Effects of a Ta interlayer on the phase transition of TiSi2 on Si(111)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeon, Hyeongtag; Jung, Bokhee; Kim, Young Do; Yang, Woochul; Nemanich, R. J.

2000-09-01

This study examines the effects of a thin Ta interlayer on the formation of TiSi2 on Si(111) substrate. The Ta interlayer was introduced by depositing Ta and Ti films sequentially on an atomically clean Si(111) substrate in an ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) system. Samples of 100 Å Ti with 5 and 10 Å Ta interlayers were compared to similar structures without an interlayer. After deposition, the substrates were annealed for 10 min, in situ, at temperatures between 500 and 750 °C in 50 °C increments. The TiSi2 formation with and without the Ta interlayer was analyzed with an X-ray diffractometer, Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and a four-point probe. The AES analysis data showed a 1:2 ratio of Ti:Si in the Ti-silicide layer and indicated that the Ta layer remained at the interface between TiSi2 and the Si(111) substrate. The C 49-C 54 TiSi2 phase transition temperature was lowered by ˜200 °C. The C 49-C 54 TiSi2 phase transition temperature was 550 °C for the samples with a Ta interlayer and was 750 °C for the samples with no Ta interlayer. The sheet resistance of the Ta interlayered Ti silicide showed lower values of resistivity at low temperatures which indicated the change in phase transition temperature. The C 54 TiSi2 displayed different crystal orientation when the Ta interlayer was employed. The SEM and TEM micrographs showed that the TiSi2 with a Ta interlayer significantly suppressed the tendency to islanding and surface agglomeration.

Al/Cu Dissimilar Friction Stir Welding with Ni, Ti, and Zn Foil as the Interlayer for Flow Control, Enhancing Mechanical and Metallurgical Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahu, Prakash Kumar; Pal, Sukhomay; Pal, Surjya K.

2017-07-01

This research investigates the effects of Ni, Ti, and Zn foil as interlayer, inserted between the faying edges of Al and Cu plates, for controlled intermetallic compound (IMC) formation. The weld tensile strength with Ti and Zn as interlayer is superior to Al base metal strength. This is due to controlled flow of IMCs by diffused Ti interlayer and thin, continuous, and uniform IMC formation in the case of Zn interlayer. Improved flexural stress was observed with interlayer. Weld microhardness varied with different interlayers and purely depends on IMCs present at the indentation point, flow of IMCs, and interlayer hardness. Specimens with interlayer failed at the interface of the nugget and thermomechanical-affected zone (TMAZ) with complete and broken three-dimensional (3-D) grains, indicating transgranular fracture. Phase analysis revealed that Al/Cu IMCs are impeded by Ni and Ti interlayer. The minor binary and ternary IMC phases form adjacent to the interlayer due to diffusion of the material with Al/Cu. Line scan and elemental mapping indicate thin, continuous, and uniform IMCs with enhanced weld metallurgical and mechanical properties for the joints with Zn interlayer. Macrostructural analysis revealed IMC flow variations with and without interlayer. Variation in grain size at different zones is also observed for different interlayers.

Interface amorphization in hexagonal boron nitride films on sapphire substrate grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Xu; Nitta, Shugo; Pristovsek, Markus; Liu, Yuhuai; Nagamatsu, Kentaro; Kushimoto, Maki; Honda, Yoshio; Amano, Hiroshi

2018-05-01

Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) films directly grown on c-plane sapphire substrates by pulsed-mode metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy exhibit an interlayer for growth temperatures above 1200 °C. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy shows that this interlayer is amorphous, while the crystalline h-BN layer above has a distinct orientational relationship with the sapphire substrate. Electron energy loss spectroscopy shows the energy-loss peaks of B and N in both the amorphous interlayer and the overlying crystalline h-BN layer, while Al and O signals are also seen in the amorphous interlayer. Thus, the interlayer forms during h-BN growth through the decomposition of the sapphire at elevated temperatures.

Sandblasting induced stress release and enhanced adhesion strength of diamond films deposited on austenite stainless steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xiao; Ye, Jiansong; Zhang, Hangcheng; Feng, Tao; Chen, Jianqing; Hu, Xiaojun

2017-08-01

We firstly used sandblasting to treat austenite stainless steel and then deposited a Cr/CrN interlayer by close field unbalanced magnetron sputtering on it. After that, diamond films were prepared on the interlayer. It is found that the sandblasting process induces phase transition from austenite to martensite in the surface region of the stainless steel, which decreases thermal stress in diamond films due to lower thermal expansion coefficient of martensite phase compared with that of austenite phase. The sandblasting also makes stainless steel's surface rough and the Cr/CrN interlayer film inherits the rough surface. This decreases the carburization extent of the interlayer, increases nucleation density and modifies the stress distribution. Due to lower residual stress and small extent of the interlayer's carburization, the diamond film on sandblast treated austenite stainless steel shows enhanced adhesion strength.

Correlated lateral phase separations in stacks of lipid membranes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoshino, Takuma; Komura, Shigeyuki; Andelman, David

2015-12-01

Motivated by the experimental study of Tayebi et al. [Nat. Mater. 11, 1074 (2012)] on phase separation of stacked multi-component lipid bilayers, we propose a model composed of stacked two-dimensional Ising spins. We study both its static and dynamical features using Monte Carlo simulations with Kawasaki spin exchange dynamics that conserves the order parameter. We show that at thermodynamical equilibrium, due to strong inter-layer correlations, the system forms a continuous columnar structure for any finite interaction across adjacent layers. Furthermore, the phase separation shows a faster dynamics as the inter-layer interaction is increased. This temporal behavior is mainly due to an effective deeper temperature quench because of the larger value of the critical temperature, Tc, for larger inter-layer interaction. When the temperature ratio, T/Tc, is kept fixed, the temporal growth exponent does not increase and even slightly decreases as a function of the increased inter-layer interaction.

Diffusion Bonding of Silicon Carbide for MEMS-LDI Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Halbig, Michael C.; Singh, Mrityunjay; Shpargel, Tarah P.; Kiser, J. Douglas

2007-01-01

A robust joining approach is critically needed for a Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems-Lean Direct Injector (MEMS-LDI) application which requires leak free joints with high temperature mechanical capability. Diffusion bonding is well suited for the MEMS-LDI application. Diffusion bonds were fabricated using titanium interlayers between silicon carbide substrates during hot pressing. The interlayers consisted of either alloyed titanium foil or physically vapor deposited (PVD) titanium coatings. Microscopy shows that well adhered, crack free diffusion bonds are formed under optimal conditions. Under less than optimal conditions, microcracks are present in the bond layer due to the formation of intermetallic phases. Electron microprobe analysis was used to identify the reaction formed phases in the diffusion bond. Various compatibility issues among the phases in the interlayer and substrate are discussed. Also, the effects of temperature, pressure, time, silicon carbide substrate type, and type of titanium interlayer and thickness on the microstructure and composition of joints are discussed.

Nano-confined water in the interlayers of hydrocalumite: Reorientational dynamics probed by neutron spectroscopy and molecular dynamics computer simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalinichev, A. G.; Faraone, A.; Udovic, T.; Kolesnikov, A. I.; de Souza, N. R.; Reinholdt, M. X.; Kirkpatrick, R.

2008-12-01

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs, anionic clays) represent excellent model systems for detailed molecular- level studies of the structure, dynamics, and energetics of nano-confined water in mineral interlayers and nano-pores, because LDH interlayers can have a well-defined structures and contain H2O molecules and a wide variety of anions in structurally well-defined positions and coordinations. [Ca2Al(OH)6]Cl·2H2O, also known as hydrocalumite or Friedel's salt, has a well- ordered Ca,Al distribution in the hydroxide layer and a very high degree of H2O,Cl ordering in the interlayer. It is also one of the only LDH phase for which a single crystal structure refinement is available. Thus, it is currently the best model compound for understanding the structure and dynamical behavior of interlayer and surface species in other, less-ordered, LDHs. We investigated the structural and dynamic behavior of water in the interlayers of hydrocalumite using inelastic (INS) and quasielastic (QENS) neutron scattering and molecular dynamics computer simulations. The comperehensive neutron scattering studies were performed for one fully hydrated and one dehydrated sample of hydrocalumite using several complementary instruments (HFBS, DCS and FANS at NCNR; HRMECS and QENS at IPNS) at temperatures above and below the previously discovered order-disorder interlayer phase transition. Together the experimental and molecular modeling results capture the important details of the dynamics of nano-confined water and the effects of the orientational ordering of H2O molecules above and below the phase transition. They provide otherwise unobtainable experimental information about the transformation of H2O librational and diffusional modes across the order-disorder phase transition and significantly add to our current understanding of the structure and dynamics of water in LDH phases based on the earlier NMR, IR, X-ray, and calorimetric measurements. The approach can now be extended to probe the dynamics of nano-confined and interfacial water in more disordered phases (LDH, clays, cement, etc.), for which much less initial structural information is available.

Coherent Electron Transfer at the Ag / Graphite Heterojunction Interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Shijing; Dai, Yanan; Zhang, Shengmin; Liu, Liming; Zhao, Jin; Petek, Hrvoje

2018-03-01

Charge transfer in transduction of light to electrical or chemical energy at heterojunctions of metals with semiconductors or semimetals is believed to occur by photogenerated hot electrons in metal undergoing incoherent internal photoemission through the heterojunction interface. Charge transfer, however, can also occur coherently by dipole coupling of electronic bands at the heterojunction interface. Microscopic physical insights into how transfer occurs can be elucidated by following the coherent polarization of the donor and acceptor states on the time scale of electronic dephasing. By time-resolved multiphoton photoemission spectroscopy (MPP), we investigate the coherent electron transfer from an interface state that forms upon chemisorption of Ag nanoclusters onto graphite to a σ symmetry interlayer band of graphite. Multidimensional MPP spectroscopy reveals a resonant two-photon transition, which dephases within 10 fs completing the coherent transfer.

Layer Anti-Ferromagnetism on Bilayer Honeycomb Lattice

PubMed Central

Tao, Hong-Shuai; Chen, Yao-Hua; Lin, Heng-Fu; Liu, Hai-Di; Liu, Wu-Ming

2014-01-01

Bilayer honeycomb lattice, with inter-layer tunneling energy, has a parabolic dispersion relation, and the inter-layer hopping can cause the charge imbalance between two sublattices. Here, we investigate the metal-insulator and magnetic phase transitions on the strongly correlated bilayer honeycomb lattice by cellular dynamical mean-field theory combined with continuous time quantum Monte Carlo method. The procedures of magnetic spontaneous symmetry breaking on dimer and non-dimer sites are different, causing a novel phase transition between normal anti-ferromagnet and layer anti-ferromagnet. The whole phase diagrams about the magnetism, temperature, interaction and inter-layer hopping are obtained. Finally, we propose an experimental protocol to observe these phenomena in future optical lattice experiments. PMID:24947369

Fabrication and Characterization of Diffusion Bonds for Silicon Carbide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Halbig, Michael; Singh, Mrityunjay; Martin, Richard E.; Cosgriff, Laura M.

2007-01-01

Diffusion bonds of silicon carbide (SiC) were fabricated using several different types of titanium (Ti) based interlayers between the SiC substrates. The interlayers were an alloyed Ti foil, a pure Ti foil, and a physically vapor deposited (PVD) Ti coating. Microscopy was conducted to evaluate the cross-sections of the resulting bonds. Microprobe analysis identified reaction formed phases in the diffusion bonded region. Uniform and well adhered bonds were formed between the SiC substrates. In the case where the alloyed Ti foil or a thick Ti coating (i.e. 20 micron) was used as the interlayer, microcracks and several phases were present in the diffusion bonds. When a thinner interlayer was used (i.e. 10 micron PVD Ti), no microcracks were observed and only two reaction formed phases were present. The two phases were preferred and fully reacted phases that did not introduce thermal stresses or microcracks during the cool-down stage after processing. Diffusion bonded samples were evaluated with the non-destructive evaluation (NDE) methods of pulsed thermography and immersion ultrasonic testing. Joined SiC substrates that were fully bonded and that had simulated bond flaws in the interlayer were also evaluated using immersion ultrasound. Pull testing was conducted on the bonds to determine the tensile strength. To demonstrate the joining approach for a complex multilayered component for a low NOx injector application, the diffusion bonding approach was used to join three 4" diameter SiC discs that contained complex fuel and air flow channels.

TEM Observation of the Ti Interlayer Between SiC Substrates During Diffusion Bonding

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tsuda, Hiroshi; Mori, Shigeo; Halbig, Michael C.; Singh, Mori

2012-01-01

Diffusion bonding was carried out to join SiC to SiC substrates using titanium interlayers. In this study, 10 m and 20 m thick physical vapor deposited (PVD) Ti surface coatings, and 10 and 20 m thick Ti foils were used. Diffusion bonding was performed at 1250 C for PVD Ti coatings and 1200 C for Ti foil. This study investigates the microstructures of the phases formed during diffusion bonding through TEM and selected-area diffraction analysis of a sample prepared with an FIB, which allows samples to be taken from the reacted area. In all samples, Ti3SiC2, Ti5Si3Cx and TiSi2 phases were identified. In addition, TiC and unknown phases also appeared in the samples in which Ti foils were used as interlayers. Furthermore, Ti3SiC2 phases show high concentration and Ti5Si3Cx formed less when samples were processed at a higher temperature and thinner interlayer samples were used. It appears that the formation of microcracks is caused by the presence of intermediate phase Ti5Si3Cx, which has anisotropic thermal expansion, and by the presence of an unidentified Ti-Si-C ternary phase with relatively low Si content.

Coherent Interlayer Tunneling and Negative Differential Resistance with High Current Density in Double Bilayer Graphene-WSe2 Heterostructures.

PubMed

Burg, G William; Prasad, Nitin; Fallahazad, Babak; Valsaraj, Amithraj; Kim, Kyounghwan; Taniguchi, Takashi; Watanabe, Kenji; Wang, Qingxiao; Kim, Moon J; Register, Leonard F; Tutuc, Emanuel

2017-06-14

We demonstrate gate-tunable resonant tunneling and negative differential resistance between two rotationally aligned bilayer graphene sheets separated by bilayer WSe 2 . We observe large interlayer current densities of 2 and 2.5 μA/μm 2 and peak-to-valley ratios approaching 4 and 6 at room temperature and 1.5 K, respectively, values that are comparable to epitaxially grown resonant tunneling heterostructures. An excellent agreement between theoretical calculations using a Lorentzian spectral function for the two-dimensional (2D) quasiparticle states, and the experimental data indicates that the interlayer current stems primarily from energy and in-plane momentum conserving 2D-2D tunneling, with minimal contributions from inelastic or non-momentum-conserving tunneling. We demonstrate narrow tunneling resonances with intrinsic half-widths of 4 and 6 meV at 1.5 and 300 K, respectively.

Role of low-temperature AlGaN interlayers in thick GaN on silicon by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fritze, S.; Drechsel, P.; Stauss, P.; Rode, P.; Markurt, T.; Schulz, T.; Albrecht, M.; Bläsing, J.; Dadgar, A.; Krost, A.

2012-06-01

Thin AlGaN interlayers have been grown into a thick GaN stack on Si substrates to compensate tensile thermal stress and significantly improve the structural perfection of the GaN. In particular, thicker interlayers reduce the density in a-type dislocations as concluded from x-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. Beyond an interlayer thickness of 28 nm plastic substrate deformation occurs. For a thick GaN stack, the first two interlayers serve as strain engineering layers to obtain a crack-free GaN structure, while a third strongly reduces the XRD ω-(0002)-FWHM. The vertical strain and quality profile determined by several XRD methods demonstrates the individual impact of each interlayer.

Numerical Study of Quantum Hall Bilayers at Total Filling νT=1 : A New Phase at Intermediate Layer Distances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Zheng; Fu, Liang; Sheng, D. N.

2017-10-01

We study the phase diagram of quantum Hall bilayer systems with total filing νT=1 /2 +1 /2 of the lowest Landau level as a function of layer distances d . Based on numerical exact diagonalization calculations, we obtain three distinct phases, including an exciton superfluid phase with spontaneous interlayer coherence at small d , a composite Fermi liquid at large d , and an intermediate phase for 1.1

Improvement of the thermal stability of nickel silicide using a ruthenium interlayer deposited via remote plasma atomic layer deposition

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

Lee, Inhye; Park, Jingyu; Jeon, Heeyoung

In this study, the effects of a thin Ru interlayer on the thermal and morphological stability of NiSi have been investigated. Ru and Ni thin films were deposited sequentially to form a Ni/Ru/Si bilayered structure, without breaking the vacuum, by remote plasma atomic layer deposition (RPALD) on a p-type Si wafer. After annealing at various temperatures, the thermal stabilities of the Ni/Ru/Si and Ni/Si structures were investigated by various analysis techniques. The results showed that the sheet resistance of the Ni/Ru/Si sample was consistently lower compared to the Ni/Si sample over the entire temperature range. Although both samples exhibited themore » formation of NiSi{sub 2} phases at an annealing temperature of 800 °C, as seen with glancing angle x-ray diffraction, the peaks of the Ni/Ru/Si sample were observed to have much weaker intensities than those obtained for the Ni/Si sample. Moreover, the NiSi film with a Ru interlayer exhibited a better interface and improved surface morphologies compared to the NiSi film without a Ru interlayer. These results show that the phase transformation of NiSi to NiSi{sub 2} was retarded and that the smooth NiSi/Si interface was retained due to the activation energy increment for NiSi{sub 2} nucleation that is caused by adding a Ru interlayer. Hence, it can be said that the Ru interlayer deposited by RPALD can be used to control the phase transformation and physical properties of nickel silicide phases.« less

Interlayer utilization (including metal borides) for subsequent deposition of NSD films via microwave plasma CVD on 316 and 440C stainless steels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ballinger, Jared

Diamond thin films have promising applications in numerous fields due to the extreme properties of diamonds in conjunction with the surface enhancement of thin films. Biomedical applications are numerous including temporary implants and various dental and surgical instruments. The unique combination of properties offered by nanostructured diamond films that make it such an attractive surface coating include extreme hardness, low obtainable surface roughness, excellent thermal conductivity, and chemical inertness. Regrettably, numerous problems exist when attempting to coat stainless steel with diamond generating a readily delaminated film: outward diffusion of iron to the surface, inward diffusion of carbon limiting necessary surface carbon precursor, and the mismatch between the coefficients of thermal expansion yielding substantial residual stress. While some exotic methods have been attempted to overcome these hindrances, the most common approach is the use of an intermediate layer between the stainless steel substrate and the diamond thin film. In this research, both 316 stainless steel disks and 440C stainless steel ball bearings were tested with interlayers including discrete coatings and graded, diffusion-based surface enhancements. Titanium nitride and thermochemical diffusion boride interlayers were both examined for their effectiveness at allowing for the growth of continuous and adherent diamond films. Titanium nitride interlayers were deposited by cathodic arc vacuum deposition on 440C bearings. Lower temperature diamond processing resulted in improved surface coverage after cooling, but ultimately, both continuity and adhesion of the nanostructured diamond films were unacceptable. The ability to grow quality diamond films on TiN interlayers is in agreement with previous work on iron and low alloy steel substrates, and the similarly seen inadequate adhesion strength is partially a consequence of the lacking establishment of an interfacial carbide phase. Surface boriding was implemented using the novel method of microwave plasma CVD with a mixture of hydrogen and diborane gases. On 440C bearings, dual phase boride layers of Fe2B and FeB were formed which supported adhered nanostructured diamond films. Continuity of the films was not seamless with limited regions remaining uncoated potentially corresponding to delamination of the film as evidenced by the presence of tubular structures presumably composed of sp2 bonded carbon. Surface boriding of 316 stainless steel discs was conducted at various powers and pressures to achieve temperatures ranging from 550-800 °C. The substrate boriding temperature was found to substantially influence the resultant interlayer by altering the metal boride(s) present. The lowest temperatures produced an interlayer where CrB was the single detected phase, higher temperatures yielded the presence of only Fe2B, and a combination of the two phases resulted from an intermediate boriding temperature. Compared with the more common, commercialized boriding methods, this a profound result given the problems posed by the FeB phase in addition to other advantages offered by CVD processes and microwave generated plasmas in general. Indentation testing of the boride layers revealed excellent adhesion strength for all borided interlayers, and above all, no evidence of cracking was observed for a sole Fe2B phase. As with boriding of 440C bearings, subsequent diamond deposition was achieved on these interlayers with substantially improved adhesion strength relative to diamond coated TiN interlayers. Both XRD and Raman spectroscopy confirmed a nanostructured diamond film with interfacial chromium carbides responsible for enhanced adhesion strength. Interlayers consisting solely of Fe2B have displayed an ability to support fully continuous nanostructured diamond films, yet additional study is required for consistent reproduction. This is in good agreement with initial work on pack borided high alloy steels to promote diamond film surface modification. The future direction for continued research of nanostructured diamond coatings on microwave plasma CVD borided stainless steel should further investigate the adhesion of both borided interlayers and subsequent NSD films in addition to short, interrupted diamond depositions to study the interlayer/diamond film interface.

Numerical analysis of the chimera states in the multilayered network model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goremyko, Mikhail V.; Maksimenko, Vladimir A.; Makarov, Vladimir V.; Ghosh, Dibakar; Bera, Bidesh K.; Dana, Syamal K.; Hramov, Alexander E.

2017-03-01

We numerically study the interaction between the ensembles of the Hindmarsh-Rose (HR) neuron systems, arranged in the multilayer network model. We have shown that the fully identical layers, demonstrated individually different chimera due to the initial mismatch, come to the identical chimera state with the increase of inter-layer coupling. Within the multilayer model we also consider the case, when the one layer demonstrates chimera state, while another layer exhibits coherent or incoherent dynamics. It has been shown that the interactions chimera-coherent state and chimera-incoherent state leads to the both excitation of chimera as from the ensemble of fully coherent or incoherent oscillators, and suppression of initially stable chimera state

Rapid ultrasound-induced transient-liquid-phase bonding of Al-50Si alloys with Zn interlayer in air for electrical packaging application.

PubMed

Wang, Qian; Chen, Xiaoguang; Zhu, Lin; Yan, Jiuchun; Lai, Zhiwei; Zhao, Pizhi; Bao, Juncheng; Lv, Guicai; You, Chen; Zhou, Xiaoyu; Zhang, Jian; Li, Yuntao

2017-01-01

Al-50Si alloys were joined by rapid ultrasound-induced transient-liquid-phase bonding method using Zn foil as interlayer at 390°C in air, below the melt point of interlayer. The fracture of oxide films along the edge of Si particles led to contact and inter-diffusion between aluminum substrate and Zn interlayer, and liquefied Zn-Al alloys were developed. The width of Zn-Al alloys gradually decreased with increasing the ultrasonic vibration time due to liquid squeezing out and accelerated diffusion. A stage of isothermal solidification existed, and the completion time was significantly shortened. In the liquid metal, the acoustic streaming and ultrasonic cavitations were induced. As the process developed, much more Si particles, which were particulate-reinforced phases of Al-50Si, gradually migrated to the center of soldering seam. The highest average shear strength of joints reached to 94.2MPa, and the fracture mainly occurred at the base metal. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mechanism of mechanically induced optoelectronic and spintronic phase transitions in 1D graphene spirals: insight into the role of interlayer coupling.

PubMed

Xu, Xiaodong; Liu, Bingyi; Zhao, Wenyu; Jiang, Yongyuan; Liu, Linhua; Li, Weiqi; Zhang, Guiling; Tian, Wei Quan

2017-07-13

Graphene spirals (GSs), an emerging carbonic nano-material with a Riemann surface, demonstrate extraordinary topological electronic signatures: interlayer coupling similar to van der Waals (vdW) heterojunctions and intralayer coupling within the spiral conformation. Based on the state-of-the-art first-principles technique, the electronic properties of the periphery-modified GSs with geometry deformation are explored under axial strain. For all GSs, there emerges a remarkable phase transition from metal to semiconductor, due to the attenuation of interlayer "σ-bonds" reducing the interlayer tunneling probability for carriers. Analogous to graphene, GSs consist of bipartite sublattices with carbonic sp 2 hybridization as well. Once the balance of the bipartite sublattices is lost, there will emerge intense edge (corner) states, contributed by the p z orbitals. In contrast to isolated graphene nanoflakes, GSs realize the continuous spin-polarized edge (corner) state coupling with 1D morphology. However, the spin-polarization is blocked by the robust interlayer "σ-bonds" so that the spintronic transition takes place until this interlayer coupling is broken. More intriguingly, an indirect-direct bandgap transition is observed, revealing excellent optical on-off features. Their tunable properties provide great potential for their application in optoelectronics, spintronics and chemical or biological sensors.

Development of a Novel Ni-Fe-Cr-B-Si Interlayer Material for Transient Liquid Phase Bonding of Inconel 718

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tarai, U. K.; Robi, P. S.; Pal, Sukhomay

2018-04-01

A Ni-Cr-Fe-Si-B based interlayer material was developed by mechanical alloying (MA) process in a high-energy planetary ball mill. Equiaxed alloy powders of size 12 µm was obtained after milling for 50 hours. X-ray diffraction analysis of the milled powder revealed that milling of elemental powders initially resulted in microcrystalline alloy powder having face centered cubic structure, which on subsequent milling resulted in nano-crystallice alloy powder with a crystallite size of 3.2 nm. XRD analysis also reveals formation of metastable eutectic alloys resulting in lowering of the melting point of the interlayer material to 1025 °C. IN 718 superalloy samples were joined at 1050°C using the developed interlayer. A homogeneous joint was formed by the newly developed interlayer material. Three different zones were observed at the bond (i) isothermally solidified zone, (ii) diffusion affected zone and (iii) unaffected base metal. In the diffusion-affected zone, boron was present at the grain boundaries of Ni γ matrix in bulky metal borides form. The diffusion of boron from interlayer material into the base material was mechanism of isothermal solidification and bond formation in transient liquid phase bonding of IN 718.

In0.15Ga0.85N visible-light metal-semiconductor-metal photodetector with GaN interlayers deposited by pulsed NH3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Hongxia; Zhang, Xiaohan; Wang, Hailong; Lv, Zesheng; Li, Yongxian; Li, Bin; Yan, Huan; Qiu, Xinjia; Jiang, Hao

2018-05-01

InGaN visible-light metal-semiconductor-metal photodetectors with GaN interlayers deposited by pulsed NH3 were fabricated and characterized. By periodically inserting the GaN thin interlayers, the surface morphology of InGaN active layer is improved and the phase separation is suppressed. At 5 V bias, the dark current reduced from 7.0 × 10-11 A to 7.0 × 10-13 A by inserting the interlayers. A peak responsivity of 85.0 mA/W was measured at 420 nm and 5 V bias, corresponding to an external quantum efficiency of 25.1%. The insertion of GaN interlayers also lead to a sharper spectral response cutoff.

Varying Eu2+ magnetic order by chemical pressure in EuFe2(As1-xPx)2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zapf, S.; Wu, D.; Bogani, L.; Jeevan, H. S.; Gegenwart, P.; Dressel, M.

2011-10-01

Based on low-field magnetization measurements on a series of single crystals, we present a scheme of the Eu2+ spin alignment in EuFe2(As1-xPx)2. We explain observations of the Eu2+ ordering previously reported, reconciling different existing phase diagrams. The magnetic moments of the Eu2+ ions are slightly canted, yielding a ferromagnetic contribution along the c direction that becomes stronger with pressure, until superconductivity sets in. The spin-density wave as well as the superconducting phase coexist with an antiferromagnetic interlayer coupling of the canted spins. Reducing the interlayer distance finally leads to a ferromagnetic Eu2+ interlayer coupling and to the suppression of superconductivity.

Unequal density effect on static structure factor of coupled electron layers

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

Saini, L. K., E-mail: lks@ashd.svnit.ac.in; Nayak, Mukesh G., E-mail: lks@ashd.svnit.ac.in

In order to understand the ordered phase, if any, in a real coupled electron layers (CEL), there is a need to take into account the effect of unequal layer density. Such phase is confirmed by a strong peak in a static structure factor. With the aid of quantum/dynamical version of Singwi, Tosi, Land and Sjölander (so-called qSTLS) approximation, we have calculated the intra- and interlayer static structure factors, S{sub ll}(q) and S{sub 12}(q), over a wide range of density parameter r{sub sl} and interlayer spacing d. In our present study, the sharp peak in S{sub 22}(q) has been found atmore » critical density with sufficiently lower interlayer spacing. Further, to find the resultant effect of unequal density on intra- and interlayer static structure factors, we have compared our results with that of the recent CEL system with equal layer density and isolated single electron layer.« less

Moiré-pattern interlayer potentials in van der Waals materials in the random-phase approximation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leconte, Nicolas; Jung, Jeil; Lebègue, Sébastien; Gould, Tim

2017-11-01

Stacking-dependent interlayer interactions are important for understanding the structural and electronic properties in incommensurable two-dimensional material assemblies where long-range moiré patterns arise due to small lattice constant mismatch or twist angles. Here we study the stacking-dependent interlayer coupling energies between graphene (G) and hexagonal boron nitride (BN) homo- and heterostructures using high-level random-phase approximation (RPA) ab initio calculations. Our results show that although total binding energies within LDA and RPA differ substantially by a factor of 200%-400%, the energy differences as a function of stacking configuration yield nearly constant values with variations smaller than 20%, meaning that LDA estimates are quite reliable. We produce phenomenological fits to these energy differences, which allows us to calculate various properties of interest including interlayer spacing, sliding energetics, pressure gradients, and elastic coefficients to high accuracy. The importance of long-range interactions (captured by RPA but not LDA) on various properties is also discussed. Parametrizations for all fits are provided.

Collapsed tetragonal phase as a strongly covalent and fully nonmagnetic state: Persistent magnetism with interlayer As-As bond formation in Rh-doped Ca0 .8Sr0 .2Fe2As2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, K.; Glasbrenner, J. K.; Gretarsson, H.; Schmitz, D.; Bednarcik, J.; Etter, M.; Sun, J. P.; Manna, R. S.; Al-Zein, A.; Lafuerza, S.; Scherer, W.; Cheng, J. G.; Gegenwart, P.

2018-02-01

A well-known feature of the CaFe2As2 -based superconductors is the pressure-induced collapsed tetragonal phase that is commonly ascribed to the formation of an interlayer As-As bond. Using detailed x-ray scattering and spectroscopy, we find that Rh-doped Ca0.8Sr0.2Fe2As2 does not undergo a first-order phase transition and that local Fe moments persist despite the formation of interlayer As-As bonds. Our density functional theory calculations reveal that the Fe-As bond geometry is critical for stabilizing magnetism and the pressure-induced drop in the c lattice parameter observed in pure CaFe2As2 is mostly due to a constriction within the FeAs planes. The collapsed tetragonal phase emerges when covalent bonding of strongly hybridized Fe 3 d and As 4 p states completely wins out over their exchange splitting. Thus the collapsed tetragonal phase is properly understood as a strong covalent phase that is fully nonmagnetic with the As-As bond forming as a by-product.

Optimal resource diffusion for suppressing disease spreading in multiplex networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xiaolong; Wang, Wei; Cai, Shimin; Stanley, H. Eugene; Braunstein, Lidia A.

2018-05-01

Resource diffusion is a ubiquitous phenomenon, but how it impacts epidemic spreading has received little study. We propose a model that couples epidemic spreading and resource diffusion in multiplex networks. The spread of disease in a physical contact layer and the recovery of the infected nodes are both strongly dependent upon resources supplied by their counterparts in the social layer. The generation and diffusion of resources in the social layer are in turn strongly dependent upon the state of the nodes in the physical contact layer. Resources diffuse preferentially or randomly in this model. To quantify the degree of preferential diffusion, a bias parameter that controls the resource diffusion is proposed. We conduct extensive simulations and find that the preferential resource diffusion can change phase transition type of the fraction of infected nodes. When the degree of interlayer correlation is below a critical value, increasing the bias parameter changes the phase transition from double continuous to single continuous. When the degree of interlayer correlation is above a critical value, the phase transition changes from multiple continuous to first discontinuous and then to hybrid. We find hysteresis loops in the phase transition. We also find that there is an optimal resource strategy at each fixed degree of interlayer correlation under which the threshold reaches a maximum and the disease can be maximally suppressed. In addition, the optimal controlling parameter increases as the degree of inter-layer correlation increases.

Polysulfide intercalated layered double hydroxides for metal capture applications

DOEpatents

Kanatzidis, Mercouri G.; Ma, Shulan

2017-04-04

Polysulfide intercalated layered double hydroxides and methods for their use in vapor and liquid-phase metal capture applications are provided. The layered double hydroxides comprise a plurality of positively charged host layers of mixed metal hydroxides separated by interlayer spaces. Polysulfide anions are intercalated in the interlayer spaces.

Energy Gaps and Layer Polarization of Integer and Fractional Quantum Hall States in Bilayer Graphene.

PubMed

Shi, Yanmeng; Lee, Yongjin; Che, Shi; Pi, Ziqi; Espiritu, Timothy; Stepanov, Petr; Smirnov, Dmitry; Lau, Chun Ning; Zhang, Fan

2016-02-05

Owing to the spin, valley, and orbital symmetries, the lowest Landau level in bilayer graphene exhibits multicomponent quantum Hall ferromagnetism. Using transport spectroscopy, we investigate the energy gaps of integer and fractional quantum Hall (QH) states in bilayer graphene with controlled layer polarization. The state at filling factor ν=1 has two distinct phases: a layer polarized state that has a larger energy gap and is stabilized by high electric field, and a hitherto unobserved interlayer coherent state with a smaller gap that is stabilized by large magnetic field. In contrast, the ν=2/3 quantum Hall state and a feature at ν=1/2 are only resolved at finite electric field and large magnetic field. These results underscore the importance of controlling layer polarization in understanding the competing symmetries in the unusual QH system of BLG.

Effect of the hexagonal phase interlayer on rectification properties of boron nitride heterojunctions to silicon

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

Teii, K., E-mail: teii@asem.kyushu-u.ac.jp; Ito, H.; Katayama, N.

2015-02-07

Rectification properties of boron nitride/silicon p-n heterojunction diodes fabricated under low-energy ion impact by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition are studied in terms of the resistive sp{sup 2}-bonded boron nitride (sp{sup 2}BN) interlayer. A two-step biasing technique is developed to control the fraction of cubic boron nitride (cBN) phase and, hence, the thickness of the sp{sup 2}BN interlayer in the films. The rectification ratio at room temperature is increased up to the order of 10{sup 4} at ±10 V of biasing with increasing the sp{sup 2}BN thickness up to around 130 nm due to suppression of the reverse leakage current. The variation ofmore » the ideality factor in the low bias region is related to the interface disorders and defects, not to the sp{sup 2}BN thickness. The forward current follows the Frenkel-Poole emission model in the sp{sup 2}BN interlayer at relatively high fields when the anomalous effect is assumed. The transport of the minority carriers for reverse current is strongly limited by the high bulk resistance of the thick sp{sup 2}BN interlayer, while that of the major carriers for forward current is much less affected.« less

ROLE OF PRESSURE IN SMECTITE DEHYDRATION - EFFECTS ON GEOPRESSURE AND SMECTITE-TO-ILLITE TRANSFORMATION.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Colten-Bradley, Virginia

1987-01-01

Evaluation of the effects of pressure on the temperature of interlayer water loss (dehydration) by smectites under diagenetic conditions indicates that smectites are stable as hydrated phases in the deep subsurface. Hydraulic and differential pressure conditions affect dehydration differently. The temperature of dehydration increase with pore fluid pressure and interlayer water density. The temperatures of dehydration increase with pore fluid pressure and interlayer water density. The temperatures of dehydration under differential-presssure conditions are inversely related to pressure and interlayer water density. The model presented assumes the effects of pore fluid composition and 2:1 layer reactivity to be negligible. Agreement between theoretical and experimental results validate this assumption. Additional aspects of the subject are discussed.

Transient liquid phase bonding of titanium-, iron- and nickel-based alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahman, A. H. M. Esfakur

The operating temperature of land-based gas turbines and jet engines are ever-increasing to increase the efficiency, decrease the emissions and minimize the cost. Within the engines, complex-shaped parts experience extreme temperature, fatigue and corrosion conditions. Ti-based, Ni-based and Fe-based alloys are commonly used in gas turbines and jet engines depending on the temperatures of different sections. Although those alloys have superior mechanical, high temperature and corrosion properties, severe operating conditions cause fast degradation and failure of the components. Repair of these components could reduce lifecycle costs. Unfortunately, conventional fusion welding is not very attractive, because Ti reacts very easily with oxygen and nitrogen at high temperatures, Ni-based superalloys show heat affected zone (HAZ) cracking, and stainless steels show intergranular corrosion and knife-line attack. On the other hand, transient liquid phase (TLP) bonding method has been considered as preferred joining method for those types of alloys. During the initial phase of the current work commercially pure Ti, Fe and Ni were diffusion bonded using commercially available interlayer materials. Commercially pure Ti (Ti-grade 2) has been diffusion bonded using silver and copper interlayers and without any interlayer. With a silver (Ag) interlayer, different intermetallics (AgTi, AgTi2) appeared in the joint centerline microstructure. While with a Cu interlayer eutectic mixtures and Ti-Cu solid solutions appeared in the joint centerline. The maximum tensile strengths achieved were 160 MPa, 502 MPa, and 382 MPa when Ag, Cu and no interlayers were used, respectively. Commercially pure Fe (cp-Fe) was diffusion bonded using Cu (25 m) and Au-12Ge eutectic interlayer (100 microm). Cu diffused predominantly along austenite grain boundaries in all bonding conditions. Residual interlayers appeared at lower bonding temperature and time, however, voids were observed in the joint centerline at higher joining temperature and time. Dispersed Au-rich particles were observed in the base metal near interface. The highest ultimate tensile strengths obtained for the bonded Fe were 291+/-2 MPa using a Cu interlayer at 1030°C for 10 h and 315+/-4 MPa using a Au-12Ge interlayer at 950°C for 15 h. Commercially pure Ni (cp-Ni) was diffusion bonded using a Al, Au-12Ge or Cu interlayer. The formation of intermetallics could not be avoided when Al interlayer was used. Even though no intermetallics were obtained with Au-12Ge or Cu interlayer, appreciable strength of the joint was not found. Next, the simple bonding systems were modeled numerically. It is hoped that the simple models can be extended for higher order alloys. The modeling of TLP joint means to come up with a mathematical model which can predict the concentration profiles of diffusing species. The concentration dependence of diffusivity in a multi-component diffusion system makes it complicated to predict the concentration profiles of diffusing species. The so-called chemical diffusivity can be expressed as a function of thermodynamic and kinetic data. DICTRA software can calculate the concentration profiles using appropriate mobility and thermodynamic data. It can also optimize the diffusivity data using experimental diffusivity data. Then the optimized diffusivity data is stored as mobility data which is a linear function of temperature. In this work, diffusion bonding of commercially pure Ni using Cu interlayers is reported. The mobility parameters of Ni-Cu alloy binary systems were optimized using DICTRA/Thermocalc software from the available self-, tracer and chemical diffusion coefficients. The optimized mobility parameters were used to simulate concentration profiles of Ni-Cu diffusion joints using DICTRA/Thermocalc software. The calculated and experimental concentration profiles agreed well at 1100 °C. This method could not be extended for higher order alloys because of the lack of appropriate thermodynamic and kinetic database. In the third phase industrially important alloys such as SS 321, Inconel 718 and Ti-6Al-4V were diffusion bonded. Diffusion bonded SS 321 with Au-12Ge interlayer provided the best microstructure when bonded in either vacuum or argon at 1050°C for 20 h and cooled in air. The maximum strength obtained of the joint was 387+/-4 MPa bonded in vacuum at 1050°C for 20 h and cooled in air. The microstructure of joint centerline of diffusion bonded Inconel 718 using Au-12Ge interlayer at 1050°C for 15 h and cooled in air consisted of residual interlayer (1.3-2.5 microm). The residual interlayer was disappeared by increasing the bonding time by 5 h, however, pores appeared in the joint centerline. As a result, the strength obtained for bonded Inconel 718 was much lower than that of the base alloy. The joint centerline microstructure of bonded Ti-6Al-4V using Cu interlayer was free of intermetallics and solid solution of Cu and base alloy. The strength of the joint is yet to be determined.

Effect of sputtered titanium interlayers on the properties of nanocrystalline diamond films

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

Li, Cuiping, E-mail: licp226@126.com, E-mail: limingji@163.com; Li, Mingji, E-mail: licp226@126.com, E-mail: limingji@163.com; Wu, Xiaoguo

2016-04-07

Ti interlayers with different thicknesses were sputtered on Si substrates and then ultrasonically seeded in a diamond powder suspension. Nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) films were deposited using a dc arc plasma jet chemical vapor deposition system on the seeded Ti/Si substrates. Atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy tests showed that the roughness of the prepared Ti interlayer increased with increasing thickness. The effects of Ti interlayers with various thicknesses on the properties of NCD films were investigated. The results show nucleation, growth, and microstructure of the NCD films are strongly influenced by the Ti interlayers. The addition of a Timore » interlayer between the Si substrate and the NCD films can significantly enhance the nucleation rate and reduce the surface roughness of the NCD. The NCD film on a 120 nm Ti interlayer possesses the fastest nucleation rate and the smoothest surface. Raman spectra of the NCD films show trans-polyacetylene relevant peaks reduce with increasing Ti interlayer thickness, which can owe to the improvement of crystalline at grain boundaries. Furthermore, nanoindentation measurement results show that the NCD film on a 120 nm Ti interlayer displays a higher hardness and elastic modulus. High resolution transmission electron microscopy images of a cross-section show that C atoms diffuse into the Ti layer and Si substrate and form TiC and SiC hard phases, which can explain the enhancement of mechanical properties of NCD.« less

Interlayer Pairing Symmetry of Composite Fermions in Quantum Hall Bilayers

DOE PAGES

Isobe, Hiroki; Fu, Liang

2017-04-17

Here, we study the pairing symmetry of the interlayer paired state of composite fermions in quantum Hall bilayers. Based on the Halperin-Lee-Read (HLR) theory, the effect of the long-range Coulomb interaction and the internal Chern-Simons gauge fluctuation is analyzed with the random-phase approximation beyond the leading order contribution in small momentum expansion, and we observe that the interlayer paired states with a relative angular momentummore » $l=+1$ are energetically favored for filling ν=$$\\frac{1}2$$+$$\\frac{1}2$$ and $$\\frac{1}4$$+$$\\frac{1}4$$. The degeneracy between states with $±l$ is lifted by the interlayer density-current interaction arising from the interplay of the long-range Coulomb interaction and the Chern-Simons term in the HLR theory.« less

Ultrastable α phase nickel hydroxide as energy storage materials for alkaline secondary batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Haili; Guo, Yinjian; Cheng, Yuanhui

2018-03-01

α Phase nickel hydroxide (α-Ni(OH)2) has higher theoretical capacity than that of commercial β phase Ni(OH)2. But the low stability inhibits its wide application in alkaline rechargeable batteries. Here, we propose a totally new idea to stabilize α phase Ni(OH)2 by introducing large organic molecule into the interlayer spacing together with doping multivalent cobalt into the layered Ni(OH)2 host. Ethylene glycol is served as neutral stabilizer in the interlayer spacing. Nickel is substituted by cobalt to increase the electrostatic attraction between layered Ni(OH)2 host and anion ions in the interlayer spacing. Polyethylene glycol (PEG-200) is utilized to design a three-dimensional network structure. This prepared α-Ni(OH)2-20 exhibits specific capacity as high as 334 mAh g-1and good structural stability even after immersing into strong alkaline zincate solution for 20 days. Ni(OH)2 electrode with a specific capacity of 35 mAh cm-2 is fabricated and used as positive electrode in zinc-nickel single flow batteries, which also shows good cycling stability. This result can provide an important guideline for the rational design and preparation of highly active and stable α phase Ni(OH)2 for alkaline secondary battery.

Transient liquid phase ceramic bonding

DOEpatents

Glaeser, Andreas M.

1994-01-01

Ceramics are joined to themselves or to metals using a transient liquid phase method employing three layers, one of which is a refractory metal, ceramic or alloy. The refractory layer is placed between two metal layers, each of which has a lower melting point than the refractory layer. The three layers are pressed between the two articles to be bonded to form an assembly. The assembly is heated to a bonding temperature at which the refractory layer remains solid, but the two metal layers melt to form a liquid. The refractory layer reacts with the surrounding liquid and a single solid bonding layer is eventually formed. The layers may be designed to react completely with each other and form refractory intermetallic bonding layers. Impurities incorporated into the refractory metal may react with the metal layers to form refractory compounds. Another method for joining ceramic articles employs a ceramic interlayer sandwiched between two metal layers. In alternative embodiments, the metal layers may include sublayers. A method is also provided for joining two ceramic articles using a single interlayer. An alternate bonding method provides a refractory-metal oxide interlayer placed adjacent to a strong oxide former. Aluminum or aluminum alloys are joined together using metal interlayers.

Effect of nano BiPb-2212 phase addition on BiPb-2223 phase properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohammed, N. H.; Abou-Aly, A. I.; Barakat, M. Me.; Hassan, M. S.

2018-06-01

BiPb-2212 phase in nanoscale was added to BiPb-2223 phase with a general stoichiometry of (Bi1.7Pb0.4Sr2.1Ca1.1Cu2.1O8+δ)x/Bi1.8Pb0.4Sr2.0Ca2.0Cu3.2O10+δ, 0.0 ≤ x  ≤ 2.5 wt.%. All samples were prepared by the standard solid-state reaction method. The prepared nano BiPb-2212 phase was characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The prepared samples were characterized by XRD and the scanning electron microscope (SEM). XRD analysis indicated that the sample with x = 1.5 wt.% has the highest relative volume fraction for BiPb-2223 phase. Samples were examined by electrical resistivity and I-V measurements. There is no significant change in the superconducting transition temperature Tc for all samples. The highest critical current density Jc was recorded for the sample with x = 1.5 wt.%. The normalized excess conductivity (Δσ/σroom) was calculated according to Aslamazov-Larkin (AL) model. Four different fluctuating regions were recorded as the temperature decreased. The coherence length along the c-axis at 0 K ξc(0), interlayer coupling strength s, Fermi velocity vF of the carriers and Fermi energy EF were calculated for both samples with x = 0.0 wt.% and 1.5 wt.%.

Novel exciton systems in 2D TMD monolayers and heterobilayers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Hongyi

In this talk, two exciton systems in transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) monolayer and heterobilayer will be discussed. In TMD monolayers, the strong e-h Coulomb exchange interaction splits the exciton and trion dispersions into two branches with zero and finite gap, respectively. Each branch is a center-of-mass wave vector dependent coherent superposition of the two valleys, which leads to a valley-orbit coupling and possibly a trion valley Hall effect. The exchange interaction also eliminates the linear polarization of the negative trion PL emission. In TMD heterobilayers with a type-II band alignment, the low energy exciton has an interlayer configuration with the e and h localized in opposite layers. Because of the inevitable twist or/and lattice mismatch between the two layers, the bright interlayer excitons are located at finite center-of-mass velocities with a six-fold degeneracy. The corresponding photon emission is elliptically polarized, with the major axis locked to the direction of exciton velocity, and helicity determined by the valley indices of the e and h. Some experimental results on the interlayer excitons in the WSe2-MoSe2 heterobilayers will also be presented. The interlayer exciton exhibits a long lifetime as well as a long depolarization time, which facilitate the observation of a PL polarization ring pattern due to the valley dependent exciton-exciton interaction induced expansion. The works were supported by the Research Grant Council of Hong Kong (HKU17305914P, HKU705513P), the Croucher Foundation, and the HKU OYRA and ROP.

Partial glass isosymmetry transition in multiferroic hexagonal ErMn O 3

DOE PAGES

Barbour, A.; Alatas, A.; Liu, Y.; ...

2016-02-08

Ferroelectric transitions of a hexagonal multiferroic, ErMnO 3, are studied by x-ray scattering techniques. An isosymmetry transition, similar to that previously observed for YMnO 3, approximately 300 K below the well-known ferroic transition temperature is investigated. The partial glassy behavior of the isosymmetry transition is identified by appearance of quasi-elastic scattering lines in high-energy-resolution scans. The glassy behavior is further supported by the increased interlayer decorrelation of (√3×√3)R30º ordering below the isosymmetry transition. The transition behavior is considered for possible hidden sluggish modes and two-step phase transitions theoretically predicted for the stacked triangular antiferromagnets. The in-plane azimuthal (orientational) ordering behaviorsmore » were also compared to the theoretical predictions. Coherent x-ray speckle measurements show unambiguously that the domain sizes decrease anomalously near both the isosymmetry and ferroic transitions. However, domain boundary fluctuations increase monotonically with an Arrhenius form with an activation energy of 0.54(5) eV through both transitions.« less

Stacking of 2D electron gases in Ge probed at the atomic level and its correlation to low-temperature magnetotransport.

PubMed

Scappucci, G; Klesse, W M; Hamilton, A R; Capellini, G; Jaeger, D L; Bischof, M R; Reidy, R F; Gorman, B P; Simmons, M Y

2012-09-12

Stacking of two-dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) obtained by δ-doping of Ge and patterned by scanning probe lithography is a promising approach to realize ultrascaled 3D epitaxial circuits, where multiple layers of active electronic components are integrated both vertically and horizontally. We use atom probe tomography and magnetotransport to correlate the real space 3D atomic distribution of dopants in the crystal with the quantum correction to the conductivity observed at low temperatures, probing if closely stacked δ-layers in Ge behave as independent 2DEGs. We find that at a separation of 9 nm the stacked-2DEGs, while interacting, still maintain their individuality in terms of electron transport and show long phase coherence lengths (∼220 nm). Strong vertical electron confinement is crucial to this finding, resulting in an interlayer scattering time much longer (∼1000 × ) than the scattering time within the dopant plane.

Inelastic neutron scattering and molecular simulation of the dynamics of interlayer water in smectite clay minerals

DOE PAGES

Cygan, Randall T.; Daemen, Luke L.; Ilgen, Anastasia G.; ...

2015-11-16

The study of mineral–water interfaces is of great importance to a variety of applications including oil and gas extraction, gas subsurface storage, environmental contaminant treatment, and nuclear waste repositories. Understanding the fundamentals of that interface is key to the success of those applications. Confinement of water in the interlayer of smectite clay minerals provides a unique environment to examine the interactions among water molecules, interlayer cations, and clay mineral surfaces. Smectite minerals are characterized by a relatively low layer charge that allows the clay to swell with increasing water content. Montmorillonite and beidellite varieties of smectite were investigated to comparemore » the impact of the location of layer charge on the interlayer structure and dynamics. Inelastic neutron scattering of hydrated and dehydrated cation-exchanged smectites was used to probe the dynamics of the interlayer water (200–900 cm –1 spectral region) and identify the shift in the librational edge as a function of the interlayer cation. Molecular dynamics simulations of equivalent phases and power spectra, derived from the resulting molecular trajectories, indicate a general shift in the librational behavior with interlayer cation that is generally consistent with the neutron scattering results for the monolayer hydrates. Both neutron scattering and power spectra exhibit librational structures affected by the location of layer charge and by the charge of the interlayer cation. Furthermore, divalent cations (Ba 2+ and Mg 2+) characterized by large hydration enthalpies typically exhibit multiple broad librational peaks compared to monovalent cations (Cs + and Na +), which have relatively small hydration enthalpies.« less

Spin-reorientation transitions in the Cairo pentagonal magnet Bi 4 Fe 5 O 13 F

DOE PAGES

Tsirlin, Alexander A.; Rousochatzakis, Ioannis; Filimonov, Dmitry; ...

2017-09-19

Here, we show that interlayer spins play a dual role in the Cairo pentagonal magnet Bi 4Fe 5O 13F, on one hand mediating the three-dimensional magnetic order, and on the other driving spin-reorientation transitions both within and between the planes. The corresponding sequence of magnetic orders unraveled by neutron diffraction and Mössbauer spectroscopy features two orthogonal magnetic structures described by opposite local vector chiralities, and an intermediate, partly disordered phase with nearly collinear spins. A similar collinear phase has been predicted theoretically to be stabilized by quantum fluctuations, but Bi 4Fe 5O 13F is very far from the relevant parametermore » regime. While the observed in-plane reorientation cannot be explained by any standard frustration mechanism, our ab initio band-structure calculations reveal strong single-ion anisotropy of the interlayer Fe 3+ spins that turns out to be instrumental in controlling the local vector chirality and the associated interlayer order.« less

Spin-reorientation transitions in the Cairo pentagonal magnet Bi4Fe5O13F

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsirlin, Alexander A.; Rousochatzakis, Ioannis; Filimonov, Dmitry; Batuk, Dmitry; Frontzek, Matthias; Abakumov, Artem M.

2017-09-01

We show that interlayer spins play a dual role in the Cairo pentagonal magnet Bi4Fe5O13F , on one hand mediating the three-dimensional magnetic order, and on the other driving spin-reorientation transitions both within and between the planes. The corresponding sequence of magnetic orders unraveled by neutron diffraction and Mössbauer spectroscopy features two orthogonal magnetic structures described by opposite local vector chiralities, and an intermediate, partly disordered phase with nearly collinear spins. A similar collinear phase has been predicted theoretically to be stabilized by quantum fluctuations, but Bi4Fe5O13F is very far from the relevant parameter regime. While the observed in-plane reorientation cannot be explained by any standard frustration mechanism, our ab initio band-structure calculations reveal strong single-ion anisotropy of the interlayer Fe3 + spins that turns out to be instrumental in controlling the local vector chirality and the associated interlayer order.

Revealing the preferred interlayer orientations and stackings of two-dimensional bilayer gallium selenide crystals

DOE PAGES

Li, Xufan; Basile Carrasco, Leonardo A.; Yoon, Mina; ...

2015-01-21

Characterizing and controlling the interlayer orientations and stacking order of bilayer two-dimensional (2D) crystals and van der Waals (vdW) heterostructure is crucial to optimize their electrical and optoelectronic properties. The four polymorphs of layered gallium selenide (GaSe) that result from different layer stacking provide an ideal platform to study the stacking configurations in bilayer 2D crystals. Here, through a controllable vapor-phase deposition method we selectively grow bilayer GaSe crystals and investigate their two preferred 0° or 60° interlayer rotations. The commensurate stacking configurations (AA' and AB-stacking) in as-grown 2D bilayer GaSe crystals are clearly observed at the atomic scale andmore » the Ga-terminated edge structure are identified for the first time by using atomic-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). Theoretical analysis of the interlayer coupling energetics vs. interlayer rotation angle reveals that the experimentally-observed orientations are energetically preferred among the bilayer GaSe crystal polytypes. Here, the combined experimental and theoretical characterization of the GaSe bilayers afforded by these growth studies provide a pathway to reveal the atomistic relationships in interlayer orientations responsible for the electronic and optical properties of bilayer 2D crystals and vdW heterostructures.« less

Cr6+-containing phases in the system CaO-Al2O3-CrO42--H2O at 23 °C

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pöllmann, Herbert; Auer, Stephan

2012-01-01

Synthesis and investigation of lamellar calcium aluminium hydroxy salts was performed to study the incorporation of chromate ions in the interlayer of lamellar calcium aluminium hydroxy salts. Different AFm-phases (calcium aluminate hydrate with alumina, ferric oxide, mono-anion phase) containing chromate were synthesized. These AFm-phases belong to the group of layered double hydroxides (LDHs). 3CaO·Al2O3·CaCrO4·nH2O and C3A·1/2Ca(OH)2·1/2CaCrO4·12H2O were obtained as pure phases and their different distinct interlayer water contents and properties determined. Solid solution of chromate-containing phases and tetracalcium-aluminate-hydrate (TCAH) were studied. The uptake of chromate into TCAH from solutions was proven. Chromate contents in solution decrease to <0.2 mg/l.

Methods, systems, and apparatus for storage, transfer and/or control of information via matter wave dynamics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vestergaard Hau, Lene (Inventor)

2012-01-01

Methods, systems and apparatus for generating atomic traps, and for storing, controlling and transferring information between first and second spatially separated phase-coherent objects, or using a single phase-coherent object. For plural objects, both phase-coherent objects have a macroscopic occupation of a particular quantum state by identical bosons or identical BCS-paired fermions. The information may be optical information, and the phase-coherent object(s) may be Bose-Einstein condensates, superfluids, or superconductors. The information is stored in the first phase-coherent object at a first storage time and recovered from the second phase-coherent object, or the same first phase-coherent object, at a second revival time. In one example, an integrated silicon wafer-based optical buffer includes an electrolytic atom source to provide the phase-coherent object(s), a nanoscale atomic trap for the phase-coherent object(s), and semiconductor-based optical sources to cool the phase-coherent object(s) and provide coupling fields for storage and transfer of optical information.

Effect of particle size on the experimental dissolution and auto-aluminization processes of K-vermiculite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viennet, Jean-Christophe; Hubert, Fabien; Tertre, Emmanuel; Ferrage, Eric; Robin, Valentin; Dzene, Liva; Cochet, Carine; Turpault, Marie-Pierre

2016-05-01

In acidic soils, the fixation of Al in the interlayer spaces of 2:1 clay minerals and the subsequent formation of hydroxyl interlayer minerals (HIMs) are known to reduce soil fertility. The resulting crystal structure of HIMs consist of complex mixed-layer minerals (MLMs) with contrasting relative proportions of expandable, hydroxy-interlayers (HI) and illite layers. The present study aims to experimentally assess the influence of particle size on the formation of such complex HIMs for vermiculite saturated with potassium (K). Based on chemical and structural data, this study reports the dissolution and Al-interlayer occupancy of three size fractions (0.1-0.2, 1-2 and 10-20 μm) of K-vermiculite, which were obtained at pH = 3 by using stirred flow-through reactors. The Al-interlayer occupancies were ordered 0.1-0.2 μm < 10-20 μm < 1-2 μm even though the dissolution rate (in molvermiculite g-1 s-1) increases with decreasing particle size. For fine particles (0.1-0.2 μm), a rapid but low Al-interlayer occupancy during the transitory state and a null rate in the steady-state were evidenced and interpreted as indicating (i) a rapid but limited K+ interlayer exchange during the first step of the overall reactions and (ii) a stoichiometric dissolution of the crystal (TOT layer + interlayer) in the steady-state. By contrast, although the stoichiometric dissolution of the TOT layer is reached in the steady-state for the coarsest fractions (10-20 and 1-2 μm), the Al-interlayer occupancies continue to evolve due to the exchange of interlayer K+, which continues to progress for a longer duration. The mechanism of auto-aluminization is interpreted in the present study as multiple processes that involve (i) the dissolution of the mineral under acidic conditions, (ii) the interlayer diffusion of initial interlayer cations and their exchange with those from the aqueous phase and (iii) the fixation of interlayer aluminum. Competition between the kinetics of ion-exchange reactions and that of mineral dissolution is responsible for the above Al-interlayer occupancy order among the particle sizes (i.e., 0.1-0.2 μm < 10-20 μm < 1-2 μm). Moreover, this mechanism may be the cause of complex mineralogical structures such as mixed-layer minerals, which are commonly found in the clay-size fraction of acidic soils.

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

Isobe, Hiroki; Fu, Liang

Here, we study the pairing symmetry of the interlayer paired state of composite fermions in quantum Hall bilayers. Based on the Halperin-Lee-Read (HLR) theory, the effect of the long-range Coulomb interaction and the internal Chern-Simons gauge fluctuation is analyzed with the random-phase approximation beyond the leading order contribution in small momentum expansion, and we observe that the interlayer paired states with a relative angular momentummore » $l=+1$ are energetically favored for filling ν=$$\\frac{1}2$$+$$\\frac{1}2$$ and $$\\frac{1}4$$+$$\\frac{1}4$$. The degeneracy between states with $±l$ is lifted by the interlayer density-current interaction arising from the interplay of the long-range Coulomb interaction and the Chern-Simons term in the HLR theory.« less

Weathering of phlogopite by Bacillus cereus and Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans.

PubMed

Styriaková, Iveta; Bhatti, Tariq M; Bigham, Jerry M; Styriak, Igor; Vuorinen, Antti; Tuovinen, Olli H

2004-03-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the weathering of finely ground phlogopite, a trioctahedral mica, by placing it in contact with heterotrophic (Bacillus cereus) and acidophilic (Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans) cultures. X-ray diffraction analyses of the phlogopite sample before and after 24 weeks of contact in B. cereus cultures revealed a decrease in the characteristic peak intensities of phlogopite, indicating destruction of individual structural planes of the mica. No new solid phase products or interlayer structures were detected in B. cereus cultures. Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans cultures enhanced the chemical dissolution of the mineral and formed partially weathered interlayer structures, where interlayer K was expelled and coupled with the precipitation of K-jarosite [KFe3(SO4)2(OH)6].

Partial Transient Liquid-Phase Bonding, Part II: A Filtering Routine for Determining All Possible Interlayer Combinations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cook, Grant O.; Sorensen, Carl D.

2013-12-01

Partial transient liquid-phase (PTLP) bonding is currently an esoteric joining process with limited applications. However, it has preferable advantages compared with typical joining techniques and is the best joining technique for certain applications. Specifically, it can bond hard-to-join materials as well as dissimilar material types, and bonding is performed at comparatively low temperatures. Part of the difficulty in applying PTLP bonding is finding suitable interlayer combinations (ICs). A novel interlayer selection procedure has been developed to facilitate the identification of ICs that will create successful PTLP bonds and is explained in a companion article. An integral part of the selection procedure is a filtering routine that identifies all possible ICs for a given application. This routine utilizes a set of customizable parameters that are based on key characteristics of PTLP bonding. These parameters include important design considerations such as bonding temperature, target remelting temperature, bond solid type, and interlayer thicknesses. The output from this routine provides a detailed view of each candidate IC along with a broad view of the entire candidate set, greatly facilitating the selection of ideal ICs. This routine provides a new perspective on the PTLP bonding process. In addition, the use of this routine, by way of the accompanying selection procedure, will expand PTLP bonding as a viable joining process.

Impact of interlayer processing conditions on the performance of GaN light-emitting diode with specific NiOx/graphene electrode.

PubMed

Chandramohan, S; Kang, Ji Hye; Ryu, Beo Deul; Yang, Jong Han; Kim, Seongjun; Kim, Hynsoo; Park, Jong Bae; Kim, Taek Yong; Cho, Byung Jin; Suh, Eun-Kyung; Hong, Chang-Hee

2013-02-01

This paper reports on the evaluation of the impact of introducing interlayers and postmetallization annealing on the graphene/p-GaN ohmic contact formation and performance of associated devices. Current-voltage characteristics of the graphene/p-GaN contacts with ultrathin Au, Ni, and NiO(x) interlayers were studied using transmission line model with circular contact geometry. Direct graphene/p-GaN interface was identified to be highly rectifying and postmetallization annealing improved the contact characteristics as a result of improved adhesion between the graphene and the p-GaN. Ohmic contact formation was realized when interlayer is introduced between the graphene and p-GaN followed by postmetallization annealing. Temperature-dependent I-V measurements revealed that the current transport was modified from thermionic field emission for the direct graphene/p-GaN contact to tunneling for the graphene/metal/p-GaN contacts. The tunneling mechanism results from the interfacial reactions that occur between the metal and p-GaN during the postmetallization annealing. InGaN/GaN light-emitting diodes with NiO(x)/graphene current spreading electrode offered a forward voltage of 3.16 V comparable to that of its Ni/Au counterpart, but ended up with relatively low light output power. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy provided evidence for the occurrence of phase transformation in the graphene-encased NiO(x) during the postmetallization annealing. The observed low light output is therefore correlated to the phase change induced transmittance loss in the NiO(x)/graphene electrode. These findings provide new insights into the behavior of different interlayers under processing conditions that will be useful for the future development of opto-electronic devices with graphene-based electrodes.

Revealing the preferred interlayer orientations and stackings of two-dimensional bilayer gallium selenide crystals.

PubMed

Li, Xufan; Basile, Leonardo; Yoon, Mina; Ma, Cheng; Puretzky, Alexander A; Lee, Jaekwang; Idrobo, Juan C; Chi, Miaofang; Rouleau, Christopher M; Geohegan, David B; Xiao, Kai

2015-02-23

Characterizing and controlling the interlayer orientations and stacking orders of two-dimensional (2D) bilayer crystals and van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures is crucial to optimize their electrical and optoelectronic properties. The four polymorphs of layered gallium selenide (GaSe) crystals that result from different layer stackings provide an ideal platform to study the stacking configurations in 2D bilayer crystals. Through a controllable vapor-phase deposition method, bilayer GaSe crystals were selectively grown and their two preferred 0° or 60° interlayer rotations were investigated. The commensurate stacking configurations (AA' and AB stacking) in as-grown bilayer GaSe crystals are clearly observed at the atomic scale, and the Ga-terminated edge structure was identified using scanning transmission electron microscopy. Theoretical analysis reveals that the energies of the interlayer coupling are responsible for the preferred orientations among the bilayer GaSe crystals. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Preparation, physicochemical characterisation and magnetic properties of Cu-Al layered double hydroxides with CO 32- and anionic surfactants with different alkyl chains in the interlayer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trujillano, Raquel; Holgado, María Jesús; Pigazo, Fernando; Rives, Vicente

2006-03-01

Layered double hydroxides with the hydrotalcite-like structure, containing Cu(II) and Al(III) in the layers, and different alkyl sulphonates in the interlayer, have been prepared and characterised by powder X-ray diffraction, FT-IR spectroscopy, differential thermal analysis and thermogravimetric analysis. Their magnetic properties have been also studied. Except for the sample containing octadecanesulphonate in the interlayer, for which an excess of sulphonate exists, pure crystalline phases have been obtained in the other cases. Upon heating, combustion of the organic chain takes place at lower temperature than for the corresponding sodium salts. A two-dimensional antiferromagnetic behaviour is observed at 200 K in all samples containing intercalated sulphonate. The χT value is lower for the samples containing interlayer sulphonates (with layer-layer distances in the 21-31 Å range), than for a carbonate-containing analogue (basal spacing 7.51 Å).

Processing and characterization of phase boundaries in ceramic and metallic materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Liang

The goal of this dissertation work was to explore and describe advanced characterization of novel materials processing. These characterizations were carried out using scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), and X-ray diffraction techniques. The materials studied included ceramics and metallic materials. The first part of this dissertation focuses on the processing, and the resulting interfacial microstructure of ceramics joined using spin-on interlayers. SEM, TEM, and indentation tests were used to investigate the interfacial microstructural and mechanical property evolution of polycrystalline zirconia bonded to glass ceramic MaCor(TM), and polycrystalline alumina to single crystal alumina. Interlayer assisted specimens were joined using a thin amorphous silica interlayer. This interlayer was produced by spin coating an organic based silica bond material precursor and curing at 200°C, followed by joining in a microwave cavity or conventional electric furnace. Experimental results indicate that in the joining of the zirconia and MaCor(TM) no significant interfacial microstructural and mechanical property differences developed between materials joined either with or without interlayers, due to the glassy nature of MaCor(TM). The bond interface was non-planar, as a result of the strong wetting of MaCor(TM) and silica and dissolution of the zirconia. However, without the aid of a silica interlayer, sapphire and 98% polycrystalline alumina failed to join under the experimental conditions under this study. A variety of interfacial morphologies have been observed, including amorphous regions, fine crystalline alumina, and intimate contact between the sapphire and polycrystalline alumina. In addition, the evolution of the joining process from the initial sputter-cure to the final joining state and joining mechanisms were characterized. The second part of this dissertation focused on the effects of working and heat treatment on microstructure, texture, phase boundary movement, and mechanical property evolution in Ti-6Al-4V wire. The as-received wire consisted of equilibrium a and metastable beta phases and had a moderately strong fiber texture with prism plane normals aligned with the wire axis. The wire was worked by extrusion, solution heat-treatment and water quenching, and aging. The extrusion process strengthened the as-received texture. After solutionization and quenching, microstrucual observations showed the presence of many needlelike martensitic platelets in the prior beta phase regions. Texture analysis revealed that a secondary fiber with basal plane normals aligned with the wire axis emerged at the expense of the initial texture, indicating that highly preferred phase boundary motion (variant selection) occurred during the beta → alpha transformation. The strength of the variant selection consistently increased with solutionization temperature and time. In addition, the effects of dislocation type and density on variant selections were further investigated. This implies that strategic prior deformation and heat treatment can be exploited to design the resulting texture and microstructure and consequently optimize the properties of titanium products.

Study of interlayer coupling between FePt and FeCoB thin films through MgO spacer layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Sadhana; Kumar, Dileep; Gupta, Mukul; Reddy, V. Raghvendra

2017-05-01

Interlayer exchange coupling between hard-FePt and soft-FeCoB magnetic layers has been studied with increasing thickness of insulator MgO spacer layer in FePt/MgO/FeCoB sandwiched structure. A series of the samples were prepared in identical condition using ion beam sputtering method and characterized for their magnetic and structural properties using magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) and X-ray reflectivity measurements. The nature of coupling between FePt and FeCoB was found to be ferromagnetic which decreases exponentially with increasing thickness of MgO layer. At very low thickness of MgO layer, both layers were found strongly coupled thus exhibiting coherent magnetization reversal. At higher thickness, both layers were found decoupled and magnetization reversal occurred at different switching fields. Strong coupling at very low thickness is attributed to pin holes in MgO layer which lead to direct coupling whereas on increasing thickness, coupling may arise due to magneto-static interactions.

Spin valves with spin-engineered domain-biasing scheme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Z. Q.; Pan, G.

2003-06-01

Synthetic spin-filter spin valves with spin-engineered biasing scheme "sub/Ta/NiFe/IrMn/NiFe/NOL/Cu1/CoFe/Cu2/CoFe/Ru/CoFe/IrMn/Ta" were developed. In the structure, the orthogonal magnetic configuration for biasing and pinning field was obtained by one-step magnetic annealing process by means of spin flop, which eliminated the need for two antiferromagnetic materials with distinctively different blocking temperatures and two-step magnetic annealing as in conventional exchange biasing scheme. The longitudinal domain biasing of spin valves was achieved by using interlayer coupling field through Cu1 spacer. By adjusting the thickness of the Cu1 layer, the interlayer coupling biasing field can provide domain stabilization and was sufficiently strong to constrain the magnetization in coherent rotation. This can prevent Barkhausen noises associated with magnetization reversal. We report here a proof of concept study of such a domain-biasing scheme, which has its important technological applications in nanoscale spin valve and magnetic tunneling junction read heads and other spintronic devices.

Cu sbnd Al sbnd Fe layered double hydroxides with CO32- and anionic surfactants with different alkyl chains in the interlayer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trujillano, Raquel; Holgado, María Jesús; González, José Luis; Rives, Vicente

2005-08-01

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs), with the hydrotalcite-like structure containing Cu(II), Al(III) and Fe(III) in the layers, and different alkyl sulfonates in the interlayer, have been prepared and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, FT-IR spectroscopy, differential thermal analysis and thermogravimetric analysis. Pure crystalline phases have been obtained in all cases. Upon heating, combustion of the organic chain takes place at lower temperature than the corresponding sodium salts.

Two-Dimensional Jeff=1 /2 Antiferromagnetic Insulator Unraveled from Interlayer Exchange Coupling in Artificial Perovskite Iridate Superlattices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hao, Lin; Meyers, D.; Frederick, Clayton; Fabbris, Gilberto; Yang, Junyi; Traynor, Nathan; Horak, Lukas; Kriegner, Dominik; Choi, Yongseong; Kim, Jong-Woo; Haskel, Daniel; Ryan, Phil J.; Dean, M. P. M.; Liu, Jian

2017-07-01

We report an experimental investigation of the two-dimensional Jeff=1 /2 antiferromagnetic Mott insulator by varying the interlayer exchange coupling in [(SrIrO3)1 , (SrTiO3)m ] (m =1 , 2 and 3) superlattices. Although all samples exhibited an insulating ground state with long-range magnetic order, temperature-dependent resistivity measurements showed a stronger insulating behavior in the m =2 and m =3 samples than the m =1 sample which displayed a clear kink at the magnetic transition. This difference indicates that the blocking effect of the excessive SrTiO3 layer enhances the effective electron-electron correlation and strengthens the Mott phase. The significant reduction of the Néel temperature from 150 K for m =1 to 40 K for m =2 demonstrates that the long-range order stability in the former is boosted by a substantial interlayer exchange coupling. Resonant x-ray magnetic scattering revealed that the interlayer exchange coupling has a switchable sign, depending on the SrTiO3 layer number m , for maintaining canting-induced weak ferromagnetism. The nearly unaltered transition temperature between the m =2 and the m =3 demonstrated that we have realized a two-dimensional antiferromagnet at finite temperatures with diminishing interlayer exchange coupling.

Synchronization and Inter-Layer Interactions of Noise-Driven Neural Networks

PubMed Central

Yuniati, Anis; Mai, Te-Lun; Chen, Chi-Ming

2017-01-01

In this study, we used the Hodgkin-Huxley (HH) model of neurons to investigate the phase diagram of a developing single-layer neural network and that of a network consisting of two weakly coupled neural layers. These networks are noise driven and learn through the spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) or the inverse STDP rules. We described how these networks transited from a non-synchronous background activity state (BAS) to a synchronous firing state (SFS) by varying the network connectivity and the learning efficacy. In particular, we studied the interaction between a SFS layer and a BAS layer, and investigated how synchronous firing dynamics was induced in the BAS layer. We further investigated the effect of the inter-layer interaction on a BAS to SFS repair mechanism by considering three types of neuron positioning (random, grid, and lognormal distributions) and two types of inter-layer connections (random and preferential connections). Among these scenarios, we concluded that the repair mechanism has the largest effect for a network with the lognormal neuron positioning and the preferential inter-layer connections. PMID:28197088

Synchronization and Inter-Layer Interactions of Noise-Driven Neural Networks.

PubMed

Yuniati, Anis; Mai, Te-Lun; Chen, Chi-Ming

2017-01-01

In this study, we used the Hodgkin-Huxley (HH) model of neurons to investigate the phase diagram of a developing single-layer neural network and that of a network consisting of two weakly coupled neural layers. These networks are noise driven and learn through the spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) or the inverse STDP rules. We described how these networks transited from a non-synchronous background activity state (BAS) to a synchronous firing state (SFS) by varying the network connectivity and the learning efficacy. In particular, we studied the interaction between a SFS layer and a BAS layer, and investigated how synchronous firing dynamics was induced in the BAS layer. We further investigated the effect of the inter-layer interaction on a BAS to SFS repair mechanism by considering three types of neuron positioning (random, grid, and lognormal distributions) and two types of inter-layer connections (random and preferential connections). Among these scenarios, we concluded that the repair mechanism has the largest effect for a network with the lognormal neuron positioning and the preferential inter-layer connections.

Enhanced stability of solid oxide fuel cells by employing a modified cathode-interlayer interface with a dense La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ thin film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Vero, Jeffrey C.; Develos-Bagarinao, Katherine; Kishimoto, Haruo; Ishiyama, Tomohiro; Yamaji, Katsuhiko; Horita, Teruhisa; Yokokawa, Harumi

2018-02-01

In La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ (LSCF) cathode/Gd-doped ceria (GDC)/yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ)-electrolyte based solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), one of the key issues affecting performance and long-term stability is the apparent deactivation of LSCF cathode by the presence of secondary phases such as SrZrO3 at the interfaces. Herein, we report that by modifying the cathode-interlayer interface with a dense LSCF thin film, the severe cation interdiffusion is suppressed especially the fast gas or surface diffusion of Sr into adjacent GDC-interlayer/YSZ-electrolyte resulting in the significant reduction of SrZrO3 formation at the interfaces improving cell stability. In order to understand the present results, the interface chemistry is carefully considered and discussed. The results show that modification of cathode-interlayer interfaces is an important strategy for improving the lifetime of SOFCs.

Coherent and incoherent phase stabilities of thermoelectric rocksalt IV-VI semiconductor alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doak, Jeff W.; Wolverton, C.

2012-10-01

Nanostructures formed by phase separation improve the thermoelectric figure of merit in lead chalcogenide semiconductor alloys, with coherent nanostructures giving larger improvements than incoherent nanostructures. However, large coherency strains in these alloys drastically alter the thermodynamics of phase stability. Incoherent phase stability can be easily inferred from an equilibrium phase diagram, but coherent phase stability is more difficult to assess experimentally. Therefore, we use density functional theory calculations to investigate the coherent and incoherent phase stability of the IV-VI rocksalt semiconductor alloy systems Pb(S,Te), Pb(Te,Se), Pb(Se,S), (Pb,Sn)Te, (Sn,Ge)Te, and (Ge,Pb)Te. Here we use the term coherent to indicate that there is a common and unbroken lattice between the phases under consideration, and we use the term incoherent to indicate that the lattices of coexisting phases are unconstrained and allowed to take on equilibrium volumes. We find that the thermodynamic ground state of all of the IV-VI pseudobinary systems studied is incoherent phase separation. We also find that the coherency strain energy, previously neglected in studies of these IV-VI alloys, is lowest along [111] (in contrast to most fcc metals) and is a large fraction of the thermodynamic driving force for incoherent phase separation in all systems. The driving force for coherent phase separation is significantly reduced, and we find that coherent nanostructures can only form at low temperatures where kinetics may prohibit their precipitation. Furthermore, by calculating the energies of ordered structures for these systems we find that the coherent phase stability of most IV-VI systems favors ordering over spinodal decomposition. Our results suggest that experimental reports of spinodal decomposition in the IV-VI rocksalt alloys should be re-examined.

Using the phase-space imager to analyze partially coherent imaging systems: bright-field, phase contrast, differential interference contrast, differential phase contrast, and spiral phase contrast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mehta, Shalin B.; Sheppard, Colin J. R.

2010-05-01

Various methods that use large illumination aperture (i.e. partially coherent illumination) have been developed for making transparent (i.e. phase) specimens visible. These methods were developed to provide qualitative contrast rather than quantitative measurement-coherent illumination has been relied upon for quantitative phase analysis. Partially coherent illumination has some important advantages over coherent illumination and can be used for measurement of the specimen's phase distribution. However, quantitative analysis and image computation in partially coherent systems have not been explored fully due to the lack of a general, physically insightful and computationally efficient model of image formation. We have developed a phase-space model that satisfies these requirements. In this paper, we employ this model (called the phase-space imager) to elucidate five different partially coherent systems mentioned in the title. We compute images of an optical fiber under these systems and verify some of them with experimental images. These results and simulated images of a general phase profile are used to compare the contrast and the resolution of the imaging systems. We show that, for quantitative phase imaging of a thin specimen with matched illumination, differential phase contrast offers linear transfer of specimen information to the image. We also show that the edge enhancement properties of spiral phase contrast are compromised significantly as the coherence of illumination is reduced. The results demonstrate that the phase-space imager model provides a useful framework for analysis, calibration, and design of partially coherent imaging methods.

Surface and interlayer base-characters in lepidocrocite titanate: The adsorption and intercalation of fatty acid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maluangnont, Tosapol; Arsa, Pornanan; Limsakul, Kanokporn; Juntarachairot, Songsit; Sangsan, Saithong; Gotoh, Kazuma; Sooknoi, Tawan

2016-06-01

While layered double hydroxides (LDHs) with positively-charged sheets are well known as basic materials, layered metal oxides having negatively-charged sheets are not generally recognized so. In this article, the surface and interlayer base-characters of O2- sites in layered metal oxides have been demonstrated, taking lepidocrocite titanate K0.8Zn0.4Ti1.6O4 as an example. The low basicity (0.04 mmol CO2/g) and low desorption temperature (50-300 °C) shown by CO2- TPD suggests that O2- sites at the external surfaces is weakly basic, while those at the interlayer space are mostly inaccessible to CO2. The liquid-phase adsorption study, however, revealed the uptake as much as 37% by mass of the bulky palmitic acid (C16 acid). The accompanying expansion of the interlayer space by ~0.1 nm was detected by PXRD and TEM. In an opposite manner to the external surfaces, the interlayer O2- sites can deprotonate palmitic acid, forming the salt (i.e., potassium palmitate) occluded between the sheets. Two types of basic sites are proposed based on ultrafast 1H MAS NMR and FTIR results. The interlayer basic sites in lepidocrocite titanate leads to an application of this material as a selective and stable two-dimensional (2D) basic catalyst, as demonstrated by the ketonization of palmitic acid into palmitone (C31 ketone). Tuning of the catalytic activity by varying the type of metal (Zn, Mg, and Li) substituting at TiIV sites was also illustrated.

Phase noise suppression for coherent optical block transmission systems: a unified framework.

PubMed

Yang, Chuanchuan; Yang, Feng; Wang, Ziyu

2011-08-29

A unified framework for phase noise suppression is proposed in this paper, which could be applied in any coherent optical block transmission systems, including coherent optical orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (CO-OFDM), coherent optical single-carrier frequency-domain equalization block transmission (CO-SCFDE), etc. Based on adaptive modeling of phase noise, unified observation equations for different coherent optical block transmission systems are constructed, which lead to unified phase noise estimation and suppression. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposal is powerful in mitigating laser phase noise.

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.

Two-Dimensional J eff = 1 / 2 Antiferromagnetic Insulator Unraveled from Interlayer Exchange Coupling in Artificial Perovskite Iridate Superlattices

DOE PAGES

Hao, Lin; Meyers, D.; Frederick, Clayton; ...

2017-07-14

We report an experimental investigation of the two-dimensional J eff=1/2 antiferromagnetic Mott insulator by varying the interlayer exchange coupling in [(SrIrO 3) 1, (SrTiO 3) m] (m=1, 2 and 3) superlattices. Although all samples exhibited an insulating ground state with long-range magnetic order, temperature-dependent resistivity measurements showed a stronger insulating behavior in the m = 2 and m = 3 samples than the m = 1 sample which displayed a clear kink at the magnetic transition. This difference indicates that the blocking effect of the excessive SrTiO 3 layer enhances the effective electron-electron correlation and strengthens the Mott phase. Themore » significant reduction of the Néel temperature from 150 K for m = 1 to 40 K for m = 2 demonstrates that the long-range order stability in the former is boosted by a substantial interlayer exchange coupling. Resonant x-ray magnetic scattering revealed that the interlayer exchange coupling has a switchable sign, depending on the SrTiO 3 layer number m, for maintaining canting-induced weak ferromagnetism. In conclusion, the nearly unaltered transition temperature between the m = 2 and the m = 3 demonstrated that we have realized a two-dimensional antiferromagnet at finite temperatures with diminishing interlayer exchange coupling.« less

Two-Dimensional J eff = 1 / 2 Antiferromagnetic Insulator Unraveled from Interlayer Exchange Coupling in Artificial Perovskite Iridate Superlattices

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

Hao, Lin; Meyers, D.; Frederick, Clayton

We report an experimental investigation of the two-dimensional J eff=1/2 antiferromagnetic Mott insulator by varying the interlayer exchange coupling in [(SrIrO 3) 1, (SrTiO 3) m] (m=1, 2 and 3) superlattices. Although all samples exhibited an insulating ground state with long-range magnetic order, temperature-dependent resistivity measurements showed a stronger insulating behavior in the m = 2 and m = 3 samples than the m = 1 sample which displayed a clear kink at the magnetic transition. This difference indicates that the blocking effect of the excessive SrTiO 3 layer enhances the effective electron-electron correlation and strengthens the Mott phase. Themore » significant reduction of the Néel temperature from 150 K for m = 1 to 40 K for m = 2 demonstrates that the long-range order stability in the former is boosted by a substantial interlayer exchange coupling. Resonant x-ray magnetic scattering revealed that the interlayer exchange coupling has a switchable sign, depending on the SrTiO 3 layer number m, for maintaining canting-induced weak ferromagnetism. In conclusion, the nearly unaltered transition temperature between the m = 2 and the m = 3 demonstrated that we have realized a two-dimensional antiferromagnet at finite temperatures with diminishing interlayer exchange coupling.« less

Phase-space evolution of x-ray coherence in phase-sensitive imaging.

PubMed

Wu, Xizeng; Liu, Hong

2008-08-01

X-ray coherence evolution in the imaging process plays a key role for x-ray phase-sensitive imaging. In this work we present a phase-space formulation for the phase-sensitive imaging. The theory is reformulated in terms of the cross-spectral density and associated Wigner distribution. The phase-space formulation enables an explicit and quantitative account of partial coherence effects on phase-sensitive imaging. The presented formulas for x-ray spectral density at the detector can be used for performing accurate phase retrieval and optimizing the phase-contrast visibility. The concept of phase-space shearing length derived from this phase-space formulation clarifies the spatial coherence requirement for phase-sensitive imaging with incoherent sources. The theory has been applied to x-ray Talbot interferometric imaging as well. The peak coherence condition derived reveals new insights into three-grating-based Talbot-interferometric imaging and gratings-based x-ray dark-field imaging.

Chemical potential and compressibility of quantum Hall bilayer excitons,.

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

Skinner, Brian

2016-02-25

I consider a system of two parallel quantum Hall layers with total filling factor 0 or 1. When the distance between the layers is small enough, electrons and holes in opposite layers can form inter-layer excitons, which have a finite effective mass and interact via a dipole-dipole potential. I present results for the chemical potential u of the resulting bosonic system as a function of the exciton concentration n and the interlayer separation d. I show that both u and the interlayer capacitance have an unusual nonmonotonic dependence on d, owing to the interplay between an increasing dipole moment andmore » an increasing effective mass with increasing d. Finally, I discuss the transition between the superfluid and Wigner crystal phases, which is shown to occur at d x n-1/10. Results are derived first via simple intuitive arguments, and then verified with more careful analytic derivations and numeric calculations.« less

Joining of Silicon Carbide: Diffusion Bond Optimization and Characterization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Halbig, Michael C.; Singh, Mrityunjay

2008-01-01

Joining and integration methods are critically needed as enabling technologies for the full utilization of advanced ceramic components in aerospace and aeronautics applications. One such application is a lean direct injector for a turbine engine to achieve low NOx emissions. In the application, several SiC substrates with different hole patterns to form fuel and combustion air channels are bonded to form the injector. Diffusion bonding is a joining approach that offers uniform bonds with high temperature capability, chemical stability, and high strength. Diffusion bonding was investigated with the aid of titanium foils and coatings as the interlayer between SiC substrates to aid bonding. The influence of such variables as interlayer type, interlayer thickness, substrate finish, and processing time were investigated. Optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and electron microprobe analysis were used to characterize the bonds and to identify the reaction formed phases.

Reduction of biselenites into polyselenides in interlayer space of layered double hydroxides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Myeong Shin; Lee, Yongju; Park, Yong-Min; Cha, Ji-Hyun; Jung, Duk-Young

2018-06-01

A selenous acid (H2SeO3) precursor was intercalated as biselenite (HSeO3-) ions into the interlayer gallery of carbonated magnesium aluminum layered double hydroxide (MgAl-LDH) in aqueous solution. Reduction reaction of selenous ions by aqueous hydrazine solution produced polyselenide intercalated LDHs which were consecutively exchanged with iodide through redox reaction under iodine vapor. The polyselenide containing LDHs adsorbed iodine vapor spontaneously and triiodide was incorporated in the interlayer space followed by formation of selenium polycrystalline phase. Two dimensional framework of MgAl-LDH is strong enough to resist against the reducing power of hydrazine as well as oxidation condition of iodine. The SEM data demonstrated that the shapes of LDH polycrystalline have little changed after the above redox reactions. The polyselenide and iodide LDH products were analyzed by XRD, Infrared and Raman spectra which strongly suggested the horizontal arrangement of polyselenide and triiodide in gallery space of LDHs.

Effect of interlayer coupling on the coexistence of antiferromagnetism and superconductivity in Fe pnictide superconductors: A study of Ca0.74 (1 )La0.26 (1 )(Fe1 -xCox)As2 single crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Shan; Liu, Lian; Schütt, Michael; Hallas, Alannah M.; Shen, Bing; Tian, Wei; Emmanouilidou, Eve; Shi, Aoshuang; Luke, Graeme M.; Uemura, Yasutomo J.; Fernandes, Rafael M.; Ni, Ni

2016-05-01

We report the transport, thermodynamic, muon spin relaxation, and neutron study of the Ca0.74 (1 )La0.26 (1 ) (Fe1 -xCox )As2 single crystals, mapping out the temperature-doping level phase diagram. Upon Co substitution on the Fe site, the structural and magnetic phase transitions in this 112 compound are suppressed and superconductivity up to 20 K occurs. Our measurements of the superconducting and magnetic volume fractions show that these two phases coexist microscopically in the underdoped region, in contrast to the related Ca10(Pt3As8 )((Fe1 -xPtx )2As2 )5 (10-3-8) compound, where coexistence is absent. Supported by model calculations, we discuss the differences in the phase diagrams of the 112 and 10-3-8 compounds in terms of the FeAs interlayer coupling, whose strength is affected by the character of the spacer layer, which is metallic in the 112 compound and insulating in the 10-3-8 compound.

Effect of organic matter on CO(2) hydrate phase equilibrium in phyllosilicate suspensions.

PubMed

Park, Taehyung; Kyung, Daeseung; Lee, Woojin

2014-06-17

In this study, we examined various CO2 hydrate phase equilibria under diverse, heterogeneous conditions, to provide basic knowledge for successful ocean CO2 sequestration in offshore marine sediments. We investigated the effect of geochemical factors on CO2 hydrate phase equilibrium. The three-phase (liquid-hydrate-vapor) equilibrium of CO2 hydrate in the presence of (i) organic matter (glycine, glucose, and urea), (ii) phyllosilicates [illite, kaolinite, and Na-montmorillonite (Na-MMT)], and (iii) mixtures of them was measured in the ranges of 274.5-277.0 K and 14-22 bar. Organic matter inhibited the phase equilibrium of CO2 hydrate by association with water molecules. The inhibition effect decreased in the order: urea < glycine < glucose. Illite and kaolinite (unexpandable clays) barely affected the CO2 hydrate phase equilibrium, while Na-MMT (expandable clay) affected the phase equilibrium because of its interlayer cations. The CO2 hydrate equilibrium conditions, in the illite and kaolinite suspensions with organic matter, were very similar to those in the aqueous organic matter solutions. However, the equilibrium condition in the Na-MMT suspension with organic matter changed because of reduction of its inhibition effect by intercalated organic matter associated with cations in the Na-MMT interlayer.

Fabrication of Optimized Superconducting Phase Inverters Based on Superconductor-Ferromagnet-Superconductor pi π -Junctions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bolginov, V. V.; Rossolenko, A. N.; Shkarin, A. B.; Oboznov, V. A.; Ryazanov, V. V.

2018-03-01

We have implemented a trilayer technological approach to fabricate Nb-Cu_{0.47} Ni_{0.53}-Nb superconducting phase inverters (π -junctions) with enhanced critical current. Within this technique, all three layers of the superconductor-ferromagnet-superconductor junction deposited in a single vacuum cycle that have allowed us to obtain π -junctions with critical current density up to 20 kA/cm^2. The value achieved is a factor of 10 higher than for the step-by-step method used in earlier works. Our additional experiments have shown that this difference is related to a bilayered CuNi/Cu barrier used in the case of the step-by-step technique and interlayer diffusion at the CuNi/Cu interface. We show that the interlayer diffusion can be utilized for fine tuning of the 0{-}π transition temperature of already fabricated junctions. The results obtained open new opportunities for the CuNi-based phase inverters in digital and quantum Josephson electronics.

Bonding and Integration Technologies for Silicon Carbide Based Injector Components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Halbig, Michael C.; Singh, Mrityunjay

2008-01-01

Advanced ceramic bonding and integration technologies play a critical role in the fabrication and application of silicon carbide based components for a number of aerospace and ground based applications. One such application is a lean direct injector for a turbine engine to achieve low NOx emissions. Ceramic to ceramic diffusion bonding and ceramic to metal brazing technologies are being developed for this injector application. For the diffusion bonding, titanium interlayers (PVD and foils) were used to aid in the joining of silicon carbide (SiC) substrates. The influence of such variables as surface finish, interlayer thickness (10, 20, and 50 microns), processing time and temperature, and cooling rates were investigated. Microprobe analysis was used to identify the phases in the bonded region. For bonds that were not fully reacted an intermediate phase, Ti5Si3Cx, formed that is thermally incompatible in its thermal expansion and caused thermal stresses and cracking during the processing cool-down. Thinner titanium interlayers and/or longer processing times resulted in stable and compatible phases that did not contribute to microcracking and resulted in an optimized microstructure. Tensile tests on the joined materials resulted in strengths of 13-28 MPa depending on the SiC substrate material. Non-destructive evaluation using ultrasonic immersion showed well formed bonds. For the joining technology of brazing Kovar fuel tubes to silicon carbide, preliminary development of the joining approach has begun. Various technical issues and requirements for the injector application are addressed.

Dynamics of radiocesium exchange and interstratification in anhydrous clay interlayers: Bridging the atom and single crystal scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lammers, L. N.; Pestana, L. R.; Schaettle, K. B.; Head-Gordon, T.

2016-12-01

High structural charge clay minerals govern the transport and retention of radiocesium in soils and clay-rich geologic repositories. Cation exchange capacities in these phases are typically assumed to be limited to fast-exchanging basal and high-affinity edge sites, while ions in anhydrous interlayers, usually K+, are considered non-exchangeable. However, recent high resolution imaging and spectroscopic studies have demonstrated that Cs ions can in fact exchange with interlayer K without the formation of a hydrated intermediate.1,2 These exchange reactions result in sharp exchange fronts wherein K+ ions are completely replaced by Cs+ at the exchange interface, and the rate of exchange varies from layer to layer, resulting in the formation of interstratified structures (i.e., randomly alternating layers of exchanged and pristine interlayers). Currently, this process cannot be explained by any known exchange mechanism, and consequently, no kinetic expressions are available to account for this phenomenon in models of subsurface radiocesium fate and transport. We present a mesoscale model for direct exchange in anhydrous clay interlayers that is based on the kinetics of single ion migration events. Single atom migration kinetics derived from density functional theory (DFT) calculations are used as inputs to kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) simulations, which capture the collective dynamics of the exchange process over length- and timescales relevant for implementation in reactive transport models. Potential energy surfaces derived from DFT demonstrate that exchange of Cs+ for K+ in anhydrous interlayers lowers the energy barrier to K ion migration by 145 kJ/mol, leading to a positive feedback mechanism that generates atomically sharp exchange fronts. Our work demonstrates the application of "coarse-graining" techniques to develop models for processes with characteristic length- and timescales not accessible by direct atomistic simulation. 1 Okumura T. et al. (2014) Direct observation of cesium at the interlayer region in phlogopite mica. Microscopy 63(1), 65-72. 2 Fuller A. J. et al. (2015) Caesium incorporation and retention in illite interlayers. Appl. Clay Sci. 108, 128-134.

High-quality multilayer graphene on an insulator formed by diffusion controlled Ni-induced layer exchange

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murata, H.; Saitoh, N.; Yoshizawa, N.; Suemasu, T.; Toko, K.

2017-12-01

The Ni-induced layer-exchange growth of amorphous carbon is a unique method used to fabricate uniform multilayer graphene (MLG) directly on an insulator. To improve the crystal quality of MLG, we prepare AlOx or SiO2 interlayers between amorphous C and Ni layers, which control the extent of diffusion of C atoms into the Ni layer. The growth morphology and Raman spectra observed from MLG formed by layer exchange strongly depend on the material type and thickness of the interlayers; a 1-nm-thick AlOx interlayer is found to be ideal for use in experiments. Transmission electron microscopy and electron energy-loss spectra reveal that the crystal quality of the resulting MLG is much higher than that of a sample without an interlayer. The grain size reaches a few μm, leading to an electrical conductivity of 1290 S/cm. The grain size and the electrical conductivity are the highest among MLG synthesized using a solid-phase reaction including metal-induced crystallization. The direct synthesis of uniform, high-quality MLG on arbitrary substrates will pave the way for advanced electronic devices integrated with carbon materials.

Enhancing charge transfer kinetics by nanoscale catalytic cermet interlayer.

PubMed

An, Jihwan; Kim, Young-Beom; Gür, Turgut M; Prinz, Fritz B

2012-12-01

Enhancing the density of catalytic sites is crucial for improving the performance of energy conversion devices. This work demonstrates the kinetic role of 2 nm thin YSZ/Pt cermet layers on enhancing the oxygen reduction kinetics for low temperature solid oxide fuel cells. Cermet layers were deposited between the porous Pt cathode and the dense YSZ electrolyte wafer using atomic layer deposition (ALD). Not only the catalytic role of the cermet layer itself but the mixing effect in the cermet was explored. For cells with unmixed and fully mixed cermet interlayers, the maximum power density was enhanced by a factor of 1.5 and 1.8 at 400 °C, and by 2.3 and 2.7 at 450 °C, respectively, when compared to control cells with no cermet interlayer. The observed enhancement in cell performance is believed to be due to the increased triple phase boundary (TPB) density in the cermet interlayer. We also believe that the sustained kinetics for the fully mixed cermet layer sample stems from better thermal stability of Pt islands separated by the ALD YSZ matrix, which helped to maintain the high-density TPBs even at elevated temperature.

Grain size engineering for ferroelectric Hf{sub 0.5}Zr{sub 0.5}O{sub 2} films by an insertion of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} interlayer

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

Kim, Han Joon; Park, Min Hyuk; Kim, Yu Jin

2014-11-10

The degradation of ferroelectric (FE) properties of atomic layer deposited Hf{sub 0.5}Zr{sub 0.5}O{sub 2} films with increasing thickness was mitigated by inserting 1 nm-thick Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} interlayer at middle position of the thickness of the FE film. The large P{sub r} of 10 μC/cm{sup 2}, which is 11 times larger than that of single layer Hf{sub 0.5}Zr{sub 0.5}O{sub 2} film with equivalent thickness, was achieved from the films as thick as 40 nm. The Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} interlayer could interrupt the continual growth of Hf{sub 0.5}Zr{sub 0.5}O{sub 2} films, and the resulting decrease of grain size prevented the formation of non-ferroelectricmore » monoclinic phase. The Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} interlayer also largely decreased the leakage current of the Hf{sub 0.5}Zr{sub 0.5}O{sub 2} films.« less

Interlayer Communication in Aurivillius Vanadate to Enable Defect Structures and Charge Ordering.

PubMed

Zhang, Yaoqing; Yamamoto, Takafumi; Green, Mark A; Kageyama, Hiroshi; Ueda, Yutaka

2015-11-16

The fluorite-like [Bi2O2](2+) layer is a fundamental building unit in a great variety of layered compounds. Here in this contribution, we presented a comprehensive study on an unusual Aurivillius phase Bi3.6V2O10 with respect to its defect chemistry and polymorphism control as well as implications for fast oxide ion transport at lower temperatures. The bismuth oxide layer in Bi4V2O11 is found to tolerate a large number of Bi vacancies without breaking the high temperature prototype I4/mmm structure (γ-phase). On cooling, an orthorhombic distortion occurs to the γ-phase, giving rise to a different type of phase (B-phase) in the intermediate temperature region. Cooling to room temperature causes a further transition to an oxygen-vacancy ordered A-phase, which is accompanied by the charge ordering of V(4+) and V(5+) cations, providing magnetic (d(1)) and nonmagnetic (d(0)) chains along the a axis. This is a novel charge ordering transition in terms of the concomitant change of oxygen coordination. Interestingly, upon quenching, both the γ- and B-phase can be kinetically trapped, enabling the structural probing of the two phases at ambient temperature. Driven by the thermodynamic forces, the oxide anion in the γ-phase undergoes an interlayer diffusion process to reshuffle the compositions of both Bi-O and V-O layers.

Electronic structure of the bismuth family of high-temperature superconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Donglai

High temperature superconductivity remains the central intellectual problem in condensed matter physics fifteen years after its discovery. Angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) directly probes the electronic structure, and has played an important role in the field of high temperature superconductors. With the recent advances in sample growth and the photoemission technique, we are able to study the electronic structure in great detail, and address regimes that were previously inaccessible. This thesis work contains systematic photoemission studies of the electronic structure of the Bi-family of high temperature superconductors, which include the single-layer system (Bi2201), the bi-layer system (Bi2212), and the tri-layer system (Bi2223). We show that, unlike conventional BCS superconductors, phase coherence information emerges in the single particle excitation spectrum of high temperature superconductors as the superconducting peak in Bi2212. The universality and various properties of this superconducting peak are studied in various systems. We argue that the origin of the superconducting peak may provide the key to understanding the mechanism of High-Tc superconductors. In addition, we identified a new experimental energy scale in the bilayer material, the anisotropic intra-bilayer coupling energy. For a long time, it was predicted that this energy scale would cause bilayer band splitting. We observe this phenomenon, for the first time, in heavily overdoped Bi2212. This new observation requires the revision of the previous picture of the electronic excitation in the Brillouin zone boundary. As the first ARPES study of a trilayer system, various detailed electronic properties of Bi2223 are examined. We show that, comparing with Bi2212, both superconducting gap and relative superconducting peak intensity become larger in Bi2223, however, the strength of the interlayer coupling within each unit cell is possibly weaker. These results suggest that the large superconducting phase transition temperature in a high temperature superconductor is associated with parameters that cause both large pairing strength and strong phase coherence in the system. The number of CuO2 layers in each unit cell is just one of the factors that affect these parameters.

Competition of simple and complex adoption on interdependent networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Czaplicka, Agnieszka; Toral, Raul; San Miguel, Maxi

2016-12-01

We consider the competition of two mechanisms for adoption processes: a so-called complex threshold dynamics and a simple susceptible-infected-susceptible (SIS) model. Separately, these mechanisms lead, respectively, to first-order and continuous transitions between nonadoption and adoption phases. We consider two interconnected layers. While all nodes on the first layer follow the complex adoption process, all nodes on the second layer follow the simple adoption process. Coupling between the two adoption processes occurs as a result of the inclusion of some additional interconnections between layers. We find that the transition points and also the nature of the transitions are modified in the coupled dynamics. In the complex adoption layer, the critical threshold required for extension of adoption increases with interlayer connectivity whereas in the case of an isolated single network it would decrease with average connectivity. In addition, the transition can become continuous depending on the detailed interlayer and intralayer connectivities. In the SIS layer, any interlayer connectivity leads to the extension of the adopter phase. Besides, a new transition appears as a sudden drop of the fraction of adopters in the SIS layer. The main numerical findings are described by a mean-field type analytical approach appropriately developed for the threshold-SIS coupled system.

Limited role of spectra in dynamo theory: coherent versus random dynamos.

PubMed

Tobias, Steven M; Cattaneo, Fausto

2008-09-19

We discuss the importance of phase information and coherence times in determining the dynamo properties of turbulent flows. We compare the kinematic dynamo properties of three flows with the same energy spectrum. The first flow is dominated by coherent structures with nontrivial phase information and long eddy coherence times, the second has random phases and long-coherence time, the third has nontrivial phase information, but short coherence time. We demonstrate that the first flow is the most efficient kinematic dynamo, owing to the presence of sustained stretching and constructive folding. We argue that these results place limitations on the possible inferences of the dynamo properties of flows from the use of spectra alone, and that the role of coherent structures must always be accounted for.

Phase investigation in Pt supported off-stoichiometric iron-platinum thin films

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

Gupta, Rekha; Medwal, Rohit; Annapoorni, S., E-mail: annapoornis@yahoo.co.in

2013-10-15

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Low temperature FePt L1{sub 0} phase transformation using Pt/Fe{sub 3}Pt/Pt structure. • Temperature dependent FCC to FCT phase investigation using Rietveld refinement. • Estimation of soft and hard ferromagnetic contribution from demagnetization curve. • Interlayer diffusion and stoichiometry conformation of L1{sub 0} phase using RBS. • Correlation of structural, magnetic and RBS studies were successfully understood. - Abstract: The structural and magnetic phase transformation of Pt/Fe{sub 3}Pt/Pt films on Si <1 0 0> substrates prepared by DC magnetron sputtering is investigated as a function of annealing temperature. Pt diffusion driven low temperature phase transformation frommore » A1 to L1{sub 0} phase is achieved at 300 °C, attaining a very high coercivity of 9 kOe. At 300 °C, 85% L1{sub 0} phase transformation is observed using the X-ray diffraction profile fitting. The estimated phase content is also further verified by fitting the demagnetization curve. The underlayer promotes the ordering at lower temperature while overlayer induces growth along (0 0 1) preferred orientation. Rutherford back scattering study reveals interlayer diffusion and confirms the desired stoichiometry for L1{sub 0} phase. The presence of Pt under-overlayer provides the Pt source and further facilitates the Pt diffusion, which makes it effective in promoting the phase ordering at a lower temperature.« less

Plasmon dispersion in strongly correlated superlattices

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

Lu, D.; Golden, K.I.; Kalman, G.

The dielectric response function of a strongly correlated superlattice is calculated in the quasilocalized charge (QLC) approximation. The resulting QLC static local-field correction, which contains both intralayer and interlayer pair-correlational effects, is identical to the correlational part of the third-frequency-moment sum-rule coefficient. This approximation treats the interlayer and intralayer couplings on an equal footing. The resulting dispersion relation is first analyzed to determine the effect of intralayer coupling on the out-of-phase acoustic-mode dispersion; in this approximation the interlayer coupling is suppressed and the mutual interaction of the layers is taken into account only through the average random-phase approximation (RPA) field.more » In the resulting mode dispersion, the onset of a finite-{ital k} ({ital k} being the in-plane wave number) reentrant low-frequency excitation developing (with decreasing {ital d}/{ital a}) into a dynamical instability is indicated ({ital a} being the in-plane Wigner-Seitz radius and {ital d} the distance between adjacent lattice planes). This dynamical instability parallels a static structural instability reported earlier both for a bilayer electron system and a superlattice and presumably indicates a structural change in the electron liquid. If one takes account of interlayer correlations beyond the RPA, the acoustic excitation spectrum is dramatically modified by the appearance of an energy gap which also has a stabilizing effect on the instability. We extend a previous energy gap study at {ital k}=0 [G. Kalman, Y. Ren, and K. I. Golden, Phys Rev. B {bold 50}, 2031 (1994)] to a calculation of the dispersion of the gapped acoustic excitation spectrum in the long-wavelength domain. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}« less

Intercalation of p-methycinnamic acid anion into Zn-Al layered double hydroxide to improve UV aging resistance of asphalt

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

Peng, Chao; State Key Laboratory of Silicate Materials for Architectures, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070; Dai, Jing

2015-02-15

A UV absorber, p-methycinnamic acid (PMCA), was intercalated into Zn-Al layered double hydroxide (LDH) by calcination recovery. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that the PMCA anions completely replaced the CO{sub 3}{sup 2−} anions in the interlayer galleries of Zn-Al-LDH containing PMCA anions (Zn-Al-PMCA-LDH). X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy showed that the interlayer distance increased from 0.78 nm to 1.82 nm after the substitution of PMCA anions for CO{sub 3}{sup 2−} anions. The similar diffraction angles of the CO{sub 3}{sup 2−} anion-containing Zn-Al-LDH (Zn-Al-CO{sub 3}{sup 2−}-LDH) and the Zn-Al-CO{sub 3}{sup 2−}-LDH/styrene–butadiene–styrene (SBS) modified asphalt implied that the asphalt molecules domore » not enter into the LDH interlayer galleries to form separated-phase structures. The different diffraction angles of Zn-Al-PMCA-LDH and Zn-Al-PMCA-LDH/SBS modified asphalt indicated that the asphalt molecules penetrated into the LDH interlayer galleries to form an expanded-phase structure. UV-Vis absorbance analyses showed that Zn-Al-PMCA-LDH was better able to block UV light due to the synergistic effects of PMCA and Zn-Al-LDH. Conventional physical tests and atomic force microscopy images of the SBS modified asphalt, Zn-Al-CO{sub 3}{sup 2−}-LDH/SBS modified asphalt and Zn-Al-PMCA-LDH/SBS modified asphalt before and after UV aging indicated that Zn-Al-PMCA-LDH improved the UV aging resistance of SBS modified asphalts.« less

Hilbert and Blaschke phases in the temporal coherence function of stationary broadband light.

PubMed

Fernández-Pousa, Carlos R; Maestre, Haroldo; Torregrosa, Adrián J; Capmany, Juan

2008-10-27

We show that the minimal phase of the temporal coherence function gamma (tau) of stationary light having a partially-coherent symmetric spectral peak can be computed as a relative logarithmic Hilbert transform of its amplitude with respect to its asymptotic behavior. The procedure is applied to experimental data from amplified spontaneous emission broadband sources in the 1.55 microm band with subpicosecond coherence times, providing examples of degrees of coherence with both minimal and non-minimal phase. In the latter case, the Blaschke phase is retrieved and the position of the Blaschke zeros determined.

Optoelectronic Control of Spin and Pseudospin in Layered WSe2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Aaron

2014-03-01

Coherent manipulation of spin-like quantum numbers facilitates the development of new quantum technologies. Layered transition metal dichalcogenides provide an ideal laboratory to exploit such dynamic control of spin, pseudospin, and their interplay. Here, we discuss two examples based on monolayer and bilayer WSe2. Due to the inversion asymmetry in monolayer WSe2, valley pseudospins, which index the degenerate extrema of the energy-momentum bands, possess circularly polarized optical selection rules. In addition to the generation of valley polarization through optical pumping of valley excitons, we demonstrate the creation of a coherent superposition between valley states in monolayer WSe2 by linearly polarized excitation. On the other hand, bilayer WSe2 provides an additional quantum degree of freedom, the layer pseudospin, which corresponds to layer polarization. In AB stacked bilayers, we find the real spin is locked to layer pseudospin for a given valley, which results in the suppression of spin relaxation and electrical control of spin Zeeman splitting without an applied magnetic field. Additionally, we obtain spectroscopic evidence of interlayer and intralayer trion species, an important step toward coherent optical control in van der Waals 2D heterostructures. Aaron Jones partially supported by NSF Grant No. DGE-0718124.

Multiplexing topologies and time scales: The gains and losses of synchrony

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makovkin, Sergey; Kumar, Anil; Zaikin, Alexey; Jalan, Sarika; Ivanchenko, Mikhail

2017-11-01

Inspired by the recent interest in collective dynamics of biological neural networks immersed in the glial cell medium, we investigate the frequency and phase order, i.e., Kuramoto type of synchronization in a multiplex two-layer network of phase oscillators of different time scales and topologies. One of them has a long-range connectivity, exemplified by the Erdős-Rényi random network, and supports both kinds of synchrony. The other is a locally coupled two-dimensional lattice that can reach frequency synchronization but lacks phase order. Drastically different layer frequencies disentangle intra- and interlayer synchronization. We find that an indirect but sufficiently strong coupling through the regular layer can induce both phase order in the originally nonsynchronized random layer and global order, even when an isolated regular layer does not manifest it in principle. At the same time, the route to global synchronization is complex: an initial onset of (partial) synchrony in the regular layer, when its intra- and interlayer coupling is increased, provokes the loss of synchrony even in the originally synchronized random layer. Ultimately, a developed asynchronous dynamics in both layers is abruptly taken over by the global synchrony of both kinds.

Ammonia induced precipitation of cobalt hydroxide: observation of turbostratic disorder

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramesh, T. N.; Rajamathi, Michael; Kamath, P. Vishnu

2003-05-01

Cobalt hydroxide freshly precipitated from aqueous solutions of Co salts using ammonia, is a layered phase having a 9.17 Å interlayer spacing. DIFFaX simulations of the PXRD pattern reveal that it is turbostratically disordered.

Deposition of defected graphene on (001) Si substrates by thermal decomposition of acetone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milenov, T. I.; Avramova, I.; Valcheva, E.; Avdeev, G. V.; Rusev, S.; Kolev, S.; Balchev, I.; Petrov, I.; Pishinkov, D.; Popov, V. N.

2017-11-01

We present results on the deposition and characterization of defected graphene by the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. The source of carbon/carbon-containing radicals is thermally decomposed acetone (C2H6CO) in Ar main gas flow. The deposition takes place on (001) Si substrates at about 1150-1160 °C. We established by Raman spectroscopy the presence of single- to few- layered defected graphene deposited on two types of interlayers that possess different surface morphology and consisted of mixed sp2 and sp3 hybridized carbon. The study of interlayers by XPS, XRD, GIXRD and SEM identifies different phase composition: i) a diamond-like carbon dominated film consisting some residual SiC, SiO2 etc.; ii) a sp2- dominated film consisting small quantities of C60/C70 fullerenes and residual Si-O-, Cdbnd O etc. species. The polarized Raman studies confirm the presence of many single-layered defected graphene areas that are larger than few microns in size on the predominantly amorphous carbon interlayers.

Restoring interlayer Josephson coupling in La 1.885 Ba 0.115 CuO 4 by charge transfer melting of stripe order

DOE PAGES

Khanna, V.; Mankowsky, R.; Petrich, M.; ...

2016-06-30

Here, we show that disruption of charge-density-wave (stripe) order by charge transfer excitation, enhances the superconducting phase rigidity in La 1.885Ba 0.115CuO 4. Time-resolved resonant soft x-ray diffraction demonstrates that charge order melting is prompt following near-infrared photoexcitation whereas the crystal structure remains intact for moderate fluences. THz time-domain spectroscopy reveals that, for the first 2 ps following photoexcitation, a new Josephson plasma resonance edge, at higher frequency with respect to the equilibrium edge, is induced indicating enhanced superconducting interlayer coupling. Furthermore, the fluence dependence of the charge-order melting and the enhanced superconducting interlayer coupling are correlated with a saturationmore » limit of ~0.5mJ/cm 2. When using a combination of x-ray and optical spectroscopies we establish a hierarchy of timescales between enhanced superconductivity, melting of charge order, and rearrangement of the crystal structure.« less

Microscopic theory of the Coulomb based exchange coupling in magnetic tunnel junctions.

PubMed

Udalov, O G; Beloborodov, I S

2017-05-04

We study interlayer exchange coupling based on the many-body Coulomb interaction between conduction electrons in magnetic tunnel junction. This mechanism complements the known interaction between magnetic layers based on virtual electron hopping (or spin currents). We find that these two mechanisms have different behavior on system parameters. The Coulomb based coupling may exceed the hopping based exchange. We show that the Coulomb based exchange interaction, in contrast to the hopping based coupling, depends strongly on the dielectric constant of the insulating layer. The dependence of the interlayer exchange interaction on the dielectric properties of the insulating layer in magnetic tunnel junction is similar to magneto-electric effect where electric and magnetic degrees of freedom are coupled. We calculate the interlayer coupling as a function of temperature and electric field for magnetic tunnel junction with ferroelectric layer and show that the exchange interaction between magnetic leads has a sharp decrease in the vicinity of the ferroelectric phase transition and varies strongly with external electric field.

Restoring interlayer Josephson coupling in La 1.885 Ba 0.115 CuO 4 by charge transfer melting of stripe order

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

Khanna, V.; Mankowsky, R.; Petrich, M.

Here, we show that disruption of charge-density-wave (stripe) order by charge transfer excitation, enhances the superconducting phase rigidity in La 1.885Ba 0.115CuO 4. Time-resolved resonant soft x-ray diffraction demonstrates that charge order melting is prompt following near-infrared photoexcitation whereas the crystal structure remains intact for moderate fluences. THz time-domain spectroscopy reveals that, for the first 2 ps following photoexcitation, a new Josephson plasma resonance edge, at higher frequency with respect to the equilibrium edge, is induced indicating enhanced superconducting interlayer coupling. Furthermore, the fluence dependence of the charge-order melting and the enhanced superconducting interlayer coupling are correlated with a saturationmore » limit of ~0.5mJ/cm 2. When using a combination of x-ray and optical spectroscopies we establish a hierarchy of timescales between enhanced superconductivity, melting of charge order, and rearrangement of the crystal structure.« less

Specific features of the atomic structure of metallic layers of multilayered (CoFeZr/SiO2)32 and (CoFeZr/ a-Si)40 nanostructures with different interlayers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Domashevskaya, E. P.; Guda, A. A.; Chernyshev, A. V.; Sitnikov, V. G.

2017-02-01

Multilayered nanostructures (MN) were prepared by ion-beam successive sputtering from two targets, one of which was a metallic Co45Fe45Zr10 alloy plate and another target was a quartz (SiO2) or silicon plate on the surface of a rotating glass-ceramic substrate in an argon atmosphere. The Co and Fe K edges X-ray absorption fine structure of XANES in the (CoFeZr/SiO2)32 sample with oxide interlayers was similar to XANES of metallic Fe foil. This indicated the existence in metallic layers of multilayered CoFeZr nanocrystals with a local environment similar to the atomic environment in solid solutions on the base of bcc Fe structure, which is also confirmed by XRD data. XANES near the Co and Fe K edges absorption in another multilayered nanostructure with silicon interlayers (CoFeZr/ a-Si)40 differs from XANES of MN with dielectric SiO2 interlayer, which demonstrates a dominant influence of the Fe-Si and Co-Si bonds in the local environment of 3 d Co and Fe metals when they form CoFeSi-type silicide phases in thinner bilayers of this MN.

Study of composite thin films for applications in high density data storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Hua

Granular Co-alloy + oxide thin films are currently used as the magnetic recording layer of perpendicular media in hard disk drives. The microstructure of these films is composed mainly of fine (7--10 nm) magnetic grains physically surrounded by oxide phases, which produce magnetic isolation of the grains. As a result, the magnetic switching volume is maintained as small as the physical grain size. Consequently, ample number of magnetic switching units can be obtained in one recording bit, in other words, higher signal to noise ratios (SNR) can be achieved. Therefore, a good understanding and control of the microstructure of the films is very important for high areal density magnetic recording media. Interlayers and seedlayers play important roles in controlling the microstructure in terms of grain size, grain size distribution, oxide segregation and orientation dispersion of the crystallographic texture. Developing novel interlayers or seedlayers with smaller grain size is a key approach to produce smaller grain size in the recording layer. This study focuses on how to achieve smaller grain sizes in the recording layer through novel interlayer/seedlayer materials and processes. It also discusses the resulting microstructure in smaller-grain-size thin films. Metal + oxide (e.g. Ru + SiO2) composite thin films were chosen as interlayer and seedlayer materials due to their unique segregated microstructure. Such layers can be grown epitaxially on top of fcc metal seedlayers with good orientation. It can also provide an epitaxial growth template for the subsequent magnetic layer (recording layer). The metal and oxide phases in the composite thin films are immiscible. The final microstructure of the interlayer depends on factors, such as, sputtering pressure, oxide species, oxide volume fraction, thickness, alloy composition, temperature etc. Moreover, it has been found that the microstructure of the composite thin films is affected mostly by two important factors---oxide volume fraction and sputtering pressure. The latter affects grain size and grain segregation through surface-diffusion modification and the self-shadowing effect. The composite Ru + oxide interlayers were found to have various microstructures under various sputtering conditions. Four characteristic microstructure zones can be identified as a function of oxide volume fraction and sputtering pressure---"percolated" (A), "maze" (T), "granular" (B) and "embedded" (C), based on which, a new structural zone model (SZM) is established for composite thin films. The granular microstructure of zone B is of particular interest for recording media application. The grain size of interlayers is a strong function of pressure, oxide species and oxide volume fraction. Magnetic layers grown on top of these interlayers were found to be significantly affected by the interlayer microstructure. One-to-one grain epitaxial growth is very difficult to achieve when the grain size is too small. As a result, the magnetic properties of smaller grain size magnetic layers deteriorate due to poor growth. This presents a huge challenge to high areal density magnetic recording media. A novel approach of Ar-ion etched Ru seedlayer, which can improve epitaxy between interlayer and magnetic layer is proposed. This method produces interlayer thin films of: (1) smaller grain size and higher nucleation density due to both a rougher seedlayer surface and an oxide addition in the interlayer; (2) good (00.2) texture due to the growth on top of the low pressure deposited Ru seedlayer; (3) dome-shape grain morphology due to the high pressure deposition. Therefore, a significant Ru grain size reduction with enhanced granular morphology and improved grain-to-grain epitaxy with the magnetic layer was achieved. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques, such as, electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), energy-filtered TEM (EFTEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and mapping, and high angle annular dark field (HAADF) imaging have been utilized to investigate elemental distribution and grain morphology in composite magnetic thin films of different grain sizes. An oxygen-rich grain shell of about 0.5 ˜ 1 nm thickness is often observed for most media with different grain sizes. Reducing the grain size increases surface to volume ratio. With more surface area, smaller grains are more vulnerable to oxidization, resulting in even greater influence of the oxide on the magnetic properties of the grains.

Surface and interlayer base-characters in lepidocrocite titanate: The adsorption and intercalation of fatty acid

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

Maluangnont, Tosapol, E-mail: tosapol.ma@kmitl.ac.th; Catalytic Chemistry Research Unit, Faculty of Science, King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok 10520; Arsa, Pornanan

2016-06-15

While layered double hydroxides (LDHs) with positively-charged sheets are well known as basic materials, layered metal oxides having negatively-charged sheets are not generally recognized so. In this article, the surface and interlayer base-characters of O{sup 2−} sites in layered metal oxides have been demonstrated, taking lepidocrocite titanate K{sub 0.8}Zn{sub 0.4}Ti{sub 1.6}O{sub 4} as an example. The low basicity (0.04 mmol CO{sub 2}/g) and low desorption temperature (50–300 °C) shown by CO{sub 2}− TPD suggests that O{sup 2−} sites at the external surfaces is weakly basic, while those at the interlayer space are mostly inaccessible to CO{sub 2}. The liquid-phase adsorptionmore » study, however, revealed the uptake as much as 37% by mass of the bulky palmitic acid (C{sub 16} acid). The accompanying expansion of the interlayer space by ~0.1 nm was detected by PXRD and TEM. In an opposite manner to the external surfaces, the interlayer O{sup 2−} sites can deprotonate palmitic acid, forming the salt (i.e., potassium palmitate) occluded between the sheets. Two types of basic sites are proposed based on ultrafast {sup 1}H MAS NMR and FTIR results. The interlayer basic sites in lepidocrocite titanate leads to an application of this material as a selective and stable two-dimensional (2D) basic catalyst, as demonstrated by the ketonization of palmitic acid into palmitone (C{sub 31} ketone). Tuning of the catalytic activity by varying the type of metal (Zn, Mg, and Li) substituting at Ti{sup IV} sites was also illustrated. - Graphical abstract: Interlayer basic sites in lepidocrocite titanate, K{sub 0.8}Zn{sub 0.4}Ti{sub 1.6}O{sub 4}, lead to an intercalation of palmitic acid with a layer expansion. Display Omitted - Highlights: • K{sub 0.8}Zn{sub 0.4}Ti{sub 1.6}O{sub 4} intercalates palmitic acid, forming the occluded potassium salt. • The interlayer expansion is evidenced by PXRD patterns and TEM image. • Two types of basic sites are deduced from ultrafast {sup 1}H MAS NMR. • Lepidocrocite titanate catalyses ketonization of palmitic acid to palmitone and corresponding cracked products.« less

Paraelectric-antiferroelectric phase transition in achiral liquid crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pociecha, Damian; Gorecka, Ewa; Čepič, Mojca; Vaupotič, Nataša; Gomola, Kinga; Mieczkowski, Jozef

2005-12-01

Critical freezing of molecular rotation in an achiral smectic phase, which leads to polar ordering through the second order paraelectric-antiferroelectric (Sm-A→Sm-APA) phase transition is studied theoretically and experimentally. Strong softening of the polar mode in the Sm-A phase and highly intensive dielectric mode in the Sm-APA phase are observed due to weak antiferroelectric interactions in the system. In the Sm-APA phase the dielectric response behaves critically upon biasing by a dc electric field. Such a behavior is found general for the antiferroelectric smectic phase with significant quadrupolar interlayer coupling.

Effects of molecular chirality on self-assembly and switching in liquid crystals at the cross-over between rod-like and bent shapes.

PubMed

Ocak, Hale; Poppe, Marco; Bilgin-Eran, Belkız; Karanlık, Gürkan; Prehm, Marko; Tschierske, Carsten

2016-09-21

A bent-core compound derived from a 4-cyanoresorcinol core unit with two terephthalate based rod-like wings and carrying chiral 3,7-dimethyloctyloxy side chains has been synthesized in racemic and enantiomerically pure form and characterized by polarizing microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction and electro-optical investigations to study the influence of molecular chirality on the superstructural chirality and polar order in lamellar liquid crystalline phases. Herein we demonstrate that the coupling of molecular chirality with superstructural layer chirality in SmCsPF domain phases (forming energetically distinct diastereomeric pairs) can fix the tilt direction and thus stabilize synpolar order, leading to bistable ferroelectric switching in the SmC* phases of the (S)-enantiomer, whereas tristable modes determine the switching of the racemate. Moreover, the mechanism of electric field induced molecular reorganization changes from a rotation around the molecular long axis in the racemate to a rotation on the tilt-cone for the (S)-enantiomer. At high temperature the enantiomer behaves like a rod-like molecule with a chirality induced ferroelectric SmC* phase and an electroclinic effect in the SmA'* phase. At reduced temperature sterically induced polarization, due to the bent molecular shape, becomes dominating, leading to much higher polarization values, thus providing access to high polarization ferroelectric materials with weakly bent compounds having only "weakly chiral" stereogenic units. Moreover, the field induced alignment of the SmCsPF(()*()) domains gives rise to a special kind of electroclinic effect appearing even in the absence of molecular chirality. Comparison with related compounds indicates that the strongest effects of chirality appear for weakly bent molecules with a relatively short coherence length of polar order, whereas for smectic phases with long range polar order the effects of the interlayer interfaces can override the chirality effects.

Fractional Solitons in Excitonic Josephson Junctions.

PubMed

Hsu, Ya-Fen; Su, Jung-Jung

2015-10-29

The Josephson effect is especially appealing to physicists because it reveals macroscopically the quantum order and phase. In excitonic bilayers the effect is even subtler due to the counterflow of supercurrent as well as the tunneling between layers (interlayer tunneling). Here we study, in a quantum Hall bilayer, the excitonic Josephson junction: a conjunct of two exciton condensates with a relative phase ϕ0 applied. The system is mapped into a pseudospin ferromagnet then described numerically by the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation. In the presence of interlayer tunneling, we identify a family of fractional sine-Gordon solitons which resemble the static fractional Josephson vortices in the extended superconducting Josephson junctions. Each fractional soliton carries a topological charge Q that is not necessarily a half/full integer but can vary continuously. The calculated current-phase relation (CPR) shows that solitons with Q = ϕ0/2π is the lowest energy state starting from zero ϕ0 - until ϕ0 > π - then the alternative group of solitons with Q = ϕ0/2π - 1 takes place and switches the polarity of CPR.

Fractional Solitons in Excitonic Josephson Junctions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Jung-Jung; Hsu, Ya-Fen

The Josephson effect is especially appealing because it reveals macroscopically the quantum order and phase. Here we study this effect in an excitonic Josephson junction: a conjunct of two exciton condensates with a relative phase ϕ0 applied. Such a junction is proposed to take place in the quantum Hall bilayer (QHB) that makes it subtler than in superconductor because of the counterflow of excitonic supercurrent and the interlayer tunneling in QHB. We treat the system theoretically by first mapping it into a pseudospin ferromagnet then describing it by the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation. In the presence of interlayer tunneling, the excitonic Josephson junction can possess a family of fractional sine-Gordon solitons that resemble the static fractional Josephson vortices in the extended superconducting Josephson junctions. Interestingly, each fractional soliton carries a topological charge Q which is not necessarily a half/full integer but can vary continuously. The resultant current-phase relation (CPR) shows that solitons with Q =ϕ0 / 2 π are the lowest energy states for small ϕ0. When ϕ0 > π , solitons with Q =ϕ0 / 2 π - 1 take place - the polarity of CPR is then switched.

Fractional Solitons in Excitonic Josephson Junctions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsu, Ya-Fen; Su, Jung-Jung

2015-10-01

The Josephson effect is especially appealing to physicists because it reveals macroscopically the quantum order and phase. In excitonic bilayers the effect is even subtler due to the counterflow of supercurrent as well as the tunneling between layers (interlayer tunneling). Here we study, in a quantum Hall bilayer, the excitonic Josephson junction: a conjunct of two exciton condensates with a relative phase ϕ0 applied. The system is mapped into a pseudospin ferromagnet then described numerically by the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation. In the presence of interlayer tunneling, we identify a family of fractional sine-Gordon solitons which resemble the static fractional Josephson vortices in the extended superconducting Josephson junctions. Each fractional soliton carries a topological charge Q that is not necessarily a half/full integer but can vary continuously. The calculated current-phase relation (CPR) shows that solitons with Q = ϕ0/2π is the lowest energy state starting from zero ϕ0 - until ϕ0 > π - then the alternative group of solitons with Q = ϕ0/2π - 1 takes place and switches the polarity of CPR.

Alteration of bentonite when contacted with supercritical CO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jinseok, K.; Jo, H. Y.; Yun, S. T.

2014-12-01

Deep saline formations overlaid by impermeable caprocks with a high sealing capacity are attractive CO2 storage reservoirs. Shales, which consist of mainly clay minerals, are potential caprocks for the CO2 storage reservoirs. The properties of clay minerals in shales may affect the sealing capacity of shales. In this study, changes in clay minerals' properties when contacted with supercritical (SC) CO2 at various conditions were investigated. Bentonite, whichis composed of primarily montmorillonite, was used as the clay material in this study. Batch reactor tests on wet bentonite samples in the presence of SC CO2 with or without aqueous phases were conducted at high pressure (12 MPa) and moderate temperature (50 oC) conditions for a week. Results show that the bentonite samples obtained from the tests with SC CO2 had less change in porosity than those obtained from the tests without SC CO2 (vacuum-drying) at a given reaction time, indicating that the bentonite samples dried in the presence of SC CO2 maintained their structure. These results suggest that CO2 molecules can diffuse into interlayer of montmorillonite, which is a primary mineral of bentonite, and form a single CO2 molecule layer or double CO2 molecule layers. The CO2 molecules can displace water molecules in the interlayer, resulting in maintaining the interlayer spacing when dehydration occurs. Noticeable changes in reacted bentonite samples obtained from the tests with an aqueous phase (NaCl, CaCl2, or sea water) are decreases in the fraction of plagioclase and pyrite and formation of carbonate minerals (i.e., calcite and dolomite) and halite. In addition, no significant exchanges of Na or Ca on the exchangeable complex of the montmorillonite in the presence of SC CO2 occurred, resulting in no significant changes in the swelling capacity of bentonite samples after reacting with SC CO2 in the presence of aqueous phases. These results might be attributed by the CO2 molecule layer, which prevents diffusion of ions into the interlayer.

Quantifying Neural Oscillatory Synchronization: A Comparison between Spectral Coherence and Phase-Locking Value Approaches

PubMed Central

Lowet, Eric; Roberts, Mark J.; Bonizzi, Pietro; Karel, Joël; De Weerd, Peter

2016-01-01

Synchronization or phase-locking between oscillating neuronal groups is considered to be important for coordination of information among cortical networks. Spectral coherence is a commonly used approach to quantify phase locking between neural signals. We systematically explored the validity of spectral coherence measures for quantifying synchronization among neural oscillators. To that aim, we simulated coupled oscillatory signals that exhibited synchronization dynamics using an abstract phase-oscillator model as well as interacting gamma-generating spiking neural networks. We found that, within a large parameter range, the spectral coherence measure deviated substantially from the expected phase-locking. Moreover, spectral coherence did not converge to the expected value with increasing signal-to-noise ratio. We found that spectral coherence particularly failed when oscillators were in the partially (intermittent) synchronized state, which we expect to be the most likely state for neural synchronization. The failure was due to the fast frequency and amplitude changes induced by synchronization forces. We then investigated whether spectral coherence reflected the information flow among networks measured by transfer entropy (TE) of spike trains. We found that spectral coherence failed to robustly reflect changes in synchrony-mediated information flow between neural networks in many instances. As an alternative approach we explored a phase-locking value (PLV) method based on the reconstruction of the instantaneous phase. As one approach for reconstructing instantaneous phase, we used the Hilbert Transform (HT) preceded by Singular Spectrum Decomposition (SSD) of the signal. PLV estimates have broad applicability as they do not rely on stationarity, and, unlike spectral coherence, they enable more accurate estimations of oscillatory synchronization across a wide range of different synchronization regimes, and better tracking of synchronization-mediated information flow among networks. PMID:26745498

Development and Characterization of the Bonding and Integration Technologies Needed for Fabricating Silicon Carbide Based Injector Components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Halbig,Michael C.; Singh, Mrityunjay

2008-01-01

Advanced ceramic bonding and integration technologies play a critical role in the fabrication and application of silicon carbide based components for a number of aerospace and ground based applications. One such application is a lean direct injector for a turbine engine to achieve low NOx emissions. Ceramic to ceramic diffusion bonding and ceramic to metal brazing technologies are being developed for this injector application. For the diffusion bonding technology, titanium interlayers (coatings and foils) were used to aid in the joining of silicon carbide (SiC) substrates. The influence of such variables as surface finish, interlayer thickness, and processing time were investigated. Electron microprobe analysis was used to identify the reaction formed phases. In the diffusion bonds, an intermediate phase, Ti5Si3Cx, formed that is thermally incompatible in its thermal expansion and caused thermal stresses and cracking during the processing cool-down. Thinner interlayers of pure titanium and/or longer processing times resulted in an optimized microstructure. Tensile tests on the joined materials resulted in strengths of 13-28 MPa depending on the SiC substrate material. Nondestructive evaluation using ultrasonic immersion showed well formed bonds. For the joining technology of brazing Kovar fuel tubes to silicon carbide, preliminary development of the joining approach has begun. Various technical issues and requirements for the injector application are addressed.

Fourier phase in Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography.

PubMed

Uttam, Shikhar; Liu, Yang

2015-12-01

Phase of an electromagnetic wave propagating through a sample-of-interest is well understood in the context of quantitative phase imaging in transmission-mode microscopy. In the past decade, Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography has been used to extend quantitative phase imaging to the reflection-mode. Unlike transmission-mode electromagnetic phase, however, the origin and characteristics of reflection-mode Fourier phase are poorly understood, especially in samples with a slowly varying refractive index. In this paper, the general theory of Fourier phase from first principles is presented, and it is shown that Fourier phase is a joint estimate of subresolution offset and mean spatial frequency of the coherence-gated sample refractive index. It is also shown that both spectral-domain phase microscopy and depth-resolved spatial-domain low-coherence quantitative phase microscopy are special cases of this general theory. Analytical expressions are provided for both, and simulations are presented to explain and support the theoretical results. These results are further used to show how Fourier phase allows the estimation of an axial mean spatial frequency profile of the sample, along with depth-resolved characterization of localized optical density change and sample heterogeneity. Finally, a Fourier phase-based explanation of Doppler optical coherence tomography is also provided.

Phases of a stack of membranes in a large number of dimensions of configuration space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borelli, M. E.; Kleinert, H.

2001-05-01

The phase diagram of a stack of tensionless membranes with nonlinear curvature energy and vertical harmonic interaction is calculated exactly in a large number of dimensions of configuration space. At low temperatures, the system forms a lamellar phase with spontaneously broken translational symmetry in the vertical direction. At a critical temperature, the stack disorders vertically in a meltinglike transition. The critical temperature is determined as a function of the interlayer separation l.

Measuring finite-range phase coherence in an optical lattice using Talbot interferometry

PubMed Central

Santra, Bodhaditya; Baals, Christian; Labouvie, Ralf; Bhattacherjee, Aranya B.; Pelster, Axel; Ott, Herwig

2017-01-01

One of the important goals of present research is to control and manipulate coherence in a broad variety of systems, such as semiconductor spintronics, biological photosynthetic systems, superconducting qubits and complex atomic networks. Over the past decades, interferometry of atoms and molecules has proven to be a powerful tool to explore coherence. Here we demonstrate a near-field interferometer based on the Talbot effect, which allows us to measure finite-range phase coherence of ultracold atoms in an optical lattice. We apply this interferometer to study the build-up of phase coherence after a quantum quench of a Bose–Einstein condensate residing in a one-dimensional optical lattice. Our technique of measuring finite-range phase coherence is generic, easy to adopt and can be applied in practically all lattice experiments without further modifications. PMID:28580941

Coherent-Phase Monitoring Of Cavitation In Turbomachines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jong, Jen-Yi

1996-01-01

Digital electronic signal-processing system analyzes outputs of accelerometers mounted on turbomachine to detect vibrations characteristic of cavitation. Designed to overcome limitation imposed by interference from discrete components. System digitally implements technique called "coherent-phase wide-band demodulation" (CPWBD), using phase-only (PO) filtering along envelope detection to search for unique coherent-phase relationship associated with cavitation and to minimize influence of large-amplitude discrete components.

Practical somewhat-secure quantum somewhat-homomorphic encryption with coherent states

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Si-Hui; Ouyang, Yingkai; Rohde, Peter P.

2018-04-01

We present a scheme for implementing homomorphic encryption on coherent states encoded using phase-shift keys. The encryption operations require only rotations in phase space, which commute with computations in the code space performed via passive linear optics, and with generalized nonlinear phase operations that are polynomials of the photon-number operator in the code space. This encoding scheme can thus be applied to any computation with coherent-state inputs, and the computation proceeds via a combination of passive linear optics and generalized nonlinear phase operations. An example of such a computation is matrix multiplication, whereby a vector representing coherent-state amplitudes is multiplied by a matrix representing a linear optics network, yielding a new vector of coherent-state amplitudes. By finding an orthogonal partitioning of the support of our encoded states, we quantify the security of our scheme via the indistinguishability of the encrypted code words. While we focus on coherent-state encodings, we expect that this phase-key encoding technique could apply to any continuous-variable computation scheme where the phase-shift operator commutes with the computation.

Controllably Designed "Vice-Electrode" Interlayers Harvesting High Performance Lithium Sulfur Batteries.

PubMed

Hao, Youchen; Xiong, Dongbin; Liu, Wen; Fan, Linlin; Li, Dejun; Li, Xifei

2017-11-22

An interlayer has been regarded as a promising mediator to prolong the life span of lithium sulfur batteries because its excellent absorbability to soluble polysulfide efficiently hinders the shuttle effect. Herein, we designed various interlayers and understand the working mechanism of an interlayer for lithium sulfur batteries in detail. It was found that the electrochemical performance of a S electrode for an interlayer located in cathode side is superior to the pristine one without interlayers. Surprisingly, the performance of the S electrode for an interlayer located in anode side is poorer than that of pristine one. For comparison, glass fibers were also studied as a nonconductive interlayer for lithium sulfur batteries. Unlike the two interlayers above, these nonconductive interlayer did displays significant capacity fading because polysulfides were adsorbed onto insulated interlayer. Thus, the nonconductive interlayer function as a "dead zone" upon cycling. Based on our findings, it was for the first time proposed that a controllably optimized interlayer, with electrical conductivity as well as the absorbability of polysulfides, may function as a "vice-electrode" of the anode or cathode upon cycling. Therefore, the cathodic conductive interlayer can enhance lithium sulfur battery performance, and the anodic conductive interlayer may be helpful for the rational design of 3D networks for the protection of lithium metal.

Effect of subaperture beamforming on phase coherence imaging.

PubMed

Hasegawa, Hideyuki; Kanai, Hiroshi

2014-11-01

High-frame-rate echocardiography using unfocused transmit beams and parallel receive beamforming is a promising method for evaluation of cardiac function, such as imaging of rapid propagation of vibration of the heart wall resulting from electrical stimulation of the myocardium. In this technique, high temporal resolution is realized at the expense of spatial resolution and contrast. The phase coherence factor has been developed to improve spatial resolution and contrast in ultrasonography. It evaluates the variance in phases of echo signals received by individual transducer elements after delay compensation, as in the conventional delay-andsum beamforming process. However, the phase coherence factor suppresses speckle echoes because phases of speckle echoes fluctuate as a result of interference of echoes. In the present study, the receiving aperture was divided into several subapertures, and conventional delay-and-sum beamforming was performed with respect to each subaperture to suppress echoes from scatterers except for that at a focal point. After subaperture beamforming, the phase coherence factor was obtained from beamformed RF signals from respective subapertures. By means of this procedure, undesirable echoes, which can interfere with the echo from a focal point, can be suppressed by subaperture beamforming, and the suppression of the phase coherence factor resulting from phase fluctuation caused by such interference can be avoided. In the present study, the effect of subaperture beamforming in high-frame-rate echocardiography with the phase coherence factor was evaluated using a phantom. By applying subaperture beamforming, the average intensity of speckle echoes from a diffuse scattering medium was significantly higher (-39.9 dB) than that obtained without subaperture beamforming (-48.7 dB). As for spatial resolution, the width at half-maximum of the lateral echo amplitude profile obtained without the phase coherence factor was 1.06 mm. By using the phase coherence factor, spatial resolution was improved significantly, and subaperture beamforming achieved a better spatial resolution of 0.75 mm than that of 0.78 mm obtained without subaperture beamforming.

Large D-2 theory of superconducting fluctuations in a magnetic field and its application to iron pnictides.

PubMed

Murray, James M; Tesanović, Zlatko

2010-07-16

A Ginzburg-Landau approach to fluctuations of a layered superconductor in a magnetic field is used to show that the interlayer coupling can be incorporated within an interacting self-consistent theory of a single layer, in the limit of a large number of neighboring layers. The theory exhibits two phase transitions-a vortex liquid-to-solid transition is followed by a Bose-Einstein condensation into the Abrikosov lattice-illustrating the essential role of interlayer coupling. By using this theory, explicit expressions for magnetization, specific heat, and fluctuation conductivity are derived. We compare our results with recent experimental data on the iron-pnictide superconductors.

Spin-wave energy dispersion of a frustrated spin-½ Heisenberg antiferromagnet on a stacked square lattice.

PubMed

Majumdar, Kingshuk

2011-03-23

The effects of interlayer coupling and spatial anisotropy on the spin-wave excitation spectra of a three-dimensional spatially anisotropic, frustrated spin-½ Heisenberg antiferromagnet (HAFM) are investigated for the two ordered phases using second-order spin-wave expansion. We show that the second-order corrections to the spin-wave energies are significant and find that the energy spectra of the three-dimensional HAFM have similar qualitative features to the energy spectra of the two-dimensional HAFM on a square lattice. We also discuss the features that can provide experimental measures for the strength of the interlayer coupling, spatial anisotropy parameter, and magnetic frustration.

Coherent Optical Communications: Historical Perspectives and Future Directions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kikuchi, Kazuro

Coherent optical fiber communications were studied extensively in the 1980s mainly because high sensitivity of coherent receivers could elongate the unrepeated transmission distance; however, their research and development have been interrupted for nearly 20 years behind the rapid progress in high-capacity wavelength-division multiplexed (WDM) systems using erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs). In 2005, the demonstration of digital carrier phase estimation in coherent receivers has stimulated a widespread interest in coherent optical communications again. This is due to the fact that the digital coherent receiver enables us to employ a variety of spectrally efficient modulation formats such as M-ary phase-shift keying (PSK) and quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) without relying upon a rather complicated optical phase-locked loop. In addition, since the phase information is preserved after detection, we can realize electrical post-processing functions such as compensation for chromatic dispersion and polarization-mode dispersion in the digital domain. These advantages of the born-again coherent receiver have enormous potential for innovating existing optical communication systems. In this chapter, after reviewing the 20-year history of coherent optical communication systems, we describe the principle of operation of coherent detection, the concept of the digital coherent receiver, and its performance evaluation. Finally, challenges for the future are summarized.

Phase-insensitive storage of coherences by reversible mapping onto long-lived populations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mieth, Simon; Genov, Genko T.; Yatsenko, Leonid P.; Vitanov, Nikolay V.; Halfmann, Thomas

2016-01-01

We theoretically develop and experimentally demonstrate a coherence population mapping (CPM) protocol to store atomic coherences in long-lived populations, enabling storage times far beyond the typically very short decoherence times of quantum systems. The amplitude and phase of an atomic coherence is written onto the populations of a three-state system by specifically designed sequences of radiation pulses from two coupling fields. As an important feature, the CPM sequences enable a retrieval efficiency, which is insensitive to the phase of the initial coherence. The information is preserved in every individual atom of the medium, enabling applications in purely homogeneously or inhomogeneously broadened ensembles even when stochastic phase jumps are the main source of decoherence. We experimentally confirm the theoretical predictions by applying CPM for storage of atomic coherences in a doped solid, reaching storage times in the regime of 1 min.

Fractional Quantum Hall Effect in Infinite-Layer Systems

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

Naud, J. D.; Pryadko, Leonid P.; Sondhi, S. L.

2000-12-18

Stacked two dimensional electron systems in transverse magnetic fields exhibit three dimensional fractional quantum Hall phases. We analyze the simplest such phases and find novel bulk properties, e.g., irrational braiding. These phases host ''one and a half'' dimensional surface phases in which motion in one direction is chiral. We offer a general analysis of conduction in the latter by combining sum rule and renormalization group arguments, and find that when interlayer tunneling is marginal or irrelevant they are chiral semimetals that conduct only at T>0 or with disorder.

Topological Quantum Phase Transitions in Two-Dimensional Hexagonal Lattice Bilayers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhai, Xuechao; Jin, Guojun

2013-09-01

Since the successful fabrication of graphene, two-dimensional hexagonal lattice structures have become a research hotspot in condensed matter physics. In this short review, we theoretically focus on discussing the possible realization of a topological insulator (TI) phase in systems of graphene bilayer (GBL) and boron nitride bilayer (BNBL), whose band structures can be experimentally modulated by an interlayer bias voltage. Under the bias, a band gap can be opened in AB-stacked GBL but is still closed in AA-stacked GBL and significantly reduced in AA- or AB-stacked BNBL. In the presence of spin-orbit couplings (SOCs), further demonstrations indicate whether the topological quantum phase transition can be realized strongly depends on the stacking orders and symmetries of structures. It is observed that a bulk band gap can be first closed and then reopened when the Rashba SOC increases for gated AB-stacked GBL or when the intrinsic SOC increases for gated AA-stacked BNBL. This gives a distinct signal for a topological quantum phase transition, which is further characterized by a jump of the ℤ2 topological invariant. At fixed SOCs, the TI phase can be well switched by the interlayer bias and the phase boundaries are precisely determined. For AA-stacked GBL and AB-stacked BNBL, no strong TI phase exists, regardless of the strength of the intrinsic or Rashba SOCs. At last, a brief overview is given on other two-dimensional hexagonal materials including silicene and molybdenum disulfide bilayers.

Fourier phase in Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography

PubMed Central

Uttam, Shikhar; Liu, Yang

2015-01-01

Phase of an electromagnetic wave propagating through a sample-of-interest is well understood in the context of quantitative phase imaging in transmission-mode microscopy. In the past decade, Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography has been used to extend quantitative phase imaging to the reflection-mode. Unlike transmission-mode electromagnetic phase, however, the origin and characteristics of reflection-mode Fourier phase are poorly understood, especially in samples with a slowly varying refractive index. In this paper, the general theory of Fourier phase from first principles is presented, and it is shown that Fourier phase is a joint estimate of subresolution offset and mean spatial frequency of the coherence-gated sample refractive index. It is also shown that both spectral-domain phase microscopy and depth-resolved spatial-domain low-coherence quantitative phase microscopy are special cases of this general theory. Analytical expressions are provided for both, and simulations are presented to explain and support the theoretical results. These results are further used to show how Fourier phase allows the estimation of an axial mean spatial frequency profile of the sample, along with depth-resolved characterization of localized optical density change and sample heterogeneity. Finally, a Fourier phase-based explanation of Doppler optical coherence tomography is also provided. PMID:26831383

Phase retrieval by coherent modulation imaging.

PubMed

Zhang, Fucai; Chen, Bo; Morrison, Graeme R; Vila-Comamala, Joan; Guizar-Sicairos, Manuel; Robinson, Ian K

2016-11-18

Phase retrieval is a long-standing problem in imaging when only the intensity of the wavefield can be recorded. Coherent diffraction imaging is a lensless technique that uses iterative algorithms to recover amplitude and phase contrast images from diffraction intensity data. For general samples, phase retrieval from a single-diffraction pattern has been an algorithmic and experimental challenge. Here we report a method of phase retrieval that uses a known modulation of the sample exit wave. This coherent modulation imaging method removes inherent ambiguities of coherent diffraction imaging and uses a reliable, rapidly converging iterative algorithm involving three planes. It works for extended samples, does not require tight support for convergence and relaxes dynamic range requirements on the detector. Coherent modulation imaging provides a robust method for imaging in materials and biological science, while its single-shot capability will benefit the investigation of dynamical processes with pulsed sources, such as X-ray free-electron lasers.

CO 2 Sorption to Subsingle Hydration Layer Montmorillonite Clay Studied by Excess Sorption and Neutron Diffraction Measurements

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

Rother, Gernot; Ilton, Eugene S.; Wallacher, Dirk

2013-01-02

Geologic storage of CO 2 requires that the caprock sealing the storage rock is highly impermeable to CO 2. Swelling clays, which are important components of caprocks, may interact with CO 2 leading to volume change and potentially impacting the seal quality. The interactions of supercritical (sc) CO 2 with Na saturated montmorillonite clay containing a subsingle layer of water in the interlayer region have been studied by sorption and neutron diffraction techniques. The excess sorption isotherms show maxima at bulk CO2 densities of ≈0.15 g/cm 3, followed by an approximately linear decrease of excess sorption to zero and negativemore » values with increasing CO 2 bulk density. Neutron diffraction experiments on the same clay sample measured interlayer spacing and composition. The results show that limited amounts of CO 2 are sorbed into the interlayer region, leading to depression of the interlayer peak intensity and an increase of the d(001) spacing by ca. 0.5 Å. The density of CO 2 in the clay pores is relatively stable over a wide range of CO 2 pressures at a given temperature, indicating the formation of a clay-CO 2 phase. Finally, at the excess sorption maximum, increasing CO 2 sorption with decreasing temperature is observed while the high-pressure sorption properties exhibit weak temperature dependence.« less

Roles of cations, electronegativity difference, and anionic interlayer interactions in the metallic versus nonmetallic character of Zintl phases related to arsenic.

PubMed

Alemany, Pere; Llunell, Miquel; Canadell, Enric

2008-10-01

A first-principles Density Functional Theory study of several layered solids structurally related to rhombohedral arsenic has been carried out. The electronic structures of rhombohedral arsenic, CaSi(2), CaAl(2)Si(2), KSnSb, and SrSn(2)As(2) are discussed in detail, emphasizing on the origins of their metallic or nonmetallic behaviours. It is found that all of these systems are metallic except KSnSb. Electronegativity differences between the elements in the anionic sublattice and/or direct interlayer interactions play the main role in controlling the conductivity behavior. CaSi(2) exhibits a peculiar feature since the cation directly influences the conductivity but is not essential for its appearance. Cation-anion interactions are shown to have an important covalent contribution, but despite this fact and the metallic character found for most of these phases, the Zintl approach still provides a valid approximation to their electronic structure. (c) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Role of interatomic bonding in the mechanical anisotropy and interlayer cohesion of CSH crystals

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

Dharmawardhana, C.C.; Misra, A.; Aryal, S.

2013-10-15

Atomic scale properties of calcium silicate hydrate (CSH), the main binding phase of hardened Portland cement, are not well understood. Over a century of intense research has identified almost 50 different crystalline CSH minerals which are mainly categorized by their Ca/Si ratio. The electronic structure and interatomic bonding in four major CSH crystalline phases with structures close to those found in hardened cement are investigated via ab initio methods. Our result reveals the critical role of hydrogen bonding and importance of specifying precise locations for water molecules. Quantitative analysis of contributions from different bond types to the overall cohesion showsmore » that while the Si-O covalent bonds dominate, the hydrogen bonding and Ca-O bonding are also very significant. Calculated results reveal the correlation between bond topology and interlayer cohesion. The overall bond order density (BOD) is found to be a more critical measure than the Ca/Si ratio in classifying different CSH crystals.« less

Facile synthesis of Co3O4 hexagonal plates by flux method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Ji-Long; Meng, Qing-Fen; Gao, Sheng-Li

2018-01-01

Using a novel flux method, a hexagonal plate of Co3O4 was directly synthesized. In this method, CoCl2·6H2O, NaOH, and the cosolvent H3BO3 were heated to 750 °C for 2 h in a corundum crucible. The products were characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), and high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM). Furthermore, XRD studies indicated that the product consisted of a cubic phase of Co3O4, and the phase existed in a completely crystalline form. Then, SEM results indicated that these hexagonal plates tiered up and they had diameters in the range of 2-10 μm. According to the results of SAED and HRTEM analyses, the interlayer spacing was about 0.24 nm, which corresponds to the interlayer distance of (3 1 1) crystal plane of cubic Co3O4.

Coherence and phase synchrony analyses of EEG signals in Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI): A study of functional brain connectivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Handayani, Nita; Haryanto, Freddy; Khotimah, Siti Nurul; Arif, Idam; Taruno, Warsito Purwo

2018-03-01

This paper presents an EEG study for coherence and phase synchrony in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) subjects. MCI is characterized by cognitive decline, which is an early stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD is a neurodegenerative disorder with symptoms such as memory loss and cognitive impairment. EEG coherence is a statistical measure of correlation between signals from electrodes spatially separated on the scalp. The magnitude of phase synchrony is expressed in the phase locking value (PLV), a statistical measure of neuronal connectivity in the human brain. Brain signals were recorded using an Emotiv Epoc 14-channel wireless EEG at a sampling frequency of 128 Hz. In this study, we used 22 elderly subjects consisted of 10 MCI subjects and 12 healthy subjects as control group. The coherence between each electrode pair was measured for all frequency bands (delta, theta, alpha and beta). In the MCI subjects, the value of coherence and phase synchrony was generally lower than in the healthy subjects especially in the beta frequency. A decline of intrahemisphere coherence in the MCI subjects occurred in the left temporo-parietal-occipital region. The pattern of decline in MCI coherence is associated with decreased cholinergic connectivity along the path that connects the temporal, occipital, and parietal areas of the brain to the frontal area of the brain. EEG coherence and phase synchrony are able to distinguish persons who suffer AD in the early stages from healthy elderly subjects.

Impact of Interlayer Dwell Time on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Nickel and Titanium Alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foster, B. K.; Beese, A. M.; Keist, J. S.; McHale, E. T.; Palmer, T. A.

2017-09-01

Path planning in additive manufacturing (AM) processes has an impact on the thermal histories experienced at discrete locations in simple and complex AM structures. One component of path planning in directed energy deposition is the time required for the laser or heat source to return to a given location to add another layer of material. As structures become larger and more complex, the length of this interlayer dwell time can significantly impact the resulting thermal histories. The impact of varying dwell times between 0 and 40 seconds on the microstructural and mechanical properties of Inconel® 625 and Ti-6Al-4V builds has been characterized. Even though these materials display different microstructures and solid-state phase transformations, the addition of an interlayer dwell generally led to a finer microstructure in both materials that impacted the resulting mechanical properties. With the addition of interlayer dwell times up to 40 seconds in the Inconel® 625 builds, finer secondary dendrite arm spacing values, produced by changes in the thermal history, correspond to increased yield and tensile strengths. These mechanical properties did not appear to change significantly, however, for dwell times greater than 20 seconds in the Inconel® 625 builds, indicating that longer dwell times have a minimal impact. The addition of interlayer dwell times in Ti-6Al-4V builds resulted in a slight decrease in the measured alpha lath widths and a much more noticeable decrease in the width of prior beta grains. In addition, the yield and tensile values continued to increase, nearly reaching the values observed in the rolled plate substrate material with dwell times up to 40 seconds.

Phase homology in new layered mixed Li, M (M=Mg, Cu, Cd, Pb, Bi) bismuth oxophosphates and oxoarsenates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kozin, M. S.; Colmont, M.; Endara, D.; Aliev, A.; Huvé, M.; Siidra, O. I.; Krivovichev, S. V.; Mentré, O.

2013-03-01

Single crystals of two novel bismuth oxocompounds were grown from melts and the corresponding pure powders obtained from solid state reactions. Both compounds were structurally characterized using X-Ray diffraction techniques. [Bi7O7][BiO]7Cd1Li2(PO4)6 (1) is monoclinic, C2/m, a=26.9234(23), b=5.2926(5), c=12.3024(10) Å, β=106.45(5)°, R1=0.042 and ωR2=0.062. The crystal structure of 1 is related to that of [Bi7O7][BiO]7Bii0.66Li2(PO4)6 and consists of the [Bi7O7]7+ tetrahedral layers with the [(BiO)7CdLi2(PO4)6]7- interlayer blocks, where [BiO]+ denotes units attached to the layers of oxocentered tetrahedra. [Bi4O4][BiO]4Cu1Li2(AsO4)4 (2) is monoclinic, P21/c, a=8.8133(4), b=24.346(1), c=5.4056(2) Å, β=106,93(2)°, R1=0.031 and ωR2=0.035. The crystal structure of 2 is based upon layers similar to those observed in 1, but with the modified topology of the interlayer block. Both compounds can be considered as derivatives from the parent δ-Bi2O3 fluorite-like structure, where phosphorus and arsenic atoms substitute for some Bi sites. The arrangement of the [BiO]+ layers and the XO4 (X=P, As) interlayer groups is significantly modified compared to the previously known Cd compound. The comparison and review of the related structures is given. The variety of aliovalent cations able to incorporate in the interlayer as well as the strong structural resemblance with the Aurivillius series compounds establishes the new routes for the further prospective syntheses of novel but related phases with various important applications.

Phase noise optimization in temporal phase-shifting digital holography with partial coherence light sources and its application in quantitative cell imaging.

PubMed

Remmersmann, Christian; Stürwald, Stephan; Kemper, Björn; Langehanenberg, Patrik; von Bally, Gert

2009-03-10

In temporal phase-shifting-based digital holographic microscopy, high-resolution phase contrast imaging requires optimized conditions for hologram recording and phase retrieval. To optimize the phase resolution, for the example of a variable three-step algorithm, a theoretical analysis on statistical errors, digitalization errors, uncorrelated errors, and errors due to a misaligned temporal phase shift is carried out. In a second step the theoretically predicted results are compared to the measured phase noise obtained from comparative experimental investigations with several coherent and partially coherent light sources. Finally, the applicability for noise reduction is demonstrated by quantitative phase contrast imaging of pancreas tumor cells.

Evaluation of partial coherence correction in X-ray ptychography

DOE PAGES

Burdet, Nicolas; Shi, Xiaowen; Parks, Daniel; ...

2015-02-23

Coherent X-ray Diffraction Imaging (CDI) and X-ray ptychography both heavily rely on the high degree of spatial coherence of the X-ray illumination for sufficient experimental data quality for reconstruction convergence. Nevertheless, the majority of the available synchrotron undulator sources have a limited degree of partial coherence, leading to reduced data quality and a lower speckle contrast in the coherent diffraction patterns. It is still an open question whether experimentalists should compromise the coherence properties of an X-ray source in exchange for a higher flux density at a sample, especially when some materials of scientific interest are relatively weak scatterers. Amore » previous study has suggested that in CDI, the best strategy for the study of strong phase objects is to maintain a high degree of coherence of the illuminating X-rays because of the broadening of solution space resulting from the strong phase structures. In this article, we demonstrate the first systematic analysis of the effectiveness of partial coherence correction in ptychography as a function of the coherence properties, degree of complexity of illumination (degree of phase diversity of the probe) and sample phase complexity. We have also performed analysis of how well ptychographic algorithms refine X-ray probe and complex coherence functions when those variables are unknown at the start of reconstructions, for noise-free simulated data, in the case of both real-valued and highly-complex objects.« less

Catalyst-Free Growth of Three-Dimensional Graphene Flakes and Graphene/g-C₃N₄ Composite for Hydrocarbon Oxidation.

PubMed

Chen, Ke; Chai, Zhigang; Li, Cong; Shi, Liurong; Liu, Mengxi; Xie, Qin; Zhang, Yanfeng; Xu, Dongsheng; Manivannan, Ayyakkannu; Liu, Zhongfan

2016-03-22

Mass production of high-quality graphene flakes is important for commercial applications. Graphene microsheets have been produced on an industrial scale by chemical and liquid-phase exfoliation of graphite. However, strong-interaction-induced interlayer aggregation usually leads to the degradation of their intrinsic properties. Moreover, the crystallinity or layer-thickness controllability is not so perfect to fulfill the requirement for advanced technologies. Herein, we report a quartz-powder-derived chemical vapor deposition growth of three-dimensional (3D) high-quality graphene flakes and demonstrate the fabrication and application of graphene/g-C3N4 composites. The graphene flakes obtained after the removal of growth substrates exhibit the 3D curved microstructure, controllable layer thickness, good crystallinity, as well as weak interlayer interactions suitable for preventing the interlayer stacking. Benefiting from this, we achieved the direct synthesis of g-C3N4 on purified graphene flakes to form the uniform graphene/g-C3N4 composite, which provides efficient electron transfer interfaces to boost its catalytic oxidation activity of cycloalkane with relatively high yield, good selectivity, and reliable stability.

High-resolution three-dimensional partially coherent diffraction imaging.

PubMed

Clark, J N; Huang, X; Harder, R; Robinson, I K

2012-01-01

The wave properties of light, particularly its coherence, are responsible for interference effects, which can be exploited in powerful imaging applications. Coherent diffractive imaging relies heavily on coherence and has recently experienced rapid growth. Coherent diffractive imaging recovers an object from its diffraction pattern by computational phasing with the potential of wavelength-limited resolution. Diminished coherence results in reconstructions that suffer from artefacts or fail completely. Here we demonstrate ab initio phasing of partially coherent diffraction patterns in three dimensions, while simultaneously determining the coherence properties of the illuminating wavefield. Both the dramatic improvements in image interpretability and the three-dimensional evaluation of the coherence will have broad implications for quantitative imaging of nanostructures and wavefield characterization with X-rays and electrons.

Differential phase optical coherence probe for depth-resolved detection of photothermal response in tissue.

PubMed

Telenkov, Sergey A; Dave, Digant P; Sethuraman, Shriram; Akkin, Taner; Milner, Thomas E

2004-01-07

We describe a differential phase low-coherence interferometric probe for non-invasive, quantitative imaging of photothermal phenomena in biological materials. Our detection method utilizes principles of optical coherence tomography with differential phase measurement of interference fringe signals. A dual-channel optical low-coherence probe is used to analyse laser-induced thermoelastic and thermorefractive effects in tissue with micrometre axial resolution and nanometre sensitivity. We demonstrate an application of the technique using tissue phantoms and ex-vivo tissue specimens of rodent dorsal skin.

Design of Co/Pd multilayer system with antiferromagnetic-to-ferromagnetic phase transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thiele, Jan-Ulrich

2009-03-01

Among the known magnetic material systems there are only very few examples of materials that undergo a temperature dependent antiferromagnetic-to-ferromagnetic phase transition, and of these only the chemically ordered alloy FeRh exhibits this transition near room temperature [1, 2]. Here we present a perpendicular anisotropy multilayer structure that mimics FeRh. The basic idea is to use two stacks of Co/Pd multilayers with large perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and high Curie temperature, TC, separated by a layer providing antiferromagnetic coupling, and a CoNi/Pd multilayer with perpendicular anisotropy with a lower TC, interlayer, in the range of the desired AF-FM transition temperature, TAF-FM. At room temperature this system behaves as two antiferromagnetically coupled layers with a low perpendicular remanent magnetic moment. As the temperature is raised to approach TC, interlayer the magnetization of the interlayer is gradually reduced to zero, and consequently its coupling strength is reduced. Eventually, the effective coupling between the two high-KU, high-TC layers becomes dominated by their dipolar fields, resulting in a parallel alignment of their moments and a net remanent magnetic moment equal to the sum of the moments of the two high-TC layers [2]. [4pt] [1] J. S. Kouvel and C. C. Hartelius, J. Appl. Phys. 33 (1962) p1343 [0pt] [2] J.-U. Thiele, E. E. Fullerton, S. Maat, Appl. Phys. Lett. 82 (2003) p2859 [0pt] [3] J.-U. Thiele. T. Hauet. O. Hellwig, Appl. Phys. Lett. 92 (2008) 242502.

An Enhanced Non-Coherent Pre-Filter Design for Tracking Error Estimation in GNSS Receivers.

PubMed

Luo, Zhibin; Ding, Jicheng; Zhao, Lin; Wu, Mouyan

2017-11-18

Tracking error estimation is of great importance in global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receivers. Any inaccurate estimation for tracking error will decrease the signal tracking ability of signal tracking loops and the accuracies of position fixing, velocity determination, and timing. Tracking error estimation can be done by traditional discriminator, or Kalman filter-based pre-filter. The pre-filter can be divided into two categories: coherent and non-coherent. This paper focuses on the performance improvements of non-coherent pre-filter. Firstly, the signal characteristics of coherent and non-coherent integration-which are the basis of tracking error estimation-are analyzed in detail. After that, the probability distribution of estimation noise of four-quadrant arctangent (ATAN2) discriminator is derived according to the mathematical model of coherent integration. Secondly, the statistical property of observation noise of non-coherent pre-filter is studied through Monte Carlo simulation to set the observation noise variance matrix correctly. Thirdly, a simple fault detection and exclusion (FDE) structure is introduced to the non-coherent pre-filter design, and thus its effective working range for carrier phase error estimation extends from (-0.25 cycle, 0.25 cycle) to (-0.5 cycle, 0.5 cycle). Finally, the estimation accuracies of discriminator, coherent pre-filter, and the enhanced non-coherent pre-filter are evaluated comprehensively through the carefully designed experiment scenario. The pre-filter outperforms traditional discriminator in estimation accuracy. In a highly dynamic scenario, the enhanced non-coherent pre-filter provides accuracy improvements of 41.6%, 46.4%, and 50.36% for carrier phase error, carrier frequency error, and code phase error estimation, respectively, when compared with coherent pre-filter. The enhanced non-coherent pre-filter outperforms the coherent pre-filter in code phase error estimation when carrier-to-noise density ratio is less than 28.8 dB-Hz, in carrier frequency error estimation when carrier-to-noise density ratio is less than 20 dB-Hz, and in carrier phase error estimation when carrier-to-noise density belongs to (15, 23) dB-Hz ∪ (26, 50) dB-Hz.

An Enhanced Non-Coherent Pre-Filter Design for Tracking Error Estimation in GNSS Receivers

PubMed Central

Luo, Zhibin; Ding, Jicheng; Zhao, Lin; Wu, Mouyan

2017-01-01

Tracking error estimation is of great importance in global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receivers. Any inaccurate estimation for tracking error will decrease the signal tracking ability of signal tracking loops and the accuracies of position fixing, velocity determination, and timing. Tracking error estimation can be done by traditional discriminator, or Kalman filter-based pre-filter. The pre-filter can be divided into two categories: coherent and non-coherent. This paper focuses on the performance improvements of non-coherent pre-filter. Firstly, the signal characteristics of coherent and non-coherent integration—which are the basis of tracking error estimation—are analyzed in detail. After that, the probability distribution of estimation noise of four-quadrant arctangent (ATAN2) discriminator is derived according to the mathematical model of coherent integration. Secondly, the statistical property of observation noise of non-coherent pre-filter is studied through Monte Carlo simulation to set the observation noise variance matrix correctly. Thirdly, a simple fault detection and exclusion (FDE) structure is introduced to the non-coherent pre-filter design, and thus its effective working range for carrier phase error estimation extends from (−0.25 cycle, 0.25 cycle) to (−0.5 cycle, 0.5 cycle). Finally, the estimation accuracies of discriminator, coherent pre-filter, and the enhanced non-coherent pre-filter are evaluated comprehensively through the carefully designed experiment scenario. The pre-filter outperforms traditional discriminator in estimation accuracy. In a highly dynamic scenario, the enhanced non-coherent pre-filter provides accuracy improvements of 41.6%, 46.4%, and 50.36% for carrier phase error, carrier frequency error, and code phase error estimation, respectively, when compared with coherent pre-filter. The enhanced non-coherent pre-filter outperforms the coherent pre-filter in code phase error estimation when carrier-to-noise density ratio is less than 28.8 dB-Hz, in carrier frequency error estimation when carrier-to-noise density ratio is less than 20 dB-Hz, and in carrier phase error estimation when carrier-to-noise density belongs to (15, 23) dB-Hz ∪ (26, 50) dB-Hz. PMID:29156581

Influence of various thickness metallic interlayers on opto-electric and mechanical properties of AZO thin films on PET substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, R. C.; Li, T. C.; Lin, C. W.

2012-02-01

Various thickness metallic interlayers to improve the opto-electric and mechanical properties of aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) thin films deposited on flexible polyethylene terephtalate (PET) substrates are studied. The effects of the interlayers on the resistance and transmittance of the AZO thin films are discussed. The result shows that the metallic interlayers effectively improve the electric resistance but reduce the optical transmittance of the AZO thin films. These phenomena become more obvious as the interlayer thickness increases. However, the AZO with an aluminum interlayer still behaves an acceptable transmittance. Moreover, mechanical tests indicate that the aluminum interlayer increases the hardness and modulus, and reduce the residual stress of the AZO thin films. In contrast, the silver and copper interlayers decrease the AZO's mechanical properties. Comparing to those without any interlayer, the results show that the best interlayer is the 6 nm thick aluminum film.

Holonomic Quantum Control with Continuous Variable Systems.

PubMed

Albert, Victor V; Shu, Chi; Krastanov, Stefan; Shen, Chao; Liu, Ren-Bao; Yang, Zhen-Biao; Schoelkopf, Robert J; Mirrahimi, Mazyar; Devoret, Michel H; Jiang, Liang

2016-04-08

Universal computation of a quantum system consisting of superpositions of well-separated coherent states of multiple harmonic oscillators can be achieved by three families of adiabatic holonomic gates. The first gate consists of moving a coherent state around a closed path in phase space, resulting in a relative Berry phase between that state and the other states. The second gate consists of "colliding" two coherent states of the same oscillator, resulting in coherent population transfer between them. The third gate is an effective controlled-phase gate on coherent states of two different oscillators. Such gates should be realizable via reservoir engineering of systems that support tunable nonlinearities, such as trapped ions and circuit QED.

Proposal for a multilayer read-only-memory optical disk structure.

PubMed

Ichimura, Isao; Saito, Kimihiro; Yamasaki, Takeshi; Osato, Kiyoshi

2006-03-10

Coherent interlayer cross talk and stray-light intensity of multilayer read-only-memory (ROM) optical disks are investigated. From results of scalar diffraction analyses, we conclude that layer separations above 10 microm are preferred in a system using a 0.85 numerical aperture objective lens in terms of signal quality and stability in focusing control. Disk structures are optimized to prevent signal deterioration resulting from multiple reflections, and appropriate detectors are determined to maintain acceptable stray-light intensity. In the experiment, quadrilayer and octalayer high-density ROM disks are prepared by stacking UV-curable films onto polycarbonate substrates. Data-to-clock jitters of < or = 7% demonstrate the feasibility of multilayer disk storage up to 200 Gbytes.

All high Tc edge-geometry weak links utilizing Y-Ba-Cu-O barrier layers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunt, B. D.; Foote, M. C.; Bajuk, L. J.

1991-01-01

High quality YBa2Cu3O(7-x) normal-metal/YBa2Cu3O(7-x) edge-geometry weak links have been fabricated using nonsuperconducting Y-Ba-Cu-O barrier layers deposited by laser ablation at reduced growth temperatures. Devices incorporating 25-100 A thick barrier layers exhibit current-voltage characteristics consistent with the resistively shunted junction model, with strong microwave and magnetic field response at temperatures up to 85 K. The critical currents vary exponentially with barrier thickness, and the resistances scale linearly with Y-Ba-Cu-O interlayer thickness and device area, indicating good barrier uniformity, with an effective mormal metal coherence length of 20 A.

Unconventional Density Wave and Superfluidity in Cold Atom Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-01

species can provide more phase space to renormalize minority pairing channel (i.e, q can be anywhere on that FS branch...and intra-species interactions, Ucf/Uff . . . . . . . 43 5.2 (Left) dxy order parameter for f - and c-fermions. (Right) Real- space particle density of...interlayer tunneling tz = 0.1t. Sketched real space configuration for (d) CDWp and (e) CDW± with a π- phase resonance, where the dashed red lines indicate

Phase noise reduction by optical phase-locked loop for a coherent bichromatic laser based on the injection-locking technique.

PubMed

Wu, C F; Yan, X S; Huang, J Q; Zhang, J W; Wang, L J

2018-01-01

We present a coherent bichromatic laser system with low phase noise. An optical injection process is used to generate coherent laser beams with a frequency difference of 9.192 631 77 GHz using an electro-optical modulator. An optical phase-locked loop is then applied to reduce the phase noise. The phase noise of the beat note is -41, -81, -98, -83, and -95 dBrad 2 /Hz at the offset frequencies of 1 Hz, 100 Hz, 1 kHz, 10 kHz, and 1 MHz, respectively. Compared to a system that uses optical injection alone, the phase noise is reduced by up to 20-30 dB in the low-frequency range, and the intermodulation effect on the continuous atomic clock is reduced by an order of magnitude. This configuration can adjust the intensities and polarizations of the laser beams independently and reduce the phase noise caused by environmental disturbances and optical injection, which may be useful for application to atomic coherence experiments.

Phase noise reduction by optical phase-locked loop for a coherent bichromatic laser based on the injection-locking technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, C. F.; Yan, X. S.; Huang, J. Q.; Zhang, J. W.; Wang, L. J.

2018-01-01

We present a coherent bichromatic laser system with low phase noise. An optical injection process is used to generate coherent laser beams with a frequency difference of 9.192 631 77 GHz using an electro-optical modulator. An optical phase-locked loop is then applied to reduce the phase noise. The phase noise of the beat note is -41, -81, -98, -83, and -95 dBrad2/Hz at the offset frequencies of 1 Hz, 100 Hz, 1 kHz, 10 kHz, and 1 MHz, respectively. Compared to a system that uses optical injection alone, the phase noise is reduced by up to 20-30 dB in the low-frequency range, and the intermodulation effect on the continuous atomic clock is reduced by an order of magnitude. This configuration can adjust the intensities and polarizations of the laser beams independently and reduce the phase noise caused by environmental disturbances and optical injection, which may be useful for application to atomic coherence experiments.

Towards phase-coherent caloritronics in superconducting circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fornieri, Antonio; Giazotto, Francesco

2017-10-01

The emerging field of phase-coherent caloritronics (from the Latin word calor, heat) is based on the possibility of controlling heat currents by using the phase difference of the superconducting order parameter. The goal is to design and implement thermal devices that can control energy transfer with a degree of accuracy approaching that reached for charge transport by contemporary electronic components. This can be done by making use of the macroscopic quantum coherence intrinsic to superconducting condensates, which manifests itself through the Josephson effect and the proximity effect. Here, we review recent experimental results obtained in the realization of heat interferometers and thermal rectifiers, and discuss a few proposals for exotic nonlinear phase-coherent caloritronic devices, such as thermal transistors, solid-state memories, phase-coherent heat splitters, microwave refrigerators, thermal engines and heat valves. Besides being attractive from the fundamental physics point of view, these systems are expected to have a vast impact on many cryogenic microcircuits requiring energy management, and possibly lay the first stone for the foundation of electronic thermal logic.

Towards phase-coherent caloritronics in superconducting circuits.

PubMed

Fornieri, Antonio; Giazotto, Francesco

2017-10-06

The emerging field of phase-coherent caloritronics (from the Latin word calor, heat) is based on the possibility of controlling heat currents by using the phase difference of the superconducting order parameter. The goal is to design and implement thermal devices that can control energy transfer with a degree of accuracy approaching that reached for charge transport by contemporary electronic components. This can be done by making use of the macroscopic quantum coherence intrinsic to superconducting condensates, which manifests itself through the Josephson effect and the proximity effect. Here, we review recent experimental results obtained in the realization of heat interferometers and thermal rectifiers, and discuss a few proposals for exotic nonlinear phase-coherent caloritronic devices, such as thermal transistors, solid-state memories, phase-coherent heat splitters, microwave refrigerators, thermal engines and heat valves. Besides being attractive from the fundamental physics point of view, these systems are expected to have a vast impact on many cryogenic microcircuits requiring energy management, and possibly lay the first stone for the foundation of electronic thermal logic.

Active control on high-order coherence and statistic characterization on random phase fluctuation of two classical point sources.

PubMed

Hong, Peilong; Li, Liming; Liu, Jianji; Zhang, Guoquan

2016-03-29

Young's double-slit or two-beam interference is of fundamental importance to understand various interference effects, in which the stationary phase difference between two beams plays the key role in the first-order coherence. Different from the case of first-order coherence, in the high-order optical coherence the statistic behavior of the optical phase will play the key role. In this article, by employing a fundamental interfering configuration with two classical point sources, we showed that the high- order optical coherence between two classical point sources can be actively designed by controlling the statistic behavior of the relative phase difference between two point sources. Synchronous position Nth-order subwavelength interference with an effective wavelength of λ/M was demonstrated, in which λ is the wavelength of point sources and M is an integer not larger than N. Interestingly, we found that the synchronous position Nth-order interference fringe fingerprints the statistic trace of random phase fluctuation of two classical point sources, therefore, it provides an effective way to characterize the statistic properties of phase fluctuation for incoherent light sources.

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

Alexanian, Moorad

The fidelity for cloning coherent states is improved over that provided by optimal Gaussian and non-Gaussian cloners for the subset of coherent states that are prepared with known phases. Gaussian quantum cloning duplicates all coherent states with an optimal fidelity of 2/3. Non-Gaussian cloners give optimal single-clone fidelity for a symmetric 1-to-2 cloner of 0.6826. Coherent states that have known phases can be cloned with a fidelity of 4/5. The latter is realized by a combination of two beam splitters and a four-wave mixer operated in the nonlinear regime, all of which are realized by interaction Hamiltonians that are quadraticmore » in the photon operators. Therefore, the known Gaussian devices for cloning coherent states are extended when cloning coherent states with known phases by considering a nonbalanced beam splitter at the input side of the amplifier.« less

The growth mechanism of grain boundary carbide in Alloy 690

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

Li, Hui, E-mail: huili@shu.edu.cn; Institute of Materials, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200072; Xia, Shuang

2013-07-15

The growth mechanism of grain boundary M{sub 23}C{sub 6} carbides in nickel base Alloy 690 after aging at 715 °C was investigated by high resolution transmission electron microscopy. The grain boundary carbides have coherent orientation relationship with only one side of the matrix. The incoherent phase interface between M{sub 23}C{sub 6} and matrix was curved, and did not lie on any specific crystal plane. The M{sub 23}C{sub 6} carbide transforms from the matrix phase directly at the incoherent interface. The flat coherent phase interface generally lies on low index crystal planes, such as (011) and (111) planes. The M{sub 23}C{submore » 6} carbide transforms from a transition phase found at curved coherent phase interface. The transition phase has a complex hexagonal crystal structure, and has coherent orientation relationship with matrix and M{sub 23}C{sub 6}: (111){sub matrix}//(0001){sub transition}//(111){sub carbide}, <112{sup ¯}>{sub matrix}//<21{sup ¯}10>{sub transition}//<112{sup ¯}>{sub carbide}. The crystal lattice constants of transition phase are c{sub transition}=√(3)×a{sub matrix} and a{sub transition}=√(6)/2×a{sub matrix}. Based on the experimental results, the growth mechanism of M{sub 23}C{sub 6} and the formation mechanism of transition phase are discussed. - Highlights: • A transition phase was observed at the coherent interfaces of M{sub 23}C{sub 6} and matrix. • The transition phase has hexagonal structure, and is coherent with matrix and M{sub 23}C{sub 6}. • The M{sub 23}C{sub 6} transforms from the matrix directly at the incoherent phase interface.« less

Beam combining and SBS suppression in white noise and pseudo-random modulated amplifiers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, Brian; Flores, Angel; Holten, Roger; Ehrenreich, Thomas; Dajani, Iyad

2015-03-01

White noise phase modulation (WNS) and pseudo-random binary sequence phase modulation (PRBS) are effective techniques for mitigation of nonlinear effects such as stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS); thereby paving the way for higher power narrow linewidth fiber amplifiers. However, detailed studies comparing both coherent beam combination and the SBS suppression of these phase modulation schemes have not been reported. In this study an active fiber cutback experiment is performed comparing the enhancement factor of a PRBS and WNS broadened seed as a function of linewidth and fiber length. Furthermore, two WNS and PRBS modulated fiber lasers are coherently combined to measure and compare the fringe visibility and coherence length as a function of optical path length difference. Notably, the discrete frequency comb of PRBS modulation provides a beam combining re-coherence effect where the lasers periodically come back into phase. Significantly, this may reduce path length matching complexity in coherently combined fiber laser systems.

Compact representations of partially coherent undulator radiation suitable for wave propagation

DOE PAGES

Lindberg, Ryan R.; Kim, Kwang -Je

2015-09-28

Undulator radiation is partially coherent in the transverse plane, with the degree of coherence depending on the ratio of the electron beam phase space area (emittance) to the characteristic radiation wavelength λ. Numerical codes used to predict x-ray beam line performance can typically only propagate coherent fields from the source to the image plane. We investigate methods for representing partially coherent undulator radiation using a suitably chosen set of coherent fields that can be used in standard wave propagation codes, and discuss such “coherent mode expansions” for arbitrary degrees of coherence. In the limit when the electron beam emittance alongmore » at least one direction is much larger than λ the coherent modes are orthogonal and therefore compact; when the emittance approaches λ in both planes we discuss an economical method of defining the relevant coherent fields that samples the electron beam phase space using low-discrepancy sequences.« less

Structures and electrochemical performances of pyrolized carbons from graphite oxides for electric double-layer capacitor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Ick-Jun; Yang, Sunhye; Jeon, Min-Je; Moon, Seong-In; Kim, Hyun-Soo; Lee, Yoon-Pyo; An, Kye-Hyeok; Lee, Young-Hee

The structural features and the electrochemical performances of pyrolized needle cokes from oxidized cokes are examined and compared with those of KOH-activated needle coke. The structure of needle coke is changed to a single phase of graphite oxide after oxidation treatment with an acidic solution having an NaClO 3/needle coke composition ratio of above 7.5, and the inter-layer distance of the oxidized needle coke is expanded to 6.9 Å with increasing oxygen content. After heating at 200 °C, the oxidized needle coke is reduced to a graphite structure with an inter-layer distance of 3.6 Å. By contrast, a change in the inter-layer distance in KOH-activated needle coke is not observed. An intercalation of pyrolized needle coke, observed on first charge, occurs at 1.0 V. This value is lower than that of KOH-activation needle coke. A capacitor using pyrolized needle coke exhibits a lower internal resistance of 0.57 Ω in 1 kHz, and a larger capacitance per weight and volume of 30.3 F g -1 and 26.9 F ml -1, in the two-electrode system over the potential range 0-2.5 V compared with those of a capacitor using KOH-activation of needle coke. This better electrochemical performance is attributed to a distorted graphene layer structure derived from the process of the inter-layer expansion and shrinkage.

Mineralogy of a perudic Andosol in central Java, Indonesia

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

Van Ranst, Eric; Utami, S. R.; Verdoodt, A.

2008-02-15

We studied the mineralogy of a perudic Andosol developed on the Dieng Tephra Sequence in central Java, Indonesia. The objective was to confirm the presence and determine the origin and stability of 2:1 and interlayered 2:1 phyllosilicates in well-drained Andosols. This was and still is a debated topic in the literature. Total elemental and selective dissolution, as well as microscopic and X-ray diffraction analyses, were performed on the soil samples collected from this site. These analyses confirmed that andic properties were present in the soil samples. The allophane content determined by selective dissolution was 3-4% in the A horizons, andmore » increased to 12-18% in the deeper subsoil horizons. In addition, the clay fraction contained dioctahedral smectite, hydroxy-Al-interlayered 2:1 minerals (HIS), Al-chlorite, kaolinite, pyrophyllite, mica, cristobalite and some gibbsite. The silt and sand fractions were rich in plagioclase and pyroxene. The 2:1 minerals (smectite and pyrophyllite), as well as chlorite and kaolinite were of hydrothermal origin and were incorporated in the tephra during volcanic eruption. Besides desilication during dissolution of unstable minerals, Al interlayering of 2:1 layer silicates was most likely the most prominent pedogenic process. Although hydroxy-Al polymeric interlayers would normally stabilize the 2:1 clay phases, the strong weakening, and even disappearance of the characteristic XRD peaks, indicated instability of these minerals in the upper A horizons due to the perudic and intensive leaching conditions.« less

Coherent combining of pulsed fiber amplifiers in the nonlinear chirp regime with intra-pulse phase control.

PubMed

Palese, Stephen; Cheung, Eric; Goodno, Gregory; Shih, Chun-Ching; Di Teodoro, Fabio; McComb, Timothy; Weber, Mark

2012-03-26

Two high pulse contrast (> 95 dB) polarization maintaining all-fiber amplifier chains were coherently combined to generate 0.42 mJ, 1 ns 25 kHz pulses with 79% efficiency despite 38 radians of intra-pulse phase distortion. A recursive intra-pulse phase compensation method was utilized to correct for the large nonlinear chirp providing a path for improved coherent waveform control of nanosecond pulse trains.

Coherent control of double deflected anomalous modes in ultrathin trapezoid-shaped slit metasurface.

PubMed

Zhu, Z; Liu, H; Wang, D; Li, Y X; Guan, C Y; Zhang, H; Shi, J H

2016-11-22

Coherent light-matter interaction in ultrathin metamaterials has been demonstrated to dynamically modulate intensity, polarization and propagation direction of light. The gradient metasurface with a transverse phase variation usually exhibits an anomalous refracted beam of light dictated by so-called generalized Snell's law. However, less attention has been paid to coherent control of the metasurface with multiple anomalous refracted beams. Here we propose an ultrathin gradient metasurface with single trapezoid-shaped slot antenna as its building block that allows one normal and two deflected transmitted beams. It is numerically demonstrated that such metasurface with multiple scattering modes can be coherently controlled to modulate output intensities by changing the relative phase difference between two counterpropagating coherent beams. Each mode can be coherently switched on/off and two deflected anomalous beams can be synchronously dictated by the phase difference. The coherent control effect in the trapezoid-shaped slit metasurface will offer a promising opportunity for multichannel signals modulation, multichannel sensing and wave front shaping.

Coherent control of double deflected anomalous modes in ultrathin trapezoid-shaped slit metasurface

PubMed Central

Zhu, Z.; Liu, H.; Wang, D.; Li, Y. X.; Guan, C. Y.; Zhang, H.; Shi, J. H.

2016-01-01

Coherent light-matter interaction in ultrathin metamaterials has been demonstrated to dynamically modulate intensity, polarization and propagation direction of light. The gradient metasurface with a transverse phase variation usually exhibits an anomalous refracted beam of light dictated by so-called generalized Snell’s law. However, less attention has been paid to coherent control of the metasurface with multiple anomalous refracted beams. Here we propose an ultrathin gradient metasurface with single trapezoid-shaped slot antenna as its building block that allows one normal and two deflected transmitted beams. It is numerically demonstrated that such metasurface with multiple scattering modes can be coherently controlled to modulate output intensities by changing the relative phase difference between two counterpropagating coherent beams. Each mode can be coherently switched on/off and two deflected anomalous beams can be synchronously dictated by the phase difference. The coherent control effect in the trapezoid-shaped slit metasurface will offer a promising opportunity for multichannel signals modulation, multichannel sensing and wave front shaping. PMID:27874053

Intermittent nature of solar wind turbulence near the Earth's bow shock: phase coherence and non-Gaussianity.

PubMed

Koga, D; Chian, A C-L; Miranda, R A; Rempel, E L

2007-04-01

The link between phase coherence and non-Gaussian statistics is investigated using magnetic field data observed in the solar wind turbulence near the Earth's bow shock. The phase coherence index Cphi, which characterizes the degree of phase correlation (i.e., nonlinear wave-wave interactions) among scales, displays a behavior similar to kurtosis and reflects a departure from Gaussianity in the probability density functions of magnetic field fluctuations. This demonstrates that nonlinear interactions among scales are the origin of intermittency in the magnetic field turbulence.

Digital phase demodulation for low-coherence interferometry-based fiber-optic sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Y.; Strum, R.; Stiles, D.; Long, C.; Rakhman, A.; Blokland, W.; Winder, D.; Riemer, B.; Wendel, M.

2018-03-01

We describe a digital phase demodulation scheme for low-coherence interferometry-based fiber-optic sensors by employing a simple generation of phase-shifted signals at the interrogation interferometer. The scheme allows a real-time calibration process and offers capability of measuring large variations (up to the coherence of the light source) at the bandwidth that is only limited by the data acquisition system. The proposed phase demodulation method is analytically derived and its validity and performance are experimentally verified using fiber-optic Fabry-Perot sensors for measurement of strains and vibrations.

Identification of a deleterious phase in photocatalyst based on Cd1 - xZnxS/Zn(OH)2 by simulated XRD patterns.

PubMed

Cherepanova, Svetlana; Markovskaya, Dina; Kozlova, Ekaterina

2017-06-01

The X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of a deleterious phase in the photocatalyst based on Cd 1 - x Zn x S/Zn(OH) 2 contains two relatively intense asymmetric peaks with d-spacings of 2.72 and 1.56 Å. Very small diffraction peaks with interplanar distances of (d) ≃ 8.01, 5.40, 4.09, 3.15, 2.49 and 1.35 Å are characteristic of this phase but not always observed. To identify this phase, the XRD patterns for sheet-like hydroxide β-Zn(OH) 2 and sheet-like hydrozincite Zn 5 (CO 3 ) 2 (OH) 6 as well as for turbostratic hydrozincite were simulated. It is shown that the XRD pattern calculated on the basis of the last model gives the best correspondence with experimental data. Distances between layers in the turbostratically disordered hydrozincite fluctuate around d ≃ 8.01 Å. This average layer-to-layer distance is significantly higher than the interlayer distance 6.77 Å in the ordered Zn 5 (CO 3 ) 2 (OH) 6 probably due to a deficiency of CO 3 2- anions, excess OH - and the presence of water molecules in the interlayers. It is shown by variable-temperature XRD and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) that the nanocrystalline turbostratic nonstoichiometric hydrozincite-like phase is quite thermostable. It decomposes into ZnO in air above 473 K.

Towards bio-silicon interfaces: Formation of an ultra-thin self-hydrated artificial membrane composed of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and chitosan deposited in high vacuum from the gas-phase

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Retamal, María J.; Cisternas, Marcelo A.; Gutierrez-Maldonado, Sebastian E.; Perez-Acle, Tomas; Seifert, Birger; Busch, Mark; Huber, Patrick; Volkmann, Ulrich G.

2014-09-01

The recent combination of nanoscale developments with biological molecules for biotechnological research has opened a wide field related to the area of biosensors. In the last years, device manufacturing for medical applications adapted the so-called bottom-up approach, from nanostructures to larger devices. Preparation and characterization of artificial biological membranes is a necessary step for the formation of nano-devices or sensors. In this paper, we describe the formation and characterization of a phospholipid bilayer (dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine, DPPC) on a mattress of a polysaccharide (Chitosan) that keeps the membrane hydrated. The deposition of Chitosan (˜25 Å) and DPPC (˜60 Å) was performed from the gas phase in high vacuum onto a substrate of Si(100) covered with its native oxide layer. The layer thickness was controlled in situ using Very High Resolution Ellipsometry (VHRE). Raman spectroscopy studies show that neither Chitosan nor DPPC molecules decompose during evaporation. With VHRE and Atomic Force Microscopy we have been able to detect phase transitions in the membrane. The presence of the Chitosan interlayer as a water reservoir is essential for both DPPC bilayer formation and stability, favoring the appearance of phase transitions. Our experiments show that the proposed sample preparation from the gas phase is reproducible and provides a natural environment for the DPPC bilayer. In future work, different Chitosan thicknesses should be studied to achieve a complete and homogeneous interlayer.

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

Retamal, María J., E-mail: moretama@uc.cl; Cisternas, Marcelo A.; Seifert, Birger

The recent combination of nanoscale developments with biological molecules for biotechnological research has opened a wide field related to the area of biosensors. In the last years, device manufacturing for medical applications adapted the so-called bottom-up approach, from nanostructures to larger devices. Preparation and characterization of artificial biological membranes is a necessary step for the formation of nano-devices or sensors. In this paper, we describe the formation and characterization of a phospholipid bilayer (dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine, DPPC) on a mattress of a polysaccharide (Chitosan) that keeps the membrane hydrated. The deposition of Chitosan (∼25 Å) and DPPC (∼60 Å) was performed frommore » the gas phase in high vacuum onto a substrate of Si(100) covered with its native oxide layer. The layer thickness was controlled in situ using Very High Resolution Ellipsometry (VHRE). Raman spectroscopy studies show that neither Chitosan nor DPPC molecules decompose during evaporation. With VHRE and Atomic Force Microscopy we have been able to detect phase transitions in the membrane. The presence of the Chitosan interlayer as a water reservoir is essential for both DPPC bilayer formation and stability, favoring the appearance of phase transitions. Our experiments show that the proposed sample preparation from the gas phase is reproducible and provides a natural environment for the DPPC bilayer. In future work, different Chitosan thicknesses should be studied to achieve a complete and homogeneous interlayer.« less

Temporal evolution of oscillations and synchrony in GPi/muscle pairs in Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Hurtado, José M; Rubchinsky, Leonid L; Sigvardt, Karen A; Wheelock, Vicki L; Pappas, Conrad T E

2005-03-01

Both standard spectral analysis and time-dependent phase correlation techniques were applied to 27 pairs of tremor-related single units in the globus pallidus internus (GPi) and EMG of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) undergoing stereotactic neurosurgery. Over long time-scales (approximately 60 s), GPi tremor-related units were statistically coherent with restricted regions of the peripheral musculature displaying tremor. The distribution of pooled coherence across all pairs supports a classification of GPi cell/EMG oscillatory pairs into coherent or noncoherent. Analysis using approximately 2-s sliding windows shows that oscillatory activity in both GPi tremor units and muscles occurs intermittently over time. For brain/muscle pairs that are coherent, there is partial overlap in the times of oscillatory activity but, in most cases, no significant correlation between the times of oscillatory subepisodes in the two signals. Phase locking between coherent pairs occurs transiently; however, the phase delay is similar for different phase-locking subepisodes. Noncoherent pairs also show episodes of transient phase locking, but they occurred less frequently, and no preferred phase delay was seen across subepisodes. Tremor oscillations in pallidum and EMGs are punctuated by phase slips, which were classified as synchronizing or desynchronizing depending on their effect on phase locking. In coherent pairs, the incidence of synchronizing slips is higher than desynchronizing slips, whereas no significant difference was seen for noncoherent pairs. The results of this quantitative characterization of parkinsonian tremor provide a foundation for hypotheses about the structure and dynamical functioning of basal ganglia motor control networks involved in tremor generation.

Concentrating the phase of a coherent state by means of probabilistic amplification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Usuga, Mario A.; Müller, Christian R.; Wittmann, Christoffer; Marek, Petr; Filip, Radim; Marquardt, Christoph; Leuchs, Gerd; Andersen, Ulrik L.

2011-10-01

We discuss the recent implementation of phase concentration of an optical coherent state by use of a probabilistic noiseless amplifier. The operation of the amplifier is described pictorially with phase space diagrams, and the experimental results are outlined.

The effect of exit beam phase aberrations on parallel beam coherent x-ray reconstructions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hruszkewycz, S. O.; Harder, R.; Xiao, X.; Fuoss, P. H.

2010-12-01

Diffraction artifacts from imperfect x-ray windows near the sample are an important consideration in the design of coherent x-ray diffraction measurements. In this study, we used simulated and experimental diffraction patterns in two and three dimensions to explore the effect of phase imperfections in a beryllium window (such as a void or inclusion) on the convergence behavior of phasing algorithms and on the ultimate reconstruction. A predictive relationship between beam wavelength, sample size, and window position was derived to explain the dependence of reconstruction quality on beryllium defect size. Defects corresponding to this prediction cause the most damage to the sample exit wave and induce signature error oscillations during phasing that can be used as a fingerprint of experimental x-ray window artifacts. The relationship between x-ray window imperfection size and coherent x-ray diffractive imaging reconstruction quality explored in this work can play an important role in designing high-resolution in situ coherent imaging instrumentation and will help interpret the phasing behavior of coherent diffraction measured in these in situ environments.

The effect of exit beam phase aberrations on parallel beam coherent x-ray reconstructions.

PubMed

Hruszkewycz, S O; Harder, R; Xiao, X; Fuoss, P H

2010-12-01

Diffraction artifacts from imperfect x-ray windows near the sample are an important consideration in the design of coherent x-ray diffraction measurements. In this study, we used simulated and experimental diffraction patterns in two and three dimensions to explore the effect of phase imperfections in a beryllium window (such as a void or inclusion) on the convergence behavior of phasing algorithms and on the ultimate reconstruction. A predictive relationship between beam wavelength, sample size, and window position was derived to explain the dependence of reconstruction quality on beryllium defect size. Defects corresponding to this prediction cause the most damage to the sample exit wave and induce signature error oscillations during phasing that can be used as a fingerprint of experimental x-ray window artifacts. The relationship between x-ray window imperfection size and coherent x-ray diffractive imaging reconstruction quality explored in this work can play an important role in designing high-resolution in situ coherent imaging instrumentation and will help interpret the phasing behavior of coherent diffraction measured in these in situ environments.

Formation of atomically smooth epitaxial metal films on a chemically reactive interface: Mg on Si(111)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Özer, Mustafa M.; Weitering, Hanno H.

2013-07-01

Deposition of Mg on Si(111)7 × 7 produces an epitaxial magnesium silicide layer. Under identical annealing conditions, the thickness of this Mg2Si(111) layer increases with deposition amount, reaching a maximum of 4 monolayer (ML) and decreasing to ˜3 ML at higher Mg coverage. Excess Mg coalesces into atomically flat, crystalline Mg(0001) films. This surprising growth mode can be attributed to the accidental commensurability of the Mg(0001), Si(111), and Mg2Si(111) interlayer spacing and the concurrent minimization of in-plane Si mass transfer and domain-wall energies. The commensurability of the interlayer spacing defines a highly unique solid-phase epitaxial growth process capable of producing trilayer structures with atomically abrupt interfaces and atomically smooth surface morphologies.

Structure determination of the ordered (2 × 1) phase of NiSi surface alloy on Ni(111) using low-energy electron diffraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sazzadur Rahman, Md.; Amirul Islam, Md.; Saha, Bidyut Baran; Nakagawa, Takeshi; Mizuno, Seigi

2015-12-01

The (2 × 1) structure of the two-dimensional nickel silicide surface alloy on Ni(111) was investigated using quantitative low-energy electron diffraction analysis. The unit cell of the determined silicide structure contains one Si and one Ni atom, corresponding to a chemical formula of NiSi. The Si atoms adopt substitutional face-centered cubic hollow sites on the Ni(111) substrate. The Ni-Si bond lengths were determined to be 2.37 and 2.34 Å. Both the alloy surface and the underlying first layers of Ni atoms exhibit slight corrugation. The Ni-Si interlayer distance is smaller than the Ni-Ni interlayer distance, which indicates that Si atoms and underlying Ni atoms strongly interact.

Phase-Sensitive Coherence and the Classical-Quantum Boundary in Ghost Imaging

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Erkmen, Baris I.; Hardy, Nicholas D.; Venkatraman, Dheera; Wong, Franco N. C.; Shapiro, Jeffrey H.

2011-01-01

The theory of partial coherence has a long and storied history in classical statistical optics. the vast majority of this work addresses fields that are statistically stationary in time, hence their complex envelopes only have phase-insensitive correlations. The quantum optics of squeezed-state generation, however, depends on nonlinear interactions producing baseband field operators with phase-insensitive and phase-sensitive correlations. Utilizing quantum light to enhance imaging has been a topic of considerable current interest, much of it involving biphotons, i.e., streams of entangled-photon pairs. Biphotons have been employed for quantum versions of optical coherence tomography, ghost imaging, holography, and lithography. However, their seemingly quantum features have been mimicked with classical-sate light, questioning wherein lies the classical-quantum boundary. We have shown, for the case of Gaussian-state light, that this boundary is intimately connected to the theory of phase-sensitive partial coherence. Here we present that theory, contrasting it with the familiar case of phase-insensitive partial coherence, and use it to elucidate the classical-quantum boundary of ghost imaging. We show, both theoretically and experimentally, that classical phase-sensitive light produces ghost imaging most closely mimicking those obtained in biphotons, and we derived the spatial resolution, image contrast, and signal-to-noise ratio of a standoff-sensing ghost imager, taking into account target-induced speckle.

Noise Analysis of Simultaneous Quantum Key Distribution and Classical Communication Scheme Using a True Local Oscillator

DOE PAGES

Qi, Bing; Lim, Charles Ci Wen

2018-05-07

Recently, we proposed a simultaneous quantum and classical communication (SQCC) protocol where random numbers for quantum key distribution and bits for classical communication are encoded on the same weak coherent pulse and decoded by the same coherent receiver. Such a scheme could be appealing in practice since a single coherent communication system can be used for multiple purposes. However, previous studies show that the SQCC protocol can tolerate only very small phase noise. This makes it incompatible with the coherent communication scheme using a true local oscillator (LO), which presents a relatively high phase noise due to the fact thatmore » the signal and the LO are generated from two independent lasers. We improve the phase noise tolerance of the SQCC scheme using a true LO by adopting a refined noise model where phase noises originating from different sources are treated differently: on the one hand, phase noise associated with the coherent receiver may be regarded as trusted noise since the detector can be calibrated locally and the photon statistics of the detected signals can be determined from the measurement results; on the other hand, phase noise due to the instability of fiber interferometers may be regarded as untrusted noise since its randomness (from the adversary’s point of view) is hard to justify. Simulation results show the tolerable phase noise in this refined noise model is significantly higher than that in the previous study, where all of the phase noises are assumed to be untrusted. In conclusion, we conduct an experiment to show that the required phase stability can be achieved in a coherent communication system using a true LO.« less

Noise Analysis of Simultaneous Quantum Key Distribution and Classical Communication Scheme Using a True Local Oscillator

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

Qi, Bing; Lim, Charles Ci Wen

Recently, we proposed a simultaneous quantum and classical communication (SQCC) protocol where random numbers for quantum key distribution and bits for classical communication are encoded on the same weak coherent pulse and decoded by the same coherent receiver. Such a scheme could be appealing in practice since a single coherent communication system can be used for multiple purposes. However, previous studies show that the SQCC protocol can tolerate only very small phase noise. This makes it incompatible with the coherent communication scheme using a true local oscillator (LO), which presents a relatively high phase noise due to the fact thatmore » the signal and the LO are generated from two independent lasers. We improve the phase noise tolerance of the SQCC scheme using a true LO by adopting a refined noise model where phase noises originating from different sources are treated differently: on the one hand, phase noise associated with the coherent receiver may be regarded as trusted noise since the detector can be calibrated locally and the photon statistics of the detected signals can be determined from the measurement results; on the other hand, phase noise due to the instability of fiber interferometers may be regarded as untrusted noise since its randomness (from the adversary’s point of view) is hard to justify. Simulation results show the tolerable phase noise in this refined noise model is significantly higher than that in the previous study, where all of the phase noises are assumed to be untrusted. In conclusion, we conduct an experiment to show that the required phase stability can be achieved in a coherent communication system using a true LO.« less

Noise Analysis of Simultaneous Quantum Key Distribution and Classical Communication Scheme Using a True Local Oscillator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qi, Bing; Lim, Charles Ci Wen

2018-05-01

Recently, we proposed a simultaneous quantum and classical communication (SQCC) protocol where random numbers for quantum key distribution and bits for classical communication are encoded on the same weak coherent pulse and decoded by the same coherent receiver. Such a scheme could be appealing in practice since a single coherent communication system can be used for multiple purposes. However, previous studies show that the SQCC protocol can tolerate only very small phase noise. This makes it incompatible with the coherent communication scheme using a true local oscillator (LO), which presents a relatively high phase noise due to the fact that the signal and the LO are generated from two independent lasers. We improve the phase noise tolerance of the SQCC scheme using a true LO by adopting a refined noise model where phase noises originating from different sources are treated differently: on the one hand, phase noise associated with the coherent receiver may be regarded as trusted noise since the detector can be calibrated locally and the photon statistics of the detected signals can be determined from the measurement results; on the other hand, phase noise due to the instability of fiber interferometers may be regarded as untrusted noise since its randomness (from the adversary's point of view) is hard to justify. Simulation results show the tolerable phase noise in this refined noise model is significantly higher than that in the previous study, where all of the phase noises are assumed to be untrusted. We conduct an experiment to show that the required phase stability can be achieved in a coherent communication system using a true LO.

Pillared Structure Design of MXene with Ultralarge Interlayer Spacing for High-Performance Lithium-Ion Capacitors.

PubMed

Luo, Jianmin; Zhang, Wenkui; Yuan, Huadong; Jin, Chengbin; Zhang, Liyuan; Huang, Hui; Liang, Chu; Xia, Yang; Zhang, Jun; Gan, Yongping; Tao, Xinyong

2017-03-28

Two-dimensional transition-metal carbide materials (termed MXene) have attracted huge attention in the field of electrochemical energy storage due to their excellent electrical conductivity, high volumetric capacity, etc. Herein, with inspiration from the interesting structure of pillared interlayered clays, we attempt to fabricate pillared Ti 3 C 2 MXene (CTAB-Sn(IV)@Ti 3 C 2 ) via a facile liquid-phase cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) prepillaring and Sn 4+ pillaring method. The interlayer spacing of Ti 3 C 2 MXene can be controlled according to the size of the intercalated prepillaring agent (cationic surfactant) and can reach 2.708 nm with 177% increase compared with the original spacing of 0.977 nm, which is currently the maximum value according to our knowledge. Because of the pillar effect, the assembled LIC exhibits a superior energy density of 239.50 Wh kg -1 based on the weight of CTAB-Sn(IV)@Ti 3 C 2 even under higher power density of 10.8 kW kg -1 . When CTAB-Sn(IV)@Ti 3 C 2 anode couples with commercial AC cathode, LIC reveals higher energy density and power density compared with conventional MXene materials.

Influence of Zn Interlayer on Interfacial Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of TIG Lap-Welded Mg/Al Joints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Qiong; Wang, Kehong

2016-03-01

This study explored 6061 Al alloy and AZ31B Mg alloy joined by TIG lap welding with Zn foils of varying thicknesses, with the additional Zn element being imported into the fusion zone to alloy the weld seam. The microstructures and chemical composition in the fusion zone near the Mg substrate were examined by SEM and EDS, and tensile shear strength tests were conducted to investigate the mechanical properties of the Al/Mg joints, as well as the fracture surfaces, and phase compositions. The results revealed that the introduction of an appropriate amount of Zn transition layer improves the microstructure of Mg/Al joints and effectively reduces the formation of Mg-Al intermetallic compounds (IMCs). The most common IMCs in the fusion zone near the Mg substrate were Mg-Zn and Mg-Al-Zn IMCs. The type and distribution of IMCs generated in the weld zone differed according to Zn additions; Zn interlayer thickness of 0.4 mm improved the sample's mechanical properties considerably compared to thicknesses of less than 0.4 mm; however, any further increase in Zn interlayer thickness of above 0.4 mm caused mechanical properties to deteriorate.

Long-term maintenance of the carrier-envelope phase coherence of a femtosecond laser.

PubMed

Kim, Eok Bong; Lee, Jae-Hwan; Lee, Won-Kyu; Luu, Tran Trung; Nam, Chang Hee

2010-12-06

The long-term carrier-envelope phase (CEP) coherence of a femtosecond laser with same pulse-to-pulse CEP value, obtained using the direct locking method, is demonstrated by employing a quasi-common-path interferometer (QPI). For the evaluation of the CEP stability, the phase noise properties of a femtosecond laser with the CEP stabilized using a QPI are compared with those obtained using a Mach-Zehnder f-2f interferometer, for which the phase power spectral density and the Allan deviation were calculated from the beat signals of the interferometers. With the improved CEP stability, the long-term CEP coherent signal with an accumulated phase noise well below 1 radian can be maintained for more than 56 hours, i.e., the CEP coherence is preserved without a phase cycle slip for more than 1.6 × 10(13) pulses at a repetition rate of 80 MHz. The relative stability is also estimated to be approximately 1.4 × 10(-22) at a central wavelength of 790 nm.

Partially coherent polarized atmospheric transmission characteristics and application technology research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Qiang; Gao, Duorui; Liu, Zhi; Chen, Chunyi; Lou, Yan; Jiang, Huilin

2014-11-01

Based on partially coherent polarized light transmission characteristics of the atmosphere, an intensity expression of completely coherent flashing light is derived from Andrews scale modulation method. According to the generalized Huygens-Fresnel principle and Rytov theory, the phase fluctuation structure function is obtained on condition that the refractive index profile in the atmosphere meet Von Karman spectrum, then get the arrival Angle fluctuation variance. Through the RMS beam width of gaussian beams in turbulent atmosphere, deviation angle formula of fully coherent gaussian beams in turbulence atmosphere is attained, then get the RMS beam width of partially coherent and derivation angle expression of GSM beam in turbulent atmosphere. Combined with transmission properties of radial polarized laser beam, cross spectral density matrix of partially coherent radially polarized light can be gained by using generalized huygens-fresnel principle. And light intensity and polarization after transmission can be known according to the unity of coherence and polarization theory. On the basis of the analysis model and numerical simulation, the simulation results show that: the light spot caused by atmospheric turbulence of partially coherent polarization will be superior to completely polarized light.Taking advantage of this feature, designed a new wireless suppression technology of atmospheric turbulence, that is the optimization criterion of initial degree of coherent light beam. The optimal initial degree of coherent light beam will change along with the change of atmospheric turbulence conditions,make control the beam's initial degree of coherence to realize the initial degree of coherence of light beam in real time and dynamic control. A spatial phase screen before emission aperture of fully coherent light is to generate the partially coherent light, liquid crystal spatial light modulator is is a preferable way to realize the dynamic random phase. Finally look future of the application research of partially coherent light.

Digital phase demodulation for low-coherence interferometry-based fiber-optic sensors

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

Liu, Y.; Strum, R.; Stiles, D.

In this paper, we describe a digital phase demodulation scheme for low-coherence interferometry-based fiber-optic sensors by employing a simple generation of phase-shifted signals at the interrogation interferometer. The scheme allows a real-time calibration process and offers capability of measuring large variations (up to the coherence of the light source) at the bandwidth that is only limited by the data acquisition system. Finally, the proposed phase demodulation method is analytically derived and its validity and performance are experimentally verified using fiber-optic Fabry–Perot sensors for measurement of strains and vibrations.

Digital phase demodulation for low-coherence interferometry-based fiber-optic sensors

DOE PAGES

Liu, Y.; Strum, R.; Stiles, D.; ...

2017-11-20

In this paper, we describe a digital phase demodulation scheme for low-coherence interferometry-based fiber-optic sensors by employing a simple generation of phase-shifted signals at the interrogation interferometer. The scheme allows a real-time calibration process and offers capability of measuring large variations (up to the coherence of the light source) at the bandwidth that is only limited by the data acquisition system. Finally, the proposed phase demodulation method is analytically derived and its validity and performance are experimentally verified using fiber-optic Fabry–Perot sensors for measurement of strains and vibrations.

A general method to improve 3D-printability and inter-layer adhesion in lignin-based composites

DOE PAGES

Nguyen, Ngoc A.; Bowland, Christopher C.; Naskar, Amit K.

2018-05-02

Here, we report the utilization of a melt-stable lignin waste-stream from biorefineries as a renewable feedstock, with acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) polymer to synthesize a renewable matrix having excellent 3D-printability. While the initial low melt viscosity of the dispersed lignin phase induces local thermo-rheological relaxation facilitating the composite's melt flow, thermal crosslinking in both lignin and rubber phases as well as at the lignin-rubber interface decreases the molecular mobility. Consequently, interfacial diffusion and the resulting adhesion between deposited layers is decreased. However, addition of 10 wt.% of discontinuous carbon fibers (CFs) within the green composites not only significantly enhancesmore » the material performance but also lowers the degree of chemical crosslinking formed in the matrix during melt-phase synthesis. Furthermore, abundant functional groups including hydroxyl (from lignin) and nitrile (from rubber and ABS) allow combinations of hydrogen bonded structures where CFs play a critical bridging role between the deposited layers. As a result, a highly interfused printed structure with 100% improved inter-layer adhesion strength was obtained. This research offers a route toward utilizing lignin for replacement of petroleum-based thermoplastics used in additive manufacturing and methods to enhance printability of the materials with exceptional mechanical performance.« less

A general method to improve 3D-printability and inter-layer adhesion in lignin-based composites

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

Nguyen, Ngoc A.; Bowland, Christopher C.; Naskar, Amit K.

Here, we report the utilization of a melt-stable lignin waste-stream from biorefineries as a renewable feedstock, with acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) polymer to synthesize a renewable matrix having excellent 3D-printability. While the initial low melt viscosity of the dispersed lignin phase induces local thermo-rheological relaxation facilitating the composite's melt flow, thermal crosslinking in both lignin and rubber phases as well as at the lignin-rubber interface decreases the molecular mobility. Consequently, interfacial diffusion and the resulting adhesion between deposited layers is decreased. However, addition of 10 wt.% of discontinuous carbon fibers (CFs) within the green composites not only significantly enhancesmore » the material performance but also lowers the degree of chemical crosslinking formed in the matrix during melt-phase synthesis. Furthermore, abundant functional groups including hydroxyl (from lignin) and nitrile (from rubber and ABS) allow combinations of hydrogen bonded structures where CFs play a critical bridging role between the deposited layers. As a result, a highly interfused printed structure with 100% improved inter-layer adhesion strength was obtained. This research offers a route toward utilizing lignin for replacement of petroleum-based thermoplastics used in additive manufacturing and methods to enhance printability of the materials with exceptional mechanical performance.« less

Transient Liquid-Phase Diffusion Bonding of Aluminum Metal Matrix Composite Using a Mixed Cu-Ni Powder Interlayer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maity, Joydeep; Pal, Tapan Kumar

2012-07-01

In the present study, the transient liquid-phase diffusion bonding of an aluminum metal matrix composite (6061-15 wt.% SiCp) has been investigated for the first time using a mixed Cu-Ni powder interlayer at 560 °C, 0.2 MPa, for different holding times up to 6 h. The microstructure of the isothermally solidified zone contains equilibrium precipitate CuAl2, metastable precipitate Al9Ni2 in the matrix of α-solid solution along with the reinforcement particles (SiC). On the other hand, the microstructure of the central bond zone consists of equilibrium phases such as NiAl3, Al7Cu4Ni and α-solid solution along with SiC particles (without any segregation) and the presence of microporosities. During shear test, the crack originates from microporosities and propagates along the interphase interfaces resulting in poor bond strength for lower holding times. As the bonding time increases, with continual diffusion, the structural heterogeneity is diminished, and the microporosities are eliminated at the central bond zone. Accordingly, after 6-h holding, the microstructure of the central bond zone mainly consists of NiAl3 without any visible microporosity. This provides a joint efficiency of 84% with failure primarily occurring through decohesion at the SiC particle/matrix interface.

Carrier-envelope phase-dependent atomic coherence and quantum beats

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

Wu Ying; State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071; Yang Xiaoxue

2007-07-15

It is shown that the carrier-envelope phase (CEP) of few-cycle laser pulses has profound effects on the bound-state atomic coherence even in the weak-field regime where both tunneling and multiphoton ionization hardly take place. The atomic coherence thus produced is shown to be able to be mapped onto the CEP-dependent signal of quantum beats (and other quantum-interference phenomena) and hence might be used to extract information about and ultimately to measure the carrier-envelope phase.

Pairing versus phase coherence of doped holes in distinct quantum spin backgrounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Zheng; Sheng, D. N.; Weng, Zheng-Yu

2018-03-01

We examine the pairing structure of holes injected into two distinct spin backgrounds: a short-range antiferromagnetic phase versus a symmetry protected topological phase. Based on density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) simulation, we find that although there is a strong binding between two holes in both phases, phase fluctuations can significantly influence the pair-pair correlation depending on the spin-spin correlation in the background. Here the phase fluctuation is identified as an intrinsic string operator nonlocally controlled by the spins. We show that while the pairing amplitude is generally large, the coherent Cooper pairing can be substantially weakened by the phase fluctuation in the symmetry-protected topological phase, in contrast to the short-range antiferromagnetic phase. It provides an example of a non-BCS mechanism for pairing, in which the paring phase coherence is determined by the underlying spin state self-consistently, bearing an interesting resemblance to the pseudogap physics in the cuprate.

Modeling ferroelectric film properties and size effects from tetragonal interlayer in Hf1-xZrxO2 grains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Künneth, Christopher; Materlik, Robin; Kersch, Alfred

2017-05-01

Size effects from surface or interface energy play a pivotal role in stabilizing the ferroelectric phase in recently discovered thin film Zirconia-Hafnia. However, sufficient quantitative understanding has been lacking due to the interference with the stabilizing effect from dopants. For the important class of undoped Hf1-xZrxO2, a phase stability model based on free energy from Density functional theory (DFT) and surface energy values adapted to the sparse experimental and theoretical data has been successful to describe key properties of the available thin film data. Since surfaces and interfaces are prone to interference, the predictive capability of the model is surprising and directs to a hitherto undetected, underlying reason. New experimental data hint on the existence of an interlayer on the grain surface fixed in the tetragonal phase possibly shielding from external influence. To explore the consequences of such a mechanism, we develop an interface free energy model to include the fixed interlayer, generalize the grain model to include a grain radius distribution, calculate average polarization and permittivity, and compare the model with available experimental data. Since values for interface energies are sparse or uncertain, we obtain its values from minimizing the least square difference between predicted key parameters to experimental data in a global optimization. Since the detailed values for DFT energies depend on the chosen method, we repeat the search for different computed data sets and come out with quantitatively different but qualitatively consistent values for interface energies. The resulting values are physically very reasonable and the model is able to give qualitative prediction. On the other hand, the optimization reveals that the model is not able to fully capture the experimental data. We discuss possible physical effects and directions of research to possibly close this gap.

Application of Soft Computing in Coherent Communications Phase Synchronization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Drake, Jeffrey T.; Prasad, Nadipuram R.

2000-01-01

The use of soft computing techniques in coherent communications phase synchronization provides an alternative to analytical or hard computing methods. This paper discusses a novel use of Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference Systems (ANFIS) for phase synchronization in coherent communications systems utilizing Multiple Phase Shift Keying (MPSK) modulation. A brief overview of the M-PSK digital communications bandpass modulation technique is presented and it's requisite need for phase synchronization is discussed. We briefly describe the hybrid platform developed by Jang that incorporates fuzzy/neural structures namely the, Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Interference Systems (ANFIS). We then discuss application of ANFIS to phase estimation for M-PSK. The modeling of both explicit, and implicit phase estimation schemes for M-PSK symbols with unknown structure are discussed. Performance results from simulation of the above scheme is presented.

Opposition effect of the Moon from LROC WAC data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Velikodsky, Yu. I.; Korokhin, V. V.; Shkuratov, Yu. G.; Kaydash, V. G.; Videen, Gorden

2016-09-01

LROC WAC images acquired in 5 bands of the visible spectral range were used to study the opposition effect for two mare and two highland regions near the lunar equator. Opposition phase curves were extracted from the images containing the opposition by separating the phase-curve effect from the albedo pattern by comparing WAC images at different phase angles (from 0° to 30°). Akimov's photometric function and the NASA Digital Terrain Model GLD100 were used in the processing. It was found that phase-curve slopes at small phase angles directly correlate with albedo, while at larger phase angles, they are anti-correlated. We suggest a parameter to characterize the coherent-backscattering component of the lunar opposition surge, which is defined as the maximum phase angle for which the opposition-surge slope increases with growing albedo. The width of the coherent-backscattering opposition effect varies from approximately 1.2° for highlands in red light to 3.9° for maria in blue light. The parameter depends on albedo, which is in agreement with the coherent-backscattering theory. The maximum amplitude of the coherent opposition effect is estimated to be near 8%. Maps of albedo and phase-curve slope at phase angles larger than those, at which the coherent-backscattering occurs, were built for the areas under study. Absolute calibration of WAC images was compared with Earth-based observations: the WAC-determined albedo is very close to the mean lunar albedo calculated using available Earth-based observations.

Structural transformations and properties of titanium-aluminum composite during heat treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pervukhin, L. B.; Kryukov, D. B.; Krivenkov, A. O.; Chugunov, S. N.

2017-08-01

The link between the parameters of heat treatment of a layered titanium-aluminum composite material obtained by explosive welding with the formation of intermetallic compounds in it has been analyzed. The results of measurements of the microhardness of the composite and the thickness of the interlayer of the intermetallic phase obtained using different regimes of heat treatment have been discussed. Special attention has been paid to estimating the composition of the intermetallic phase in the composite prepared by explosive welding.

Experimental evidence of phase coherence of magnetohydrodynamic turbulence in the solar wind: GEOTAIL satellite data.

PubMed

Koga, D; Chian, A C-L; Hada, T; Rempel, E L

2008-02-13

Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence is commonly observed in the solar wind. Nonlinear interactions among MHD waves are likely to produce finite correlation of the wave phases. For discussions of various transport processes of energetic particles, it is fundamentally important to determine whether the wave phases are randomly distributed (as assumed in the quasi-linear theory) or have a finite coherence. Using a method based on the surrogate data technique, we analysed the GEOTAIL magnetic field data to evaluate the phase coherence in MHD turbulence in the Earth's foreshock region. The results demonstrate the existence of finite phase correlation, indicating that nonlinear wave-wave interactions are in progress.

The 10Å phase: a high-pressure expandable sheet silicate stable during subduction of hydrated lithosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fumagalli, Patrizia; Stixrude, Lars; Poli, Stefano; Snyder, Don

2001-03-01

H 2O storage and release in deep subducting lithosphere is controlled by complex reaction suites involving a variety of hydrous phases. As a result of its relatively large thermal stability and intermediate composition, the 10Å phase (Mg 3Si 4O 10(OH) 2· nH 2O) has been regarded as a relevant H 2O reservoir in a wide range of rock compositions and mineral assemblages. High-pressure syntheses of the 10Å phase were carried out at 6.7 GPa and 650°C under fluid-saturated conditions in a Walker-type multi-anvil apparatus, from 5 min to 430 h. X-ray powder diffraction of large platy hexagonal crystals of the 10Å phase (up to 100 μm) were indexed on the basis of a trioctahedral-type structure. Long-term run products (>110 h) reveal sensitivity of the 10Å phase to treatment with acetone leading to the appearance of diffractions at greater d-spacings (10.2-11.6 Å) with respect to the basal peak of the 10Å phase (9.64-10.07 Å). This swelling behavior is strongly related to synthesis run duration. The Raman spectrum of the 10Å phase at frequencies less than 800 cm -1 shows a strong similarity to talc. In the Si-O stretching region (800-1100 cm -1), the 10Å phase exhibits three modes (909, 992 and 1058 cm -1), as compared to two in talc. The bending mode of water (ν 2) is found at 1593 cm -1. In the OH stretching region, peaks at 3593, 3622 and 3668 cm -1 were observed. The acetone treated sample shows a C-H stretching mode at 2923 cm -1 while the double bond CO signal is absent. The swelling behavior of the 10Å phase is interpreted as due to intercalation of acetone with pre-existing interlayer water. The efficiency of this process is dependent on the amount of the interlayer water which in turn depends on run duration. The relation between the response to acetone treatment and run duration is therefore interpreted as a time-dependent hydration of the 10Å phase. The fractions transformed from non-expandable to expandable fractions was fitted to the Avrami empirical law which suggests that kinetics are mainly controlled by diffusion rather than phase boundary reactions. The ability to accommodate variable amounts of H 2O makes the 10Å phase a major H 2O sink whenever a hydrous phase such as chlorite and serpentine breaks down during prograde transformations in the subducted lithosphere. Under H 2O-saturated conditions, a fully hydrated 10Å phase occurs; when H 2O-undersaturated conditions prevail, a H 2O-deficient 10Å phase incorporates the volatile component available. The exchange capacity of interlayer molecules in the 10Å phase structure opens new scenarios on the control of fluid compositions escaping from subducted slabs.

Emergence of electron coherence and two-color all-optical switching in MoS2 based on spatial self-phase modulation

PubMed Central

Wu, Yanling; Wu, Qiong; Sun, Fei; Cheng, Cai; Meng, Sheng; Zhao, Jimin

2015-01-01

Generating electron coherence in quantum materials is essential in optimal control of many-body interactions and correlations. In a multidomain system this signifies nonlocal coherence and emergence of collective phenomena, particularly in layered 2D quantum materials possessing novel electronic structures and high carrier mobilities. Here we report nonlocal ac electron coherence induced in dispersed MoS2 flake domains, using coherent spatial self-phase modulation (SSPM). The gap-dependent nonlinear dielectric susceptibility χ(3) measured is surprisingly large, where direct interband transition and two-photon SSPM are responsible for excitations above and below the bandgap, respectively. A wind-chime model is proposed to account for the emergence of the ac electron coherence. Furthermore, all-optical switching is achieved based on SSPM, especially with two-color intraband coherence, demonstrating that electron coherence generation is a ubiquitous property of layered quantum materials. PMID:26351696

15N NMR study of nitrate ion structure and dynamics in hydrotalcite-like compounds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hou, X.; James, Kirkpatrick R.; Yu, P.; Moore, D.; Kim, Y.

2000-01-01

We report here the first nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic study of the dynamical and structural behavior of nitrate on the surface and in the interlayer of hydrotalcite-like compounds (15NO3--HT). Spectroscopically resolvable surface-absorbed and interlayer NO3- have dramatically different dynamical characteristics. The interlayer nitrate shows a well defined, temperature independent uniaxial chemical shift anisotropy (CS A) powder pattern. It is rigidly held or perhaps undergoes rotation about its threefold axis at all temperatures between -100 ??C and +80 ??C and relative humidities (R.H.) from 0 to 100% at room temperature. For surface nitrate, however, the dynamical behavior depends substantially on temperature and relative humidity. Analysis of the temperature and R.H. dependences of the peak width yields reorieritational frequencies which increase from essentially 0 at -100 ??C to 2.6 ?? 105 Hz at 60 ??C and an activation energy of 12.6 kJ/mol. For example, for samples at R.H. = 33%, the surface nitrate is isotropically mobile at frequencies greater than 105 Hz at room temperature, but it becomes rigid or only rotates on its threefold axis at -100 ??C. For dry samples and samples heated at 200 ??C (R.H. near 0%), the surface nitrate is not isotropically averaged at room temperature. In contrast to our previous results for 35Cl--containing hydrotalcite (35Cl--HT), no NMR detectable structural phase transition is observed for 15NO3--HT. The mobility of interlayer nitrate in HT is intermediate between that of carbonate and chloride.

Reentrant Phase Coherence in Superconducting Nanowire Composites.

PubMed

Ansermet, Diane; Petrović, Alexander P; He, Shikun; Chernyshov, Dmitri; Hoesch, Moritz; Salloum, Diala; Gougeon, Patrick; Potel, Michel; Boeri, Lilia; Andersen, Ole Krogh; Panagopoulos, Christos

2016-01-26

The short coherence lengths characteristic of low-dimensional superconductors are associated with usefully high critical fields or temperatures. Unfortunately, such materials are often sensitive to disorder and suffer from phase fluctuations in the superconducting order parameter which diverge with temperature T, magnetic field H, or current I. We propose an approach to overcome synthesis and fluctuation problems: building superconductors from inhomogeneous composites of nanofilaments. Macroscopic crystals of quasi-one-dimensional Na2-δMo6Se6 featuring Na vacancy disorder (δ ≈ 0.2) are shown to behave as percolative networks of superconducting nanowires. Long-range order is established via transverse coupling between individual one-dimensional filaments, yet phase coherence remains unstable to fluctuations and localization in the zero (T,H,I) limit. However, a region of reentrant phase coherence develops upon raising (T,H,I). We attribute this phenomenon to an enhancement of the transverse coupling due to electron delocalization. Our observations of reentrant phase coherence coincide with a peak in the Josephson energy EJ at nonzero (T,H,I), which we estimate using a simple analytical model for a disordered anisotropic superconductor. Na2-δMo6Se6 is therefore a blueprint for a future generation of nanofilamentary superconductors with inbuilt resilience to phase fluctuations at elevated (T,H,I).

Atmospheric propagation and combining of high-power lasers.

PubMed

Nelson, W; Sprangle, P; Davis, C C

2016-03-01

In this paper, we analyze beam combining and atmospheric propagation of high-power lasers for directed-energy (DE) applications. The large linewidths inherent in high-power fiber and slab lasers cause random phase and intensity fluctuations that occur on subnanosecond time scales. Coherently combining these high-power lasers would involve instruments capable of precise phase control and operation at rates greater than ∼10  GHz. To the best of our knowledge, this technology does not currently exist. This presents a challenging problem when attempting to phase lock high-power lasers that is not encountered when phase locking low-power lasers, for example, at milliwatt power levels. Regardless, we demonstrate that even if instruments are developed that can precisely control the phase of high-power lasers, coherent combining is problematic for DE applications. The dephasing effects of atmospheric turbulence typically encountered in DE applications will degrade the coherent properties of the beam before it reaches the target. Through simulations, we find that coherent beam combining in moderate turbulence and over multikilometer propagation distances has little advantage over incoherent combining. Additionally, in cases of strong turbulence and multikilometer propagation ranges, we find nearly indistinguishable intensity profiles and virtually no difference in the energy on the target between coherently and incoherently combined laser beams. Consequently, we find that coherent beam combining at the transmitter plane is ineffective under typical atmospheric conditions.

Plasma sprayed ceria-containing interlayer

DOEpatents

Schmidt, Douglas S.; Folser, George R.

2006-01-10

A plasma sprayed ceria-containing interlayer is provided. The interlayer has particular application in connection with a solid oxide fuel cell used within a power generation system. The fuel cell advantageously comprises an air electrode, a plasma sprayed interlayer disposed on at least a portion of the air electrode, a plasma sprayed electrolyte disposed on at least a portion of the interlayer, and a fuel electrode applied on at least a portion of the electrolyte.

Quantitative phase imaging method based on an analytical nonparaxial partially coherent phase optical transfer function.

PubMed

Bao, Yijun; Gaylord, Thomas K

2016-11-01

Multifilter phase imaging with partially coherent light (MFPI-PC) is a promising new quantitative phase imaging method. However, the existing MFPI-PC method is based on the paraxial approximation. In the present work, an analytical nonparaxial partially coherent phase optical transfer function is derived. This enables the MFPI-PC to be extended to the realistic nonparaxial case. Simulations over a wide range of test phase objects as well as experimental measurements on a microlens array verify higher levels of imaging accuracy compared to the paraxial method. Unlike the paraxial version, the nonparaxial MFPI-PC with obliquity factor correction exhibits no systematic error. In addition, due to its analytical expression, the increase in computation time compared to the paraxial version is negligible.

Emergence of coherence and the dynamics of quantum phase transitions

PubMed Central

Braun, Simon; Friesdorf, Mathis; Hodgman, Sean S.; Schreiber, Michael; Ronzheimer, Jens Philipp; Riera, Arnau; del Rey, Marco; Bloch, Immanuel; Eisert, Jens

2015-01-01

The dynamics of quantum phase transitions pose one of the most challenging problems in modern many-body physics. Here, we study a prototypical example in a clean and well-controlled ultracold atom setup by observing the emergence of coherence when crossing the Mott insulator to superfluid quantum phase transition. In the 1D Bose–Hubbard model, we find perfect agreement between experimental observations and numerical simulations for the resulting coherence length. We, thereby, perform a largely certified analog quantum simulation of this strongly correlated system reaching beyond the regime of free quasiparticles. Experimentally, we additionally explore the emergence of coherence in higher dimensions, where no classical simulations are available, as well as for negative temperatures. For intermediate quench velocities, we observe a power-law behavior of the coherence length, reminiscent of the Kibble–Zurek mechanism. However, we find nonuniversal exponents that cannot be captured by this mechanism or any other known model. PMID:25775515

Generation of Langmuir wave supercontinuum by phase-preserving equilibration of plasmons with irreversible wave-particle interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eiichirou, Kawamori

2018-04-01

We report the observation of supercontinuum of Langmuir plasma waves, that exhibits broad power spectrum having significant spatio-temporal coherence grown from a monochromatic seed-wave, in one-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. The Langmuir wave supercontinuum (LWSC) is formed when the seed wave excites side-band fields efficiently by the modulational instabilities. Its identification is achieved by the use of the tricoherence analysis, which detects four wave mixings (FWMs) of plasmons (plasma wave quanta), and evaluation of the first order coherence, which is a measure of temporal coherence, of the wave electric fields. The irreversible evolution to the coherent LWSC from the seed wave is realized by the wave-particle interactions causing stochastic electron motions in the phase space and the coherence of LWSC is maintained by the phase-preserving FWMs of plasmons. The LWSC corresponds to a quasi Bernstein-Greene-Kruskal mode.

Growth and structure of In{sub 0.5}Ga{sub 0.5}Sb quantum dots on GaP(001)

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

Sala, E. M.; Stracke, G.; Schlichting, S.

2016-09-05

Stranski-Krastanov (SK) growth of In{sub 0.5}Ga{sub 0.5}Sb quantum dots (QDs) on GaP(001) by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy is demonstrated. A thin GaAs interlayer prior to QD deposition enables QD nucleation. The impact of a short Sb-flush before supplying InGaSb is investigated. QD growth gets partially suppressed for GaAs interlayer thicknesses below 6 monolayers. QD densities vary from 5 × 10{sup 9} to 2 × 10{sup 11} cm{sup −2} depending on material deposition and Sb-flush time. When In{sub 0.5}Ga{sub 0.5}Sb growth is carried out without Sb-flush, the QD density is generally decreased, and up to 60% larger QDs are obtained.

Multiple Quantum Phase Transitions in a two-dimensional superconductor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bergeal, Nicolas; Biscaras, J.; Hurand, S.; Feuillet-Palma, C.; Lesueur, J.; Budhani, R. C.; Rastogi, A.; Caprara, S.; Grilli, M.

2013-03-01

We studied the magnetic field driven Quantum Phase Transition (QPT) in electrostatically gated superconducting LaTiO3/SrTiO3 interfaces. Through finite size scaling analysis, we showed that it belongs to the (2 +1)D XY model universality class. The system can be described as a disordered array of superconducting islands coupled by a two dimensional electron gas (2DEG). Depending on the 2DEG conductance tuned by the gate voltage, the QPT is single (corresponding to the long range phase coherence in the whole array) or double (one related to local phase coherence, the other one to the array). By retrieving the coherence length critical exponent ν, we showed that the QPT can be ``clean'' or ``dirty'' according to the Harris criteria, depending on whether the phase coherence length is smaller or larger than the island size. The overall behaviour is well described by a model of coupled superconducting puddles in the framework of the fermionic scenario of 2D superconducting QPT.

Effect of Nonionic Surfactant Additive in PEDOT:PSS on PFO Emission Layer in Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Light-Emitting Diode.

PubMed

Cho, Seong Rae; Porte, Yoann; Kim, Yun Cheol; Myoung, Jae-Min

2018-03-21

Poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene) (PFO) has attracted significant interests owing to its versatility in electronic devices. However, changes in its optical properties caused by its various phases and the formation of oxidation defects limit the application of PFO in light-emitting diodes (LEDs). We investigated the effects of the addition of Triton X-100 (hereinafter shortened as TX) in poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) to induce interlayer diffusion between PEDOT:PSS and PFO to enhance the stability of the PFO phase and suppress its oxidation. Photoluminescence (PL) measurement on PFO/TX-mixed PEDOT:PSS layers revealed that, upon increasing the concentration of TX in the PEDOT:PSS layer, the β phase of PFO could be suppressed in favor of the glassy phase and the wide PL emission centered at 535 nm caused by ketone defects formed by oxidation was decreased considerably. LEDs were then fabricated using PFO as an emission layer, TX-mixed PEDOT:PSS as hole-transport layer, and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods as electron-transport layer. As the TX concentration reached 3 wt %, the devices exhibited dramatic increases in current densities, which were attributed to the enhanced hole injection due to TX addition, along with a shift in the dominant emission wavelength from a green electroluminescence (EL) emission centered at 518 nm to a blue EL emission centered at 448 nm. The addition of TX in PEDOT:PSS induced a better hole injection in the PFO layer, and through interlayer diffusion, stabilized the glassy phase of PFO and limited the formation of oxidation defects.

Evolution of singularities in a partially coherent vortex beam.

PubMed

van Dijk, Thomas; Visser, Taco D

2009-04-01

We study the evolution of phase singularities and coherence singularities in a Laguerre-Gauss beam that is rendered partially coherent by letting it pass through a spatial light modulator. The original beam has an on-axis minumum of intensity--a phase singularity--that transforms into a maximum of the far-field intensity. In contrast, although the original beam has no coherence singularities, such singularities are found to develop as the beam propagates. This disappearance of one kind of singularity and the gradual appearance of another is illustrated with numerical examples.

Coherent states for the quantum complete rigid rotor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fontanari, Daniele; Sadovskií, Dmitrií A.

2018-07-01

Motivated by the possibility to describe orientations of quantum triaxial rigid rotors, such as molecules, with respect to both internal (body-fixed) and external (laboratory) frames, we go through the theory of coherent states and design the appropriate family of coherent states on T∗ SO(3) , the classical phase space of the freely rotating rigid body (the Euler top). We pay particular attention to the resolution of identity property in order to establish the explicit relation between the parameters of the coherent states and classical phase-space variables, actions and angles.

Shaping the beam profile of a partially coherent beam by a phase aperture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Gaofeng; Cai, Yangjian; Chen, Jun

2011-08-01

By use of a tensor method, an analytical formula for a partially coherent Gaussian Schell-model (GSM) beam truncated by a circular phase aperture propagating through a paraxial ABCD optical system is derived. The propagation properties of a GSM beam truncated by a circular phase aperture in free space are studied numerically. It is found that the circular phase aperture can be used to shape the beam profile of a GSM beam and generate partially coherent dark hollow or flat-topped beam, which is useful in many applications, e.g., optical trapping, free-space optical communication, and material thermal processing. The propagation factor of a GSM beam truncated by a circular phase aperture is also analyzed.

Long-term stable coherent beam combination of independent femtosecond Yb-fiber lasers.

PubMed

Tian, Haochen; Song, Youjian; Meng, Fei; Fang, Zhanjun; Hu, Minglie; Wang, Chingyue

2016-11-15

We demonstrate coherent beam combination between independent femtosecond Yb-fiber lasers by using the active phase locking of relative pulse timing and the carrier envelope phase based on a balanced optical cross-correlator and extracavity acoustic optical frequency shifter, respectively. The broadband quantum noise of femtosecond fiber lasers is suppressed via precise cavity dispersion control, instead of complicated high-bandwidth phase-locked loop design. Because of reduced quantum noise and a simplified phase-locked loop, stable phase locking that lasts for 1 hour has been obtained, as verified via both spectral interferometry and far-field beam interferometry. The approach can be applied to coherent pulse synthesis, as well as to remote frequency comb connection, allowing a practical all-fiber configuration.

Anomalous Phase Change in [(GeTe)2/(Sb2Te3)]20 Superlattice Observed by Coherent Phonon Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makino, K.; Saito, Y.; Mitrofanov, K.; Tominaga, J.; Kolobov, A. V.; Nakano, T.; Fons, P.; Hase, M.

The temperature-dependent ultrafast coherent phonon dynamics of topological (GeTe)2/(Sb2Te3) super lattice phase change memory material was investigated. By comparing with Ge-Sb-Te alloy, a clear contrast suggesting the unique phase change behavior was found.

Geometric and dynamic perspectives on phase-coherent and noncoherent chaos.

PubMed

Zou, Yong; Donner, Reik V; Kurths, Jürgen

2012-03-01

Statistically distinguishing between phase-coherent and noncoherent chaotic dynamics from time series is a contemporary problem in nonlinear sciences. In this work, we propose different measures based on recurrence properties of recorded trajectories, which characterize the underlying systems from both geometric and dynamic viewpoints. The potentials of the individual measures for discriminating phase-coherent and noncoherent chaotic oscillations are discussed. A detailed numerical analysis is performed for the chaotic Rössler system, which displays both types of chaos as one control parameter is varied, and the Mackey-Glass system as an example of a time-delay system with noncoherent chaos. Our results demonstrate that especially geometric measures from recurrence network analysis are well suited for tracing transitions between spiral- and screw-type chaos, a common route from phase-coherent to noncoherent chaos also found in other nonlinear oscillators. A detailed explanation of the observed behavior in terms of attractor geometry is given.

Phase coherence induced by correlated disorder.

PubMed

Hong, Hyunsuk; O'Keeffe, Kevin P; Strogatz, Steven H

2016-02-01

We consider a mean-field model of coupled phase oscillators with quenched disorder in the coupling strengths and natural frequencies. When these two kinds of disorder are uncorrelated (and when the positive and negative couplings are equal in number and strength), it is known that phase coherence cannot occur and synchronization is absent. Here we explore the effects of correlating the disorder. Specifically, we assume that any given oscillator either attracts or repels all the others, and that the sign of the interaction is deterministically correlated with the given oscillator's natural frequency. For symmetrically correlated disorder with zero mean, we find that the system spontaneously synchronizes, once the width of the frequency distribution falls below a critical value. For asymmetrically correlated disorder, the model displays coherent traveling waves: the complex order parameter becomes nonzero and rotates with constant frequency different from the system's mean natural frequency. Thus, in both cases, correlated disorder can trigger phase coherence.

Phase-and-amplitude recovery from a single phase-contrast image using partially spatially coherent x-ray radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beltran, Mario A.; Paganin, David M.; Pelliccia, Daniele

2018-05-01

A simple method of phase-and-amplitude extraction is derived that corrects for image blurring induced by partially spatially coherent incident illumination using only a single intensity image as input. The method is based on Fresnel diffraction theory for the case of high Fresnel number, merged with the space-frequency description formalism used to quantify partially coherent fields and assumes the object under study is composed of a single-material. A priori knowledge of the object’s complex refractive index and information obtained by characterizing the spatial coherence of the source is required. The algorithm was applied to propagation-based phase-contrast data measured with a laboratory-based micro-focus x-ray source. The blurring due to the finite spatial extent of the source is embedded within the algorithm as a simple correction term to the so-called Paganin algorithm and is also numerically stable in the presence of noise.

Bosonic Confinement and Coherence in Disordered Nanodiamond Arrays.

PubMed

Zhang, Gufei; Samuely, Tomas; Du, Hongchu; Xu, Zheng; Liu, Liwang; Onufriienko, Oleksandr; May, Paul W; Vanacken, Johan; Szabó, Pavol; Kačmarčík, Jozef; Yuan, Haifeng; Samuely, Peter; Dunin-Borkowski, Rafal E; Hofkens, Johan; Moshchalkov, Victor V

2017-11-28

In the presence of disorder, superconductivity exhibits short-range characteristics linked to localized Cooper pairs which are responsible for anomalous phase transitions and the emergence of quantum states such as the bosonic insulating state. Complementary to well-studied homogeneously disordered superconductors, superconductor-normal hybrid arrays provide tunable realizations of the degree of granular disorder for studying anomalous quantum phase transitions. Here, we investigate the superconductor-bosonic dirty metal transition in disordered nanodiamond arrays as a function of the dispersion of intergrain spacing, which ranges from angstroms to micrometers. By monitoring the evolved superconducting gaps and diminished coherence peaks in the single-quasiparticle density of states, we link the destruction of the superconducting state and the emergence of bosonic dirty metallic state to breaking of the global phase coherence and persistence of the localized Cooper pairs. The observed resistive bosonic phase transitions are well modeled using a series-parallel circuit in the framework of bosonic confinement and coherence.

Coherent variability of GX 1+4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nielsen, Ann-Sofie Bak; Patruno, Alessandro

2018-06-01

The accreting pulsar GX 1+4 is a symbiotic X-ray binary system with a M-type giant star companion. The system has a spin period of about 150 s and a proposed strong magnetic field of 1012-1014G. In this paper we study the coherent variability of the source and attempt to find a phase-coherent solution for the pulsar. We also test for the presence of a pulse phase - flux correlation, similar to what is observed for the accreting millisecond X-ray pulsars, in order to test whether this feature is dependent on the magnetic field strength. We find that no phase coherent solution exists which suggests that the pulsar is accreting plasma from a wind rather than an accretion disc. We also find evidence that the pulse phase is not correlated with the X-ray flux, which strengthens the idea that such relation might be present only in weak magnetic field sources like accreting millisecond pulsars.

Coherent control of flexural vibrations in dual-nanoweb fibers using phase-modulated two-frequency light

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koehler, J. R.; Noskov, R. E.; Sukhorukov, A. A.; Novoa, D.; Russell, P. St. J.

2017-12-01

Coherent control of the resonant response in spatially extended optomechanical structures is complicated by the fact that the optical drive is affected by the backaction from the generated phonons. Here we report an approach to coherent control based on stimulated Raman-like scattering, in which the optical pressure can remain unaffected by the induced vibrations even in the regime of strong optomechanical interactions. We demonstrate experimentally coherent control of flexural vibrations simultaneously along the whole length of a dual-nanoweb fiber, by imprinting steps in the relative phase between the components of a two-frequency pump signal, the beat frequency being chosen to match a flexural resonance. Furthermore, sequential switching of the relative phase at time intervals shorter than the lifetime of the vibrations reduces their amplitude to a constant value that is fully adjustable by tuning the phase modulation depth and switching rate. The results may trigger new developments in silicon photonics, since such coherent control uniquely decouples the amplitude of optomechanical oscillations from power-dependent thermal effects and nonlinear optical loss.

Spatially multiplexed interferometric microscopy with partially coherent illumination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Picazo-Bueno, José Ángel; Zalevsky, Zeev; García, Javier; Ferreira, Carlos; Micó, Vicente

2016-10-01

We have recently reported on a simple, low cost, and highly stable way to convert a standard microscope into a holographic one [Opt. Express 22, 14929 (2014)]. The method, named spatially multiplexed interferometric microscopy (SMIM), proposes an off-axis holographic architecture implemented onto a regular (nonholographic) microscope with minimum modifications: the use of coherent illumination and a properly placed and selected one-dimensional diffraction grating. In this contribution, we report on the implementation of partially (temporally reduced) coherent illumination in SMIM as a way to improve quantitative phase imaging. The use of low coherence sources forces the application of phase shifting algorithm instead of off-axis holographic recording to recover the sample's phase information but improves phase reconstruction due to coherence noise reduction. In addition, a less restrictive field of view limitation (1/2) is implemented in comparison with our previously reported scheme (1/3). The proposed modification is experimentally validated in a regular Olympus BX-60 upright microscope considering a wide range of samples (resolution test, microbeads, swine sperm cells, red blood cells, and prostate cancer cells).

Dynamics of Cohering and Decohering Power under Markovian Channels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Ming-Ming; Luo, Yu; Shao, Lian-He; Li, Yong-Ming

2017-11-01

In this paper, we investigate the cohering and decohering power of the one-qubit Markovian channels with respect to coherence measures based on the l 1-norm, the Rényi α-relative entropy and the Tsallis α-relative entropy of coherence, respectively. The amplitude damping channel, phase damping channel, depolarizing channel, and flip channels are analytically calculated. It shows that the decohering power of the amplitude damping channel on the x,y , and z basis is equal to each other. The same phenomenon can be seen for the phase damping channel and the flip channels. The cohering power for the phase damping channel and the flip channels on the x,y basis also equals to that on the z basis. However, the cohering and decohering power of the depolarizing channel is independent to the reference basises. And the cohering power of the amplitude damping channel on the x,y basis is different to that on the z basis. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos. 11271237, 11671244, the Higher School Doctoral Subject Foundation of Ministry of Education of China under Grant No. 20130202110001, and Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities under Grants Nos. 2016TS060 and 2016CBY003

Polarimetric SAR Interferometry to Monitor Land Subsidence in Tehran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sadeghi, Zahra; Valadan Zoej, Mohammad Javad; Muller, Jan-Peter

2016-08-01

This letter uses a combination of ADInSAR with a coherence optimization method. Polarimetric DInSAR is able to enhance pixel phase quality and thus coherent pixel density. The coherence optimization method is a search-based approach to find the optimized scattering mechanism introduced by Navarro-Sanchez [1]. The case study is southwest of Tehran basin located in the North of Iran. It suffers from a high-rate of land subsidence and is covered by agricultural fields. Usually such an area would significantly decorrelate but applying polarimetric ADInSAR it is possible to obtain a more coherent pixel coverage. A set of dual-pol TerraSAR-X images was ordered for polarimetric ADInSAR procedure. The coherence optimization method is shown to have increased the density and phase quality of coherent pixels significantly.

Resting-state EEG power and coherence vary between migraine phases.

PubMed

Cao, Zehong; Lin, Chin-Teng; Chuang, Chun-Hsiang; Lai, Kuan-Lin; Yang, Albert C; Fuh, Jong-Ling; Wang, Shuu-Jiun

2016-12-01

Migraine is characterized by a series of phases (inter-ictal, pre-ictal, ictal, and post-ictal). It is of great interest whether resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) is differentiable between these phases. We compared resting-state EEG energy intensity and effective connectivity in different migraine phases using EEG power and coherence analyses in patients with migraine without aura as compared with healthy controls (HCs). EEG power and isolated effective coherence of delta (1-3.5 Hz), theta (4-7.5 Hz), alpha (8-12.5 Hz), and beta (13-30 Hz) bands were calculated in the frontal, central, temporal, parietal, and occipital regions. Fifty patients with episodic migraine (1-5 headache days/month) and 20 HCs completed the study. Patients were classified into inter-ictal, pre-ictal, ictal, and post-ictal phases (n = 22, 12, 8, 8, respectively), using 36-h criteria. Compared to HCs, inter-ictal and ictal patients, but not pre- or post-ictal patients, had lower EEG power and coherence, except for a higher effective connectivity in fronto-occipital network in inter-ictal patients (p < .05). Compared to data obtained from the inter-ictal group, EEG power and coherence were increased in the pre-ictal group, with the exception of a lower effective connectivity in fronto-occipital network (p < .05). Inter-ictal and ictal patients had decreased EEG power and coherence relative to HCs, which were "normalized" in the pre-ictal or post-ictal groups. Resting-state EEG power density and effective connectivity differ between migraine phases and provide an insight into the complex neurophysiology of migraine.

Gain dependent self-phasing in a two-core coherently combined fiber laser.

PubMed

Kunkel, W Minster; Leger, James R

2018-04-16

The influence of the Kramers-Kronig phase is demonstrated in a coherently combined fiber laser where other passive phasing mechanisms such as wavelength tuning have been suppressed. A mathematical model is developed to predict the lasing supermode and is supported by experimental measurements of the gain, phase, and power. The results show that the difference in Kramers-Kronig phase arising from a difference in gain between the two arms partially compensates for an externally applied phase error.

Phase Properties of Photon-Added Coherent States for Nonharmonic Oscillators in a Nonlinear Kerr Medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jahanbakhsh, F.; Honarasa, G.

2018-04-01

The potential of nonharmonic systems has several applications in the field of quantum physics. The photon-added coherent states for annharmonic oscillators in a nonlinear Kerr medium can be used to describe some quantum systems. In this paper, the phase properties of these states including number-phase Wigner distribution function, Pegg-Barnett phase distribution function, number-phase squeezing and number-phase entropic uncertainty relations are investigated. It is found that these states can be considered as the nonclassical states.

Spatiotemporal dynamics of rhythmic spinal interneurons measured with two-photon calcium imaging and coherence analysis.

PubMed

Kwan, Alex C; Dietz, Shelby B; Zhong, Guisheng; Harris-Warrick, Ronald M; Webb, Watt W

2010-12-01

In rhythmic neural circuits, a neuron often fires action potentials with a constant phase to the rhythm, a timing relationship that can be functionally significant. To characterize these phase preferences in a large-scale, cell type-specific manner, we adapted multitaper coherence analysis for two-photon calcium imaging. Analysis of simulated data showed that coherence is a simple and robust measure of rhythmicity for calcium imaging data. When applied to the neonatal mouse hindlimb spinal locomotor network, the phase relationships between peak activity of >1,000 ventral spinal interneurons and motor output were characterized. Most interneurons showed rhythmic activity that was coherent and in phase with the ipsilateral motor output during fictive locomotion. The phase distributions of two genetically identified classes of interneurons were distinct from the ensemble population and from each other. There was no obvious spatial clustering of interneurons with similar phase preferences. Together, these results suggest that cell type, not neighboring neuron activity, is a better indicator of an interneuron's response during fictive locomotion. The ability to measure the phase preferences of many neurons with cell type and spatial information should be widely applicable for studying other rhythmic neural circuits.

Effect of Phase-Breaking Events on Electron Transport in Mesoscopic and Nanodevices

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

Meunier, Vincent; Mintmire, John W; Thushari, Jayasekera

2008-01-01

Existing ballistic models for electron transport in mesoscopic and nanoscale systems break down as the size of the device becomes longer than the phase coherence length of electrons in the system. Krstic et al. experimentally observed that the current in single-wall carbon nanotube systems can be regarded as a combination of a coherent part and a noncoherent part. In this article, we discuss the use of Buettiker phase-breaking technique to address partially coherent electron transport, generalize that to a multichannel problem, and then study the effect of phase-breaking events on the electron transport in two-terminal graphene nanoribbon devices. We alsomore » investigate the difference between the pure-phase randomization and phase/momentum randomization boundary conditions. While momentum randomization adds an extra resistance caused by backward scattering, pure-phase randomization smooths the conductance oscillations because of interference.« less

Origins of the structural phase transitions in MoTe2 and WTe2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Hyun-Jung; Kang, Seoung-Hun; Hamada, Ikutaro; Son, Young-Woo

2017-05-01

Layered transition metal dichalcogenides MoTe2 and WTe2 share almost similar lattice constants as well as topological electronic properties except their structural phase transitions. While the former shows a first-order phase transition between monoclinic and orthorhombic structures, the latter does not. Using a recently proposed van der Waals density functional method, we investigate structural stability of the two materials and uncover that the disparate phase transitions originate from delicate differences between their interlayer bonding states near the Fermi energy. By exploiting the relation between the structural phase transitions and the low energy electronic properties, we show that a charge doping can control the transition substantially, thereby suggesting a way to stabilize or to eliminate their topological electronic energy bands.

Coherent hybrid electromagnetic field imaging

DOEpatents

Cooke, Bradly J [Jemez Springs, NM; Guenther, David C [Los Alamos, NM

2008-08-26

An apparatus and corresponding method for coherent hybrid electromagnetic field imaging of a target, where an energy source is used to generate a propagating electromagnetic beam, an electromagnetic beam splitting means to split the beam into two or more coherently matched beams of about equal amplitude, and where the spatial and temporal self-coherence between each two or more coherently matched beams is preserved. Two or more differential modulation means are employed to modulate each two or more coherently matched beams with a time-varying polarization, frequency, phase, and amplitude signal. An electromagnetic beam combining means is used to coherently combine said two or more coherently matched beams into a coherent electromagnetic beam. One or more electromagnetic beam controlling means are used for collimating, guiding, or focusing the coherent electromagnetic beam. One or more apertures are used for transmitting and receiving the coherent electromagnetic beam to and from the target. A receiver is used that is capable of square-law detection of the coherent electromagnetic beam. A waveform generator is used that is capable of generation and control of time-varying polarization, frequency, phase, or amplitude modulation waveforms and sequences. A means of synchronizing time varying waveform is used between the energy source and the receiver. Finally, a means of displaying the images created by the interaction of the coherent electromagnetic beam with target is employed.

Coherently coupled ZnO and VO2 interface studied by photoluminescence and electrical transport across a phase transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srivastava, Amar; Herng, T. S.; Saha, Surajit; Nina, Bao; Annadi, A.; Naomi, N.; Liu, Z. Q.; Dhar, S.; Ariando; Ding, J.; Venkatesan, T.

2012-06-01

We have investigated the photoluminescence and electrical properties of a coherently coupled interface consisting of a ZnO layer grown on top of an oriented VO2 layer on sapphire across the phase transition of VO2. The band edge and defect luminescence of the ZnO overlayer exhibit hysteresis in opposite directions induced by the phase transition of VO2. Concomitantly the phase transition of VO2 was seen to induce defects in the ZnO layer. Such coherently coupled interfaces could be of use in characterizing the stability of a variety of interfaces in situ and also for novel device application.

Thermally stable diamond brazing

DOEpatents

Radtke, Robert P [Kingwood, TX

2009-02-10

A cutting element and a method for forming a cutting element is described and shown. The cutting element includes a substrate, a TSP diamond layer, a metal interlayer between the substrate and the diamond layer, and a braze joint securing the diamond layer to the substrate. The thickness of the metal interlayer is determined according to a formula. The formula takes into account the thickness and modulus of elasticity of the metal interlayer and the thickness of the TSP diamond. This prevents the use of a too thin or too thick metal interlayer. A metal interlayer that is too thin is not capable of absorbing enough energy to prevent the TSP diamond from fracturing. A metal interlayer that is too thick may allow the TSP diamond to fracture by reason of bending stress. A coating may be provided between the TSP diamond layer and the metal interlayer. This coating serves as a thermal barrier and to control residual thermal stress.

Magnetotransport study of Dirac fermions in YbMnBi2 and CaMnBi2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Aifeng; Zaliznyak, Igor; Graf, David; Ren, Weijun; Wang, Kefeng; Wu, Lijun; Garlea, Ovidiu; Warren, John; Bozin, Emil; Zhu, Yimei; Petrovic, Cedomir

It is well known that AMnBi2 (A = alkaline earth) with two dimensional (2D) bismuth layer host quasi-2D Dirac states similar to graphene and topological insulators. The Dirac state is significantly affected by the alkaline earth in the block layer. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) indicates that YbMnBi2 could be the first Weyl semimetal with time-reversal symmetry breaking, whereas the anisotropic Dirac state in SrMnBi2 can host a valley-polarized interlayer current through magnetic valley control. Here, we study in-plane magnetotransport in YbMnBi2, and interlayer magnetotransport in CaMnBi2. The angular-dependent magnetoresistance, nonzero Berry phase, and small cyclotron mass confirm the presence of Dirac fermion and quasi-2D fermi surface in YbMnBi2. The interlayer electronic transport in CaMnBi2 suggest valley polarized conduction and a Dirac state on the side wall of the warped cylindrical Fermi surface of CaMnBi2. Work at BNL was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy-BES, Division of Materials Science and Engineering, under Contract No. DE-SC0012704. Work at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory is supported by the NSF Cooperative Agreement No. DMR-06541.

Mechanisms associated with the high adsorption of dibenzo-p-dioxin from water by smectite clays.

PubMed

Liu, Cun; Li, Hui; Teppen, Brian J; Johnston, Cliff T; Boyd, Stephen A

2009-04-15

Clay minerals may be an important unrecognized sorptive phase for dioxins in soils and clay deposits. Smectites, especially Cs-saponite, effectively adsorbed dibenzo-p-dioxin (DD) from water, reaching 0.8% (wt/wt). Adsorption was promoted by exchangeable cations with low hydration energies, and negative charge in the smectite arising from the tetrahedral siloxane sheets. X-ray diffraction measurements revealed that as DD loading increased to > or =8000 mg/kg the clay basal spacing increased abruptly from 12.3 to 15.2 A demonstrating DD intercalation. The 12.3 A spacing provides an interlayer distance that closely matches the molecular thickness of DD. In this configuration DD is essentially dehydrated as it interacts with the opposing hydrophobic siloxane sheets and with coplanar Cs+ via one of the dioxin ring oxygens. Ab initio calculations suggest that geometrical structures form at higher loadings in which intercalated DD molecules adopt a butterfly geometry sandwiched between dehydrated interlayer Cs+ and the siloxane surface, consistent with the 15.2 A spacing, wherein Cs+ interacts with dioxin ring oxygens and benzene ring pi-electrons. Fourier transformation infrared measurements confirm that adsorbed DD is present in orientations that are not parallel with the interlayer planar siloxane surfaces of smectite.

Tunneling Photocurrent Assisted by Interlayer Excitons in Staggered van der Waals Hetero-Bilayers.

PubMed

Luong, Dinh Hoa; Lee, Hyun Seok; Neupane, Guru Prakash; Roy, Shrawan; Ghimire, Ganesh; Lee, Jin Hee; Vu, Quoc An; Lee, Young Hee

2017-09-01

Vertically stacked van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures have been suggested as a robust platform for studying interfacial phenomena and related electric/optoelectronic devices. While the interlayer Coulomb interaction mediated by the vdW coupling has been extensively studied for carrier recombination processes in a diode transport, its correlation with the interlayer tunneling transport has not been elucidated. Here, a contrast is reported between tunneling and drift photocurrents tailored by the interlayer coupling strength in MoSe 2 /MoS 2 hetero-bilayers (HBs). The interfacial coupling modulated by thermal annealing is identified by the interlayer phonon coupling in Raman spectra and the emerging interlayer exciton peak in photoluminescence spectra. In strongly coupled HBs, positive photocurrents are observed owing to the inelastic band-to-band tunneling assisted by interlayer excitons that prevail over exciton recombinations. By contrast, weakly coupled HBs exhibit a negative photovoltaic diode behavior, manifested as a drift current without interlayer excitonic emissions. This study sheds light on tailoring the tunneling transport for numerous optoelectronic HB devices. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Isotropic differential phase contrast microscopy for quantitative phase bio-imaging.

PubMed

Chen, Hsi-Hsun; Lin, Yu-Zi; Luo, Yuan

2018-05-16

Quantitative phase imaging (QPI) has been investigated to retrieve optical phase information of an object and applied to biological microscopy and related medical studies. In recent examples, differential phase contrast (DPC) microscopy can recover phase image of thin sample under multi-axis intensity measurements in wide-field scheme. Unlike conventional DPC, based on theoretical approach under partially coherent condition, we propose a new method to achieve isotropic differential phase contrast (iDPC) with high accuracy and stability for phase recovery in simple and high-speed fashion. The iDPC is simply implemented with a partially coherent microscopy and a programmable thin-film transistor (TFT) shield to digitally modulate structured illumination patterns for QPI. In this article, simulation results show consistency of our theoretical approach for iDPC under partial coherence. In addition, we further demonstrate experiments of quantitative phase images of a standard micro-lens array, as well as label-free live human cell samples. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Experimental phase synchronization detection in non-phase coherent chaotic systems by using the discrete complex wavelet approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferreira, Maria Teodora; Follmann, Rosangela; Domingues, Margarete O.; Macau, Elbert E. N.; Kiss, István Z.

2017-08-01

Phase synchronization may emerge from mutually interacting non-linear oscillators, even under weak coupling, when phase differences are bounded, while amplitudes remain uncorrelated. However, the detection of this phenomenon can be a challenging problem to tackle. In this work, we apply the Discrete Complex Wavelet Approach (DCWA) for phase assignment, considering signals from coupled chaotic systems and experimental data. The DCWA is based on the Dual-Tree Complex Wavelet Transform (DT-CWT), which is a discrete transformation. Due to its multi-scale properties in the context of phase characterization, it is possible to obtain very good results from scalar time series, even with non-phase-coherent chaotic systems without state space reconstruction or pre-processing. The method correctly predicts the phase synchronization for a chemical experiment with three locally coupled, non-phase-coherent chaotic processes. The impact of different time-scales is demonstrated on the synchronization process that outlines the advantages of DCWA for analysis of experimental data.

Magnetic proximity effect at the interface between a cuprate superconductor and an oxide spin valve

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

Ovsyannikov, G. A., E-mail: gena@hitech.cplire.ru; Demidov, V. V.; Khaydukov, Yu. N.

2016-04-15

A heterostructure that consists of the YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7–δ} cuprate superconductor and the SrRuO{sub 3}/La{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}MnO{sub 3} ruthenate/manganite spin valve is investigated using SQUID magnetometry, ferromagnetic resonance, and neutron reflectometry. It is shown that a magnetic moment is induced due to the magnetic proximity effect in the superconducting part of the heterostructure, while the magnetic moment in the composite ferromagnetic interlayer is suppressed. The magnetization emerging in the superconductor coincides in order of magnitude with the results of calculations taking into account the induced magnetic moment of Cu atoms because of orbital reconstruction at the interface between themore » superconductor and the ferromagnet, as well as with the results of the model taking into account the variations in the density of states at a distance on the order of the coherence length in the superconductor. The experimentally obtained characteristic penetration depth of the magnetic moment in the superconductor considerably exceeds the coherence length of the cuprate superconductor, which indicates the predominance of the mechanism of induced magnetic moment of Cu atoms.« less

Combining module based on coherent polarization beam combining.

PubMed

Yang, Yan; Geng, Chao; Li, Feng; Li, Xinyang

2017-03-01

A multiaperture receiver with a phased array is an effective approach to overcome the effect of the random optical disturbance in coherent free-space laser communications, in which one of the key technologies is how to efficiently combine the multiple laser beams received by the phased array antenna. A combining module based on coherent polarization beam combining (CPBC), which can combine multiple laser beams to one laser beam with high combining efficiency and output a linearly polarized beam, is proposed in this paper. The principle of the combining module is introduced, the coherent polarization combining efficiency of CPBC is analyzed, and the performance of the combining module is evaluated. Moreover, the feasibility and the expansibility of the proposed combining module are validated in experiments of CPBC based on active phase-locking.

Collapse of superconductivity in cuprates via ultrafast quenching of phase coherence

DOE PAGES

Boschini, F.; da Silva Neto, E. H.; Razzoli, E.; ...

2018-04-02

The possibility of driving phase transitions in low-density condensates through the loss of phase coherence alone has far-reaching implications for the study of quantum phases of matter. This has inspired the development of tools to control and explore the collective properties of condensate phases via phase fluctuations. Electrically gated oxide interfaces, ultracold Fermi atoms and cuprate superconductors, which are characterized by an intrinsically small phase stiffness, are paradigmatic examples where these tools are having a dramatic impact. In this study, we use light pulses shorter than the internal thermalization time to drive and probe the phase fragility of the Bimore » 2Sr 2CaCu 2O 8+δ cuprate superconductor, completely melting the superconducting condensate without affecting the pairing strength. The resulting ultrafast dynamics of phase fluctuations and charge excitations are captured and disentangled by time-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. This work demonstrates the dominant role of phase coherence in the superconductor-to-normal state phase transition and offers a benchmark for non-equilibrium spectroscopic investigations of the cuprate phase diagram.« less

Collapse of superconductivity in cuprates via ultrafast quenching of phase coherence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boschini, F.; da Silva Neto, E. H.; Razzoli, E.; Zonno, M.; Peli, S.; Day, R. P.; Michiardi, M.; Schneider, M.; Zwartsenberg, B.; Nigge, P.; Zhong, R. D.; Schneeloch, J.; Gu, G. D.; Zhdanovich, S.; Mills, A. K.; Levy, G.; Jones, D. J.; Giannetti, C.; Damascelli, A.

2018-05-01

The possibility of driving phase transitions in low-density condensates through the loss of phase coherence alone has far-reaching implications for the study of quantum phases of matter. This has inspired the development of tools to control and explore the collective properties of condensate phases via phase fluctuations. Electrically gated oxide interfaces1,2, ultracold Fermi atoms3,4 and cuprate superconductors5,6, which are characterized by an intrinsically small phase stiffness, are paradigmatic examples where these tools are having a dramatic impact. Here we use light pulses shorter than the internal thermalization time to drive and probe the phase fragility of the Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ cuprate superconductor, completely melting the superconducting condensate without affecting the pairing strength. The resulting ultrafast dynamics of phase fluctuations and charge excitations are captured and disentangled by time-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. This work demonstrates the dominant role of phase coherence in the superconductor-to-normal state phase transition and offers a benchmark for non-equilibrium spectroscopic investigations of the cuprate phase diagram.

Optimized phase gradient measurements and phase-amplitude interplay in optical coherence elastography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaitsev, Vladimir Y.; Matveyev, Alexander L.; Matveev, Lev A.; Gelikonov, Grigory V.; Sovetsky, Aleksandr A.; Vitkin, Alex

2016-11-01

In compressional optical coherence elastography, phase-variation gradients are used for estimating quasistatic strains created in tissue. Using reference and deformed optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans, one typically compares phases from pixels with the same coordinates in both scans. Usually, this limits the allowable strains to fairly small values < to 10-3, with the caveat that such weak phase gradients may become corrupted by stronger measurement noises. Here, we extend the OCT phase-resolved elastographic methodology by (1) showing that an order of magnitude greater strains can significantly increase the accuracy of derived phase-gradient differences, while also avoiding error-phone phase-unwrapping procedures and minimizing the influence of decorrelation noise caused by suprapixel displacements, (2) discussing the appearance of artifactual stiff inclusions in resultant OCT elastograms in the vicinity of bright scatterers due to the amplitude-phase interplay in phase-variation measurements, and (3) deriving/evaluating methods of phase-gradient estimation that can outperform conventionally used least-square gradient fitting. We present analytical arguments, numerical simulations, and experimental examples to demonstrate the advantages of the proposed optimized phase-variation methodology.

Collapse of superconductivity in cuprates via ultrafast quenching of phase coherence

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

Boschini, F.; da Silva Neto, E. H.; Razzoli, E.

The possibility of driving phase transitions in low-density condensates through the loss of phase coherence alone has far-reaching implications for the study of quantum phases of matter. This has inspired the development of tools to control and explore the collective properties of condensate phases via phase fluctuations. Electrically gated oxide interfaces, ultracold Fermi atoms and cuprate superconductors, which are characterized by an intrinsically small phase stiffness, are paradigmatic examples where these tools are having a dramatic impact. In this study, we use light pulses shorter than the internal thermalization time to drive and probe the phase fragility of the Bimore » 2Sr 2CaCu 2O 8+δ cuprate superconductor, completely melting the superconducting condensate without affecting the pairing strength. The resulting ultrafast dynamics of phase fluctuations and charge excitations are captured and disentangled by time-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. This work demonstrates the dominant role of phase coherence in the superconductor-to-normal state phase transition and offers a benchmark for non-equilibrium spectroscopic investigations of the cuprate phase diagram.« less

Self-optimized superconductivity attainable by interlayer phase separation at cuprate interfaces.

PubMed

Misawa, Takahiro; Nomura, Yusuke; Biermann, Silke; Imada, Masatoshi

2016-07-01

Stabilizing superconductivity at high temperatures and elucidating its mechanism have long been major challenges of materials research in condensed matter physics. Meanwhile, recent progress in nanostructuring offers unprecedented possibilities for designing novel functionalities. Above all, thin films of cuprate and iron-based high-temperature superconductors exhibit remarkably better superconducting characteristics (for example, higher critical temperatures) than in the bulk, but the underlying mechanism is still not understood. Solving microscopic models suitable for cuprates, we demonstrate that, at an interface between a Mott insulator and an overdoped nonsuperconducting metal, the superconducting amplitude is always pinned at the optimum achieved in the bulk, independently of the carrier concentration in the metal. This is in contrast to the dome-like dependence in bulk superconductors but consistent with the astonishing independence of the critical temperature from the carrier density x observed at the interfaces of La2CuO4 and La2-x Sr x CuO4. Furthermore, we identify a self-organization mechanism as responsible for the pinning at the optimum amplitude: An emergent electronic structure induced by interlayer phase separation eludes bulk phase separation and inhomogeneities that would kill superconductivity in the bulk. Thus, interfaces provide an ideal tool to enhance and stabilize superconductivity. This interfacial example opens up further ways of shaping superconductivity by suppressing competing instabilities, with direct perspectives for designing devices.

Self-optimized superconductivity attainable by interlayer phase separation at cuprate interfaces

PubMed Central

Misawa, Takahiro; Nomura, Yusuke; Biermann, Silke; Imada, Masatoshi

2016-01-01

Stabilizing superconductivity at high temperatures and elucidating its mechanism have long been major challenges of materials research in condensed matter physics. Meanwhile, recent progress in nanostructuring offers unprecedented possibilities for designing novel functionalities. Above all, thin films of cuprate and iron-based high-temperature superconductors exhibit remarkably better superconducting characteristics (for example, higher critical temperatures) than in the bulk, but the underlying mechanism is still not understood. Solving microscopic models suitable for cuprates, we demonstrate that, at an interface between a Mott insulator and an overdoped nonsuperconducting metal, the superconducting amplitude is always pinned at the optimum achieved in the bulk, independently of the carrier concentration in the metal. This is in contrast to the dome-like dependence in bulk superconductors but consistent with the astonishing independence of the critical temperature from the carrier density x observed at the interfaces of La2CuO4 and La2−xSrxCuO4. Furthermore, we identify a self-organization mechanism as responsible for the pinning at the optimum amplitude: An emergent electronic structure induced by interlayer phase separation eludes bulk phase separation and inhomogeneities that would kill superconductivity in the bulk. Thus, interfaces provide an ideal tool to enhance and stabilize superconductivity. This interfacial example opens up further ways of shaping superconductivity by suppressing competing instabilities, with direct perspectives for designing devices. PMID:27482542

Tunable manipulation of terahertz wavefront based on graphene metasurfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Linbao; Wang, Kuiyuan; Guo, Kai; Shen, Fei; Zhang, Xudong; Yin, Zhiping; Guo, Zhongyi

2017-11-01

We have systematically investigated the performances of a tunable graphene metasurface that can dynamically manipulate the terahertz wavefronts. The metasurface consists of a silver substrate, SiO2 interlayer and the top graphene ribbons that can exhibit plasmon resonances to realize a phase shift by changing the Fermi levels of graphene ribbons. The plasmon resonances in graphene ribbons and Fabry-Perot resonances in the SiO2 interlayer work together for making the designed metasurface cover 2π phase range nearly. In the simulations, we can realize anomalous reflection at any angle by using the continuous phase modulation. On this basis, a reflective focusing lens based on the graphene metasurface has also been designed, which is designed in the frequency of 5.0 THz with a reasonable operation bandwidth from 4.5 THz to 6.5 THz. The corresponding focal lengths are designed as 300 μm and 100 μm, and the depths of focus (full width at half maximum along the Z direction) are 114 μm and 104 μm, respectively. Especially, the diameters of focal points (full width at half maximum along the X direction) are 29.5 μm and 24.1 μm, which are smaller than a half-wavelength (30 μm) in the focusing plane. It indicates that our designed focusing lenses have superior performance and can provide an opportunity to develop a tunable wavefront-controlling device.

Incoherent population mixing contributions to phase-modulation two-dimensional coherent excitation spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grégoire, Pascal; Srimath Kandada, Ajay Ram; Vella, Eleonora; Tao, Chen; Leonelli, Richard; Silva, Carlos

2017-09-01

We present theoretical and experimental results showing the effects of incoherent population mixing on two-dimensional (2D) coherent excitation spectra that are measured via a time-integrated population and phase-sensitive detection. The technique uses four collinear ultrashort pulses and phase modulation to acquire two-dimensional spectra by isolating specific nonlinear contributions to the photoluminescence or photocurrent excitation signal. We demonstrate that an incoherent contribution to the measured line shape, arising from nonlinear population dynamics over the entire photoexcitation lifetime, generates a similar line shape to the expected 2D coherent spectra in condensed-phase systems. In those systems, photoexcitations are mobile such that inter-particle interactions are important on any time scale, including those long compared with the 2D coherent experiment. Measurements on a semicrystalline polymeric semiconductor film at low temperatures show that, in some conditions in which multi-exciton interactions are suppressed, the technique predominantly detects coherent signals and can be used, in our example, to extract homogeneous line widths. The same method used on a lead-halide perovskite photovoltaic cell shows that incoherent population mixing of mobile photocarriers can dominate the measured signal since carrier-carrier bimolecular scattering is active even at low excitation densities, which hides the coherent contribution to the spectral line shape. In this example, the intensity dependence of the signal matches the theoretical predictions over more than two orders of magnitude, confirming the incoherent nature of the signal. While these effects are typically not significant in dilute solution environments, we demonstrate the necessity to characterize, in condensed-phase materials systems, the extent of nonlinear population dynamics of photoexcitations (excitons, charge carriers, etc.) in the execution of this powerful population-detected coherent spectroscopy technique.

The bridging conformations of double-end anchored polymer-surfactants destabilize a hydrogel of lipid membranes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slack, N. L.; Davidson, P.; Chibbaro, M. A.; Jeppesen, C.; Eiselt, P.; Warriner, H. E.; Schmidt, H.-W.; Pincus, P.; Safinya, C. R.

2001-10-01

Double-end-anchored poly-ethylene-glycol-surfactants (DEA-PEG-surfactants) induce the gelation of lyotropic lamellar Lα phases stabilized by undulation forces. The physical hydrogel (Lα,g) derives its viscoelasticity from the proliferation of defects at a mesoscopic level. The DEA-PEG-surfactants assume both looping and bridging conformations. The existence of novel bridging conformations is indicated by the coexistence of two lamellar phases and the limited swelling of the Lα and Lα,g phases. Modeling of the polymer decorated membranes demonstrates the existence of bridging and yields a rapidly decreasing density of bridging conformations with increasing interlayer spacing.

Different phase delays of peripheral input to primate motor cortex and spinal cord promote cancellation at physiological tremor frequencies

PubMed Central

Koželj, Saša

2014-01-01

Neurons in the spinal cord and motor cortex (M1) are partially phase-locked to cycles of physiological tremor, but with opposite phases. Convergence of spinal and cortical activity onto motoneurons may thus produce phase cancellation and a reduction in tremor amplitude. The mechanisms underlying this phase difference are unknown. We investigated coherence between spinal and M1 activity with sensory input. In two anesthetized monkeys, we electrically stimulated the medial, ulnar, deep radial, and superficial radial nerves; stimuli were timed as independent Poisson processes (rate 10 Hz). Single units were recorded from M1 (147 cells) or cervical spinal cord (61 cells). Ninety M1 cells were antidromically identified as pyramidal tract neurons (PTNs); M1 neurons were additionally classified according to M1 subdivision (rostral/caudal, M1r/c). Spike-stimulus coherence analysis revealed significant coupling over a broad range of frequencies, with the strongest coherence at <50 Hz. Delays implied by the slope of the coherence phase-frequency relationship were greater than the response onset latency, reflecting the importance of late response components for the transmission of oscillatory inputs. The spike-stimulus coherence phase over the 6–13 Hz physiological tremor band differed significantly between M1 and spinal cells (phase differences relative to the cord of 2.72 ± 0.29 and 1.72 ± 0.37 radians for PTNs from M1c and M1r, respectively). We conclude that different phases of the response to peripheral input could partially underlie antiphase M1 and spinal cord activity during motor behavior. The coordinated action of spinal and cortical feedback will act to reduce tremulous oscillations, possibly improving the overall stability and precision of motor control. PMID:24572094

Different phase delays of peripheral input to primate motor cortex and spinal cord promote cancellation at physiological tremor frequencies.

PubMed

Koželj, Saša; Baker, Stuart N

2014-05-01

Neurons in the spinal cord and motor cortex (M1) are partially phase-locked to cycles of physiological tremor, but with opposite phases. Convergence of spinal and cortical activity onto motoneurons may thus produce phase cancellation and a reduction in tremor amplitude. The mechanisms underlying this phase difference are unknown. We investigated coherence between spinal and M1 activity with sensory input. In two anesthetized monkeys, we electrically stimulated the medial, ulnar, deep radial, and superficial radial nerves; stimuli were timed as independent Poisson processes (rate 10 Hz). Single units were recorded from M1 (147 cells) or cervical spinal cord (61 cells). Ninety M1 cells were antidromically identified as pyramidal tract neurons (PTNs); M1 neurons were additionally classified according to M1 subdivision (rostral/caudal, M1r/c). Spike-stimulus coherence analysis revealed significant coupling over a broad range of frequencies, with the strongest coherence at <50 Hz. Delays implied by the slope of the coherence phase-frequency relationship were greater than the response onset latency, reflecting the importance of late response components for the transmission of oscillatory inputs. The spike-stimulus coherence phase over the 6-13 Hz physiological tremor band differed significantly between M1 and spinal cells (phase differences relative to the cord of 2.72 ± 0.29 and 1.72 ± 0.37 radians for PTNs from M1c and M1r, respectively). We conclude that different phases of the response to peripheral input could partially underlie antiphase M1 and spinal cord activity during motor behavior. The coordinated action of spinal and cortical feedback will act to reduce tremulous oscillations, possibly improving the overall stability and precision of motor control. Copyright © 2014 the American Physiological Society.

A phase coherence approach to identifying co-located earthquakes and tremor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hawthorne, J. C.; Ampuero, J.-P.

2018-05-01

We present and use a phase coherence approach to identify seismic signals that have similar path effects but different source time functions: co-located earthquakes and tremor. The method used is a phase coherence-based implementation of empirical matched field processing, modified to suit tremor analysis. It works by comparing the frequency-domain phases of waveforms generated by two sources recorded at multiple stations. We first cross-correlate the records of the two sources at a single station. If the sources are co-located, this cross-correlation eliminates the phases of the Green's function. It leaves the relative phases of the source time functions, which should be the same across all stations so long as the spatial extent of the sources are small compared with the seismic wavelength. We therefore search for cross-correlation phases that are consistent across stations as an indication of co-located sources. We also introduce a method to obtain relative locations between the two sources, based on back-projection of interstation phase coherence. We apply this technique to analyse two tremor-like signals that are thought to be composed of a number of earthquakes. First, we analyse a 20 s long seismic precursor to a M 3.9 earthquake in central Alaska. The analysis locates the precursor to within 2 km of the mainshock, and it identifies several bursts of energy—potentially foreshocks or groups of foreshocks—within the precursor. Second, we examine several minutes of volcanic tremor prior to an eruption at Redoubt Volcano. We confirm that the tremor source is located close to repeating earthquakes identified earlier in the tremor sequence. The amplitude of the tremor diminishes about 30 s before the eruption, but the phase coherence results suggest that the tremor may persist at some level through this final interval.

Thermodynamics, kinetics, and mechanics of cesium sorption in cement paste: A multiscale assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arayro, Jack; Dufresne, Alice; Zhou, Tingtao; Ioannidou, Katerina; Ulm, Josef-Franz; Pellenq, Roland; Béland, Laurent Karim

2018-05-01

Cesium-137 is a common radioactive byproduct found in nuclear spent fuel. Given its 30 year half life, its interactions with potential storage materials—such as cement paste—is of crucial importance. In this paper, simulations are used to establish the interaction of calcium silicate hydrates (C-S-H)—the main binding phase of cement paste—with Cs at the nano- and mesoscale. Different C-S-H compositions are explored, including a range of Ca/Si ratios from 1.0 to 2.0. These calculations are based on a set of 150 atomistic models, which qualitatively and quantitatively reproduce a number of experimentally measured features of C-S-H—within limits intrinsic to the approximations imposed by classical molecular dynamics and the steps followed when building the models. A procedure where hydrated Ca2 + ions are swapped for Cs1 + ions shows that Cs adsorption in the C-S-H interlayer is preferred to Cs adsorption at the nanopore surface when Cs concentrations are lower than 0.19 Mol/kg. Interlayer sorption decreases as the Ca/Si ratio increases. The activation relaxation technique nouveau is used to access timescales out of the reach of traditional molecular dynamics (MD). It indicates that characteristic diffusion time for Cs1 + in the C-S-H interlayer is on the order of a few hours. Cs uptake in the interlayer has little impact on the elastic response of C-S-H. It leads to swelling of the C-S-H grains, but mesoscale calculations that access length scales out of the range of MD indicate that this leads to practically negligible expansive pressures for Cs concentrations relevant to nuclear waste repositories.

Non-equilibrium coherence dynamics in one-dimensional Bose gases.

PubMed

Hofferberth, S; Lesanovsky, I; Fischer, B; Schumm, T; Schmiedmayer, J

2007-09-20

Low-dimensional systems provide beautiful examples of many-body quantum physics. For one-dimensional (1D) systems, the Luttinger liquid approach provides insight into universal properties. Much is known of the equilibrium state, both in the weakly and strongly interacting regimes. However, it remains a challenge to probe the dynamics by which this equilibrium state is reached. Here we present a direct experimental study of the coherence dynamics in both isolated and coupled degenerate 1D Bose gases. Dynamic splitting is used to create two 1D systems in a phase coherent state. The time evolution of the coherence is revealed through local phase shifts of the subsequently observed interference patterns. Completely isolated 1D Bose gases are observed to exhibit universal sub-exponential coherence decay, in excellent agreement with recent predictions. For two coupled 1D Bose gases, the coherence factor is observed to approach a non-zero equilibrium value, as predicted by a Bogoliubov approach. This coupled-system decay to finite coherence is the matter wave equivalent of phase-locking two lasers by injection. The non-equilibrium dynamics of superfluids has an important role in a wide range of physical systems, such as superconductors, quantum Hall systems, superfluid helium and spin systems. Our experiments studying coherence dynamics show that 1D Bose gases are ideally suited for investigating this class of phenomena.

Stokes parameters of phase-locked partially coherent flat-topped array laser beams propagating through turbulent atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Golmohammady, Sh; Ghafary, B.

2016-06-01

In this study, generalized Stokes parameters of a phase-locked partially coherent flat-topped array beam based on the extended Huygens-Fresnel principle and the unified theory of coherence and polarization have been reported. Analytical formulas for 2  ×  2 cross-spectral density matrix elements, and consequently Stokes parameters of a phase-locked partially coherent flat-topped array beam propagating through the turbulent atmosphere have been formulated. Effects of many physical attributes such as wavelength, turbulence strength, flatness order and other source parameters on the Stokes parameters, and therefore spectral degree of polarization upon propagation have been studied thoroughly. The behaviour of the spectral degree of coherence of a delineated beam for different source conditions has been investigated. It can be shown that four generalized Stokes parameters increase by raising the flatness order at the same propagation distance. Increasing the number of beams leads to a decrease in the Stokes parameters to zero slowly. The results are of utmost importance for optical communications.

Growth morphology of flux-synthesized La4Ti3O12 particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hori, Shigeo; Orum, Aslihan; Takatori, Kazumasa; Ikeda, Tomiko; Yoshimura, Masamichi; Tani, Toshihiko

2017-06-01

Anisometric-shaped particles were required for preparation of oriented ceramics by the reactive-templated grain growth method. Hexagonal plate-like particles of La4Ti3O12, (111)-type layered perovskite, were prepared by a molten salt synthesis (MSS), and the relationship between the morphology and crystal structure of the particles was analysed. La4Ti3O12 phase was obtained in KCl and NaCl fluxes whereas not obtained in LiCl. The developed plane of the plate-like particles was determined to be the (00l) plane and the side planes of the particle were found to be parallel the {h0l} planes. Surface steps with a height of approx. 0.9 nm were measured on the developed plane. The step height corresponds to the distance between two adjacent interlayers, which indicates the lowest surface energy of the planes along the interlayers.

Joining of Silicon Carbide Through the Diffusion Bonding Approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Halbig, Michael .; Singh, Mrityunjay

2009-01-01

In order for ceramics to be fully utilized as components for high-temperature and structural applications, joining and integration methods are needed. Such methods will allow for the fabrication the complex shapes and also allow for insertion of the ceramic component into a system that may have different adjacent materials. Monolithic silicon carbide (SiC) is a ceramic material of focus due to its high temperature strength and stability. Titanium foils were used as an interlayer to form diffusion bonds between chemical vapor deposited (CVD) SiC ceramics with the aid of hot pressing. The influence of such variables as interlayer thickness and processing time were investigated to see which conditions contributed to bonds that were well adhered and crack free. Optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and electron microprobe analysis were used to characterize the bonds and to identify the reaction formed phases.

Ordered microporous layered lanthanide 1,3,5-benzenetriphosphonates pillared with cationic organic molecules.

PubMed

Araki, Takahiro; Kondo, Atsushi; Maeda, Kazuyuki

2015-04-13

Novel isomorphous pillared-layer-type crystalline lanthanide 1,3,5-benzenetriphosphonates were prepared with bpy and dbo as organic pillars (LnBP-bpy and LnBP-dbo; Ln: Ce, Pr, and Nd). Ab initio crystal structure solution using synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data revealed that the organic pillars do not exist as neutral coordinating ligands but as cationic molecules. Especially the LnBP-dbo phases have ordered interlayer space filled with water molecules between the dbo pillars, and the interlayer water is successfully removed by heating under vacuum with slightly distorted but basically retained pillared layer structures. Microporosity of the materials is confirmed by adsorption of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen gases. Such microporous layered metal phosphonates pillared with cationic molecules should be unprecedented and should offer new strategies to design ordered microporous materials. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

IQ imbalance tolerable parallel-channel DMT transmission for coherent optical OFDMA access network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jung, Sang-Min; Mun, Kyoung-Hak; Jung, Sun-Young; Han, Sang-Kook

2016-12-01

Phase diversity of coherent optical communication provides spectrally efficient higher-order modulation for optical communications. However, in-phase/quadrature (IQ) imbalance in coherent optical communication degrades transmission performance by introducing unwanted signal distortions. In a coherent optical orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) passive optical network (PON), IQ imbalance-induced signal distortions degrade transmission performance by interferences of mirror subcarriers, inter-symbol interference (ISI), and inter-channel interference (ICI). We propose parallel-channel discrete multitone (DMT) transmission to mitigate transceiver IQ imbalance-induced signal distortions in coherent orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) transmissions. We experimentally demonstrate the effectiveness of parallel-channel DMT transmission compared with that of OFDM transmission in the presence of IQ imbalance.

Destroying coherence in high-temperature superconductors with current flow

DOE PAGES

Kaminski, A.; Rosenkranz, S.; Norman, M. R.; ...

2016-09-13

Here, the loss of single-particle coherence going from the superconducting state to the normal state in underdoped cuprates is a dramatic effect that has yet to be understood. Here, we address this issue by performing angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements in the presence of a transport current. We find that the loss of coherence is associated with the development of an onset in the resistance, in that well before the midpoint of the transition is reached, the sharp peaks in the angle resolved photoemission spectra are completely suppressed. Since the resistance onset is a signature of phase fluctuations, this impliesmore » that the loss of single-particle coherence is connected with the loss of long-range phase coherence.« less

Propagation of coherently combined truncated laser beam arrays with beam distortions in non-Kolmogorov turbulence.

PubMed

Tao, Rumao; Si, Lei; Ma, Yanxing; Zhou, Pu; Liu, Zejin

2012-08-10

The propagation properties of coherently combined truncated laser beam arrays with beam distortions through non-Kolmogorov turbulence are studied in detail both analytically and numerically. The analytical expressions for the average intensity and the beam width of coherently combined truncated laser beam arrays with beam distortions propagating through turbulence are derived based on the combination of statistical optics methods and the extended Huygens-Fresnel principle. The effect of beam distortions, such as amplitude modulation and phase fluctuation, is studied by numerical examples. The numerical results reveal that phase fluctuations have significant influence on the spreading of coherently combined truncated laser beam arrays in non-Kolmogorov turbulence, and the effects of the phase fluctuations can be negligible as long as the phase fluctuations are controlled under a certain level, i.e., a>0.05 for the situation considered in the paper. Furthermore, large phase fluctuations can convert the beam distribution rapidly to a Gaussian form, vary the spreading, weaken the optimum truncation effects, and suppress the dependence of spreading on the parameters of the non-Kolmogorov turbulence.

Vortex phase-induced changes of the statistical properties of a partially coherent radially polarized beam.

PubMed

Guo, Lina; Chen, Yahong; Liu, Xianlong; Liu, Lin; Cai, Yangjian

2016-06-27

Partially coherent radially polarized (PCRP) beam was introduced and generated in recent years. In this paper, we investigate the statistical properties of a PCRP beam embedded with a vortex phase (i.e., PCRP vortex beam). We derive the analytical formula for the cross-spectral density matrix of a PCRP vortex beam propagating through a paraxial ABCD optical system and analyze the statistical properties of a PCRP vortex beam focused by a thin lens. It is found that the statistical properties of a PCRP vortex beam on propagation are much different from those of a PCRP beam. The vortex phase induces not only the rotation of the beam spot, but also the changes of the beam shape, the degree of polarization and the state of polarization. We also find that the vortex phase plays a role of resisting the coherence-induced degradation of the intensity distribution and the coherence-induced depolarization. Furthermore, we report experimental generation of a PCRP vortex beam for the first time. Our results will be useful for trapping and rotating particles, free-space optical communications and detection of phase object.

Coherent control in bulk and nanostructure semiconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sipe, John E.; van Driel, Henry M.

1998-04-01

Laser light has been used as a probe of atoms, molecules, and solids since the invention of the laser. The use of laser light in a more active role, to modify and process surfaces, and initiate chemical reactions, followed shortly thereafter. But usually it is the intensity and the directionality of the laser light that is employed, not necessarily its coherence, and not particularly the fact that it has a well-defined phase. 'Coherence control' can be broadly understood as the set of processes whereby light modifies matter in a way that is critically dependent on the incident light beams possessing well-defined phases. While in a laser matter is manipulated to produce light of the desired properties, in coherent control light is manipulated -- in particular, its phase and intensity is adjusted -- to produce a material response of the desired type. Of the various coherent control processes that are currently being investigated, some involve a transition in the material medium from an initial state to a final state by two or more possible processes. With each of these is associated a quantum mechanical amplitude, and hence the probability for the transition can show interference effects between the two amplitudes, just as in the familiar two-slit interference experiment the probability for the electron to be observed at a given position involves a probability that is the square of the sum of two amplitudes. In quantum interference control (QUIC), the relative phase of the two amplitudes is adjusted by adjusting the relative phase of two polarizations of a single beam, or the relative phase of two beams at different frequencies. It is this particular type of coherent control that is of interest in this communication.

Flexible and scalable wavelength multicast of coherent optical OFDM with tolerance against pump phase-noise using reconfigurable coherent multi-carrier pumping.

PubMed

Lu, Guo-Wei; Bo, Tianwai; Sakamoto, Takahide; Yamamoto, Naokatsu; Chan, Calvin Chun-Kit

2016-10-03

Recently the ever-growing demand for dynamic and high-capacity services in optical networks has resulted in new challenges that require improved network agility and flexibility in order for network resources to become more "consumable" and dynamic, or elastic, in response to requests from higher network layers. Flexible and scalable wavelength conversion or multicast is one of the most important technologies needed for developing agility in the physical layer. This paper will investigate how, using a reconfigurable coherent multi-carrier as a pump, the multicast scalability and the flexibility in wavelength allocation of the converted signals can be effectively improved. Moreover, the coherence in the multiple carriers prevents the phase noise transformation from the local pump to the converted signals, which is imperative for the phase-noise-sensitive multi-level single- or multi-carrier modulated signal. To verify the feasibility of the proposed scheme, we experimentally demonstrate the wavelength multicast of coherent optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (CO-OFDM) signals using a reconfigurable coherent multi-carrier pump, showing flexibility in wavelength allocation, scalability in multicast, and tolerance against pump phase noise. Less than 0.5 dB and 1.8 dB power penalties at a bit-error rate (BER) of 10^-3 are obtained for the converted CO-OFDM-quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) and CO-OFDM-16-ary quadrature amplitude modulation (16QAM) signals, respectively, even when using a distributed feedback laser (DFB) as a pump source. In contrast, with a free-running pumping scheme, the phase noise from DFB pumps severely deteriorates the CO-OFDM signals, resulting in a visible error-floor at a BER of 10^-2 in the converted CO-OFDM-16QAM signals.

Chimeras with multiple coherent regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ujjwal, Sangeeta Rani; Ramaswamy, Ramakrishna

2013-09-01

We study chimeric states in a coupled phase oscillator system with piecewise linear nonlocal coupling. By modifying the details of the coupling, it is possible to obtain multiple chimeric states with a specified number of coherent regions and with specified phase relationships. The case of a two-component chimera is illustrated and the generalization to arbitrary chimeric configurations is discussed. The phase relations between the two clusters of phase oscillators is described in some detail.

Differential carrier phase recovery for QPSK optical coherent systems with integrated tunable lasers.

PubMed

Fatadin, Irshaad; Ives, David; Savory, Seb J

2013-04-22

The performance of a differential carrier phase recovery algorithm is investigated for the quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) modulation format with an integrated tunable laser. The phase noise of the widely-tunable laser measured using a digital coherent receiver is shown to exhibit significant drift compared to a standard distributed feedback (DFB) laser due to enhanced low frequency noise component. The simulated performance of the differential algorithm is compared to the Viterbi-Viterbi phase estimation at different baud rates using the measured phase noise for the integrated tunable laser.

Hot Electrons Regain Coherence in Semiconducting Nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reiner, Jonathan; Nayak, Abhay Kumar; Avraham, Nurit; Norris, Andrew; Yan, Binghai; Fulga, Ion Cosma; Kang, Jung-Hyun; Karzig, Toesten; Shtrikman, Hadas; Beidenkopf, Haim

2017-04-01

The higher the energy of a particle is above equilibrium, the faster it relaxes because of the growing phase space of available electronic states it can interact with. In the relaxation process, phase coherence is lost, thus limiting high-energy quantum control and manipulation. In one-dimensional systems, high relaxation rates are expected to destabilize electronic quasiparticles. Here, we show that the decoherence induced by relaxation of hot electrons in one-dimensional semiconducting nanowires evolves nonmonotonically with energy such that above a certain threshold hot electrons regain stability with increasing energy. We directly observe this phenomenon by visualizing, for the first time, the interference patterns of the quasi-one-dimensional electrons using scanning tunneling microscopy. We visualize the phase coherence length of the one-dimensional electrons, as well as their phase coherence time, captured by crystallographic Fabry-Pèrot resonators. A remarkable agreement with a theoretical model reveals that the nonmonotonic behavior is driven by the unique manner in which one-dimensional hot electrons interact with the cold electrons occupying the Fermi sea. This newly discovered relaxation profile suggests a high-energy regime for operating quantum applications that necessitate extended coherence or long thermalization times, and may stabilize electronic quasiparticles in one dimension.

A 3D conductive carbon interlayer with ultrahigh adsorption capability for lithium-sulfur batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Qian; Zhu, Qizhen; An, Yabin; Chen, Renjie; Sun, Ning; Wu, Feng; Xu, Bin

2018-05-01

To improve the cycling performance of the Li-S batteries, a 3D interwoven hollow interlayer with extremely high electrolyte adsorption capability up to 9.64 g g-1 was simply prepared by carbonization of cotton fabric (CCF). For comparison, an interlayer coated on separator was obtained by the slurry-coating method of powdery CCF. The key role of the adsorption capability is confirmed by comparing the electrochemical performance of Li-S batteries with these two interlayers. In the Li-S batteries with 3D CCF interlayer, massive dissolved polysulfides, together with the electrolyte, can be adsorbed and confined in the 3D CCF interlayer, providing substantial extra active sites and alleviating the shuttle effect effectively. As a result, the Li-S batteries with 3D CCF interlayer show much enhanced utilization of active materials (1346.9 mAh g-1 at 0.1C), prolonged cycle life (capacity retention of 80% after 100 cycles), and improved rate performance (553.2 mAh g-1 at 4C). Even for cathodes with high sulfur loading of 5 mg cm-2, the cells with 3D CCF interlayer perform a high capacity of 1085 mAh g-1 and retain 870.6 mAh g-1 after 75 cycles at 0.5 mA cm-2. These results not only provide a sustainable, low cost and easy-prepared 3D CCF interlayer, but also offer a promising strategy based on interlayer with high adsorption capability in designing high-performance Li-S batteries.

Large Frequency Change with Thickness in Interlayer Breathing Mode—Significant Interlayer Interactions in Few Layer Black Phosphorus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Xin; Lu, Xin; Koon, Gavin Kok Wai; Castro Neto, Antonio H.; Özyilmaz, Barbaros; Xiong, Qihua; Quek, Su Ying

2015-06-01

Bulk black phosphorus (BP) consists of puckered layers of phosphorus atoms. Few-layer BP, obtained from bulk BP by exfoliation, is an emerging candidate as a channel material in post-silicon electronics. A deep understanding of its physical properties and its full range of applications are still being uncovered. In this paper, we present a theoretical and experimental investigation of phonon properties in few-layer BP, focusing on the low-frequency regime corresponding to interlayer vibrational modes. We show that the interlayer breathing mode A3g shows a large redshift with increasing thickness; the experimental and theoretical results agreeing well. This thickness dependence is two times larger than that in the chalcogenide materials such as few-layer MoS2 and WSe2, because of the significantly larger interlayer force constant and smaller atomic mass in BP. The derived interlayer out-of-plane force constant is about 50% larger than that in graphene and MoS2. We show that this large interlayer force constant arises from the sizable covalent interaction between phosphorus atoms in adjacent layers, and that interlayer interactions are not merely of the weak van der Waals type. These significant interlayer interactions are consistent with the known surface reactivity of BP, and have been shown to be important for electric-field induced formation of Dirac cones in thin film BP.

Large Frequency Change with Thickness in Interlayer Breathing Mode--Significant Interlayer Interactions in Few Layer Black Phosphorus.

PubMed

Luo, Xin; Lu, Xin; Koon, Gavin Kok Wai; Castro Neto, Antonio H; Özyilmaz, Barbaros; Xiong, Qihua; Quek, Su Ying

2015-06-10

Bulk black phosphorus (BP) consists of puckered layers of phosphorus atoms. Few-layer BP, obtained from bulk BP by exfoliation, is an emerging candidate as a channel material in post-silicon electronics. A deep understanding of its physical properties and its full range of applications are still being uncovered. In this paper, we present a theoretical and experimental investigation of phonon properties in few-layer BP, focusing on the low-frequency regime corresponding to interlayer vibrational modes. We show that the interlayer breathing mode A(3)g shows a large redshift with increasing thickness; the experimental and theoretical results agree well. This thickness dependence is two times larger than that in the chalcogenide materials, such as few-layer MoS2 and WSe2, because of the significantly larger interlayer force constant and smaller atomic mass in BP. The derived interlayer out-of-plane force constant is about 50% larger than that of graphene and MoS2. We show that this large interlayer force constant arises from the sizable covalent interaction between phosphorus atoms in adjacent layers and that interlayer interactions are not merely of the weak van der Waals type. These significant interlayer interactions are consistent with the known surface reactivity of BP and have been shown to be important for electric-field induced formation of Dirac cones in thin film BP.

Probing polariton dynamics in trapped ions with phase-coherent two-dimensional spectroscopy

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

Gessner, Manuel; Schlawin, Frank; Buchleitner, Andreas

2015-06-07

We devise a phase-coherent three-pulse protocol to probe the polariton dynamics in a trapped-ion quantum simulation. In contrast to conventional nonlinear signals, the presented scheme does not change the number of excitations in the system, allowing for the investigation of the dynamics within an N-excitation manifold. In the particular case of a filling factor one (N excitations in an N-ion chain), the proposed interaction induces coherent transitions between a delocalized phonon superfluid and a localized atomic insulator phase. Numerical simulations of a two-ion chain demonstrate that the resulting two-dimensional spectra allow for the unambiguous identification of the distinct phases, andmore » the two-dimensional line shapes efficiently characterize the relevant decoherence mechanism.« less

Dynamic stimulation of quantum coherence in systems of lattice bosons.

PubMed

Robertson, Andrew; Galitski, Victor M; Refael, Gil

2011-04-22

Thermal fluctuations tend to destroy long-range phase correlations. Consequently, bosons in a lattice will undergo a transition from a phase-coherent superfluid as the temperature rises. Contrary to common intuition, however, we show that nonequilibrium driving can be used to reverse this thermal decoherence. This is possible because the energy distribution at equilibrium is rarely optimal for the manifestation of a given quantum property. We demonstrate this in the Bose-Hubbard model by calculating the nonequilibrium spatial correlation function with periodic driving. We show that the nonequilibrium phase boundary between coherent and incoherent states at finite bath temperatures can be made qualitatively identical to the familiar zero-temperature phase diagram, and we discuss the experimental manifestation of this phenomenon in cold atoms.

Two-dimensional fluorescence-detected coherent spectroscopy with absolute phasing by confocal imaging of a dynamic grating and 27-step phase-cycling

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

De, Arijit K., E-mail: akde@lbl.gov; Fleming, Graham R., E-mail: grfleming@lbl.gov; Department of Chemistry, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94702

2014-05-21

We present a novel experimental scheme for two-dimensional fluorescence-detected coherent spectroscopy (2D-FDCS) using a non-collinear beam geometry with the aid of “confocal imaging” of dynamic (population) grating and 27-step phase-cycling to extract the signal. This arrangement obviates the need for distinct experimental designs for previously developed transmission detected non-collinear two-dimensional coherent spectroscopy (2D-CS) and collinear 2D-FDCS. We also describe a novel method for absolute phasing of the 2D spectrum. We apply this method to record 2D spectra of a fluorescent dye in solution at room temperature and observe “spectral diffusion.”.

Probing the Interlayer Exciton Physics in a MoS2/MoSe2/MoS2 van der Waals Heterostructure.

PubMed

Baranowski, M; Surrente, A; Klopotowski, L; Urban, J M; Zhang, N; Maude, D K; Wiwatowski, K; Mackowski, S; Kung, Y C; Dumcenco, D; Kis, A; Plochocka, P

2017-10-11

Stacking atomic monolayers of semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) has emerged as an effective way to engineer their properties. In principle, the staggered band alignment of TMD heterostructures should result in the formation of interlayer excitons with long lifetimes and robust valley polarization. However, these features have been observed simultaneously only in MoSe 2 /WSe 2 heterostructures. Here we report on the observation of long-lived interlayer exciton emission in a MoS 2 /MoSe 2 /MoS 2 trilayer van der Waals heterostructure. The interlayer nature of the observed transition is confirmed by photoluminescence spectroscopy, as well as by analyzing the temporal, excitation power, and temperature dependence of the interlayer emission peak. The observed complex photoluminescence dynamics suggests the presence of quasi-degenerate momentum-direct and momentum-indirect bandgaps. We show that circularly polarized optical pumping results in long-lived valley polarization of interlayer exciton. Intriguingly, the interlayer exciton photoluminescence has helicity opposite to the excitation. Our results show that through a careful choice of the TMDs forming the van der Waals heterostructure it is possible to control the circular polarization of the interlayer exciton emission.

First-principles study on interlayer state in alkali and alkaline earth metal atoms intercalated bilayer graphene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaneko, Tomoaki; Saito, Riichiro

2017-11-01

Energetics and electronic structures of alkali metal (Li, Na, K, Rb, and Cs) and alkaline earth metal (Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, and Ba) atoms intercalated bilayer graphene are systematically investigated using first-principles calculations based on density functional theory. Formation of alkali and alkaline earth metal atoms intercalated bilayer graphene is exothermic except for Be and Mg. The interlayer state between two graphene layers is occupied for K, Rb, Cs, Ca, Sr, and Ba. We find that the energetic position of the interlayer states between bilayer graphene monotonically shifts downward with increasing of interlayer distance. The interlayer distances of more than 4.5 Å and 4.0 Å, respectively, are necessary for the occupation of the interlayer state in bilayer graphene for alkali and alkaline earth metal atoms, which is almost independent of the intercalant metal species. We discuss the relevance to occurrence of superconductivity for the metal intercalated bilayer graphene in terms of the occupation of the interlayer state and the phonon frequency of metal ions.

The graphene oxide membrane immersing in the aqueous solution studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yongjing; Chen, Zhe; Yao, Lei; Wang, Xiao; Fu, Ping; Lin, Zhidong

2018-04-01

The interlayer spacing of graphene oxide (GO) is a key property for GO membrane. To probe the variation of interlayer spacing of the GO membrane immersing in KCl aqueous solution, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), x-ray diffraction (XRD) and computational calculation was utilized in this study. The XRD patterns show that soaking in KCl aqueous solution leads to an increase of interlayer spacing of GO membrane. And the EIS results indicate that during the immersing process, the charge transfer resistance of GO membrane decreases first and then increases. Computational calculation confirms that intercalated water molecules can result in an increase of interlayer spacing of GO membrane, while the permeation of K+ ions would lead to a decrease of interlayer spacing. All the results are in agreement with each other. It suggests that during the immersing process, the interlayer spacing of GO enlarges first and then decreases. EIS can be a promisingly online method for examining the interlayer spacing of GO in the aqueous solution.

Label-free imaging of intracellular motility by low-coherent quantitative phase microscope in reflection geometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamauchi, Toyohiko; Iwai, Hidenao; Yamashita, Yutaka

2011-11-01

We demonstrate tomographic imaging of intracellular activity of living cells by a low-coherent quantitative phase microscope. The intracellular organelles, such as the nucleus, nucleolus, and mitochondria, are moving around inside living cells, driven by the cellular physiological activity. In order to visualize the intracellular motility in a label-free manner we have developed a reflection-type quantitative phase microscope which employs the phase shifting interferometric technique with a low-coherent light source. The phase shifting interferometry enables us to quantitatively measure the intensity and phase of the optical field, and the low-coherence interferometry makes it possible to selectively probe a specific sectioning plane in the cell volume. The results quantitatively revealed the depth-resolved fluctuations of intracellular surfaces so that the plasma membrane and the membranes of intracellular organelles were independently measured. The transversal and the vertical spatial resolutions were 0.56 μm and 0.93 μm, respectively, and the mechanical sensitivity of the phase measurement was 1.2 nanometers. The mean-squared displacement was applied as a statistical tool to analyze the temporal fluctuation of the intracellular organelles. To the best of our knowledge, our system visualized depth-resolved intracellular organelles motion for the first time in sub-micrometer resolution without contrast agents.

Effects of the F₄TCNQ-Doped Pentacene Interlayers on Performance Improvement of Top-Contact Pentacene-Based Organic Thin-Film Transistors.

PubMed

Fan, Ching-Lin; Lin, Wei-Chun; Chang, Hsiang-Sheng; Lin, Yu-Zuo; Huang, Bohr-Ran

2016-01-13

In this paper, the top-contact (TC) pentacene-based organic thin-film transistor (OTFT) with a tetrafluorotetracyanoquinodimethane (F₄TCNQ)-doped pentacene interlayer between the source/drain electrodes and the pentacene channel layer were fabricated using the co-evaporation method. Compared with a pentacene-based OTFT without an interlayer, OTFTs with an F₄TCNQ:pentacene ratio of 1:1 showed considerably improved electrical characteristics. In addition, the dependence of the OTFT performance on the thickness of the F₄TCNQ-doped pentacene interlayer is weaker than that on a Teflon interlayer. Therefore, a molecular doping-type F₄TCNQ-doped pentacene interlayer is a suitable carrier injection layer that can improve the TC-OTFT performance and facilitate obtaining a stable process window.

Automated high resolution full-field spatial coherence tomography for quantitative phase imaging of human red blood cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singla, Neeru; Dubey, Kavita; Srivastava, Vishal; Ahmad, Azeem; Mehta, D. S.

2018-02-01

We developed an automated high-resolution full-field spatial coherence tomography (FF-SCT) microscope for quantitative phase imaging that is based on the spatial, rather than the temporal, coherence gating. The Red and Green color laser light was used for finding the quantitative phase images of unstained human red blood cells (RBCs). This study uses morphological parameters of unstained RBCs phase images to distinguish between normal and infected cells. We recorded the single interferogram by a FF-SCT microscope for red and green color wavelength and average the two phase images to further reduced the noise artifacts. In order to characterize anemia infected from normal cells different morphological features were extracted and these features were used to train machine learning ensemble model to classify RBCs with high accuracy.

A phase coherence approach to estimating the spatial extent of earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hawthorne, Jessica C.; Ampuero, Jean-Paul

2016-04-01

We present a new method for estimating the spatial extent of seismic sources. The approach takes advantage of an inter-station phase coherence computation that can identify co-located sources (Hawthorne and Ampuero, 2014). Here, however, we note that the phase coherence calculation can eliminate the Green's function and give high values only if both earthquakes are point sources---if their dimensions are much smaller than the wavelengths of the propagating seismic waves. By examining the decrease in coherence at higher frequencies (shorter wavelengths), we can estimate the spatial extents of the earthquake ruptures. The approach can to some extent be seen as a simple way of identifying directivity or variations in the apparent source time functions recorded at various stations. We apply this method to a set of well-recorded earthquakes near Parkfield, CA. We show that when the signal to noise ratio is high, the phase coherence remains high well above 50 Hz for closely spaced M<1.5 earthquake. The high-frequency phase coherence is smaller for larger earthquakes, suggesting larger spatial extents. The implied radii scale roughly as expected from typical magnitude-corner frequency scalings. We also examine a second source of high-frequency decoherence: spatial variation in the shape of the Green's functions. This spatial decoherence appears to occur on a similar wavelengths as the decoherence associated with the apparent source time functions. However, the variation in Green's functions can be normalized away to some extent by comparing observations at multiple components on a single station, which see the same apparent source time functions.

Nonlocal Electron Coherence in MoS2 Flakes Correlated through Spatial Self Phase Modulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Yanling; Wu, Qiong; Sun, Fei; Tian, Yichao; Zuo, Xu; Meng, Sheng; Zhao, Jimin

2015-03-01

Electron coherence among different flake domains of MoS2 has been generated using ultrafast or continuous wave laser beams. Such electron coherence generates characteristic far-field diffraction patterns through a purely coherent nonlinear optical effect--spatial self-phase modulation (SSPM). A wind-chime model is developed to describe the establishment of the electron coherence through correlating the photo-excited electrons among different flakes using coherent light. Owing to its finite gap band structure, we find different mechanisms, including two-photon processes, might be responsible for the SSPM in MoS2 [with a large nonlinear dielectric susceptibility χ (3) = 1.6 × 10-9 e.s.u. (SI: 2.23 × 10-17 m2/V2) per layer]. Finally, we realized all optical switching based on SSPM, demonstrating that the electron coherence generation we report here is a ubiquitous property of layered quantum materials, by which novel optical applications are accessible. National Natural Science Foundation of China (11274372).

Modulating the amplitude and phase of the complex spectral degree of coherence with plasmonic interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Dongfang; Pacifici, Domenico

The spectral degree of coherence describes the correlation of electromagnetic fields, which plays a key role in many applications, including free-space optical communications and speckle-free bioimaging. Recently, plasmonic interferometry, i.e. optical interferometry that employs surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs), has enabled enhanced light transmission and high-sensitivity biosensing, among other applications. It offers new ways to characterize and engineer electromagnetic fields using nano-structured thin metal films. Here, we employ plasmonic interferometry to demonstrate full control of spatial coherence at length scales comparable to the wavelength of the incident light. Specifically, by measuring the diffraction pattern of several double-slit plasmonic structures etched on a metal film, the amplitude and phase of the degree of spatial coherence is determined as a function of slit-slit separation distance and incident wavelength. When the SPP contribution is turned on (i.e., by changing the polarization of the incident light from TE to TM illumination mode), strong modulation of both amplitude and phase of the spatial coherence is observed. These findings may help design compact modulators of optical spatial coherence and other optical elements to shape the light intensity in the far-field.

Hard X-ray polarizer to enable simultaneous three-dimensional nanoscale imaging of magnetic structure and lattice strain

DOE PAGES

Logan, Jonathan; Harder, Ross; Li, Luxi; ...

2016-01-01

Recent progress in the development of dichroic Bragg coherent diffractive imaging, a new technique for simultaneous three-dimensional imaging of strain and magnetization at the nanoscale, is reported. This progress includes the installation of a diamond X-ray phase retarder at beamline 34-ID-C of the Advanced Photon Source. Here, the performance of the phase retarder for tuning X-ray polarization is demonstrated with temperature-dependent X-ray magnetic circular dichroism measurements on a gadolinium foil in transmission and on a Gd 5Si 2Ge 2crystal in diffraction geometry with a partially coherent, focused X-ray beam. Feasibility tests for dichroic Bragg coherent diffractive imaging are presented. Thesemore » tests include (1) using conventional Bragg coherent diffractive imaging to determine whether the phase retarder introduces aberrations using a nonmagnetic gold nanocrystal as a control sample, and (2) collecting coherent diffraction patterns of a magnetic Gd 5Si 2Ge 2nanocrystal with left- and right-circularly polarized X-rays. Future applications of dichroic Bragg coherent diffractive imaging for the correlation of strain and lattice defects with magnetic ordering and inhomogeneities are considered.« less

Transient phases during fast crystallization of organic thin films from solution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan, Jing; Li, Yang; Ulbrandt, Jeffrey G.; Smilgies, Detlef-M.; Hollin, Jonathan; Whalley, Adam C.; Headrick, Randall L.

2016-01-01

We report an in situ microbeam grazing incidence X-ray scattering study of 2,7-dioctyl[1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene (C8-BTBT) organic semiconductor thin film deposition by hollow pen writing. Multiple transient phases are observed during the crystallization for substrate temperatures up to ≈93 °C. The layered smectic liquid-crystalline phase of C8-BTBT initially forms and preceedes inter-layer ordering, followed by a transient crystalline phase for temperature >60 °C, and ultimately the stable phase. Based on these results, we demonstrate a method to produce extremely large grain size and high carrier mobility during high-speed processing. For high writing speed (25 mm/s), mobility up to 3.0 cm2/V-s has been observed.

Cholesterol-Induced Formation of Liquid Ordered Phase-Like Structures in Non-Phospholipid Systems.

PubMed

Konno, Yoshikazu; Yoshimura, Akio; Naito, Noboru; Aramaki, Kenji

2018-01-01

The formation of liquid ordered (L o ) phase-like structures in stearyltrimethylammonium chloride/cholesterol/1,3-butanediol/water and hepta(oxyethylen) octadecyl ether/cholesterol/1,3-butanediol/water systems was investigated. Differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray scattering measurements confirmed that L o phase-like structures were formed in both surfactant/cholesterol systems, similar to the lysophospholipid/cholesterol system. It was revealed that the concentration of cholesterol at which only L o phase-like structures are formed increases in the order stearyltrimethylammonium chloride < lysophospholipid < hepta(oxyethylen) octadecyl ether. In addition, for both surfactants, the interlayer spacing, d, was larger for L o phase-like structures than for α-gel structures. These results suggest that the ionicity and structure of the hydrophilic group of each surfactant play important roles.

Investigations of Self-Pumped Phase Conjugate Laser Beams and Coherence Length

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-03-01

experiment was designed at the Naval Postgraduate School. This experimental arrangement involved a smaller argon-ion laser and a laser spectrometer...change in coherence length was observed in a phase conjugate laser beam. Eperimental results obtained in these experiments highlight the fact that

Spin polarized and density modulated phases in symmetric electron-electron and electron-hole bilayers.

PubMed

Kumar, Krishan; Moudgil, R K

2012-10-17

We have studied symmetric electron-electron and electron-hole bilayers to explore the stable homogeneous spin phase and the feasibility of inhomogeneous charge-/spin-density ground states. The former is resolved by comparing the ground-state energies in states of different spin polarizations, while the latter is resolved by searching for a divergence in the wavevector-dependent static charge/spin susceptibility. For this endeavour, we have used the dielectric approach within the self-consistent mean-field theory of Singwi et al. We find that the inter-layer interactions tend to change an abrupt spin-polarization transition of an isolated layer into a nearly gradual one, even though the partially spin-polarized phases are not clearly stable within the accuracy of our calculation. The transition density is seen to decrease with a reduction in layer spacing, implying a suppression of spin polarization by inter-layer interactions. Indeed, the suppression shows up distinctly in the spin susceptibility computed from the spin-polarization dependence of the ground-state energy. However, below a critical layer spacing, the unpolarized liquid becomes unstable against a charge-density-wave (CDW) ground state at a density preceding full spin polarization, with the transition density for the CDW state increasing on further reduction in the layer spacing. Due to attractive e-h correlations, the CDW state is found to be more pronounced in the e-h bilayer. On the other hand, the static spin susceptibility diverges only in the long-wavelength limit, which simply represents a transition to the homogeneous spin-polarized phase.

Quantitative phase microscopy via optimized inversion of the phase optical transfer function.

PubMed

Jenkins, Micah H; Gaylord, Thomas K

2015-10-01

Although the field of quantitative phase imaging (QPI) has wide-ranging biomedical applicability, many QPI methods are not well-suited for such applications due to their reliance on coherent illumination and specialized hardware. By contrast, methods utilizing partially coherent illumination have the potential to promote the widespread adoption of QPI due to their compatibility with microscopy, which is ubiquitous in the biomedical community. Described herein is a new defocus-based reconstruction method that utilizes a small number of efficiently sampled micrographs to optimally invert the partially coherent phase optical transfer function under assumptions of weak absorption and slowly varying phase. Simulation results are provided that compare the performance of this method with similar algorithms and demonstrate compatibility with large phase objects. The accuracy of the method is validated experimentally using a microlens array as a test phase object. Lastly, time-lapse images of live adherent cells are obtained with an off-the-shelf microscope, thus demonstrating the new method's potential for extending QPI capability widely in the biomedical community.

Monolayer adsorption of noble gases on graphene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maiga, Sidi M.; Gatica, Silvina M.

2018-02-01

We report our results of simulations of the adsorption of noble gases (Kr, Ar, Xe) on graphene. For Kr, we consider two configurations: supported and free-standing graphene, where atoms are adsorbed only on one or two sides of the graphene. For Ar and Xe, we studied only the case of supported graphene. For the single-side adsorption, we calculated the two-dimensional gas-liquid critical temperature for each adsorbate. We determined the different phases of the monolayers and constructed the phase diagrams. We found two-dimensional incommensurate solid phases for krypton, argon and xenon, and a two-dimensional commensurate solid phase for krypton. For double side adsorption of Kr, we do not see evidence of an ordering transition driven by the interlayer forces.

Anomalous fast diffusion in Cu-NiFe nanolaminates.

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

Jankowski, Alan F.

2017-09-01

For this work, the decomposition of the one-dimensional composition wave in Cu-NiFe nanolaminate structures is examined using x-ray diffraction to assess the kinetics of phase decomposition. The anomalously high diffusivity value found for long-term aging at room temperature is attributed to the inherent nanostructure that features paths for short-circuit diffusion in nanolaminates as attributed to interlayer grain boundaries.

Interaction of chimera states in a multilayered network of nonlocally coupled oscillators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goremyko, M. V.; Maksimenko, V. A.; Makarov, V. V.; Ghosh, D.; Bera, B.; Dana, S. K.; Hramov, A. E.

2017-08-01

The processes of formation and evolution of chimera states in the model of a multilayered network of nonlinear elements with complex coupling topology are studied. A two-layered network of nonlocally intralayer-coupled Kuramoto-Sakaguchi phase oscillators is taken as the object of investigation. Different modes implemented in this system upon variation of the degree of interlayer interaction are demonstrated.

Nature of the interlayer environment in an organoclay optimized for the sequestration of dibenzo-p-dioxin.

PubMed

Johnston, Cliff T; Khan, Bushra; Barth, Edwin F; Chattopadhyay, Sandip; Boyd, Stephen A

2012-09-04

A Na-smectite clay (Na-SWy-2) was exchanged with various amounts of dimethyldioctadecylammonium bromide (DODA-Br) up to twice the cation exchange capacity (CEC). The organoclay (DODA-SWy-2) with DODA-Br added at 2 × CEC exhibited a maximum 4.2 nm d-spacing and a 31.4% carbon content, which demonstrates DODA(+) intercalation. DODA-SWy-2 was evaluated as an archetype of commercial products used to sequester hydrophobic contaminants, and the nature of the primarily C18 alkylhydrocarbon-chain interlayer environment was emhasized. Shifts in ν(CH) and CH(2) rocking band positions in DODA-SWy-2-complex FTIR-spectra indicate that DODA C18 chains were more ordered as DODA surface coverage was increased. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis indicated a DODA-SWy-2 gel-to-liquid transition temperature much lower than the melting point of crystalline DODA-Br and similar to that of aqueous DODA-Br vesicles. This suggests that the transition was governed by C18 alkyl tail-tail interactions in the clay interlamellar region. Dibenzo-p-dioxin (DD) sorption from water by DODA-SWy-2 was compared to DD sorption by the geosorbents granular activated carbon (GAC), K-exchanged saponite, and a muck soil. The linear K(l) sorption coefficients (log K(l)) from a linear fit of the sorption isotherms were 4.37 for DODA-SWy-2, 5.55 for GAC, 3.19 for muck soil, and 2.46 for K-saponite. The DD-organic-matter-normalized sorption coefficient (K(om)) was ∼2.4 times the octanol-water partition coefficient (K(ow)). This indicates that DD has a higher affinity for the nonpolar interlayer DODA organic phase than for octanol. In contrast, the K(om) for muck soil DD sorption was ~10 times less than K(ow), which reflects the higher polarity of amorphous soil organic matter relative to octanol. Enhanced DD uptake by the DODA-derived lipophilic phase in the organoclay is attributed to the low polarity, "open" C18 alkyl structure due to the physical dimensions of "v-shaped" DODA(+) molecular, and low density of the interlamellar phase (~0.50 g/cm3) density of intercalated DODA(+).

Nature of the Interlayer Environment in an Organoclay Optimized for the Sequestration of Dibenzo-p-dioxin

PubMed Central

Johnston, Cliff T.; Khan, Bushra; Barth, Edwin F.; Chattopadhyay, Sandip; Boyd, Stephen A.

2015-01-01

A Na–smectite clay (Na–SWy-2) was exchanged with various amounts of dimethyldioctadecylammonium bromide (DODA-Br) up to twice the cation exchange capacity (CEC). The organoclay (DODA–SWy-2) with DODA-Br added at 2 × CEC exhibited a maximum 4.2 nm d-spacing and a 31.4% carbon content, which demonstrates DODA+ intercalation. DODA–SWy-2 was evaluated as an archetype of commercial products used to sequester hydrophobic contaminants, and the nature of the primarily C18 alkylhydrocarbon-chain interlayer environment was emhasized. Shifts in ν(CH) and CH2 rocking band positions in DODA–SWy-2-complex FTIR-spectra indicate that DODA C18 chains were more ordered as DODA surface coverage was increased. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis indicated a DODA–SWy-2 gel-to-liquid transition temperature much lower than the melting point of crystalline DODA-Br and similar to that of aqueous DODA-Br vesicles. This suggests that the transition was governed by C18 alkyl tail–tail interactions in the clay interlamellar region. Dibenzo-p-dioxin (DD) sorption from water by DODA–SWy-2 was compared to DD sorption by the geosorbents granular activated carbon (GAC), K-exchanged saponite, and a muck soil. The linear Kl sorption coefficients (log Kl) from a linear fit of the sorption isotherms were 4.37 for DODA–SWy-2, 5.55 for GAC, 3.19 for muck soil, and 2.46 for K-saponite. The DD-organic-matter-normalized sorption coefficient (Kom) was ~2.4 times the octanol–water partition coefficient (Kow). This indicates that DD has a higher affinity for the nonpolar interlayer DODA organic phase than for octanol. In contrast, the Kom for muck soil DD sorption was ~10 times less than Kow, which reflects the higher polarity of amorphous soil organic matter relative to octanol. Enhanced DD uptake by the DODA-derived lipophilic phase in the organoclay is attributed to the low polarity, “open” C18 alkyl structure due to the physical dimensions of “v-shaped” DODA+ molecular, and low density of the interlamellar phase (~0.50 g/ cm3) density of intercalated DODA+. PMID:22856528

Coherent States for Kronecker Products of Non Compact Groups: Formulation and Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bambah, Bindu A.; Agarwal, Girish S.

1996-01-01

We introduce and study the properties of a class of coherent states for the group SU(1,1) X SU(1,1) and derive explicit expressions for these using the Clebsch-Gordan algebra for the SU(1,1) group. We restrict ourselves to the discrete series representations of SU(1,1). These are the generalization of the 'Barut Girardello' coherent states to the Kronecker Product of two non-compact groups. The resolution of the identity and the analytic phase space representation of these states is presented. This phase space representation is based on the basis of products of 'pair coherent states' rather than the standard number state canonical basis. We discuss the utility of the resulting 'bi-pair coherent states' in the context of four-mode interactions in quantum optics.

Efficient dynamic coherence transfer relying on offset locking using optical phase-locked loop

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Weilin; Dong, Yi; Bretenaker, Fabien; Shi, Hongxiao; Zhou, Qian; Xia, Zongyang; Qin, Jie; Zhang, Lin; Lin, Xi; Hu, Weisheng

2018-01-01

We design and experimentally demonstrate a highly efficient coherence transfer based on composite optical phaselocked loop comprising multiple feedback servo loops. The heterodyne offset-locking is achieved by conducting an acousto-optic frequency shifter in combination with the current tuning and the temperature controlling of the semiconductor laser. The adaptation of the composite optical phase-locked loop enables the tight coherence transfer from a frequency comb to a semiconductor laser in a fully dynamic manner.

Emergence of a new pair-coherent phase in many-body quenches of repulsive bosons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fischer, Uwe R.; Lee, Kang-Soo; Xiong, Bo

2011-07-01

We investigate the dynamical mode population statistics and associated first- and second-order coherence of an interacting bosonic two-mode model when the pair-exchange coupling is quenched from negative to positive values. It is shown that for moderately rapid second-order transitions, a new pair-coherent phase emerges on the positive coupling side in an excited state, which is not fragmented as the ground-state single-particle density matrix would prescribe it to be.

Design of a High Speed Data Capture Device for a Coherent Radar Application

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-11-01

of the RGASM is discussed, then the primary differences between coherent and non-coherent processing are compared. A basic digital receiver is then...IPP. 19 In-Phase Data Transfer Quadrature Data Transfer Label: Fuction : IQ-Sel Signifies whether data present on the bus is In-Phase or Quadrature...430S_IIZ _ l -.. t....!.... Label: Fuction : ADRS 16-bit address bus value DATA Actual 16-bit value of the data on the bus BUSEN* Bus enable READY* Bus

Coherent control of the group velocity in a dielectric slab doped with duplicated two-level atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ziauddin; Chuang, You-Lin; Lee, Ray-Kuang; Qamar, Sajid

2016-01-01

Coherent control of reflected and transmitted pulses is investigated theoretically through a slab doped with atoms in a duplicated two-level configuration. When a strong control field and a relatively weak probe field are employed, coherent control of the group velocity is achieved via changing the phase shift ϕ between control and probe fields. Furthermore, the peak values in the delay time of the reflected and transmitted pulses are also studied by varying the phase shift ϕ.

Effects of the F4TCNQ-Doped Pentacene Interlayers on Performance Improvement of Top-Contact Pentacene-Based Organic Thin-Film Transistors

PubMed Central

Fan, Ching-Lin; Lin, Wei-Chun; Chang, Hsiang-Sheng; Lin, Yu-Zuo; Huang, Bohr-Ran

2016-01-01

In this paper, the top-contact (TC) pentacene-based organic thin-film transistor (OTFT) with a tetrafluorotetracyanoquinodimethane (F4TCNQ)-doped pentacene interlayer between the source/drain electrodes and the pentacene channel layer were fabricated using the co-evaporation method. Compared with a pentacene-based OTFT without an interlayer, OTFTs with an F4TCNQ:pentacene ratio of 1:1 showed considerably improved electrical characteristics. In addition, the dependence of the OTFT performance on the thickness of the F4TCNQ-doped pentacene interlayer is weaker than that on a Teflon interlayer. Therefore, a molecular doping-type F4TCNQ-doped pentacene interlayer is a suitable carrier injection layer that can improve the TC-OTFT performance and facilitate obtaining a stable process window. PMID:28787845

Band engineering in twisted molybdenum disulfide bilayers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yipeng; Liao, Chengwei; Ouyang, Gang

2018-05-01

In order to explore the theoretical relationship between interlayer spacing, interaction and band offset at the atomic level in vertically stacked two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) structures, we propose an analytical model to address the evolution of interlayer vdW coupling with random stacking configurations in MoS2 bilayers based on the atomic-bond-relaxation correlation mechanism. We found that interlayer spacing changes substantially with respect to the orientations, and the bandgap increases from 1.53 eV (AB stacking) to 1.68 eV (AA stacking). Our results reveal that the evolution of interlayer vdW coupling originates from the interlayer interaction, leading to interlayer separations and electronic properties changing with stacking configurations. Our predictions constitute a demonstration of twist engineering the band shift in the emergent class of 2D crystals, transition-metal dichalcogenides.

Time-varying multiplex network: Intralayer and interlayer synchronization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rakshit, Sarbendu; Majhi, Soumen; Bera, Bidesh K.; Sinha, Sudeshna; Ghosh, Dibakar

2017-12-01

A large class of engineered and natural systems, ranging from transportation networks to neuronal networks, are best represented by multiplex network architectures, namely a network composed of two or more different layers where the mutual interaction in each layer may differ from other layers. Here we consider a multiplex network where the intralayer coupling interactions are switched stochastically with a characteristic frequency. We explore the intralayer and interlayer synchronization of such a time-varying multiplex network. We find that the analytically derived necessary condition for intralayer and interlayer synchronization, obtained by the master stability function approach, is in excellent agreement with our numerical results. Interestingly, we clearly find that the higher frequency of switching links in the layers enhances both intralayer and interlayer synchrony, yielding larger windows of synchronization. Further, we quantify the resilience of synchronous states against random perturbations, using a global stability measure based on the concept of basin stability, and this reveals that intralayer coupling strength is most crucial for determining both intralayer and interlayer synchrony. Lastly, we investigate the robustness of interlayer synchronization against a progressive demultiplexing of the multiplex structure, and we find that for rapid switching of intralayer links, the interlayer synchronization persists even when a large number of interlayer nodes are disconnected.

The thickness design of unintentionally doped GaN interlayer matched with background doping level for InGaN-based laser diodes

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

Chen, P.; Zhao, D. G., E-mail: dgzhao@red.semi.ac.cn; Jiang, D. S.

2016-03-15

In order to reduce the internal optical loss of InGaN laser diodes, an unintentionally doped GaN (u-GaN) interlayer is inserted between InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well active region and Al{sub 0.2}Ga{sub 0.8}N electron blocking layer. The thickness design of u-GaN interlayer matching up with background doping level for improving laser performance is studied. It is found that a suitably chosen u-GaN interlayer can well modulate the optical absorption loss and optical confinement factor. However, if the value of background doping concentration of u-GaN interlayer is too large, the output light power may decrease. The analysis of energy band diagram of amore » LD structure with 100 nm u-GaN interlayer shows that the width of n-side depletion region decreases when the background concentration increases, and may become even too small to cover whole MQW, resulting in a serious decrease of the output light power. It means that a suitable interlayer thickness design matching with the background doping level of u-GaN interlayer is significant for InGaN-based laser diodes.« less

Time-varying multiplex network: Intralayer and interlayer synchronization.

PubMed

Rakshit, Sarbendu; Majhi, Soumen; Bera, Bidesh K; Sinha, Sudeshna; Ghosh, Dibakar

2017-12-01

A large class of engineered and natural systems, ranging from transportation networks to neuronal networks, are best represented by multiplex network architectures, namely a network composed of two or more different layers where the mutual interaction in each layer may differ from other layers. Here we consider a multiplex network where the intralayer coupling interactions are switched stochastically with a characteristic frequency. We explore the intralayer and interlayer synchronization of such a time-varying multiplex network. We find that the analytically derived necessary condition for intralayer and interlayer synchronization, obtained by the master stability function approach, is in excellent agreement with our numerical results. Interestingly, we clearly find that the higher frequency of switching links in the layers enhances both intralayer and interlayer synchrony, yielding larger windows of synchronization. Further, we quantify the resilience of synchronous states against random perturbations, using a global stability measure based on the concept of basin stability, and this reveals that intralayer coupling strength is most crucial for determining both intralayer and interlayer synchrony. Lastly, we investigate the robustness of interlayer synchronization against a progressive demultiplexing of the multiplex structure, and we find that for rapid switching of intralayer links, the interlayer synchronization persists even when a large number of interlayer nodes are disconnected.

Molecular dynamics simulation of diffusion and electrical conductivity in montmorillonite interlayers

DOE PAGES

Greathouse, Jeffery A.; Cygan, Randall T.; Fredrich, Joanne T.; ...

2016-01-20

In this study, the diffusion of water and ions in the interlayer region of smectite clay minerals represents a direct probe of the type and strength of clay–fluid interactions. Interlayer diffusion also represents an important link between molecular simulation and macroscopic experiments. Here we use molecular dynamics simulation to investigate trends in cation and water diffusion in montmorillonite interlayers, looking specifically at the effects of layer charge, interlayer cation and cation charge (sodium or calcium), water content, and temperature. For Na-montmorillonite, the largest increase in ion and water diffusion coefficients occurs between the one-layer and two-layer hydrates, corresponding to themore » transition from inner-sphere to outer-sphere surface complexes. Calculated activation energies for ion and water diffusion in Na-montmorillonite are similar to each other and to the water hydrogen bond energy, suggesting the breaking of water–water and water–clay hydrogen bonds as a likely mechanism for interlayer diffusion. A comparison of interlayer diffusion with that of bulk electrolyte solutions reveals a clear trend of decreasing diffusion coefficient with increasing electrolyte concentration, and in most cases the interlayer diffusion results are nearly coincident with the corresponding bulk solutions. Trends in electrical conductivities computed from the ion diffusion coefficients are also compared.« less

Interlayer Exciton Optoelectronics in a 2D Heterostructure p-n Junction.

PubMed

Ross, Jason S; Rivera, Pasqual; Schaibley, John; Lee-Wong, Eric; Yu, Hongyi; Taniguchi, Takashi; Watanabe, Kenji; Yan, Jiaqiang; Mandrus, David; Cobden, David; Yao, Wang; Xu, Xiaodong

2017-02-08

Semiconductor heterostructures are backbones for solid-state-based optoelectronic devices. Recent advances in assembly techniques for van der Waals heterostructures have enabled the band engineering of semiconductor heterojunctions for atomically thin optoelectronic devices. In two-dimensional heterostructures with type II band alignment, interlayer excitons, where Coulomb bound electrons and holes are confined to opposite layers, have shown promising properties for novel excitonic devices, including a large binding energy, micron-scale in-plane drift-diffusion, and a long population and valley polarization lifetime. Here, we demonstrate interlayer exciton optoelectronics based on electrostatically defined lateral p-n junctions in a MoSe 2 -WSe 2 heterobilayer. Applying a forward bias enables the first observation of electroluminescence from interlayer excitons. At zero bias, the p-n junction functions as a highly sensitive photodetector, where the wavelength-dependent photocurrent measurement allows the direct observation of resonant optical excitation of the interlayer exciton. The resulting photocurrent amplitude from the interlayer exciton is about 200 times smaller than the resonant excitation of intralayer exciton. This implies that the interlayer exciton oscillator strength is 2 orders of magnitude smaller than that of the intralayer exciton due to the spatial separation of electron and hole to the opposite layers. These results lay the foundation for exploiting the interlayer exciton in future 2D heterostructure optoelectronic devices.

Experimental demonstration of spatially coherent beam combining using optical parametric amplification.

PubMed

Kurita, Takashi; Sueda, Keiichi; Tsubakimoto, Koji; Miyanaga, Noriaki

2010-07-05

We experimentally demonstrated coherent beam combining using optical parametric amplification with a nonlinear crystal pumped by random-phased multiple-beam array of the second harmonic of a Nd:YAG laser at 10-Hz repetition rate. In the proof-of-principle experiment, the phase jump between two pump beams was precisely controlled by a motorized actuator. For the demonstration of multiple-beam combining a random phase plate was used to create random-phased beamlets as a pump pulse. Far-field patterns of the pump, the signal, and the idler indicated that the spatially coherent signal beams were obtained on both cases. This approach allows scaling of the intensity of optical parametric chirped pulse amplification up to the exa-watt level while maintaining diffraction-limited beam quality.

Interlayer interactions in graphites.

PubMed

Chen, Xiaobin; Tian, Fuyang; Persson, Clas; Duan, Wenhui; Chen, Nan-xian

2013-11-06

Based on ab initio calculations of both the ABC- and AB-stacked graphites, interlayer potentials (i.e., graphene-graphene interaction) are obtained as a function of the interlayer spacing using a modified Möbius inversion method, and are used to calculate basic physical properties of graphite. Excellent consistency is observed between the calculated and experimental phonon dispersions of AB-stacked graphite, showing the validity of the interlayer potentials. More importantly, layer-related properties for nonideal structures (e.g., the exfoliation energy, cleave energy, stacking fault energy, surface energy, etc.) can be easily predicted from the interlayer potentials, which promise to be extremely efficient and helpful in studying van der Waals structures.

Dynamic coherent backscattering mirror

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeylikovich, I.; Xu, M.

2016-02-01

The phase of multiply scattered light has recently attracted considerable interest. Coherent backscattering is a striking phenomenon of multiple scattered light in which the coherence of light survives multiple scattering in a random medium and is observable in the direction space as an enhancement of the intensity of backscattered light within a cone around the retroreflection direction. Reciprocity also leads to enhancement of backscattering light in the spatial space. The random medium behaves as a reciprocity mirror which robustly converts a diverging incident beam into a converging backscattering one focusing at a conjugate spot in space. Here we first analyze theoretically this coherent backscattering mirror (CBM) phenomenon and then demonstrate the capability of CBM compensating and correcting both static and dynamic phase distortions occurring along the optical path. CBM may offer novel approaches for high speed dynamic phase corrections in optical systems and find applications in sensing and navigation.

Coherent Population Trapping in a Superconducting Phase Qubit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelly, William R.; Dutton, Zachary; Ohki, Thomas A.; Schlafer, John; Mookerji, Bhaskar; Kline, Jeffery S.; Pappas, David P.

2010-03-01

The phenomenon of Coherent Population Trapping (CPT) of an atom (or solid state ``artificial atom''), and the associated effect of Electromagnetically Induced Transparency (EIT), are clear demonstrations of quantum interference due to coherence in multi-level quantum systems. We report observation of CPT in a superconducting phase qubit by simultaneously driving two coherent transitions in a λ-type configuration, utilizing the three lowest lying levels of a local minimum of the phase qubit. We observe ˜60% suppression of excited state population under conditions of two-photon resonance, where EIT and CPT are expected to occur. We present data and matching theoretical simulations showing the development of CPT in time. We also used the observed time dependence of the excited state population to characterize quantum dephasing times of the system, as predicted in [1]. [1] K.V. Murali, Z. Dutton, W.D. Oliver, D.S. Crankshaw, and T.P.Orlando, Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 087003 (2004).

Interlayer‐State‐Coupling Dependent Ultrafast Charge Transfer in MoS2/WS2 Bilayers

PubMed Central

Zhang, Jin; Hong, Hao; Lian, Chao; Ma, Wei; Xu, Xiaozhi; Zhou, Xu; Fu, Huixia

2017-01-01

Light‐induced interlayer ultrafast charge transfer in 2D heterostructures provides a new platform for optoelectronic and photovoltaic applications. The charge separation process is generally hypothesized to be dependent on the interlayer stackings and interactions, however, the quantitative characteristic and detailed mechanism remain elusive. Here, a systematical study on the interlayer charge transfer in model MoS2/WS2 bilayer system with variable stacking configurations by time‐dependent density functional theory methods is demonstrated. The results show that the slight change of interlayer geometry can significantly modulate the charge transfer time from 100 fs to 1 ps scale. Detailed analysis further reveals that the transfer rate in MoS2/WS2 bilayers is governed by the electronic coupling between specific interlayer states, rather than the interlayer distances, and follows a universal dependence on the state‐coupling strength. The results establish the interlayer stacking as an effective freedom to control ultrafast charge transfer dynamics in 2D heterostructures and facilitate their future applications in optoelectronics and light harvesting. PMID:28932669

Dispersion relations of elastic waves in one-dimensional piezoelectric/piezomagnetic phononic crystal with functionally graded interlayers.

PubMed

Guo, Xiao; Wei, Peijun; Lan, Man; Li, Li

2016-08-01

The effects of functionally graded interlayers on dispersion relations of elastic waves in a one-dimensional piezoelectric/piezomagnetic phononic crystal are studied in this paper. First, the state transfer equation of the functionally graded interlayer is derived from the motion equation by the reduction of order (from second order to first order). The transfer matrix of the functionally graded interlayer is obtained by solving the state transfer equation with the spatial-varying coefficient. Based on the transfer matrixes of the piezoelectric slab, the piezomagnetic slab and the functionally graded interlayers, the total transfer matrix of a single cell is obtained. Further, the Bloch theorem is used to obtain the resultant dispersion equations of in-plane and anti-plane Bloch waves. The dispersion equations are solved numerically and the numerical results are shown graphically. Five kinds of profiles of functionally graded interlayers between a piezoelectric slab and a piezomagnetic slab are considered. It is shown that the functionally graded interlayers have evident influences on the dispersion curves and the band gaps. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In vivo volumetric depth-resolved vasculature imaging of human limbus and sclera with 1 μm swept source phase-variance optical coherence angiography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poddar, Raju; Zawadzki, Robert J.; Cortés, Dennis E.; Mannis, Mark J.; Werner, John S.

2015-06-01

We present in vivo volumetric depth-resolved vasculature images of the anterior segment of the human eye acquired with phase-variance based motion contrast using a high-speed (100 kHz, 105 A-scans/s) swept source optical coherence tomography system (SSOCT). High phase stability SSOCT imaging was achieved by using a computationally efficient phase stabilization approach. The human corneo-scleral junction and sclera were imaged with swept source phase-variance optical coherence angiography and compared with slit lamp images from the same eyes of normal subjects. Different features of the rich vascular system in the conjunctiva and episclera were visualized and described. This system can be used as a potential tool for ophthalmological research to determine changes in the outflow system, which may be helpful for identification of abnormalities that lead to glaucoma.

Phase retrieval by coherent modulation imaging

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

Zhang, Fucai; Chen, Bo; Morrison, Graeme R.

Phase retrieval is a long-standing problem in imaging when only the intensity of the wavefield can be recorded. Coherent diffraction imaging (CDI) is a lensless technique that uses iterative algorithms to recover amplitude and phase contrast images from diffraction intensity data. For general samples, phase retrieval from a single diffraction pattern has been an algorithmic and experimental challenge. Here we report a method of phase retrieval that uses a known modulation of the sample exit-wave. This coherent modulation imaging (CMI) method removes inherent ambiguities of CDI and uses a reliable, rapidly converging iterative algorithm involving three planes. It works formore » extended samples, does not require tight support for convergence, and relaxes dynamic range requirements on the detector. CMI provides a robust method for imaging in materials and biological science, while its single-shot capability will benefit the investigation of dynamical processes with pulsed sources, such as X-ray free electron laser.« less

Phase retrieval by coherent modulation imaging

DOE PAGES

Zhang, Fucai; Chen, Bo; Morrison, Graeme R.; ...

2016-11-18

Phase retrieval is a long-standing problem in imaging when only the intensity of the wavefield can be recorded. Coherent diffraction imaging (CDI) is a lensless technique that uses iterative algorithms to recover amplitude and phase contrast images from diffraction intensity data. For general samples, phase retrieval from a single diffraction pattern has been an algorithmic and experimental challenge. Here we report a method of phase retrieval that uses a known modulation of the sample exit-wave. This coherent modulation imaging (CMI) method removes inherent ambiguities of CDI and uses a reliable, rapidly converging iterative algorithm involving three planes. It works formore » extended samples, does not require tight support for convergence, and relaxes dynamic range requirements on the detector. CMI provides a robust method for imaging in materials and biological science, while its single-shot capability will benefit the investigation of dynamical processes with pulsed sources, such as X-ray free electron laser.« less

Chimera states in nonlocally coupled phase oscillators with biharmonic interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Hongyan; Dai, Qionglin; Wu, Nianping; Feng, Yuee; Li, Haihong; Yang, Junzhong

2018-03-01

Chimera states, which consist of coexisting domains of coherent and incoherent parts, have been observed in a variety of systems. Most of previous works on chimera states have taken into account specific form of interaction between oscillators, for example, sinusoidal coupling or diffusive coupling. Here, we investigate chimera dynamics in nonlocally coupled phase oscillators with biharmonic interaction. We find novel chimera states with features such as that oscillators in the same coherent cluster may split into two groups with a phase difference around π/2 and that oscillators in adjacent coherent clusters may have a phase difference close to π/2. The different impacts of the coupling ranges in the first and the second harmonic interactions on chimera dynamics are investigated based on the synchronous dynamics in globally coupled phase oscillators. Our study suggests a new direction in the field of chimera dynamics.

Phase control in coherent population distribution in molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Datta, Avijit

2018-06-01

A chirped laser pulse transfers population from one level to another level accessible by one photon dipole transition. We have used a pair of phase-locked chirped pulses of same frequency instead of a single chirped pulse to achieve phase control over the population transfer and thus creating coherent population distribution in hydrogen molecule. Simultaneous actions of the phase controlled interference and rapid adiabatic passages due to chirped pulses lead to the control in population transfer from the ground X(v = 0, j = 0) level to the C(v = 2, j = 1) level. We have extended this two-level system to a three-level 1 + 1 ladder system for population transfer from the X level to the J(v = 2, j = 2) level via the C intermediate level using two pairs of phase-locked laser chirped pulses and have achieved laudable control over the coherent population distribution.

Phase-ambiguity resolution for QPSK modulation systems. Part 1: A review

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nguyen, Tien Manh

1989-01-01

Part 1 reviews the current phase-ambiguity resolution techniques for QPSK coherent modulation systems. Here, those known and published methods of resolving phase ambiguity for QPSK with and without Forward-Error-Correcting (FEC) are discussed. The necessary background is provided for a complete understanding of the second part where a new technique will be discussed. An appropriate technique to the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) is recommended for consideration in future standards on phase-ambiguity resolution for QPSK coherent modulation systems.

Interference-free coherence dynamics of gas-phase molecules using spectral focusing.

PubMed

Wrzesinski, Paul J; Roy, Sukesh; Gord, James R

2012-10-08

Spectral focusing using broadband femtosecond pulses to achieve highly selective measurements has been employed for numerous applications in spectroscopy and microspectroscopy. In this work we highlight the use of spectral focusing for selective excitation and detection of gas-phase species. Furthermore, we demonstrate that spectral focusing, coupled with time-resolved measurements based upon probe delay, allows the observation of interference-free coherence dynamics of multiple molecules and gas-phase temperature making this technique ideal for gas-phase measurements of reacting flows and combustion processes.

Large-Scale Synthesis and Comprehensive Structure Study of δ-MnO 2

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

Liu, Jue; Yu, Lei; Hu, Enyuan

Layered δ-MnO 2 (birnessites) are ubiquitous in nature and have also been reported to work as promising water oxidation catalysts or rechargeable alkali-ion battery cathodes when fabricated under appropriate conditions. Although tremendous effort has been spent on resolving the structure of natural/synthetic layered δ-MnO 2 in the last few decades, no conclusive result has been reached. In this Article, we report an environmentally friendly route to synthesizing homogeneous Cu-rich layered δ-MnO 2 nanoflowers in large scale. The local and average structure of synthetic Cu-rich layered δ-MnO 2 has been successfully resolved from combined Mn/Cu K-edge extended X-ray fine structure spectroscopymore » and X-ray and neutron total scattering analysis. It is found that appreciable amounts (~8%) of Mn vacancies are present in the MnO 2 layer and Cu 2+ occupies the interlayer sites above/below the vacant Mn sites. Effective hydrogen bonding among the interlayer water molecules and adjacent layer O ions has also been observed for the first time. These hydrogen bonds are found to play the key role in maintaining the intermediate and long-range stacking coherence of MnO 2 layers. Quantitative analysis of the turbostratic stacking disorder in this compound was achieved using a supercell approach coupled with anisotropic particle-size-effect modeling. Furthermore, the present method is expected to be generally applicable to the structural study of other technologically important nanomaterials.« less

Large-Scale Synthesis and Comprehensive Structure Study of δ-MnO 2

DOE PAGES

Liu, Jue; Yu, Lei; Hu, Enyuan; ...

2018-05-30

Layered δ-MnO 2 (birnessites) are ubiquitous in nature and have also been reported to work as promising water oxidation catalysts or rechargeable alkali-ion battery cathodes when fabricated under appropriate conditions. Although tremendous effort has been spent on resolving the structure of natural/synthetic layered δ-MnO 2 in the last few decades, no conclusive result has been reached. In this Article, we report an environmentally friendly route to synthesizing homogeneous Cu-rich layered δ-MnO 2 nanoflowers in large scale. The local and average structure of synthetic Cu-rich layered δ-MnO 2 has been successfully resolved from combined Mn/Cu K-edge extended X-ray fine structure spectroscopymore » and X-ray and neutron total scattering analysis. It is found that appreciable amounts (~8%) of Mn vacancies are present in the MnO 2 layer and Cu 2+ occupies the interlayer sites above/below the vacant Mn sites. Effective hydrogen bonding among the interlayer water molecules and adjacent layer O ions has also been observed for the first time. These hydrogen bonds are found to play the key role in maintaining the intermediate and long-range stacking coherence of MnO 2 layers. Quantitative analysis of the turbostratic stacking disorder in this compound was achieved using a supercell approach coupled with anisotropic particle-size-effect modeling. Furthermore, the present method is expected to be generally applicable to the structural study of other technologically important nanomaterials.« less

Manipulation of peripheral neural feedback loops alters human corticomuscular coherence

PubMed Central

Riddle, C Nicholas; Baker, Stuart N

2005-01-01

Sensorimotor EEG shows ∼20 Hz coherence with contralateral EMG. This could involve efferent and/or afferent components of the sensorimotor loop. We investigated the pathways responsible for coherence genesis by manipulating nervous conduction delays using cooling. Coherence between left sensorimotor EEG and right EMG from three hand and two forearm muscles was assessed in healthy subjects during the hold phase of a precision grip task. The right arm was then cooled to 10°C for ∼90 min, increasing peripheral motor conduction time (PMCT) by ∼35% (assessed by F-wave latency). EEG and EMG recordings were repeated, and coherence recalculated. Control recordings revealed a heterogeneous subject population. In 6/15 subjects (Group A), the corticomuscular coherence phase increased linearly with frequency, as expected if oscillations were propagated along efferent pathways from cortex to muscle. The mean corticomuscular conduction delay for intrinsic hand muscles calculated from the phase–frequency regression slope was 10.4 ms; this is smaller than the delay expected for conduction over fast corticospinal pathways. In 8/15 subjects (Group B), the phase showed no dependence with frequency. One subject showed both Group A and Group B patterns over different frequency ranges. Following cooling, averaged corticomuscular coherence was decreased in Group A subjects, but unchanged for Group B, even though both groups showed comparable slowing of nervous conduction. The delay calculated from the slope of the phase–frequency regression was increased following cooling. However, the size of this increase was around twice the rise in PMCT measured using the F-wave (regression slope 2.33, 95% confidence limits 1.30–3.36). Both afferent and efferent peripheral nerves will be slowed by similar amounts following cooling. The change in delay calculated from the coherence phase therefore better matches the rise in total sensorimotor feedback loop time caused by cooling, rather than just the change in the efferent limb. A model of corticomuscular coherence which assumes that only efferent pathways contribute cannot be reconciled to these results. The data rather suggest that afferent feedback pathways may also play a role in the genesis of corticomuscular coherence. PMID:15919711

Diffusion bonding between W and EUROFER97 using V interlayer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basuki, Widodo Widjaja; Aktaa, Jarir

2012-10-01

Diffusion bonding is selected to join W to EUROFER97 for the manufacturing of some components in the fusion technology. A direct bonding does not seem feasible due to the high interfacial residual stress induced by the large mismatch of the coefficient of thermal expansions of both materials to be bonded. To reduce the residual stress, a V plate with a thickness of 1 mm was introduced as an interlayer. The diffusion bonding was conducted at 1050 °C for 1 h. The uniaxial applied compression stress was calculated considering the 5% allowable creep deformation on the EUROFER97's side. Investigations on bonded specimens showed defect free interfaces. Microstructure alterations were detected just at the EUROFER97/V interface. A very hard layer assumed to be a σ phase with a thickness of about 4 μm was found on the EUROFER97's side along the bond interface. A 6 μm carbide layer containing V2C with also a high hardness value was identified on the V interlayer's side. The impact toughness of the bonded specimens was low, however comparable to that of tungsten especially if the specimens were tested at RT. Tensile test at 550 °C showed a relatively high tensile strength of bonded specimens, which achieved about 50% of the tensile strength of EUROFER97.

Soft x-ray coherent diffraction imaging on magnetic nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Xiaowen; Lee, James; Mishra, Shrawan; Parks, Daniel; Tyliszczak, Tolek; Shapiro, David; Roy, Sujoy; Kevan, Steve; Stxm Team At Als Collaboration; Soft X-Ray Microscopy Group At Als Collaboration; Soft X-ray scattering at ALS, LBL Team

2014-03-01

Coherent soft X-rays diffraction imaging enable coherent magnetic resonance scattering at transition metal L-edge to be probed so that magnetic domains could be imaged with very high spatial resolution with phase contrast, reaching sub-10nm. One of the overwhelming advantages of using coherent X-rays is the ability to resolve phase contrast images with linearly polarized light with both phase and absorption contrast comparing to real-space imaging, which can only be studied with circularly polarized light with absorption contrast only. Here we report our first results on high-resolution of magnetic domains imaging of CoPd multilayer thin film with coherent soft X-ray ptychography method. We are aiming to resolve and understand magnetic domain wall structures with the highest obtainable resolution here at Advanced Light Source. In principle types of magnetic domain walls could be studied so that Neel or Bloch walls can be distinguished by imaging. This work at LBNL was supported by the Director, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, of the US Department of Energy (contract no. DE-AC02- 05CH11231).

Highly coherent vacuum ultraviolet radiation at the 15th harmonic with echo-enabled harmonic generation technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hemsing, E.; Dunning, M.; Hast, C.; Raubenheimer, T. O.; Weathersby, S.; Xiang, D.

2014-07-01

X-ray free-electron lasers are enabling access to new science by producing ultrafast and intense x rays that give researchers unparalleled power and precision in examining the fundamental nature of matter. In the quest for fully coherent x rays, the echo-enabled harmonic generation technique is one of the most promising methods. In this technique, coherent radiation at the high harmonic frequencies of two seed lasers is generated from the recoherence of electron beam phase space memory. Here we report on the generation of highly coherent and stable vacuum ultraviolet radiation at the 15th harmonic of an infrared seed laser with this technique. The experiment demonstrates two distinct advantages that are intrinsic to the highly nonlinear phase space gymnastics of echo-enabled harmonic generation in a new regime, i.e., high frequency up-conversion efficiency and insensitivity to electron beam phase space imperfections. Our results allow comparison and confirmation of predictive models and scaling laws, and mark a significant step towards fully coherent x-ray free-electron lasers that will open new scientific research.

Maximizing synchronizability of duplex networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Xiang; Emenheiser, Jeffrey; Wu, Xiaoqun; Lu, Jun-an; D'Souza, Raissa M.

2018-01-01

We study the synchronizability of duplex networks formed by two randomly generated network layers with different patterns of interlayer node connections. According to the master stability function, we use the smallest nonzero eigenvalue and the eigenratio between the largest and the second smallest eigenvalues of supra-Laplacian matrices to characterize synchronizability on various duplexes. We find that the interlayer linking weight and linking fraction have a profound impact on synchronizability of duplex networks. The increasingly large inter-layer coupling weight is found to cause either decreasing or constant synchronizability for different classes of network dynamics. In addition, negative node degree correlation across interlayer links outperforms positive degree correlation when most interlayer links are present. The reverse is true when a few interlayer links are present. The numerical results and understanding based on these representative duplex networks are illustrative and instructive for building insights into maximizing synchronizability of more realistic multiplex networks.

Influence of in-situ deposited SiNx interlayer on crystal quality of GaN epitaxial films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Teng; Jia, Wei; Tong, Guangyun; Zhai, Guangmei; Li, Tianbao; Dong, Hailiang; Xu, Bingshe

2018-05-01

GaN epitaxial films with SiNx interlayers were prepared by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) on c-plane sapphire substrates. The influences of deposition times and locations of SiNx interlayers on crystal quality of GaN epitaxial films were studied. Under the optimal growth time of 120 s for the SiNx interlayer, the dislocation density of GaN film is reduced to 4.05 × 108 cm-2 proved by high resolution X-ray diffraction results. It is found that when the SiNx interlayer deposits on the GaN nucleation islands, the subsequent GaN film has the lowest dislocation density of only 2.89 × 108 cm-2. Moreover, a model is proposed to illustrate the morphological evolution and associated propagation processes of TDs in GaN epi-layers with SiNx interlayers for different deposition times and locations.

Long-Range Interactions Restrict Water Transport in Pyrophyllite Interlayers

DOE PAGES

Zarzycki, Piotr; Gilbert, Benjamin

2016-04-27

Water diffusion within smectite clay interlayers is reduced by confinement and hence is highly determined by the interlayer spacings that are adopted during swelling. However, a molecular understanding of the short-and long-range forces governing interlayer water structure and dynamics is lacking. Using molecular dynamics simulations of water intercalated between pyrophyllite (smectite prototype) layers we provide a detailed picture of the variation of interlayered water mobility accompanying smectite expansion. Subtle changes in hydrogen bond network structure cause significant changes in water mobility that is greater for stable hydration states and reduced for intermediate separations. By studying pyrophyllite with and without externalmore » water we reveal that long-range electrostatic forces apply a restraining effect upon interlayer water mobility. Our findings are relevant for broad range of confining nanostructures with walls thin enough to permit long-range interactions that could affect the mobility of confined solvent molecules and solute species.« less

Voltage-controlled interlayer coupling in perpendicularly magnetized magnetic tunnel junctions

DOE PAGES

Newhouse-Illige, Ty; Liu, Yaohua; Xu, M.; ...

2017-05-16

Magnetic interlayer coupling is one of the central phenomena in spintronics. It has been predicted that the sign of interlayer coupling can be manipulated by electric fields, instead of electric currents, thereby offering a promising low energy magnetization switching mechanism. Here we present the experimental demonstration of voltage-controlled interlayer coupling in a new perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction system with a GdO x tunnel barrier, where a large perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and a sizable tunnelling magnetoresistance have been achieved at room temperature. Owing to the interfacial nature of the magnetism, the ability to move oxygen vacancies within the barrier, and amore » large proximity-induced magnetization of GdO x, both the magnitude and the sign of the interlayer coupling in these junctions can be directly controlled by voltage. Lastly, these results pave a new path towards achieving energy-efficient magnetization switching by controlling interlayer coupling.« less

Long-Range Interactions Restrict Water Transport in Pyrophyllite Interlayers

PubMed Central

Zarzycki, Piotr; Gilbert, Benjamin

2016-01-01

Water diffusion within smectite clay interlayers is reduced by confinement and hence is highly determined by the interlayer spacings that are adopted during swelling. However, a molecular understanding of the short- and long-range forces governing interlayer water structure and dynamics is lacking. Using molecular dynamics simulations of water intercalated between pyrophyllite (smectite prototype) layers we provide a detailed picture of the variation of interlayered water mobility accompanying smectite expansion. Subtle changes in hydrogen bond network structure cause significant changes in water mobility that is greater for stable hydration states and reduced for intermediate separations. By studying pyrophyllite with and without external water we reveal that long-range electrostatic forces apply a restraining effect upon interlayer water mobility. Our findings are relevant for broad range of confining nanostructures with walls thin enough to permit long-range interactions that could affect the mobility of confined solvent molecules and solute species. PMID:27118164

Voltage-controlled interlayer coupling in perpendicularly magnetized magnetic tunnel junctions

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

Newhouse-Illige, Ty; Liu, Yaohua; Xu, M.

Magnetic interlayer coupling is one of the central phenomena in spintronics. It has been predicted that the sign of interlayer coupling can be manipulated by electric fields, instead of electric currents, thereby offering a promising low energy magnetization switching mechanism. Here we present the experimental demonstration of voltage-controlled interlayer coupling in a new perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction system with a GdO x tunnel barrier, where a large perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and a sizable tunnelling magnetoresistance have been achieved at room temperature. Owing to the interfacial nature of the magnetism, the ability to move oxygen vacancies within the barrier, and amore » large proximity-induced magnetization of GdO x, both the magnitude and the sign of the interlayer coupling in these junctions can be directly controlled by voltage. Lastly, these results pave a new path towards achieving energy-efficient magnetization switching by controlling interlayer coupling.« less

Quantum coherent optical phase modulation in an ultrafast transmission electron microscope.

PubMed

Feist, Armin; Echternkamp, Katharina E; Schauss, Jakob; Yalunin, Sergey V; Schäfer, Sascha; Ropers, Claus

2015-05-14

Coherent manipulation of quantum systems with light is expected to be a cornerstone of future information and communication technology, including quantum computation and cryptography. The transfer of an optical phase onto a quantum wavefunction is a defining aspect of coherent interactions and forms the basis of quantum state preparation, synchronization and metrology. Light-phase-modulated electron states near atoms and molecules are essential for the techniques of attosecond science, including the generation of extreme-ultraviolet pulses and orbital tomography. In contrast, the quantum-coherent phase-modulation of energetic free-electron beams has not been demonstrated, although it promises direct access to ultrafast imaging and spectroscopy with tailored electron pulses on the attosecond scale. Here we demonstrate the coherent quantum state manipulation of free-electron populations in an electron microscope beam. We employ the interaction of ultrashort electron pulses with optical near-fields to induce Rabi oscillations in the populations of electron momentum states, observed as a function of the optical driving field. Excellent agreement with the scaling of an equal-Rabi multilevel quantum ladder is obtained, representing the observation of a light-driven 'quantum walk' coherently reshaping electron density in momentum space. We note that, after the interaction, the optically generated superposition of momentum states evolves into a train of attosecond electron pulses. Our results reveal the potential of quantum control for the precision structuring of electron densities, with possible applications ranging from ultrafast electron spectroscopy and microscopy to accelerator science and free-electron lasers.

Quantum coherent optical phase modulation in an ultrafast transmission electron microscope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feist, Armin; Echternkamp, Katharina E.; Schauss, Jakob; Yalunin, Sergey V.; Schäfer, Sascha; Ropers, Claus

2015-05-01

Coherent manipulation of quantum systems with light is expected to be a cornerstone of future information and communication technology, including quantum computation and cryptography. The transfer of an optical phase onto a quantum wavefunction is a defining aspect of coherent interactions and forms the basis of quantum state preparation, synchronization and metrology. Light-phase-modulated electron states near atoms and molecules are essential for the techniques of attosecond science, including the generation of extreme-ultraviolet pulses and orbital tomography. In contrast, the quantum-coherent phase-modulation of energetic free-electron beams has not been demonstrated, although it promises direct access to ultrafast imaging and spectroscopy with tailored electron pulses on the attosecond scale. Here we demonstrate the coherent quantum state manipulation of free-electron populations in an electron microscope beam. We employ the interaction of ultrashort electron pulses with optical near-fields to induce Rabi oscillations in the populations of electron momentum states, observed as a function of the optical driving field. Excellent agreement with the scaling of an equal-Rabi multilevel quantum ladder is obtained, representing the observation of a light-driven `quantum walk' coherently reshaping electron density in momentum space. We note that, after the interaction, the optically generated superposition of momentum states evolves into a train of attosecond electron pulses. Our results reveal the potential of quantum control for the precision structuring of electron densities, with possible applications ranging from ultrafast electron spectroscopy and microscopy to accelerator science and free-electron lasers.

On the performance of joint iterative detection and decoding in coherent optical channels with laser frequency fluctuations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castrillón, Mario A.; Morero, Damián A.; Agazzi, Oscar E.; Hueda, Mario R.

2015-08-01

The joint iterative detection and decoding (JIDD) technique has been proposed by Barbieri et al. (2007) with the objective of compensating the time-varying phase noise and constant frequency offset experienced in satellite communication systems. The application of JIDD to optical coherent receivers in the presence of laser frequency fluctuations has not been reported in prior literature. Laser frequency fluctuations are caused by mechanical vibrations, power supply noise, and other mechanisms. They significantly degrade the performance of the carrier phase estimator in high-speed intradyne coherent optical receivers. This work investigates the performance of the JIDD algorithm in multi-gigabit optical coherent receivers. We present simulation results of bit error rate (BER) for non-differential polarization division multiplexing (PDM)-16QAM modulation in a 200 Gb/s coherent optical system that includes an LDPC code with 20% overhead and net coding gain of 11.3 dB at BER = 10-15. Our study shows that JIDD with a pilot rate ⩽ 5 % compensates for both laser phase noise and laser frequency fluctuation. Furthermore, since JIDD is used with non-differential modulation formats, we find that gains in excess of 1 dB can be achieved over existing solutions based on an explicit carrier phase estimator with differential modulation. The impact of the fiber nonlinearities in dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) systems is also investigated. Our results demonstrate that JIDD is an excellent candidate for application in next generation high-speed optical coherent receivers.

Time-dependent variational approach in terms of squeezed coherent states: Implication to semi-classical approximation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tsue, Yasuhiko

1994-01-01

A general framework for time-dependent variational approach in terms of squeezed coherent states is constructed with the aim of describing quantal systems by means of classical mechanics including higher order quantal effects with the aid of canonicity conditions developed in the time-dependent Hartree-Fock theory. The Maslov phase occurring in a semi-classical quantization rule is investigated in this framework. In the limit of a semi-classical approximation in this approach, it is definitely shown that the Maslov phase has a geometric nature analogous to the Berry phase. It is also indicated that this squeezed coherent state approach is a possible way to go beyond the usual WKB approximation.

Quantum coherence of planar spin models with Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radhakrishnan, Chandrashekar; Ermakov, Igor; Byrnes, Tim

2017-07-01

The quantum coherence of one-dimensional planar spin models with Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya interaction is investigated. The anisotropic XY model, the isotropic XX model, and the transverse field model are studied in the large N limit using two qubit reduced density matrices and two point correlation functions. From our investigations we find that the coherence as measured using Jensen-Shannon divergence can be used to detect quantum phase transitions and quantum critical points. The derivative of coherence shows nonanalytic behavior at critical points, leading to the conclusion that these transitions are of second order. Further, we show that the presence of Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya coupling suppresses the phase transition due to residual ferromagnetism, which is caused by spin canting.

Coherent light squeezing states within a modified microring system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ali, J.; Pornsuwancharoen, N.; Youplao, P.; Aziz, M. S.; Amiri, I. S.; Chaiwong, K.; Chiangga, S.; Singh, G.; Yupapin, P.

2018-06-01

We have proposed the simple method of the squeezed light generation in the modified microring resonator, which is known as the microring conjugate mirror (MCM). When the monochromatic light is input into the MCM, the general form of the squeezed coherent states for a quantum harmonic oscillator can be generated by controlling the additional two side rings, which are the phase modulators. By using the graphical method called the Optiwave program, the coherent squeezed states of coherent light within an MCM can be obtained and interpreted as the amplitude, phase, quadrature and photon number-squeezed states. This method has shown potentials for microring related device design, which can be used before practical applications.

Ultra-low noise optical phase-locked loop

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ayotte, Simon; Babin, André; Costin, François

2014-03-01

The relative phase between two fiber lasers is controlled via a high performance optical phase-locked loop (OPLL). Two parameters are of particular importance for the design: the intrinsic phase noise of the laser (i.e. its linewidth) and a high-gain, low-noise electronic locking loop. In this work, one of the lowest phase noise fiber lasers commercially available was selected (i.e. NP Photonics Rock fiber laser module), with sub-kHz linewidth at 1550.12 nm. However, the fast tuning mechanism of such lasers is through stretching its cavity length with a piezoelectric transducer which has a few 10s kHz bandwidth. To further increase the locking loop bandwidth to several MHz, a second tuning mechanism is used by adding a Lithium Niobate phase modulator in the laser signal path. The OPLL is thus divided into two locking loops, a slow loop acting on the laser piezoelectric transducer and a fast loop acting on the phase modulator. The beat signal between the two phase-locked lasers yields a highly pure sine wave with an integrated phase error of 0.0012 rad. This is orders of magnitude lower than similar existing systems such as the Laser Synthesizer used for distribution of photonic local oscillator (LO) for the Atacama Large Millimeter Array radio telescope in Chile. Other applications for ultra-low noise OPLL include coherent power combining, Brillouin sensing, light detection and ranging (LIDAR), fiber optic gyroscopes, phased array antenna and beam steering, generation of LOs for next generation coherent communication systems, coherent analog optical links, terahertz generation and coherent spectroscopy.

Microstructure and Properties of the Al-27Si/Cu/Al-50Si Joint Brazed by the Partial Transient Liquid Phase Bonding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Qingzhu; Wang, Haibo; Yang, Cheng

2018-06-01

Al-27Si and Al-50Si were brazed by using a thin Cu interlayer. The metallurgical bonding without obvious defects is achieved, and a wide brazing seam consisting of fine eutectic structures and coarse Si particles is formed in the Al-27Si/Cu/Al-50Si joint. The deposition of Si element in the liquid phases during solidification results in the formation of the larger Si particles and ultra-small Si particles in the brazing seam. The shear strength of the joint reaches 63 MPa.

Microstructure and Properties of the Al-27Si/Cu/Al-50Si Joint Brazed by the Partial Transient Liquid Phase Bonding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Qingzhu; Wang, Haibo; Yang, Cheng

2018-04-01

Al-27Si and Al-50Si were brazed by using a thin Cu interlayer. The metallurgical bonding without obvious defects is achieved, and a wide brazing seam consisting of fine eutectic structures and coarse Si particles is formed in the Al-27Si/Cu/Al-50Si joint. The deposition of Si element in the liquid phases during solidification results in the formation of the larger Si particles and ultra-small Si particles in the brazing seam. The shear strength of the joint reaches 63 MPa.

Resonant Pump-dump Quantum Control of Solvated Dye Molecules with Phase Jumps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konar, Arkaprabha; Lozovoy, Vadim; Dantus, Marcos

2014-03-01

Quantum coherent control of two photon and multiphoton excitation processes in atomic and condensed phase systems employing phase jumps has been well studied and understood. Here we demonstrate coherent quantum control of a two photon resonant pump-dump process in a complex solvated dye molecule. Phase jump in the frequency domain via a pulse shaper is employed to coherently enhance the stimulated emission by an order of magnitude when compared to transform limited pulses. Red shifted stimulated emission from successive low energy Stokes shifted excited states leading to narrowband emission are observed upon scanning the pi step across the excitation spectrum. A binary search space routine was also employed to investigate the effects of other types of phase jumps on stimulated emission and to determine the optimum phase that maximizes the emission. Understanding the underlying mechanism of this kind of enhancement will guide us in designing pulse shapes for enhancing stimulated emission, which can be further applied in the field of imaging.

Performance of TenCate Paving interlayers in asphalt concrete pavements.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-08-01

As a continued effort of a previously completed project entitled Performance of TenCate Mirafi PGM-G4 Interlayer-Reinforced Asphalt Pavements in Alaska, this project evaluated two newly modified paving interlayers (TruPave and Mirapave) through...

Non-classical State via Superposition of Two Opposite Coherent States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Gang; Du, Jian-ming; Yu, Hai-jun

2018-04-01

We study the non-classical properties of the states generated by superpositions of two opposite coherent states with the arbitrary relative phase factors. We show that the relative phase factors plays an important role in these superpositions. We demonstrate this result by discussing their squeezing properties, quantum statistical properties and fidelity in principle.

Infinite-mode squeezed coherent states and non-equilibrium statistical mechanics (phase-space-picture approach)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yeh, Leehwa

1993-01-01

The phase-space-picture approach to quantum non-equilibrium statistical mechanics via the characteristic function of infinite-mode squeezed coherent states is introduced. We use quantum Brownian motion as an example to show how this approach provides an interesting geometrical interpretation of quantum non-equilibrium phenomena.

Variable Temperature Infrared Spectroscopy Investigation of Benzoic Acid Interactions with Montmorillonite Clay Interlayer Water.

PubMed

Nickels, Tara M; Ingram, Audrey L; Maraoulaite, Dalia K; White, Robert L

2015-07-01

Molecular interactions between benzoic acid and cations and water contained in montmorillonite clay interlayer spaces are characterized by using variable temperature diffuse reflection infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (VT-DRIFTS). Using sample perturbation and difference spectroscopy, infrared spectral changes resulting from removal of interlayer water and associated changes in local benzoic acid environments are identified. Difference spectra features can be correlated with changes in specific molecular vibrations that are characteristic of benzoic acid molecular orientation. Results suggest that the carboxylic acid functionality of benzoic acid interacts with interlayer cations through a bridging water molecule and that this interaction is affected by the nature of the cation present in the clay interlayer space.

Bending stiffness and interlayer shear modulus of few-layer graphene

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

Chen, Xiaoming; Yi, Chenglin; Ke, Changhong, E-mail: cke@binghamton.edu

2015-03-09

Interlayer shear deformation occurs in the bending of multilayer graphene with unconstrained ends, thus influencing its bending rigidity. Here, we investigate the bending stiffness and interlayer shear modulus of few-layer graphene through examining its self-folding conformation on a flat substrate using atomic force microscopy in conjunction with nonlinear mechanics modeling. The results reveal that the bending stiffness of 2–6 layers graphene follows a square-power relationship with its thickness. The interlayer shear modulus is found to be in the range of 0.36–0.49 GPa. The research findings show that the weak interlayer shear interaction has a substantial stiffening effect for multilayer graphene.

Multi-kW coherent combining of fiber lasers seeded with pseudo random phase modulated light

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flores, Angel; Ehrehreich, Thomas; Holten, Roger; Anderson, Brian; Dajani, Iyad

2016-03-01

We report efficient coherent beam combining of five kilowatt-class fiber amplifiers with a diffractive optical element (DOE). Based on a master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) configuration, the amplifiers were seeded with pseudo random phase modulated light. Each non-polarization maintaining fiber amplifier was optically path length matched and provides approximately 1.2 kW of near diffraction-limited output power (measured M2<1.1). Consequently, a low power sample of each laser was utilized for active linear polarization control. A low power sample of the combined beam after the DOE provided an error signal for active phase locking which was performed via Locking of Optical Coherence by Single-Detector Electronic-Frequency Tagging (LOCSET). After phase stabilization, the beams were coherently combined via the 1x5 DOE. A total combined output power of 4.9 kW was achieved with 82% combining efficiency and excellent beam quality (M2<1.1). The intrinsic DOE splitter loss was 5%. Similarly, losses due in part to non-ideal polarization, ASE content, uncorrelated wavefront errors, and misalignment errors contributed to the efficiency reduction.

Simultaneous measurement of refractive index and thickness by combining low-coherence interferometry and confocal optics.

PubMed

Kim, Seokhan; Na, Jihoon; Kim, Myoung Jin; Lee, Byeong Ha

2008-04-14

We propose and demonstrate novel methods that enable simultaneous measurements of the phase index, the group index, and the geometrical thickness of an optically transparent object by combining optical low-coherence interferometer and confocal optics. The low-coherence interferometer gives information relating the group index with the thickness, while the confocal optics allows access to the phase index related with the thickness of the sample. To relate these, two novel methods were devised. In the first method, the dispersion-induced broadening of the low-coherence envelop signal was utilized, and in the second method the frequency derivative of the phase index was directly obtained by taking the confocal measurements at several wavelengths. The measurements were made with eight different samples; B270, CaF2, two of BK7, two of fused silica, cover glass, and cigarette cover film. The average measurement errors of the first and the second methods were 0.123% and 0.061% in the geometrical thickness, 0.133% and 0.066% in the phase index, and 0.106% and 0.057% in the group index, respectively.

Interlayer exciton optoelectronics in a 2D heterostructure p–n junction

DOE PAGES

Ross, Jason S.; Rivera, Pasqual; Schaibley, John; ...

2016-12-22

Semiconductor heterostructures are backbones for solid-state-based optoelectronic devices. Recent advances in assembly techniques for van der Waals heterostructures have enabled the band engineering of semiconductor heterojunctions for atomically thin optoelectronic devices. In two-dimensional heterostructures with type II band alignment, interlayer excitons, where Coulomb bound electrons and holes are confined to opposite layers, have shown promising properties for novel excitonic devices, including a large binding energy, micron-scale in-plane drift-diffusion, and a long population and valley polarization lifetime. Here, we demonstrate interlayer exciton optoelectronics based on electrostatically defined lateral p–n junctions in a MoSe 2–WSe 2 heterobilayer. Applying a forward bias enablesmore » the first observation of electroluminescence from interlayer excitons. At zero bias, the p–n junction functions as a highly sensitive photodetector, where the wavelength-dependent photocurrent measurement allows the direct observation of resonant optical excitation of the interlayer exciton. The resulting photocurrent amplitude from the interlayer exciton is about 200 times smaller than the resonant excitation of intralayer exciton. This implies that the interlayer exciton oscillator strength is 2 orders of magnitude smaller than that of the intralayer exciton due to the spatial separation of electron and hole to the opposite layers. Lastly, these results lay the foundation for exploiting the interlayer exciton in future 2D heterostructure optoelectronic devices.« less

Quantum-Dot Light-Emitting Diodes with Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanodot Hole Transport and Electronic Energy Transfer Layer.

PubMed

Park, Young Ran; Jeong, Hu Young; Seo, Young Soo; Choi, Won Kook; Hong, Young Joon

2017-04-12

Electroluminescence efficiency is crucial for the application of quantum-dot light-emitting diodes (QD-LEDs) in practical devices. We demonstrate that nitrogen-doped carbon nanodot (N-CD) interlayer improves electrical and luminescent properties of QD-LEDs. The N-CDs were prepared by solution-based bottom up synthesis and were inserted as a hole transport layer (HTL) between other multilayer HTL heterojunction and the red-QD layer. The QD-LEDs with N-CD interlayer represented superior electrical rectification and electroluminescent efficiency than those without the N-CD interlayer. The insertion of N-CD layer was found to provoke the Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) from N-CD to QD layer, as confirmed by time-integrated and -resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy. Moreover, hole-only devices (HODs) with N-CD interlayer presented high hole transport capability, and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy also revealed that the N-CD interlayer reduced the highest hole barrier height. Thus, more balanced carrier injection with sufficient hole carrier transport feasibly lead to the superior electrical and electroluminescent properties of the QD-LEDs with N-CD interlayer. We further studied effect of N-CD interlayer thickness on electrical and luminescent performances for high-brightness QD-LEDs. The ability of the N-CD interlayer to improve both the electrical and luminescent characteristics of the QD-LEDs would be readily exploited as an emerging photoactive material for high-efficiency optoelectronic devices.

Novel Routes for Sintering of Ultra-high Temperature Ceramics and their Properties

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-10-31

UHTCs charge (zirconium and hafnium borides , SiC) with additives (chromium carbide, nickel, chromium, etc.), which activate sintering process, is...temperature phases in a form of carboborides of zirconium and bi borides of zirconium or chromium. Elevation of densification rate of sintered borides is...superplasticity under the slip mechanism of zirconium boride and silica carbide grains on grain boundary interlayers with nanocrystalline grains of carbon

Phase imaging using shifted wavefront sensor images.

PubMed

Zhang, Zhengyun; Chen, Zhi; Rehman, Shakil; Barbastathis, George

2014-11-01

We propose a new approach to the complete retrieval of a coherent field (amplitude and phase) using the same hardware configuration as a Shack-Hartmann sensor but with two modifications: first, we add a transversally shifted measurement to resolve ambiguities in the measured phase; and second, we employ factored form descent (FFD), an inverse algorithm for coherence retrieval, with a hard rank constraint. We verified the proposed approach using both numerical simulations and experiments.

Evaluation of stone/RAP interlayers under accelerated loading : technical summary.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-08-01

The primary objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of using an untreated RAP interlayer in lieu of a stone interlayer in a soil-cement asphalt pavement structure under accelerated loading. The secondary objective was to investigat...

Single shot multi-wavelength phase retrieval with coherent modulation imaging.

PubMed

Dong, Xue; Pan, Xingchen; Liu, Cheng; Zhu, Jianqiang

2018-04-15

A single shot multi-wavelength phase retrieval method is proposed by combining common coherent modulation imaging (CMI) and a low rank mixed-state algorithm together. A radiation beam consisting of multi-wavelength is illuminated on the sample to be observed, and the exiting field is incident on a random phase plate to form speckle patterns, which is the incoherent superposition of diffraction patterns of each wavelength. The exiting complex amplitude of the sample including both the modulus and phase of each wavelength can be reconstructed simultaneously from the recorded diffraction intensity using a low rank mixed-state algorithm. The feasibility of this proposed method was verified with visible light experimentally. This proposed method not only makes CMI realizable with partially coherent illumination but also can extend its application to various traditionally unrelated fields, where several wavelengths should be considered simultaneously.

Multi-spectral digital holographic microscopy for enhanced quantitative phase imaging of living cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kemper, Björn; Kastl, Lena; Schnekenburger, Jürgen; Ketelhut, Steffi

2018-02-01

Main restrictions of using laser light in digital holographic microscopy (DHM) are coherence induced noise and parasitic reflections in the experimental setup which limit resolution and measurement accuracy. We explored, if coherence properties of partial coherent light sources can be generated synthetically utilizing spectrally tunable lasers. The concept of the method is demonstrated by label-free quantitative phase imaging of living pancreatic tumor cells and utilizing an experimental configuration including a commercial microscope and a laser source with a broad tunable spectral range of more than 200 nm.

Entanglement between total intensity and polarization for pairs of coherent states

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanchidrián-Vaca, Carlos; Luis, Alfredo

2018-04-01

We examine entanglement between number and polarization, or number and relative phase, in pair coherent states and two-mode squeezed vacuum via linear entropy and covariance criteria. We consider the embedding of the two-mode Hilbert space in a larger space to get a well-defined factorization of the number-phase variables. This can be regarded as a kind of protoentanglement that can be extracted and converted into real particle entanglement via feasible experimental procedures. In particular this reveals interesting entanglement properties of pairs of coherent states.

Kinetic manipulation of silicide phase formation in Si nanowire templates.

PubMed

Chen, Yu; Lin, Yung-Chen; Zhong, Xing; Cheng, Hung-Chieh; Duan, Xiangfeng; Huang, Yu

2013-08-14

The phase formation sequence of silicides in two-dimensional (2-D) structures has been well-investigated due to their significance in microelectronics. Applying high-quality silicides as contacts in nanoscale silicon (Si) devices has caught considerable attention recently for their potential in improving and introducing new functions in nanodevices. However, nucleation and diffusion mechanisms are found to be very different in one-dimensional (1-D) nanostructures, and thus the phase manipulation of silicides is yet to be achieved there. In this work, we report kinetic phase modulations to selectively enhance or hinder the growth rates of targeted nickel (Ni) silicides in a Si nanowire (NW) and demonstrate that Ni31Si12, δ-Ni2Si, θ-Ni2Si, NiSi, and NiSi2 can emerge as the first contacting phase at the silicide/Si interface through these modulations. First, the growth rates of silicides are selectively tuned through template structure modifications. It is demonstrated that the growth rate of diffusion limited phases can be enhanced in a porous Si NW due to a short diffusion path, which suppresses the formation of interface limited NiSi2. In addition, we show that a confining thick shell can be applied around the Si NW to hinder the growth of the silicides with large volume expansion during silicidation, including Ni31Si12, δ-Ni2Si, and θ-Ni2Si. Second, a platinum (Pt) interlayer between the Ni source and the Si NW is shown to effectively suppress the formation of the phases with low Pt solubility, including the dominating NiSi2. Lastly, we show that with the combined applications of the above-mentioned approaches, the lowest resistive NiSi phase can form as the first phase in a solid NW with a Pt interlayer to suppress NiSi2 and a thick shell to hinder Ni31Si12, δ-Ni2Si, and θ-Ni2Si simultaneously. The resistivity and maximum current density of NiSi agree reasonably to reported values.

Theory of coherent quantum phase slips in Josephson junction chains with periodic spatial modulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Svetogorov, Aleksandr E.; Taguchi, Masahiko; Tokura, Yasuhiro; Basko, Denis M.; Hekking, Frank W. J.

2018-03-01

We study coherent quantum phase slips which lift the ground state degeneracy in a Josephson junction ring, pierced by a magnetic flux of the magnitude equal to half of a flux quantum. The quantum phase-slip amplitude is sensitive to the normal mode structure of superconducting phase oscillations in the ring (Mooij-Schön modes). These, in turn, are affected by spatial inhomogeneities in the ring. We analyze the case of weak periodic modulations of the system parameters and calculate the corresponding modification of the quantum phase-slip amplitude.

Structural evolution of Ti destroyable interlayer in large-size diamond film deposition by DC arc plasma jet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Jianchao; Li, Chengming; Liu, Jinlong; Wei, Junjun; Chen, Liangxian; Hua, Chenyi; Yan, Xiongbo

2016-05-01

The addition of titanium (Ti) interlayer was verified to reduce the residual stress of diamond films by self-fracturing and facilitate the harvest of a crack-free free-standing diamond film prepared by direct current (DC) arc plasma jet. In this study, the evolution of the Ti interlayer between large-area diamond film and substrate was studied and modeled in detail. The evolution of the interlayer was found to be relevant to the distribution of the DC arc plasma, which can be divided into three areas (arc center, arc main, and arc edge). The formation rate of titanium carbide (TiC) in the arc main was faster than in the other two areas and resulted in the preferred generation of crack in the diamond film in the arc main during cooling. Sandwich structures were formed along with the growth of TiC until the complete transformation of the Ti interlayer. The interlayer released stress via self-fracture. Avoiding uneven fragile regions that formed locally in the interlayer and achieving cooperatively released stress are crucial for the preparation of large crack-free diamond films.

Enhanced performance of solution-processed organic thin-film transistors with a low-temperature-annealed alumina interlayer between the polyimide gate insulator and the semiconductor.

PubMed

Yoon, Jun-Young; Jeong, Sunho; Lee, Sun Sook; Kim, Yun Ho; Ka, Jae-Won; Yi, Mi Hye; Jang, Kwang-Suk

2013-06-12

We studied a low-temperature-annealed sol-gel-derived alumina interlayer between the organic semiconductor and the organic gate insulator for high-performance organic thin-film transistors. The alumina interlayer was deposited on the polyimide gate insulator by a simple spin-coating and 200 °C-annealing process. The leakage current density decreased by the interlayer deposition: at 1 MV/cm, the leakage current densities of the polyimide and the alumina/polyimide gate insulators were 7.64 × 10(-7) and 3.01 × 10(-9) A/cm(2), respectively. For the first time, enhancement of the organic thin-film transistor performance by introduction of an inorganic interlayer between the organic semiconductor and the organic gate insulator was demonstrated: by introducing the interlayer, the field-effect mobility of the solution-processed organic thin-film transistor increased from 0.35 ± 0.15 to 1.35 ± 0.28 cm(2)/V·s. Our results suggest that inorganic interlayer deposition could be a simple and efficient surface treatment of organic gate insulators for enhancing the performance of solution-processed organic thin-film transistors.

Effects of Electrospun Carbon Nanofibers' Interlayers on High-Performance Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

PubMed

Gao, Tianji; Le, TrungHieu; Yang, Ying; Yu, Zhihao; Huang, Zhenghong; Kang, Feiyu

2017-03-31

Two different interlayers were introduced in lithium-sulfur batteries to improve the cycling stability with sulfur loading as high as 80% of total mass of cathode. Melamine was recommended as a nitrogen-rich (N-rich) amine component to synthesize a modified polyacrylic acid (MPAA). The electrospun MPAA was carbonized into N-rich carbon nanofibers, which were used as cathode interlayers, while carbon nanofibers from PAA without melamine was used as an anode interlayer. At the rate of 0.1 C, the initial discharge capacity with two interlayers was 983 mAh g -1 , and faded down to 651 mAh g -1 after 100 cycles with the coulombic efficiency of 95.4%. At the rate of 1 C, the discharge capacity was kept to 380 mAh g -1 after 600 cycles with a coulombic efficiency of 98.8%. It apparently demonstrated that the cathode interlayer is extremely effective at shutting down the migration of polysulfide ions. The anode interlayer induced the lithium ions to form uniform lithium metal deposits confined on the fiber surface and in the bulk to strengthen the cycling stability of the lithium metal anode.

High-Performance Lithium-Sulfur Batteries with a Self-Assembled Multiwall Carbon Nanotube Interlayer and a Robust Electrode-Electrolyte Interface.

PubMed

Kim, Hee Min; Hwang, Jang-Yeon; Manthiram, Arumugam; Sun, Yang-Kook

2016-01-13

Elemental sulfur electrode has a huge advantage in terms of charge-storage capacity. However, the lack of electrical conductivity results in poor electrochemical utilization of sulfur and performance. This problem has been overcome to some extent previously by using a bare multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) paper interlayer between the sulfur cathode and the polymeric separator, resulting in good electron transport and adsorption of dissolved polysulfides. To advance the interlayer concept further, we present here a self-assembled MWCNT interlayer fabricated by a facile, low-cost process. The Li-S cells fabricated with the self-assembled MWCNT interlayer and a high loading of 3 mg cm(-2) sulfur exhibit a first discharge specific capacity of 1112 mAh g(-1) at 0.1 C rate and retain 95.8% of the capacity at 0.5 C rate after 100 cycles as the self-assembled MWCNT interlayer facilitates good interfacial contact between the interlayer and the sulfur cathode and fast electron and lithium-ion transport while trapping and reutilizing the migrating polysulfides. The approach presented here has the potential to advance the commercialization feasibility of the Li-S batteries.

Effects of Electrospun Carbon Nanofibers’ Interlayers on High-Performance Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

PubMed Central

Gao, Tianji; Le, TrungHieu; Yang, Ying; Yu, Zhihao; Huang, Zhenghong; Kang, Feiyu

2017-01-01

Two different interlayers were introduced in lithium–sulfur batteries to improve the cycling stability with sulfur loading as high as 80% of total mass of cathode. Melamine was recommended as a nitrogen-rich (N-rich) amine component to synthesize a modified polyacrylic acid (MPAA). The electrospun MPAA was carbonized into N-rich carbon nanofibers, which were used as cathode interlayers, while carbon nanofibers from PAA without melamine was used as an anode interlayer. At the rate of 0.1 C, the initial discharge capacity with two interlayers was 983 mAh g−1, and faded down to 651 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles with the coulombic efficiency of 95.4%. At the rate of 1 C, the discharge capacity was kept to 380 mAh g−1 after 600 cycles with a coulombic efficiency of 98.8%. It apparently demonstrated that the cathode interlayer is extremely effective at shutting down the migration of polysulfide ions. The anode interlayer induced the lithium ions to form uniform lithium metal deposits confined on the fiber surface and in the bulk to strengthen the cycling stability of the lithium metal anode. PMID:28772731

Coherent beam combination using self-phase locked stimulated Brillouin scattering phase conjugate mirrors with a rotating wedge for high power laser generation.

PubMed

Park, Sangwoo; Cha, Seongwoo; Oh, Jungsuk; Lee, Hwihyeong; Ahn, Heekyung; Churn, Kil Sung; Kong, Hong Jin

2016-04-18

The self-phase locking of a stimulated Brillouin scattering-phase conjugate mirror (SBS-PCM) allows a simple and scalable coherent beam combination of existing lasers. We propose a simple optical system composed of a rotating wedge and a concave mirror to overcome the power limit of the SBS-PCM. Its phase locking ability and the usefulness on the beam-combination laser are demonstrated experimentally. A four-beam combination is demonstrated using this SBS-PCM scheme. The relative phases between the beams were measured to be less than λ/24.7.

Mean phase coherence as a measure for phase synchronization and its application to the EEG of epilepsy patients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mormann, Florian; Lehnertz, Klaus; David, Peter; E. Elger, Christian

2000-10-01

We apply the concept of phase synchronization of chaotic and/or noisy systems and the statistical distribution of the relative instantaneous phases to electroencephalograms (EEGs) recorded from patients with temporal lobe epilepsy. Using the mean phase coherence as a statistical measure for phase synchronization, we observe characteristic spatial and temporal shifts in synchronization that appear to be strongly related to pathological activity. In particular, we observe distinct differences in the degree of synchronization between recordings from seizure-free intervals and those before an impending seizure, indicating an altered state of brain dynamics prior to seizure activity.

LOCSET Phase Locking: Operation, Diagnostics, and Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pulford, Benjamin N.

The aim of this dissertation is to discuss the theoretical and experimental work recently done with the Locking of Optical Coherence via Single-detector Electronic-frequency Tagging (LOCSET) phase locking technique developed and employed here are AFRL. The primary objectives of this effort are to detail the fundamental operation of the LOCSET phase locking technique, recognize the conditions in which the LOCSET control electronics optimally operate, demonstrate LOCSET phase locking with higher channel counts than ever before, and extend the LOCSET technique to correct for low order, atmospherically induced, phase aberrations introduced to the output of a tiled array of coherently combinable beams. The experimental work performed for this effort resulted in the coherent combination of 32 low power optical beams operating with unprecedented LOCSET phase error performance of lambda/71 RMS in a local loop beam combination configuration. The LOCSET phase locking technique was also successfully extended, for the first time, into an Object In the Loop (OIL) configuration by utilizing light scattered off of a remote object as the optical return signal for the LOCSET phase control electronics. Said LOCSET-OIL technique is capable of correcting for low order phase aberrations caused by atmospheric turbulence disturbances applied across a tiled array output.

Stability and Process of Destruction of Compressed Plate of Layered Composite Materials With Defects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bokhoeva, L. A.; Rogov, V. E.; Chermoshentseva, A. S.; Lobanov, D. V.

2016-08-01

Interlayer defects in composite materials are a pressing problem, which affecting their performance characteristics. In this research, we considered the problem of the stability and of the fracture process of the compressed thin plate made of laminated composite materials with the interlayer defects. In this research we had got a critical equation for a plate with interlayer defect. The experiment showed the effect and the quantity of nano-dispersed additives on the mechanical properties of composite materials with interlayer defects.

Selective coherent perfect absorption in metamaterials

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

Nie, Guangyu; Shi, Quanchao; Zhu, Zheng

2014-11-17

We show multi-band coherent perfect absorption (CPA) in simple bilayered asymmetrically split ring metamaterials. The selectivity of absorption can be accomplished by separately excited electric and magnetic modes in a standing wave formed by two coherent counterpropagating beams. In particular, each CPA can be completely switched on/off by the phase of a second coherent wave. We propose a practical scheme for realizing multi-band coherent perfect absorption of 100% that is allowed to work from microwave to optical frequency.

Structural charge site influence on the interlayer hydration of expandable three-sheet clay minerals

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kerns, Raymond L.; Mankin, Charles J.

1968-01-01

Previous investigations have demonstrated the influences of interlayer cation composition, relative humidity, temperature, and magnitude of interlayer surface charge on the interlayer hydration of montmorillonites and vermiculites. It has been suggested that the sites of layer charge deficiencies may also have an influence upon the amount of hydration that can take place in the interlayers of expandable clay minerals. If the interlayer cation-to-layer bonds are considered as ideally electrostatic, the magnitude of the forces resisting expansion may be expressed as a form of Coulomb's law. If this effect is significant, expandable structures in which the charge-deficiency sites are predominantly in the tetrahedral sheet should have less pronounced swelling properties than should structures possessing charge deficiencies located primarily in the octahedral sheet.Three samples that differed in location of layer charge sites were selected for study. An important selection criterion was a non-correlation between tetrahedral charge sites and high surface-charge density, and between octahedral charge sites and low surface-charge density.The effects of differences in interlayer cation composition were eliminated by saturating portions of each sample with the same cations. Equilibrium (001) d values at controlled constant humidities were used as a measure of the relative degree of interlayer hydration.Although no correlation could be made between the degree of interlayer hydration and total surface-charge density, the investigation does not eliminate total surface-charge density as being significant to the swelling properties of three-sheet clay-mineral structures. The results do indicate a correlation between more intense expandability and predominance of charge deficiencies in the octahedral sheet. Conversely, less intense swelling behavior is associated with predominantly tetrahedral charge deficiencies.

Demonstration of a low bandwidth 1.06-micron optical phase-locked loop for coherent homodyne communication

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Day, T.; Farinas, A. D.; Byer, R. L.

1990-01-01

A type II 1.06-micron optical phase-locked loop (OPLL) for use in a coherent homodyne receiver is discussed. Diode-laser-pumped solid-state lasers are used for both the local oscillator and transmitter, because their phase noise is significantly lower than that of diode lasers. Closed-loop RMS phase noise of less than 12 mrad (0.69 deg) is achieved, and modulation-demodulation in bulk modulators at rates from 20 kHz to 20 MHz with less than 19 deg of modulation depth is demonstrated.

Phase-sensitive atomic dynamics in quantum light

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balybin, S. N.; Zakharov, R. V.; Tikhonova, O. V.

2018-05-01

Interaction between a quantum electromagnetic field and a model Ry atom with possible transitions to the continuum and to the low-lying resonant state is investigated. Strong sensitivity of atomic dynamics to the phase of applied coherent and squeezed vacuum light is found. Methods to extract the quantum field phase performing the measurements on the atomic system are proposed. In the case of the few-photon coherent state high accuracy of the phase determination is demonstrated, which appears to be much higher in comparison to the usually used quantum-optical methods such as homodyne detection.

Spread spectrum phase modulation for coherent X-ray diffraction imaging.

PubMed

Zhang, Xuesong; Jiang, Jing; Xiangli, Bin; Arce, Gonzalo R

2015-09-21

High dynamic range, phase ambiguity and radiation limited resolution are three challenging issues in coherent X-ray diffraction imaging (CXDI), which limit the achievable imaging resolution. This paper proposes a spread spectrum phase modulation (SSPM) method to address the aforementioned problems in a single strobe. The requirements on phase modulator parameters are presented, and a practical implementation of SSPM is discussed via ray optics analysis. Numerical experiments demonstrate the performance of SSPM under the constraint of available X-ray optics fabrication accuracy, showing its potential to real CXDI applications.

Preparation and Bond Properties of Thermal Barrier Coatings on Mg Alloy with Sprayed Al or Diffused Mg-Al Intermetallic Interlayer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Xizhi; Wang, Ying; Zou, Binglin; Gu, Lijian; Huang, Wenzhi; Cao, Xueqiang

2014-02-01

Sprayed Al or diffused Mg-Al layer was designed as interlayer between the thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) and Mg alloy substrate. The effects of the interlayer on the bond properties of the coats were investigated. Al layers were prepared by arc spraying and atmospheric plasma spraying (APS), respectively. Mg-Al diffused layer was obtained after the heat treatment of the sprayed sample (Mg alloy with APS Al coat) at 400 °C. The results show that sprayed Al interlayer does not improve the bond stability of TBCs. The failure of the TBCs on Mg alloy with Al interlayer occurs mainly due to the low strength of Al layer. Mg-Al diffused layer improves corrosion resistance of substrate and the bond interface. The TBCs on Mg alloy with Mg-Al diffused interlayer shows better bond stability than the sample of which the TBCs is directly sprayed on Mg alloy substrate by APS.

Mechanism Responsible for Intercalation of Dimethyl Sulfoxide in Kaolinite: Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

PubMed

Zhang, Shuai; Liu, Qinfu; Cheng, Hongfei; Gao, Feng; Liu, Cun; Teppen, Brian J

2018-01-01

Intercalation is the promising strategy to expand the interlayer region of kaolinite for their further applications. Herein, the adaptive biasing force (ABF) accelerated molecular dynamics simulations were performed to calculate the free energies involved in the kaolinite intercalation by dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Additionally, the classical all atom molecular dynamics simulations were carried out to calculate the interfacial interactions between kaolinite interlayer surfaces and DMSO with the aim at exploring the underlying force that drives the DMSO to enter the interlayer space. The results showed that the favorable interaction of DMSO with both kaolinite interlayer octahedral surface and tetrahedral surface can help in introducing DMSO enter kaolinite interlayer. The hydroxyl groups on octahedral surface functioned as H-donors attracting the S=O groups of DMSO through hydrogen bonding interaction. The tetrahedral surface featuring hydrophobic property attracted the methyl groups of DMSO through hydrophobic interaction. The results provided a detailed picture of the energetics and interlayer structure of kaolinite-DMSO intercalate.

Strain modulation-enhanced Mg acceptor activation efficiency of Al0.14Ga0.86N/GaN superlattices with AlN interlayer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Lei; Li, Rui; Li, Ding; Liu, Ningyang; Liu, Lei; Chen, Weihua; Wang, Cunda; Yang, Zhijian; Hu, Xiaodong

2010-02-01

AlN layer was grown as interlayer between undoped GaN and Mg doped Al0.14Ga0.86N/GaN superlattices (SLs) epilayer to modulate the strain distribution between Al0.14Ga0.86N barrier and GaN well layers in SLs sample. Strain relaxation was observed in the SLs sample with AlN interlayer by x-ray diffraction reciprocal space mapping method. The measured hole concentration of SLs sample with AlN interlayer at room temperature was over 1.6×1018 cm-3 but that was only 6.6×1016 cm-3 obtained in SLs sample without AlN interlayer. Variable temperature Hall-effect measurement showed that the acceptor activation energy decreased from 150 to 70 meV after inserting the AlN layer, which indicated that the strain modulation of SLs induced by AlN interlayer was beneficial to the Mg acceptor activation and hole concentration enhancement.

Intercalation of gaseous thiols and sulfides into Ag+ ion-exchanged aluminum dihydrogen triphosphate.

PubMed

Hayashi, Aki; Saimen, Hiroki; Watanabe, Nobuaki; Kimura, Hitomi; Kobayashi, Ayumi; Nakayama, Hirokazu; Tsuhako, Mitsutomo

2005-08-02

Ag(+) ion-exchanged layered aluminum dihydrogen triphosphate (AlP) with the interlayer distance of 0.85 nm was synthesized by the ion-exchange of proton in triphosphate with Ag(+) ion. The amount of exchanged Ag(+) ion depended on the concentration of AgNO(3) aqueous solution. Ag(+) ion-exchanged AlP adsorbed gaseous thiols and sulfides into the interlayer region. The adsorption amounts of thiols were more than those of sulfides, thiols with one mercapto group > thiol with two mercapto groups > sulfides, and depended on the amount of exchanged Ag(+) ion in the interlayer region. The thiols with one mercapto group were intercalated to expand the interlayer distance of Ag(+) ion-exchanged AlP, whereas there was no expansion in the adsorption of sulfide. In the case of thiol with two mercapto groups, there was observed contraction of the interlayer distance through the bridging with Ag(+) ions of the upper and lower sides of the interlayer region.

Nonlinear terahertz coherent excitation of vibrational modes of liquids.

PubMed

Allodi, Marco A; Finneran, Ian A; Blake, Geoffrey A

2015-12-21

We report the first coherent excitation of intramolecular vibrational modes via the nonlinear interaction of a TeraHertz (THz) light field with molecular liquids. A terahertz-terahertz-Raman pulse sequence prepares the coherences with a broadband, high-energy, (sub)picosecond terahertz pulse, that are then measured in a terahertz Kerr effect spectrometer via phase-sensitive, heterodyne detection with an optical pulse. The spectrometer reported here has broader terahertz frequency coverage, and an increased sensitivity relative to previously reported terahertz Kerr effect experiments. Vibrational coherences are observed in liquid diiodomethane at 3.66 THz (122 cm(-1)), and in carbon tetrachloride at 6.50 THz (217 cm(-1)), in exact agreement with literature values of those intramolecular modes. This work opens the door to 2D spectroscopies, nonlinear in terahertz field, that can study the dynamics of condensed-phase molecular systems, as well as coherent control at terahertz frequencies.

Pulse phase-coherent timing and spectroscopy of CXOU J164710.2-45521 outbursts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodríguez Castillo, Guillermo A.; Israel, Gian Luca; Esposito, Paolo; Pons, José A.; Rea, Nanda; Turolla, Roberto; Viganò, Daniele; Zane, Silvia

2014-06-01

We present a long-term phase-coherent timing analysis and pulse-phase resolved spectroscopy for the two outbursts observed from the transient anomalous X-ray pulsar CXOU J164710.2-455216. For the first outburst we used 11 Chandra and XMM-Newton observations between 2006 September and 2009 August, the longest baseline yet for this source. We obtain a coherent timing solution with P = 10.61065583(4) s, Ṗ = 9.72(1) × 10-13 s s-1 and P̈ = -1.05(5) × 10-20 s s-2. Under the standard assumptions this implies a surface dipolar magnetic field of ˜1014 G, confirming this source as a standard B magnetar. We also study the evolution of the pulse profile (shape, intensity and pulsed fraction) as a function of time and energy. Using the phase-coherent timing solution we perform a phase-resolved spectroscopy analysis, following the spectral evolution of pulse-phase features, which hints at the physical processes taking place on the star. The results are discussed from the perspective of magnetothermal evolution models and the untwisting magnetosphere model. Finally, we present similar analysis for the second, less intense, 2011 outburst. For the timing analysis we used Swift data together with 2 XMM-Newton and Chandra pointings. The results inferred for both outbursts are compared and briefly discussed in a more general framework.

Evidence for Interlayer Collapse of Nontronite on Mars from Laboratory Visible and Near-IR Reflective Spectra

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morris, Richard V.; Ming, D. W.; Golden, D. C.; Graff, T. G.; Achilles, C. N.

2010-01-01

Dioctahedral smectites (e.g., nontronite and montmorillionite) are interpreted to occupy the optical surface of Mars at a number of locations on the basis of spectral features derived from interlayer H2O and MOH (M=Fe(3+)2, Fe(3+)Al, Al2, etc.) as observed by orbiting MRO-CRISM and MEx-OMEGA hyperspectral imaging spectrometers. At wavelengths shorter than approximately 2.7 micrometers, the strongest bands from interlayer H2O occur at approximately 1.4 and 1.9 micrometers from 2v1 and v1+v2, respectively, where v1 and v2 are the fundamental stretching and bending vibrations of the H2O molecule. Smectite MOH vibrations occur near 1.4 micrometers (stretching overtone) and in the region between 2.1 and 2.7 micrometers (stretching + bending combination). Because interlayer H2O can exchange with the martian environment, a number of studies have examined the strength of the interlayer H2O spectral features under Mars-like environmental conditions. The relationship between spectral properties and the underlying crystal structure of the smectites was not determined, and the extent of interlayer H2O removal was not established. We report combined visible and near-IR (VNIR), Mossbauer (MB), and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) data for samples of the Fe-bearing smectite nontronite where the interlayer was collapsed by complete removal of interlayer H2O.

Multiple quantum criticality in a two-dimensional superconductor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biscaras, J.; Bergeal, N.; Hurand, S.; Feuillet-Palma, C.; Rastogi, A.; Budhani, R. C.; Grilli, M.; Caprara, S.; Lesueur, J.

2013-06-01

The diverse phenomena associated with the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) that occurs at oxide interfaces include, among others, exceptional carrier mobilities, magnetism and superconductivity. Although these have mostly been the focus of interest for potential future applications, they also offer an opportunity for studying more fundamental quantum many-body effects. Here, we examine the magnetic-field-driven quantum phase transition that occurs in electrostatically gated superconducting LaTiO3/SrTiO3 interfaces. Through a finite-size scaling analysis, we show that it belongs to the (2+1)D XY model universality class. The system can be described as a disordered array of superconducting puddles coupled by a 2DEG and, depending on its conductance, the observed critical behaviour is single (corresponding to the long-range phase coherence in the whole array) or double (one related to local phase coherence, the other one to the array). A phase diagram illustrating the dependence of the critical field on the 2DEG conductance is constructed, and shown to agree with theoretical proposals. Moreover, by retrieving the coherence-length critical exponent ν, we show that the quantum critical behaviour can be clean or dirty according to the Harris criterion, depending on whether the phase-coherence length is smaller or larger than the size of the puddles.

Sparsity-based multi-height phase recovery in holographic microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rivenson, Yair; Wu, Yichen; Wang, Hongda; Zhang, Yibo; Feizi, Alborz; Ozcan, Aydogan

2016-11-01

High-resolution imaging of densely connected samples such as pathology slides using digital in-line holographic microscopy requires the acquisition of several holograms, e.g., at >6-8 different sample-to-sensor distances, to achieve robust phase recovery and coherent imaging of specimen. Reducing the number of these holographic measurements would normally result in reconstruction artifacts and loss of image quality, which would be detrimental especially for biomedical and diagnostics-related applications. Inspired by the fact that most natural images are sparse in some domain, here we introduce a sparsity-based phase reconstruction technique implemented in wavelet domain to achieve at least 2-fold reduction in the number of holographic measurements for coherent imaging of densely connected samples with minimal impact on the reconstructed image quality, quantified using a structural similarity index. We demonstrated the success of this approach by imaging Papanicolaou smears and breast cancer tissue slides over a large field-of-view of ~20 mm2 using 2 in-line holograms that are acquired at different sample-to-sensor distances and processed using sparsity-based multi-height phase recovery. This new phase recovery approach that makes use of sparsity can also be extended to other coherent imaging schemes, involving e.g., multiple illumination angles or wavelengths to increase the throughput and speed of coherent imaging.

Multiple quantum criticality in a two-dimensional superconductor.

PubMed

Biscaras, J; Bergeal, N; Hurand, S; Feuillet-Palma, C; Rastogi, A; Budhani, R C; Grilli, M; Caprara, S; Lesueur, J

2013-06-01

The diverse phenomena associated with the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) that occurs at oxide interfaces include, among others, exceptional carrier mobilities, magnetism and superconductivity. Although these have mostly been the focus of interest for potential future applications, they also offer an opportunity for studying more fundamental quantum many-body effects. Here, we examine the magnetic-field-driven quantum phase transition that occurs in electrostatically gated superconducting LaTiO3/SrTiO3 interfaces. Through a finite-size scaling analysis, we show that it belongs to the (2+1)D XY model universality class. The system can be described as a disordered array of superconducting puddles coupled by a 2DEG and, depending on its conductance, the observed critical behaviour is single (corresponding to the long-range phase coherence in the whole array) or double (one related to local phase coherence, the other one to the array). A phase diagram illustrating the dependence of the critical field on the 2DEG conductance is constructed, and shown to agree with theoretical proposals. Moreover, by retrieving the coherence-length critical exponent ν, we show that the quantum critical behaviour can be clean or dirty according to the Harris criterion, depending on whether the phase-coherence length is smaller or larger than the size of the puddles.

Facing the phase problem in Coherent Diffractive Imaging via Memetic Algorithms.

PubMed

Colombo, Alessandro; Galli, Davide Emilio; De Caro, Liberato; Scattarella, Francesco; Carlino, Elvio

2017-02-09

Coherent Diffractive Imaging is a lensless technique that allows imaging of matter at a spatial resolution not limited by lens aberrations. This technique exploits the measured diffraction pattern of a coherent beam scattered by periodic and non-periodic objects to retrieve spatial information. The diffracted intensity, for weak-scattering objects, is proportional to the modulus of the Fourier Transform of the object scattering function. Any phase information, needed to retrieve its scattering function, has to be retrieved by means of suitable algorithms. Here we present a new approach, based on a memetic algorithm, i.e. a hybrid genetic algorithm, to face the phase problem, which exploits the synergy of deterministic and stochastic optimization methods. The new approach has been tested on simulated data and applied to the phasing of transmission electron microscopy coherent electron diffraction data of a SrTiO 3 sample. We have been able to quantitatively retrieve the projected atomic potential, and also image the oxygen columns, which are not directly visible in the relevant high-resolution transmission electron microscopy images. Our approach proves to be a new powerful tool for the study of matter at atomic resolution and opens new perspectives in those applications in which effective phase retrieval is necessary.

Calcium silicate hydrates: Solid and liquid phase composition

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

Lothenbach, Barbara, E-mail: Barbara.lothenbach@empa.ch; Nonat, André

This paper presents a review on the relationship between the composition, the structure and the solution in which calcium silicate hydrate (C–S–H) is equilibrated. The silica chain length in C–S–H increases with the silicon concentration and the calcium content in the interlayer space with the calcium concentrations. Sodium and potassium are taken up in the interlayer space, preferentially at low calcium concentrations and thus by low Ca/Si C–S–H. Aluminium uptake in C–S–H increases strongly at higher aluminium concentrations in the solution. At low Ca/Si, aluminium substitutes silica in the bridging position, at Ca/Si > 1 aluminium is bound in TAH.more » Recently developed thermodynamic models are closely related to the structure of C–S–H and tobermorite, and able to model not only the solubility and the chemical composition of the C–S–H, but also to predict the mean silica chain length and the uptake of aluminium.« less

Atom probe tomography of a Ti-Si-Al-C-N coating grown on a cemented carbide substrate.

PubMed

Thuvander, M; Östberg, G; Ahlgren, M; Falk, L K L

2015-12-01

The elemental distribution within a Ti-Si-Al-C-N coating grown by physical vapour deposition on a Cr-doped WC-Co cemented carbide substrate has been investigated by atom probe tomography. Special attention was paid to the coating/substrate interface region. The results indicated a diffusion of substrate binder phase elements into the Ti-N adhesion layer. The composition of this layer, and the Ti-Al-N interlayer present between the adhesion layer and the main Ti-Si-Al-C-N layer, appeared to be sub-stoichiometric. The analysis of the interlayer showed the presence of internal surfaces, possibly grain boundaries, depleted in Al. The composition of the main Ti-Al-Si-C-N layer varied periodically in the growth direction; layers enriched in Ti appeared with a periodicity of around 30 nm. Laser pulsing resulted in a good mass resolution that made it possible to distinguish between N(+) and Si(2+) at 14 Da. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Structural state scale-dependent physical characteristics and endurance of cermet composite for cutting metal

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

Ovcharenko, V. E., E-mail: ovcharenko.ove45@mail.ru; Ivanov, Yu. F., E-mail: ivanov.yufi55@mail.ru; Mohovikov, A. A., E-mail: mohovikov.maa28@rambler.ru

A structural-phase state developed on the surface of a TiC/Ni–Cr–Al cermet alloy under superfast heating and cooling produced by pulse electron beam melting has been presented. The effect of the surface’s structural state multimodality on the temperature dependencies of the friction and endurance of the cermet tool in cutting metal has been investigated. The high-energy flux treatment of subsurface layers by electron beam pulses in argon-containing gas discharge plasma serves to improve the endurance of metal cutting tools manifold (by a factor of 6), to reduce the friction via precipitation of secondary 200 nm carbides in binder interlayers. It ismore » possible to improve the cermet tool endurance for cutting metal by a factor of 10–12 by irradiating the cermet in a reactive nitrogen-containing atmosphere with the ensuing precipitation of nanosize 50 nm AlN particles in the binder interlayers.« less

Magnetic properties of Ruddlesden-Popper phases Sr3 -xYx(Fe1.25Ni0.75) O7 -δ : A combined experimental and theoretical investigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keshavarz, Samara; Kontos, Sofia; Wardecki, Dariusz; Kvashnin, Yaroslav O.; Pereiro, Manuel; Panda, Swarup K.; Sanyal, Biplab; Eriksson, Olle; Grins, Jekabs; Svensson, Gunnar; Gunnarsson, Klas; Svedlindh, Peter

2018-04-01

We present a comprehensive study of the magnetic properties of Sr3 -xYx(Fe1.25Ni0.75) O7 -δ (0 ≤x ≤0.75 ). Experimentally, the magnetic properties are investigated using superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometry and neutron powder diffraction (NPD). This is complemented by a theoretical study based on density functional theory as well as the Heisenberg exchange parameters. Experimental results show an increase in the Néel temperature (TN) with an increase of Y concentrations and O occupancy. The NPD data reveal that all samples are antiferromagnetically ordered at low temperatures, which has been confirmed by our theoretical simulations for the selected samples. Our first-principles calculations suggest that the three-dimensional magnetic order is stabilized due to finite interlayer exchange couplings. The latter give rise to finite interlayer spin-spin correlations, which disappear above TN.

Defect-free erbium silicide formation using an ultrathin Ni interlayer.

PubMed

Choi, Juyun; Choi, Seongheum; Kang, Yu-Seon; Na, Sekwon; Lee, Hoo-Jeong; Cho, Mann-Ho; Kim, Hyoungsub

2014-08-27

An ultrathin Ni interlayer (∼1 nm) was introduced between a TaN-capped Er film and a Si substrate to prevent the formation of surface defects during thermal Er silicidation. A nickel silicide interfacial layer formed at low temperatures and incurred uniform nucleation and the growth of a subsequently formed erbium silicide film, effectively inhibiting the generation of recessed-type surface defects and improving the surface roughness. As a side effect, the complete transformation of Er to erbium silicide was somewhat delayed, and the electrical contact property at low annealing temperatures was dominated by the nickel silicide phase with a high Schottky barrier height. After high-temperature annealing, the early-formed interfacial layer interacted with the growing erbium silicide, presumably forming an erbium silicide-rich Er-Si-Ni mixture. As a result, the electrical contact property reverted to that of the low-resistive erbium silicide/Si contact case, which warrants a promising source/drain contact application for future high-performance metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors.

Fine Structure Study of the Plasma Coatings B4C-Ni-P

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kornienko, E. E.; Bezrukova, V. A.; Kuz'min, V. I.; Lozhkin, V. S.; Tutunkova, M. K.

2017-12-01

The article considers structure of coatings formed of the B4C-Ni-P powder. The coatings were deposited using air-plasma spraying with the unit for annular injection of powder. The pipes from steel 20 (0.2 % C) were used as a substrate. The structure and phase composition of the coatings were studied by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffractometry. It is shown that high-density composite coatings consisting of boron carbide particles distributed in the nickel boride metal matrix are formed using air-plasma spraying. The areas with round inclusions characterized by the increased amount of nickel, phosphorus and boron are located around the boron carbide particles. Boron oxides and nickel oxides are also present in the coatings. Thin interlayers with amorphous-crystalline structure are formed around the boron carbide particles. The thickness of these interlayers does not exceed 1 μm. The metal matrix material represents areas with nanocrystalline structure and columnar crystals.

Preparation and characterization of an anti-inflammatory agent based on a zinc-layered hydroxide-salicylate nanohybrid and its effect on viability of Vero-3 cells

PubMed Central

Ramli, Munirah; Hussein, Mohd Zobir; Yusoff, Khatijah

2013-01-01

A new organic-inorganic nanohybrid based on zinc-layered hydroxide intercalated with an anti-inflammatory agent was synthesized through direct reaction of salicylic acid at various concentrations with commercially available zinc oxide. The basal spacing of the pure phase nanohybrid was 15.73 Å, with the salicylate anions arranged in a monolayer form and an angle of 57 degrees between the zinc-layered hydroxide interlayers. Fourier transform infrared study further confirmed intercalation of salicylate into the interlayers of zinc-layered hydroxide. The loading of salicylate in the nanohybrid was estimated to be around 29.66%, and the nanohybrid exhibited the properties of a mesoporous-type material, with greatly enhanced thermal stability of the salicylate compared with its free counterpart. In vitro cytotoxicity assay revealed that free salicylic acid, pure zinc oxide, and the nanohybrid have a mild effect on viability of African green monkey kidney (Vero-3) cells. PMID:23345976

Evaluation of asphalt rubber membrane interlayer (ARMI) using the University of Florida's composite system interface cracking (CSIC) test.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-05-01

Since the late 1970s, FDOT : has applied an interlayer : of Asphalt Rubber : Membrane Interlayer : (ARMI) to asphalt roadway : surfaces. ARMI layers are : constructed by spraying : asphalt rubber binder onto : the asphalt, covering the : layer with n...

When holography meets coherent diffraction imaging.

PubMed

Latychevskaia, Tatiana; Longchamp, Jean-Nicolas; Fink, Hans-Werner

2012-12-17

The phase problem is inherent to crystallographic, astronomical and optical imaging where only the intensity of the scattered signal is detected and the phase information is lost and must somehow be recovered to reconstruct the object's structure. Modern imaging techniques at the molecular scale rely on utilizing novel coherent light sources like X-ray free electron lasers for the ultimate goal of visualizing such objects as individual biomolecules rather than crystals. Here, unlike in the case of crystals where structures can be solved by model building and phase refinement, the phase distribution of the wave scattered by an individual molecule must directly be recovered. There are two well-known solutions to the phase problem: holography and coherent diffraction imaging (CDI). Both techniques have their pros and cons. In holography, the reconstruction of the scattered complex-valued object wave is directly provided by a well-defined reference wave that must cover the entire detector area which often is an experimental challenge. CDI provides the highest possible, only wavelength limited, resolution, but the phase recovery is an iterative process which requires some pre-defined information about the object and whose outcome is not always uniquely-defined. Moreover, the diffraction patterns must be recorded under oversampling conditions, a pre-requisite to be able to solve the phase problem. Here, we report how holography and CDI can be merged into one superior technique: holographic coherent diffraction imaging (HCDI). An inline hologram can be recorded by employing a modified CDI experimental scheme. We demonstrate that the amplitude of the Fourier transform of an inline hologram is related to the complex-valued visibility, thus providing information on both, the amplitude and the phase of the scattered wave in the plane of the diffraction pattern. With the phase information available, the condition of oversampling the diffraction patterns can be relaxed, and the phase problem can be solved in a fast and unambiguous manner. We demonstrate the reconstruction of various diffraction patterns of objects recorded with visible light as well as with low-energy electrons. Although we have demonstrated our HCDI method using laser light and low-energy electrons, it can also be applied to any other coherent radiation such as X-rays or high-energy electrons.

Modulation of spectral intensity, polarization and coherence of a stochastic electromagnetic beam.

PubMed

Wu, Gaofeng; Cai, Yangjian

2011-04-25

Analytical formula for the cross-spectral density matrix of a stochastic electromagnetic Gaussian Schell-model (EGSM) beam truncated by a circular phase aperture propagating in free space is derived with the help of a tensor method, which provides a reliable and fast way for studying the propagation and transformation of a truncated EGSM beam. Statistics properties, such as the spectral intensity, the degree of coherence, the degree of polarization and the polarization ellipse of a truncated EGSM beam in free space are studied numerically. The propagation factor of a truncated EGSM beam is also analyzed. Our numerical results show that we can modulate the spectral intensity, the polarization, the coherence and the propagation factor of an EGSM beam by a circular phase aperture. It is found that the phase aperture can be used to shape the beam profile of an EGSM beam and generate electromagnetic partially coherent dark hollow or flat-topped beam, which is useful in some applications, such as optical trapping, material processing, free-space optical communications.

Towards coherent combination of 61 fiber amplifiers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heilmann, Anke; Le Dortz, Jérémy; Daniault, Louis; Fsaifes, Ihsan; Bellanger, Séverine; Antier, Marie; Bourderionnet, Jérôme; Larat, Christian; Lallier, Eric; Durand, Eric; Brignon, Arnaud; Simon-Boisson, Christophe; Chanteloup, Jean-Christophe

2018-02-01

The XCAN project aims at the coherent combination of 61 fiber amplifiers in the femtosecond regime. An important intermediate step towards this goal is the implementation of a seven fiber test setup, which allows to address key scientific and technical challenges which might occur in the scaled version of 61 fibers. This work includes the design and characterization of a support unit able to hold 61 fibers with the high precision required for an efficient coherent combination in tiled aperture configuration. This configuration, in combination with an interferometric phase measurement and active phase control, is particularly well suited for the coherent combination of a very large number of beams. Our first preliminary results with seven fibers include a combination efficiency of 30 % and a residual phase error between two fibers as low as λ/40 rms. Experiments conducted with three fibers in order to evaluate technical improvements revealed an increase of efficiency to 54 %. The combined beam was temporally compressed to 225 fs, which is Fourier transform limited with respect to the measured spectrum.

Coherent quantum phase slip.

PubMed

Astafiev, O V; Ioffe, L B; Kafanov, S; Pashkin, Yu A; Arutyunov, K Yu; Shahar, D; Cohen, O; Tsai, J S

2012-04-18

A hundred years after the discovery of superconductivity, one fundamental prediction of the theory, coherent quantum phase slip (CQPS), has not been observed. CQPS is a phenomenon exactly dual to the Josephson effect; whereas the latter is a coherent transfer of charges between superconducting leads, the former is a coherent transfer of vortices or fluxes across a superconducting wire. In contrast to previously reported observations of incoherent phase slip, CQPS has been only a subject of theoretical study. Its experimental demonstration is made difficult by quasiparticle dissipation due to gapless excitations in nanowires or in vortex cores. This difficulty might be overcome by using certain strongly disordered superconductors near the superconductor-insulator transition. Here we report direct observation of CQPS in a narrow segment of a superconducting loop made of strongly disordered indium oxide; the effect is made manifest through the superposition of quantum states with different numbers of flux quanta. As with the Josephson effect, our observation should lead to new applications in superconducting electronics and quantum metrology.

Adaptive restoration of a partially coherent blurred image using an all-optical feedback interferometer with a liquid-crystal device.

PubMed

Shirai, Tomohiro; Barnes, Thomas H

2002-02-01

A liquid-crystal adaptive optics system using all-optical feedback interferometry is applied to partially coherent imaging through a phase disturbance. A theoretical analysis based on the propagation of the cross-spectral density shows that the blurred image due to the phase disturbance can be restored, in principle, irrespective of the state of coherence of the light illuminating the object. Experimental verification of the theory has been performed for two cases when the object to be imaged is illuminated by spatially coherent light originating from a He-Ne laser and by spatially incoherent white light from a halogen lamp. We observed in both cases that images blurred by the phase disturbance were successfully restored, in agreement with the theory, immediately after the adaptive optics system was activated. The origin of the deviation of the experimental results from the theory, together with the effect of the feedback misalignment inherent in our optical arrangement, is also discussed.

Identification of Langmuir wave turbulence-supercontinuum transition by application of von Neumann entropy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kawamori, Eiichirou

2017-09-01

A transition from Langmuir wave turbulence (LWT) to coherent Langmuir wave supercontinuum (LWSC) is identified in one-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations as the emergence of a broad frequency band showing significant temporal coherence of a wave field accompanied by a decrease in the von Neumann entropy of classical wave fields. The concept of the von Neumann entropy is utilized for evaluation of the phase-randomizing degree of the classical wave fields, together with introduction of the density matrix of the wave fields. The transition from LWT to LWSC takes place when the energy per one plasmon (one wave quantum) exceeds a certain threshold. The coherent nature, which Langmuir wave systems acquire through the transition, is created by four wave mixings of the plasmons. The emergence of temporal coherence and the decrease in the phase randomization are considered as the development of long-range order and spontaneous symmetry breaking, respectively, indicating that the LWT-LWSC transition is a second order phase transition phenomenon.

Intensity Ratio, Coherence and Phase of EEG during Sensory Focused Attention.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-09-01

intensity increases as reaction time increases. There have been fewer studies of the relation of EEG coherence to cognitive vari- ables. Busk and...RUGG, X.D.uAsymmtry in EEGalpha coherence and Power: Effects oftask and sex. Electroenceph. dlin. Neurophysiol. 45, 393-401, 1978. BUSK , J. and

Coherent beam combining in atmospheric channels using gated backscatter.

PubMed

Naeh, Itay; Katzir, Abraham

2016-02-01

This paper introduces the concept of atmospheric channels and describes a possible approach for the coherent beam combining of lasers of an optical phased array (OPA) in a turbulent atmosphere. By using the recently introduced sparse spectrum harmonic augmentation method, a comprehensive simulative investigation was performed and the exceptional properties of the atmospheric channels were numerically demonstrated. Among the interesting properties are the ability to guide light in a confined manner in a refractive channel, the ability to gather different sources to the same channel, and the ability to maintain a constant relative phase within the channel between several sources. The newly introduced guiding properties combined with a suggested method for channel probing and phase measurement by aerosol backscattered radiation allows coherence improvement of the phased array's elements and energy refocusing at the location of the channel in order to increase power in the bucket without feedback from the target. The method relies on the electronic focusing, electronic scanning, and time gating of the OPA, combined with elements of the relative phase measurements.

FPGA-Based Optical Cavity Phase Stabilization for Coherent Pulse Stacking

DOE PAGES

Xu, Yilun; Wilcox, Russell; Byrd, John; ...

2017-11-20

Coherent pulse stacking (CPS) is a new time-domain coherent addition technique that stacks several optical pulses into a single output pulse, enabling high pulse energy from fiber lasers. We develop a robust, scalable, and distributed digital control system with firmware and software integration for algorithms, to support the CPS application. We model CPS as a digital filter in the Z domain and implement a pulse-pattern-based cavity phase detection algorithm on an field-programmable gate array (FPGA). A two-stage (2+1 cavities) 15-pulse stacking system achieves an 11.0 peak-power enhancement factor. Each optical cavity is fed back at 1.5kHz, and stabilized at anmore » individually-prescribed round-trip phase with 0.7deg and 2.1deg rms phase errors for Stages 1 and 2, respectively. Optical cavity phase control with nanometer accuracy ensures 1.2% intensity stability of the stacked pulse over 12 h. The FPGA-based feedback control system can be scaled to large numbers of optical cavities.« less

Phase-resolved acoustic radiation force optical coherence elastography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qi, Wenjuan; Chen, Ruimin; Chou, Lidek; Liu, Gangjun; Zhang, Jun; Zhou, Qifa; Chen, Zhongping

2012-11-01

Many diseases involve changes in the biomechanical properties of tissue, and there is a close correlation between tissue elasticity and pathology. We report on the development of a phase-resolved acoustic radiation force optical coherence elastography method (ARF-OCE) to evaluate the elastic properties of tissue. This method utilizes chirped acoustic radiation force to produce excitation along the sample's axial direction, and it uses phase-resolved optical coherence tomography (OCT) to measure the vibration of the sample. Under 500-Hz square wave modulated ARF signal excitation, phase change maps of tissue mimicking phantoms are generated by the ARF-OCE method, and the resulting Young's modulus ratio is correlated with a standard compression test. The results verify that this technique could efficiently measure sample elastic properties accurately and quantitatively. Furthermore, a three-dimensional ARF-OCE image of the human atherosclerotic coronary artery is obtained. The result indicates that our dynamic phase-resolved ARF-OCE method can delineate tissues with different mechanical properties.

FPGA-Based Optical Cavity Phase Stabilization for Coherent Pulse Stacking

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

Xu, Yilun; Wilcox, Russell; Byrd, John

Coherent pulse stacking (CPS) is a new time-domain coherent addition technique that stacks several optical pulses into a single output pulse, enabling high pulse energy from fiber lasers. We develop a robust, scalable, and distributed digital control system with firmware and software integration for algorithms, to support the CPS application. We model CPS as a digital filter in the Z domain and implement a pulse-pattern-based cavity phase detection algorithm on an field-programmable gate array (FPGA). A two-stage (2+1 cavities) 15-pulse stacking system achieves an 11.0 peak-power enhancement factor. Each optical cavity is fed back at 1.5kHz, and stabilized at anmore » individually-prescribed round-trip phase with 0.7deg and 2.1deg rms phase errors for Stages 1 and 2, respectively. Optical cavity phase control with nanometer accuracy ensures 1.2% intensity stability of the stacked pulse over 12 h. The FPGA-based feedback control system can be scaled to large numbers of optical cavities.« less

Strategies to improve phase-stability of ultrafast swept source optical coherence tomography for single shot imaging of transient mechanical waves at 16 kHz frame rate

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

Song, Shaozhen; Wei, Wei; Hsieh, Bao-Yu

We present single-shot phase-sensitive imaging of propagating mechanical waves within tissue, enabled by an ultrafast optical coherence tomography (OCT) system powered by a 1.628 MHz Fourier domain mode-locked (FDML) swept laser source. We propose a practical strategy for phase-sensitive measurement by comparing the phases between adjacent OCT B-scans, where the B-scan contains a number of A-scans equaling an integer number of FDML buffers. With this approach, we show that micro-strain fields can be mapped with ∼3.0 nm sensitivity at ∼16 000 fps. The system's capabilities are demonstrated on porcine cornea by imaging mechanical wave propagation launched by a pulsed UV laser beam, promisingmore » non-contact, real-time, and high-resolution optical coherence elastography.« less

Deconvolution Methods and Systems for the Mapping of Acoustic Sources from Phased Microphone Arrays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Humphreys, Jr., William M. (Inventor); Brooks, Thomas F. (Inventor)

2012-01-01

Mapping coherent/incoherent acoustic sources as determined from a phased microphone array. A linear configuration of equations and unknowns are formed by accounting for a reciprocal influence of one or more cross-beamforming characteristics thereof at varying grid locations among the plurality of grid locations. An equation derived from the linear configuration of equations and unknowns can then be iteratively determined. The equation can be attained by the solution requirement of a constraint equivalent to the physical assumption that the coherent sources have only in phase coherence. The size of the problem may then be reduced using zoning methods. An optimized noise source distribution is then generated over an identified aeroacoustic source region associated with a phased microphone array (microphones arranged in an optimized grid pattern including a plurality of grid locations) in order to compile an output presentation thereof, thereby removing beamforming characteristics from the resulting output presentation.

Phase-coherent engineering of electronic heat currents with a Josephson modulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fornieri, Antonio; Blanc, Christophe; Bosisio, Riccardo; D'Ambrosio, Sophie; Giazotto, Francesco

In this contribution we report the realization of the first balanced Josephson heat modulator designed to offer full control at the nanoscale over the phase-coherent component of electronic thermal currents. The ability to master the amount of heat transferred through two tunnel-coupled superconductors by tuning their phase difference is the core of coherent caloritronics, and is expected to be a key tool in a number of nanoscience fields, including solid state cooling, thermal isolation, radiation detection, quantum information and thermal logic. Our device provides magnetic-flux-dependent temperature modulations up to 40 mK in amplitude with a maximum of the flux-to-temperature transfer coefficient reaching 200 mK per flux quantum at a bath temperature of 25 mK. Foremost, it demonstrates the exact correspondence in the phase-engineering of charge and heat currents, breaking ground for advanced caloritronic nanodevices such as thermal splitters, heat pumps and time-dependent electronic engines.

Evaluation of asphalt rubber membrane interlayer (ARMI) using the University of Florida's composite system interface cracking (CSIC) test [summary].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-01-01

Since the late 1970s, FDOT : has applied an interlayer : of Asphalt Rubber : Membrane Interlayer : (ARMI) to asphalt roadway : surfaces. ARMI layers are : constructed by spraying : asphalt rubber binder onto : the asphalt, covering the : layer with n...

FAST TRACK COMMUNICATION: Interlayer exchange coupling across a ferroelectric barrier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhuravlev, M. Ye; Vedyayev, A. V.; Tsymbal, E. Y.

2010-09-01

A new magnetoelectric effect is predicted originating from the interlayer exchange coupling between two ferromagnetic layers separated by an ultrathin ferroelectric barrier. It is demonstrated that ferroelectric polarization switching driven by an external electric field leads to a sizable change in the interlayer exchange coupling. The effect occurs in asymmetric ferromagnet/ferroelectric/ferromagnet junctions due to a change in the electrostatic potential profile across the junction affecting the interlayer coupling. The predicted phenomenon indicates the possibility of switching the magnetic configuration by reversing the polarization of the ferroelectric barrier layer.

Mechanical characterization and modeling of brazed tungsten and Cu-Cr-Zr alloy using stress relief interlayers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qu, Dandan; Zhou, Zhangjian; Yum, Youngjin; Aktaa, Jarir

2014-12-01

A rapidly solidified foil-type Ti-Zr based amorphous filler with a melting temperature of 850 °C was used to braze tungsten to Cu-Cr-Zr alloy for water cooled divertors and plasma facing components application. Brazed joints of dissimilar materials suffer from a mismatch in coefficients of thermal expansion. In order to release the residual stress caused by the mismatch, brazed joints of tungsten and Cu-Cr-Zr alloy using different interlayers were studied. The shear strength tests of brazed W/Cu joints show that the average strength of the joint with a W70Cu30 composite plate interlayer reached 119.8 MPa, and the average strength of the joint with oxygen free high conductivity copper (OFHC Cu)/Mo multi-interlayers reached 140.8 MPa, while the joint without interlayer was only 16.6 MPa. Finite element method (FEM) has been performed to investigate the stress distribution and effect of stress relief interlayers. FEM results show that the maximum von Mises stress occurs in the tungsten/filler interface and that the filler suffers the peak residual stresses and becomes the weakest zone. And the use of OFHC Cu/Mo multi-interlayers can reduce the residual stress significantly, which agrees with the mechanical experiment data.

Phase noise mitigation of QPSK signal utilizing phase-locked multiplexing of signal harmonics and amplitude saturation.

PubMed

Mohajerin-Ariaei, Amirhossein; Ziyadi, Morteza; Chitgarha, Mohammad Reza; Almaiman, Ahmed; Cao, Yinwen; Shamee, Bishara; Yang, Jeng-Yuan; Akasaka, Youichi; Sekiya, Motoyoshi; Takasaka, Shigehiro; Sugizaki, Ryuichi; Touch, Joseph D; Tur, Moshe; Langrock, Carsten; Fejer, Martin M; Willner, Alan E

2015-07-15

We demonstrate an all-optical phase noise mitigation scheme based on the generation, delay, and coherent summation of higher order signal harmonics. The signal, its third-order harmonic, and their corresponding delayed variant conjugates create a staircase phase-transfer function that quantizes the phase of quadrature-phase-shift-keying (QPSK) signal to mitigate phase noise. The signal and the harmonics are automatically phase-locked multiplexed, avoiding the need for phase-based feedback loop and injection locking to maintain coherency. The residual phase noise converts to amplitude noise in the quantizer stage, which is suppressed by parametric amplification in the saturation regime. Phase noise reduction of ∼40% and OSNR-gain of ∼3  dB at BER 10(-3) are experimentally demonstrated for 20- and 30-Gbaud QPSK input signals.

Performance of the ICAO standard core service modulation and coding techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lodge, John; Moher, Michael

1988-01-01

Aviation binary phase shift keying (A-BPSK) is described and simulated performance results are given that demonstrate robust performance in the presence of hardlimiting amplifiers. The performance of coherently-detected A-BPSK with rate 1/2 convolutional coding are given. The performance loss due to the Rician fading was shown to be less than 1 dB over the simulated range. A partially coherent detection scheme that does not require carrier phase recovery was described. This scheme exhibits similiar performance to coherent detection, at high bit error rates, while it is superior at lower bit error rates.

Femtosecond pulse shaping using the geometric phase.

PubMed

Gökce, Bilal; Li, Yanming; Escuti, Michael J; Gundogdu, Kenan

2014-03-15

We demonstrate a femtosecond pulse shaper that utilizes polarization gratings to manipulate the geometric phase of an optical pulse. This unique approach enables circular polarization-dependent shaping of femtosecond pulses. As a result, it is possible to create coherent pulse pairs with orthogonal polarizations in a 4f pulse shaper setup, something until now that, to our knowledge, was only achieved via much more complex configurations. This approach could be used to greatly simplify and enhance the functionality of multidimensional spectroscopy and coherent control experiments, in which multiple coherent pulses are used to manipulate quantum states in materials of interest.

Mutual information of optical communication in phase-conjugating Gaussian channels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schäfermeier, Clemens; Andersen, Ulrik L.

2018-03-01

In all practical communication channels, the code word consists of Gaussian states and the measurement strategy is often a Gaussian detector such as homodyning or heterodyning. We investigate the communication performance using a phase-conjugated alphabet and joint Gaussian detection in a phase-insensitive amplifying channel. We find that a communication scheme consisting of a phase-conjugating alphabet of coherent states and a joint detection strategy significantly outperforms a standard coherent-state strategy based in individual detection. Moreover, we show that the performance can be further enhanced by using entanglement and that the performance is completely independent of the gain of the phase-insensitively amplifying channel.

Experimental demonstration of passive coherent combining of fiber lasers by phase contrast filtering.

PubMed

Jeux, François; Desfarges-Berthelemot, Agnès; Kermène, Vincent; Barthelemy, Alain

2012-12-17

We report experiments on a new laser architecture involving phase contrast filtering to coherently combine an array of fiber lasers. We demonstrate that the new technique yields a more stable phase-locking than standard methods using only amplitude filtering. A spectral analysis of the output beams shows that the new scheme generates more resonant frequencies common to the coupled lasers. This property can enhance the combining efficiency when the number of lasers to be coupled is large.

Quantum displacement receiver for M-ary phase-shift-keyed coherent states

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

Izumi, Shuro; Takeoka, Masahiro; Fujiwara, Mikio

2014-12-04

We propose quantum receivers for 3- and 4-ary phase-shift-keyed (PSK) coherent state signals to overcome the standard quantum limit (SQL). Our receiver, consisting of a displacement operation and on-off detectors with or without feedforward, provides an error probability performance beyond the SQL. We show feedforward operations can tolerate the requirement for the detector specifications.

Antenna Development for Multifunctional Armor Applications Using Embedded Spin-Torque Nano-Oscillator (STNO) as a Microwave Detector

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-08-09

Tsoi, A. G. M. Jansen, J. Bass, W. C. Chiang, V. Tsoi, and P. Wyder, “Generation and detection of phase-coherent current-driven magnons in magnetic...multilayers”, Nature, vol. 406, pp. 46–48 (2000). [5] M. Tsoi, “Phase-coherent current-driven magnons in magnetic multilayers”, J. Magn. Magn. Mater

Evidence of charged puddles and induced dephasing in topological insulator thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Sourabh; Gopal, R. K.; Sarkar, Jit; Roy, Subhadip; Mitra, Chiranjib

2018-05-01

We investigate the dephasing mechanism in bulk insulating topological insulator thin films. The phase coherence length is extracted from magnetoresistance measurements at different temperatures. There is a crossover of the phase coherence length as a function of temperature signifying the role of more than one dephasing mechanism in the system. The dephasing rates have been studied systematically and explained.

PHYSICAL EFFECTS OCCURRING DURING GENERATION AND AMPLIFICATION OF LASER RADIATION: Spatial phase fluctuations of the fundamental laser mode caused by spontaneous emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belinskiĭ, A. V.; Chirkin, Anatolii S.

1989-02-01

A calculation is reported of the degree of spatial coherence of the fundamental radiation mode subject to phase fluctuations in space. It is shown that the degree of spatial coherence (within the beam width) is perturbed only slightly by these fluctuations, compared with subthreshold excitation of higher transverse modes.

Experimental and numerical investigation of a phase-only control mechanism in the linear intensity regime.

PubMed

Brühl, Elisabeth; Buckup, Tiago; Motzkus, Marcus

2018-06-07

Mechanisms and optimal experimental conditions in coherent control still intensely stimulate debates. In this work, a phase-only control mechanism in an open quantum system is investigated experimentally and numerically. Several parameterizations for femtosecond pulse shaping (combination of chirp and multipulses) are exploited in transient absorption of a prototype organic molecule to control population and vibrational coherence in ground and excited states. Experimental results are further numerically simulated and corroborated with a four-level density-matrix model, which reveals a phase-only control mechanism based on the interaction between the tailored phase of the excitation pulse and the induced transient absorption. In spite of performing experiment and numerical simulations in the linear regime of excitation, the control effect amplitude depends non-linearly on the excitation energy and is explained as a pump-dump control mechanism. No evidence of single-photon control is observed with the model. Moreover, our results also show that the control effect on the population and vibrational coherence is highly dependent on the spectral detuning of the excitation spectrum. Contrary to the popular belief in coherent control experiments, spectrally resonant tailored excitation will lead to the control of the excited state only for very specific conditions.

Phase-Based Adaptive Estimation of Magnitude-Squared Coherence Between Turbofan Internal Sensors and Far-Field Microphone Signals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miles, Jeffrey Hilton

2015-01-01

A cross-power spectrum phase based adaptive technique is discussed which iteratively determines the time delay between two digitized signals that are coherent. The adaptive delay algorithm belongs to a class of algorithms that identifies a minimum of a pattern matching function. The algorithm uses a gradient technique to find the value of the adaptive delay that minimizes a cost function based in part on the slope of a linear function that fits the measured cross power spectrum phase and in part on the standard error of the curve fit. This procedure is applied to data from a Honeywell TECH977 static-engine test. Data was obtained using a combustor probe, two turbine exit probes, and far-field microphones. Signals from this instrumentation are used estimate the post-combustion residence time in the combustor. Comparison with previous studies of the post-combustion residence time validates this approach. In addition, the procedure removes the bias due to misalignment of signals in the calculation of coherence which is a first step in applying array processing methods to the magnitude squared coherence data. The procedure also provides an estimate of the cross-spectrum phase-offset.

Coherent imaging with incoherent light in digital holographic microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chmelik, Radim

2012-01-01

Digital holographic microscope (DHM) allows for imaging with a quantitative phase contrast. In this way it becomes an important instrument, a completely non-invasive tool for a contrast intravital observation of living cells and a cell drymass density distribution measurement. A serious drawback of current DHMs is highly coherent illumination which makes the lateral resolution worse and impairs the image quality by a coherence noise and a parasitic interference. An uncompromising solution to this problem can be found in the Leith concept of incoherent holography. An off-axis hologram can be formed with arbitrary degree of light coherence in systems equipped with an achromatic interferometer and thus the resolution and the image quality typical for an incoherent-light wide-field microscopy can be achieved. In addition, advanced imaging modes based on limited coherence can be utilized. The typical example is a coherence-gating effect which provides a finite axial resolution and makes DHM image similar to that of a confocal microscope. These possibilities were described theoretically using the formalism of three-dimensional coherent transfer functions and proved experimentally by the coherence-controlled holographic microscope which is DHM based on the Leith achromatic interferometer. Quantitative-phase-contrast imaging is demonstrated with incoherent light by the living cancer cells observation and their motility evaluation. The coherence-gating effect was proved by imaging of model samples through a scattering layer and living cells inside an opalescent medium.

Current Trend Towards Using Soft Computing Approaches to Phase Synchronization in Communication Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Drake, Jeffrey T.; Prasad, Nadipuram R.

1999-01-01

This paper surveys recent advances in communications that utilize soft computing approaches to phase synchronization. Soft computing, as opposed to hard computing, is a collection of complementary methodologies that act in producing the most desirable control, decision, or estimation strategies. Recently, the communications area has explored the use of the principal constituents of soft computing, namely, fuzzy logic, neural networks, and genetic algorithms, for modeling, control, and most recently for the estimation of phase in phase-coherent communications. If the receiver in a digital communications system is phase-coherent, as is often the case, phase synchronization is required. Synchronization thus requires estimation and/or control at the receiver of an unknown or random phase offset.

Thermally induced growth of ZnO nanocrystals on mixed metal oxide surfaces.

PubMed

Inayat, Alexandra; Makky, Ayman; Giraldo, Jose; Kuhnt, Andreas; Busse, Corinna; Schwieger, Wilhelm

2014-06-23

An in situ method for the growth of ZnO nanocrystals on Zn/Al mixed metal oxide (MMO) surfaces is presented. The key to this method is the thermal treatment of Zn/Al layered double hydroxides (Zn/Al LDHs) in the presence of nitrate anions, which results in partial demixing of the LDH/MMO structure and the subsequent crystallization of ZnO crystals on the surface of the forming MMO layers. In a first experimental series, thermal treatment of Zn/Al LDHs with different fractions of nitrate and carbonate in the interlayer space was examined by thermogravimetry coupled with mass spectrometry (TG-MS) and in situ XRD. In a second experimental series, Zn/Al LDHs with only carbonate in the interlayer space were thermally treated in the presence of different amounts of an external nitrate source (NH4NO3). All obtained Zn/Al MMO samples were analysed by electron microscopy, nitrogen physisorption and powder X-ray diffraction. The gas phase formed during nitrate decomposition turned out to be responsible for the formation of crystalline ZnO nanoparticles. Accordingly, both interlayer nitrate and the presence of ammonium nitrate led to the formation of supported ZnO nanocrystals with mean diameters between 100 and 400 nm, and both methods offer the possibility to tailor the amount and size of the ZnO crystals by means of the amount of nitrate. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Anomalous low-temperature Coulomb drag in graphene-GaAs heterostructures.

PubMed

Gamucci, A; Spirito, D; Carrega, M; Karmakar, B; Lombardo, A; Bruna, M; Pfeiffer, L N; West, K W; Ferrari, A C; Polini, M; Pellegrini, V

2014-12-19

Vertical heterostructures combining different layered materials offer novel opportunities for applications and fundamental studies. Here we report a new class of heterostructures comprising a single-layer (or bilayer) graphene in close proximity to a quantum well created in GaAs and supporting a high-mobility two-dimensional electron gas. In our devices, graphene is naturally hole-doped, thereby allowing for the investigation of electron-hole interactions. We focus on the Coulomb drag transport measurements, which are sensitive to many-body effects, and find that the Coulomb drag resistivity significantly increases for temperatures <5-10 K. The low-temperature data follow a logarithmic law, therefore displaying a notable departure from the ordinary quadratic temperature dependence expected in a weakly correlated Fermi-liquid. This anomalous behaviour is consistent with the onset of strong interlayer correlations. Our heterostructures represent a new platform for the creation of coherent circuits and topologically protected quantum bits.

Dynamic diffraction effects and coherent breathing oscillations in ultrafast electron diffraction in layered 1T-TaSeTe

PubMed Central

Wei, Linlin; Sun, Shuaishuai; Guo, Cong; Li, Zhongwen; Sun, Kai; Liu, Yu; Lu, Wenjian; Sun, Yuping; Tian, Huanfang; Yang, Huaixin; Li, Jianqi

2017-01-01

Anisotropic lattice movements due to the difference between intralayer and interlayer bonding are observed in the layered transition-metal dichalcogenide 1T-TaSeTe following femtosecond laser pulse excitation. Our ultrafast electron diffraction investigations using 4D-transmission electron microscopy (4D-TEM) clearly reveal that the intensity of Bragg reflection spots often changes remarkably due to the dynamic diffraction effects and anisotropic lattice movement. Importantly, the temporal diffracted intensity from a specific crystallographic plane depends on the deviation parameter s, which is commonly used in the theoretical study of diffraction intensity. Herein, we report on lattice thermalization and structural oscillations in layered 1T-TaSeTe, analyzed by dynamic diffraction theory. Ultrafast alterations of satellite spots arising from the charge density wave in the present system are also briefly discussed. PMID:28470025

Plasma-induced damage of tungsten coatings on graphite limiters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fortuna, E.; Rubel, M. J.; Psoda, M.; Andrzejczuk, M.; Kurzydowski, K. J.; Miskiewicz, M.; Philipps, V.; Pospieszczyk, A.; Sergienko, G.; Spychalski, M.; Zielinski, W.

2007-03-01

Vaccum plasma sprayed tungsten coatings with an evaporated sandwich Re-W interlayer on graphite limiter blocks were studied after the experimental campaign in the TEXTOR tokamak. The coating morphology was modified by high-heat loads and co-deposition of species from the plasma. Co-deposits contained fuel species, carbon, boron and silicon. X-ray diffractometer phase analysis indicated the coexistence of metallic tungsten and its carbides (WC and W2C) and boride (W2B). In the Re-W layer the presence of carbon was detected in a several micrometres thick zone. In the overheated part of the limiter, the Re-W layer was transformed into a sigma phase.

Hydration states of AFm cement phases

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

Baquerizo, Luis G., E-mail: luis.baquerizoibarra@holcim.com; Matschei, Thomas; Scrivener, Karen L.

2015-07-15

The AFm phase, one of the main products formed during the hydration of Portland and calcium aluminate cement based systems, belongs to the layered double hydrate (LDH) family having positively charged layers and water plus charge-balancing anions in the interlayer. It is known that these phases present different hydration states (i.e. varying water content) depending on the relative humidity (RH), temperature and anion type, which might be linked to volume changes (swelling and shrinkage). Unfortunately the stability conditions of these phases are insufficiently reported. This paper presents novel experimental results on the different hydration states of the most important AFmmore » phases: monocarboaluminate, hemicarboaluminate, strätlingite, hydroxy-AFm and monosulfoaluminate, and the thermodynamic properties associated with changes in their water content during absorption/desorption. This data opens the possibility to model the response of cementitious systems during drying and wetting and to engineer systems more resistant to harsh external conditions.« less

Cross spectra between temperature and pressure in a constant area duct downstream of a combustor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miles, J. H.; Wasserbauer, C. A.; Krejsa, E. A.

1983-01-01

The feasibility of measuring pressure temperature cross spectra and coherence and temperature-temperature cross spectra and coherence at spatially separated points along with pressure and temperature auto-spectra in a combustion rig was investigated. The measurements were made near the inlet and exit of a 6.44 m long duct attached to a J-47 combustor. The fuel used was Jet A. The cross spectra and coherence measurements show the pressure and temperature fluctuations correlate best at low frequencies. At the inlet the phenomena controlling the phase relationship between pressure and temperature could not be identified. However, at the duct exit the phase angle of the pressure is related to the phase angle of the temperature by the convected flow time delay.

Resolution enhancement in coherent x-ray diffraction imaging by overcoming instrumental noise.

PubMed

Kim, Chan; Kim, Yoonhee; Song, Changyong; Kim, Sang Soo; Kim, Sunam; Kang, Hyon Chol; Hwu, Yeukuang; Tsuei, Ku-Ding; Liang, Keng San; Noh, Do Young

2014-11-17

We report that reference objects, strong scatterers neighboring weak phase objects, enhance the phase retrieval and spatial resolution in coherent x-ray diffraction imaging (CDI). A CDI experiment with Au nano-particles exhibited that the reference objects amplified the signal-to-noise ratio in the diffraction intensity at large diffraction angles, which significantly enhanced the image resolution. The interference between the diffracted x-ray from reference objects and a specimen also improved the retrieval of the phase of the diffraction signal. The enhancement was applied to image NiO nano-particles and a mitochondrion and confirmed in a simulation with a bacteria phantom. We expect that the proposed method will be of great help in imaging weakly scattering soft matters using coherent x-ray sources including x-ray free electron lasers.

An instrument for in situ coherent x-ray studies of metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy of III-nitrides.

PubMed

Ju, Guangxu; Highland, Matthew J; Yanguas-Gil, Angel; Thompson, Carol; Eastman, Jeffrey A; Zhou, Hua; Brennan, Sean M; Stephenson, G Brian; Fuoss, Paul H

2017-03-01

We describe an instrument that exploits the ongoing revolution in synchrotron sources, optics, and detectors to enable in situ studies of metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) growth of III-nitride materials using coherent x-ray methods. The system includes high-resolution positioning of the sample and detector including full rotations, an x-ray transparent chamber wall for incident and diffracted beam access over a wide angular range, and minimal thermal sample motion, giving the sub-micron positional stability and reproducibility needed for coherent x-ray studies. The instrument enables surface x-ray photon correlation spectroscopy, microbeam diffraction, and coherent diffraction imaging of atomic-scale surface and film structure and dynamics during growth, to provide fundamental understanding of MOVPE processes.

An instrument for in situ coherent x-ray studies of metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy of III-nitrides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ju, Guangxu; Highland, Matthew J.; Yanguas-Gil, Angel; Thompson, Carol; Eastman, Jeffrey A.; Zhou, Hua; Brennan, Sean M.; Stephenson, G. Brian; Fuoss, Paul H.

2017-03-01

We describe an instrument that exploits the ongoing revolution in synchrotron sources, optics, and detectors to enable in situ studies of metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) growth of III-nitride materials using coherent x-ray methods. The system includes high-resolution positioning of the sample and detector including full rotations, an x-ray transparent chamber wall for incident and diffracted beam access over a wide angular range, and minimal thermal sample motion, giving the sub-micron positional stability and reproducibility needed for coherent x-ray studies. The instrument enables surface x-ray photon correlation spectroscopy, microbeam diffraction, and coherent diffraction imaging of atomic-scale surface and film structure and dynamics during growth, to provide fundamental understanding of MOVPE processes.

Close-form expression of one-tap normalized LMS carrier phase recovery in optical communication systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Tianhua; Jacobsen, Gunnar; Popov, Sergei; Li, Jie; Liu, Tiegen; Zhang, Yimo

2016-10-01

The performance of long-haul high speed coherent optical fiber communication systems is significantly degraded by the laser phase noise and the equalization enhanced phase noise (EEPN). In this paper, the analysis of the one-tap normalized least-mean-square (LMS) carrier phase recovery (CPR) is carried out and the close-form expression is investigated for quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) coherent optical fiber communication systems, in compensating both laser phase noise and equalization enhanced phase noise. Numerical simulations have also been implemented to verify the theoretical analysis. It is found that the one-tap normalized least-mean-square algorithm gives the same analytical expression for predicting CPR bit-error-rate (BER) floors as the traditional differential carrier phase recovery, when both the laser phase noise and the equalization enhanced phase noise are taken into account.

77 FR 21422 - Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-10

... the fail-safe interlayer of certain No. 2 and No. 3 glass windows, which could result in loss of the... would hinder the internal or external detailed inspections for fail-safe interlayer cracks, glass pane... this AD only if the non-clear damage hinders the inspection for fail-safe interlayer cracks, glass pane...

Measuring Interlayer Shear Stress in Bilayer Graphene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Guorui; Dai, Zhaohe; Wang, Yanlei; Tan, PingHeng; Liu, Luqi; Xu, Zhiping; Wei, Yueguang; Huang, Rui; Zhang, Zhong

2017-07-01

Monolayer two-dimensional (2D) crystals exhibit a host of intriguing properties, but the most exciting applications may come from stacking them into multilayer structures. Interlayer and interfacial shear interactions could play a crucial role in the performance and reliability of these applications, but little is known about the key parameters controlling shear deformation across the layers and interfaces between 2D materials. Herein, we report the first measurement of the interlayer shear stress of bilayer graphene based on pressurized microscale bubble loading devices. We demonstrate continuous growth of an interlayer shear zone outside the bubble edge and extract an interlayer shear stress of 40 kPa based on a membrane analysis for bilayer graphene bubbles. Meanwhile, a much higher interfacial shear stress of 1.64 MPa was determined for monolayer graphene on a silicon oxide substrate. Our results not only provide insights into the interfacial shear responses of the thinnest structures possible, but also establish an experimental method for characterizing the fundamental interlayer shear properties of the emerging 2D materials for potential applications in multilayer systems.

Connecting the molecular scale to the continuum scale for diffusion processes in smectite-rich porous media.

PubMed

Bourg, Ian C; Sposito, Garrison

2010-03-15

In this paper, we address the manner in which the continuum-scale diffusive properties of smectite-rich porous media arise from their molecular- and pore-scale features. Our starting point is a successful model of the continuum-scale apparent diffusion coefficient for water tracers and cations, which decomposes it as a sum of pore-scale terms describing diffusion in macropore and interlayer "compartments." We then apply molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to determine molecular-scale diffusion coefficients D(interlayer) of water tracers and representative cations (Na(+), Cs(+), Sr(2+)) in Na-smectite interlayers. We find that a remarkably simple expression relates D(interlayer) to the pore-scale parameter δ(nanopore) ≤ 1, a constrictivity factor that accounts for the lower mobility in interlayers as compared to macropores: δ(nanopore) = D(interlayer)/D(0), where D(0) is the diffusion coefficient in bulk liquid water. Using this scaling expression, we can accurately predict the apparent diffusion coefficients of tracers H(2)0, Na(+), Sr(2+), and Cs(+) in compacted Na-smectite-rich materials.

Equivalence of time and aperture domain additive noise in ultrasound coherence.

PubMed

Bottenus, Nick B; Trahey, Gregg E

2015-01-01

Ultrasonic echoes backscattered from diffuse media, recorded by an array transducer and appropriately focused, demonstrate coherence predicted by the van Cittert-Zernike theorem. Additive noise signals from off-axis scattering, reverberation, phase aberration, and electronic (thermal) noise can all superimpose incoherent or partially coherent signals onto the recorded echoes, altering the measured coherence. An expression is derived to describe the effect of uncorrelated random channel noise in terms of the noise-to-signal ratio. Equivalent descriptions are made in the aperture dimension to describe uncorrelated magnitude and phase apodizations of the array. Binary apodization is specifically described as an example of magnitude apodization and adjustments are presented to minimize the artifacts caused by finite signal length. The effects of additive noise are explored in short-lag spatial coherence imaging, an image formation technique that integrates the calculated coherence curve of acquired signals up to a small fraction of the array length for each lateral and axial location. A derivation of the expected contrast as a function of noise-to-signal ratio is provided and validation is performed in simulation.

Coherence and incoherence collective behavior in financial market

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Shangmei; Xie, Qiuchao; Lu, Qing; Jiang, Xin; Chen, Wei

2015-10-01

Financial markets have been extensively studied as highly complex evolving systems. In this paper, we quantify financial price fluctuations through a coupled dynamical system composed of phase oscillators. We find that a Financial Coherence and Incoherence (FCI) coexistence collective behavior emerges as the system evolves into the stable state, in which the stocks split into two groups: one is represented by coherent, phase-locked oscillators, the other is composed of incoherent, drifting oscillators. It is demonstrated that the size of the coherent stock groups fluctuates during the economic periods according to real-world financial instabilities or shocks. Further, we introduce the coherent characteristic matrix to characterize the involvement dynamics of stocks in the coherent groups. Clustering results on the matrix provides a novel manifestation of the correlations among stocks in the economic periods. Our analysis for components of the groups is consistent with the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) classification and can also figure out features for newly developed industries. These results can provide potentially implications on characterizing the inner dynamical structure of financial markets and making optimal investment into tragedies.

Photoinduced discommensuration of the commensurate charge-density wave phase in 1 T -Ta S2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanimura, Katsumi

2018-06-01

The dynamics induced by femtosecond-laser excitation of the commensurate phase of the charge-density wave (CDW) in 1 T -Ta S2 have been studied using both time-resolved electron diffraction and the time-resolved spectroscopy of coherent-phonon dynamics. Electron diffraction results show that the commensurate CDW phase is transformed into a new phase with CDW order that is similar to the nearly commensurate phase with threshold-type transition rates; the threshold excitation density of 0.2 per 13 Ta atoms is evaluated. Coherent-phonon spectroscopy results show that, together with the amplitude mode of CDW with a frequency of 2.41 THz, two other modes with frequencies of 2.34 and 2.07 THz are excited in the photoexcited commensurate CDW phase over a timescale of several tens of picoseconds after excitation. Spectroscopic, temporal, and excitation-intensity dependent characteristics of the three coherent phonons reveal that a photoinduced decomposition of the commensurate CDW order into an ensemble of domains with different CDW orders is induced before the CDW-phase transition occurs. The physics underlying the photoinduced decomposition and evolution into discommensurations responsible for the CDW-order transformation are discussed.

Evidence for coherent spicule oscillations from correcting Hinode/SOT Ca II H in the south-east limb of the Sun

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahangarzadeh Maralani, A. R.; Tavabi, E.; Ajabshirizadeh, A.

2017-05-01

Wave theories of heating of the chromosphere, corona and solar wind due to photospheric fluctuations are strengthened by the existence of the wave coherency observed up to the transition region. The coherency of intensity oscillations of solar spicules was explored using the Solar Optical Telescope (SOT) on the Hinode spacecraft with increasing height above the solar limb in the active region. We used time sequences near the south-east region from the Hinode/SOT for the Ca II H line obtained on 2015 April 3 and applied the de-convolution procedure to the spicule to illustrate how effectively our restoration method works on fine structures such as spicules. Moreover, the intensity oscillations at different heights above the solar limb were analysed through wavelet transforms. Afterwards, the phase difference was measured between oscillations at two heights in search of evidence for coherent oscillations. The results of the wavelet transformations revealed dominant period peaks for 2, 4, 5.5 and 6.5 min at four separate heights. The dominant frequencies for a coherency level higher than 75 per cent were found to be around 5.5 and 8.5 mHz. Mean phase speeds of 155-360 km s-1 were measured. We found that the mean phase speeds increased with height. The results suggest that the energy flux carried by coherent waves into the corona and heliosphere may be several times larger than previous estimates that were based solely on constant velocities. We provide compelling evidence for the existence of upwardly propagating coherent waves.

Micromagnetic simulations with periodic boundary conditions: Hard-soft nanocomposites

DOE PAGES

Wysocki, Aleksander L.; Antropov, Vladimir P.

2016-12-01

Here, we developed a micromagnetic method for modeling magnetic systems with periodic boundary conditions along an arbitrary number of dimensions. The main feature is an adaptation of the Ewald summation technique for evaluation of long-range dipolar interactions. The method was applied to investigate the hysteresis process in hard-soft magnetic nanocomposites with various geometries. The dependence of the results on different micromagnetic parameters was studied. We found that for layered structures with an out-of-plane hard phase easy axis the hysteretic properties are very sensitive to the strength of the interlayer exchange coupling, as long as the spontaneous magnetization for the hardmore » phase is significantly smaller than for the soft phase. The origin of this behavior was discussed. Additionally, we investigated the soft phase size optimizing the energy product of hard-soft nanocomposites.« less

Lightning Damage of Carbon Fiber/Epoxy Laminates with Interlayers Modified by Nickel-Coated Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Qi; Wan, Guoshun; Xu, Yongzheng; Guo, Yunli; Du, Tianxiang; Yi, Xiaosu; Jia, Yuxi

2017-12-01

The numerical model of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates with electrically modified interlayers subjected to lightning strike is constructed through finite element simulation, in which both intra-laminar and inter-laminar lightning damages are considered by means of coupled electrical-thermal-pyrolytic analysis method. Then the lightning damage extents including the damage volume and maximum damage depth are investigated. The results reveal that the simulated lightning damages could be qualitatively compared to the experimental counterparts of CFRP laminates with interlayers modified by nickel-coated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (Ni-MWCNTs). With higher electrical conductivity of modified interlayer and more amount of modified interlayers, both damage volume and maximum damage depth are reduced. This work provides an effective guidance to the anti-lightning optimization of CFRP laminates.

Molecular induced skyhook effect for magnetic interlayer softening

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friedrich, Rico; Caciuc, Vasile; Atodiresei, Nicolae; Blügel, Stefan

2015-11-01

Our first-principles study demonstrates for the first time that by increasing the molecule-surface binding strength, the interlayer magnetic coupling of a ferromagnetic metal can be drastically reduced with respect to that of a clean substrate. Importantly, for a weakly chemisorbed molecule the rehybridization of metal atomic d states within the molecule-induced surface geometry (geometrical effect) plays a crucial role in obtaining interlayer magnetic softening. On the contrary, for a strongly chemisorbed molecule the interlayer magnetic coupling is further reduced due to an interplay between the geometrical effect and the hybridization of atomic d states with molecular ones.

Carbon felt interlayer derived from rice paper and its synergistic encapsulation of polysulfides for lithium-sulfur batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Kai; Zhong, Lei; Guan, Ruiteng; Xiao, Min; Han, Dongmei; Wang, Shuanjin; Meng, Yuezhong

2018-05-01

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries have remarkably high theoretical specific capacity as promising candidates for next-generation energy storage. However, the "polysulfides shuttle" effect hampers its commercial application. Here, we use a kind of rice paper as a raw material to get inorganic oxides doping carbon felt by the facile carbonization method, and then modified by a simple coating process using poly (fluorenyl ether ketone) and Super P slurry. The special structure of the carbon felt derived from rice paper and its modified layer endow the final electronic conductive interlayer with inherent polysulfides absorbents and ion Coulombic repulsion functions, respectively, which show synergistic effect for trapping polysulfides. As an interlayer of Li-S batteries, the obtained carbon felt/poly (fluorenyl ether ketone)& Super P (CFSS) interlayer shows excellent electrochemical performance in improving specific capacity and decreasing polarization. The batteries with CFSS interlayer exhibit a high capacity of 837 mA h g-1 at 2.0 C and a high initial capacity of 1073.4 mA h g-1 and good capacity retention of 824.5 mA h g-1 after 500 cycles at 0.5 C. CFSS interlayer also shows excellent anti-self-discharge performance. Therefore, the simple and economical CFSS interlayer can be considered as a promising component for high performance Li-S batteries.

Phase coherence adaptive processor for automatic signal detection and identification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagstaff, Ronald A.

2006-05-01

A continuously adapting acoustic signal processor with an automatic detection/decision aid is presented. Its purpose is to preserve the signals of tactical interest, and filter out other signals and noise. It utilizes single sensor or beamformed spectral data and transforms the signal and noise phase angles into "aligned phase angles" (APA). The APA increase the phase temporal coherence of signals and leave the noise incoherent. Coherence thresholds are set, which are representative of the type of source "threat vehicle" and the geographic area or volume in which it is operating. These thresholds separate signals, based on the "quality" of their APA coherence. An example is presented in which signals from a submerged source in the ocean are preserved, while clutter signals from ships and noise are entirely eliminated. Furthermore, the "signals of interest" were identified by the processor's automatic detection aid. Similar performance is expected for air and ground vehicles. The processor's equations are formulated in such a manner that they can be tuned to eliminate noise and exploit signal, based on the "quality" of their APA temporal coherence. The mathematical formulation for this processor is presented, including the method by which the processor continuously self-adapts. Results show nearly complete elimination of noise, with only the selected category of signals remaining, and accompanying enhancements in spectral and spatial resolution. In most cases, the concept of signal-to-noise ratio looses significance, and "adaptive automated /decision aid" is more relevant.

Precipitation synthesis of lanthanide hydroxynitrate anion exchange materials, Ln{sub 2}(OH){sub 5}NO{sub 3}.H{sub 2}O (Ln=Y, Eu-Er)

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

Hindocha, Sheena A.; McIntyre, Laura J.; Fogg, Andrew M., E-mail: afogg@liverpool.ac.u

2009-05-15

Layered lanthanide hydroxynitrate anion exchange host lattices have been prepared via a room temperature precipitation synthesis. These materials have the composition Ln{sub 2}(OH){sub 5}NO{sub 3}.H{sub 2}O and are formed for Y and the lanthanides from Eu to Er and as such include the first Eu containing nitrate anion exchange host lattice. The interlayer separation of these materials, approximately 8.5 A, is lower than in the related phases Ln{sub 2}(OH){sub 5}NO{sub 3}.1.5H{sub 2}O which have a corresponding value of 9.1 A and is consistent with the reduction in the co-intercalated water content of these materials. These new intercalation hosts have beenmore » shown to undergo facile anion exchange reactions with a wide range of organic carboxylate and sulfonate anions. These reactions produce phases with up to three times the interlayer separation of the host lattice demonstrating the flexibility of these materials. - Graphical abstract: New anion exchangeable layered hydroxynitrates, Ln{sub 2}(OH){sub 5}NO{sub 3}.H{sub 2}O (Ln=Y, Eu - Er) have been synthesized via a precipitation route. These materials have been shown to be very flexible intercalation hosts undergoing facile exchange reactions with organic carboxylate and sulfonate anions.« less

Theory of a quantum spin liquid in the hydrogen-intercalated honeycomb iridate H3LiIr2O6

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slagle, Kevin; Choi, Wonjune; Chern, Li Ern; Kim, Yong Baek

2018-03-01

We propose a theoretical model for a gapless spin liquid phase that may have been observed in a recent experiment on H3LiIr2O6 . Despite the insulating and nonmagnetic nature of the material, the specific heat coefficient C /T ˜1 /√{T } in zero magnetic field and C /T ˜T /B3 /2 with finite magnetic field B have been observed. In addition, the NMR relaxation rate shows 1 /(T1T ) ˜(C/T ) 2 . Motivated by the fact that the interlayer/in-plane lattice parameters are reduced/elongated by the hydrogen intercalation of the parent compound Li2IrO3 , we consider four layers of the Kitaev honeycomb lattice model with additional interlayer exchange interactions. It is shown that the resulting spin liquid excitations reside mostly in the top and bottom layers of such a layered structure and possess a quartic dispersion. In an applied magnetic field, each quartic mode is split into four Majorana cones with the velocity v ˜B3 /4 . We suggest that the spin liquid phase in these "defect" layers, placed between different stacking patterns of the honeycomb layers, can explain the major phenomenology of the experiment, which can be taken as evidence that the Kitaev interaction plays the primary role in the formation of a quantum spin liquid in this material.

Metal-boride phase formation on tungsten carbide (WC-Co) during microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnston, Jamin M.; Catledge, Shane A.

2016-02-01

Strengthening of cemented tungsten carbide by boriding is used to improve the wear resistance and lifetime of carbide tools; however, many conventional boriding techniques render the bulk carbide too brittle for extreme conditions, such as hard rock drilling. This research explored the variation in metal-boride phase formation during the microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition process at surface temperatures from 700 to 1100 °C. We showed several well-adhered metal-boride surface layers consisting of WCoB, CoB and/or W2CoB2 with average hardness from 23 to 27 GPa and average elastic modulus of 600-730 GPa. The metal-boride interlayer was shown to be an effective diffusion barrier against elemental cobalt; migration of elemental cobalt to the surface of the interlayer was significantly reduced. A combination of glancing angle X-ray diffraction, electron dispersive spectroscopy, nanoindentation and scratch testing was used to evaluate the surface composition and material properties. An evaluation of the material properties shows that plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposited borides formed at substrate temperatures of 800 °C, 850 °C, 900 °C and 1000 °C strengthen the material by increasing the hardness and elastic modulus of cemented tungsten carbide. Additionally, these boride surface layers may offer potential for adhesion of ultra-hard carbon coatings.

High-brightness laser imaging with tunable speckle reduction enabled by electroactive micro-optic diffusers.

PubMed

Farrokhi, Hamid; Rohith, Thazhe Madam; Boonruangkan, Jeeranan; Han, Seunghwoi; Kim, Hyunwoong; Kim, Seung-Woo; Kim, Young-Jin

2017-11-10

High coherence of lasers is desirable in high-speed, high-resolution, and wide-field imaging. However, it also causes unavoidable background speckle noise thus degrades the image quality in traditional microscopy and more significantly in interferometric quantitative phase imaging (QPI). QPI utilizes optical interference for high-precision measurement of the optical properties where the speckle can severely distort the information. To overcome this, we demonstrated a light source system having a wide tunability in the spatial coherence over 43% by controlling the illumination angle, scatterer's size, and the rotational speed of an electroactive-polymer rotational micro-optic diffuser. Spatially random phase modulation was implemented for the lower speckle imaging with over a 50% speckle reduction without a significant degradation in the temporal coherence. Our coherence control technique will provide a unique solution for a low-speckle, full-field, and coherent imaging in optically scattering media in the fields of healthcare sciences, material sciences and high-precision engineering.

Human subthalamic nucleus-medial frontal cortex theta phase coherence is involved in conflict and error related cortical monitoring.

PubMed

Zavala, Baltazar; Tan, Huiling; Ashkan, Keyoumars; Foltynie, Thomas; Limousin, Patricia; Zrinzo, Ludvic; Zaghloul, Kareem; Brown, Peter

2016-08-15

The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is thought to control the shift from automatic to controlled action selection when conflict is present or when mistakes have been recently committed. Growing evidence suggests that this process involves frequency specific communication in the theta (4-8Hz) band between the mPFC and the subthalamic nucleus (STN), which is the main target of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for Parkinson's disease. Key in this hypothesis is the finding that DBS can lead to impulsivity by disrupting the correlation between higher mPFC oscillations and slower reaction times during conflict. In order to test whether theta band coherence between the mPFC and the STN underlies adjustments to conflict and to errors, we simultaneously recorded mPFC and STN electrophysiological activity while DBS patients performed an arrowed flanker task. These recordings revealed higher theta phase coherence between the two sites during the high conflict trials relative to the low conflict trials. These differences were observed soon after conflicting arrows were displayed, but before a response was executed. Furthermore, trials that occurred after an error was committed showed higher phase coherence relative to trials that followed a correct trial, suggesting that mPFC-STN connectivity may also play a role in error related adjustments in behavior. Interestingly, the phase coherence we observed occurred before increases in theta power, implying that the theta phase and power may influence behavior at separate times during cortical monitoring. Finally, we showed that pre-stimulus differences in STN theta power were related to the reaction time on a given trial, which may help adjust behavior based on the probability of observing conflict during a task. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Label-free imaging of the dynamics of cell-to-cell string-like structure bridging in the free-space by low-coherent quantitative phase microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamauchi, Toyohiko; Iwai, Hidenao; Yamashita, Yutaka

2013-03-01

We succeeded in utilizing our low-coherent quantitative phase microscopy (LC-QPM) to achieve label-free and three-dimensional imaging of string-like structures bridging the free-space between live cells. In past studies, three dimensional morphology of the string-like structures between cells had been investigated by electron microscopies and fluorescence microscopies and these structures were called "membrane nanotubes" or "tunneling nanotubes." However, use of electron microscopy inevitably kills these cells and fluorescence microscopy is itself a potentially invasive method. To achieve noninvasive imaging of live cells, we applied our LC-QPM which is a reflection-type, phase resolved and full-field interference microscope employing a low-coherent light source. LC-QPM is able to visualize the three-dimensional morphology of live cells without labeling by means of low-coherence interferometry. The lateral (diffraction limit) and longitudinal (coherence-length) spatial resolution of LC-QPM were respectively 0.49 and 0.93 micrometers and the repeatability of the phase measurement was 0.02 radians (1.0 nm). We successfully obtained three-dimensional morphology of live cultured epithelial cells (cell type: HeLa, derived from cervix cancer) and were able to clearly observe the individual string-like structures interconnecting the cells. When we performed volumetric imaging, a 80 micrometer by 60 micrometer by 6.5 micrometer volume was scanned every 5.67 seconds and 70 frames of a three-dimensional movie were recorded for a duration of 397 seconds. Moreover, the optical phase images gave us detailed information about the three-dimensional morphology of the string-like structure at sub-wavelength resolution. We believe that our LC-QPM will be a useful tool for the study of three-dimensional morphology of live cells.

Nonlinear times series analysis of epileptic human electroencephalogram (EEG)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Dingzhou

The problem of seizure anticipation in patients with epilepsy has attracted significant attention in the past few years. In this paper we discuss two approaches, using methods of nonlinear time series analysis applied to scalp electrode recordings, which is able to distinguish between epochs temporally distant from and just prior to, the onset of a seizure in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy. First we describe a method involving a comparison of recordings taken from electrodes adjacent to and remote from the site of the seizure focus. In particular, we define a nonlinear quantity which we call marginal predictability. This quantity is computed using data from remote and from adjacent electrodes. We find that the difference between the marginal predictabilities computed for the remote and adjacent electrodes decreases several tens of minutes prior to seizure onset, compared to its value interictally. We also show that these difl'crcnc es of marginal predictability intervals are independent of the behavior state of the patient. Next we examine the please coherence between different electrodes both in the long-range and the short-range. When time is distant from seizure onsets ("interictally"), epileptic patients have lower long-range phase coherence in the delta (1-4Hz) and beta (18-30Hz) frequency band compared to nonepileptic subjects. When seizures approach (''preictally"), we observe an increase in phase coherence in the beta band. However, interictally there is no difference in short-range phase coherence between this cohort of patients and non-epileptic subjects. Preictally short-range phase coherence also increases in the alpha (10-13Hz) and the beta band. Next we apply the quantity marginal predictability on the phase difference time series. Such marginal predictabilities are lower in the patients than in the non-epileptic subjects. However, when seizure approaches, the former moves asymptotically towards the latter.

Effect of sulphur vacancy and interlayer interaction on the electronic structure and spin splitting of bilayer MoS2.

PubMed

Dong, Yulan; Zeng, Bowen; Xiao, Jin; Zhang, Xiaojiao; Li, Dongde; Li, Mingjun; He, Jun; Long, Mengqiu

2018-02-27

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) is one of the candidate materials for nanoelectronics and optoelectronics devices in the future. The electronic and magnetic properties of MoS 2 can be regulated by interlayer interaction and the vacancy effect. Nevertheless, the combined effect of these two factors on MoS 2 is not clearly understood. In this study, we have investigated the impact of a single S vacancy combined with interlayer interaction on the properties of bilayer MoS 2 . Our calculated results show that an S vacancy brings impurity states in the band structure of bilayer MoS 2 , and the energy level of the impurity states can be affected by the interlayer distance, which finally disappears in the bulk state when the layer distance is relatively small. Moreover, during the compression of bilayer MoS 2 , the bottom layer, where the S vacancy stays, gets an additional charge due to interlayer charge transfer, which first increases, and then decreases due to gradually forming the interlayer S-S covalent bond, as interlayer distance decreases. The change of the additional charge is consistent with the change of the total magnetic moment of the bottom layers, no magnetic moment has been found in the top layer. The distribution of magnetic moment mainly concentrates on the three Mo atoms around the S vacancy, for each of which the magnetic moment is very much related to the Mo-Mo length. Our conclusion is that the interlayer charge transfer and S vacancy co-determine the magnetic properties of this system, which may be a useful way to regulate the electronic and magnetic properties of MoS 2 for potential applications.

Effects of exchanged cation and layer charge on the sorption of water and EGME vapors on montmorillonite clays

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chiou, Cary T.; Rutherford, David W.

1997-01-01

The effects of exchanged cation and layer charge on the sorption of water and ethylene glycol monoethyl ether (EGME) vapors on montmorillonite have been studied on SAz-1 and SWy-1 source clays, each exchanged respectively with Ca, Na, K, Cs and tetramethylammonium (TMA) cations. The corresponding lattice expansions were also determined, and the corresponding N2 adsorption data were provided for comparison. For clays exchanged with cations of low hydrating powers (such as K, Cs and TMA), water shows a notably lower uptake than does N2 at low relative pressures (P/P0). By contrast, EGME shows higher uptakes than N2 on all exchanged clays at all P/P0. The anomaly for water is attributed to its relatively low attraction for siloxane surfaces of montmorillonite because of its high cohesive energy density. In addition to solvating cations and expanding interlayers, water and EGME vapors condense into small clay pores and interlayer voids created by interlayer expansion. The initial (dry) interlayer separation varies more significantly with cation type than with layer charge; the water-saturated interlayer separation varies more with cation type than the EGME-saturated interlayer separation. Because of the differences in surface adsorption and interlayer expansion for water and EGME, no general correspondence is found between the isotherms of water and EGME on exchanged clays, nor is a simple relation observed between the overall uptake of either vapor and the cation solvating power. The excess interlayer capacities of water and of EGME that result from lattice expansion of the exchanged clays are estimated by correcting for amounts of vapor adsorption on planar clay surfaces and of vapor condensation into intrinsic clay pores. The resulting data follow more closely the relative solvating powers of the exchanged cations.

Effect of sulphur vacancy and interlayer interaction on the electronic structure and spin splitting of bilayer MoS2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Yulan; Zeng, Bowen; Xiao, Jin; Zhang, Xiaojiao; Li, Dongde; Li, Mingjun; He, Jun; Long, Mengqiu

2018-03-01

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is one of the candidate materials for nanoelectronics and optoelectronics devices in the future. The electronic and magnetic properties of MoS2 can be regulated by interlayer interaction and the vacancy effect. Nevertheless, the combined effect of these two factors on MoS2 is not clearly understood. In this study, we have investigated the impact of a single S vacancy combined with interlayer interaction on the properties of bilayer MoS2. Our calculated results show that an S vacancy brings impurity states in the band structure of bilayer MoS2, and the energy level of the impurity states can be affected by the interlayer distance, which finally disappears in the bulk state when the layer distance is relatively small. Moreover, during the compression of bilayer MoS2, the bottom layer, where the S vacancy stays, gets an additional charge due to interlayer charge transfer, which first increases, and then decreases due to gradually forming the interlayer S-S covalent bond, as interlayer distance decreases. The change of the additional charge is consistent with the change of the total magnetic moment of the bottom layers, no magnetic moment has been found in the top layer. The distribution of magnetic moment mainly concentrates on the three Mo atoms around the S vacancy, for each of which the magnetic moment is very much related to the Mo-Mo length. Our conclusion is that the interlayer charge transfer and S vacancy co-determine the magnetic properties of this system, which may be a useful way to regulate the electronic and magnetic properties of MoS2 for potential applications.

Linear canonical transformations of coherent and squeezed states in the Wigner phase space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Han, D.; Kim, Y. S.; Noz, Marilyn E.

1988-01-01

It is shown that classical linear canonical transformations are possible in the Wigner phase space. Coherent and squeezed states are shown to be linear canonical transforms of the ground-state harmonic oscillator. It is therefore possible to evaluate the Wigner functions for coherent and squeezed states from that for the harmonic oscillator. Since the group of linear canonical transformations has a subgroup whose algebraic property is the same as that of the (2+1)-dimensional Lorentz group, it may be possible to test certain properties of the Lorentz group using optical devices. A possible experiment to measure the Wigner rotation angle is discussed.

Time-resolved coherent X-ray diffraction imaging of surface acoustic waves

PubMed Central

Nicolas, Jan-David; Reusch, Tobias; Osterhoff, Markus; Sprung, Michael; Schülein, Florian J. R.; Krenner, Hubert J.; Wixforth, Achim; Salditt, Tim

2014-01-01

Time-resolved coherent X-ray diffraction experiments of standing surface acoustic waves, illuminated under grazing incidence by a nanofocused synchrotron beam, are reported. The data have been recorded in stroboscopic mode at controlled and varied phase between the acoustic frequency generator and the synchrotron bunch train. At each time delay (phase angle), the coherent far-field diffraction pattern in the small-angle regime is inverted by an iterative algorithm to yield the local instantaneous surface height profile along the optical axis. The results show that periodic nanoscale dynamics can be imaged at high temporal resolution in the range of 50 ps (pulse length). PMID:25294979

Modulated Source Interferometry with Combined Amplitude and Frequency Modulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gutierrez, Roman C. (Inventor)

1998-01-01

An improved interferometer is produced by modifying a conventional interferometer to include amplitude and/or frequency modulation of a coherent light source at radio or higher frequencies. The phase of the modulation signal can be detected in an interfering beam from an interferometer and can be used to determine the actual optical phase of the beam. As such, this improvement can be adapted to virtually any two-beam interferometer, including: Michelson, Mach-Zehnder, and Sagnac interferometers. The use of an amplitude modulated coherent tight source results in an interferometer that combines the wide range advantages of coherent interferometry with the precise distance measurement advantages of white light interferometry.

Time-resolved coherent X-ray diffraction imaging of surface acoustic waves.

PubMed

Nicolas, Jan-David; Reusch, Tobias; Osterhoff, Markus; Sprung, Michael; Schülein, Florian J R; Krenner, Hubert J; Wixforth, Achim; Salditt, Tim

2014-10-01

Time-resolved coherent X-ray diffraction experiments of standing surface acoustic waves, illuminated under grazing incidence by a nanofocused synchrotron beam, are reported. The data have been recorded in stroboscopic mode at controlled and varied phase between the acoustic frequency generator and the synchrotron bunch train. At each time delay (phase angle), the coherent far-field diffraction pattern in the small-angle regime is inverted by an iterative algorithm to yield the local instantaneous surface height profile along the optical axis. The results show that periodic nanoscale dynamics can be imaged at high temporal resolution in the range of 50 ps (pulse length).

Observation of van Hove Singularities in Twisted Silicene Multilayers.

PubMed

Li, Zhi; Zhuang, Jincheng; Chen, Lan; Ni, Zhenyi; Liu, Chen; Wang, Li; Xu, Xun; Wang, Jiaou; Pi, Xiaodong; Wang, Xiaolin; Du, Yi; Wu, Kehui; Dou, Shi Xue

2016-08-24

Interlayer interactions perturb the electronic structure of two-dimensional materials and lead to new physical phenomena, such as van Hove singularities and Hofstadter's butterfly pattern. Silicene, the recently discovered two-dimensional form of silicon, is quite unique, in that silicon atoms adopt competing sp(2) and sp(3) hybridization states leading to a low-buckled structure promising relatively strong interlayer interaction. In multilayer silicene, the stacking order provides an important yet rarely explored degree of freedom for tuning its electronic structures through manipulating interlayer coupling. Here, we report the emergence of van Hove singularities in the multilayer silicene created by an interlayer rotation. We demonstrate that even a large-angle rotation (>20°) between stacked silicene layers can generate a Moiré pattern and van Hove singularities due to the strong interlayer coupling in multilayer silicene. Our study suggests an intriguing method for expanding the tunability of the electronic structure for electronic applications in this two-dimensional material.

Temperature dependence of interlayer coupling in perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions with GdOx barriers

DOE PAGES

Newhouse-Illige, T.; Xu, Y. H.; Liu, Y. H.; ...

2018-02-13

Perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions with GdO X tunneling barriers have shown a unique voltage controllable interlayer magnetic coupling effect. Here we investigate the quality of the GdO X barrier and the coupling mechanism in these junctions by examining the temperature dependence of the tunneling magnetoresistance and the interlayer coupling from room temperature down to 11 K. The barrier is shown to be of good quality with the spin independent conductance only contributing a small portion, 14%, to the total room temperature conductance, similar to AlO X and MgO barriers. The interlayer coupling, however, shows an anomalously strong temperature dependence includingmore » sign changes below 80 K. This non-trivial temperature dependence is not described by previous models of interlayer coupling and may be due to the large induced magnetic moment of the Gd ions in the barrier.« less

Magnetron sputtered zinc oxide nanorods as thickness-insensitive cathode interlayer for perovskite planar-heterojunction solar cells.

PubMed

Liang, Lusheng; Huang, Zhifeng; Cai, Longhua; Chen, Weizhong; Wang, Baozeng; Chen, Kaiwu; Bai, Hua; Tian, Qingyong; Fan, Bin

2014-12-10

Suitable electrode interfacial layers are essential to the high performance of perovskite planar heterojunction solar cells. In this letter, we report magnetron sputtered zinc oxide (ZnO) film as the cathode interlayer for methylammonium lead iodide (CH3NH3PbI3) perovskite solar cell. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis demonstrate that the sputtered ZnO films consist of c-axis aligned nanorods. The solar cells based on this ZnO cathode interlayer showed high short circuit current and power conversion efficiency. Besides, the performance of the device is insensitive to the thickness of ZnO cathode interlayer. Considering the high reliability and maturity of sputtering technique both in lab and industry, we believe that the sputtered ZnO films are promising cathode interlayers for perovskite solar cells, especially in large-scale production.

Temperature dependence of interlayer coupling in perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions with GdOx barriers

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

Newhouse-Illige, T.; Xu, Y. H.; Liu, Y. H.

Perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions with GdO X tunneling barriers have shown a unique voltage controllable interlayer magnetic coupling effect. Here we investigate the quality of the GdO X barrier and the coupling mechanism in these junctions by examining the temperature dependence of the tunneling magnetoresistance and the interlayer coupling from room temperature down to 11 K. The barrier is shown to be of good quality with the spin independent conductance only contributing a small portion, 14%, to the total room temperature conductance, similar to AlO X and MgO barriers. The interlayer coupling, however, shows an anomalously strong temperature dependence includingmore » sign changes below 80 K. This non-trivial temperature dependence is not described by previous models of interlayer coupling and may be due to the large induced magnetic moment of the Gd ions in the barrier.« less

Evolution of mechanical response of sodium montmorillonite interlayer with increasing hydration by molecular dynamics.

PubMed

Schmidt, Steven R; Katti, Dinesh R; Ghosh, Pijush; Katti, Kalpana S

2005-08-16

The mechanical response of the interlayer of hydrated montmorillonite was evaluated using steered molecular dynamics. An atomic model of the sodium montmorillonite was previously constructed. In the current study, the interlayer of the model was hydrated with multiple layers of water. Using steered molecular dynamics, external forces were applied to individual atoms of the clay surface, and the response of the model was studied. The displacement versus applied stress and stress versus strain relationships of various parts of the interlayer were studied. The paper describes the construction of the model, the simulation procedure, and results of the simulations. Some results of the previous work are further interpreted in the light of the current research. The simulations provide quantitative stress deformation relationships as well as an insight into the molecular interactions taking place between the clay surface and interlayer water and cations.

Electronic cooling via interlayer Coulomb coupling in multilayer epitaxial graphene

PubMed Central

Mihnev, Momchil T.; Tolsma, John R.; Divin, Charles J.; Sun, Dong; Asgari, Reza; Polini, Marco; Berger, Claire; de Heer, Walt A.; MacDonald, Allan H.; Norris, Theodore B.

2015-01-01

In van der Waals bonded or rotationally disordered multilayer stacks of two-dimensional (2D) materials, the electronic states remain tightly confined within individual 2D layers. As a result, electron–phonon interactions occur primarily within layers and interlayer electrical conductivities are low. In addition, strong covalent in-plane intralayer bonding combined with weak van der Waals interlayer bonding results in weak phonon-mediated thermal coupling between the layers. We demonstrate here, however, that Coulomb interactions between electrons in different layers of multilayer epitaxial graphene provide an important mechanism for interlayer thermal transport, even though all electronic states are strongly confined within individual 2D layers. This effect is manifested in the relaxation dynamics of hot carriers in ultrafast time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy. We develop a theory of interlayer Coulomb coupling containing no free parameters that accounts for the experimentally observed trends in hot-carrier dynamics as temperature and the number of layers is varied. PMID:26399955

An instrument for in situ coherent x-ray studies of metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy of III-nitrides

DOE PAGES

Ju, Guangxu; Highland, Matthew J.; Yanguas-Gil, Angel; ...

2017-03-21

Here, we describe an instrument that exploits the ongoing revolution in synchrotron sources, optics, and detectors to enable in situ studies of metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) growth of III-nitride materials using coherent x-ray methods. The system includes high-resolution positioning of the sample and detector including full rotations, an x-ray transparent chamber wall for incident and diffracted beam access over a wide angular range, and minimal thermal sample motion, giving the sub-micron positional stability and reproducibility needed for coherent x-ray studies. The instrument enables surface x-ray photon correlation spectroscopy, microbeam diffraction, and coherent diffraction imaging of atomic-scale surface and filmmore » structure and dynamics during growth, to provide fundamental understanding of MOVPE processes.« less

Coherent receiver design based on digital signal processing in optical high-speed intersatellite links with M-phase-shift keying

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaefer, Semjon; Gregory, Mark; Rosenkranz, Werner

2016-11-01

We present simulative and experimental investigations of different coherent receiver designs for high-speed optical intersatellite links. We focus on frequency offset (FO) compensation in homodyne and intradyne detection systems. The considered laser communication terminal uses an optical phase-locked loop (OPLL), which ensures stable homodyne detection. However, the hardware complexity increases with the modulation order. Therefore, we show that software-based intradyne detection is an attractive alternative for OPLL-based homodyne systems. Our approach is based on digital FO and phase noise compensation, in order to achieve a more flexible coherent detection scheme. Analytic results will further show the theoretical impact of the different detection schemes on the receiver sensitivity. Finally, we compare the schemes in terms of bit error ratio measurements and optimal receiver design.

Phase Averaged Measurements of the Coherent Structure of a Mach Number 0.6 Jet. M.S. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Emami, S.

1983-01-01

The existence of a large scale structure in a Mach number 0.6, axisymmetric jet of cold air was proven. In order to further characterize the coherent structure, phase averaged measurements of the axial mass velocity, radial velocity, and the product of the two were made. These measurements yield information about the percent of the total fluctuations contained in the coherent structure. These measured values were compared to the total fluctuation levels for each quantity and the result expressed as a percent of the total fluctuation level contained in the organized structure at a given frequency. These measurements were performed for five frequencies (St=0.16, 0.32, 0.474, 0.95, and 1.26). All of the phase averaged measurements required that the jet be artificially excited.

A Second-Order Phase Transition as a Limit of the First-Order Phase Transitions —Coherent Anomalies and Critical Phenomena in the Potts Models—

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katori, Makoto

1988-12-01

A new scheme of the coherent-anomaly method (CAM) is proposed to study critical phenomena in the models for which a mean-field description gives spurious first-order phase transition. A canonical series of mean-field-type approximations are constructed so that the spurious discontinuity should vanish asymptotically as the approximate critical temperature approachs the true value. The true value of the critical exponents β and γ are related to the coherent-anomaly exponents defined among the classical approximations. The formulation is demonstrated in the two-dimensional q-state Potts models for q{=}3 and 4. The result shows that the present method enables us to estimate the critical exponents with high accuracy by using the date of the cluster-mean-field approximations.

Quasi-two-dimensional fluctuations in the magnetization of L a 1.9 C a 1.1 C u 2 O 6 + δ superconductors

DOE PAGES

Shi, Xiaoya; Dimitrov, I. K.; Ozaki, Toshinori; ...

2017-11-01

We report the results of magnetization measurements with the magnetic field applied along the c axis on superconducting La 1.9Ca 1.1Cu 2O 6+δ single crystals processed under ultrahigh oxygen pressure. Strong fluctuation effects were found in both low- and high-field regimes. Scaling analysis of the high-field magnetization data near the critical temperature (T c = 53.5K) region reveals the characteristics of critical fluctuation behavior of quasi-two-dimensional (2D) superconductivity, described by Ginzburg-Landau theory using the lowest Landau level approximation. Low-field magnetic susceptibility data can be successfully explained by the Lawrence-Doniach model for a quasi-2D superconductor, from which we obtained the amore » b plane Ginzburg-Landau coherence length of this system, ξ ab(0) = 11.8 ± 0.9 Å . The coherence length along the c axis, ξ c(0), is estimated to be about 1.65 Å, which is in between those of 2D cuprate systems, such as Bi 2Sr 2Ca 2Cu 3O 10 and Bi 2Sr 2CaCu 2O 8, and quasi-three-dimensional (3D) cuprate systems, such as overdoped La 2-xSr xCuO 4 and YBa 2Cu 3O 7-δ. Our studies suggest a strong interplay among the fluctuation effects, dimensionalities, and the ratios of the interlayer Cu-O plane spacing, s , to the c-axis coherence lengths. A high s/ξ c(0) was observed in the high-pressure oxygenated La 1.9Ca 1.1Cu 2O 6+δ, and that apparently drives this system to behave more like a quasi-2D superconductor.« less

Quasi-two-dimensional fluctuations in the magnetization of L a 1.9 C a 1.1 C u 2 O 6 + δ superconductors

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

Shi, Xiaoya; Dimitrov, I. K.; Ozaki, Toshinori

We report the results of magnetization measurements with the magnetic field applied along the c axis on superconducting La 1.9Ca 1.1Cu 2O 6+δ single crystals processed under ultrahigh oxygen pressure. Strong fluctuation effects were found in both low- and high-field regimes. Scaling analysis of the high-field magnetization data near the critical temperature (T c = 53.5K) region reveals the characteristics of critical fluctuation behavior of quasi-two-dimensional (2D) superconductivity, described by Ginzburg-Landau theory using the lowest Landau level approximation. Low-field magnetic susceptibility data can be successfully explained by the Lawrence-Doniach model for a quasi-2D superconductor, from which we obtained the amore » b plane Ginzburg-Landau coherence length of this system, ξ ab(0) = 11.8 ± 0.9 Å . The coherence length along the c axis, ξ c(0), is estimated to be about 1.65 Å, which is in between those of 2D cuprate systems, such as Bi 2Sr 2Ca 2Cu 3O 10 and Bi 2Sr 2CaCu 2O 8, and quasi-three-dimensional (3D) cuprate systems, such as overdoped La 2-xSr xCuO 4 and YBa 2Cu 3O 7-δ. Our studies suggest a strong interplay among the fluctuation effects, dimensionalities, and the ratios of the interlayer Cu-O plane spacing, s , to the c-axis coherence lengths. A high s/ξ c(0) was observed in the high-pressure oxygenated La 1.9Ca 1.1Cu 2O 6+δ, and that apparently drives this system to behave more like a quasi-2D superconductor.« less

Nanoscale phase engineering of thermal transport with a Josephson heat modulator.

PubMed

Fornieri, Antonio; Blanc, Christophe; Bosisio, Riccardo; D'Ambrosio, Sophie; Giazotto, Francesco

2016-03-01

Macroscopic quantum phase coherence has one of its pivotal expressions in the Josephson effect, which manifests itself both in charge and energy transport. The ability to master the amount of heat transferred through two tunnel-coupled superconductors by tuning their phase difference is the core of coherent caloritronics, and is expected to be a key tool in a number of nanoscience fields, including solid-state cooling, thermal isolation, radiation detection, quantum information and thermal logic. Here, we show the realization of the first balanced Josephson heat modulator designed to offer full control at the nanoscale over the phase-coherent component of thermal currents. Our device provides magnetic-flux-dependent temperature modulations up to 40 mK in amplitude with a maximum of the flux-to-temperature transfer coefficient reaching 200 mK per flux quantum at a bath temperature of 25 mK. Foremost, it demonstrates the exact correspondence in the phase engineering of charge and heat currents, breaking ground for advanced caloritronic nanodevices such as thermal splitters, heat pumps and time-dependent electronic engines.

Turbulence in the Ott-Antonsen equation for arrays of coupled phase oscillators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolfrum, M.; Gurevich, S. V.; Omel'chenko, O. E.

2016-02-01

In this paper we study the transition to synchrony in an one-dimensional array of oscillators with non-local coupling. For its description in the continuum limit of a large number of phase oscillators, we use a corresponding Ott-Antonsen equation, which is an integro-differential equation for the evolution of the macroscopic profiles of the local mean field. Recently, it was reported that in the spatially extended case at the synchronisation threshold there appear partially coherent plane waves with different wave numbers, which are organised in the well-known Eckhaus scenario. In this paper, we show that for Kuramoto-Sakaguchi phase oscillators the phase lag parameter in the interaction function can induce a Benjamin-Feir-type instability of the partially coherent plane waves. The emerging collective macroscopic chaos appears as an intermediate stage between complete incoherence and stable partially coherent plane waves. We give an analytic treatment of the Benjamin-Feir instability and its onset in a codimension-two bifurcation in the Ott-Antonsen equation as well as a numerical study of the transition from phase turbulence to amplitude turbulence inside the Benjamin-Feir unstable region.

Coherently coupled high-power fiber arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderegg, Jesse; Brosnan, Stephen; Cheung, Eric; Epp, Paul; Hammons, Dennis; Komine, Hiroshi; Weber, Mark; Wickham, Michael

2006-02-01

A four-element fiber array has demonstrated 470 watts of coherently phased, linearly polarized light energy in a single far-field spot. Each element consists of a single-mode fiber-amplifier chain. Phase control of each element is achieved with a Lithium-Niobate phase modulator. A master laser provides a linearly polarized, narrow linewidth signal that is split into five channels. Four channels are individually amplified using polarization maintaining fiber power amplifiers. The fifth channel is used as a reference arm. It is frequency shifted and then combined interferometrically with a portion of each channel's signal. Detectors sense the heterodyne modulation signal, and an electronics circuit measures the relative phase for each channel. Compensating adjustments are then made to each channel's phase modulator. This effort represents the results of a multi-year effort to achieve high power from a single element fiber amplifier and to understand the important issues involved in coherently combining many individual elements to obtain sufficient optical power for directed energy weapons. Northrop Grumman Corporation and the High Energy Laser Joint Technology Office jointly sponsored this work.

Nanoscale phase engineering of thermal transport with a Josephson heat modulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fornieri, Antonio; Blanc, Christophe; Bosisio, Riccardo; D'Ambrosio, Sophie; Giazotto, Francesco

2016-03-01

Macroscopic quantum phase coherence has one of its pivotal expressions in the Josephson effect, which manifests itself both in charge and energy transport. The ability to master the amount of heat transferred through two tunnel-coupled superconductors by tuning their phase difference is the core of coherent caloritronics, and is expected to be a key tool in a number of nanoscience fields, including solid-state cooling, thermal isolation, radiation detection, quantum information and thermal logic. Here, we show the realization of the first balanced Josephson heat modulator designed to offer full control at the nanoscale over the phase-coherent component of thermal currents. Our device provides magnetic-flux-dependent temperature modulations up to 40 mK in amplitude with a maximum of the flux-to-temperature transfer coefficient reaching 200 mK per flux quantum at a bath temperature of 25 mK. Foremost, it demonstrates the exact correspondence in the phase engineering of charge and heat currents, breaking ground for advanced caloritronic nanodevices such as thermal splitters, heat pumps and time-dependent electronic engines.

Thermal quantum coherence and correlation in the extended XY spin chain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sha, Ya-Ting; Wang, Yue; Sun, Zheng-Hang; Hou, Xi-Wen

2018-05-01

Quantum coherence and correlation of thermal states in the extended XY spin chain are studied in terms of the recently proposed l1 norm, skew information, and Bures distance of geometry discord (BGD), respectively. The entanglement measured via concurrence is calculated for reference. A two-dimensional susceptibility is introduced to explore their capability in highlighting the critical lines associated with quantum phase transitions in the model. It is shown that the susceptibility of the skew information and BGD is a genuine indicator of quantum phase transitions, and characterizes the factorization. However, the l1 norm is trivial for the factorization. An explicit scaling law of BGD is captured at low temperature in the XY model. In contrast to the entanglement, quantum coherence reveals a kind of long-range nonclassical correlation. Moreover, the obvious relation among model parameters is extracted for the factorized line in the extended model. Those are instructive for the understanding of quantum coherence and correlation in the theory of quantum information, and quantum phase transitions and factorization in condensed-matter physics.

Nano-sized Superlattice Clusters Created by Oxygen Ordering in Mechanically Alloyed Fe Alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Yong-Jie; Li, Jing; Darling, Kristopher A.; Wang, William Y.; Vanleeuwen, Brian K.; Liu, Xuan L.; Kecskes, Laszlo J.; Dickey, Elizabeth C.; Liu, Zi-Kui

2015-07-01

Creating and maintaining precipitates coherent with the host matrix, under service conditions is one of the most effective approaches for successful development of alloys for high temperature applications; prominent examples include Ni- and Co-based superalloys and Al alloys. While ferritic alloys are among the most important structural engineering alloys in our society, no reliable coherent precipitates stable at high temperatures have been found for these alloys. Here we report discovery of a new, nano-sized superlattice (NSS) phase in ball-milled Fe alloys, which maintains coherency with the BCC matrix up to at least 913 °C. Different from other precipitates in ferritic alloys, this NSS phase is created by oxygen-ordering in the BCC Fe matrix. It is proposed that this phase has a chemistry of Fe3O and a D03 crystal structure and becomes more stable with the addition of Zr. These nano-sized coherent precipitates effectively double the strength of the BCC matrix above that provided by grain size reduction alone. This discovery provides a new opportunity for developing high-strength ferritic alloys for high temperature applications.

Coherent Charge Transport in Ballistic InSb Nanowire Josephson Junctions

PubMed Central

Li, S.; Kang, N.; Fan, D. X.; Wang, L. B.; Huang, Y. Q.; Caroff, P.; Xu, H. Q.

2016-01-01

Hybrid InSb nanowire-superconductor devices are promising for investigating Majorana modes and topological quantum computation in solid-state devices. An experimental realisation of ballistic, phase-coherent superconductor-nanowire hybrid devices is a necessary step towards engineering topological superconducting electronics. Here, we report on a low-temperature transport study of Josephson junction devices fabricated from InSb nanowires grown by molecular-beam epitaxy and provide a clear evidence for phase-coherent, ballistic charge transport through the nanowires in the junctions. We demonstrate that our devices show gate-tunable proximity-induced supercurrent and clear signatures of multiple Andreev reflections in the differential conductance, indicating phase-coherent transport within the junctions. We also observe periodic modulations of the critical current that can be associated with the Fabry-Pérot interference in the nanowires in the ballistic transport regime. Our work shows that the InSb nanowires grown by molecular-beam epitaxy are of excellent material quality and hybrid superconducting devices made from these nanowires are highly desirable for investigation of the novel physics in topological states of matter and for applications in topological quantum electronics. PMID:27102689

Coherent Behavior and the Bound State of Water and K+ Imply Another Model of Bioenergetics: Negative Entropy Instead of High-energy Bonds

PubMed Central

Jaeken, Laurent; Vasilievich Matveev, Vladimir

2012-01-01

Observations of coherent cellular behavior cannot be integrated into widely accepted membrane (pump) theory (MT) and its steady state energetics because of the thermal noise of assumed ordinary cell water and freely soluble cytoplasmic K+. However, Ling disproved MT and proposed an alternative based on coherence, showing that rest (R) and action (A) are two different phases of protoplasm with different energy levels. The R-state is a coherent metastable low-entropy state as water and K+ are bound to unfolded proteins. The A-state is the higher-entropy state because water and K+ are free. The R-to-A phase transition is regarded as a mechanism to release energy for biological work, replacing the classical concept of high-energy bonds. Subsequent inactivation during the endergonic A-to-R phase transition needs an input of metabolic energy to restore the low entropy R-state. Matveev’s native aggregation hypothesis allows to integrate the energetic details of globular proteins into this view. PMID:23264833

Coherent generation of symmetry-forbidden phonons by light-induced electron-phonon interactions in magnetite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borroni, S.; Baldini, E.; Katukuri, V. M.; Mann, A.; Parlinski, K.; Legut, D.; Arrell, C.; van Mourik, F.; Teyssier, J.; Kozlowski, A.; Piekarz, P.; Yazyev, O. V.; Oleś, A. M.; Lorenzana, J.; Carbone, F.

2017-09-01

Symmetry breaking across phase transitions often causes changes in selection rules and emergence of optical modes which can be detected via spectroscopic techniques or generated coherently in pump-probe experiments. In second-order or weakly first-order transitions, fluctuations of the ordering field are present above the ordering temperature, giving rise to intriguing precursor phenomena, such as critical opalescence. Here, we demonstrate that in magnetite (Fe3O4 ) light excitation couples to the critical fluctuations of the charge order and coherently generates structural modes of the ordered phase above the critical temperature of the Verwey transition. Our findings are obtained by detecting coherent oscillations of the optical constants through ultrafast broadband spectroscopy and analyzing their dependence on temperature. To unveil the coupling between the structural modes and the electronic excitations, at the origin of the Verwey transition, we combine our results from pump-probe experiments with spontaneous Raman scattering data and theoretical calculations of both the phonon dispersion curves and the optical constants. Our methodology represents an effective tool to study the real-time dynamics of critical fluctuations across phase transitions.

The origin of non-classical effects in a one-dimensional superposition of coherent states

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buzek, V.; Knight, P. L.; Barranco, A. Vidiella

1992-01-01

We investigate the nature of the quantum fluctuations in a light field created by the superposition of coherent fields. We give a physical explanation (in terms of Wigner functions and phase-space interference) why the 1-D superposition of coherent states in the direction of the x-quadrature leads to the squeezing of fluctuations in the y-direction, and show that such a superposition can generate the squeezed vacuum and squeezed coherent states.

Matter wave coupling of spatially separated and unequally pumped polariton condensates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalinin, Kirill P.; Lagoudakis, Pavlos G.; Berloff, Natalia G.

2018-03-01

Spatial quantum coherence between two separated driven-dissipative polariton condensates created nonresonantly and with a different occupation is studied. We identify the regions where the condensates remain coherent with the phase difference continuously changing with the pumping imbalance and the regions where each condensate acquires its own chemical potential with phase differences exhibiting time-dependent oscillations. We show that in the mutual coherence limit the coupling consists of two competing contributions: a symmetric Heisenberg exchange and the Dzyloshinskii-Moriya asymmetric interactions that enable a continuous tuning of the phase relation across the dyad and derive analytic expressions for these types of interactions. The introduction of nonequal pumping increases the complexity of the type of problems that can be solved by polariton condensates arranged in a graph configuration. If equally pumped polaritons condensates arrange their phases to solve the constrained quadratic minimisation problem with a real symmetric matrix, the nonequally pumped condensates solve that problem for a general Hermitian matrix.

Epochs of phase coherence between El Niño/Southern Oscillation and Indian monsoon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maraun, D.; Kurths, J.

2005-08-01

We present a modern method used in nonlinear time series analysis to investigate the relation of two oscillating systems with respect to their phases, independently of their amplitudes. We study the difference of the phase dynamics between El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Indian Monsoon on inter-annual time scales. We identify distinct epochs, especially two intervals of phase coherence, 1886-1908 and 1964-1980, corroborating earlier findings from a new point of view. A significance test shows that the coherence is very unlikely to be the result of stochastic fluctuations. We also detect so far unknown periods of coupling which are invisible to linear methods. These findings suggest that the decreasing correlation during the last decades might be a typical epoch of the ENSO/Monsoon system having occurred repeatedly. The high time resolution of the method enables us to present an interpretation of how volcanic radiative forcing could cause the coupling.

Inter-layer potential for hexagonal boron nitride

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leven, Itai; Azuri, Ido; Kronik, Leeor; Hod, Oded

2014-03-01

A new interlayer force-field for layered hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) based structures is presented. The force-field contains three terms representing the interlayer attraction due to dispersive interactions, repulsion due to anisotropic overlaps of electron clouds, and monopolar electrostatic interactions. With appropriate parameterization, the potential is able to simultaneously capture well the binding and lateral sliding energies of planar h-BN based dimer systems as well as the interlayer telescoping and rotation of double walled boron-nitride nanotubes of different crystallographic orientations. The new potential thus allows for the accurate and efficient modeling and simulation of large-scale h-BN based layered structures.

Plasticized Polymer Interlayer for Low-Temperature Fabrication of a High-Quality Silver Nanowire-Based Flexible Transparent and Conductive Film

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

Jo, Wonhee; Kang, Hong Suk; Choi, Jaeho

Silver nanowires (AgNWs) are one of the most promising materials to replace commercially available indium tin oxide in flexible transparent conductive films (TCFs); however, there are still numerous problems originating from poor AgNW junction formation and improper AgNW embedment into transparent substrates. To mitigate these problems, high-temperature processes have been adopted; however, unwanted substrate deformation prevents the use of these processes for the formation of flexible TCFs. In this work, we present a novel poly(methyl methacrylate) interlayer plasticized by dibutyl phthalate for low-temperature fabrication of AgNW-based TCFs, which does not cause any substrate deformation. By exploiting the viscoelastic properties ofmore » the plasticized interlayer near the lowered glass-transition temperature, a monolithic junction of AgNWs on the interlayer and embedment of the interconnected AgNWs into the interlayer are achieved in a single-step pressing. The resulting AgNW-TCFs are highly transparent (~92% at a wavelength of 550 nm), highly conductive (<90 Ω/sq), and environmentally and mechanically robust. Therefore, the plasticized interlayer provides a simple and effective route to fabricate high-quality AgNW-based TCFs.« less

SPECIAL ISSUE ON OPTICAL PROCESSING OF INFORMATION: Phase of an optical wave as an additional degree of freedom in optical information processing systems based on optical bistability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basharov, Askhat M.

1995-10-01

It is shown theoretically that additional illumination by a squeezed field of a thin layer of two-level atoms, which interact with a resonant coherent electromagnetic wave, results in bistable transmission/reflection of this wave. This bistability depends strongly on the difference between the phases of the coherent and squeezed fields.

Weak-field multiphoton femtosecond coherent control in the single-cycle regime.

PubMed

Chuntonov, Lev; Fleischer, Avner; Amitay, Zohar

2011-03-28

Weak-field coherent phase control of atomic non-resonant multiphoton excitation induced by shaped femtosecond pulses is studied theoretically in the single-cycle regime. The carrier-envelope phase (CEP) of the pulse, which in the multi-cycle regime does not play any control role, is shown here to be a new effective control parameter that its effect is highly sensitive to the spectral position of the ultrabroad spectrum. Rationally chosen position of the ultrabroadband spectrum coherently induces several groups of multiphoton transitions from the ground state to the excited state of the system: transitions involving only absorbed photons as well as Raman transitions involving both absorbed and emitted photons. The intra-group interference is controlled by the relative spectral phase of the different frequency components of the pulse, while the inter-group interference is controlled jointly by the CEP and the relative spectral phase. Specifically, non-resonant two- and three-photon excitation is studied in a simple model system within the perturbative frequency-domain framework. The developed intuition is then applied to weak-field multiphoton excitation of atomic cesium (Cs), where the simplified model is verified by non-perturbative numerical solution of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation. We expect this work to serve as a basis for a new line of femtosecond coherent control experiments.

Neuronal Networks during Burst Suppression as Revealed by Source Analysis

PubMed Central

Reinicke, Christine; Moeller, Friederike; Anwar, Abdul Rauf; Mideksa, Kidist Gebremariam; Pressler, Ronit; Deuschl, Günther; Stephani, Ulrich; Siniatchkin, Michael

2015-01-01

Introduction Burst-suppression (BS) is an electroencephalography (EEG) pattern consisting of alternant periods of slow waves of high amplitude (burst) and periods of so called flat EEG (suppression). It is generally associated with coma of various etiologies (hypoxia, drug-related intoxication, hypothermia, and childhood encephalopathies, but also anesthesia). Animal studies suggest that both the cortex and the thalamus are involved in the generation of BS. However, very little is known about mechanisms of BS in humans. The aim of this study was to identify the neuronal network underlying both burst and suppression phases using source reconstruction and analysis of functional and effective connectivity in EEG. Material/Methods Dynamic imaging of coherent sources (DICS) was applied to EEG segments of 13 neonates and infants with burst and suppression EEG pattern. The brain area with the strongest power in the analyzed frequency (1–4 Hz) range was defined as the reference region. DICS was used to compute the coherence between this reference region and the entire brain. The renormalized partial directed coherence (RPDC) was used to describe the informational flow between the identified sources. Results/Conclusion Delta activity during the burst phases was associated with coherent sources in the thalamus and brainstem as well as bilateral sources in cortical regions mainly frontal and parietal, whereas suppression phases were associated with coherent sources only in cortical regions. Results of the RPDC analyses showed an upwards informational flow from the brainstem towards the thalamus and from the thalamus to cortical regions, which was absent during the suppression phases. These findings may support the theory that a “cortical deafferentiation” between the cortex and sub-cortical structures exists especially in suppression phases compared to burst phases in burst suppression EEGs. Such a deafferentiation may play a role in the poor neurological outcome of children with these encephalopathies. PMID:25927439

Intra- and interbrain synchronization and network properties when playing guitar in duets

PubMed Central

Sänger, Johanna; Müller, Viktor; Lindenberger, Ulman

2012-01-01

To further test and explore the hypothesis that synchronous oscillatory brain activity supports interpersonally coordinated behavior during dyadic music performance, we simultaneously recorded the electroencephalogram (EEG) from the brains of each of 12 guitar duets repeatedly playing a modified Rondo in two voices by C.G. Scheidler. Indicators of phase locking and of within-brain and between-brain phase coherence were obtained from complex time-frequency signals based on the Gabor transform. Analyses were restricted to the delta (1–4 Hz) and theta (4–8 Hz) frequency bands. We found that phase locking as well as within-brain and between-brain phase-coherence connection strengths were enhanced at frontal and central electrodes during periods that put particularly high demands on musical coordination. Phase locking was modulated in relation to the experimentally assigned musical roles of leader and follower, corroborating the functional significance of synchronous oscillations in dyadic music performance. Graph theory analyses revealed within-brain and hyperbrain networks with small-worldness properties that were enhanced during musical coordination periods, and community structures encompassing electrodes from both brains (hyperbrain modules). We conclude that brain mechanisms indexed by phase locking, phase coherence, and structural properties of within-brain and hyperbrain networks support interpersonal action coordination (IAC). PMID:23226120

Comparative Study of Coherent, Non-Coherent, and Semi-Coherent Integration Schemes for GNSS Receivers (Preprint)

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-04-01

input signal with the conjugate of a delayed copy of itself, i.e., )exp(2* kjAzz knn ϕ=− , has a phase argument independent of n. As a result, the...Signal Processing (Elseivier), 2005. S.M. Kay, “A Fast and Accurate Single Frequency Estimator,” IEEE Trans. Acous. Speech Signal Proc., 37(12), 1987

Adaptive estimation of a time-varying phase with coherent states: Smoothing can give an unbounded improvement over filtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laverick, Kiarn T.; Wiseman, Howard M.; Dinani, Hossein T.; Berry, Dominic W.

2018-04-01

The problem of measuring a time-varying phase, even when the statistics of the variation is known, is considerably harder than that of measuring a constant phase. In particular, the usual bounds on accuracy, such as the 1 /(4 n ¯) standard quantum limit with coherent states, do not apply. Here, by restricting to coherent states, we are able to analytically obtain the achievable accuracy, the equivalent of the standard quantum limit, for a wide class of phase variation. In particular, we consider the case where the phase has Gaussian statistics and a power-law spectrum equal to κp -1/|ω| p for large ω , for some p >1 . For coherent states with mean photon flux N , we give the quantum Cramér-Rao bound on the mean-square phase error as [psin(π /p ) ] -1(4N /κ ) -(p -1 )/p . Next, we consider whether the bound can be achieved by an adaptive homodyne measurement in the limit N /κ ≫1 , which allows the photocurrent to be linearized. Applying the optimal filtering for the resultant linear Gaussian system, we find the same scaling with N , but with a prefactor larger by a factor of p . By contrast, if we employ optimal smoothing we can exactly obtain the quantum Cramér-Rao bound. That is, contrary to previously considered (p =2 ) cases of phase estimation, here the improvement offered by smoothing over filtering is not limited to a factor of 2 but rather can be unbounded by a factor of p . We also study numerically the performance of these estimators for an adaptive measurement in the limit where N /κ is not large and find a more complicated picture.

Coherence bandwidth loss in transionospheric radio propagation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rino, C. L.; Gonzalez, V. H.; Hessing, A. R.

1980-01-01

In this report a theoretical model is developed that predicts the single-point, two-frequency coherence function for transionospheric radio waves. The theoretical model is compared to measured complex frequency correlation coefficients using data from the seven equispaced, phase-coherent UHF signals transmitted by the Wideband satellite. The theory and data are in excellent agreement. The theory is critically dependent upon the power-law index, and the frequency coherence data clearly favor the comparatively small spectral indices that have been consistently measured from the wideband satellite phase data. A model for estimating the pulse delay jitter induced by the coherence bandwidth loss is also developed and compared with the actual delay jitter observed on synthesized pulses obtained from the Wideband UFH comb. The results are in good agreement with the theory. The results presented in this report, which are based on an asymptotic theory, are compared with the more commonly used quadratic theory. The model developed and validated in this report can be used to predict the effects of coherence bandwidth loss in disturbed nuclear environments. Simple formulas for the resultant pulse delay jitter are derived that can be used in predictive codes.

Interocular suppression in amblyopia for global orientation processing.

PubMed

Zhou, Jiawei; Huang, Pi-Chun; Hess, Robert F

2013-04-22

We developed a dichoptic global orientation coherence paradigm to quantify interocular suppression in amblyopia. This task is biased towards ventral processing and allows comparison with two other techniques-global motion processing, which is more dorsally biased, and binocular phase combination, which most likely reflects striate function. We found a similar pattern for the relationship between coherence threshold and interocular contrast curves (thresholds vs. interocular contrast ratios or TvRs) in our new paradigm compared with those of the previous dichoptic global motion coherence paradigm. The effective contrast ratios at balance point (where the signals from the two eyes have equal weighting) in our new paradigm were larger than those of the dichoptic global motion coherence paradigm but less than those of the binocular phase combination paradigm. The measured effective contrast ratios in the three paradigms were also positively correlated with each other, with the two global coherence paradigms having the highest correlation. We concluded that: (a) The dichoptic global orientation coherence paradigm is effective in quantifying interocular suppression in amblyopia; and (b) Interocular suppression, while sharing a common suppression mechanism at the early stage in the pathway (e.g., striate cortex), may have additional extra-striate contributions that affect both dorsal and ventral streams differentially.

COHERENT EVENTS AND SPECTRAL SHAPE AT ION KINETIC SCALES IN THE FAST SOLAR WIND TURBULENCE

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

Lion, Sonny; Alexandrova, Olga; Zaslavsky, Arnaud, E-mail: sonny.lion@obspm.fr

2016-06-10

In this paper we investigate spectral and phase coherence properties of magnetic fluctuations in the vicinity of the spectral transition from large, magnetohydrodynamic to sub-ion scales using in situ measurements of the Wind spacecraft in a fast stream. For the time interval investigated by Leamon et al. (1998) the phase coherence analysis shows the presence of sporadic quasi-parallel Alfvén ion cyclotron (AIC) waves as well as coherent structures in the form of large-amplitude, quasi-perpendicular Alfvén vortex-like structures and current sheets. These waves and structures importantly contribute to the observed power spectrum of magnetic fluctuations around ion scales; AIC waves contributemore » to the spectrum in a narrow frequency range whereas the coherent structures contribute to the spectrum over a wide frequency band from the inertial range to the sub-ion frequency range. We conclude that a particular combination of waves and coherent structures determines the spectral shape of the magnetic field spectrum around ion scales. This phenomenon provides a possible explanation for a high variability of the magnetic power spectra around ion scales observed in the solar wind.« less

Study of correlation between overlay and displacement measured by Coherent Gradient Sensing (CGS) interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mileham, Jeffrey; Tanaka, Yasushi; Anberg, Doug; Owen, David M.; Lee, Byoung-Ho; Bouche, Eric

2016-03-01

Within the semiconductor lithographic process, alignment control is one of the most critical considerations. In order to realize high device performance, semiconductor technology is approaching the 10 nm design rule, which requires progressively smaller overlay budgets. Simultaneously, structures are expanding in the 3rd dimension, thereby increasing the potential for inter-layer distortion. For these reasons, device patterning is becoming increasingly difficult as the portion of the overlay budget attributed to process-induced variation increases. After lithography, overlay gives valuable feedback to the lithography tool; however overlay measurements typically have limited density, especially at the wafer edge, due to throughput considerations. Moreover, since overlay is measured after lithography, it can only react to, but not predict the process-induced overlay. This study is a joint investigation in a high-volume manufacturing environment of the portion of overlay associated with displacement induced by a single process across many chambers. Displacement measurements are measured by Coherent Gradient Sensing (CGS) interferometry, which generates high-density displacement maps (>3 million points on a 300 mm wafer) such that the stresses induced die-by-die and process-by-process can be tracked in detail. The results indicate the relationship between displacement and overlay shows the ability to forecast overlay values before the lithographic process. Details of the correlation including overlay/displacement range, and lot-to-lot displacement variability are considered.

Maximum-Likelihood Estimation for Frequency-Modulated Continuous-Wave Laser Ranging using Photon-Counting Detectors

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-21

instruments where frequency estimates are calcu- lated from coherently detected fields, e.g., coherent Doppler LIDAR . Our CRB results reveal that the best...wave coherent lidar using an optical field correlation detection method,” Opt. Rev. 5, 310–314 (1998). 8. H. P. Yuen and V. W. S. Chan, “Noise in...2170–2180 (2007). 13. T. J. Karr, “Atmospheric phase error in coherent laser radar,” IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag. 55, 1122–1133 (2007). 14. Throughout