gas release simulations using the BISON fuel performance code. Based on the mechanisms established from density functional theory (DFT) and empirical potential calculations, continuum models for diffusion of xenon (Xe) in UO 2 were derived for both intrinsic conditions and under irradiation. The importance of the large X eU3O cluster (a Xe atom in a uranium + oxygen vacancy trap site with two bound uranium vacancies) is emphasized, which is a consequencemore » of its high mobility and stability. These models were implemented in the MARMOT phase field code, which is used to calculate effective Xe diffusivities for various irradiation conditions. The effective diffusivities were used in BISON to calculate fission gas release for a number of test cases. The results are assessed against experimental data and future directions for research are outlined based on the conclusions.« less

Observation of High-Frequency Electrostatic Waves in the Vicinity of the Reconnection Ion Diffusion Region by the Spacecraft of the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhou, M.; Ashour-Abdalla, M.; Berchem, J.; Walker, R. J.; Liang, H.; El-Alaoui, M.; Goldstein, M. L.; Lindqvist, P.-A.; Marklund, G.; Khotyaintsev, Y. V.;

Diffuse Surface Scattering in the Plasmonic Resonances of Ultralow Electron Density Nanospheres.

PubMed

Monreal, R Carmina; Antosiewicz, Tomasz J; Apell, S Peter

2015-05-21

Localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) have recently been identified in extremely diluted electron systems obtained by doping semiconductor quantum dots. Here, we investigate the role that different surface effects, namely, electronic spill-out and diffuse surface scattering, play in the optical properties of these ultralow electron density nanosystems. Diffuse scattering originates from imperfections or roughness at a microscopic scale on the surface. Using an electromagnetic theory that describes this mechanism in conjunction with a dielectric function including the quantum size effect, we find that the LSPRs show an oscillatory behavior in both position and width for large particles and a strong blue shift in energy and an increased width for smaller radii, consistent with recent experimental results for photodoped ZnO nanocrystals. We thus show that the commonly ignored process of diffuse surface scattering is a more important mechanism affecting the plasmonic properties of ultralow electron density nanoparticles than the spill-out effect.

Lossy radial diffusion of relativistic Jovian electrons. [calculation of synchrotron radiation and electron radiation for Jupiter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barbosa, D. D.; Coroniti, F. V.

1976-01-01

The radial diffusion equation with synchrotron losses was solved by the Laplace transform method for near-equatorially mirroring relativistic electrons. The evolution of a power law distribution function was found and the characteristics of synchrotron burn-off are stated in terms of explicit parameters for an arbitrary diffusion coefficient. Emissivity from the radiation belts of Jupiter was studied. Asymptotic forms for the distribution in the strong synchrotron loss regime are provided.

Electron confinement at diffuse ZnMgO/ZnO interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coke, Maddison L.; Kennedy, Oscar W.; Sagar, James T.; Warburton, Paul A.

2017-01-01

Abrupt interfaces between ZnMgO and ZnO are strained due to lattice mismatch. This strain is relaxed if there is a gradual incorporation of Mg during growth, resulting in a diffuse interface. This strain relaxation is however accompanied by reduced confinement and enhanced Mg-ion scattering of the confined electrons at the interface. Here we experimentally study the electronic transport properties of the diffuse heteroepitaxial interface between single-crystal ZnO and ZnMgO films grown by molecular-beam epitaxy. The spatial extent of the interface region is controlled during growth by varying the zinc flux. We show that, as the spatial extent of the graded interface is reduced, the enhancement of electron mobility due to electron confinement more than compensates for any suppression of mobility due to increased strain. Furthermore, we determine the extent to which scattering of impurities in the ZnO substrate limits the electron mobility in diffuse ZnMgO-ZnO interfaces.

Thirty years since diffuse sound reflection by maximum length

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cox, Trevor J.; D'Antonio, Peter

2005-09-01

This year celebrates the 30th anniversary of Schroeder's seminal paper on sound scattering from maximum length sequences. This paper, along with Schroeder's subsequent publication on quadratic residue diffusers, broke new ground, because they contained simple recipes for designing diffusers with known acoustic performance. So, what has happened in the intervening years? As with most areas of engineering, the room acoustic diffuser has been greatly influenced by the rise of digital computing technologies. Numerical methods have become much more powerful, and this has enabled predictions of surface scattering to greater accuracy and for larger scale surfaces than previously possible. Architecture has also gone through a revolution where the forms of buildings have become more extreme and sculptural. Acoustic diffuser designs have had to keep pace with this to produce shapes and forms that are desirable to architects. To achieve this, design methodologies have moved away from Schroeder's simple equations to brute force optimization algorithms. This paper will look back at the past development of the modern diffuser, explaining how the principles of diffuser design have been devised and revised over the decades. The paper will also look at the present state-of-the art, and dreams for the future.

Tracer counterpermeation analysis of diffusivity in finite-length nanopores with and without single-file dynamics

DOE PAGES

Ackerman, David M.; Evans, James W.

2017-01-19

Here, we perform a tracer counterpermeation (TCP) analysis for a stochastic model of diffusive transport through a narrow linear pore where passing of species within the pore is inhibited or even excluded (single-file diffusion). TCP involves differently labeled but otherwise identical particles from two decoupled infinite reservoirs adsorbing into opposite ends of the pore, and desorbing from either end. In addition to transient behavior, we assess steady-state concentration profiles, spatial correlations, particle number fluctuations, and diffusion fluxes through the pore. From the profiles and fluxes, we determine a generalized tracer diffusion coefficient D tr(x), at various positions x within themore » pore. D tr(x) has a plateau value in the pore center scaling inversely with the pore length, but it is enhanced near the pore openings. The latter feature reflects the effect of fluctuations in adsorption and desorption, and it is also associated with a nontrivial scaling of the concentration profiles near the pore openings.« less

Tracer counterpermeation analysis of diffusivity in finite-length nanopores with and without single-file dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ackerman, David M.; Evans, James W.

2017-01-01

We perform a tracer counterpermeation (TCP) analysis for a stochastic model of diffusive transport through a narrow linear pore where passing of species within the pore is inhibited or even excluded (single-file diffusion). TCP involves differently labeled but otherwise identical particles from two decoupled infinite reservoirs adsorbing into opposite ends of the pore, and desorbing from either end. In addition to transient behavior, we assess steady-state concentration profiles, spatial correlations, particle number fluctuations, and diffusion fluxes through the pore. From the profiles and fluxes, we determine a generalized tracer diffusion coefficient Dtr(x ) , at various positions x within the pore. Dtr(x ) has a plateau value in the pore center scaling inversely with the pore length, but it is enhanced near the pore openings. The latter feature reflects the effect of fluctuations in adsorption and desorption, and it is also associated with a nontrivial scaling of the concentration profiles near the pore openings.

The effect of beamwidth on the analysis of electron-beam-induced current line scans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luke, Keung L.

1995-04-01

A real electron beam has finite width, which has been almost universally ignored in electron-beam-induced current (EBIC) theories. Obvious examples are point-source-based EBIC analyses, which neglect both the finite volume of electron-hole carriers generated by an energetic electron beam of negligible width and the beamwidth when it is no longer negligible. Gaussian source-based analyses are more realistic but the beamwidth has not been included, partly because the generation volume is much larger than the beamwidth, but this is not always the case. In this article Donolato's Gaussian source-based EBIC equation is generalized to include the beamwidth of a Gaussian beam. This generalized equation is then used to study three problems: (1) the effect of beamwidth on EBIC line scans and on effective diffusion lengths and the results are applied to the analysis of the EBIC data of Dixon, Williams, Das, and Webb; (2) unresolved questions raised by others concerning the applicability of the Watanabe-Actor-Gatos method to real EBIC data to evaluate surface recombination velocity; (3) the effect of beamwidth on the methods proposed recently by the author to determine the surface recombination velocity and to discriminate between the Everhart-Hoff and Kanaya-Okayama ranges which is the correct one to use for analyzing EBIC line scans.

A quiescent state of 3 to 8 MeV radiation belt electrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Selesnick, R. S.; Blake, J. B.; Kolasinski, W. A.; Fritz, T. A.

During a ∼3 month period in mid-1996 outer radiation belt electrons in the energy range from ∼ 3 to 8 MeV were diffusing inward and decaying in intensity with no internal or external source. Measurements from the HIST instrument on POLAR are used to constrain a model for time dependent lossy radial diffusion of these electrons, and to obtain estimates of a parameterized radial diffusion coefficient and lifetime. For lower energy electrons, of ∼ 1 to 3 MeV, a source at L > 6 is apparent throughout most of the same period.

Diffusion by one wave and by many waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albert, J. M.

2010-03-01

Radiation belt electrons and chorus waves are an outstanding instance of the important role cyclotron resonant wave-particle interactions play in the magnetosphere. Chorus waves are particularly complex, often occurring with large amplitude, narrowband but drifting frequency and fine structure. Nevertheless, modeling their effect on radiation belt electrons with bounce-averaged broadband quasi-linear theory seems to yield reasonable results. It is known that coherent interactions with monochromatic waves can cause particle diffusion, as well as radically different phase bunching and phase trapping behavior. Here the two formulations of diffusion, while conceptually different, are shown to give identical diffusion coefficients, in the narrowband limit of quasi-linear theory. It is further shown that suitably averaging the monochromatic diffusion coefficients over frequency and wave normal angle parameters reproduces the full broadband quasi-linear results. This may account for the rather surprising success of quasi-linear theory in modeling radiation belt electrons undergoing diffusion by chorus waves.

Diffusive sampling of methylene chloride with solid phase microextraction.

PubMed

Chen, Cheng-Yao; Hsiech, Chunming; Lin, Jia-Ming

2006-12-29

This study examined the characteristics of a solid phase microextraction (SPME) assembly as a passive sampler to determine the short-term exposure level (STEL) of methylene chloride. Two types of SPME fibers and six sampling-related factors were chosen and nested in an L(18) Taguchi's orthogonal array. Samples were thermally desorpted and analyzed by gas chromatograph equipped with an electron capture detector (GC/ECD). The use of 85-mum Carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane (Car/PDMS) fibers resulted in greater adsorbed mass, which was highly correlated with the product of concentration and sampling time (r>0.99, p<0.0001), than 85-microm polyacrylate fibers. The sampling rate (SR) of the 85-microm Carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane fibers was not significantly affected by variations in relative humidity (0-80%) and coexistent toluene (none to 100 ppm). Variance of sampling rate was predominantly attributed to the diffusive path length (86.4%) and sampling time (5.7%). With diffusive paths of 3, 10 and 15 mm, the sampling rates of 85-microm Carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane fibers for methylene chloride were 1.4 x 10(-2), 7.7 x 10(-3) and 5.1 x1 0(-3)mL min(-1), respectively. The measured sampling rates were greater than the theoretical values, and decreased with increment of sampling time until they came to constant.

Modulation of low-energy galactic electrons in the heliosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sibusiso Nkosi, Godfrey; Potgieter, Marius; Nndanganeni, Rendanie

The modulation of cosmic ray electrons in the heliosphere assists in improving our understand-ing and assessment of the diffusion tensor applicable to low-energy electrons from the inner to the outer heliosphere, in particular inside the heliosheath. A three-dimensional (3D) numerical model based on Parker's transport equation is used to study the modulation of 10 MeV galac-tic electrons. The emphasis is placed on the role that perpendicular diffusion plays in causing the observed extraordinary increase in the intensity of these electrons in the heliosheath. The model is compared to observations from the Voyager mission and conclusions are made about the role of the perpendicular diffusion in the heliosphere.

Refractive-index change caused by electrons in amorphous AsS and AsSe thin films doped with different metals by photodiffusion

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nordman, Olli; Nordman, Nina; Pashkevich, Valfrid

2001-08-01

The refractive-index change caused by electrons was measured in amorphous AsS and AsSe thin films. Films were coated with different metals. Diffraction gratings were written by electron-beam lithography. The interactions of electrons in films with and without the photodiffusion of overcoated metal were compared. Incoming electrons caused metal atom and ion diffusion in both investigated cases. The metal diffusion was dependent on the metal and it was found to influence the refractive index. In some cases lateral diffusion of the metal was noticed. The conditions for applications were verified. {copyright} 2001 Optical Society of America

Microscopic diffusion processes measured in living planarians

DOE PAGES

Mamontov, Eugene

2018-03-08

Living planarian flatworms were probed using quasielastic neutron scattering to measure, on the pico-to-nanosecond time scale and nanometer length scale, microscopic diffusion of water and cell constituents in the planarians. Measurable microscopic diffusivities were surprisingly well defined in such a complex system as living animals. The overall variation in the microscopic diffusivity of cell constituents was found to be far lower than the variation in the microscopic diffusivity of water in planarians in a temperature range of 284.5 to 304.1K.

DIFF--A 7090 Fortran Program to Determine Neutron Diffusion Constants Relating to a Six-Group Calculation; DIFF--UN PROGRAMME FOR TRAN 7090 POUR DETERMINER LES CONSTANTES DE DIFFUSION NEUTRONIQUE RELATIVES A UN CALCUL A SIX GROUPES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Plelnevaux, C.

The computer program DIFF, in Fortran for the IBM 7090, for calculating the neutron diffusion coefficients and attenuation areas (L/sup 2/) necessary for multigroup diffusion calculations for reactor shielding is described. Diffusion coefficients and values of the inverse attenuation length are given for a six group calculation for several interesting shielding materials. (D.C.W.)

Microscopic diffusion processes measured in living planarians

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mamontov, Eugene

Living planarian flatworms were probed using quasielastic neutron scattering to measure, on the pico-to-nanosecond time scale and nanometer length scale, microscopic diffusion of water and cell constituents in the planarians. Measurable microscopic diffusivities were surprisingly well defined in such a complex system as living animals. The overall variation in the microscopic diffusivity of cell constituents was found to be far lower than the variation in the microscopic diffusivity of water in planarians in a temperature range of 284.5 to 304.1K.

Steric effects on diffusion into bituminous coals

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

John W. Larsen; Doyoung Lee

2006-02-01

The reactions of maleic anhydride, cis-maleate esters, and acetylenedicarboxylate esters with Pittsburgh No. 8 or Illinois No. 6 coal using o-xylene or o-dichlorobenzene solvent are diffusion controlled. Diffusion is Fickian in all cases. The measured activation energies are between 5.4 and 7.6 kcal/mol. Diffusion rates decrease slowly with increasing alkyl chain length and sharply with branching. Diffusion rates are slightly faster with o-xylene than when o-dichlorobenzene is used. 40 refs., 5 figs., 4 tabs.

Three-dimensional stochastic modeling of radiation belts in adiabatic invariant coordinates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Liheng; Chan, Anthony A.; Albert, Jay M.; Elkington, Scot R.; Koller, Josef; Horne, Richard B.; Glauert, Sarah A.; Meredith, Nigel P.

2014-09-01

A 3-D model for solving the radiation belt diffusion equation in adiabatic invariant coordinates has been developed and tested. The model, named Radbelt Electron Model, obtains a probabilistic solution by solving a set of Itô stochastic differential equations that are mathematically equivalent to the diffusion equation. This method is capable of solving diffusion equations with a full 3-D diffusion tensor, including the radial-local cross diffusion components. The correct form of the boundary condition at equatorial pitch angle α0=90° is also derived. The model is applied to a simulation of the October 2002 storm event. At α0 near 90°, our results are quantitatively consistent with GPS observations of phase space density (PSD) increases, suggesting dominance of radial diffusion; at smaller α0, the observed PSD increases are overestimated by the model, possibly due to the α0-independent radial diffusion coefficients, or to insufficient electron loss in the model, or both. Statistical analysis of the stochastic processes provides further insights into the diffusion processes, showing distinctive electron source distributions with and without local acceleration.

Length distributions of nanowires: Effects of surface diffusion versus nucleation delay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dubrovskii, Vladimir G.

2017-04-01

It is often thought that the ensembles of semiconductor nanowires are uniform in length due to the initial organization of the growth seeds such as lithographically defined droplets or holes in the substrate. However, several recent works have already demonstrated that most nanowire length distributions are broader than Poissonian. Herein, we consider theoretically the length distributions of non-interacting nanowires that grow by the material collection from the entire length of their sidewalls and with a delay of nucleation of the very first nanowire monolayer. The obtained analytic length distribution is controlled by two parameters that describe the strength of surface diffusion and the nanowire nucleation rate. We show how the distribution changes from the symmetrical Polya shape without the nucleation delay to a much broader and asymmetrical one for longer delays. In the continuum limit (for tall enough nanowires), the length distribution is given by a power law times an incomplete gamma-function. We discuss interesting scaling properties of this solution and give a recipe for analyzing and tailoring the experimental length histograms of nanowires which should work for a wide range of material systems and growth conditions.

Surface roughness scattering of electrons in bulk mosfets

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zuverink, Amanda Renee

2015-11-01

Surface-roughness scattering of electrons at the Si-SiO 2 interface is a very important consideration when analyzing Si metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs). Scattering reduces the mobility of the electrons and degrades the device performance. 250-nm and 50-nm bulk MOSFETs were simulated with varying device parameters and mesh sizes in order to compare the effects of surface-roughness scattering in multiple devices. The simulation framework includes the ensemble Monte Carlo method used to solve the Boltzmann transport equation coupled with a successive over-relaxation method used to solve the two-dimensional Poisson's equation. Four methods for simulating the surface-roughness scattering of electrons were implemented onmore » both devices and compared: the constant specularity parameter, the momentum-dependent specularity parameter, and the real-space-roughness method with both uniform and varying electric fields. The specularity parameter is the probability of an electron scattering speculariy from a rough surface. It can be chosen as a constant, characterizing partially diffuse scattering of all electrons from the surface the same way, or it can be momentum dependent, where the size of rms roughness and the normal component of the electron wave number determine the probability of electron-momentum randomization. The real-space rough surface method uses the rms roughness height and correlation length of an actual MOSFET to simulate a rough interface. Due to their charge, electrons scatter from the electric field and not directly from the surface. If the electric field is kept uniform, the electrons do not perceive the roughness and scatter as if from a at surface. However, if the field is allowed to vary, the electrons scatter from the varying electric field as they would in a MOSFET. These methods were implemented for both the 50-nm and 250-nm MOSFETs, and using the rms roughness heights and correlation lengths for real devices. The current-voltage and mobility-electric field curves were plotted for each method on the two devices and compared. The conclusion is that the specularity-parameter methods are valuable as simple models for relatively smooth interfaces. However, they have limitations, as they cannot accurately describe the drastic reduction in the current and the electron mobility that occur in MOSFETs with very rough Si-SiO 2 interfaces.« less

Lateral diffusion in model membranes is independent of the size of the hydrophobic region of molecules.

PubMed Central

Balcom, B J; Petersen, N O

1993-01-01

We have systematically investigated the probe size and shape dependence of lateral diffusion in model dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine membranes. Linear hydrophobic polymers, which differ in length by an order of magnitude, were used to explore the effect on the lateral diffusion coefficient of hydrodynamic restrictions in the bilayer interior. The polymers employed are isoprenoid alcohols--citronellol, solanesol, and dolichol. Tracer lateral diffusion coefficients were measured by fluorescence photobleaching recovery. Despite the large difference in lengths, the nitrobenzoxadiazole labelled alcohols all diffuse at the rate of lipid self-diffusion (5.0 x 10(-12) m2 s-1, 29 degrees C) in the liquid crystal phase. Companion measurements in isotropic polymer solution, in gel phase lipid membranes and with nonpolar fluorescent polyaromatic hydrocarbons, show a marked dependence of the lateral diffusion coefficient on the probe molecule size. Our results in the liquid crystal phase are in accord with free area theory which asserts that lateral diffusion in the membrane is restricted by the surface-free area. Probe molecules which are significantly longer than the host phospholipid, seven times longer in the case of dolichol, are still restricted in their lateral motion by the surface properties of the bilayer in the liquid crystal phase. Fluorescence quenching experiments indicate that the nitrobenzoxadiazole label does not reside at the aqueous interface, although it must reside in close proximity according to the diffusion measurements. PMID:8218892

Emergence of an optimal search strategy from a simple random walk

PubMed Central

Sakiyama, Tomoko; Gunji, Yukio-Pegio

2013-01-01

In reports addressing animal foraging strategies, it has been stated that Lévy-like algorithms represent an optimal search strategy in an unknown environment, because of their super-diffusion properties and power-law-distributed step lengths. Here, starting with a simple random walk algorithm, which offers the agent a randomly determined direction at each time step with a fixed move length, we investigated how flexible exploration is achieved if an agent alters its randomly determined next step forward and the rule that controls its random movement based on its own directional moving experiences. We showed that our algorithm led to an effective food-searching performance compared with a simple random walk algorithm and exhibited super-diffusion properties, despite the uniform step lengths. Moreover, our algorithm exhibited a power-law distribution independent of uniform step lengths. PMID:23804445

Emergence of an optimal search strategy from a simple random walk.

PubMed

Sakiyama, Tomoko; Gunji, Yukio-Pegio

2013-09-06

In reports addressing animal foraging strategies, it has been stated that Lévy-like algorithms represent an optimal search strategy in an unknown environment, because of their super-diffusion properties and power-law-distributed step lengths. Here, starting with a simple random walk algorithm, which offers the agent a randomly determined direction at each time step with a fixed move length, we investigated how flexible exploration is achieved if an agent alters its randomly determined next step forward and the rule that controls its random movement based on its own directional moving experiences. We showed that our algorithm led to an effective food-searching performance compared with a simple random walk algorithm and exhibited super-diffusion properties, despite the uniform step lengths. Moreover, our algorithm exhibited a power-law distribution independent of uniform step lengths.

40Ar ∗ loss in experimentally deformed muscovite and biotite with implications for 40Ar/ 39Ar geochronology of naturally deformed rocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cosca, Michael; Stunitz, Holger; Bourgeix, Anne-Lise; Lee, John P.

2011-12-01

The effects of deformation on radiogenic argon ( 40Ar ∗) retentivity in mica are described from high pressure experiments performed on rock samples of peraluminous granite containing euhedral muscovite and biotite. Cylindrical cores, ˜15 mm in length and 6.25 mm in diameter, were drilled from granite collected from the South Armorican Massif in northwestern France, loaded into gold capsules, and weld-sealed in the presence of excess water. The samples were deformed at a pressure of 10 kb and a temperature of 600 °C over a period 29 of hours within a solid medium assembly in a Griggs-type triaxial hydraulic deformation apparatus. Overall shortening in the experiments was approximately 10%. Transmitted light and secondary and backscattered electron imaging of the deformed granite samples reveals evidence of induced defects and for significant physical grain size reduction by kinking, cracking, and grain segmentation of the micas. Infrared (IR) laser (CO 2) heating of individual 1.5-2.5 mm diameter grains of muscovite and biotite separated from the undeformed granite yield well-defined 40Ar/ 39Ar plateau ages of 311 ± 2 Ma (2σ). Identical experiments on single grains separated from the experimentally deformed granite yield results indicating 40Ar ∗ loss of 0-35% in muscovite and 2-3% 40Ar ∗ loss in biotite. Intragrain in situ ultraviolet (UV) laser ablation 40Ar/ 39Ar ages (±4-10%, 1σ) of deformed muscovites range from 309 ± 13 to 264 ± 7 Ma, consistent with 0-16% 40Ar ∗ loss relative to the undeformed muscovite. The in situ UV laser ablation 40Ar/ 39Ar ages of deformed biotite vary from 301 to 217 Ma, consistent with up to 32% 40Ar ∗ loss. No spatial correlation is observed between in situ40Ar/ 39Ar age and position within individual grains. Using available argon diffusion data for muscovite the observed 40Ar ∗ loss in the experimentally treated muscovite can be utilized to predict average 40Ar ∗ diffusion dimensions. Maximum 40Ar/ 39Ar ages obtained by UV laser ablation overlap those of the undeformed muscovite, indicating argon loss of <1% and an average effective grain radius for 40Ar ∗ diffusion ⩾700 μm. The UV laser ablation and IR laser incremental 40Ar/ 39Ar ages indicating 40Ar ∗ loss of 16% and 35%, respectively, are consistent with an average diffusion radius ≪100 μm. These results support a hypothesis of grain-scale 40Ar ∗ diffusion distances in undeformed mica and a heterogeneous mechanical reduction in the intragrain effective diffusion length scale for 40Ar ∗ in deformed mica. Reduction in the effective diffusion length scale in naturally deformed samples occurs most probably through production of mesoscopic and submicroscopic defects such as, e.g., stacking faults. A network of interconnected defects, continuously forming and annealing during dynamic deformation likely plays an important role in controlling both 40Ar ∗ retention and intragrain distribution in deformed mica. Intragrain 40Ar/ 39Ar ages, when combined with estimates of diffusion kinetics and distances, may provide a means of establishing thermochronological histories from individual micas.

Characterizing acid diffusion lengths in chemically amplified resists from measurements of deprotection kinetics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Patil, Abhijit A.; Pandey, Yogendra Narayan; Doxastakis, Manolis

2014-10-01

The acid-catalyzed deprotection of glassy poly(4-hydroxystyrene-co-tertbutyl acrylate) films was studied with infrared absorbance spectroscopy and stochastic simulations. Experimental data were interpreted with a simple description of subdiffusive acid transport coupled to second-order acid loss. This model predicts key attributes of observed deprotection rates, such as fast reaction at short times, slow reaction at long times, and a nonlinear dependence on acid loading. Fickian diffusion is approached by increasing the post-exposure bake temperature or adding plasticizing agents to the polymer resin. These findings demonstrate that acid mobility and overall deprotection kinetics are coupled to glassy matrix dynamics. To complement the analysismore » of bulk kinetics, acid diffusion lengths were calculated from the anomalous transport model and compared with nanopattern line widths. The consistent scaling between experiments and simulations suggests that the anomalous diffusion model could be further developed into a predictive lithography tool.« less

Determination of critical diameters for intrinsic carrier diffusion-length of GaN nanorods with cryo-scanning near-field optical microscopy

PubMed Central

Chen, Y. T.; Karlsson, K. F.; Birch, J.; Holtz, P. O.

2016-01-01

Direct measurements of carrier diffusion in GaN nanorods with a designed InGaN/GaN layer-in-a-wire structure by scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) were performed at liquid-helium temperatures of 10 K. Without an applied voltage, intrinsic diffusion lengths of photo-excited carriers were measured as the diameters of the nanorods differ from 50 to 800 nm. The critical diameter of nanorods for carrier diffusion is concluded as 170 nm with a statistical approach. Photoluminescence spectra were acquired for different positions of the SNOM tip on the nanorod, corresponding to the origins of the well-defined luminescence peaks, each being related to recombination-centers. The phenomenon originated from surface oxide by direct comparison of two nanorods with similar diameters in a single map has been observed and investigated. PMID:26876009

DIFFUSE AURORA ON GANYMEDE DRIVEN BY ELECTROSTATIC WAVES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Singhal, R. P.; Tripathi, A. K.; Halder, S.

The role of electrostatic electron cyclotron harmonic (ECH) waves in producing diffuse auroral emission O i 1356 Å on Ganymede is investigated. Electron precipitation flux entering the atmosphere of Ganymede due to pitch-angle diffusion by ECH waves into the atmospheric loss-cone is calculated. The analytical yield spectrum approach for electron energy degradation in gases is used for calculating diffuse auroral intensities. It is found that calculated O i 1356 Å intensity resulting from the precipitation of magnetospheric electrons observed near Ganymede is insufficient to account for the observed diffuse auroral intensity. This is in agreement with estimates made in earliermore » works. Heating and acceleration of ambient electrons by ECH wave turbulence near the magnetic equator on the field line connecting Ganymede and Jupiter are considered. Two electron distribution functions are used to simulate the heating effect by ECH waves. Use of a Maxwellian distribution with temperature 100 eV can produce about 50–70 Rayleigh O i 1356 Å intensities, and the kappa distribution with characteristic energy 50 eV also gives rise to intensities with similar magnitude. Numerical experiments are performed to study the effect of ECH wave spectral intensity profile, ECH wave amplitude, and temperature/characteristic energy of electron distribution functions on the calculated diffuse auroral intensities. The proposed missions, joint NASA/ESA Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer and the present JUNO mission to Jupiter, would provide new data to constrain the ECH wave and other physical parameters near Ganymede. These should help confirm the findings of the present study.« less

Estimation of Kubo number and correlation length of fluctuating magnetic fields and pressure in BOUT + + edge pedestal collapse simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jaewook; Lee, W.-J.; Jhang, Hogun; Kaang, H. H.; Ghim, Y.-C.

2017-10-01

Stochastic magnetic fields are thought to be as one of the possible mechanisms for anomalous transport of density, momentum and heat across the magnetic field lines. Kubo number and Chirikov parameter are quantifications of the stochasticity, and previous studies show that perpendicular transport strongly depends on the magnetic Kubo number (MKN). If MKN is smaller than one, diffusion process will follow Rechester-Rosenbluth model; whereas if it is larger than one, percolation theory dominates the diffusion process. Thus, estimation of Kubo number plays an important role to understand diffusion process caused by stochastic magnetic fields. However, spatially localized experimental measurement of fluctuating magnetic fields in a tokamak is difficult, and we attempt to estimate MKNs using BOUT + + simulation data with pedestal collapse. In addition, we calculate correlation length of fluctuating pressures and Chirikov parameters to investigate variation correlation lengths in the simulation. We, then, discuss how one may experimentally estimate MKNs.

Ambient-temperature diffusion and gettering of Pt atoms in GaN with surface defect region under 60Co gamma or MeV electron irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hou, Ruixiang; Li, Lei; Fang, Xin; Xie, Ziang; Li, Shuti; Song, Weidong; Huang, Rong; Zhang, Jicai; Huang, Zengli; Li, Qiangjie; Xu, Wanjing; Fu, Engang; Qin, G. G.

2018-01-01

Generally, the diffusion and gettering of impurities in GaN needs high temperature. Calculated with the ambient-temperature extrapolation value of the high temperature diffusivity of Pt atoms in GaN reported in literature, the time required for Pt atoms diffusing 1 nm in GaN at ambient temperature is about 19 years. Therefore, the ambient-temperature diffusion and gettering of Pt atoms in GaN can hardly be observed. In this work, the ambient-temperature diffusion and gettering of Pt atoms in GaN is reported for the first time. It is demonstrated by use of secondary ion mass spectroscopy that in the condition of introducing a defect region on the GaN film surface by plasma, and subsequently, irradiated by 60Co gamma-ray or 3 MeV electrons, the ambient-temperature diffusion and gettering of Pt atoms in GaN can be detected. It is more obvious with larger irradiation dose and higher plasma power. With a similar surface defect region, the ambient-temperature diffusion and gettering of Pt atoms in GaN stimulated by 3 MeV electron irradiation is more marked than that stimulated by gamma irradiation. The physical mechanism of ambient-temperature diffusion and gettering of Pt atoms in a GaN film with a surface defect region stimulated by gamma or MeV electron irradiation is discussed.

Random walk on a leash: a simple single-molecule diffusion model for surface-tethered redox molecules with flexible linkers.

PubMed

Huang, Kuan-Chun; White, Ryan J

2013-08-28

We develop a random walk model to simulate the Brownian motion and the electrochemical response of a single molecule confined to an electrode surface via a flexible molecular tether. We use our simple model, which requires no prior knowledge of the physics of the molecular tether, to predict and better understand the voltammetric response of surface-confined redox molecules when motion of the redox molecule becomes important. The single molecule is confined to a hemispherical volume with a maximum radius determined by the flexible molecular tether (5-20 nm) and is allowed to undergo true three-dimensional diffusion. Distance- and potential-dependent electron transfer probabilities are evaluated throughout the simulations to generate cyclic voltammograms of the model system. We find that at sufficiently slow cyclic voltammetric scan rates the electrochemical reaction behaves like an adsorbed redox molecule with no mass transfer limitation; thus, the peak current is proportional to the scan rate. Conversely, at faster scan rates the diffusional motion of the molecule limits the simulated peak current, which exhibits a linear dependence on the square root of the scan rate. The switch between these two limiting regimes occurs when the diffusion layer thickness, (2Dt)(1/2), is ~10 times the tether length. Finally, we find that our model predicts the voltammetric behavior of a redox-active methylene blue tethered to an electrode surface via short flexible single-stranded, polythymine DNAs, allowing the estimation of diffusion coefficients for the end-tethered molecule.

Quantitative Measurements of Electronically Excited CH Concentration in Normal Gravity and Microgravity Coflow Laminar Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Giassi, D.; Cao, S.; Stocker, D. P.; Takahashi, F.; Bennett, B. A. V.; Smooke, M. D.; Long, M. B.

2015-01-01

With the conclusion of the SLICE campaign aboard the ISS in 2012, a large amount of data was made available for the analysis of the effect of microgravity on laminar coflow diffusion flames. Previous work focused on the study of sooty flames in microgravity as well as the ability of numerical models to predict its formation in a simplified buoyancy-free environment. The current work shifts the investigation to soot-free flames, putting an emphasis on the chemiluminescence emission from electronically excited CH (CH*). This radical species is of significant interest in combustion studies: it has been shown that the electronically excited CH spatial distribution is indicative of the flame front position and, given the relatively simple diagnostic involved with its measurement, several works have been done trying to understand the ability of electronically excited CH chemiluminescence to predict the total and local flame heat release rate. In this work, a subset of the SLICE nitrogen-diluted methane flames has been considered, and the effect of fuel and coflow velocity on electronically excited CH concentration is discussed and compared with both normal gravity results and numerical simulations. Experimentally, the spectral characterization of the DSLR color camera used to acquire the flame images allowed the signal collected by the blue channel to be considered representative of the electronically excited CH emission centered around 431 nm. Due to the axisymmetric flame structure, an Abel deconvolution of the line-of-sight chemiluminescence was used to obtain the radial intensity profile and, thanks to an absolute light intensity calibration, a quantification of the electronically excited CH concentration was possible. Results show that, in microgravity, the maximum flame electronically excited CH concentration increases with the coflow velocity, but it is weakly dependent on the fuel velocity; normal gravity flames, if not lifted, tend to follow the same trend, albeit with different peak concentrations. Comparisons with numerical simulations display reasonably good agreement between measured and computed flame lengths and radii, and it is shown that the integrated electronically excited CH emission scales proportionally to the computed total heat release rate; the two-dimensional electronically excited CH spatial distribution, however, does not appear to be a good marker for the local heat release rate.

Study the Precipitation of Radiation Belt Electrons during the Rapid Dropout Events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tu, W.; Cunningham, G.; Li, X.; Chen, Y.

2015-12-01

During the main phase of storms, the relativistic electron flux in the radiation belt can drop by orders of magnitude on timescales of a few hours. Where do the electrons go? This is one of the most important outstanding questions in radiation belt studies. Radiation belt electrons can be lost either by transport across the magnetopause into interplanetary space or by precipitation into the atmosphere. In this work we first conduct a survey of the MeV electron dropouts using the Van Allen Probes data in conjunction with the low-altitude measurements of precipitating electrons by 6 NOAA/POES satellites. The dropout events are categorized into three types: precipitation-loss dominant, outward radial diffusion dominant, or with contributions from both mechanisms. The survey results suggest the relative importance of precipitation and outward radial diffusion to the fast dropouts of radiation belt electrons, and their extent in L-shell and electron energy. Then, for specific events identified as dominated by precipitation loss, we use the Drift-Diffusion model, which includes the effects of azimuthal drift and pitch angle diffusion, to simulate both the electron dropout observed by Van Allen Probes and the distributions of drift-loss-cone electrons observed by multiple low-earth-orbit satellites (6 POES and the Colorado Student Space Weather Experiment). The model quantifies the electron precipitation loss and pitch angle diffusion coefficient, Dxx, with high temporal and spatial resolution. Finally, by comparing the Dxx derived from the model with those estimated from the quasi-linear theory using wave data from Van Allen Probes and other event-specific wave models, we are able to test the validity of quasi-linear theory and seek direct evidence of the wave-particle interactions during the dropouts.

Controlling electron beam-induced structure modifications and cation exchange in cadmium sulfide-copper sulfide heterostructured nanorods.

PubMed

Zheng, Haimei; Sadtler, Bryce; Habenicht, Carsten; Freitag, Bert; Alivisatos, A Paul; Kisielowski, Christian

2013-11-01

The atomic structure and interfaces of CdS/Cu2S heterostructured nanorods are investigated with the aberration-corrected TEAM 0.5 electron microscope operated at 80 kV and 300 kV applying in-line holography and complementary techniques. Cu2S exhibits a low-chalcocite structure in pristine CdS/Cu2S nanorods. Under electron beam irradiation the Cu2S phase transforms into a high-chalcocite phase while the CdS phase maintains its wurtzite structure. Time-resolved experiments reveal that Cu(+)-Cd(2+) cation exchange at the CdS/Cu2S interfaces is stimulated by the electron beam and proceeds within an undisturbed and coherent sulfur sub-lattice. A variation of the electron beam current provides an efficient way to control and exploit such irreversible solid-state chemical processes that provide unique information about system dynamics at the atomic scale. Specifically, we show that the electron beam-induced copper-cadmium exchange is site specific and anisotropic. A resulting displacement of the CdS/Cu2S interfaces caused by beam-induced cation interdiffusion equals within a factor of 3-10 previously reported Cu diffusion length measurements in heterostructured CdS/Cu2S thin film solar cells with an activation energy of 0.96 eV. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electron Effective-Attenuation-Length Database

National Institute of Standards and Technology Data Gateway

SRD 82 NIST Electron Effective-Attenuation-Length Database (PC database, no charge)   This database provides values of electron effective attenuation lengths (EALs) in solid elements and compounds at selected electron energies between 50 eV and 2,000 eV. The database was designed mainly to provide EALs (to account for effects of elastic-eletron scattering) for applications in surface analysis by Auger-electron spectroscopy (AES) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).

Theory of exciton transfer and diffusion in conjugated polymers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barford, William, E-mail: william.barford@chem.ox.ac.uk; Tozer, Oliver Robert; University College, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 4BH

We describe a theory of Förster-type exciton transfer between conjugated polymers. The theory is built on three assumptions. First, we assume that the low-lying excited states of conjugated polymers are Frenkel excitons coupled to local normal modes, and described by the Frenkel-Holstein model. Second, we assume that the relevant parameter regime is ℏω < J, i.e., the adiabatic regime, and thus the Born-Oppenheimer factorization of the electronic and nuclear degrees of freedom is generally applicable. Finally, we assume that the Condon approximation is valid, i.e., the exciton-polaron wavefunction is essentially independent of the normal modes. The resulting expression for themore » exciton transfer rate has a familiar form, being a function of the exciton transfer integral and the effective Franck-Condon factors. The effective Franck-Condon factors are functions of the effective Huang-Rhys parameters, which are inversely proportional to the chromophore size. The Born-Oppenheimer expressions were checked against DMRG calculations, and are found to be within 10% of the exact value for a tiny fraction of the computational cost. This theory of exciton transfer is then applied to model exciton migration in conformationally disordered poly(p-phenylene vinylene). Key to this modeling is the assumption that the donor and acceptor chromophores are defined by local exciton ground states (LEGSs). Since LEGSs are readily determined by the exciton center-of-mass wavefunction, this theory provides a quantitative link between polymer conformation and exciton migration. Our Monte Carlo simulations indicate that the exciton diffusion length depends weakly on the conformation of the polymer, with the diffusion length increasing slightly as the chromophores became straighter and longer. This is largely a geometrical effect: longer and straighter chromophores extend over larger distances. The calculated diffusion lengths of ∼10 nm are in good agreement with experiment. The spectral properties of the migrating excitons are also investigated. The emission intensity ratio of the 0-0 and 0-1 vibronic peaks is related to the effective Huang-Rhys parameter of the emitting state, which in turn is related to the chromophore size. The intensity ratios calculated from the effective Huang-Rhys parameters are in agreement with experimental spectra, and the time-resolved trend for the intensity ratio to decrease with time was also reproduced as the excitation migrates to shorter, lower energy chromophores as a function of time. In addition, the energy of the exciton state shows a logarithmic decrease with time, in agreement with experimental observations.« less

Theory of exciton transfer and diffusion in conjugated polymers.

PubMed

Barford, William; Tozer, Oliver Robert

2014-10-28

We describe a theory of Förster-type exciton transfer between conjugated polymers. The theory is built on three assumptions. First, we assume that the low-lying excited states of conjugated polymers are Frenkel excitons coupled to local normal modes, and described by the Frenkel-Holstein model. Second, we assume that the relevant parameter regime is ℏω < J, i.e., the adiabatic regime, and thus the Born-Oppenheimer factorization of the electronic and nuclear degrees of freedom is generally applicable. Finally, we assume that the Condon approximation is valid, i.e., the exciton-polaron wavefunction is essentially independent of the normal modes. The resulting expression for the exciton transfer rate has a familiar form, being a function of the exciton transfer integral and the effective Franck-Condon factors. The effective Franck-Condon factors are functions of the effective Huang-Rhys parameters, which are inversely proportional to the chromophore size. The Born-Oppenheimer expressions were checked against DMRG calculations, and are found to be within 10% of the exact value for a tiny fraction of the computational cost. This theory of exciton transfer is then applied to model exciton migration in conformationally disordered poly(p-phenylene vinylene). Key to this modeling is the assumption that the donor and acceptor chromophores are defined by local exciton ground states (LEGSs). Since LEGSs are readily determined by the exciton center-of-mass wavefunction, this theory provides a quantitative link between polymer conformation and exciton migration. Our Monte Carlo simulations indicate that the exciton diffusion length depends weakly on the conformation of the polymer, with the diffusion length increasing slightly as the chromophores became straighter and longer. This is largely a geometrical effect: longer and straighter chromophores extend over larger distances. The calculated diffusion lengths of ~10 nm are in good agreement with experiment. The spectral properties of the migrating excitons are also investigated. The emission intensity ratio of the 0-0 and 0-1 vibronic peaks is related to the effective Huang-Rhys parameter of the emitting state, which in turn is related to the chromophore size. The intensity ratios calculated from the effective Huang-Rhys parameters are in agreement with experimental spectra, and the time-resolved trend for the intensity ratio to decrease with time was also reproduced as the excitation migrates to shorter, lower energy chromophores as a function of time. In addition, the energy of the exciton state shows a logarithmic decrease with time, in agreement with experimental observations.

Extended Generation Profile - E.B.I.C. Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guermazi, S.; Toureille, A.; Grill, C.; El Jani, B.; Lakhoua, N.

1996-04-01

We have developed a model for the calculation of the induced current due to an electron beam with an extended profile. As well as the number of absorbed and diffuse electrons as a function of the depth, the generation profile takes into account the lateral diffusion and the effect of defects, dislocations and recombination surfaces. The expression from the Electron Beam Induced Current (EBIC) is obtained by solving the continuity equation in permanent regime by the Green function method. In the case of a Schottky diode Au/InP, obtained by ionic scattering followed by a quick thermal treatment, the induced current profile is compared to the theoretical profiles whose analytical expressions are given by Van Roosbroeck and Bresse. The experimental current profile, measured by S.E.M provided us with the calculation of the diffusion length of the minority carriers, L_n=1 μm. The theoretical curve obtained from the proposed model is in good agreement with the experimental one for a surface recombination velocity of 104 cm s^{-1}. Our results are found to be consistent with those obtained by other experimental techniques on the same samples. Nous avons développé un modèle de calcul du courant induit par un faisceau d'électrons avec un profil de génération élargi. Le profil de génération tient compte, en plus du nombre d'électrons absorbés et du nombre d'électrons diffusés en fonction de la profondeur, de la diffusion latérale (en prenant en considération la diffusion angulaire), de l'effet des défauts, des dislocations et de la recombinaison à la surface. L'expression analytique du courant induit E.B.I.C est déterminée par résolution de l'équation de continuité en régime permanent par la méthode des fonctions de Green. Le profil de courant induit obtenu dans le cas d'une diode Schottky Au/InP dopé p et fabriqué par implantation suivit d'un recuit, est comparé au profil de courant théorique dont l'expression analytique est explicité par Van Roosbroeck et Bresse. Le profil de courant expérimental, mesuré par un microscope électronique à balayage, nous a permis de calculer la longueur de diffusion des porteurs minoritaires L_n=1 μm. La courbe théorique, tracée à partir du modèle proposé, est en bon accord avec la courbe expérimental pour une vitesse de recombinaison à la surface de 104 cm s^{-1}. Ces résultats sont conformes avec ceux obtenus par d'autres techniques expérimentales sur les mêmes échantillons.

Diffusive transport of energetic electrons in the solar corona: X-ray and radio diagnostics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Musset, S.; Kontar, E. P.; Vilmer, N.

2018-02-01

Context. Imaging spectroscopy in X-rays with RHESSI provides the possibility to investigate the spatial evolution of X-ray emitting electron distribution and therefore, to study transport effects on energetic electrons during solar flares. Aims: We study the energy dependence of the scattering mean free path of energetic electrons in the solar corona. Methods: We used imaging spectroscopy with RHESSI to study the evolution of energetic electrons distribution in various parts of the magnetic loop during the 2004 May 21 flare. We compared these observations with the radio observations of the gyrosynchrotron radiation of the same flare and with the predictions of a diffusive transport model. Results: X-ray analysis shows a trapping of energetic electrons in the corona and a spectral hardening of the energetic electron distribution between the top of the loop and the footpoints. Coronal trapping of electrons is stronger for radio-emitting electrons than for X-ray-emitting electrons. These observations can be explained by a diffusive transport model. Conclusions: We show that the combination of X-ray and radio diagnostics is a powerful tool to study electron transport in the solar corona in different energy domains. We show that the diffusive transport model can explain our observations, and in the range 25-500 keV, the scattering mean free path of electrons decreases with electron energy. We can estimate for the first time the scattering mean free path dependence on energy in the corona.

Observation of long phase-coherence length in epitaxial La-doped CdO thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yun, Yu; Ma, Yang; Tao, Songsheng; Xing, Wenyu; Chen, Yangyang; Su, Tang; Yuan, Wei; Wei, Jian; Lin, Xi; Niu, Qian; Xie, X. C.; Han, Wei

2017-12-01

The search for long electron phase-coherence length, which is the length that an electron can keep its quantum wavelike properties, has attracted considerable interest in the last several decades. Here, we report the long phase-coherence length of ˜3.7 μm in La-doped CdO thin films at 2 K. Systematical investigations of the La doping and the temperature dependences of the electron mobility and the electron phase-coherence length reveal contrasting scattering mechanisms for these two physical properties. Furthermore, these results show that the oxygen vacancies could be the dominant scatters in CdO thin films that break the electron phase coherence, which would shed light on further investigation of phase-coherence properties in oxide materials.

A Theoretical Study of Flow Structure and Radiation for Multiphase Turbulent Diffusion Flames

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-03-01

density function. According to the axial void fraction profile in Fig. 24, the flame length (the total penetration length) extends to x/d=150. By referring...temperature because of subcooling effect. Decreasing liquid temperature will increase condensation which in turn reduces the flame length as defined by

Extended carrier lifetimes and diffusion in hybrid perovskites revealed by Hall effect and photoconductivity measurements

PubMed Central

Chen, Y.; Yi, H. T.; Wu, X.; Haroldson, R.; Gartstein, Y. N.; Rodionov, Y. I.; Tikhonov, K. S.; Zakhidov, A.; Zhu, X. -Y.; Podzorov, V.

2016-01-01

Impressive performance of hybrid perovskite solar cells reported in recent years still awaits a comprehensive understanding of its microscopic origins. In this work, the intrinsic Hall mobility and photocarrier recombination coefficient are directly measured in these materials in steady-state transport studies. The results show that electron-hole recombination and carrier trapping rates in hybrid perovskites are very low. The bimolecular recombination coefficient (10−11 to 10−10 cm3 s−1) is found to be on par with that in the best direct-band inorganic semiconductors, even though the intrinsic Hall mobility in hybrid perovskites is considerably lower (up to 60 cm2 V−1 s−1). Measured here, steady-state carrier lifetimes (of up to 3 ms) and diffusion lengths (as long as 650 μm) are significantly longer than those in high-purity crystalline inorganic semiconductors. We suggest that these experimental findings are consistent with the polaronic nature of charge carriers, resulting from an interaction of charges with methylammonium dipoles. PMID:27477058

Structure and Soot Properties of Nonbuoyant Ethylene/Air Laminar Jet Diffusion Flames. Appendix E; Repr. from AIAA Journal, v. 36 p 1346-1360

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Urban, D. L.; Yuan, Z.-G.; Sunderland, P. B.; Linteris, G. T.; Voss, J. E.; Lin, K.-C.; Dai, Z.; Sun, K.; Faeth, G. M.; Ross, Howard D. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The structure and soot properties of round, soot-emitting, nonbuoyant, laminar jet diffusion flames are described, based on long-duration (175-230-s) experiments at microgravity carried out on orbit in the Space Shuttle Columbia. Experimental conditions included ethylene-fueled flames burning in still air at nominal pressures of 50 and 100 kPa and an ambient temperature of 300 K with luminous flame lengths of 49-64 mm Measurements included luminous flame shapes using color video imaging soot concentration (volume fraction) distributions using deconvoluted laser extinction imaging, soot temperature distributions using deconvoluted multiline emission imaging, gas temperature distributions at fuel-lean (plume) conditions using thermocouple probes, soot structure distributions using thermophoretic sampling and analysis by transmission electron microscopy, and flame radiation using a radiometer.The present flames were larger, and emitted soot more readily, than comparable flames observed during ground-based microgravity experiments due to closer approach to steady conditions resulting from the longer test times and the reduced gravitational disturbances of the space-based experiments.

Measurements Of The Effects Of Grain Boundary And Alloy Scattering On Spectral Phonon Mean Free Path Distributions.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lubner, Sean; Khan, Md. Imran; Dames, Chris

In the electronics and clean energy fields, it is increasingly necessary to reliably model the dissipation of heat from micro and nanostructures or nanostructured materials such as in batteries, computer chips, and thermoelectrics. In these regimes where length scales are comparable to the mean free paths (MFPs) of energy carriers, the diffusion law of heat conduction begins to break down. In this talk, I present our recent results from using a time domain thermoreflectance (TDTR) technique with laser spot 1/e-squared radii less than 2 microns to measure sub-diffusion thermal transport in silicon, nanograined-silicon (ng-Si), and silicon germanium (SiGe) alloys. Our results experimentally demonstrate that alloy scattering skews phonon spectra toward longer MFPs, while nanostructuring skews phonon spectra toward shorter MFPs. As a consequence, we show that a significant fraction of the heat-carrying phonons in SiGe have MFPs greater than 10 microns at room temperature, and that the thermal conductivity of ng-Si overtakes that of SiGe after microstructuring. NSF.

Extended carrier lifetimes and diffusion in hybrid perovskites revealed by Hall effect and photoconductivity measurements

DOE PAGES

Chen, Y.; Yi, H. T.; Wu, X.; ...

2016-08-01

Impressive performance of hybrid perovskite solar cells reported in recent years still awaits a comprehensive understanding of its microscopic origins. In this work, the intrinsic Hall mobility and photocarrier recombination coefficient are directly measured in these materials in steady-state transport studies. The results show that electron-hole recombination and carrier trapping rates in hybrid perovskites are very low. The bimolecular recombination coefficient (10 –11 to 10 –10 cm 3 s –1) is found to be on par with that in the best direct-band inorganic semiconductors, even though the intrinsic Hall mobility in hybrid perovskites is considerably lower (up to 60 cmmore » 2 V –1 s –1). Measured here, steady-state carrier lifetimes (of up to 3 ms) and diffusion lengths (as long as 650 μm) are significantly longer than those in high-purity crystalline inorganic semiconductors. As a result, we suggest that these experimental findings are consistent with the polaronic nature of charge carriers, resulting from an interaction of charges with methylammonium dipoles.« less

Diffusion with Varying Drag; the Runaway Problem.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rollins, David Kenneth

We study the motion of electrons in an ionized plasma of electrons and ions in an external electric field. A probability distribution function describes the electron motion and is a solution of a Fokker-Planck equation. In zero field, the solution approaches an equilibrium Maxwellian. For arbitrarily small field, electrons overcome the diffusive effects and are freely accelerated by the field. This is the electron runaway phenomenon. We treat the electric field as a small perturbation. We consider various diffusion coefficients for the one dimensional problem and determine the runaway current as a function of the field strength. Diffusion coefficients, non-zero on a finite interval are examined. Some non-trivial cases of these can be solved exactly in terms of known special functions. The more realistic case where the diffusion coefficient decays with velocity are then considered. To determine the runaway current, the equivalent Schrodinger eigenvalue problem is analysed. The smallest eigenvalue is shown to be equal to the runaway current. Using asymptotic matching a solution can be constructed which is then used to evaluate the runaway current. The runaway current is exponentially small as a function of field strength. This method is used to extract results from the three dimensional problem.

Carrier transport dynamics in Mn-doped CdSe quantum dot sensitized solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poudyal, Uma; Maloney, Francis S.; Sapkota, Keshab; Wang, Wenyong

2017-10-01

In this work quantum dot sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) were fabricated with CdSe and Mn-doped CdSe quantum dots (QDs) using the SILAR method. QDSSCs based on Mn-doped CdSe QDs exhibited improved incident photon-to-electron conversion efficiency. Carrier transport dynamics in the QDSSCs were studied using the intensity modulated photocurrent/photovoltage spectroscopy technique, from which transport and recombination time constants could be derived. Compared to CdSe QDSSCs, Mn-CdSe QDSSCs exhibited shorter transport time constant, longer recombination time constant, longer diffusion length, and higher charge collection efficiency. These observations suggested that Mn doping in CdSe QDs could benefit the performance of solar cells based on such nanostructures.

Pure wurtzite GaP nanowires grown on zincblende GaP substrates by selective area vapor liquid solid epitaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halder, Nripendra N.; Kelrich, Alexander; Cohen, Shimon; Ritter, Dan

2017-11-01

We report on the growth of single phase wurtzite (WZ) GaP nanowires (NWs) on GaP (111) B substrates by metal organic molecular beam epitaxy following the selective area vapor-liquid-solid (SA-VLS) approach. During the SA-VLS process, precursors are supplied directly to the NW sidewalls, and the short diffusion length of gallium (or its precursors) does not significantly limit axial growth. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images reveal that no stacking faults are present along a 600 nm long NW. The lattice constants of the pure WZ GaP obtained from the TEM images agree with values determined previously by x-ray diffraction from non-pure NW ensembles.

Pure wurtzite GaP nanowires grown on zincblende GaP substrates by selective area vapor liquid solid epitaxy.

PubMed

Halder, Nripendra N; Kelrich, Alexander; Cohen, Shimon; Ritter, Dan

2017-11-17

We report on the growth of single phase wurtzite (WZ) GaP nanowires (NWs) on GaP (111) B substrates by metal organic molecular beam epitaxy following the selective area vapor-liquid-solid (SA-VLS) approach. During the SA-VLS process, precursors are supplied directly to the NW sidewalls, and the short diffusion length of gallium (or its precursors) does not significantly limit axial growth. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images reveal that no stacking faults are present along a 600 nm long NW. The lattice constants of the pure WZ GaP obtained from the TEM images agree with values determined previously by x-ray diffraction from non-pure NW ensembles.

Research Update: Relativistic origin of slow electron-hole recombination in hybrid halide perovskite solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azarhoosh, Pooya; McKechnie, Scott; Frost, Jarvist M.; Walsh, Aron; van Schilfgaarde, Mark

2016-09-01

The hybrid perovskite CH3NH3PbI3 (MAPI) exhibits long minority-carrier lifetimes and diffusion lengths. We show that slow recombination originates from a spin-split indirect-gap. Large internal electric fields act on spin-orbit-coupled band extrema, shifting band-edges to inequivalent wavevectors, making the fundamental gap indirect. From a description of photoluminescence within the quasiparticle self-consistent GW approximation for MAPI, CdTe, and GaAs, we predict carrier lifetime as a function of light intensity and temperature. At operating conditions we find radiative recombination in MAPI is reduced by a factor of more than 350 compared to direct gap behavior. The indirect gap is retained with dynamic disorder.

Different interface orientations of pentacene and PTCDA induce different degrees of disorder

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Organic polymers or crystals are commonly used in manufacturing of today‘s electronically functional devices (OLEDs, organic solar cells, etc). Understanding their morphology in general and at the interface in particular is of paramount importance. Proper knowledge of molecular orientation at interfaces is essential for predicting optoelectronic properties such as exciton diffusion length, charge carrier mobility, and molecular quadrupole moments. Two promising candidates are pentacene and 3,4:9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA). Different orientations of pentacene on PTCDA have been investigated using an atomistic molecular dynamics approach. Here, we show that the degree of disorder at the interface depends largely on the crystal orientation and that more ordered interfaces generally suffer from large vacancy formation. PMID:22583772

Performance of epitaxial back surface field cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brandhorst, H. W., Jr.; Baraona, C. R.; Swartz, C. K.

1973-01-01

Epitaxial back surface field structures were formed by depositing a 10 micron thick 10 Omega-cm epitaxial silicon layer onto substrates with resistivities of 0.01, 0.1, 1.0 and 10 Omega-cm. A correlation between cell open-circuit voltage and substrate resistivity was observed and was compared to theory. The cells were also irradiated with 1 MeV electrons to a fluence of 5 X 10 to the 15th power e/cm2. The decrease of cell open-circuit voltage was in excellent agreement with theoretical predictions and the measured short circuit currents were within 2% of the prediction. Calculations are presented of optimum cell performance as functions of epitaxial layer thickness, radiation fluence and substrate diffusion length.

The Electron Diffusion Region: Forces and Currents

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hesse, Michael

2008-01-01

The dissipation mechanism of magnetic reconnection remains a subject of intense scientific interest. On one hand, one set of recent studies have shown that particle inertia-based processes, which include thermal and bulk inertial effects, provide the reconnection electric field in the diffusion region. On the other hand, a second set of studies emphasizes the role of wave-particle interactions in providing anomalous resistivity in the diffusion region. In this presentation, we present analytical theory results, as well as PIC simulations of guide-field magnetic reconnection. We will show that the thermal electron inertia-based dissipation mechanism, expressed through nongyrotropic electron pressure tensors, remains viable in three dimensions. We will demonstrate the thermal inertia effect through studies of electron distribution functions. Furthermore, we will show that the reconnection electric field provides a transient acceleration on particles traversing the inner reconnection region. This inertia1 effect can be described as a diffusion-like term of the current density, which matches key features of electron distribution functions.

The Electron Diffusion Region: Forces and Currents

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hesse, Michael

2009-01-01

The dissipation mechanism of magnetic reconnection remains a subject of intense scientific interest. On one hand, one set of recent studies have shown that particle inertia-based processes, which include thermal and bulk inertial effects, provide the reconnection electric field in the diffusion region. On the other hand, a second set of studies emphasizes the role of wave-particle interactions in providing anomalous resistivity in the diffusion region. In this presentation, we present analytical theory results, as well as PIC simulations of guide-field magnetic reconnection. We will show that the thermal electron inertia-based dissipation mechanism, expressed through nongyrotropic electron pressure tensors, remains viable in three dimensions. We will demonstrate the thermal inertia effect through studies of electron distribution functions. Furthermore, we will show that the reconnection electric field provides a transient acceleration on particles traversing the inner reconnection region. This inertial effect can be described as a diffusion-like term of the current density, which matches key features of electron distribution functions.

Origin of the decoherence of the extended electron spin state in Ti-doped β-Ga2O3.

PubMed

Mentink-Vigier, F; Binet, L; Gourier, D; Vezin, H

2013-08-07

The mechanism of decoherence of the electron spin of Ti(3+) in β-Ga2O3 was investigated by pulsed electron paramagnetic resonance. At 4.2 K, both instantaneous and spectral diffusion contribute to the decoherence. For electron spin concentrations ≈10(25) m(-3) in the studied samples, calculations indicate that electron-electron couplings and electron couplings with (69)Ga and (71)Ga nuclei yield similar contributions to the spectral diffusion, but that electron-nuclei interactions could become the dominant cause of spectral diffusion for only slightly lower spin concentrations. Above 20 K, an additional contribution to the decoherence as well as to the spin-lattice relaxation arises from a two-optical-phonon Raman process, which becomes the leading decoherence mechanism for T > 39 K. Rabi oscillations with a damping time of about 79 ns at 4.2 K could also be observed. The damping of the Rabi oscillations, independent of the oscillation frequency, is suspected to arise from electron-nuclei interactions.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Strelcov, Evgheni; Cothren, Joshua E.; Leonard, Donovan N.

Progress in rational engineering of Li-ion batteries requires better understanding of the electrochemical processes and accompanying transformations in the electrode materials on multiple length scales. In spite of recent progress in utilizing transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to analyze these materials, in situ scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was mostly overlooked as a powerful tool that allows probing these phenomena on the nano and mesoscale. In this paper, we report on in situ SEM study of lithiation in a V 2O 5-based single-nanobelt battery with ionic liquid electrolyte. Coupled with cyclic voltammetry measurements, in situ SEM revealed the peculiarities of subsurface intercalation,more » formation of solid-electrolyte interface (SEI) and electromigration of liquid. We observed that single-crystalline vanadia nanobelts do not undergo large-scale amorphization or fracture during electrochemical cycling, but rather transform topochemically with only a slight shape distortion. Lastly, the SEI layer seems to have significant influence on the lithium ion diffusion and overall capacity of the single-nanobelt battery.« less

Coherent Control of Nanoscale Ballistic Currents in Transition Metal Dichalcogenide ReS2.

PubMed

Cui, Qiannan; Zhao, Hui

2015-04-28

Transition metal dichalcogenides are predicted to outperform traditional semiconductors in ballistic devices with nanoscale channel lengths. So far, experimental studies on charge transport in transition metal dichalcogenides are limited to the diffusive regime. Here we show, using ReS2 as an example, all-optical injection, detection, and coherent control of ballistic currents. By utilizing quantum interference between one-photon and two-photon interband transition pathways, ballistic currents are injected in ReS2 thin film samples by a pair of femtosecond laser pulses. We find that the current decays on an ultrafast time scale, resulting in an electron transport of only a fraction of one nanometer. Following the relaxation of the initially injected momentum, backward motion of the electrons for about 1 ps is observed, driven by the Coulomb force from the oppositely moved holes. We also show that the injected current can be controlled by the phase of the laser pulses. These results demonstrate a new platform to study ballistic transport of nonequilibrium carriers in transition metal dichalcogenides.

Proximity-induced superconductivity in all-silicon superconductor /normal-metal junctions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiodi, F.; Duvauchelle, J.-E.; Marcenat, C.; Débarre, D.; Lefloch, F.

2017-07-01

We have realized laser-doped all-silicon superconducting (S)/normal metal (N) bilayers of tunable thickness and dopant concentration. We observed a strong reduction of the bilayers' critical temperature when increasing the normal metal thickness, a signature of the highly transparent S/N interface associated to the epitaxial sharp laser doping profile. We extracted the interface resistance by fitting with the linearized Usadel equations, demonstrating a reduction of 1 order of magnitude from previous superconductor/doped Si interfaces. In this well-controlled crystalline system we exploited the low-resistance S/N interfaces to elaborate all-silicon lateral SNS junctions with long-range proximity effect. Their dc transport properties, such as the critical and retrapping currents, could be well understood in the diffusive regime. Furthermore, this work led to the estimation of important parameters in ultradoped superconducting Si, such as the Fermi velocity, the coherence length, or the electron-phonon coupling constant, fundamental to conceive all-silicon superconducting electronics.

Photoemission of Single Dust Grains for Heliospheric Conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spann, James F., Jr.; Venturini, Catherine C.; Abbas, Mian M.; Comfort, Richard H.

2000-01-01

Initial results of an experiment to measure the photoemission of single dust grains as a function of far ultraviolet wavelengths are presented. Coulombic forces dominate the interaction of the dust grains in the heliosphere. Knowledge of the charge state of dust grains, whether in a dusty plasma (Debye length < intergrain distance) or in the diffuse interplanetary region, is key to understanding their interaction with the solar wind and other solar system constituents. The charge state of heliospheric grains is primarily determined by primary electron and ion collisions, secondary electron emission and photoemission due to ultraviolet sunlight. We have established a unique experimental technique to measure the photoemission of individual micron-sized dust grains in vacuum. This technique resolves difficulties associated with statistical measurements of dust grain ensembles and non-static dust beams. The photoemission yield of Aluminum Oxide 3-micron grains For wavelengths from 120-300 nm with a spectral resolution of 1 nm FWHM is reported. Results are compared to interplanetary conditions.

Design and Performance Analysis of Depletion-Mode InSb Quantum-Well Field-Effect Transistor for Logic Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Islam, R.; Uddin, M. M.; Hossain, M. Mofazzal; Matin, M. A.

The design of a 1μm gate length depletion-mode InSb quantum-well field-effect transistor (QWFET) with a 10nm-thick Al2O3 gate dielectric has been optimized using a quantum corrected self-consistent Schrödinger-Poisson (QCSP) and two-dimensional drift-diffusion model. The model predicts a very high electron mobility of 4.42m2V-1s-1 at Vg=0V, a small pinch off gate voltage (Vp) of -0.25V, a maximum extrinsic transconductance (gm) of ˜4.85mS/μm and a drain current density of more than 3.34mA/μm. A short-circuit current-gain cut-off frequency (fT) of 374GHz and a maximum oscillation frequency (fmax) of 645GHz are predicted for the device. These characteristics make the device a potential candidate for low power, high-speed logic electronic device applications.

Tortuosity measurement and the effects of finite pulse widths on xenon gas diffusion NMR studies of porous media

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mair, R. W.; Hurlimann, M. D.; Sen, P. N.; Schwartz, L. M.; Patz, S.; Walsworth, R. L.

2001-01-01

We have extended the utility of NMR as a technique to probe porous media structure over length scales of approximately 100-2000 microm by using the spin 1/2 noble gas 129Xe imbibed into the system's pore space. Such length scales are much greater than can be probed with NMR diffusion studies of water-saturated porous media. We utilized Pulsed Gradient Spin Echo NMR measurements of the time-dependent diffusion coefficient, D(t), of the xenon gas filling the pore space to study further the measurements of both the pore surface-area-to-volume ratio, S/V(p), and the tortuosity (pore connectivity) of the medium. In uniform-size glass bead packs, we observed D(t) decreasing with increasing t, reaching an observed asymptote of approximately 0.62-0.65D(0), that could be measured over diffusion distances extending over multiple bead diameters. Measurements of D(t)/D(0) at differing gas pressures showed this tortuosity limit was not affected by changing the characteristic diffusion length of the spins during the diffusion encoding gradient pulse. This was not the case at the short time limit, where D(t)/D(0) was noticeably affected by the gas pressure in the sample. Increasing the gas pressure, and hence reducing D(0) and the diffusion during the gradient pulse served to reduce the previously observed deviation of D(t)/D(0) from the S/V(p) relation. The Pade approximation is used to interpolate between the long and short time limits in D(t). While the short time D(t) points lay above the interpolation line in the case of small beads, due to diffusion during the gradient pulse on the order of the pore size, it was also noted that the experimental D(t) data fell below the Pade line in the case of large beads, most likely due to finite size effects.

Estimation of the radial diffusion coefficient using REE-associated ground Pc 5 pulsations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujimoto, A.; Yumoto, K.

2010-12-01

Pc 5 pulsations with frequencies between 1.67 and 6.67 mHz are believed to contribute to the REE in the outer radiation belt during magnetic storms, by means of the observations [Baker et al., 1998; Rostoker et al., 1998; Mathie and Mann, 2000; O'Brien et al., 2001, 2003] and several theoretical studies. The latter studies are roughly categorized into two themes: in-situ acceleration at L lower than 6.6 by wave-particle interactions [Liu et al., 199 9; Summers et al., 1999; Summers and Ma, 2000] and acceleration by radial diffusion from the outer to the inner magnetosphere [Elkington et al., 1999, 2003; Hudson et al., 2000; Kim et al., 2001]. One possible acceleration mechanism is the resonant interaction with Pc 5 toroidal and poloidal pulsations, referred as the radial diffusion mechanism. One of unsolved problems is where and which Pc 5 pulsation mode (toroidal and/or poloidal) play effective role in the radial diffusion process. In order to verify Pc 5 pulsation as the major roles for REEs, we have to examine the time variation of electron phase space density (cf. Green et al., 2004). Electron phase space density is not directly measured, but we can estimate radial diffusion coefficients which determine the electron transportation efficiency, using ground-based magnetic field data. We estimated the radial diffusion coefficient of ground Pc 5 pulsations associated with the Relativistic Electron Enhancement (REE) in the geosynchronous orbit. In order to estimate the radial diffusion coefficient D_LL, we need the value of in-situ Pc 5 electric field power spectral density. In this paper, however, we estimated the equatorial electric field mapped from Pc 5 pulsations power spectral density on the ground. Reciprocal of radial diffusion coefficient describes the timescale T_LL for an electron to diffuse 1 Re. Applying a superposed epoch analysis about timescales T_LL of the radial diffusion for 12 REE events in 2008, we found that when the relativistic electron enhancements occur, T_LL at higher latitude (L larger than 5) is predominantly diffusional, whereas T_LL at lower latitude (L less than 4) is mainly convectional. We concluded that higher-latitude Pc 5 pulsations play more effective roles than lower latitude Pc 5 pulsations in the radial diffusion process.

An improved procedure for determining grain boundary diffusion coefficients from averaged concentration profiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gryaznov, D.; Fleig, J.; Maier, J.

2008-03-01

Whipple's solution of the problem of grain boundary diffusion and Le Claire's relation, which is often used to determine grain boundary diffusion coefficients, are examined for a broad range of ratios of grain boundary to bulk diffusivities Δ and diffusion times t. Different reasons leading to errors in determining the grain boundary diffusivity (DGB) when using Le Claire's relation are discussed. It is shown that nonlinearities of the diffusion profiles in lnCav-y6/5 plots and deviations from "Le Claire's constant" (-0.78) are the major error sources (Cav=averaged concentration, y =coordinate in diffusion direction). An improved relation (replacing Le Claire's constant) is suggested for analyzing diffusion profiles particularly suited for small diffusion lengths (short times) as often required in diffusion experiments on nanocrystalline materials.

Long-range energy transport in single supramolecular nanofibres at room temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haedler, Andreas T.; Kreger, Klaus; Issac, Abey; Wittmann, Bernd; Kivala, Milan; Hammer, Natalie; Köhler, Jürgen; Schmidt, Hans-Werner; Hildner, Richard

2015-07-01

Efficient transport of excitation energy over long distances is a key process in light-harvesting systems, as well as in molecular electronics. However, in synthetic disordered organic materials, the exciton diffusion length is typically only around 10 nanometres (refs 4, 5), or about 50 nanometres in exceptional cases, a distance that is largely determined by the probability laws of incoherent exciton hopping. Only for highly ordered organic systems has the transport of excitation energy over macroscopic distances been reported--for example, for triplet excitons in anthracene single crystals at room temperature, as well as along single polydiacetylene chains embedded in their monomer crystalline matrix at cryogenic temperatures (at 10 kelvin, or -263 degrees Celsius). For supramolecular nanostructures, uniaxial long-range transport has not been demonstrated at room temperature. Here we show that individual self-assembled nanofibres with molecular-scale diameter efficiently transport singlet excitons at ambient conditions over more than four micrometres, a distance that is limited only by the fibre length. Our data suggest that this remarkable long-range transport is predominantly coherent. Such coherent long-range transport is achieved by one-dimensional self-assembly of supramolecular building blocks, based on carbonyl-bridged triarylamines, into well defined H-type aggregates (in which individual monomers are aligned cofacially) with substantial electronic interactions. These findings may facilitate the development of organic nanophotonic devices and quantum information technology.

Energy Dependence of Synchrotron X-Ray Rims in Tycho's Supernova Remnant

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tran, Aaron; Williams, Brian J.; Petre, Robert; Ressler, Sean M.; Reynolds, Stephen P.

2015-01-01

Several young supernova remnants exhibit thin X-ray bright rims of synchrotron radiation at their forward shocks. Thin rims require strong magnetic field amplification beyond simple shock compression if rim widths are only limited by electron energy losses. But, magnetic field damping behind the shock could produce similarly thin rims with less extreme field amplification. Variation of rim width with energy may thus discriminate between competing influences on rim widths. We measured rim widths around Tycho's supernova remnant in 5 energy bands using an archival 750 ks Chandra observation. Rims narrow with increasing energy and are well described by either loss-limited or damped scenarios, so X-ray rim width-energy dependence does not uniquely specify a model. But, radio counterparts to thin rims are not loss-limited and better reflect magnetic field structure. Joint radio and X-ray modeling favors magnetic damping in Tycho's SNR with damping lengths approximately 1-5% of remnant radius and magnetic field strengths approximately 50-400 micron G assuming Bohm diffusion. X-ray rim widths are approximately 1% of remnant radius, somewhat smaller than inferred damping lengths. Electron energy losses are important in all models of X-ray rims, suggesting that the distinction between loss-limited and damped models is blurred in soft X-rays. All loss-limited and damping models require magnetic fields approximately greater than 20 micron G, arming the necessity of magnetic field amplification beyond simple compression.

Steepest Ascent Low/Non-Low-Frequency Ratio in Empirical Mode Decomposition to Separate Deterministic and Stochastic Velocities From a Single Lagrangian Drifter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Peter C.

2018-03-01

SOund Fixing And Ranging (RAFOS) floats deployed by the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in the California Current system from 1992 to 2001 at depth between 150 and 600 m (http://www.oc.nps.edu/npsRAFOS/) are used to study 2-D turbulent characteristics. Each drifter trajectory is adaptively decomposed using the empirical mode decomposition (EMD) into a series of intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) with corresponding specific scale for each IMF. A new steepest ascent low/non-low-frequency ratio is proposed in this paper to separate a Lagrangian trajectory into low-frequency (nondiffusive, i.e., deterministic) and high-frequency (diffusive, i.e., stochastic) components. The 2-D turbulent (or called eddy) diffusion coefficients are calculated on the base of the classical turbulent diffusion with mixing length theory from stochastic component of a single drifter. Statistical characteristics of the calculated 2-D turbulence length scale, strength, and diffusion coefficients from the NPS RAFOS data are presented with the mean values (over the whole drifters) of the 2-D diffusion coefficients comparable to the commonly used diffusivity tensor method.

Changes in diffusion path length with old age in diffuse optical tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonnéry, Clément; Leclerc, Paul-Olivier; Desjardins, Michèle; Hoge, Rick; Bherer, Louis; Pouliot, Philippe; Lesage, Frédéric

2012-05-01

Diffuse, optical near infrared imaging is increasingly being used in various neurocognitive contexts where changes in optical signals are interpreted through activation maps. Statistical population comparison of different age or clinical groups rely on the relative homogeneous distribution of measurements across subjects in order to infer changes in brain function. In the context of an increasing use of diffuse optical imaging with older adult populations, changes in tissue properties and anatomy with age adds additional confounds. Few studies investigated these changes with age. Duncan et al. measured the so-called diffusion path length factor (DPF) in a large population but did not explore beyond the age of 51 after which physiological and anatomical changes are expected to occur [Pediatr. Res. 39(5), 889-894 (1996)]. With increasing interest in studying the geriatric population with optical imaging, we studied changes in tissue properties in young and old subjects using both magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided Monte-Carlo simulations and time-domain diffuse optical imaging. Our results, measured in the frontal cortex, show changes in DPF that are smaller than previously measured by Duncan et al. in a younger population. The origin of these changes are studied using simulations and experimental measures.

Bounce- and MLT-averaged diffusion coefficients in a physics-based magnetic field geometry obtained from RAM-SCB for the March 17 2013 storm

DOE PAGES

Zhao, Lei; Yu, Yiqun; Delzanno, Gian Luca; ...

2015-04-01

Local acceleration via whistler wave and particle interaction plays a significant role in particle dynamics in the radiation belt. In this work we explore gyro-resonant wave-particle interaction and quasi-linear diffusion in different magnetic field configurations related to the March 17 2013 storm. We consider the Earth's magnetic dipole field as a reference and compare the results against non-dipole field configurations corresponding to quiet and stormy conditions. The latter are obtained with the ring current-atmosphere interactions model with a self-consistent magnetic field RAM-SCB, a code that models the Earth's ring current and provides a realistic modeling of the Earth's magnetic field.more » By applying quasi-linear theory, the bounce- and MLT-averaged electron pitch angle, mixed term, and energy diffusion coefficients are calculated for each magnetic field configuration. For radiation belt (~1 MeV) and ring current (~100 keV) electrons, it is shown that at some MLTs the bounce-averaged diffusion coefficients become rather insensitive to the details of the magnetic field configuration, while at other MLTs storm conditions can expand the range of equatorial pitch angles where gyro-resonant diffusion occurs and significantly enhance the diffusion rates. When MLT average is performed at drift shell L = 4.25 (a good approximation to drift average), the diffusion coefficients become quite independent of the magnetic field configuration for relativistic electrons, while the opposite is true for lower energy electrons. These results suggest that, at least for the March 17 2013 storm and for L ≲ 4.25, the commonly adopted dipole approximation of the Earth's magnetic field can be safely used for radiation belt electrons, while a realistic modeling of the magnetic field configuration is necessary to describe adequately the diffusion rates of ring current electrons.« less

Bounce- and MLT-averaged diffusion coefficients in a physics-based magnetic field geometry obtained from RAM-SCB for the March 17 2013 storm

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhao, Lei; Yu, Yiqun; Delzanno, Gian Luca

Local acceleration via whistler wave and particle interaction plays a significant role in particle dynamics in the radiation belt. In this work we explore gyro-resonant wave-particle interaction and quasi-linear diffusion in different magnetic field configurations related to the March 17 2013 storm. We consider the Earth's magnetic dipole field as a reference and compare the results against non-dipole field configurations corresponding to quiet and stormy conditions. The latter are obtained with the ring current-atmosphere interactions model with a self-consistent magnetic field RAM-SCB, a code that models the Earth's ring current and provides a realistic modeling of the Earth's magnetic field.more » By applying quasi-linear theory, the bounce- and MLT-averaged electron pitch angle, mixed term, and energy diffusion coefficients are calculated for each magnetic field configuration. For radiation belt (~1 MeV) and ring current (~100 keV) electrons, it is shown that at some MLTs the bounce-averaged diffusion coefficients become rather insensitive to the details of the magnetic field configuration, while at other MLTs storm conditions can expand the range of equatorial pitch angles where gyro-resonant diffusion occurs and significantly enhance the diffusion rates. When MLT average is performed at drift shell L = 4.25 (a good approximation to drift average), the diffusion coefficients become quite independent of the magnetic field configuration for relativistic electrons, while the opposite is true for lower energy electrons. These results suggest that, at least for the March 17 2013 storm and for L ≲ 4.25, the commonly adopted dipole approximation of the Earth's magnetic field can be safely used for radiation belt electrons, while a realistic modeling of the magnetic field configuration is necessary to describe adequately the diffusion rates of ring current electrons.« less

Spectra of Cosmic Ray Electrons and Diffuse Gamma Rays with the Constraints of AMS-02 and HESS Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Ding; Huang, Jing; Jin, Hong-Bo

2015-10-01

Recently, AMS-02 reported their results of cosmic ray (CR) observations. In addition to the AMS-02 data, we add HESS data to estimate the spectra of CR electrons and the diffuse gamma rays above TeV. In the conventional diffusion model, a global analysis is performed on the spectral features of CR electrons and the diffuse gamma rays by the GALRPOP package. The results show that the spectrum structure of the primary component of CR electrons cannot be fully reproduced by a simple power law and that the relevant break is around 100 GeV. At the 99% confidence level (C.L.) the injection indices above the break decrease from 2.54 to 2.35, but the ones below the break are only in the range of 2.746-2.751. The spectrum of CR electrons does not need to add TeV cutoff to also match the features of the HESS data. Based on the difference between the fluxes of CR electrons and their primary components, the predicted excess of CR positrons is consistent with the interpretation that these positrons originate from a pulsar or dark matter. In the analysis of the Galactic diffuse gamma rays with the indirect constraint of AMS-02 and HESS data, it is found that the fluxes of Galactic diffuse gamma rays are consistent with the GeV data of the Fermi-Large Area Telescope (LAT) in the high-latitude regions. The results indicate that inverse Compton scattering is the dominant component in the range of hundreds of GeV to tens of TeV, respectively from the high-latitude regions to the low ones, and in all of the regions of the Galaxy the flux of diffuse gamma rays is less than that of CR electrons at the energy scale of 20 TeV.

SPECTRA OF COSMIC RAY ELECTRONS AND DIFFUSE GAMMA RAYS WITH THE CONSTRAINTS OF AMS-02 AND HESS DATA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, Ding; Jin, Hong-Bo; Huang, Jing, E-mail: hbjin@bao.ac.cn

2015-10-01

Recently, AMS-02 reported their results of cosmic ray (CR) observations. In addition to the AMS-02 data, we add HESS data to estimate the spectra of CR electrons and the diffuse gamma rays above TeV. In the conventional diffusion model, a global analysis is performed on the spectral features of CR electrons and the diffuse gamma rays by the GALRPOP package. The results show that the spectrum structure of the primary component of CR electrons cannot be fully reproduced by a simple power law and that the relevant break is around 100 GeV. At the 99% confidence level (C.L.) the injectionmore » indices above the break decrease from 2.54 to 2.35, but the ones below the break are only in the range of 2.746–2.751. The spectrum of CR electrons does not need to add TeV cutoff to also match the features of the HESS data. Based on the difference between the fluxes of CR electrons and their primary components, the predicted excess of CR positrons is consistent with the interpretation that these positrons originate from a pulsar or dark matter. In the analysis of the Galactic diffuse gamma rays with the indirect constraint of AMS-02 and HESS data, it is found that the fluxes of Galactic diffuse gamma rays are consistent with the GeV data of the Fermi-Large Area Telescope (LAT) in the high-latitude regions. The results indicate that inverse Compton scattering is the dominant component in the range of hundreds of GeV to tens of TeV, respectively from the high-latitude regions to the low ones, and in all of the regions of the Galaxy the flux of diffuse gamma rays is less than that of CR electrons at the energy scale of 20 TeV.« less

Spatiotemporal dynamics of charged species in the afterglow of plasmas containing negative ions.

PubMed

Kaganovich, I D; Ramamurthi, B N; Economou, D J

2001-09-01

The spatiotemporal evolution of charged species densities and wall fluxes during the afterglow of an electronegative discharge has been investigated. The decay of a plasma with negative ions consists of two stages. During the first stage of the afterglow, electrons dominate plasma diffusion and negative ions are trapped inside the vessel by the static electric field; the flux of negative ions to the walls is nearly zero. During this stage, the electron escape frequency increases considerably in the presence of negative ions, and can eventually approach free electron diffusion. During the second stage of the afterglow, electrons have disappeared, and positive and negative ions diffuse to the walls with the ion-ion ambipolar diffusion coefficient. Theories for plasma decay have been developed for equal and strongly different ion (T(i)) and electron (T(e)) temperatures. In the case T(i)=T(e), the species spatial profiles are similar and an analytic solution exists. When detachment is important in the afterglow (weakly electronegative gases, e.g., oxygen) the plasma decay crucially depends on the product of negative ion detachment frequency (gamma(d)) and diffusion time (tau(d)). If gamma(d)tau(d)>2, negative ions convert to electrons during their diffusion towards the walls. The presence of detached electrons results in "self-trapping" of the negative ions, due to emerging electric fields, and the negative ion flux to the walls is extremely small. In the case T(i)

Ultrafast lithium diffusion in bilayer graphene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kühne, Matthias; Paolucci, Federico; Popovic, Jelena; Ostrovsky, Pavel M.; Maier, Joachim; Smet, Jurgen H.

2017-09-01

Solids that simultaneously conduct electrons and ions are key elements for the mass transfer and storage required in battery electrodes. Single-phase materials with a high electronic and high ionic conductivity at room temperature are hard to come by, and therefore multiphase systems with separate ion and electron channels have been put forward instead. Here we report on bilayer graphene as a single-phase mixed conductor that demonstrates Li diffusion faster than in graphite and even surpassing the diffusion of sodium chloride in liquid water. To measure Li diffusion, we have developed an on-chip electrochemical cell architecture in which the redox reaction that forces Li intercalation is localized only at a protrusion of the device so that the graphene bilayer remains unperturbed from the electrolyte during operation. We performed time-dependent Hall measurements across spatially displaced Hall probes to monitor the in-plane Li diffusion kinetics within the graphene bilayer and measured a diffusion coefficient as high as 7 × 10-5 cm2 s-1.

Superthermal Electron Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Coupling in the Diffuse Aurora in the Presence of ECH Waves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Khazanov, G. V.; Tripathi, A. K.; Singhal, R. P.; Himwich, Elizabeth; Glocer, A.; Sibeck, D. G.

2015-01-01

There are two main theories for the origin of the diffuse auroral electron precipitation: first, pitch angle scattering by electrostatic electron cyclotron harmonic (ECH) waves, and second, by whistler mode waves. Precipitating electrons initially injected from the plasma sheet to the loss cone via wave-particle interaction processes degrade in the atmosphere toward lower energies and produce secondary electrons via impact ionization of the neutral atmosphere. These secondary electrons can escape back to the magnetosphere, become trapped on closed magnetic field lines, and deposit their energy back to the inner magnetosphere. ECH and whistler mode waves can also move electrons in the opposite direction, from the loss cone into the trap zone, if the source of such electrons exists in conjugate ionospheres located at the same field lines as the trapped magnetospheric electron population. Such a situation exists in the simulation scenario of superthermal electron energy interplay in the region of diffuse aurora presented and discussed by Khazanov et al. (2014) and will be quantified in this paper by taking into account the interaction of secondary electrons with ECH waves.

Lithium diffusion in polyether ether ketone and polyimide stimulated by in situ electron irradiation and studied by the neutron depth profiling method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vacik, J.; Hnatowicz, V.; Attar, F. M. D.; Mathakari, N. L.; Dahiwale, S. S.; Dhole, S. D.; Bhoraskar, V. N.

2014-10-01

Diffusion of lithium from a LiCl aqueous solution into polyether ether ketone (PEEK) and polyimide (PI) assisted by in situ irradiation with 6.5 MeV electrons was studied by the neutron depth profiling method. The number of the Li atoms was found to be roughly proportional to the diffusion time. Regardless of the diffusion time, the measured depth profiles in PEEK exhibit a nearly exponential form, indicating achievement of a steady-state phase of a diffusion-reaction process specified in the text. The form of the profiles in PI is more complex and it depends strongly on the diffusion time. For the longer diffusion time, the profile consists of near-surface bell-shaped part due to Fickian-like diffusion and deeper exponential part.

Analysis of magic lengths in growth of supported metallic nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Yong

2014-12-01

Metallic nanowires can exhibit fascinating physical properties. These unique properties often originate primarily from the quantum confinement of free electrons in a potential well, while electron-electron interactions do not play a decisive role. A recent experimental study shows that self-assembled Ir nanowires grown on Ge(001) surface have a strong length preference: the nanowire lengths are an integer multiple of 4.8 nm. In this paper, a free-electron-gas model for geometries corresponding to the nanowires is used to analyze the selection of these preferred or magic lengths. The model shows that the inclusion of even numbers of free electrons in an Ir nanowire produces these magic lengths once an electron spillage effect is taken into account. The model also shows that the stability of the nanowire diminishes with its increasing length, and consequently suggests why no long nanowires are observed in experiments. It is also shown that applying generic results for quantum size effects in a nanofilm geometry is not adequate to accurately describe the length selection in the rather different nanowire geometry, where the transverse dimensions are smaller than the electron Fermi wavelength. Finally, monatomic Au chain growth on Ge(001) surface is also analyzed. In contrast to Ir nanowires, the model shows that the stability of an Au chain depends strongly on the extent of electron spillage.

Combined convective and diffusive simulations: VERB-4D comparison with 17 March 2013 Van Allen Probes observations: VERB-4D

DOE PAGES

Shprits, Yuri Y.; Kellerman, Adam C.; Drozdov, Alexander Y.; ...

2015-11-19

Our study focused on understanding the coupling between different electron populations in the inner magnetosphere and the various physical processes that determine evolution of electron fluxes at different energies. Observations during the 17 March 2013 storm and simulations with a newly developed Versatile Electron Radiation Belt-4D (VERB-4D) are presented. This analysis of the drift trajectories of the energetic and relativistic electrons shows that electron trajectories at transitional energies with a first invariant on the scale of ~100 MeV/G may resemble ring current or relativistic electron trajectories depending on the level of geomagnetic activity. Simulations with the VERB-4D code including convection,more » radial diffusion, and energy diffusion are presented. Sensitivity simulations including various physical processes show how different acceleration mechanisms contribute to the energization of energetic electrons at transitional energies. In particular, the range of energies where inward transport is strongly influenced by both convection and radial diffusion are studied. Our results of the 4-D simulations are compared to Van Allen Probes observations at a range of energies including source, seed, and core populations of the energetic and relativistic electrons in the inner magnetosphere.« less

Neoclassical Diffusion of Radiation-Belt Electrons Across Very Low L -shells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cunningham, Gregory S.; Loridan, Vivien; Ripoll, Jean-Francois

In the presence of drift-shell splitting intrinsic to the IGRF magnetic field model, pitch-angle scattering from Coulomb collisions experienced by radiation-belt electrons in the upper atmosphere and ionosphere produces extra radial diffusion, a form of neoclassical diffusion. The strength of the neoclassical radial diffusion at L < 1.2 exceeds that expected there from radial-diffusion mechanisms traditionally considered, and decreases with increasing L-shell. In this study we construct a numerical model for this coupled (radial and pitch-angle) collisional diffusion process and apply it to simulate raw count-rate data observed aboard the Gemini spacecraft for several years after the 1962 Starfish nuclearmore » detonation. The data show apparent lifetimes 10-100 times as long as would have been expected from collisional pitch-angle diffusion and Coulomb drag alone. Our model reproduces apparent lifetimes for >0.5-MeV electrons in the region 1.14 < L < 1.26 to within a factor of two (comparable to the uncertainty quoted for the observations). We conclude that neoclassical radial diffusion (resulting from drift-shell splitting intrinsic to IGRF's azimuthal asymmetries) mitigates the decay expected from collisional pitch-angle diffusion and inelastic energy loss alone and thus contributes importantly to the long apparent lifetimes observed at these low L-shells.« less

Neoclassical Diffusion of Radiation-Belt Electrons Across Very Low L -shells

DOE PAGES

Cunningham, Gregory S.; Loridan, Vivien; Ripoll, Jean-Francois; ...

2018-03-30

In the presence of drift-shell splitting intrinsic to the IGRF magnetic field model, pitch-angle scattering from Coulomb collisions experienced by radiation-belt electrons in the upper atmosphere and ionosphere produces extra radial diffusion, a form of neoclassical diffusion. The strength of the neoclassical radial diffusion at L < 1.2 exceeds that expected there from radial-diffusion mechanisms traditionally considered, and decreases with increasing L-shell. In this study we construct a numerical model for this coupled (radial and pitch-angle) collisional diffusion process and apply it to simulate raw count-rate data observed aboard the Gemini spacecraft for several years after the 1962 Starfish nuclearmore » detonation. The data show apparent lifetimes 10-100 times as long as would have been expected from collisional pitch-angle diffusion and Coulomb drag alone. Our model reproduces apparent lifetimes for >0.5-MeV electrons in the region 1.14 < L < 1.26 to within a factor of two (comparable to the uncertainty quoted for the observations). We conclude that neoclassical radial diffusion (resulting from drift-shell splitting intrinsic to IGRF's azimuthal asymmetries) mitigates the decay expected from collisional pitch-angle diffusion and inelastic energy loss alone and thus contributes importantly to the long apparent lifetimes observed at these low L-shells.« less

Neoclassical Diffusion of Radiation-Belt Electrons Across Very Low L-Shells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cunningham, Gregory S.; Loridan, Vivien; Ripoll, Jean-François; Schulz, Michael

2018-04-01

In the presence of drift-shell splitting intrinsic to the International Geomagnetic Reference Field magnetic field model, pitch angle scattering from Coulomb collisions experienced by radiation-belt electrons in the upper atmosphere and ionosphere produces extra radial diffusion, a form of neoclassical diffusion. The strength of the neoclassical radial diffusion at L < 1.2 exceeds that expected there from radial-diffusion mechanisms traditionally considered and decreases with increasing L-shell. In this work we construct a numerical model for this coupled (radial and pitch angle) collisional diffusion process and apply it to simulate raw count-rate data observed aboard the Gemini spacecraft for several years after the 1962 Starfish nuclear detonation. The data show apparent lifetimes 10-100 times as long as would have been expected from collisional pitch angle diffusion and Coulomb drag alone. Our model reproduces apparent lifetimes for >0.5-MeV electrons in the region 1.14 < L < 1.26 to within a factor of 2 (comparable to the uncertainty quoted for the observations). We conclude that neoclassical radial diffusion (resulting from drift-shell splitting intrinsic to International Geomagnetic Reference Field's azimuthal asymmetries) mitigates the decay expected from collisional pitch angle diffusion and inelastic energy loss alone and thus contributes importantly to the long apparent lifetimes observed at these low L-shells.

Sound propagation in street canyons: comparison between diffusely and geometrically reflecting boundaries

PubMed

Kang

2000-03-01

This paper systematically compares the sound fields in street canyons with diffusely and geometrically reflecting boundaries. For diffuse boundaries, a radiosity-based theoretical/computer model has been developed. For geometrical boundaries, the image source method has been used. Computations using the models show that there are considerable differences between the sound fields resulting from the two kinds of boundaries. By replacing diffuse boundaries with geometrical boundaries, the sound attenuation along the length becomes significantly less; the RT30 is considerably longer; and the extra attenuation caused by air or vegetation absorption is reduced. There are also some similarities between the sound fields under the two boundary conditions. For example, in both cases the sound attenuation along the length with a given amount of absorption is the highest if the absorbers are arranged on one boundary and the lowest if they are evenly distributed on all boundaries. Overall, the results suggest that, from the viewpoint of urban noise reduction, it is better to design the street boundaries as diffusely reflective rather than acoustically smooth.

Diffusion mechanism of non-interacting Brownian particles through a deformed substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arfa, Lahcen; Ouahmane, Mehdi; El Arroum, Lahcen

2018-02-01

We study the diffusion mechanism of non-interacting Brownian particles through a deformed substrate. The study is done at low temperature for different values of the friction. The deformed substrate is represented by a periodic Remoissenet-Peyrard potential with deformability parameter s. In this potential, the particles (impurity, adatoms…) can diffuse. We ignore the interactions between these mobile particles consider them merely as non-interacting Brownian particles and this system is described by a Fokker-Planck equation. We solve this equation numerically using the matrix continued fraction method to calculate the dynamic structure factor S(q , ω) . From S(q , ω) some relevant correlation functions are also calculated. In particular, we determine the half-width line λ(q) of the peak of the quasi-elastic dynamic structure factor S(q , ω) and the diffusion coefficient D. Our numerical results show that the diffusion mechanism is described, depending on the structure of the potential, either by a simple jump diffusion process with jump length close to the lattice constant a or by a combination of a jump diffusion model with jump length close to lattice constant a and a liquid-like motion inside the unit cell. It shows also that, for different friction regimes and various potential shapes, the friction attenuates the diffusion mechanism. It is found that, in the high friction regime, the diffusion process is more important through a deformed substrate than through a non-deformed one.

Diffusion of interacting particles in discrete geometries: Equilibrium and dynamical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becker, T.; Nelissen, K.; Cleuren, B.; Partoens, B.; Van den Broeck, C.

2014-11-01

We expand on a recent study of a lattice model of interacting particles [Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 110601 (2013), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.111.110601]. The adsorption isotherm and equilibrium fluctuations in particle number are discussed as a function of the interaction. Their behavior is similar to that of interacting particles in porous materials. Different expressions for the particle jump rates are derived from transition-state theory. Which expression should be used depends on the strength of the interparticle interactions. Analytical expressions for the self- and transport diffusion are derived when correlations, caused by memory effects in the environment, are neglected. The diffusive behavior is studied numerically with kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) simulations, which reproduces the diffusion including correlations. The effect of correlations is studied by comparing the analytical expressions with the kMC simulations. It is found that the Maxwell-Stefan diffusion can exceed the self-diffusion. To our knowledge, this is the first time this is observed. The diffusive behavior in one-dimensional and higher-dimensional systems is qualitatively the same, with the effect of correlations decreasing for increasing dimension. The length dependence of both the self- and transport diffusion is studied for one-dimensional systems. For long lengths the self-diffusion shows a 1 /L dependence. Finally, we discuss when agreement with experiments and simulations can be expected. The assumption that particles in different cavities do not interact is expected to hold quantitatively at low and medium particle concentrations if the particles are not strongly interacting.

Intermode light diffusion in multimode optical waveguides with rough surfaces.

PubMed

Stepanov, S; Chaikina, E I; Leskova, T A; Méndez, E R

2005-06-01

A theoretical analysis of incoherent intermode light power diffusion in multimode dielectric waveguides with rough (corrugated) surfaces is presented. The correlation length a of the surface-profile variations is assumed to be sufficiently large (a less less than lambda/2pi) to permit light scattering into the outer space only from the modes close to the critical angles of propagation and yet sufficiently small (a less less than d, where d is the average width of the waveguide) to permit direct interaction between a given mode and a large number of neighboring ones. The cases of a one-dimensional (1D) slab waveguide and a two-dimensional cylindrical waveguide (optical fiber) are analyzed, and we find that in both cases the partial differential equations that govern the evolution of the angular light power profile propagating along the waveguide are 1D and of the diffusion type. However, whereas in the former case the effective conductivity coefficient proves to be linearly dependent on the transverse-mode wave number, in the latter one the linear dependence is for the effective diffusion coefficient. The theoretical predictions are in reasonable agreement with experimental results for the intermode power diffusion in multimode (700 x 700) optical fibers with etched surfaces. The characteristic length of dispersion of a narrow angular power profile evaluated from the correlation length and standard deviation of heights of the surface profile proved to be in good agreement with the experimentally observed changes in the output angular power profiles.

Survey of upper band chorus and ECH waves: Implications for the diffuse aurora

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meredith, Nigel; Horne, Richard; Thorne, Richard; Anderson, Roger

2010-05-01

The origin of the diffuse aurora has been a source of controversy for many years. More recently the question has taken a new significance in view of the associated changes in atmospheric chemistry which may affect the middle atmosphere. Here we use CRRES data to assess the importance of upper band chorus and electron cyclotron harmonic (ECH) waves in the production of the diffuse aurora. Both wave modes increase with increasing geomagnetic activity, suggesting they are related to periods of enhanced convection and/or substorm activity. They are confined to the near-equatorial region which excludes the pre-noon sector from the wave survey. During active conditions intense ECH waves and upper band chorus, with amplitudes exceeding 1 mVm-1, are observed in the region 4 < L < 7 from 2100 to 0600 MLT approximately 20% and 6% of the time respectively. This suggests that both wave modes can put electrons on strong diffusion, but only during active conditions and not at all local times. Scattering rates fall below the strong diffusion limit at other times when the wave amplitudes are weaker. Fluxes of low energy electrons (100 eV < E < 30 keV) also increase with increasing geomagnetic activity in approximately the same region of geospace as the waves, suggesting that these electrons are responsible for the generation of the waves. The patterns of the upper band chorus, ECH waves and low energy electrons are similar to the global morphology of the diffuse aurora, suggesting that both wave modes play significant roles in the production of the diffuse aurora.

Estimation of water diffusion coefficient into polycarbonate at different temperatures using numerical simulation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nasirabadi, P. Shojaee; Jabbari, M.; Hattel, J. H.

2016-06-08

Nowadays, many electronic systems are exposed to harsh conditions of relative humidity and temperature. Mass transport properties of electronic packaging materials are needed in order to investigate the influence of moisture and temperature on reliability of electronic devices. Polycarbonate (PC) is widely used in the electronics industry. Thus, in this work the water diffusion coefficient into PC is investigated. Furthermore, numerical methods used for estimation of the diffusion coefficient and their assumptions are discussed. 1D and 3D numerical solutions are compared and based on this, it is shown how the estimated value can be different depending on the choice ofmore » dimensionality in the model.« less

Adsorption and diffusion of Ga and N adatoms on GaN surfaces: Comparing the effects of Ga coverage and electronic excitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takeuchi, Noboru; Selloni, Annabella; Myers, T. H.; Doolittle, A.

2005-09-01

We present density-functional-theory calculations of the binding and diffusion of Ga and N adatoms on GaN (0001) and (000-1) surfaces under different conditions, including stoichiometric and Ga-rich surfaces, as well as in the presence of electron-hole (e-h) pairs induced by light- or electron-beam irradiation. We find that both Ga-rich conditions and electronic excitations cause a significant reduction of the adatom diffusion barriers, as required to improve the quality of the material. However, the two effects are nonadditive, as the influence of e-h pairs are found to be less important for the more metallic situations.