Filterscope diagnostic system on the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST)

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

Xu, Z.; Wu, C. R.; Yao, X. J.

2016-11-15

A filterscope diagnostic system has been mounted to observe the line emission and visible bremsstrahlung emission from plasma on the experimental advanced superconducting tokamak during the 2014 campaign. By this diagnostic system, multiple wavelengths including D{sub α} (656.1 nm), D{sub γ} (433.9 nm), He II (468.5 nm), Li I (670.8 nm), Li II (548.3 nm), C III (465.0 nm), O II (441.5 nm), Mo I (386.4 nm), W I (400.9 nm), and visible bremsstrahlung radiation (538.0 nm) are monitored with corresponding wavelength filters. All these multi-channel signals are digitized at up to 200 kHz simultaneously. This diagnostic plays a crucialmore » role in studying edge localized modes and H-mode plasmas, due to the high temporal resolution and spatial resolution that have been designed into it.« less

Study of sintering behavior of vapor forms of 1-octanethiol coated copper nanoparticles for application to ink-jet printing technology.

PubMed

Kwon, Jinhyeong; Park, Shinyoung; Haque, Md Mominul; Kim, Young-Seok; Lee, Caroline Sunyong

2012-04-01

Sub-50 nm copper nanoparticles coated with sub-5 nm 1-octanethiol layer for oxidation inhibition were examined to confirm the 1-octanethiol removal temperature as the sub-50 nm copper nanoparticles are sintered. As a result, 1-octanethiol Self-Assembled Multi-layers (SAMs) on sub-50 nm copper nanoparticles were successfully removed before sintering of copper nanoparticles so that a high density of copper line could be obtained. Finally, the line resistivity was measured and compared to verify the effect of sintering in different atmospheres. As a result, electrical resistivity of the copper pattern sintered in hydrogen atmosphere was measured at 6.96 x 10(-6) ohm-cm whereas that of the copper pattern sintered in mixed gas atmosphere was measured at 2.62 x 10(-5) ohm-cm. Thus, sintering of copper patterns was successfully done to show low electrical resistivity values. Moreover, removal of 1-octanethiol coating after sintering process was confirmed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. By showing no sulfur content, XPS results indicate that 1-octanethiol is completely removed. Therefore, the vapor form of 1-octanethiol coating layers can be safely used as an oxidation inhibition layer for low temperature sintering processes and ink-jet applications.

Recent progress of hard x-ray imaging microscopy and microtomography at BL37XU of SPring-8

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

Suzuki, Yoshio, E-mail: yoshio@spring8.or.jp; Takeuchi, Akihisa; Terada, Yasuko

2016-01-28

A hard x-ray imaging microscopy and microtomography system is now being developed at the beamline 37XU of SPring-8. In the latest improvement, a spatial resolution of about 50 nm is achieved in two-dimensional imaging at 6 keV x-ray energy using a Fresnel zone plate objective with an outermost zone width of 35 nm. In the tomographic measurement, a spatial resolution of about 100 nm is achieved at 8 keV using an x-ray guide tube condenser optic and a Fresnel zone plate objective with an outermost zone width of 50 nm.

Phase diagram of the Y–Y{sub 2}Se{sub 3} system, enthalpies of phase transformations

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

Andreev, O.V.; Kharitontsev, V.B.; Polkovnikov, A.A., E-mail: a.a.polkovnikov@yandex.ru

A phase diagram for the Y–Y{sub 2}Se{sub 3} system has been constructed in which the YSe and Y{sub 2}Se{sub 3} phases melt congruently. The daltonide type YSe phase (ST Y{sub 0,75}Se, a=1.1393 nm, melting point=2380 K, H=2200 MPa) forms a double-sided solid solution from 49–50–53 at% Se. In the 50–53 at% Se range, the unit cell parameter increases to 1.1500 nm, the microhardness increases to 4100 MPa and electrical resistivity increases from 0.018 to 0.114 Ω m. These changes are caused by the dominating influx of newly formed structural cationic vacancies arising from the selenium anions that are surplus formore » the 1:1 Y:Se stoichiometry. The full-valence Y{sub 2}Se{sub 3} composition exists as a low-temperature modification of ε-Y{sub 2}Se{sub 3} (ST Sc{sub 2}S{sub 3}, a=1.145 nm, b=0.818 nm, c=2.438 nm, melting point=1780 K, ∆fusion enthalpy=4±0.4 J/g) and transforms into a modification of ξ-Y{sub 2}Se{sub 3} that does not undergo fixing by thermo-hardening. The eutectic melting point between the YSe and Y{sub 2}Se{sub 3} phases is 1625±5 K, with a eutectic composition that is assumed to be 57.5 at% Se and have an enthalpy of fusion of 43±4.3 J/g. The eutectic for the Y and YSe phases appears at a temperature of 1600 K and 5 at% Se. - Highlights: • Phase equilibria in the Y–Y{sub 2}Se{sub 3} system from 1000 K to melt were studies. • High-temperature polymorphic transition for Y{sub 2}Se{sub 3} were observed. • Singular points in solid solutions areas for YSe and Y{sub 2}Se{sub 3} were found.« less

Mapping Nanoscale Hotspots with Single-Molecule Emitters Assembled into Plasmonic Nanocavities Using DNA Origami.

PubMed

Chikkaraddy, Rohit; Turek, V A; Kongsuwan, Nuttawut; Benz, Felix; Carnegie, Cloudy; van de Goor, Tim; de Nijs, Bart; Demetriadou, Angela; Hess, Ortwin; Keyser, Ulrich F; Baumberg, Jeremy J

2018-01-10

Fabricating nanocavities in which optically active single quantum emitters are precisely positioned is crucial for building nanophotonic devices. Here we show that self-assembly based on robust DNA-origami constructs can precisely position single molecules laterally within sub-5 nm gaps between plasmonic substrates that support intense optical confinement. By placing single-molecules at the center of a nanocavity, we show modification of the plasmon cavity resonance before and after bleaching the chromophore and obtain enhancements of ≥4 × 10 3 with high quantum yield (≥50%). By varying the lateral position of the molecule in the gap, we directly map the spatial profile of the local density of optical states with a resolution of ±1.5 nm. Our approach introduces a straightforward noninvasive way to measure and quantify confined optical modes on the nanoscale.

Binding of /sup 3/H-acetylcholine to cholinergic receptors in bovine cerebral arteries

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

Shimohama, S.; Tsukahara, T.; Taniguchi, T.

Cholinergic receptor sites in bovine cerebral arteries were analyzed using radioligand binding techniques with the cholinergic agonist, /sup 3/H-acetylcholine (ACh), as the ligand. Specific binding of /sup 3/H-ACh to membrane preparations of bovine cerebral arteries was saturable, of two binding sites, with dissociation constant (K/sub D/) values of 0.32 and 23.7 nM, and maximum binding capacity (Bmax) values of 67 and 252 fmol/mg protein, respectively. Specific binding of /sup 3/H-ACh was displaced effectively by muscarinic cholinergic agents and less effectively by nicotinic cholinergic agents. IC/sub 50/ values of cholinergic drugs for /sup 3/H-ACh binding were as follows: atropine, 38.5 nM;more » ACh, 59.8 nM; oxotremorine, 293 nM; scopolamine 474 nM; carbamylcholine, 990 nM. IC/sub 50/ values of nicotinic cholinergic agents such as nicotine, cytisine and ..cap alpha..-bungarotoxin exceeded 50 ..mu..M. Choline acetyltransferase activity was 1.09 nmol/mg protein/hour in the cerebral arteries. These findings suggest that the cholinergic nerves innervate the bovine cerebral arteries and that there are at least two classes of ACh binding sites of different affinities on muscarinic reporters in these arteries. 18 references, 2 figures, 2 tables.« less

Nanoimaging using soft X-ray and EUV laser-plasma sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wachulak, Przemyslaw; Torrisi, Alfio; Ayele, Mesfin; Bartnik, Andrzej; Czwartos, Joanna; Węgrzyński, Łukasz; Fok, Tomasz; Fiedorowicz, Henryk

2018-01-01

In this work we present three experimental, compact desk-top imaging systems: SXR and EUV full field microscopes and the SXR contact microscope. The systems are based on laser-plasma EUV and SXR sources based on a double stream gas puff target. The EUV and SXR full field microscopes, operating at 13.8 nm and 2.88 nm wavelengths are capable of imaging nanostructures with a sub-50 nm spatial resolution and short (seconds) exposure times. The SXR contact microscope operates in the "water-window" spectral range and produces an imprint of the internal structure of the imaged sample in a thin layer of SXR sensitive photoresist. Applications of such desk-top EUV and SXR microscopes, mostly for biological samples (CT26 fibroblast cells and Keratinocytes) are also presented. Details about the sources, the microscopes as well as the imaging results for various objects will be presented and discussed. The development of such compact imaging systems may be important to the new research related to biological, material science and nanotechnology applications.

Surface modification of TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles with carotenoids. EPR study

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

Konovalova, T.A.; Kispert, L.D.; Konovalov, V.V.

1999-06-03

Among the semiconductors, titanium dioxide is the most suitable for many environmental applications. EPR measurements demonstrate efficient charge separation on carotenoid-modified titanium dioxide nanoparticles (7 nm). Strong complexation of carotenoids containing terminal carboxy groups ({minus}CO{sub 2}H) with the TiO{sub 2} surface leads to electron transfer from the adsorbed carotenoid molecule to the surface trapping site. For these systems, EPR signals of the carotenoid radical cations Car{sup {sm_bullet}+} and the electrons trapped on the TiO{sub 2} are observed before irradiation (77 K). Their UV-visible spectra show an absorption band with a maximum near 650 nm that is characteristic of the trappedmore » electrons. Surface modification of the TiO{sub 2} by other carotenoids results in the formation of a complex with an optical absorption band near 545 nm. These systems form charge-separated pairs [Car{sup {sm_bullet}+}{hor_ellipsis}TiO{sub 2}(e{sup {minus}}{sub tr}){sub surf}. TiO{sub 2}(e{sup {minus}}{sub tr}){sub latt}] only upon 365--600 nm illumination at 77 K. Complexation of the TiO{sub 2} colloids with carotenoids enhances spatial charge separation, shifts the absorption threshold into the visible region, and thus greatly improves the reducing ability of the semiconductor. Photoreduction of acceptor molecules such as 2,5-dichloro-1,4-benzoquinone, nitrobenzene, and oxygen is demonstrated.« less

Development of scanning x-ray fluorescence microscope with spatial resolution of 30 nm using Kirkpatrick-Baez mirror optics

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

Matsuyama, S.; Mimura, H.; Yumoto, H.

We developed a high-spatial-resolution scanning x-ray fluorescence microscope (SXFM) using Kirkpatrick-Baez mirrors. As a result of two-dimensional focusing tests at BL29XUL of SPring-8, the full width at half maximum of the focused beam was achieved to be 50x30 nm{sup 2} (VxH) under the best focusing conditions. The measured beam profiles were in good agreement with simulated results. Moreover, beam size was controllable within the wide range of 30-1400 nm by changing the virtual source size, although photon flux and size were in a trade-off relationship. To demonstrate SXFM performance, a fine test chart fabricated using focused ion beam system wasmore » observed to determine the best spatial resolution. The element distribution inside a logo mark of SPring-8 in the test chart, which has a minimum linewidth of approximately 50-60 nm, was visualized with a spatial resolution better than 30 nm using the smallest focused x-ray beam.« less

Wafer Scale Fabrication of Dense and High Aspect Ratio Sub-50 nm Nanopillars from Phase Separation of Cross-Linkable Polysiloxane/Polystyrene Blend.

PubMed

Li, Yang; Hao, Yuli; Huang, Chunyu; Chen, Xingyao; Chen, Xinyu; Cui, Yushuang; Yuan, Changsheng; Qiu, Kai; Ge, Haixiong; Chen, Yanfeng

2017-04-19

We demonstrated a simple and effective approach to fabricate dense and high aspect ratio sub-50 nm pillars based on phase separation of a polymer blend composed of a cross-linkable polysiloxane and polystyrene (PS). In order to obtain the phase-separated domains with nanoscale size, a liquid prepolymer of cross-linkable polysiloxane was employed as one moiety for increasing the miscibility of the polymer blend. After phase separation via spin-coating, the dispersed domains of liquid polysiloxane with sub-50 nm size could be solidified by UV exposure. The solidified polysiloxane domains took the role of etching mask for formation of high aspect ratio nanopillars by O 2 reactive ion etching (RIE). The aspect ratio of the nanopillars could be further amplified by introduction of a polymer transfer layer underneath the polymer blend film. The effects of spin speeds, the weight ratio of the polysiloxane/PS blend, and the concentration of polysiloxane/PS blend in toluene on the characters of the nanopillars were investigated. The gold-coated nanopillar arrays exhibited a high Raman scattering enhancement factor in the range of 10 8 -10 9 with high uniformity across over the wafer scale sample. A superhydrophobic surface could be realized by coating a self-assembled monolayers (SAM) of fluoroalkyltrichlorosilane on the nanopillar arrays. Sub-50 nm silicon nanowires (SiNWs) with high aspect ratio of about 1000 were achieved by using the nanopillars as etching mask through a metal-assisted chemical etching process. They showed an ultralow reflectance of approximately 0.1% for wavelengths ranging from 200 to 800 nm.

Hierarchical TiO{sub 2} submicron-sized spheres for enhanced power conversion efficiency in dye-sensitized solar cells

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

Wang, Hao; State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000; Guo, Zhiguang, E-mail: zguo@licp.cas.cn

Hierarchical TiO{sub 2} submicron-sized sphere scattering layer, with relatively large surface area and effective light scattering, shows enhanced power conversion efficiency in dye-sensitized solar cells. - Highlights: • Hierarchical TiO{sub 2} submicron-sized spheres (TiO{sub 2} HSSs) with diameters of 400–600 nm were synthesized. • The HSSs composed of nanoparticles of ∼14 nm have a relatively large surface area of ∼35 m{sup 2}/g. • DSC exhibited the highest cell efficiency (6.23%) compared with ones with pure P25 (5.50%) or HSS (2.00%) photoanodes. - Abstract: Hierarchical TiO{sub 2} submicron-sized spheres (TiO{sub 2} HSSs) with diameters of 400–600 nm were synthesized by amore » facile one-step solvothermal method in ethanol solvent. The HSSs composed of nanoparticles of ∼14 nm have a relatively large surface area of ∼35 m{sup 2}/g. When applied as the scattering overlayer in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs), such TiO{sub 2} HSSs effectively improved light harvesting and led to the increase of photocurrent in DSCs. Furthermore, bilayer-structured photoanode also provided fast electron transportation and long electron lifetime as confirmed by electrochemical impedance spectra. As a result, DSC based on P25 nanoparticle underlayer and HSS-2 overlayer exhibited the highest cell efficiency (6.23%) compared with ones with pure P25 (5.50%) or HSS-2 (2.00%) photoanodes.« less

Mapping Nanoscale Hotspots with Single-Molecule Emitters Assembled into Plasmonic Nanocavities Using DNA Origami

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Fabricating nanocavities in which optically active single quantum emitters are precisely positioned is crucial for building nanophotonic devices. Here we show that self-assembly based on robust DNA-origami constructs can precisely position single molecules laterally within sub-5 nm gaps between plasmonic substrates that support intense optical confinement. By placing single-molecules at the center of a nanocavity, we show modification of the plasmon cavity resonance before and after bleaching the chromophore and obtain enhancements of ≥4 × 103 with high quantum yield (≥50%). By varying the lateral position of the molecule in the gap, we directly map the spatial profile of the local density of optical states with a resolution of ±1.5 nm. Our approach introduces a straightforward noninvasive way to measure and quantify confined optical modes on the nanoscale. PMID:29166033

Mapping Nanoscale Hotspots with Single-Molecule Emitters Assembled into Plasmonic Nanocavities Using DNA Origami

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chikkaraddy, Rohit; Turek, V. A.; Kongsuwan, Nuttawut; Benz, Felix; Carnegie, Cloudy; van de Goor, Tim; de Nijs, Bart; Demetriadou, Angela; Hess, Ortwin; Keyser, Ulrich F.; Baumberg, Jeremy J.

2018-01-01

Fabricating nanocavities in which optically-active single quantum emitters are precisely positioned, is crucial for building nanophotonic devices. Here we show that self-assembly based on robust DNA-origami constructs can precisely position single molecules laterally within sub-5nm gaps between plasmonic substrates that support intense optical confinement. By placing single-molecules at the center of a nanocavity, we show modification of the plasmon cavity resonance before and after bleaching the chromophore, and obtain enhancements of $\\geq4\\times10^3$ with high quantum yield ($\\geq50$%). By varying the lateral position of the molecule in the gap, we directly map the spatial profile of the local density of optical states with a resolution of $\\pm1.5$ nm. Our approach introduces a straightforward non-invasive way to measure and quantify confined optical modes on the nanoscale.

Altered binding of thioflavin t to the peripheral anionic site of acetylcholinesterase after phosphorylation of the active site by chlorpyrifos oxon or dichlorvos

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

Sultatos, L.G.; Kaushik, R.

2008-08-01

The peripheral anionic site of acetylcholinesterase, when occupied by a ligand, is known to modulate reaction rates at the active site of this important enzyme. The current report utilized the peripheral anionic site specific fluorogenic probe thioflavin t to determine if the organophosphates chlorpyrifos oxon and dichlorvos bind to the peripheral anionic site of human recombinant acetylcholinesterase, since certain organophosphates display concentration-dependent kinetics when inhibiting this enzyme. Incubation of 3 nM acetylcholinesterase active sites with 50 nM or 2000 nM inhibitor altered both the B{sub max} and K{sub d} for thioflavin t binding to the peripheral anionic site. However, thesemore » changes resulted from phosphorylation of Ser203 since increasing either inhibitor from 50 nM to 2000 nM did not alter further thioflavin t binding kinetics. Moreover, the organophosphate-induced decrease in B{sub max} did not represent an actual reduction in binding sites, but instead likely resulted from conformational interactions between the acylation and peripheral anionic sites that led to a decrease in the rigidity of bound thioflavin t. A drop in fluorescence quantum yield, leading to an apparent decrease in B{sub max}, would accompany the decreased rigidity of bound thioflavin t molecules. The organophosphate-induced alterations in K{sub d} represented changes in binding affinity of thioflavin t, with diethylphosphorylation of Ser203 increasing K{sub d}, and dimethylphosphorylation of Ser203 decreasing K{sub d}. These results indicate that chlorpyrifos oxon and dichlorvos do not bind directly to the peripheral anionic site of acetylcholinesterase, but can affect binding to that site through phosphorylation of Ser203.« less

CTAB-assisted ultrasonic synthesis, characterization and photocatalytic properties of WO{sub 3}

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

Sánchez-Martínez, D., E-mail: dansanm@gmail.com; Gomez-Solis, C.; Torres-Martinez, Leticia M.

2015-01-15

Highlights: • WO{sub 3} 2D nanostructures were synthesized by ultrasound method assisted with CTAB. • WO{sub 3} morphology was mainly of rectangular nanoplates with a thickness of ∼50 nm. • The highest surface area value of WO{sub 3} was obtained to lowest concentration of CTAB. • WO{sub 3} activity was attributed to morphology, surface area and the addition of CTAB. • WO{sub 3} nanoplates were able to causing almost complete mineralization of rhB and IC. - Abstract: WO{sub 3} 2D nanostructures have been prepared by ultrasound synthesis method assisted with CTAB using different molar ratios. The formation of monoclinic crystalmore » structure of WO{sub 3} was confirmed by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). The characterization of the WO{sub 3} samples was complemented by analysis of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which revealed morphology mainly of rectangular nanoplates with a thickness of around 50 nm and length of 100–500 nm. Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) was used to confirm the elimination of the CTAB in the synthesized samples. The specific surface area was determinate by the BET method and by means of diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) it was determinate the band-gap energy (E{sub g}) of the WO{sub 3} samples. The photocatalytic activity of the WO{sub 3} oxide was evaluated in the degradation reactions of rhodamine B (rhB) and indigo carmine (IC) under Xenon lamp irradiation. The highest photocatalytic activity was observed in the samples containing low concentration of CTAB with morphology of rectangular nanoplates and with higher surface area value than commercial WO{sub 3}. Photodegradation of rhB and IC were followed by means of UV–vis absorption spectra. The mineralization degree of organic dyes by WO{sub 3} photocatalyst was determined by total organic carbon analysis (TOC) reaching percentages of mineralization of 92% for rhB and 50% for IC after 96 h of lamp irradiation.« less

Measurements of Z{sub EFF} spatial profiles from bremsstrahlung emission in the visible and near infrared spectral region

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

Orsitto, F.; Belforte, M.R.; Borra, M.

1997-01-01

Measurement of plasma radiation (i.e., breusstrahlung) in the infrared (IR) range ({lambda}=933, 978 nm), at six lines of sight from z={minus}20 cm to z=8 cm above the equatorial plane, using the detection system of the Frascati Tokamak Upgrade (FTU) Thomson scattering system (TSS) are reported. The agreement of IR with visible ({lambda}=540 nm) bremsstrahlung intensity {ital S}, [S=photons/(m{sup 2}srnms)] measurements is within 20{percent}{endash}30{percent} and depends upon the absolute calibration of both systems. The intensity is equal S(z)={l_angle}Z{sub eff}Gn{sup 2}/T{sub e}{sup 1/2}{r_angle}, where {l_angle}{center_dot}{r_angle} means average on a line of sight. For determining the Z{sub eff} the Gaunt factor(G) is needed,more » and analysis the Born{endash}Elwert formula is used. The Z{sub eff} spatial profiles (i.e., Z{sub eff}(r)), are determined using the plasma temperature (T{sub e}) and density (n{sub e}) measured by the TSS and the Abel inverted intensity profiles, determined using the plasma radiation S(z) measured from six horizontal chords. Z{sub eff}(r) behavior in a variety of FTU discharges is presented. {copyright} {ital 1997 American Institute of Physics.}« less

Photodissociation dynamics of the methyl perthiyl radical at 248 and 193 nm using fast-beam photofragment translational spectroscopy

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

Harrison, Aaron W.; Ryazanov, Mikhail; Sullivan, Erin N.

2016-07-14

The photodissociation dynamics of the methyl perthiyl radical (CH{sub 3}SS) have been investigated using fast-beam coincidence translational spectroscopy. Methyl perthiyl radicals were produced by photodetachment of the CH{sub 3}SS{sup −} anion followed by photodissociation at 248 nm (5.0 eV) and 193 nm (6.4 eV). Photofragment mass distributions and translational energy distributions were measured at each dissociation wavelength. Experimental results show S atom loss as the dominant (96%) dissociation channel at 248 nm with a near parallel, anisotropic angular distribution and translational energy peaking near the maximal energy available to ground state CH{sub 3}S and S fragments, indicating that the dissociationmore » occurs along a repulsive excited state. At 193 nm, S atom loss remains the major fragmentation channel, although S{sub 2} loss becomes more competitive and constitutes 32% of the fragmentation. The translational energy distributions for both channels are very broad at this wavelength, suggesting the formation of the S{sub 2} and S atom products in several excited electronic states.« less

Imaging of single cells and tissue using MeV ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watt, F.; Bettiol, A. A.; van Kan, J. A.; Ynsa, M. D.; Minqin, Ren; Rajendran, R.; Huifang, Cui; Fwu-Shen, Sheu; Jenner, A. M.

2009-06-01

With the attainment of sub-100 nm high energy (MeV) ion beams, comes the opportunity to image cells and tissue at nano-dimensions. The advantage of MeV ion imaging is that the ions will penetrate whole cells, or relatively thick tissue sections, without any significant loss of resolution. In this paper, we demonstrate that whole cells (cultured N2A neuroblastoma cells ATCC) and tissue sections (rabbit pancreas tissue) can be imaged at sub-100 nm resolutions using scanning transmission ion microscopy (STIM), and that sub-cellular structural details can be identified. In addition to STIM imaging we have also demonstrated for the first time, that sub-cellular proton induced fluorescence imaging (on cultured N2A neuroblastoma cells ATCC) can also be carried out at resolutions of 200 nm, compared with 300-400 nm resolutions achieved by conventional optical fluorescence imaging. The combination of both techniques offers a potentially powerful tool in the quest for elucidating cell function, particularly when it should be possible in the near future to image down to sub-50 nm.

A tunable electrochromic fabry-perot filter for adaptive optics applications.

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

Blaich, Jonathan David; Kammler, Daniel R.; Ambrosini, Andrea

2006-10-01

The potential for electrochromic (EC) materials to be incorporated into a Fabry-Perot (FP) filter to allow modest amounts of tuning was evaluated by both experimental methods and modeling. A combination of chemical vapor deposition (CVD), physical vapor deposition (PVD), and electrochemical methods was used to produce an ECFP film stack consisting of an EC WO{sub 3}/Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5}/NiO{sub x}H{sub y} film stack (with indium-tin-oxide electrodes) sandwiched between two Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}/SiO{sub 2} dielectric reflector stacks. A process to produce a NiO{sub x}H{sub y} charge storage layer that freed the EC stack from dependence on atmospheric humidity and allowed construction ofmore » this complex EC-FP stack was developed. The refractive index (n) and extinction coefficient (k) for each layer in the EC-FP film stack was measured between 300 and 1700 nm. A prototype EC-FP filter was produced that had a transmission at 500 nm of 36%, and a FWHM of 10 nm. A general modeling approach that takes into account the desired pass band location, pass band width, required transmission and EC optical constants in order to estimate the maximum tuning from an EC-FP filter was developed. Modeling shows that minor thickness changes in the prototype stack developed in this project should yield a filter with a transmission at 600 nm of 33% and a FWHM of 9.6 nm, which could be tuned to 598 nm with a FWHM of 12.1 nm and a transmission of 16%. Additional modeling shows that if the EC WO{sub 3} absorption centers were optimized, then a shift from 600 nm to 598 nm could be made with a FWHM of 11.3 nm and a transmission of 20%. If (at 600 nm) the FWHM is decreased to 1 nm and transmission maintained at a reasonable level (e.g. 30%), only fractions of a nm of tuning would be possible with the film stack considered in this study. These tradeoffs may improve at other wavelengths or with EC materials different than those considered here. Finally, based on our limited investigation and material set, the severe absorption associated with the refractive index change suggests that incorporating EC materials into phase correcting spatial light modulators (SLMS) would allow for only negligible phase correction before transmission losses became too severe. However, we would like to emphasize that other EC materials may allow sufficient phase correction with limited absorption, which could make this approach attractive.« less

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

Rosli, Nur Shafawati binti; Rahman, Azhar Abdul; Aziz, Azlan Abdul

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) received a great deal of attention for biomedical applications, especially in diagnostic imaging and therapeutics. Even though AuNPs have potential benefits in biomedical applications, the impact of AuNPs on human and environmental health still remains unclear. The use of AuNPs which is a high-atomic-number materials, provide advantages in terms of radiation dose enhancement. However, before this can become a clinical reality, cytotoxicity of the AuNPs has to be carefully evaluated. Cytotoxicity test is a rapid, standardized test that is very sensitive to determine whether the nanoparticles produced are harmful or benign on cellular components. In this workmore » the size and concentration dependence of AuNPs cytotoxicity in breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7) are tested by using WST-1 assay. The sizes of AuNPs tested were 13 nm, 50 nm, and 70 nm. The cells were seeded in the 96-well plate and were treated with different concentrations of AuNPs by serial dilution for each size of AuNPs. The high concentration of AuNPs exhibit lower cell viability compared to low concentration of AuNPs. We quantified the toxicity of AuNPs in MCF-7 cell lines by determining the IC{sub 50} values in WST-1 assays. The IC{sub 50} values (inhibitory concentrations that effected 50% growth inhibition) of 50 nm AuNPs is lower than 13 nm and 70 nm AuNPs. Mean that, 50nm AuNPs are more toxic to the MCF-7 cells compared to smaller and larger sizes AuNPs. The presented results clearly indicate that the cytotoxicity of AuNPs depend not only on the concentration, but also the size of the nanoparticles.« less

Giant dielectric constant dominated by Maxwell-Wagner relaxation in Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/TiO{sub 2} nanolaminates synthesized by atomic layer deposition.

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

Li, W.; Auciello, O.; Premnath, R. N.

2010-01-01

Nanolaminates consisting of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} and TiO{sub 2} oxide sublayers were synthesized by using atomic layer deposition to produce individual layers with atomic scale thickness control. The sublayer thicknesses were kept constant for each multilayer structure, and were changed from 50 to 0.2 nm for a series of different samples. Giant dielectric constant ({approx}1000) was observed when the sublayer thickness is less than 0.5 nm, which is significantly larger than that of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} and TiO{sub 2} dielectrics. Detailed investigation revealed that the observed giant dielectric constant is originated from the Maxwell-Wagner type dielectric relaxation.

RBS, XRR and optical reflectivity measurements of Ti-TiO{sub 2} thin films deposited by magnetron sputtering

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

Drogowska, K.; Institute of Materials Science, Technische Universitaet Darmstadt, Petersenstrasse 23, 64287 Darmstadt; Tarnawski, Z., E-mail: tarnawsk@agh.edu.pl

2012-02-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The single-, bi- and tri-layered films of Ti-TiO{sub 2} deposited onto Si(1 1 1) substrates. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Three methods RBS, XRR, optical reflectometer were used. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The real thickness of each layer was smaller than 50 nm. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Ti and TiO{sub 2} film-densities were slightly lower than the corresponding bulk values. -- Abstract: Single-, bi- and tri-layered films of Ti-TiO{sub 2} system were deposited by d.c. pulsed magnetron sputtering from metallic Ti target in an inert Ar or reactive Ar + O{sub 2} atmosphere. The nominal thickness of each layer was 50 nm. The chemical composition and its depthmore » profile were determined by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS). Crystallographic structure was analysed by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) at glancing incidence. X-ray reflectometry (XRR) was used as a complementary method for the film thickness and density evaluation. Modelling of the optical reflectivity spectra of Ti-TiO{sub 2} thin films deposited onto Si(1 1 1) substrates provided an independent estimate of the layer thickness. The combined analysis of RBS, XRR and reflectivity spectra indicated the real thickness of each layer less than 50 nm with TiO{sub 2} film density slightly lower than the corresponding bulk value. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) cross-sectional images revealed the columnar growth of TiO{sub 2} layers. Thickness estimated directly from SEM studies was found to be in a good agreement with the results of RBS, XRR and reflectivity spectra.« less

A Next-Generation Hard X-Ray Nanoprobe Beamline for In Situ Studies of Energy Materials and Devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maser, Jörg; Lai, Barry; Buonassisi, Tonio; Cai, Zhonghou; Chen, Si; Finney, Lydia; Gleber, Sophie-Charlotte; Jacobsen, Chris; Preissner, Curt; Roehrig, Chris; Rose, Volker; Shu, Deming; Vine, David; Vogt, Stefan

2014-01-01

The Advanced Photon Source is developing a suite of new X-ray beamlines to study materials and devices across many length scales and under real conditions. One of the flagship beamlines of the APS upgrade is the In Situ Nanoprobe (ISN) beamline, which will provide in situ and operando characterization of advanced energy materials and devices under varying temperatures, gas ambients, and applied fields, at previously unavailable spatial resolution and throughput. Examples of materials systems include inorganic and organic photovoltaic systems, advanced battery systems, fuel cell components, nanoelectronic devices, advanced building materials and other scientifically and technologically relevant systems. To characterize these systems at very high spatial resolution and trace sensitivity, the ISN will use both nanofocusing mirrors and diffractive optics to achieve spots sizes as small as 20 nm. Nanofocusing mirrors in Kirkpatrick-Baez geometry will provide several orders of magnitude increase in photon flux at a spatial resolution of 50 nm. Diffractive optics such as zone plates and/or multilayer Laue lenses will provide a highest spatial resolution of 20 nm. Coherent diffraction methods will be used to study even small specimen features with sub-10 nm relevant length scale. A high-throughput data acquisition system will be employed to significantly increase operations efficiency and usability of the instrument. The ISN will provide full spectroscopy capabilities to study the chemical state of most materials in the periodic table, and enable X-ray fluorescence tomography. In situ electrical characterization will enable operando studies of energy and electronic devices such as photovoltaic systems and batteries. We describe the optical concept for the ISN beamline, the technical design, and the approach for enabling a broad variety of in situ studies. We furthermore discuss the application of hard X-ray microscopy to study defects in multi-crystalline solar cells, one of the lines of inquiries for which the ISN is being developed.

Smoothing single-crystalline SiC surfaces by reactive ion etching using pure NF{sub 3} and NF{sub 3}/Ar mixture gas plasmas

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

Tasaka, Akimasa, E-mail: aki-tasaka-load@yahoo.co.jp; Kotaka, Yuki; Oda, Atsushi

2014-09-01

In pure NF{sub 3} plasma, the etching rates of four kinds of single-crystalline SiC wafer etched at NF{sub 3} pressure of 2 Pa were the highest and it decreased with an increase in NF{sub 3} pressure. On the other hand, they increased with an increase in radio frequency (RF) power and were the highest at RF power of 200 W. A smooth surface was obtained on the single-crystalline 4H-SiC after reactive ion etching at NF{sub 3}/Ar gas pressure of 2 Pa and addition of Ar to NF{sub 3} plasma increased the smoothness of SiC surface. Scanning electron microscopy observation revealed that the numbermore » of pillars decreased with an increase in the Ar-concentration in the NF{sub 3}/Ar mixture gas. The roughness factor (R{sub a}) values were decreased from 51.5 nm to 25.5 nm for the As-cut SiC, from 0.25 nm to 0.20 nm for the Epi-SiC, from 5.0 nm to 0.7 nm for the Si-face mirror-polished SiC, and from 0.20 nm to 0.16 nm for the C-face mirror-polished SiC by adding 60% Ar to the NF{sub 3} gas. Both the R{sub a} values of the Epi- and the C-face mirror-polished wafer surfaces etched using the NF{sub 3}/Ar (40:60) plasma were similar to that treated with mirror polishing, so-called the Catalyst-Referred Etching (CARE) method, with which the lowest roughness of surface was obtained among the chemical mirror polishing methods. Etching duration for smoothing the single-crystalline SiC surface using its treatment was one third of that with the CARE method.« less

Resistive Switching of Sub-10 nm TiO2 Nanoparticle Self-Assembled Monolayers

PubMed Central

Schmidt, Dirk Oliver; Raab, Nicolas; Santhanam, Venugopal; Dittmann, Regina; Simon, Ulrich

2017-01-01

Resistively switching devices are promising candidates for the next generation of non-volatile data memories. Such devices are up to now fabricated mainly by means of top-down approaches that apply thin films sandwiched between electrodes. Recent works have demonstrated that resistive switching (RS) is also feasible on chemically synthesized nanoparticles (NPs) in the 50 nm range. Following this concept, we developed this approach further to the sub-10 nm range. In this work, we report RS of sub-10 nm TiO2 NPs that were self-assembled into monolayers and transferred onto metallic substrates. We electrically characterized these monolayers in regard to their RS properties by means of a nanorobotics system in a scanning electron microscope, and found features typical of bipolar resistive switching. PMID:29113050

Global Increase in UV Irradiance during the Past 30 Years (1979-2008) Estimated from Satellite Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Herman, Jay R.

2010-01-01

Zonal average ultraviolet irradiance (flux ultraviolet, F(sub uv)) reaching the Earth's surface has significantly increased since 1979 at all latitudes except the equatorial zone. Changes are estimated in zonal average F(sub uv) caused by ozone and cloud plus aerosol reflectivity using an approach based on Beer's law for monochromatic and action spectrum weighted irradiances. For four different cases, it is shown that Beer's Law leads to a power law form similar to that applied to erythemal action spectrum weighted irradiances. Zonal and annual average increases in F(sub uv) were caused by decreases in ozone amount from 1979 to 1998. After 1998, midlatitude annual average ozone amounts and UV irradiance levels have been approximately constant. In the Southern Hemisphere, zonal and annual average UV increase is partially offset by tropospheric cloud and aerosol transmission decreases (hemispherical dimming), and to a lesser extent in the Northern Hemisphere. Ozone and 340 nm reflectivity changes have been obtained from multiple joined satellite time series from 1978 to 2008. The largest zonal average increases in F(sub uv) have occurred in the Southern Hemisphere. For clear-sky conditions at 50 S, zonal average F(sub uv) changes are estimated (305 nm, 23%; erythemal, 8.5%; 310 nm, 10%; vitamin D production, 12%). These are larger than at 50 N (305 nm, 9%; erythemal, 4%; 310 nm, 4%; vitamin D production, 6%). At the latitude of Buenos Aires, Argentina (34.6 S), the clear-sky Fuv increases are comparable to the increases near Washington, D. C. (38.9 N): 305 nm, 9% and 7%; erythemal, 6% and 4%; and vitamin D production, 7% and 5%, respectively.

Real-time and sub-wavelength ultrafast coherent diffraction imaging in the extreme ultraviolet.

PubMed

Zürch, M; Rothhardt, J; Hädrich, S; Demmler, S; Krebs, M; Limpert, J; Tünnermann, A; Guggenmos, A; Kleineberg, U; Spielmann, C

2014-12-08

Coherent Diffraction Imaging is a technique to study matter with nanometer-scale spatial resolution based on coherent illumination of the sample with hard X-ray, soft X-ray or extreme ultraviolet light delivered from synchrotrons or more recently X-ray Free-Electron Lasers. This robust technique simultaneously allows quantitative amplitude and phase contrast imaging. Laser-driven high harmonic generation XUV-sources allow table-top realizations. However, the low conversion efficiency of lab-based sources imposes either a large scale laser system or long exposure times, preventing many applications. Here we present a lensless imaging experiment combining a high numerical aperture (NA = 0.8) setup with a high average power fibre laser driven high harmonic source. The high flux and narrow-band harmonic line at 33.2 nm enables either sub-wavelength spatial resolution close to the Abbe limit (Δr = 0.8λ) for long exposure time, or sub-70 nm imaging in less than one second. The unprecedented high spatial resolution, compactness of the setup together with the real-time capability paves the way for a plethora of applications in fundamental and life sciences.

Microstructure and transformation behavior of Ni{sub 24.7}Ti{sub 50.3}Pd{sub 25} high temperature shape-memory alloy with Sc micro-addition

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

Ramaiah, K.V., E-mail: kvramaiah@nal.res.in; Saikrishna, C.N.; Gouthama

2015-08-15

NiTiPd shape-memory alloys (SMAs) are potential functional materials for use as solid-state actuators in the temperature range 100–250 °C. The present study investigates the effect of 1.0 at.% Sc micro-addition to Ni{sub 24.7}Ti{sub 50.3}Pd{sub 25} alloy, Sc replacing either Ti or Ni. Results show that all the three alloys studied have stable transformation behavior on stress-free thermal cycling and hence, are suitable for cyclic actuation applications. However, the addition of Sc to NiTiPd alloy leads to decrease of transformation temperatures, the magnitude of decrease being greater for the alloy with Sc replacing Ni. The martensite finish (M{sub f}) temperature ofmore » 181 °C for the NiTiPd alloy decreased to 139 °C for Sc replacing Ti and 83 °C for Sc replacing Ni. Also, the indentation modulus of NiTiPdSc (Sc replacing Ni) alloy is found to be significantly low compared to the other alloys. Analysis indicates that the observed differences in the alloy properties are related to the solubility of Sc in the NiTiPd matrix. While the quaternary NiTiPdSc alloy, Sc replacing Ti, has a single phase microstructure, the alloy with Sc replacing Ni shows the presence of Sc-rich and TiPd-type second phases in the microstructure. TEM examination revealed that the TiPd-type phase has a distinct rod-like morphology (30–50 nm) arranged in a grid-like structure. The transformation and indentation behavior of the alloys is elucidated using thermodynamic calculations of frictional energy and an electronic structure based analysis. - Highlights: • TEM of Ni{sub 23.7}Ti{sub 50.3}Pd{sub 25}Sc{sub 1} showed distinct grid of TiPd-type phase nanorods < 50 nm. • Stress-free thermal cycling of all the three alloys showed stable transformation behavior. • Ni{sub 24.7}Ti{sub 49.3}Pd{sub 25}Sc{sub 1} and Ni{sub 23.7}Ti{sub 50.3}Pd{sub 25}Sc{sub 1} showed single and multiphase structures. • Sc micro-addition (1 at.%) to Ni{sub 24.7}Ti{sub 50.3}Pd{sub 25} alloy decreased TTs significantly. • Ni{sub 23.7}Ti{sub 50.3}Pd{sub 25}Sc{sub 1} exhibited lower modulus of 67 GPa to 85 GPa of Ni{sub 24.7}Ti{sub 50.3}Pd{sub 25}.« less

Effect of superconducting spacer layer thickness on magneto-transport and magnetic properties of La{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}MnO{sub 3}/YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7}/La{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}MnO{sub 3} heterostructures

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

Sharma, Minaxi, E-mail: meenanith@gmail.com; Sharma, K. K., E-mail: kknitham@gmail.com; Pandey, Pankaj K.

2014-01-07

We have studied the magneto-transport and magnetic properties of LSMO/YBCO/LSMO trilayers on LaAlO{sub 3} (001) substrate, deposited using pulsed laser deposition technique. From x-ray diffraction measurements, it is confirmed that the grown trilayer films are single phase natured. The temperature dependent resistivity shows a metallic behavior below 350 K. At low temperature from resistivity fitted data, we observe that electron-electron, electron-phonon, and electron-magnon interactions are the main factors for scattering of carriers. The ferromagnetic LSMO layers suppress the critical temperature of YBCO spacer layer. We observe maximum magnetoresistance value ∼49% at 250 K for LSMO(200 nm)/YBCO(50 nm)/LSMO(200 nm) trilayer. Magnetization measurements reveal that at roommore » temperature the YBCO spacer layer is allowing the LSMO layers to interact antiferromagnetically.« less

Spatially and momentum resolved energy electron loss spectra from an ultra-thin PrNiO{sub 3} layer

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

Kinyanjui, M. K., E-mail: michael.kinyanjui@uni-ulm.de; Kaiser, U.; Benner, G.

2015-05-18

We present an experimental approach which allows for the acquisition of spectra from ultra-thin films at high spatial, momentum, and energy resolutions. Spatially and momentum (q) resolved electron energy loss spectra have been obtained from a 12 nm ultra-thin PrNiO{sub 3} layer using a nano-beam electron diffraction based approach which enabled the acquisition of momentum resolved spectra from individual, differently oriented nano-domains and at different positions of the PrNiO{sub 3} thin layer. The spatial and wavelength dependence of the spectral excitations are obtained and characterized after the analysis of the experimental spectra using calculated dielectric and energy loss functions. The presentedmore » approach makes a contribution towards obtaining momentum-resolved spectra from nanostructures, thin film, heterostructures, surfaces, and interfaces.« less

Confinement-induced Molecular Templating and Controlled Ligation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berard, Daniel; Shayegan, Marjan; Michaud, François; Henkin, Gil; Scott, Shane; Leith, Jason; Leslie, Sabrina; Leslie Lab Team

Loading and manipulating long DNA molecules within sub-50 nm cross-section nanostructures for genomic and biochemical analyses, while retaining their structural integrity, present key technological challenges to the biotechnology sector, such as device clogging and molecular breakage. We overcome these challenges by using Convex Lens-induced Confinement (CLiC) technology to gently load DNA into nanogrooves from above. Here, we demonstrate single-fluorophore visualization of custom DNA barcodes as well as efficient top-loading of DNA into sub-50 nm nanogrooves of variable topographies. We study confinement-enhanced self-ligation of polymers loaded in circular nanogrooves. Further, we use concentric, circular nanogrooves to eliminate confinement gradient-induced drift of stretched DNA.

Narrow-band multi-filter radiometer for total ozone content measurements: Mario Zucchelli Station (Antarctica) campaign.

PubMed

Scaglione, Salvatore; Zola, Danilo; Menchini, Francesca; Sarcina, Ilaria Di

2017-02-01

The importance of ground-based measurements of ultraviolet radiation has increased since the discovery of the stratospheric ozone layer depletion. Spectroradiometers are the most widely used class of instruments, although the requirement to work in attended stations is sometimes limiting. In this work we present a filter radiometer, named F-RAD, with good optical stability, very short sampling time (1 min), and proven reliability. The instrument is based on a stand-alone functioning, making it suitable for operation in hostile environments. The total ozone column (TOC) was estimated by the irradiance ratio at wavelengths where the ozone absorbs the solar radiation and where the radiation is not absorbed. Direct correlation between the TOC values estimated by F-RAD and by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) was found, and the standard deviations of the ratios between such values were calculated. Three wavelength ratios were identified to take into account the dependence of the measurements from the Solar Zenith Angle, A_F-RAD (306.0 nm/325.3 nm) for SZA<50°, B_F-RAD (309.9 nm/325.3 nm) and C_F-RAD (317.5 nm/325.3 nm) for SZA>50°. Considering the OMI ozone data as the reference values, the accuracy of the filter radiometer is estimated to be ±4%. The data collected during the calibration campaign in Lampedusa (June-July 2009, Italy) and during the first Antarctica winter of the 2009-2013 measurement campaign at Mario Zucchelli Station (MZS) are reported. The TOC measured by the F-RAD instrument, by the OMI on board of EOS-Aura satellite (NASA), and by the NOAA UV Monitoring Station in McMurdo (USA) are compared to assess the appropriateness of F-RAD for a long-term measurement campaign.

The improvement of GaN-based light-emitting diodes using nanopatterned sapphire substrate with small pattern spacing

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

Zhang, Yonghui; Wei, Tongbo, E-mail: tbwei@semi.ac.cn; Wang, Junxi

2014-02-15

Self-assembly SiO{sub 2} nanosphere monolayer template is utilized to fabricate nanopatterned sapphire substrates (NPSSs) with 0-nm, 50-nm, and 120-nm spacing, receptively. The GaN growth on top of NPSS with 0-nm spacing has the best crystal quality because of laterally epitaxial overgrowth. However, GaN growth from pattern top is more difficult to get smooth surface than from pattern bottom. The rougher surface may result in a higher work voltage. The stimulation results of finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) display that too large or too small spacing lead to the reduced light extracted efficiency (LEE) of LEDs. Under a driving current 350 mA, themore » external quantum efficiencies (EQE) of GaN-based LEDs grown on NPSSs with 0-nm, 50-nm, and 120-nm spacing increase by 43.3%, 50.6%, and 39.1%, respectively, compared to that on flat sapphire substrate (FSS). The optimized pattern spacing is 50 nm for the NPSS with 600-nm pattern period.« less

Monoacylglycerol lipase inhibition by organophosphorus compounds leads to elevation of brain 2-arachidonoylglycerol and the associated hypomotility in mice

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

Quistad, Gary B.; Klintenberg, Rebecka; Caboni, Pierluigi

2006-02-15

Three components of the cannabinoid system are sensitive to selected organophosphorus (OP) compounds: monoacylglycerol (MAG) lipase that hydrolyzes the major endogenous agonist 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG); fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) that cleaves the agonist anandamide present in smaller amounts; the CB1 receptor itself. This investigation considers which component of the cannabinoid system is the most likely contributor to OP-induced hypomotility in mice. Structure-activity studies by our laboratory and others rule against major involvement of a direct toxicant-CB1 receptor interaction for selected OPs. Attention was therefore focused on the OP sensitivities of MAG lipase and FAAH, assaying 19 structurally diverse OP chemicalsmore » (pesticides, their metabolites and designer compounds) for in vitro inhibition of both enzymes. Remarkably high potency and low selectivity is observed with three O-alkyl (C{sub 1}, C{sub 2}, C{sub 3}) alkylphosphonofluoridates (C{sub 8}, C{sub 12}) (IC50 0.60-3.0 nM), five S-alkyl (C{sub 5}, C{sub 7}, C{sub 9}) and alkyl (C{sub 1}, C{sub 12}) benzodioxaphosphorin oxides (IC50 0.15-5.7 nM) and one OP insecticide metabolite (chlorpyrifos oxon, IC50 34-40 nM). In ip-treated mice, the OPs at 1-30 mg/kg more potently inhibit brain FAAH than MAG lipase, but FAAH inhibition is not correlated with hypomotility. However, the alkylphosphonofluoridate-treated mice show dose-dependent increases in severity of hypomotility, inhibition of MAG lipase activity and elevation of 2-AG. Moderate to severe hypomotility is accompanied by 64 to 86% MAG lipase inhibition and about 6-fold elevation of brain 2-AG level. It therefore appears that OP-induced MAG lipase inhibition leads to elevated 2-AG and the associated hypomotility.« less

Nano crystalline Bi{sub 2}(VO{sub 5}) phases in lithium bismuth borate glasses containing mixed vanadium-nickel oxides

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

Yadav, Arti, E-mail: artidabhur@gmail.com; Khasa, S.; Dahiya, M. S.

2016-05-23

Glass composition 7V{sub 2}O{sub 5}·23Li{sub 2}O·20Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3}·50B{sub 2}O{sub 3} and x(2NiO·V{sub 2}O{sub 5})·(30-x)Li{sub 2}O·20Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3}·50B{sub 2}O{sub 3}, x=0, 2, 5, 7 and 10, were produced by conventional melt quenching technique. The quenched amorphous glass samples were annealed at temperatures 400°C and 500°C for 6 hours. The Bi{sub 2}(VO{sub 5}) crystallite were grown in all prepared glass matrix. Tn vanadium lithium bismuth borate glass (annealed), the some phrase of V{sub 2}O{sub 5}-crystal were observed along with the nano crystalline Bi{sub 2}(VO{sub 5}) phase. The sharp peaks in FTTR spectra of all annealed compositions were also compatible with the XRDmore » diffraction peaks of the system under investigation. Average crystalline size (D) of the Bi{sub 2}(VO{sub 5}) nano-crystallite was ~30 nm for samples annealed at 400°C and ~42 nm for samples annealed at 500°C. Lattice parameter and the lattice strain for all the samples was also calculated corresponding to the (113) plane of Bi{sub 2}(VO{sub 5}) crystallite.« less

Pulsed cathodoluminescence and Raman spectra of MoS{sub 2} and WS{sub 2} nanocrystals and their combination MoS{sub 2}/WS{sub 2} produced by self-propagating high-temperature synthesis

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

Bozheyev, Farabi, E-mail: farabi.bozheyev@gmail.com; National Nanolaboratory, al-Farabi Kazakh National University, 71 al-Farabi Ave., 050000 Almaty; Nazarbayev University Research and Innovation System, 53 Kabanbay Batyr St., 010000 Astana

2016-02-29

Molybdenum and tungsten disulfide nanoplates were produced by self-propagating high-temperature synthesis in argon atmosphere. This method provides an easy way to produce MoS{sub 2} and WS{sub 2} from nanoplates up to single- and several layers. The Raman peak intensities corresponding to in-plane E{sup 1}{sub 2g} and out-of-plane A{sub 1g} vibration modes and their shifts strongly depend on the thicknesses of the MoS{sub 2} and WS{sub 2} platelets indicating size-dependent scaling laws and properties. An electron beam irradiation of MoS{sub 2} and WS{sub 2} powders leads to an occurrence of pulsed cathodoluminescence (PCL) spectra at 575 nm (2.15 eV) and 550 nm (2.25 eV) characteristicmore » to their intrinsic band gaps. For the combination of MoS{sub 2} and WS{sub 2} nanopowders, a PCL shoulder at 430 nm (2.88 eV) was observed, which is explained by the radiative electron-hole recombination at the MoS{sub 2}/WS{sub 2} grain boundaries. The luminescence decay kinetics of the MoS{sub 2}/WS{sub 2} nanoplates appears to be slower than for individual MoS{sub 2} and WS{sub 2} platelets due to a spatial separation of electrons and holes at MoS{sub 2}/WS{sub 2} junction resulting in extension of recombination time.« less

Controllable synthesis of Ce{sub 1-x}Zr{sub x}O{sub 2} hollow nanospheres via supercritical anti-solvent precipitation

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

Jiang Haoxi; Post-Doctor Station for Science and Technology of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072; Post-Doctor Workstation for Science and Technology, Shandong Haihua Group Co. Ltd, Weifang, Shandong 262737

2012-01-15

Nanocrystalline Ce{sub 1-x}Zr{sub x}O{sub 2} hollow nanospheres were successfully synthesized via supercritical anti-solvent precipitation using supercritical CO{sub 2} as the anti-solvent. It was found that the as-produced samples exhibited hollow spherical structures with uniform diameters ranging from 30 to 50 nm and the sphere walls were composed of various oriented nanocrystallites, with sizes of 3-7 nm. The results of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy showed that the formation of the hollow structures could be controlled by adjusting the solution concentration. The results of temperature-programmed reduction and oxygen storage capacity measurements showed that the hollow nanospheres had enhanced redox properties. A possiblemore » mechanism for the formation of Ce{sub 1-x}Zr{sub x}O{sub 2} hollow nanospheres has also been proposed and experimental investigated.« less

77 FR 58218 - BNSF Railway Company-Abandonment Exemption-in McKinley County, N.M.

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-19

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. AB 6 (Sub-No. 485X)] BNSF Railway Company--Abandonment Exemption--in McKinley County, N.M. BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) has filed a... rail line located between milepost 14.50 and milepost 19.61, north of Defiance, in McKinley County, N.M...

Extremely asymmetric diffraction as a method of determining magneto-optical constants for X-rays near absorption edges

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

Andreeva, M. A., E-mail: Mandreeva1@yandex.ru; Repchenko, Yu. L., E-mail: kent160@mail.ru; Smekhova, A. G.

2015-06-15

The spectral dependence of the Bragg peak position under conditions of extremely asymmetric diffraction has been analyzed in the kinematical and dynamical approximations of the diffraction theory. Simulations have been performed for the L{sub 3} absorption edge of yttrium in a single-crystal YFe{sub 2} film; they have shown that the magneto-optical constants (or, equivalently, the dispersion corrections to the atomic scattering factor) for hard X-rays can be determined from this dependence. Comparison with the experimental data obtained for a Nb(4 nm)/YFe{sub 2}(40 nm〈110〉)/Fe(1.5 nm)/Nb(50 nm)/sapphire sample at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility has been made.

Surface texture of single-crystal silicon oxidized under a thin V{sub 2}O{sub 5} layer

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

Nikitin, S. E., E-mail: nikitin@mail.ioffe.ru; Verbitskiy, V. N.; Nashchekin, A. V.

The process of surface texturing of single-crystal silicon oxidized under a V{sub 2}O{sub 5} layer is studied. Intense silicon oxidation at the Si–V{sub 2}O{sub 5} interface begins at a temperature of 903 K which is 200 K below than upon silicon thermal oxidation in an oxygen atmosphere. A silicon dioxide layer 30–50 nm thick with SiO{sub 2} inclusions in silicon depth up to 400 nm is formed at the V{sub 2}O{sub 5}–Si interface. The diffusion coefficient of atomic oxygen through the silicon-dioxide layer at 903 K is determined (D ≥ 2 × 10{sup –15} cm{sup 2} s{sup –1}). A modelmore » of low-temperature silicon oxidation, based on atomic oxygen diffusion from V{sub 2}O{sub 5} through the SiO{sub 2} layer to silicon, and SiO{sub x} precipitate formation in silicon is proposed. After removing the V{sub 2}O{sub 5} and silicon-dioxide layers, texture is formed on the silicon surface, which intensely scatters light in the wavelength range of 300–550 nm and is important in the texturing of the front and rear surfaces of solar cells.« less

VENUS CLOUD MORPHOLOGY AND MOTIONS FROM GROUND-BASED IMAGES AT THE TIME OF THE AKATSUKI ORBIT INSERTION

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

Sánchez-Lavega, A.; Hueso, R.; Pérez-Hoyos, S.

We report Venus image observations around the two maximum elongations of the planet at 2015 June and October. From these images we describe the global atmospheric dynamics and cloud morphology in the planet before the arrival of JAXA’s Akatsuki mission on 2015 December 7. The majority of the images were acquired at ultraviolet wavelengths (380–410 nm) using small telescopes. The Venus dayside was also observed with narrowband filters at other wavelengths (890 nm, 725–950 nm, 1.435 μ m CO{sub 2} band) using the instrument PlanetCam-UPV/EHU at the 2.2 m telescope in Calar Alto Observatory. In all cases, the lucky imagingmore » methodology was used to improve the spatial resolution of the images over the atmospheric seeing. During the April–June period, the morphology of the upper cloud showed an irregular and chaotic texture with a well-developed equatorial dark belt (afternoon hemisphere), whereas during October–December the dynamical regime was dominated by planetary-scale waves (Y-horizontal, C-reversed, and ψ -horizontal features) formed by long streaks, and banding suggesting more stable conditions. Measurements of the zonal wind velocity with cloud tracking in the latitude range from 50°N to 50°S shows agreement with retrievals from previous works.« less

Co-existence of a few and sub micron inhomogeneities in Al-rich AlGaN/AlN quantum wells

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

Iwata, Yoshiya; Oto, Takao; Banal, Ryan G.

2015-03-21

Inhomogeneity in Al-rich AlGaN/AlN quantum wells is directly observed using our custom-built confocal microscopy photoluminescence (μ-PL) apparatus with a reflective system. The μ-PL system can reach the AlN bandgap in the deep ultra-violet spectral range with a spatial resolution of 1.8 μm. In addition, cathodoluminescence (CL) measurements with a higher spatial resolution of about 100 nm are performed. A comparison of the μ-PL and CL measurements reveals that inhomogeneities, which have different spatial distributions of a few- and sub-micron scales that are superimposed, play key roles in determining the optical properties.

Current Status of Aerosol Retrievals from TOMS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Torres, O.; Herman, J. R.; Bhartia, P. K.; Ginoux, P.

1999-01-01

Properties of atmospheric aerosols over all land and water surfaces are retrieved from TOMS measurements of backscattered radiances. The TOMS technique, uses observations at two wavelengths. In the near ultraviolet (330-380 nm) range, where the effects of gaseous absorption are negligible. The retrieved properties are optical depth and a measure of aerosol absorptivity, generally expressed as single scattering albedo. The main sources of error of the TOMS aerosol products are sub-pixel cloud contamination and uncertainty on the height above the surface of UV-absorbing aerosol layers. The first error source is related to the large footprint (50 x 50 km at nadir) of the sensor, and the lack of detection capability of sub-pixel size clouds. The uncertainty associated with the height of the absorbing aerosol layers, on the other hand, is related to the pressure dependence of the molecular scattering process, which is the basis of the near-UV method of absorbing aerosol detection. The detection of non-absorbing aerosols is not sensitive to aerosol layer height. We will report on the ongoing work to overcome both of these difficulties. Coincident measurements of high spatial resolution thermal infrared radiances are used to address the cloud contamination issue. Mostly clear scenes for aerosol retrieval are selected by examining the spatial homogeneity of the IR radiance measurements within a TOMS pixel. The approach to reduce the uncertainty associated with the height of the aerosol layer by making use of a chemical transport model will also be discussed.

Hard X-ray Microscopy with sub 30 nm Spatial Resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Mau-Tsu; Song, Yen-Fang; Yin, Gung-Chian; Chen, Fu-Rong; Chen, Jian-Hua; Chen, Yi-Ming; Liang, Keng S.; Duewer, F.; Yun, Wenbing

2007-01-01

A transmission X-ray microscope (TXM) has been installed at the BL01B beamline at National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center in Taiwan. This state-of-the-art TXM operational in a range 8-11 keV provides 2D images and 3D tomography with spatial resolution 60 nm, and with the Zernike-phase contrast mode for imaging light materials such as biological specimens. A spatial resolution of the TXM better than 30 nm, apparently the best result in hard X-ray microscopy, has been achieved by employing the third diffraction order of the objective zone plate. The TXM has been applied in diverse research fields, including analysis of failure mechanisms in microelectronic devices, tomographic structures of naturally grown photonic specimens, and the internal structure of fault zone gouges from an earthquake core. Here we discuss the scope and prospects of the project, and the progress of the TXM in NSRRC.

Mapping stress in polycrystals with sub-10 nm spatial resolution.

PubMed

Polop, C; Vasco, E; Perrino, A P; Garcia, R

2017-09-28

From aircraft to electronic devices, and even in Formula One cars, stress is the main cause of degraded material performance and mechanical failure in applications incorporating thin films and coatings. Over the last two decades, the scientific community has searched for the mechanisms responsible for stress generation in films, with no consensus in sight. The main difficulty is that most current models of stress generation, while atomistic in nature, are based on macroscopic measurements. Here, we demonstrate a novel method for mapping the stress at the surface of polycrystals with sub-10 nm spatial resolution. This method consists of transforming elastic modulus maps measured by atomic force microscopy techniques into stress maps via the local stress-stiffening effect. The validity of this approach is supported by finite element modeling simulations. Our study reveals a strongly heterogeneous distribution of intrinsic stress in polycrystalline Au films, with gradients as high as 100 MPa nm -1 near the grain boundaries. Consequently, our study discloses the limited capacity of macroscopic stress assessments and standard tests to discriminate among models, and the great potential of nanometer-scale stress mapping.

Carbon Nanotubes as an Ultrafast Emitter with a Narrow Energy Spread at Optical Frequency.

PubMed

Li, Chi; Zhou, Xu; Zhai, Feng; Li, Zhenjun; Yao, Fengrui; Qiao, Ruixi; Chen, Ke; Cole, Matthew Thomas; Yu, Dapeng; Sun, Zhipei; Liu, Kaihui; Dai, Qing

2017-08-01

Ultrafast electron pulses, combined with laser-pump and electron-probe technologies, allow ultrafast dynamics to be characterized in materials. However, the pursuit of simultaneous ultimate spatial and temporal resolution of microscopy and spectroscopy is largely subdued by the low monochromaticity of the electron pulses and their poor phase synchronization to the optical excitation pulses. Field-driven photoemission from metal tips provides high light-phase synchronization, but suffers large electron energy spreads (3-100 eV) as driven by a long wavelength laser (>800 nm). Here, ultrafast electron emission from carbon nanotubes (≈1 nm radius) excited by a 410 nm femtosecond laser is realized in the field-driven regime. In addition, the emitted electrons have great monochromaticity with energy spread as low as 0.25 eV. This great performance benefits from the extraordinarily high field enhancement and great stability of carbon nanotubes, superior to metal tips. The new nanotube-based ultrafast electron source opens exciting prospects for extending current characterization to sub-femtosecond temporal resolution as well as sub-nanometer spatial resolution. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Solvothermal synthesis of Fe{sub 7}C{sub 3} and Fe{sub 3}C nanostructures with phase and morphology control

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

Williams, Brent; Clifford, Dustin; Carpenter, Everett E., E-mail: aelgendy@vcu.edu, E-mail: ecarpenter2@vcu.edu

A phase transition, from orthorhombic Fe{sub 3}C to hexagonal Fe{sub 7}C{sub 3}, was observed using a wet synthesis mediated by hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC). In this study, CTAC has been shown to control carbide phase, morphology, and size of the iron carbide nanostructures. Fe{sub 7}C{sub 3} hexagonal prisms were formed with an average diameter of 960 nm, the thickness of 150 nm, and Fe{sub 3}C nanostructures with an approximate size of 50 nm. Magnetic studies show ferromagnetic behavior with M{sub s} of 126 emu/g, and H{sub c} of 170 Oe with respect to Fe{sub 7}C{sub 3} and 95 emu/g and 590 Oe with respect to Fe{sub 3}C. Themore » thermal studies using high temperature x-ray diffraction show stability of Fe{sub 7}C{sub 3} up to 500 °C. Upon slow cooling, the Fe{sub 7}C{sub 3} phase is recovered with an intermediate oxide phase occurring around 300 °C. This study has demonstrated a simple route in synthesizing iron carbides for an in depth magnetic study and crystal phase transition study of Fe{sub 7}C{sub 3} at elevated temperatures.« less

Diffraction based overlay metrology for α-carbon applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saravanan, Chandra Saru; Tan, Asher; Dasari, Prasad; Goelzer, Gary; Smith, Nigel; Woo, Seouk-Hoon; Shin, Jang Ho; Kang, Hyun Jae; Kim, Ho Chul

2008-03-01

Applications that require overlay measurement between layers separated by absorbing interlayer films (such as α- carbon) pose significant challenges for sub-50nm processes. In this paper scatterometry methods are investigated as an alternative to meet these stringent overlay metrology requirements. In this article, a spectroscopic Diffraction Based Overlay (DBO) measurement technique is used where registration errors are extracted from specially designed diffraction targets. DBO measurements are performed on detailed set of wafers with varying α-carbon (ACL) thicknesses. The correlation in overlay values between wafers with varying ACL thicknesses will be discussed. The total measurement uncertainty (TMU) requirements for these layers are discussed and the DBO TMU results from sub-50nm samples are reviewed.

Tunable THz polariton laser based on 1342  nm wavelength for enhanced terahertz wave extraction.

PubMed

Lee, Andrew J; Spence, David J; Pask, Helen M

2017-07-15

We detail the operation of a THz laser source based on non-linear stimulated polariton scattering (SPS) in Mg:LiNbO₃. This system utilizes a fundamental wavelength of 1342 nm to completely avoid the negative effect of free-carrier generation within high-resistivity silicon (Si) prisms used to extract THz radiation from the Mg:LiNbO₃ crystal. THz power of up to 23.6 μW (62.3 μW when chopped at 50% duty cycle) was detected at 1.33 THz, and frequency tunability across the range 1.05-2.2 THz was achieved.

Etching radical controlled gas chopped deep reactive ion etching

DOEpatents

Olynick, Deidre; Rangelow, Ivo; Chao, Weilun

2013-10-01

A method for silicon micromachining techniques based on high aspect ratio reactive ion etching with gas chopping has been developed capable of producing essentially scallop-free, smooth, sidewall surfaces. The method uses precisely controlled, alternated (or chopped) gas flow of the etching and deposition gas precursors to produce a controllable sidewall passivation capable of high anisotropy. The dynamic control of sidewall passivation is achieved by carefully controlling fluorine radical presence with moderator gasses, such as CH.sub.4 and controlling the passivation rate and stoichiometry using a CF.sub.2 source. In this manner, sidewall polymer deposition thicknesses are very well controlled, reducing sidewall ripples to very small levels. By combining inductively coupled plasmas with controlled fluorocarbon chemistry, good control of vertical structures with very low sidewall roughness may be produced. Results show silicon features with an aspect ratio of 20:1 for 10 nm features with applicability to nano-applications in the sub-50 nm regime. By comparison, previous traditional gas chopping techniques have produced rippled or scalloped sidewalls in a range of 50 to 100 nm roughness.

Ultrathin IBAD MgO films for epitaxial growth on amorphous substrates and sub-50 nm membranes

DOE PAGES

Wang, Siming; Antonakos, C.; Bordel, C.; ...

2016-11-07

Here, a fabrication process has been developed for high energy ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD) biaxial texturing of ultrathin (~1 nm) MgO films, using a high ion-to-atom ratio and post-deposition annealing instead of a homoepitaxial MgO layer. These films serve as the seed layer for epitaxial growth of materials on amorphous substrates such as electron/X-ray transparent membranes or nanocalorimetry devices. Stress measurements and atomic force microscopy of the MgO films reveal decreased stress and surface roughness, while X-ray diffraction of epitaxial overlayers demonstrates the improved crystal quality of films grown epitaxially on IBAD MgO. The process simplifies the synthesis ofmore » IBAD MgO, fundamentally solves the “wrinkle” issue induced by the homoepitaxial layer on sub-50 nm membranes, and enables studies of epitaxial materials in electron/X-ray transmission and nanocalorimetry.« less

Flat super-oscillatory lens for heat-assisted magnetic recording with sub-50 nm resolution.

PubMed

Yuan, Guanghui; Rogers, Edward T F; Roy, Tapashree; Shen, Zexiang; Zheludev, Nikolay I

2014-03-24

Heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) is a future roadmap technology to overcome the superparamagnetic limit in high density magnetic recording. Existing HAMR schemes depend on a simultaneous magnetic stimulation and light-induced local heating of the information carrier. To achieve high-density recorded data, near-field plasmonic transducers have been proposed as light concentrators. Here we suggest and investigate in detail an alternative approach exploiting a far-field focusing device that can focus light into sub-50 nm hot-spots in the magnetic recording layer using a laser source operating at 473 nm. It is based on a recently introduced super-oscillatory flat lens improved with the use of solid immersion, giving an effective numerical aperture as high as 4.17. The proposed solution is robust and easy to integrate with the magnetic recording head thus offering a competitive advantage over plasmonic technology.

Optical design and simulation of a new coherence beamline at NSLS-II

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Garth J.; Chubar, Oleg; Berman, Lonny; Chu, Yong S.; Robinson, Ian K.

2017-08-01

We will discuss the optical design for a proposed beamline at NSLS-II, a late-third generation storage ring source, designed to exploit the spatial coherence of the X-rays to extract high-resolution spatial information from ordered and disordered materials through Coherent Diffractive Imaging, executed in the Bragg- and forward-scattering geometries. This technique offers a powerful tool to image sub-10 nm spatial features and, within ordered materials, sub-Angstrom mapping of deformation fields. Driven by the opportunity to apply CDI to a wide range of samples, with sizes ranging from sub-micron to tens-of-microns, two optical designs have been proposed and simulated under a wide variety of optical configurations using the software package Synchrotron Radiation Workshop. The designs, their goals, and the results of the simulation, including NSLS-II ring and undulator source parameters, of the beamline performance as a function of its variable optical components is described.

Current-perpendicular-to-the-plane magnetoresistance from large interfacial spin-dependent scattering between Co{sub 50}Fe{sub 50} magnetic layer and In-Zn-O conductive oxide spacer layer

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

Nakatani, T. M., E-mail: Tomoya.Nakatani@hgst.com; Childress, J. R.

2015-06-28

We have investigated electrically conductive indium-zinc-oxide (IZO) deposited by magnetron sputtering as spacer layer for current-perpendicular-to-the-plane giant magnetoresistance sensor devices. Spin-valves with a Co{sub 50}Fe{sub 50}/IZO/Co{sub 50}Fe{sub 50} trilayer showed resistance-area product (RA) ranging from 110 to 250 mΩ μm{sup 2}, significantly larger than all-metal structures with Ag or Cu spacers (∼40 mΩ μm{sup 2}). Magnetoresistance ratios (ΔR/R) of 2.5% to 5.5% depending on the IZO spacer thickness (1.5–6.0 nm), corresponding to ΔRA values from 3 to 13 mΩ μm{sup 2}, were obtained. The values of ΔRA with the IZO spacers and Co{sub 50}Fe{sub 50} magnetic layers were significantly larger than thosemore » with conventional metal spacers and Co{sub 50}Fe{sub 50} magnetic layers (∼1–2 mΩ μm{sup 2}). The dependence of ΔRA on the magnetic layer thickness suggests that the larger ΔRA obtained with IZO spacer is due to a large interfacial spin-dependent scattering caused by the large specific resistance at the Co{sub 50}Fe{sub 50}/IZO interface. From structural characterization by TEM and the observed dependence of the RA dispersion on device size, the electric current flowing through the IZO spacer is thought to be laterally uniform, similar to normal metal spacers.« less

Bidirectional current triggering in planar devices based on serially connected VO₂ thin films using 965 nm laser diode.

PubMed

Kim, Jihoon; Park, Kyongsoo; Kim, Bong-Jun; Lee, Yong Wook

2016-08-08

By incorporating a 965 nm laser diode, the bidirectional current triggering of up to 30 mA was demonstrated in a two-terminal planar device based on serially connected vanadium dioxide (VO₂) thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition. The bidirectional current triggering was realized by using the focused beams of laser pulses through the photo-thermally induced phase transition of VO₂. The transient responses of laser-triggered currents were also investigated when laser pulses excited the device at a variety of pulse widths and repetition rates of up to 4.0 Hz. A switching contrast between off- and on-state currents was obtained as ~8333, and rising and falling times were measured as ~39 and ~29 ms, respectively, for 50 ms laser pulses.

Multispectral guided fluorescence diffuse optical tomography using upconverting nanoparticles

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

Svenmarker, Pontus, E-mail: pontus.svenmarker@physics.umu.se; Department of Physics, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå; Centre for Microbial Research

2014-02-17

We report on improved image detectability for fluorescence diffuse optical tomography using upconverting nanoparticles doped with rare-earth elements. Core-shell NaYF{sub 4}:Yb{sup 3+}/Er{sup 3+}@NaYF{sub 4} upconverting nanoparticles were synthesized through a stoichiometric method. The Yb{sup 3+}/Er{sup 3+} sensitizer-activator pair yielded two anti-Stokes shifted fluorescence emission bands at 540 nm and 660 nm, here used to a priori estimate the fluorescence source depth with sub-millimeter precision. A spatially varying regularization incorporated the a priori fluorescence source depth estimation into the tomography reconstruction scheme. Tissue phantom experiments showed both an improved resolution and contrast in the reconstructed images as compared to not using any amore » priori information.« less

The investigation of ferromagnetic resonance linewidth in Ni{sub 80}Fe{sub 20} films with submicron rectangular elements

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

Zhang, D.; School of Physical Science and Information Engineering, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, 252059; Yue, J. J.

Patterned magnetic films with nano-scaled dots exhibit some special magnetic properties. In this paper, we investigate the in-plane shape anisotropy and the magnetization dynamic damping in permalloy (Ni{sub 80}Fe{sub 20}) arrays of submicron rectangular elements using ferromagnetic resonance (FMR). The FMR linewidth exhibits a dependence on the element size, and mainly comes from the contribution of the intrinsic damping. Also the contribution of two-magnon scattering plays an important role and is reduced with increasing aspect ratio. The damping coefficient decreases from 0.0129 to 0.0118 with the element length increasing from 300 nm to 1200 nm, and the theoretical calculation suggestsmore » that the change of damping results from the longitudinal and transverse interlayer spin current due to the spatially inhomogeneous magnetization dynamics.« less

Backward optical gain originating from weak localization strengthened three-photon process in Er/Yb co-doped (Pb,La)(Zr,Ti)O₃ ceramics.

PubMed

Xu, Caixia; Zhang, Jingwen; Zou, Yingyin K; Zhao, Hua

2016-03-21

The enhancement of green upconverted emission from the Er³⁺/Yb³⁺ co-doped (Pb,La)(Zr,Ti)O₃ ceramic powder under a pumping light with a wavelength of 1480 nm was observed to be greater than 30 times that from the bulk of the same sample. Weak localization of light supported by the spatial profile of scattered light facilitated the three-photon process contributing to stronger green upconverted emission. Significant backward light amplification was also observed and studied in detail. Additionally, the distribution of the localization zones in the sample was investigated using a probing laser beam with a wavelength of 532 nm. The findings in this work could be used in improving the solar cell efficiency, modulating color, and designing smart devices.

Structural and magnetic studies of nanocrystalline Y{sub 2}Ir{sub 2}O{sub 7}

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

Dwivedi, Vinod Kumar, E-mail: vinodd@iitk.ac.in; Mukhopadhyay, Soumik

2015-06-24

In this paper, we discuss synthesis of Y{sub 2}Ir{sub 2}O{sub 7} nanoparticles via chemical solution process. Structural analysis shows single cubic phase with Fd-3m space group symmetry. The particle size and distribution were studied by Transmission Electron Microscopy experiments. The average particle size turns out to be 50nm, which is in good agreement with the XRD results. Magnetic characterization shows no evidence of long range ordering even in presence of strong correlations.

Gap-mode-assisted light-induced switching of sub-wavelength magnetic domains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scheunert, G.; McCarron, R.; Kullock, R.; Cohen, S. R.; Rechav, K.; Kaplan-Ashiri, I.; Bitton, O.; Hecht, B.; Oron, D.

2018-04-01

Creating sub-micron hotspots for applications such as heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) is a challenging task. The most common approach relies on a surface-plasmon resonator (SPR), whose design dictates the size of the hotspot to always be larger than its critical dimension. Here, we present an approach which circumvents known geometrical restrictions by resorting to electric field confinement via excitation of a gap-mode (GM) between a comparatively large Gold (Au) nano-sphere (radius of 100 nm) and the magnetic medium in a grazing-incidence configuration. Operating a λ=785 nm laser, sub-200 nm hot spots have been generated and successfully used for GM-assisted magnetic switching on commercial CoCrPt perpendicular magnetic recording media at laser powers and pulse durations comparable to SPR-based HAMR. Lumerical electric field modelling confirmed that operating in the near-infrared regime presents a suitable working point where most of the light's energy is deposited in the magnetic layer, rather than in the nano-particle. Further, modelling is used for predicting the limits of our method which, in theory, can yield sub-30 nm hotspots for Au nano-sphere radii of 25-50 nm for efficient heating of FePt recording media with a gap of 5 nm.

Soft x-ray imaging with incoherent sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wachulak, P.; Torrisi, A.; Ayele, M.; Bartnik, A.; Czwartos, J.; Wegrzyński, Ł.; Fok, T.; Parkman, T.; Vondrová, Š.; Turnová, J.; Odstrcil, M.; Fiedorowicz, H.

2017-05-01

In this work we present experimental, compact desk-top SXR microscope, the EUV microscope which is at this stage a technology demonstrator, and finally, the SXR contact microscope. The systems are based on laser-plasma EUV and SXR sources, employing a double stream gas puff target. The EUV and SXR full field microscopes, operating at 13.8 nm and 2.88 nm wavelengths, respectively, are capable of imaging nanostructures with a sub-50 nm spatial resolution with relatively short (seconds) exposure times. The SXR contact microscope operates in the "water-window" spectral range, to produce an imprint of the internal structure of the sample in a thin layer of SXR light sensitive photoresist. Applications of such desk-top EUV and SXR microscopes for studies of variety of different samples - test objects for resolution assessment and other objects such as carbon membranes, DNA plasmid samples, organic and inorganic thin layers, diatoms, algae and carcinoma cells, are also presented. Details about the sources, the microscopes as well as the imaging results for various objects will be presented and discussed. The development of such compact imaging systems may be important to the new research related to biological, material science and nanotechnology applications.

Energetic proton generation from intense Coulomb explosion of large-size ethane clusters

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

Li Song; Zhou Zili; Tian Ye

An experimental investigation is performed on the interaction of intense femtosecond laser pulses at the intensity of 6 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 17} W/cm{sup 2} (55 fs, 160 mJ at 800 nm) with ethane cluster (C{sub 2}H{sub 6}){sub N} jets prepared under the backing pressure of 30 bars at room temperature (298 K). The experiment results indicate the generation of energetic protons, whose average and maximum kinetic energies are 12.2 and 138.1 keV, respectively, by Coulomb explosion of (C{sub 2}H{sub 6}){sub N} clusters. (C{sub 2}H{sub 6}){sub N} clusters of 5 nm in radius are generated in the experiment, which are 1.7 timesmore » larger than that of (CH{sub 4}){sub N} clusters prepared in the same conditions. Empirical estimation suggests that (C{sub 2}H{sub 6}){sub N} clusters with radius of about 9.6 nm can be prepared at 80-bars backing pressure at 308 K. While (C{sub 2}H{sub 6}){sub N} clusters of so large size are irradiated by sufficiently intense laser pulses, the average energy of protons will be increased up to 50 keV. It is inferred that such large-size deuterated ethane clusters (C{sub 2}D{sub 6}){sub N} will favor more efficient neutron generation due to the significant increase of the D-D nuclear reaction cross section in laser-driven cluster nuclear fusion.« less

Surface modification of an amorphous Si thin film crystallized by a linearly polarized Nd:YAG pulse laser beam

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

Horita, Susumu; Kaki, Hirokazu; Nishioka, Kensuke

2007-07-01

Amorphous Si films of 60 and 10 nm thick on glass substrates were irradiated by a linearly polarized Nd:YAG pulse laser with the wavelength {lambda}=532 nm at the incident angle {theta}{sub i}=0. The surface of the irradiated 60-nm-thick film had both periodic ridges perpendicular to the electric field vector E and aperiodic ridges roughly parallel to E, where the spatial period of the periodic ridges was almost {lambda}. From the continuous 10-nm-thick film, the separate rectangular Si islands were formed with a periodic distance of {lambda}, with the edges parallel or perpendicular to E. When {theta}{sub i} was increased frommore » normal incidence of the s-polarized beam for a 60-nm-thick film, the aperiodic ridges were reduced while the periodic ridges were still formed. For a 10-nm-thick film, the Si stripes were formed perpendicular to E, using the s-polarized beam at {theta}{sub i}=12 deg. In order to investigate the mechanisms of the surface modifications of, in particular, aperiodic ridges, islands, and stripes, we improved the previous theoretical model of the periodic distribution of the beam energy density (periodic E-D) generated by irradiation of the linearly polarized laser beam, taking account of the multireflection effect in the Si film which is semitransparent for {lambda}. Further, the calculated E-D was corrected with respect to the thermal diffusion in the irradiated Si film. The calculation results show that the two-dimensional E-D consists of a constant or a dc term and a sinusoidal or an ac term which contains various spatial periods. The multireflection effect strongly influences the amplitude and phase of every ac term, which means that the amplitude and phase depend on the film thickness. The thermal diffusion during the heating of the irradiated film greatly reduces the amplitudes of the ac terms with periods below the thermal diffusion length. The theoretical calculation showed that, by increasing {theta}{sub i}, the temperature distribution in the irradiated Si film was changed from two-dimensional toward one-dimensional, which can explain the above experimental results reasonably.« less

Creating Sub-50 Nm Nanofluidic Junctions in PDMS Microfluidic Chip via Self-Assembly Process of Colloidal Particles

PubMed Central

Wei, Xi; Syed, Abeer; Mao, Pan; Han, Jongyoon; Song, Yong-Ak

2016-01-01

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is the prevailing building material to make microfluidic devices due to its ease of molding and bonding as well as its transparency. Due to the softness of the PDMS material, however, it is challenging to use PDMS for building nanochannels. The channels tend to collapse easily during plasma bonding. In this paper, we present an evaporation-driven self-assembly method of silica colloidal nanoparticles to create nanofluidic junctions with sub-50 nm pores between two microchannels. The pore size as well as the surface charge of the nanofluidic junction is tunable simply by changing the colloidal silica bead size and surface functionalization outside of the assembled microfluidic device in a vial before the self-assembly process. Using the self-assembly of nanoparticles with a bead size of 300 nm, 500 nm, and 900 nm, it was possible to fabricate a porous membrane with a pore size of ~45 nm, ~75 nm and ~135 nm, respectively. Under electrical potential, this nanoporous membrane initiated ion concentration polarization (ICP) acting as a cation-selective membrane to concentrate DNA by ~1,700 times within 15 min. This non-lithographic nanofabrication process opens up a new opportunity to build a tunable nanofluidic junction for the study of nanoscale transport processes of ions and molecules inside a PDMS microfluidic chip. PMID:27023724

Simultaneous measurements of on-road/in-vehicle nanoparticles and NOx while driving: Actual situations, passenger exposure and secondary formations.

PubMed

Yamada, Hiroyuki; Hayashi, Rumiko; Tonokura, Kenichi

2016-09-01

Simultaneous measurements of on-road and in-vehicle NO and NO2 levels, particle number concentrations (PNCs), and particles size distributions were performed while driving using a test vehicle equipped with real-time sensors. The results obtained on regional roads showed that heavy-duty vehicles in traffic seem to have a major impact on on-road air quality. Measurements on highways that included a 10km tunnel and a 2km uphill section of road indicated that sub-50nm particles have different features from the other species because of their higher volatility. The other species showed quite high on-road concentrations in the tunnel. In-vehicle conditions were made similar to the on-road ones by setting the air conditioning (AC) mode to the fresh air mode. The in-vehicle NO2 concentration in the tunnel was over 0.50ppmV, which is almost five times higher than the 1-hour ambient air quality standard proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO). In sections other than the tunnel, the in-vehicle NO2 concentration was almost the same as the 1-hour WHO standard. Higher on-road NO2/NOx ratios than those of exhaust gases and different behavior of sub-50nm particles from other species suggested that NO2 and sub-50nm particles were mainly due to secondary products formed by atmospheric reactions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ultrafast laser induced periodic sub-wavelength aluminum surface structures and nanoparticles in air and liquids

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

Kuladeep, Rajamudili; Dar, Mudasir H.; Rao, D. Narayana, E-mail: dnrsp@uohyd.ac.in, E-mail: dnr-laserlab@yahoo.com

2014-09-21

In this communication, we demonstrate the generation of laser-induced periodic sub-wavelength surface structures (LIPSS) or ripples on a bulk aluminum (Al) and Al nanoparticles (NPs) by femtosecond (fs) laser direct writing technique. Laser irradiation was performed on Al surface at normal incidence in air and by immersing in ethanol (C₂H₅OH) and water (H₂O) using linearly polarized Ti:sapphire fs laser pulses of ~110 fs pulse duration and ~800 nm wavelength. Field emission scanning electron microscope is utilized for imaging surface morphology of laser written structures and it reveals that the spatial periodicity as well as the surface morphology of the LIPSSmore » depends on the surrounding dielectric medium and also on the various laser irradiation parameters. The observed LIPSS have been classified as low spatial frequency LIPSS which are perpendicularly oriented to the laser polarization with a periodicity from 460 to 620 nm and high spatial frequency LIPSS which spectacles a periodicity less than 100 nm with the orientation parallel to the polarization of the incident laser beam. Fabricated colloidal solutions, which contain the Al NPs, were characterized by UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). TEM results reveal the formation of internal cavities in Al NPs both in ethanol and water. Formation mechanism of LIPSS and cavities inside the nanoparticles are discussed in detail.« less

Microwave-assisted synthesis and humidity sensing of nanostructured {alpha}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}

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

Deshmukh, Rupali G.; Badadhe, Satish S.; Mulla, Imtiaz S.

2009-05-06

Nanocrystalline {alpha}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} has been prepared on a large-scale by a facile microwave-assisted hydrothermal route from a solution of Fe(NO{sub 3}){sub 3}.9H{sub 2}O and pentaerythritol. A systematic study of the morphology, crystallinity and oxidation state of Fe using different characterization techniques, such as transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was performed. It reveals that nanostructured {alpha}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} comprises bundles of nanorods with a rhombohedral crystalline structure. The individual nanorod has 8-10 nm diameter and {approx}50 nm length. The as-prepared nanostructured {alpha}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} (sensor) gives selective response towards humidity. The sensor shows high sensitivity, fastmore » linear response to change in the humidity with almost 100% reproducibility. The sensor works at room temperature and rejuvenates without heat treatment. The as-prepared nanostructured {alpha}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} appears to be a promising humidity sensing material with the potential for commercialization.« less

Reduction of thermal conductivity in MnSi{sub 1.7} multi-layered thin films with artificially inserted Si interfaces

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

Kurosaki, Y., E-mail: yosuke.kurosaki.uy@hitachi.com; Yabuuchi, S.; Nishide, A.

We report a lowered lattice thermal conductivity in nm-scale MnSi{sub 1.7}/Si multilayers which were fabricated by controlling thermal diffusions of Mn and Si atoms. The thickness of the constituent layers is 1.5–5.0 nm, which is comparable to the phonon mean free path of both MnSi{sub 1.7} and Si. By applying the above nanostructures, we reduced the lattice thermal conductivity down to half that of bulk MnSi{sub 1.7}/Si composite materials. The obtained value of 1.0 W/K m is the experimentally observed minimum in MnSi{sub 1.7}-based materials without any heavy element doping and close to the minimum thermal conductivity. We attribute the reduced latticemore » thermal conductivity to phonon scattering at the MnSi{sub 1.7}/Si interfaces in the multilayers.« less

Sub-30 nm patterning of molecular resists based on crosslinking through tip based oxidation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lorenzoni, Matteo; Wagner, Daniel; Neuber, Christian; Schmidt, Hans-Werner; Perez-Murano, Francesc

2018-06-01

Oxidation Scanning Probe Lithography (o-SPL) is an established method employed for device patterning at the nanometer scale. It represents a feasible and inexpensive alternative to standard lithographic techniques such as electron beam lithography (EBL) and nanoimprint lithography (NIL). In this work we applied non-contact o-SPL to an engineered class of molecular resists in order to obtain crosslinking by electrochemical driven oxidation. By patterning and developing various resist formulas we were able to obtain a reliable negative tone resist behavior based on local oxidation. Under optimal conditions, directly written patterns can routinely reach sub-30 nm lateral resolution, while the final developed features result wider, approaching 50 nm width.

Super-resolution differential interference contrast microscopy by structured illumination.

PubMed

Chen, Jianling; Xu, Yan; Lv, Xiaohua; Lai, Xiaomin; Zeng, Shaoqun

2013-01-14

We propose a structured illumination differential interference contrast (SI-DIC) microscopy, breaking the diffraction resolution limit of differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy. SI-DIC extends the bandwidth of coherent transfer function of the DIC imaging system, thus the resolution is improved. With 0.8 numerical aperture condenser and objective, the reconstructed SI-DIC image of 53 nm polystyrene beads reveals lateral resolution of approximately 190 nm, doubling that of the conventional DIC image. We also demonstrate biological observations of label-free cells with improved spatial resolution. The SI-DIC microscopy can provide sub-diffraction resolution and high contrast images with marker-free specimens, and has the potential for achieving sub-diffraction resolution quantitative phase imaging.

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

Zheng, Pengyuan; Ozsdolay, Brian D.; Gall, Daniel, E-mail: galld@rpi.edu

Smooth single crystal W(001) layers were grown on MgO(001) substrates by magnetron sputtering at 900 °C. X-ray diffraction ω–2θ scans, ω-rocking curves, pole figures, and reciprocal space maps indicate a 45°-rotated epitaxial relationship: (001){sub W}‖(001){sub MgO} and [010]{sub W}‖[110]{sub MgO}, and a relaxed lattice constant of 3.167 ± 0.001 nm. A residual in-plane biaxial compressive strain is primarily attributed to differential thermal contraction after growth and decreases from −0.012 ± 0.001 to −0.001 ± 0.001 with increasing layer thickness d = 4.8–390 nm, suggesting relaxation during cooling by misfit dislocation growth through threading dislocation glide. The in-plane x-ray coherence length increases from 3.4 to 33.6 nm for d = 4.8–390 nm, while the out-of-plane x-raymore » coherence length is identical to the layer thickness for d ≤ 20 nm, but is smaller than d for d ≥ 49.7 nm, indicating local strain variations along the film growth direction. X-ray reflectivity analyses indicate that the root-mean-square surface roughness increases from 0.50 ± 0.05 to 0.95 ± 0.05 nm for d = 4.8–19.9 nm, suggesting a roughness exponent of 0.38, but remains relatively constant for d > 20 nm with a roughness of 1.00 ± 0.05 nm at d = 47.9 nm.« less

Significant mobility enhancement in extremely thin highly doped ZnO films

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

Look, David C., E-mail: david.look@wright.edu; Wyle Laboratories, Inc., 2601 Mission Point Blvd., Dayton, Ohio 45431; Air Force Research Laboratory Sensors Directorate, 2241 Avionics Circle, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio 45433

2015-04-13

Highly Ga-doped ZnO (GZO) films of thicknesses d = 5, 25, 50, and 300 nm, grown on 160-nm ZnO buffer layers by molecular beam epitaxy, had 294-K Hall-effect mobilities μ{sub H} of 64.1, 43.4, 37.0, and 34.2 cm{sup 2}/V-s, respectively. This extremely unusual ordering of μ{sub H} vs d is explained by the existence of a very high-mobility Debye tail in the ZnO, arising from the large Fermi-level mismatch between the GZO and the ZnO. Scattering theory in conjunction with Poisson analysis predicts a Debye-tail mobility of 206 cm{sup 2}/V-s at the interface (z = d), falling to 58 cm{sup 2}/V-s at z = d + 2 nm. Excellent fits to μ{sub H}more » vs d and sheet concentration n{sub s} vs d are obtained with no adjustable parameters.« less

Carbachol-induced phosphoinositide turnover in NCB-20 cells

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

Chuang, D.M.; Dillon-Carter, O.

NCB-20 cells (fetal Chinese hamster brain cell x neuroblastoma hybrids) have been shown to contain a variety of neurotransmitter receptors. The authors now report that this cloned cell line also contains acetylcholne receptors which are linked to phospholipase C. Confluent cell cultures were preincubated with /sup 3/H-myo-inositol to label endogenous phosphoinositide (PI) and the accumulation of a PI metabolite, inositol monophosphate (IP/sub 1/), was measured in the presence of LiCl. Carbachol increased IP/sub 1/), accumulation be more than 400% with a EC/sub 50/ of about 50 ..mu..M. Acetylcholine and muscarine were also effective, whereas oxotremorine and McN-A-343 were weak inmore » both potency and efficacy. The carbachol-induced IP/sub 1/ accumulation was completely blocked by atropine (Ki approx. 0.6 nM) and pirenzepine (Ki approx. 15 nM). The presence of KCl was not required for the carbachol-induced effect. The formation of inositol bis- and triphosphate was also increased carbachol; these increases occurred earlier but were of much smaller magnitude. Pretreatment of cells with 4 ..beta..-phorbol dibutyrate or 4 ..beta..-phorbol myristate acetate was found to attenuate the carbachol-induced formation of IP/sub 1/ (IC/sub 50/ in the low nanomolar concentration ranges), however 4 ..beta..-phorbol, the biologically inactive phorbol ester, was ineffective in causing this attenuation. These results suggest a feedback inhibition of PI turnover in NCB-20 cells through the action of protein kinase C.« less

Mechanisms of the self-organization of star-shaped polymers with a varied structure of branching center based on fullerene C{sub 60} in solutions

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

Lebedev, V. T., E-mail: vlebedev@pnpi.spb.ru; Toeroek, Gy.; Vinogradova, L. V.

The self-organization of star-shaped polymers in toluene has been studied by small-angle neutron scattering. Polystyrene stars with a mono-C{sub 60} branching center are ordered into globular clusters ({approx}1700 nm in diameter), whereas stars with a double (C{sub 60}-C{sub 60}) center are ordered into anisotropic structures (superchains), which are linked (depending on the concentration) into triads (chain clusters {approx}2500 nm in diameter). On the contrary, heteroarm polystyrene and poly-2-vinylpyridine stars with a C{sub 60} center are weakly associated into dimers. Moderately polar stars with arms composed of polystyrene and diblock copolymer (poly-2-vinylpyridine-poly-tret-butyl methacrylate) form short chains composed of four macromolecules, whilemore » stars of higher polarity based on polystyrene and poly-tret-butyl methacrylate form clusters containing {approx}12 macromolecules {approx}50 nm in diameter. Thus, by varying the structure of the center and the arm polarity, one can control the modes of star structuring.« less

High single-spatial-mode pulsed power from 980 nm emitting diode lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hempel, Martin; Tomm, Jens W.; Elsaesser, Thomas; Bettiati, Mauro

2012-11-01

Single-spatial-mode pulsed powers as high as 13 W and 20 W in 150 and 50 ns pulses, respectively, are reported for 980 nm emitting lasers. In terms of energy, single-spatial-mode values of up to 2 μJ within 150 ns pulses are shown. In this high-power pulsed operation, the devices shield themselves from facet degradation, being the main degradation source in continuous wave (cw) operation. Our results pave the way towards additional applications while employing available standard devices, which have originally been designed as very reliable cw fiber pumps.

Role of Gd{sup 3+} ion on downshifting and upconversion emission properties of Pr{sup 3+}, Yb{sup 3+} co-doped YNbO{sub 4} phosphor and sensitization effect of Bi{sup 3+} ion

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

Dwivedi, A.; Rai, S. B., E-mail: sbrai49@yahoo.co.in; Mishra, Kavita

Dual-mode luminescence (downshifting-DS and upconversion-UC) properties of Pr{sup 3+}/Yb{sup 3+} co-doped Y{sub 1−x}Gd{sub x}NbO{sub 4} (x = 0.0, 0.5, and 1.0) phosphors synthesized by solid state reaction technique have been explored with and without Gd{sup 3+} ion. The structural characterizations (XRD, SEM, and FTIR) confirm the pure phase of YNbO{sub 4} phosphor. Further, with the Gd{sup 3+} ion co-doping, the YNbO{sub 4} phosphors having a random shape and the large particle size are found to be transformed into nearly spherical shape particles with the reduced particle size. The optical band gaps (E{sub g}) of Y{sub 1−x}Gd{sub x}NbO{sub 4} (x = 0.00, 0.25, 0.50, andmore » 1.00) calculated from UV-Vis-NIR measurements are ∼3.69, 4.00, 4.38, and 4.44 eV, respectively. Moreover, YNbO{sub 4} phosphor is a promising blue emitting material, whereas Y{sub 1−x−y−z}Pr{sub y}Yb{sub z}Gd{sub x}NbO{sub 4} phosphor gives intense green, blue, and red emissions via dual-mode optical processes. The broad blue emission arises due to (NbO{sub 4}){sup 3−} group of the host with λ{sub ex} = 264 nm, whereas Pr{sup 3+} doped YNbO{sub 4} phosphor gives dominant red and blue emissions along with comparatively weak green emission on excitation with λ{sub ex} = 300 nm and 491 nm. The concentration dependent variation in emission intensity at 491 nm ({sup 3}P{sub 0}→{sup 3}H{sub 4} transition) and 612 nm ({sup 1}D{sub 2}→{sup 3}H{sub 4} transition); at 612 nm ({sup 1}D{sub 2}→{sup 3}H{sub 4} transition) and 658 nm ({sup 3}P{sub 0}→{sup 3}F{sub 2} transition) of Pr{sup 3+} ion in YNbO{sub 4} phosphor with λ{sub ex} = 300 nm and 491 nm excitations, respectively, has been thoroughly explored and explained by the cross-relaxation process through different channels. The sensitization effect of Bi{sup 3+} ion co-doping on DS properties of the phosphor has also been studied. The observed DS results have been optimized by varying the concentration of Pr{sup 3+} and Bi{sup 3+} ions, and the results are explained by the well-known simple band structure model. The study of Gd{sup 3+} co-doping reveals noticeable differences in DS characteristics of Y{sub 1−x}Pr{sub x}NbO{sub 4} phosphors: the overall decrement and increment (except for 612 nm emission) in intensity of DS emission on excitation with λ{sub ex} = 264 nm and 491 nm, respectively. These observations have been thoroughly explained, and the {sup 1}D{sub 2}→{sup 3}H{sub 4} transition (612 nm) of Pr{sup 3+} ion is found to be strongly dependent on surrounding environment of the host matrix. The UC properties of Y{sub 0.95−x}Pr{sub x}Yb{sub 0.05}NbO{sub 4} phosphors have been explored using Near Infra-Red (NIR) excitation. The material gives intense green and relatively weak blue and red UC emissions with λ{sub ex} = 980 nm. Interestingly, the UC emission intensity is further enhanced in the case of Y{sub 0.949−x}Pr{sub 0.001}Yb{sub 0.05}Gd{sub x}NbO{sub 4} phosphors. In addition, the less explored laser induced heating effect with the pump power as well as the irradiation time on the UC emission has been explored in Y{sub 0.949−x}Pr{sub 0.001}Yb{sub 0.05}Gd{sub x}NbO{sub 4} (x = 0, 0.5, and 0.949) phosphor samples, and subsequently, this feature has been found to be superior for Gd{sub 0.949}Pr{sub 0.001}Yb{sub 0.05}NbO{sub 4} phosphor. The comparative study between the two hosts, viz., YNbO{sub 4} and GdNbO{sub 4} shows that GdNbO{sub 4} is better than YNbO{sub 4} for UC emission behavior; however, a reverse is observed as for as DS behavior is concerned only for the particular excitation wavelength (λ{sub ex} = 264 nm).« less

Indium telluride nanotubes: Solvothermal synthesis, growth mechanism, and properties

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

Zhou, Liyan; Yan, Shancheng, E-mail: yansc@njupt.edu.cn; School of Geography and Biological Information, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing 210046

2014-03-15

A convenient solvothermal approach was applied for the first time to synthesize In{sub 2}Te{sub 3} nanotubes. The morphology of the resultant nanotubes was studied by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Nanotubes with a relatively uniform diameter of around 500 nm, tube wall thickness of 50–100 nm, and average length of tens of microns were obtained. X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy were used to study the crystal structures, composition, and optical properties of the products. To understand the growth mechanism of the In{sub 2}Te{sub 3} nanotubes, we studied the influences of temperature, reaction time, and polyvinylpyrrolidonemore » (PVP) and ethylene diamine (EDA) dosages on the final products. Based on the experimental results, a possible growth mechanism of In{sub 2}Te{sub 3} nanotubes was proposed. In this mechanism, TeO{sub 3}{sup −2} is first reduced to allow nucleation. Circumferential edges of these nucleated molecules attract further deposition, and nanotubes finally grow rapidly along the c-axis and relatively slowly along the circumferential direction. The surface area of the products was determined by BET and found to be 137.85 m{sup 2} g{sup −1}. This large surface area indicates that the nanotubes may be suitable for gas sensing and hydrogen storage applications. The nanotubes also showed broad light detection ranging from 300 nm to 1100 nm, which covers the UV–visible–NIR regions. Such excellent optical properties indicate that In{sub 2}Te{sub 3} nanotubes may enable significant advancements in new photodetection and photosensing applications. -- Graphical abstract: A convenient solvothermal approach was applied to synthesize In{sub 2}Te{sub 3} nanotubes, which has not been reported in the literature for our knowledge. Surface area of this material is 137.85 m{sup 2} g{sup −1} from the BET testing, and such a high value makes it probably suitable for gas sensing and hydrogen storage, compared with the nanowires. The nanotube device also has a broad light detection range from 300 nm to 1100 nm, covering the UV–visible–NIR region. This good performance of In{sub 2}Te{sub 3} nanotubes may enable significant advancements of new photodetection and photosensing applications. Highlights: • The In{sub 2}Te{sub 3} nanotube device also has a broad light detection range from 300 nm to 1100 nm. • The nanotube is 137.85 m{sup 2} g{sup −1}, which makes it suitable for gas sensing and hydrogen storage. • A possible growth mechanism of the indium telluride nanotubes was proposed. • In addition, no In{sub 2}Te{sub 3} nanotubes have been reported until now.« less

Spectral Absorption Properties of Aerosol Particles from 350-2500nm

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martins, J. Vanderlei; Artaxo, Paulo; Kaufman, Yoram J.; Castanho, Andrea D.; Remer, Lorraine A.

2009-01-01

The aerosol spectral absorption efficiency (alpha (sub a) in square meters per gram) is measured over an extended wavelength range (350 2500 nm) using an improved calibrated and validated reflectance technique and applied to urban aerosol samples from Sao Paulo, Brazil and from a site in Virginia, Eastern US, that experiences transported urban/industrial aerosol. The average alpha (sub a) values (approximately 3 square meters per gram at 550 nm) for Sao Paulo samples are 10 times larger than alpha (sub a) values obtained for aerosols in Virginia. Sao Paulo aerosols also show evidence of enhanced UV absorption in selected samples, probably associated with organic aerosol components. This extra UV absorption can double the absorption efficiency observed from black carbon alone, therefore reducing by up to 50% the surface UV fluxes, with important implications for climate, UV photolysis rates, and remote sensing from space.

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

Liu Shengwei; Yu Jiaguo

Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6} hierarchical multilayered flower-like assemblies are fabricated on a large scale by a simple hydrothermal method in the presence of polymeric poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate). Such 3D Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6} assemblies are constructed from orderly arranged 2D layers, which are further composed of a large number of interconnected nanoplates with a mean side length of ca. 50 nm. The bimodal mesopores associated with such hierarchical assembly exhibit peak mesopore size of ca. 4 nm for the voids within a layer, and peak mesopore size of ca. 40 nm corresponding to the interspaces between stacked layers, respectively. The formation process ismore » discussed on the basis of the results of time-dependent experiments, which support a novel 'coupled cooperative assembly and localized ripening' formation mechanism. More interestingly, we have noticed that the collective effect related to such hierarchical assembly induces a significantly enhanced optical absorbance in the UV-visible region. This work may shed some light on the design of complex architectures and exploitation of their potential applications. - Graphical abstract: Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6} hierarchical multilayered flower-like assemblies are fabricated on a large scale by a simple hydrothermal method in the presence of polymeric poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate)« less

Quantum oscillations in strong magnetic fields, berry phase, and superconductivity in three-dimensional topological Bi{sub 2–x}Cu{sub x}Se{sub 3} insulators

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

Vedeneev, S. I., E-mail: vedeneev@sci.lebedev.ru; Knyazev, D. A.; Prudkoglyad, V. A.

2015-07-15

Two-dimensional (2D) Shubnikov–de Haas oscillations and 2D Hall oscillations are observed in 3D copper-doped Bi{sub 2}Se{sub 3} single crystals in magnetic fields up to 19.5 T at temperatures down to 0.3 K. Three samples with a high bulk carrier concentration (n ≈ 10{sup 19}–10{sup 20} cm{sup –3}) are studied. The rotation of the samples in a magnetic field shows that these oscillations are related to numerous parallel 2D conducting channels 1–5 nm thick. Their basic kinetic parameters are found. Quantized Hall resistance R{sub xy} is detected in 1-nm-thick 2D conducting channels at high fields. The distance Δ(1/R{sub xy}) between themore » steps in the field dependence of 1/R{sub xy} is found to be constant for different Landau levels, 1.3e{sup 2}/h per 1-nm-thick layer. The constructed fan diagrams of 2D Landau levels for various angles of sample inclination with respect to the magnetic field direction allowed us to conclude that the Berry phase in the 2D conducting channels is γ ≈ π and independent of the magnetic field direction. When studying the angular dependence of upper resistive critical magnetic field H{sub c2} in one of the superconducting samples, we showed that it can be considered as a bulk superconductor consisting of superconducting layers with an effective thickness of about 50 nm.« less

Fabrication of luminescent SrWO{sub 4} thin films by a novel electrochemical method

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

Chen Lianping; Gao Yuanhong

2007-10-02

Highly crystallized SrWO{sub 4} thin films with single scheelite structure were prepared within 60 min by a cell electrochemical method. X-ray diffraction analysis shows that SrWO{sub 4} thin films have a tetragonal structure. Scanning electron microscopy examinations reveal that SrWO{sub 4} grains grow well in tetragonal tapers and grains like flowers or bunches, which can usually form by using the electrolysis electrochemical method, have disappeared under cell electrochemical conditions. X-ray photoelectron spectra and energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis examinations demonstrate that the composition of the film is consistent with its stoichiometry. These SrWO{sub 4} films show a single blue emission peakmore » (located at 460 nm) using an excitation wave of 230 nm. The speed of cell electrochemical method can be controlled by changing temperature. The optimum treatment temperature is about 50-60 deg. C.« less

Note: Pulsed single longitudinal mode optical parametric oscillator for sub-Doppler spectroscopy of jet cooled transient species

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Qiang; Zhu, Boxing; Zhang, Deping; Gu, Jingwang; Zhao, Dongfeng; Chen, Yang

2017-12-01

We present a pulsed single longitudinal mode optical parametric oscillator that was recently constructed for sub-Doppler spectroscopic studies of transient species in a supersonic slit jet expansion environment. The system consists of a Littman-type grazing-incidence-grating resonator and a KTP crystal and is pumped at 532 nm. By spatially filtering the pump laser beam and employing an active cavity-length-stabilization scheme, a frequency down-conversion efficiency up to 18% and generation of Fourier-transform limited pulses with a typical pulse duration of ˜5.5 ns and a bandwidth less than 120 MHz have been achieved. In combination with a slit jet expansion, a sub-Doppler spectrum of SiC2 has been recorded at ˜498 nm, showing a spectral resolution of Δν/ν ≈ 6.2 × 10-7.

Design and fabrication of elliptical-core few-mode fiber for MIMO-less data transmission.

PubMed

Liang, Junpeng; Mo, Qi; Fu, Songnian; Tang, Ming; Shum, P; Liu, Deming

2016-07-01

We propose a design strategy of elliptical core few-mode fiber (e-FMF) that supports three spatial modes with enhanced mode spacing between LP_11a and LP_11b, to suppress intra-mode coupling during mode-division multiplexing (MDM) transmission. Our theoretical investigations show that there exist two optimization regimes for the e-FMF, as a comparison with traditional circular core FMF(c-FMF). At the regime of three-mode operation, there occurs a trade-off between mode spacing and bending-induced loss. Meanwhile, in terms of five-mode regime, a trade-off between mode spacing and high-order mode crosstalk happens. Finally, we fabricate 7.94 km e-FMF with the optimal parameters, based on the commercial fiber manufacture facility. The primary characterizations at 1550 nm show that three spatial modes of e-FMF can be transmitted with a loss less than 0.3 dB/km. Meanwhile, -22.44  dB crosstalk between LP_11a and LP_11b is observed, even when the 2 km e-FMF is under stress-induced strong perturbation.

Experimental study of fs-laser induced sub-100-nm periodic surface structures on titanium.

PubMed

Nathala, Chandra S R; Ajami, Ali; Ionin, Andrey A; Kudryashov, Sergey I; Makarov, Sergey V; Ganz, Thomas; Assion, Andreas; Husinsky, Wolfgang

2015-03-09

In this work the formation of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) on a titanium surface upon irradiation by linearly polarized femtosecond (fs) laser pulses with a repetition rate of 1 kHz in air environment was studied experimentally. In particular, the dependence of high-spatial-frequency-LIPSS (HSFL) characteristics on various laser parameters: fluence, pulse number, wavelength (800 nm and 400 nm), pulse duration (10 fs - 550 fs), and polarization was studied in detail. In comparison with low-spatial-frequency-LIPSS (LSFL), the HSFL emerge at a much lower fluence with orientation perpendicular to the ridges of the LSFL. It was observed that these two types of LIPSS demonstrate different fluence, shot number and wavelength dependencies, which suggest their origin is different. Therefore, the HSFL formation mechanism cannot be described by the widely accepted interference model developed for describing LSFL formation.

Achieving sub-50 nm controlled diameter of aperiodic Si nanowire arrays by ultrasonic catalyst removal for photonic applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaliyawala, Harsh A.; Purohit, Zeel; Khanna, Sakshum; Ray, Abhijit; Pati, Ranjan K.; Mukhopadhyay, Indrajit

2018-05-01

We report an alternative approach to fabricate the vertically aligned aperiodic Si nanowire arrays by controlling the diameter of the Ag nanoparticles and tuneable ultrasonic removal. The process begins by sputtering the Ag thin film (t=5 nm) on the Si/SiO2 substrates. Followed by Ag thin film, annealed for various temperature (T=300°C, 400°C, 500°C and 600°C) to selectively achieve a high density, well-spaced and diameter controlled Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) on the Si/SiO2 substrates. The sacrificial layer of AgNPs size indicates the controlled diameter of the Si nanowire arrays. Image J analysis for various annealed samples gives an indication of the high density, uniformity and equal distribution of closely packed AgNPs. Furthermore, the AgNPs covered with Au/Pd mesh (5 nm) as a template, was removed by ultrasonication in the etchant solution for several times in different intervals of preparation. The conventional and facile metal assisted electroless etching approach was finally employed to fabricate the vertically aperiodic sub-50 nm SiNWAs, can be applicable to various nanoscale opto-electronic applications.

Optical monitoring of thermal effects in RPE during heating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schuele, G.; Huie, Ph.; Yellachich, D.; Molnar, F. E.; O'Conell-Rodwell, C.; Vitkin, E.; Perelman, L. T.; Palanker, D.

2005-04-01

Fast and non-invasive detection of cellular stress is useful for fundamental research and practical applications in medicine and biology. Using Light Scattering Spectroscopy we extract information about changes in refractive index and size of the cellular organelles. Particle sizes down to 50nm in diameter can be detected using light within the spectral range of 450-850 nm. We monitor the heat-induced sub-cellular structural changes in human RPE cells and, for comparison, in transfected NIH-3T3 cells which express luciferase linked to the heat shock protein (HSP). Using inverse light scattering fitting algorithm, we reconstruct the size distribution of the sub-micron organelles from the light scattering spectrum. The most significant (up to 70%) and rapid (20sec) temperature-related changes can be linked to an increase of refractive index of the 160nm sized mitochondria. The start of this effect coincides with the onset of HSP expression. This technique provides an insight into metabolic processes within organelles larger than 50nm without exogenous staining and opens doors for non-invasive real-time assessment of cellular stress, which can be used for monitoring of retinal laser treatments like transpupillary thermo therapy or PDT.

Emirates Mars Ultraviolet Spectrometer (EMUS) Overview from the Emirates Mars Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lootah, F. H.; Almatroushi, H. R.; AlMheiri, S.; Holsclaw, G.; Deighan, J.; Chaffin, M.; Reed, H.; Lillis, R. J.; Fillingim, M. O.; England, S.

2017-12-01

The Emirates Mars Ultraviolet Spectrometer (EMUS) instrument is one of three science instruments on board the "Hope Probe" of the Emirates Mars Mission (EMM). EMM is a United Arab Emirates' (UAE) mission to Mars, launching in 2020, to explore the global dynamics of the Martian atmosphere, while sampling on both diurnal and seasonal timescales. The EMUS instrument is a far-ultraviolet imaging spectrograph that measures emissions in the spectral range 100-170 nm. Using a combination of its one-dimensional imaging and spacecraft motion, it will build up two-dimensional far-ultraviolet images of the Martian disk and near-space environment at several important wavelengths: the Lyman beta atomic hydrogen emission (102.6 nm), the Lyman alpha atomic hydrogen emission (121.6 nm), two atomic oxygen emissions (130.4 nm and 135.6 nm), and the carbon monoxide fourth positive group band emission (140 nm-170 nm). Radiances at these wavelengths will be used to derive the column abundance of atomic oxygen, and carbon monoxide in the Martian thermosphere, and the density of atomic oxygen and atomic hydrogen in the Martian exosphere both with spatial and sub-seasonal variability. The EMUS instrument consists of a single telescope mirror feeding a Rowland circle imaging spectrograph with selectable spectral resolution (1.3 nm, 1.8 nm, or 5 nm), and a photon-counting and locating detector (provided by the Space Sciences Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley). The EMUS spatial resolution of less than 300 km on the disk is sufficient to characterize spatial variability in the Martian thermosphere (100-200 km altitude) and exosphere (>200 km altitude). The instrument is jointly developed by the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado Boulder and Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) in Dubai, UAE.

Emirates Mars Ultraviolet Spectrometer (EMUS) Overview from the Emirates Mars Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Almatroushi, Hessa; Lootah, Fatma; Holsclaw, Greg; Deighan, Justin; Chaffin, Michael; Lillis, Robert; Fillingim, Matthew; England, Scott; AlMheiri, Suhail; Reed, Heather

2017-04-01

The Emirates Mars Ultraviolet Spectrometer (EMUS) instrument is one of three science instruments to be carried on board the Emirate Mars Mission (EMM), the "Hope Probe". EMM is a United Arab Emirates' (UAE) mission to Mars launching in 2020 to explore the dynamics in the Martian atmosphere globally, while sampling on both diurnal and seasonal timescales. The EMUS instrument is a far-ultraviolet imaging spectrograph that measures emissions in the spectral range 100-170 nm. Using spacecraft motion, it will build up two-dimensional far-ultraviolet images of the Martian disk and near-space environment at several important wavelengths: Lyman beta atomic hydrogen emission (102.6 nm), Lyman alpha atomic hydrogen emission (121.6 nm), atomic oxygen emission (130.4 nm and 135.6 nm), and carbon monoxide fourth positive group band emission (140 nm-170 nm). Radiances at these wavelengths will be used to derive the column abundance of atomic oxygen, and carbon monoxide in the Martian thermosphere, and the density of atomic oxygen and atomic hydrogen in the Martian exosphere both with spatial and sub-seasonal variability. EMUS consists of a single telescope mirror feeding a Rowland circle imaging spectrograph capable of selectable spectral resolution (1.3 nm, 1.8 nm, or 5 nm) with a photon-counting and locating detector (provided by the Space Sciences Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley). The EMUS spatial resolution of less than 300km on the disk is sufficient to characterize spatial variability in the Martian thermosphere (100-200 km altitude) and exosphere (>200 km altitude). The instrument is jointly developed by the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado Boulder and Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) in Dubai, UAE

Temporal characterization of the wave-breaking flash in a laser plasma accelerator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miao, Bo; Feder, Linus; Goers, Andrew; Hine, George; Salehi, Fatholah; Wahlstrand, Jared; Woodbury, Daniel; Milchberg, Howard

2017-10-01

Wave-breaking injection of electrons into a relativistic plasma wake generated in near-critical density plasma by sub-terawatt laser pulses generates an intense ( 1 μJ) and ultra-broadband (Δλ 300 nm) radiation flash. In this work we demonstrate the spectral coherence of this radiation and measure its temporal width using single-shot supercontinuum spectral interferometry (SSSI). The measured temporal width is limited by measurement resolution to 50 fs. Spectral coherence is corroborated by PIC simulations which show that the spatial extent of the acceleration trajectory at the trapping region is small compared to the radiation center wavelength. To our knowledge, this is the first temporal and coherence characterization of wave-breaking radiation. This work is supported by the US Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research.

Broadband transient absorption spectroscopy with 1- and 2-photon excitations: Relaxation paths and cross sections of a triphenylamine dye in solution

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

Moreno, J.; Dobryakov, A. L.; Hecht, S., E-mail: sh@chemie.hu-berlin.de, E-mail: skovale@chemie.hu-berlin.de

2015-07-14

1-photon (382 nm) and 2-photon (752 nm) excitations to the S{sub 1} state are applied to record and compare transient absorption spectra of a push-pull triphenylamine (TrP) dye in solution. After 1-photon excitation, ultrafast vibrational and structural molecular relaxations are detected on a 0.1 ps time scale in nonpolar hexane, while in polar acetonitrile, the spectral evolution is dominated by dipolar solvation. Upon 2-photon excitation, transient spectra in hexane reveal an unexpected growth of stimulated emission (SE) and excited-state absorption (ESA) bands. The behavior is explained by strong population transfer S{sub 1} → S{sub n} due to resonant absorption ofmore » a third pump photon. Subsequent S{sub n} → S{sub 1} internal conversion (with τ{sub 1} = 1 ps) prepares a very hot S{sub 1} state which cools down with τ{sub 2} = 13 ps. The pump pulse energy dependence proves the 2-photon origin of the bleach signal. At the same time, SE and ESA are strongly affected by higher-order pump absorptions that should be taken into account in nonlinear fluorescence applications. The 2-photon excitation cross sections σ{sup (2)} = 32 ⋅ 10{sup −50} cm{sup 4} s at 752 nm are evaluated from the bleach signal.« less

Rapid effects of dorsal hippocampal G-protein coupled estrogen receptor on learning in female mice.

PubMed

Lymer, Jennifer; Robinson, Alana; Winters, Boyer D; Choleris, Elena

2017-03-01

Through rapid mechanisms of action, estrogens affect learning and memory processes. It has been shown that 17β-estradiol and an Estrogen Receptor (ER) α agonist enhances performance in social recognition, object recognition, and object placement tasks when administered systemically or infused in the dorsal hippocampus. In contrast, systemic and dorsal hippocampal ERβ activation only promote spatial learning. In addition, 17β-estradiol, the ERα and the G-protein coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) agonists increase dendritic spine density in the CA1 hippocampus. Recently, we have shown that selective systemic activation of the GPER also rapidly facilitated social recognition, object recognition, and object placement learning in female mice. Whether activation the GPER specifically in the dorsal hippocampus can also rapidly improve learning and memory prior to acquisition is unknown. Here, we investigated the rapid effects of infusion of the GPER agonist, G-1 (dose: 50nM, 100nM, 200nM), in the dorsal hippocampus on social recognition, object recognition, and object placement learning tasks in home cage. These paradigms were completed within 40min, which is within the range of rapid estrogenic effects. Dorsal hippocampal administration of G-1 improved social (doses: 50nM, 200nM G-1) and object (dose: 200nM G-1) recognition with no effect on object placement. Additionally, when spatial cues were minimized by testing in a Y-apparatus, G-1 administration promoted social (doses: 100nM, 200nM G-1) and object (doses: 50nM, 100nM, 200nM G-1) recognition. Therefore, like ERα, the GPER in the hippocampus appears to be sufficient for the rapid facilitation of social and object recognition in female mice, but not for the rapid facilitation of object placement learning. Thus, the GPER in the dorsal hippocampus is involved in estrogenic mediation of learning and memory and these effects likely occur through rapid signalling mechanisms. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Revealing the Effects of Nanoscale Membrane Curvature on Lipid Mobility.

PubMed

Kabbani, Abir Maarouf; Woodward, Xinxin; Kelly, Christopher V

2017-10-18

Recent advances in nanoengineering and super-resolution microscopy have enabled new capabilities for creating and observing membrane curvature. However, the effects of curvature on single-lipid diffusion have yet to be revealed. The simulations presented here describe the capabilities of varying experimental methods for revealing the effects of nanoscale curvature on single-molecule mobility. Traditionally, lipid mobility is revealed through fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP), fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS), and single particle tracking (SPT). However, these techniques vary greatly in their ability to detect the effects of nanoscale curvature on lipid behavior. Traditionally, FRAP and FCS depend on diffraction-limited illumination and detection. A simulation of FRAP shows minimal effects on lipids diffusion due to a 50 nm radius membrane bud. Throughout the stages of the budding process, FRAP detected minimal changes in lipid recovery time due to the curvature versus flat membrane. Simulated FCS demonstrated small effects due to a 50 nm radius membrane bud that was more apparent with curvature-dependent lipid mobility changes. However, SPT achieves a sub-diffraction-limited resolution of membrane budding and lipid mobility through the identification of the single-lipid positions with ≤15 nm spatial and ≤20 ms temporal resolution. By mapping the single-lipid step lengths to locations on the membrane, the effects of membrane topography and curvature could be correlated to the effective membrane viscosity. Single-fluorophore localization techniques, such SPT, can detect membrane curvature and its effects on lipid behavior. These simulations and discussion provide a guideline for optimizing the experimental procedures in revealing the effects of curvature on lipid mobility and effective local membrane viscosity.

Statistical analysis and parameterization of the hygroscopic growth of the sub-micrometer urban background aerosol in Beijing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yu; Wu, Zhijun; Ma, Nan; Wu, Yusheng; Zeng, Limin; Zhao, Chunsheng; Wiedensohler, Alfred

2018-02-01

The take-up of water of aerosol particles plays an important role in heavy haze formation over North China Plain, since it is related with particle mass concentration, visibility degradation, and particle chemistry. In the present study, we investigated the size-resolved hygroscopic growth factor (HGF) of sub-micrometer aerosol particles (smaller than 350 nm) on a basis of 9-month Hygroscopicity-Tandem Differential Mobility Analyzer measurement in the urban background atmosphere of Beijing. The mean hygroscopicity parameter (κ) values derived from averaging over the entire sampling period for particles of 50 nm, 75 nm, 100 nm, 150 nm, 250 nm, and 350 nm in diameters were 0.14 ± 0.07, 0.17 ± 0.05, 0.18 ± 0.06, 0.20 ± 0.07, 0.21 ± 0.09, and 0.23 ± 0.12, respectively, indicating the dominance of organics in the sub-micrometer urban aerosols. In the spring, summer, and autumn, the number fraction of hydrophilic particles increased with increasing particle size, resulting in an increasing trend of overall particle hygroscopicity with enhanced particle size. Differently, the overall mean κ values peaked in the range of 75-150 nm and decreased for particles larger than 150 nm in diameter during wintertime. Such size-dependency of κ in winter was related to the strong primary particle emissions from coal combustion during domestic heating period. The number fraction of hydrophobic particles such as freshly emitted soot decreased with increasing PM2.5 mass concentration, indicating aged and internal mixed particles were dominant in the severe particulate matter pollution. Parameterization schemes of the HGF as a function of relative humidity (RH) and particle size between 50 and 350 nm were determined for different seasons and pollution levels. The HGFs calculated from the parameterizations agree well with the measured HGFs at 20-90% RH. The parameterizations can be applied to determine the hygroscopic growth of aerosol particles at ambient conditions for the area of Beijing (ultrafine and fine particles) and the North China plain (fine particles).

Binding of (/sup 3/H)forskolin to platelet membranes and solubilized proteins from bovine brain

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

Nelson, C.A.; Seamon, K.B.

1986-05-01

(/sup 3/H)Forskolin ((/sup 3/H)FSK) bound to platelet membranes with a Kd of 20 nM and a Bmax of 125 fmol/mg protein. The Bmax was increased to 400 fmol/mg protein in the presence of GppNHp (or NaF) and MgCl/sub 2/ with no change in Kd. PGE/sub 1/ decreased the EC50 of GppNHp to increase the Bmax for (/sup 3/H)FSK binding from 600 nM to 35 nM. In contrast, PGE/sub 1/ had no effect on the EC50 of NaF to increase (/sup 3/H)FSK binding. (/sup 3/H)FSK binding increased slowly over 60 min when forskolin and GppNHp were added to membranes simultaneously atmore » 20/sup 0/C. Preincubation of membranes with GppNHp at 20/sup 5/C also caused a linear increase in adenylate cyclase specific activity over 60 minutes. (/sup 3/H)FSK bound to solubilized protein from bovine brain membrane with a Kd of 22 nM. GppNHp increased the number of binding sites in solubilized proteins only if membranes were not preincubated with GppNHp prior to solubilization. In conclusion the number of binding sites for (/sup 3/H)FSK is increased by agents that activate adenylate cyclase through the Ns protein. These sites appear to be associated with an activated complex of the Ns protein and adenylate cyclase.« less

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

Fowler, C.J.; Ahlgren, P.C.; O'Neill, C.

IMR-32 and SK-N-MC cells were found to contain ({sup 3}H)quinuclidinyl benzilate specific binding sites inhibited by pirenzepine in a manner suggesting the presence of both M1-type and M2-type muscarinic receptor recognition sites. Neither cell had detectable ({sup 3}H)8-OH-DPAT binding sites. Carbachol stimulated the rate of inositol phospholipid breakdown in IMR-32 and SK-N-MC human neuroblastoma cells with an EC{sub 50} value of about 50 {mu}M in both cases. Pirenzepine inhibited the carbachol stimulated inositol phospholipid breakdown in both cells with Hill slopes of unity and IC{sub 50} values of 15 nM (IMR-32) and 12 nM (SK-N-MC). The 5-HT{sub 1A} receptor agonistmore » 8-OH-DPAT competitively inhibited carbachol-stimulated inositol phospholipid breakdown with pA{sub 2} values of 5.78 (IMR-32) and 5.61 (SK-N-MC). The 5-HT agonists 5-MeODMT and buspirone at micromolar concentrations inhibited carbachol-stimulated breakdown in IMR-32 cells. The inhibition by 8-OH-DPAT and 5-MeODMT was not affected by preincubation with (-)alprenolol. 5-HT was without effect on either basal or carbachol-stimulated breakdown. It is concluded that IMR-32 and SK-N-MC neuroblastoma cells express muscarinic M1-type but not serotoninergic receptors coupled to phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C. 8-OH-DPAT acts as a weak antagonist at these muscarinic receptors.« less

Comparative dielectric studies of nanostructured BaTiO{sub 3}, CaCu{sub 3}Ti{sub 4}O{sub 12} and 0.5BaTiO{sub 3}⋅ 0.5CaCu{sub 3}Ti{sub 4}O{sub 12} nano-composites synthesized by modified sol–gel and solid state methods

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

Singh, Laxman; Rai, Uma Shanker; Mandal, Kam Deo

2014-10-15

BaTiO{sub 3} (BTO), CaCu{sub 3}Ti{sub 4}O{sub 12} (CCTO) and 0.5BaTiO{sub 3}·0.5CaCu{sub 3}Ti{sub 4}O{sub 12} (BTO–CCTO), as a new nano-composite ceramic, were successfully designed and fabricated by a semi-wet gel route and a modified solid state method. The dielectric properties of the BTO–CCTO ceramic were compared to those of the BTO and CCTO ceramics at lower sintering temperatures and durations. The X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the BTO and CCTO ceramics form a single crystalline phase and the average crystalline sizes calculated from X-ray diffraction data were in the range of 40–65 nm. The particle sizes of the BTO, CCTO, andmore » BTO–CCTO ceramics obtained from transmission electron microscopy images were in the ranges of 40–65 nm, 80–110 nm, and 70–95 nm, respectively. The phase composition and microstructure were studied by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The energy dispersive X-ray results demonstrated the purity and stoichiometry of the BTO–CCTO nano-composite. The grain sizes of the BTO, CCTO and BTO–CCTO ceramics were found to be in the ranges of 500 nm–1 μm, 4–24 μm, and 250 nm–4 μm, respectively. The AC conductivity as a function of frequency confirmed the semiconducting nature of all of the ceramics and obeyed the Jonscher's power law. The impedance spectrum measurement result showed that the CCTO ceramic possessed an exceptional grain boundary resistance, which supports the internal barrier layer capacitance (IBLC) mechanism present in this ceramic and is responsible for the high ε{sub r} values. - Highlights: • Nanostructured BaTiO{sub 3}, CaCu{sub 3}Ti{sub 4}O{sub 12}, and 0.5BaTiO{sub 3}⋅ 0.5CaCu{sub 3}Ti{sub 4}O{sub 12} have been synthesized. • XRD and TEM analysis confirmed the formation of nanoparticles, 40–65 and 50–90 nm. • Impedance analysis shows high grain-boundary resistance present in CCTO ceramic. • AC conductivity as a function of frequency confirms the semiconducting nature.« less

Towards a Compact Fiber Laser for Multimodal Imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nie, Bai; Saytashev, Ilyas; Dantus, Marcos

We report on multimodal depth-resolved imaging of unstained living Drosophila Melanogaster larva using sub-50 fs pulses centered at 1060 nm wavelength. Both second harmonic and third harmonic generation imaging modalities are demonstrated.

Towards a compact fiber laser for multimodal imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nie, Bai; Saytashev, Ilyas; Dantus, Marcos

2014-03-01

We report on multimodal depth-resolved imaging of unstained living Drosophila Melanogaster larva using sub-50 fs pulses centered at 1060 nm wavelength. Both second harmonic and third harmonic generation imaging modalities are demonstrated.

Fluorescence Studies of Protein Crystal Nucleation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pusey, Marc; Sumida, John

2000-01-01

We have postulated that, in the case of tetragonal chicken egg white lysozyme, crystal growth occurs by the addition of pre-critical nuclei sized n-mers that form in the bulk solution, and that the n-mer growth units were multiples of the tetrameric 4(sub 3) helical structure. These have the strongest intermolecular bonds in the crystal and are therefore likely to be the first species formed. High resolution AFM studies provide strong supporting evidence for this model, but the data also suggest that the actual species in solution may not be identical in structure to that found in the crystal. We are using fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) to study the initial solution phase self-assembly process, using covalent fluorescent derivatives which crystallize in the characteristic P4(sub 3)2(sub 1)2(sub 1) space group. FRET studies are being carried out between the cascade blue (CB-lys, donor, Ex(sub max) 366 nm, Em 420 nm) and lucifer yellow (LY-lys, acceptor, Ex(sub max) 430 nm, Em 528 nm) asp101 derivatives. The estimated R(sub 0) for this probe pair, the distance where 50% of the donor energy is transferred to the acceptor, is approx. 1.2 nm, compared to 2.2 nm between the side chain carboxyls of adjacent asp101's in the crystalline 4(sub 3) helix. The short donor lifetime of 2.80 ns (chi(sup 2) = 0.644), coupled with the large average distances between the molecules (greater than or equal to 50 nm) in solution, ensure that any energy transfer observed is not due to random diffusive interactions. Lifetime data show that CB-lys has a single lifetime when it is the only species in solution. Similarly, LY-lys also exhibits a single lifetime of 4.63 ns (chi(sup 2) = 0.42) when alone in solution. Addition of LY-lys to CB-lys results in the appearance of a third lifetime component of 0.348ns for the CB-lys. The fractional intensities of the different species present can be used to estimate the distribution of monomer and n-mers in solution. The self-association process is a function of the protein concentration relative to the saturation concentration, and observing it in dilute solution (conc. less than or equal to 10(exp -5)M) requires that the experiments be performed under low solubility conditions, i.e., low temperatures and high salt concentrations. Data from preliminary steady state FRET studies with N-terminal bound pyrene acetic acid (PAA-lys, donor, Ex 340 nm, Em 376 nm) and asp101 LY-lys as an acceptor showed a consistent trend of decreasing donor fluorescence intensity with increasing total protein concentration. The FRET data have been obtained at pH 4.6, 0.1M NaAc buffer, at 5 and 7% NaCl, 4 C. The corresponding C(sub sat) values are 0.471 and 0.362 mg/ml (approx. 3.3 and approx. 2.5 x 10(exp -5)M respectively). The donor fluorescence decrease is more pronounced at7% NaCl, consistent with the expected increased intermolecular interactions at higher salt concentrations as reflected in the lower solubility. Results from these and other ongoing studies will be discussed in conjunction with an emerging model for how tetragonal lysozyme crystals nucleate and the relevance of that model to other proteins.

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) stimulated Ca/sup 2 +/ mobilization in hepatocytes is abolished by phorbol esters, pertussis toxin and partial hepatectomy

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

Johnson, R.M.; Garrison, J.C.

1986-05-01

EGF has been demonstrated to increase free intracellular Ca/sup 2 +/ levels in isolated hepatocytes putatively by generation of the second messenger inositol trisphosphate (IP/sub 3/). Pretreatment of cells with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) inhibited the EGF (66 nM) stimulated Ca/sup 2 +/ response as measured by quin2. Inhibition by PMA was maximal within 3 min and was concentration dependent (IC/sub 50/ = 13.5 nM). Four other active phorbol ester analogues blocked the Ca/sup 2 +/ response while inactive analogues did not. EGF was unable to increase intracellular Ca/sup 2 +/ levels in hepatocytes isolated from rats treated with pertussismore » toxin for 72 hrs. Neither PMA nor toxin pretreatment was able to inhibit the Ca/sup 2 +/ response to angiotensin II (Ang II). In hepatocytes isolated 24 hrs after partial hepatectomy, the Ca/sup 2 +/ response to EGF (as measured by phosphorylase activity, EC/sub 50/ = 5 nM) was completely abolished and remained attenuated for 7 days post-hepatectomy. The Ca/sup 2 +/ response to Ang II in this model system was also blunted but required 3 days for development of the full effect and within 7 days full activity is nearly restored. The results suggest that fundamental differences exist in the transduction mechanisms used by these two Ca/sup 2 +/-linked hormones to mobilize intracellular Ca/sup 2 +/ (and putatively increase IP/sub 3/ formation).« less

Evaluating Light Rain Drop Size Estimates from Multiwavelength Micropulse Lidar Network Profiling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lolli, Simone; Welton, Ellsworth J.; Campbell, James R.

2013-01-01

This paper investigates multiwavelength retrievals of median equivolumetric drop diameter D(sub 0) suitable for drizzle and light rain, through collocated 355-/527-nm Micropulse Lidar Network (MPLNET) observations collected during precipitation occurring 9 May 2012 at the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) project site. By applying a previously developed retrieval technique for infrared bands, the method exploits the differential backscatter by liquid water at 355 and 527 nm for water drops larger than approximately 50 micrometers. In the absence of molecular and aerosol scattering and neglecting any transmission losses, the ratio of the backscattering profiles at the two wavelengths (355 and 527 nm), measured from light rain below the cloud melting layer, can be described as a color ratio, which is directly related to D(sub 0). The uncertainty associated with this method is related to the unknown shape of the drop size spectrum and to the measurement error. Molecular and aerosol scattering contributions and relative transmission losses due to the various atmospheric constituents should be evaluated to derive D(sub 0) from the observed color ratio profiles. This process is responsible for increasing the uncertainty in the retrieval. Multiple scattering, especially for UV lidar, is another source of error, but it exhibits lower overall uncertainty with respect to other identified error sources. It is found that the total error upper limit on D(sub 0) approaches 50%. The impact of this retrieval for long-term MPLNET monitoring and its global data archive is discussed.

Emission Analysis Of Pr{sup 3+}: PVP And Nd{sup 3+}: PVP Films

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

Sivaiah, K.; Buddhudu, S.

Here we report on the results concerning the absorption and emission spectra of RE{sup 3+} (Pr{sup 3+} or Nd{sup 3+}) doped PVP polymer films. The absorption spectrum of Pr{sup 3+}: PVP polymer film has shown three absorption bands at 444 nm ({sup 3}H{sub 4{yields}}{sup 3}P{sub 2}), 469nm ({sup 3}H{sub 4{yields}}{sup 3}P{sub 1}) and 481nm ({sup 3}H{sub 4{yields}}{sup 3}P{sub 0}). From the Pr{sup 3+}: PVP polymer film, an emission at 603 nm ({sup 1}D{sub 2{yields}}{sup 3}H{sub 4}) has been observed with an excitation at 443 nm ({sup 3}H{sub 4{yields}}{sup 3}P{sub 2}). The absorption spectrum of Nd{sup 3+}: PVP polymer film hasmore » exhibited eleven absorption bands at 324 nm, 383 nm, 432 nm, 462 nm, 511 nm, 526 nm, 580 nm, 686 nm, 746 nm, 799 nm, and 869 nm which are assigned to the electronic transitions of {sup 4}I{sub 9/2{yields}}{sup 4}D{sub 7/2}, {sup 4}I{sub 9/2{yields}}{sup 2}D{sub 3/2}, {sup 4}I{sub 9/2{yields}}{sup 4}P{sub 1/2}, {sup 4}I{sub 9/2{yields}}{sup 4}G{sub 11/2}, {sup 4}I{sub 9/2{yields}}{sup 4}G{sub 9/2}, {sup 4}I{sub 9/2{yields}}{sup 4}G{sub 7/2}, {sup 4}I{sub 9/2{yields}}{sup 4}G{sub 5/2}, {sup 4}I{sub 9/2{yields}}{sup 2}F{sub 9/2}, {sup 4}I{sub 9/2{yields}}{sup 2}F{sub 7/2}, {sup 4}I{sub 9/2{yields}}{sup 2}H{sub 9/2} and {sup 4}I{sub 9/2{yields}}{sup 4}F{sub 3/2} respectively. From the Nd{sup 3+}: PVP polymer film, an emission transition has been measured at 1055 nm ({sup 4}F{sub 3/2{yields}}{sup 4}I{sub 11/2}) with an excitation at 324 nm ({sup 4}I{sub 9/2{yields}}{sup 4}D{sub 7/2}). For the host polymer film, structural properties have been studied from the measurement of XRD, FTIR, Raman spectra. For this film thermal properties have also been investigated from the measured profiles of TGA-DTA.« less

Fixed interface charges between AlGaN barrier and gate stack composed of in situ grown SiN and Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} in AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors with normally off capability

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

Capriotti, M., E-mail: mattia.capriotti@tuwien.ac.at; Alexewicz, A.; Fleury, C.

2014-03-17

Using a generalized extraction method, the fixed charge density N{sub int} at the interface between in situ deposited SiN and 5 nm thick AlGaN barrier is evaluated by measurements of threshold voltage V{sub th} of an AlGaN/GaN metal insulator semiconductor high electron mobility transistor as a function of SiN thickness. The thickness of the originally deposited 50 nm thick SiN layer is reduced by dry etching. The extracted N{sub int} is in the order of the AlGaN polarization charge density. The total removal of the in situ SiN cap leads to a complete depletion of the channel region resulting in V{sub th} = +1 V.more » Fabrication of a gate stack with Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} as a second cap layer, deposited on top of the in situ SiN, is not introducing additional fixed charges at the SiN/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} interface.« less

Efficient frequency conversion by stimulated Raman scattering in a sodium nitrate aqueous solution

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

Ganot, Yuval, E-mail: yuvalga@sapir.ac.il, E-mail: ibar@bgu.ac.il; Bar, Ilana, E-mail: yuvalga@sapir.ac.il, E-mail: ibar@bgu.ac.il

2015-09-28

Frequency conversion of laser beams, based on stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) is an appealing technique for generating radiation at new wavelengths. Here, we investigated experimentally the SRS due to a single pass of a collimated frequency-doubled Nd:YAG laser beam (532 nm) through a saturated aqueous solution of sodium nitrate (NaNO{sub 3}), filling a 50 cm long cell. These experiments resulted in simultaneous generation of 1st (564 nm) and 2nd (599 nm) Stokes beams, corresponding to the symmetric stretching mode of the nitrate ion, ν{sub 1}(NO{sub 3}{sup −}), with 40 and 12 mJ/pulse maximal converted energies, equivalent to 12% and 4% efficiencies, respectively, for a 340more » mJ/pulse pump energy. The results indicate that the pump and SRS beams were thermally defocused and that four-wave mixing was responsible for the second order Stokes process onset.« less

Sub-micrometer Geometrically Encoded Fluorescent Barcodes Self-Assembled from DNA

PubMed Central

Lin, Chenxiang; Jungmann, Ralf; Leifer, Andrew M.; Li, Chao; Levner, Daniel; Church, George M.; Shih, William M.; Yin, Peng

2012-01-01

The identification and differentiation of a large number of distinct molecular species with high temporal and spatial resolution is a major challenge in biomedical science. Fluorescence microscopy is a powerful tool, but its multiplexing ability is limited by the number of spectrally distinguishable fluorophores. Here we use DNA-origami technology to construct sub-micrometer nanorods that act as fluorescent barcodes. We demonstrate that spatial control over the positioning of fluorophores on the surface of a stiff DNA nanorod can produce 216 distinct barcodes that can be unambiguously decoded using epifluorescence or total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy. Barcodes with higher spatial information density were demonstrated via the construction of super-resolution barcodes with features spaced by ~40 nm. One species of the barcodes was used to tag yeast surface receptors, suggesting their potential applications as in situ imaging probes for diverse biomolecular and cellular entities in their native environments. PMID:23000997

Thermoluminescence of nanocrystalline CaSO{sub 4}: Dy for gamma dosimetry and calculation of trapping parameters using deconvolution method

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

Mandlik, Nandkumar, E-mail: ntmandlik@gmail.com; Patil, B. J.; Bhoraskar, V. N.

2014-04-24

Nanorods of CaSO{sub 4}: Dy having diameter 20 nm and length 200 nm have been synthesized by the chemical coprecipitation method. These samples were irradiated with gamma radiation for the dose varying from 0.1 Gy to 50 kGy and their TL characteristics have been studied. TL dose response shows a linear behavior up to 5 kGy and further saturates with increase in the dose. A Computerized Glow Curve Deconvolution (CGCD) program was used for the analysis of TL glow curves. Trapping parameters for various peaks have been calculated by using CGCD program.

GBR-12909 and fluspirilene potently inhibited binding of ( sup 3 H) (+) 3-PPP to sigma receptors in rat brain

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

Contreras, P.C.; Bremer, M.E.; Rao, T.S.

1990-01-01

Fluspirilene and GBR-12909, two compounds structurally similar to BMY-14802 and haloperidol, were assessed for their ability to interact with sigma receptors. Fluspirilene, an antipsychotic agent that interacts potently with dopamine receptors, inhibited the binding of ({sup 3}H)-(+)3-PPP (IC{sub 50} = 380 nM) more potently than rimcazole, a putative sigma antagonist that was tested clinically for antipsychotic activity. GBR-12909, a potent dopamine uptake blocker, also inhibited the binding of ({sup 3}H)-(+)3-PPP with an IC{sub 50} of 48 nM. However, other compounds that block the re-uptake of catecholamines, such as nomifensine, desipramine, imipramine, xylamine, benztropine and cocaine, were much weaker than GBR-12909asmore » sigma ligands. Thus, GBR-12909 and fluspirilene, compounds structurally similar to BMY-14802, are potent sigma ligands.« less

Femtosecond few- to single-electron point-projection microscopy for nanoscale dynamic imaging

PubMed Central

Bainbridge, A. R.; Barlow Myers, C. W.; Bryan, W. A.

2016-01-01

Femtosecond electron microscopy produces real-space images of matter in a series of ultrafast snapshots. Pulses of electrons self-disperse under space-charge broadening, so without compression, the ideal operation mode is a single electron per pulse. Here, we demonstrate femtosecond single-electron point projection microscopy (fs-ePPM) in a laser-pump fs-e-probe configuration. The electrons have an energy of only 150 eV and take tens of picoseconds to propagate to the object under study. Nonetheless, we achieve a temporal resolution with a standard deviation of 114 fs (equivalent to a full-width at half-maximum of 269 ± 40 fs) combined with a spatial resolution of 100 nm, applied to a localized region of charge at the apex of a nanoscale metal tip induced by 30 fs 800 nm laser pulses at 50 kHz. These observations demonstrate real-space imaging of reversible processes, such as tracking charge distributions, is feasible whilst maintaining femtosecond resolution. Our findings could find application as a characterization method, which, depending on geometry, could resolve tens of femtoseconds and tens of nanometres. Dynamically imaging electric and magnetic fields and charge distributions on sub-micron length scales opens new avenues of ultrafast dynamics. Furthermore, through the use of active compression, such pulses are an ideal seed for few-femtosecond to attosecond imaging applications which will access sub-optical cycle processes in nanoplasmonics. PMID:27158637

HYPERSPECTRAL AUTOFLUORESCENCE IMAGING OF DRUSEN AND RETINAL PIGMENT EPITHELIUM IN DONOR EYES WITH AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION.

PubMed

Tong, Yuehong; Ben Ami, Tal; Hong, Sungmin; Heintzmann, Rainer; Gerig, Guido; Ablonczy, Zsolt; Curcio, Christine A; Ach, Thomas; Smith, R Theodore

2016-12-01

To elucidate the molecular pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and interpretation of fundus autofluorescence imaging, the authors identified spectral autofluorescence characteristics of drusen and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) in donor eyes with AMD. Macular RPE/Bruch membrane flat mounts were prepared from 5 donor eyes with AMD. In 12 locations (1-3 per eye), hyperspectral autofluorescence images in 10-nm-wavelength steps were acquired at 2 excitation wavelengths (λex 436, 480 nm). A nonnegative tensor factorization algorithm was used to recover 5 abundant emission spectra and their corresponding spatial localizations. At λex 436 nm, the authors consistently localized a novel spectrum (SDr) with a peak emission near 510 nm in drusen and sub-RPE deposits. Abundant emission spectra seen previously (S0 in Bruch membrane and S1, S2, and S3 in RPE lipofuscin/melanolipofuscin, respectively) also appeared in AMD eyes, with the same shapes and peak wavelengths as in normal tissue. Lipofuscin/melanolipofuscin spectra localizations in AMD eyes varied widely in their overlap with drusen, ranging from none to complete. An emission spectrum peaking at ∼510 nm (λex 436 nm) appears to be sensitive and specific for drusen and sub-RPE deposits. One or more abundant spectra from RPE organelles exhibit characteristic relationships with drusen.

Characterization of sodium phenytoin co-gelled with titania for a controlled drug-release system

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

Lopez, T.; Instituto Nacional de Neurologia y Neurocirugia 'MVS', Av. Insurgentes Sur 3877. Col. La Fama. P.O. Box 14269 Mexico D. F.; Quintana, P.

2007-08-15

Sodium phenytoin, C{sub 15}H{sub 11}N{sub 2}NaO{sub 2}, in several concentrations was co-gelled with titania (TiO{sub 2}), by a sol-gel process. This technique is a promising method to encapsulate several drugs, in this case, phenytoin is an anticonvulsant used to control epileptic seizures. Samples were prepared by adding different concentrations (X = 50, 100, 200 and 250 mg per 20 g of titania matrix) of sodium phenytoin (Ph) to a solution of titanium n-butoxide. The resulting titania-Ph-X materials were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transformed infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Brunauer-Emmet-Teller (BET) surface areas. The porous nanomaterialsmore » showed a wide range of particle size, from 10 to 210 nm, with a mean pore diameter of 5 nm. X-ray diffraction showed an amorphous structure of the prepared samples.« less

Electromagnetic energy vortex associated with sub-wavelength plasmonic Taiji marks.

PubMed

Chen, Wei Ting; Wu, Pin Chieh; Chen, Chen Jung; Chung, Hung-Yi; Chau, Yuan-Fong; Kuan, Chieh-Hsiung; Tsai, Din Ping

2010-09-13

The Taiji symbol is a very old schematic representation of two opposing but complementary patterns in oriental civilization. Using electron beam lithography, we fabricated an array of 70 × 70 gold Taiji marks with 30 nm thickness and a total area of 50 × 50 µm(2) on a fused silica substrate. The diameter of each Taiji mark is 500 nm, while the period of the array is 700 nm. Here we present experimental as well as numerical simulation results pertaining to plasmonic resonances of several Taiji nano-structures under normal illumination. We have identified a Taiji structure with a particularly interesting vortex-like Poynting vector profile, which could be attributed to the special shape and dimensions of the Taiji symbol.

Wide-band tunable photonic bandgap device and laser in dye-doped liquid crystal refilled cholesteric liquid crystal polymer template system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Jia-De; Lin, Hong-Lin; Lin, Hsin-Yu; Wei, Guan-Jhong; Lee, Chia-Rong

2017-02-01

The scientists in the field of liquid crystal (LC) have paid significant attention in the exploration of novel cholesteric LC (CLC) polymer template (simply called template) in recent years. The self-assembling nanostructural template with chirality can effectively overcome the limitation in the optical features of traditional CLCs, such as enhancement of reflectivity over 50%, multiple photonic bandgaps (PBGs), and changeable optical characteristics by flexibly replacing the refilling LC materials, and so on. This work fabricates two gradient-pitched CLC templates with two opposite handednesses, which are then merged as a spatially tunable and highly reflective CLC template sample. This sample can simultaneously reflect right- and left-circularly polarized lights and the tunable spectral range includes the entire visible region. By increasing the temperature of the template sample exceeding the clearing point of the refilling LC, the light scattering significantly decreases and the reflectance effectively increase to exceed 50% in the entire visible region. This device has a maximum reflectance over 85% and a wide-band spatial tunability in PBG between 400 nm and 800 nm which covers the entire visible region. Not only the sample can be employed as a wide-band spatially tunable filter, but also the system doping with two suitable laser dyes which emitted fluorescence can cover entire visible region can develop a low-threshold, mirror-less laser with a spatial tunability at spectral regions including blue to red region (from 484 nm to 634 nm) and simultaneous lasing emission of left- and right-circular polarizations.

Invited Article: Progress in coherent lithography using table-top extreme ultraviolet lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, W.; Urbanski, L.; Marconi, M. C.

2015-12-01

Compact (table top) lasers emitting at wavelengths below 50 nm had expanded the spectrum of applications in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV). Among them, the high-flux, highly coherent laser sources enabled lithographic approaches with distinctive characteristics. In this review, we will describe the implementation of a compact EUV lithography system capable of printing features with sub-50 nm resolution using Talbot imaging. This compact system is capable of producing consistent defect-free samples in a reliable and effective manner. Examples of different patterns and structures fabricated with this method will be presented.

Spectral survey of helium lines in a linear plasma device for use in HELIOS imaging

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

Ray, H. B., E-mail: rayhb@ornl.gov; Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831; Biewer, T. M.

2016-11-15

Fast visible cameras and a filterscope are used to examine the visible light emission from Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Proto-MPEX. The filterscope has been configured to perform helium line ratio measurements using emission lines at 667.9, 728.1, and 706.5 nm. The measured lines should be mathematically inverted and the ratios compared to a collisional radiative model (CRM) to determine T{sub e} and n{sub e}. Increasing the number of measurement chords through the plasma improves the inversion calculation and subsequent T{sub e} and n{sub e} localization. For the filterscope, one spatial chord measurement requires three photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) connected to pelliclemore » beam splitters. Multiple, fast visible cameras with narrowband filters are an alternate technique for performing these measurements with superior spatial resolution. Each camera contains millions of pixels; each pixel is analogous to one filterscope PMT. The data can then be inverted and the ratios compared to the CRM to determine 2-dimensional “images” of T{sub e} and n{sub e} in the plasma. An assessment is made in this paper of the candidate He I emission lines for an imaging technique.« less

Electroluminescence of ZnO-based semiconductor heterostructures

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

Novodvorskii, O A; Lotin, A A; Panchenko, Vladislav Ya

2011-01-31

Using pulsed laser deposition, we have grown n-ZnO/p-GaN, n-ZnO/i-ZnO/p-GaN and n-ZnO/n-Mg{sub 0.2}Zn{sub 0.8}O/i-Cd{sub 0.2}Zn{sub 0.8}O/p-GaN light-emitting diode (LED) heterostructures with peak emission wavelengths of 495, 382 and 465 nm and threshold current densities (used in electroluminescence measurements) of 1.35, 2, and 0.48 A cm{sup -2}, respectively. Because of the spatial carrier confinement, the n-ZnO/n-Mg{sub 0.2}Zn{sub 0.8}O/i-Cd{sub 0.2}Zn{sub 0.8}O/p-GaN double heterostructure LED offers a higher electroluminescence intensity and lower electroluminescence threshold in comparison with the n-ZnO/p-GaN and n-ZnO/i-ZnO/p-GaN LEDs. (lasers)

WO{sub 3} nanoplates, hierarchical flower-like assemblies and their photocatalytic properties

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

Huang, Jianhua, E-mail: jhhuang@zstu.edu.cn; Xiao, Liang; Yang, Xiaolong

Graphical abstract: WO{sub 3} nanoplates, hierarchical flower-like assemblies and their visible light-driven photocatalytic properties for degradation of rhodamine B. - Highlights: • Preparation of monoclinic WO{sub 3} by a hydrothermal reaction of PbWO{sub 4} in the presence of HNO{sub 3}. • Single-crystalline WO{sub 3} nanoplates were formed when 4 M HNO{sub 3} solution was used. • WO{sub 3} flowers were assembled by nanoplates when 15 M HNO{sub 3} solution was used. • The products showed excellent visible light-driven photodegradation of rhodamine B. - Abstract: Monoclinic WO{sub 3} was prepared by a hydrothermal reaction of PbWO{sub 4} in the presence ofmore » HNO{sub 3}. WO{sub 3} rectangular nanoplates with a side length of 50–150 nm and a thickness of about 25 nm were obtained at 4 M HNO{sub 3} solution. And the single crystal nature was confirmed by the selected area electron diffraction. Whereas WO{sub 3} hierarchical flower-like assemblies with 3–5 μm in diameter were self-organized by nanoplates in the presence of 15 M HNO{sub 3} solution. Compared with commercial WO{sub 3} particles, our products showed an enhancement of photocatalytic properties for the degradation of rhodamine B under visible light irradiation.« less

Innovative methodology for the synthesis of Ba-M hexaferrite BaFe{sub 12}O{sub 19} nanoparticles

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

Ahmed, M.A., E-mail: moala@47hotmail.com; Helmy, N.; El-Dek, S.I.

2013-09-01

Graphical abstract: Transmission electron microscope images for the BaFe12O19. - Highlights: • BaFe{sub 12}O{sub 19}nanoparticles were prepared in single-phase from organometallic precursors. • BaFe{sub 12}O{sub 19} possesses small size 65 nm, H{sub C} = 3695 Oe and M{sub s} = 58 emu/g. • This method of preparation could be extended in the synthesis of other metal oxide nanoparticles. - Abstract: In this piece of work, high quality and homogeneity, barium hexaferrite (BaM) BaFe{sub 12}O{sub 19} nanoparticles were prepared from organometallic precursors for the 1st time. This method is based on the formation of supramolecular crystal structure of Ba[Fe(H{sub 3}NCH{sub 2}CH{submore » 2}NH{sub 3})]Cl{sub 7}·8H{sub 2}O. The crystal structure, morphology and magnetic properties of BaFe{sub 12}O{sub 19} at two different annealing temperatures namely 1000 °C and 1200 °C were investigated using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscope TEM and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). The results show that monophasic nanoparticles of hexaferrites were obtained. Nanoparticles of crystallite size 40–50 nm distinguished by narrow distribution and excellent homogeneity were obtained with superior magnetic properties which suggested single-domain particles of Ba-M hexaferrite.« less

Synthesis of Mg{sub 2}SiO{sub 4}:Dy{sup 3+} nanoparticles by hydrothermal method and investigation of their thermo and photo luminescence properties

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

Ghahari, M., E-mail: maghahari@icrc.ac.ir; Mostafavi, K.

2016-05-15

Highlights: • Mg{sub 2}SiO{sub 4}:Dy{sup 3+} nanoparticles have been prepared by hydrothermal and combustion methods. • Thermo and photo luminescent behavior of Mg{sub 2}SiO{sub 4}:Dy{sup 3+} was studied. • The effect of synthesis method on TL properties of Mg{sub 2}SiO{sub 4}:Dy{sup 3+} was investigated. • The optimal dopant concentration for thermo-luminescent property was obtained. - Abstract: In this study, photo and thermo-luminescent properties of Nano crystalline Mg{sub 2}SiO{sub 4}:Dy{sup 3+} prepared by a hydrothermal method were studied and compared to those of nanoparticles prepared by combustion method. The synthesized sample was characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electronmore » microscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The effect of Dy concentration on photo and thermoluminescent intensities was studied. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of the samples revealed that forsterite was formed as a major phase for all the samples. The crystallite size was found to be in the range of 20–50 nm. The thermo luminescent glow curve indicated that the hydrothermal sample was more efficient than the combustion sample. Two prominent TL bands located at 200 nm and 320 nm were recorded. The prepared nanoparticles exhibited a roughly linear dose response to absorbed dose of 1000 Gy received from 60Co gamma source, suggesting that nanomaterial could be a good candidate for high dose dosimetry.« less

In situ X-ray-based imaging of nano materials

DOE PAGES

Weker, Johanna Nelson; Huang, Xiaojing; Toney, Michael F.

2016-02-13

We study functional nanomaterials that are heterogeneous and understanding their behavior during synthesis and operation requires high resolution diagnostic imaging tools that can be used in situ. Over the past decade, huge progress has been made in the development of X-ray based imaging, including full field and scanning microscopy and their analogs in coherent diffractive imaging. Currently, spatial resolution of about 10 nm and time resolution of sub-seconds are achievable. For catalysis, X-ray imaging allows tracking of particle chemistry under reaction conditions. In energy storage, in situ X-ray imaging of electrode particles is providing important insight into degradation processes. Recently,more » both spatial and temporal resolutions are improving to a few nm and milliseconds and these developments will open up unprecedented opportunities.« less

On the feasibility of sub-100 nm rad emittance measurement in plasma accelerators using permanent magnetic quadrupoles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, F.; Wu, Y. P.; Nie, Z.; Guo, B.; Zhang, X. H.; Huang, S.; Zhang, J.; Cheng, Z.; Ma, Y.; Fang, Y.; Zhang, C. J.; Wan, Y.; Xu, X. L.; Hua, J. F.; Pai, C. H.; Lu, W.; Gu, Y. Q.

2018-01-01

Low emittance (sub-100 nm rad) measurement of electron beams in plasma accelerators has been a challenging issue for a while. Among various measurement schemes, measurements based on single-shot quad-scan using permanent magnetic quadrupoles (PMQs) has been recently reported with emittance as low as ˜200 nm Weingartner (2012 Phys. Rev. Spec. Top. Accel. Beams 15 111302). However, the accuracy and reliability of this method have not been systematically analyzed. Such analysis is critical for evaluating the potential of sub-100 nm rad emittance measurement using any scheme. In this paper, we analyze the effects of various nonideal physical factors on the accuracy and reliability using the PMQ method. These factors include aberration induced by a high order field, PMQ misalignment and angular fluctuation of incoming beams. Our conclusions are as follows: (i) the aberrations caused by high order fields of PMQs are relatively weak for low emittance measurement as long as the PMQs are properly constructed. A series of PMQs were manufactured and measured at Tsinghua University, and using numerical simulations their high order field effects were found to be negligible . (ii) The largest measurement error of emittance is caused by the angular misalignment between PMQs. For low emittance measurement of ˜100 MeV beams, an angular alignment accuracy of 0.1° is necessary. This requirement can be eased for beams with higher energies. (iii) The transverse position misalignment of PMQs and angular fluctuation of incoming beams only cause a translational and rotational shift of measured signals, respectively, therefore, there is no effect on the measured value of emittance. (iv) The spatial resolution and efficiency of the detection system need to be properly designed to guarantee the accuracy of sub-100 nm rad emittance measurement.

Simulated performance of the optical Thomson scattering diagnostic designed for the National Ignition Facility

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

Ross, J. S., E-mail: ross36@llnl.gov; Datte, P.; Divol, L.

2016-11-15

An optical Thomson scattering diagnostic has been designed for the National Ignition Facility to characterize under-dense plasmas. We report on the design of the system and the expected performance for different target configurations. The diagnostic is designed to spatially and temporally resolve the Thomson scattered light from laser driven targets. The diagnostic will collect scattered light from a 50 × 50 × 200 μm volume. The optical design allows operation with different probe laser wavelengths. A deep-UV probe beam (λ{sub 0} = 210 nm) will be used to Thomson scatter from electron plasma densities of ∼5 × 10{sup 20} cm{supmore » −3} while a 3ω probe will be used for plasma densities of ∼1 × 10{sup 19} cm{sup −3}. The diagnostic package contains two spectrometers: the first to resolve Thomson scattering from ion acoustic wave fluctuations and the second to resolve scattering from electron plasma wave fluctuations. Expected signal levels relative to background will be presented for typical target configurations (hohlraums and a planar foil).« less

Surface structure of MgO underlayer with Ti diffusion for (002) oriented L10 FePt-based heat assisted magnetic recording media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hinata, Sintaro; Jo, Shin; Saito, Shin

2018-05-01

Surface morphology of the MgO layer and magnetic properties of FePt-C layer deposited on the MgO were investigated for the FePt-based heat assisted magnetic recording media. Stacking structure of the underlayer for the FePt-C layer was MgO (0-5 nm)/Cr80Mn20 (0-30 nm)/Cr50Ti50 (0-50 nm)/glass sub.. Surface observation result for the MgO film by using an atomic force microscope revealed the existence of nodules with a height of about 2 nm and a network-like convex structure with a height difference of about sub nm (boundary wall, BW) on the MgO crystal grain boundary. Density of the nodules largely depends on the surface roughness of the CrTi layer, RaCrTi and it is suppressed from 10 to 2/0.5 μm2 by reducing RaCrTi from 420 to 260 pm. Height of the BW depends on thickness of the MgO layer, tMgO and it can be suppressed by reducing tMgO to less than 4 nm. From the cross-sectional energy dispersive x-ray mapping, it is clarified that the BW is formed by atomic diffusion of Ti atoms from CrTi layer due to the substrate heating process, and a compound consists of Mg, Ti and O atoms. This BW can be used as a template to magnetically isolate the FePt column in the FePt-based granular film, such as FePt-SiO2, if the size of the BW is reduced to less than 10 nm. M-H loop of the FePt-C granular film deposited on the underlayer showed that the nodule and BW induce oxidation of the FePt grains, and reduction of intergranular exchange coupling.

Hierarchically Ordered Nanopatterns for Spatial Control of Biomolecules

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

The development and study of a benchtop, high-throughput, and inexpensive fabrication strategy to obtain hierarchical patterns of biomolecules with sub-50 nm resolution is presented. A diblock copolymer of polystyrene-b-poly(ethylene oxide), PS-b-PEO, is synthesized with biotin capping the PEO block and 4-bromostyrene copolymerized within the polystyrene block at 5 wt %. These two handles allow thin films of the block copolymer to be postfunctionalized with biotinylated biomolecules of interest and to obtain micropatterns of nanoscale-ordered films via photolithography. The design of this single polymer further allows access to two distinct superficial nanopatterns (lines and dots), where the PEO cylinders are oriented parallel or perpendicular to the substrate. Moreover, we present a strategy to obtain hierarchical mixed morphologies: a thin-film coating of cylinders both parallel and perpendicular to the substrate can be obtained by tuning the solvent annealing and irradiation conditions. PMID:25363506

Hierarchically Ordered Nanopatterns for Spatial Control of Biomolecules

DOE PAGES

Tran, Helen; Ronaldson, Kacey; Bailey, Nevette A.; ...

2014-11-04

We present the development and study of a benchtop, high-throughput, and inexpensive fabrication strategy to obtain hierarchical patterns of biomolecules with sub-50 nm resolution. A diblock copolymer of polystyrene-b-poly(ethylene oxide), PS-b-PEO, is synthesized with biotin capping the PEO block and 4-bromostyrene copolymerized within the polystyrene block at 5 wt %. These two handles allow thin films of the block copolymer to be postfunctionalized with biotinylated biomolecules of interest and to obtain micropatterns of nanoscale-ordered films via photolithography. The design of this single polymer further allows access to two distinct superficial nanopatterns (lines and dots), where the PEO cylinders are orientedmore » parallel or perpendicular to the substrate. Moreover, we present a strategy to obtain hierarchical mixed morphologies: a thin-film coating of cylinders both parallel and perpendicular to the substrate can be obtained by tuning the solvent annealing and irradiation conditions.« less

Epitaxial growth of (001)-oriented Ba{sub 0.5}Sr{sub 0.5}TiO{sub 3} thin films on a-plane sapphire with an MgO/ZnO bridge layer

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

Xiao Bo; Liu Hongrui; Avrutin, Vitaliy

2009-11-23

High quality (001)-oriented Ba{sub 0.5}Sr{sub 0.5}TiO{sub 3} (BST) thin films have been grown on a-plane sapphire (1120) by rf magnetron sputtering using a double bridge layer consisting of (0001)-oriented ZnO (50 nm) and (001)-oriented MgO (10 nm) prepared by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. X-ray diffraction revealed the formation of three sets of in-plane BST domains, offset from one another by 30 deg., which is consistent with the in-plane symmetry of the MgO layer observed by in situ reflective high electron energy diffraction. The in-plane epitaxial relationship of BST, MgO, and ZnO has been determined to be BST [110]//MgO [110]//ZnO [1120]more » and BST [110]/MgO [110]//ZnO [1100]. Capacitance-voltage measurements performed on BST coplanar interdigitated capacitor structures revealed a high dielectric tunability of up to 84% at 1 MHz.« less

Size dependent polaronic conduction in hematite

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

Sharma, Monika; Banday, Azeem; Murugavel, Sevi

2016-05-23

Lithium Ion Batteries have been attracted as the major renewable energy source for all portable electronic devices because of its advantages like superior energy density, high theoretical capacity, high specific energy, stable cycling and less memory effects. Recently, α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} has been considered as a potential anode material due to high specific capacity, low cost, high abundance and environmental benignity. We have synthesized α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} with various sizes by using the ball milling and sol-gel procedure. Here, we report the dc conductivity measurement for the crystallite size ranging from 15 nm to 50 nm. It has been observedmore » that the enhancement in the polaronic conductivity nearly two orders in magnitude while reducing the crystallite size from bulk into nano scale level. The enhancement in the conductivity is due to the augmented to compressive strain developed in the material which leads to pronounced decrease in the hopping length of polarons. Thus, nanocrystaline α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} may be a better alternative anode material for lithium ion batteries than earlier reported systems.« less

Two-photon excitation spectrum of light-harvesting complex II and fluorescence upconversion after one- and two-photon excitation of the carotenoids

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

Walla, P.J.; Yom, J.; Krueger, B.P.

2000-05-18

The two-photon excitation (TPE) spectrum of light-harvesting complex II (LHC II) has been measured in the spectral region of 1,000--1,600 nm, corresponding to one-photon wavelengths of 500--800 nm. The authors observed a band with an origin at {approximately}2 x 660 nm (ca. 15,100 {+-} 300 cm{sup {minus}1}) and a maximum at {approximately}2 x 600 nm. The line shape and origin of this band strongly suggest that the observed signal is due to the two-photon-allowed S{sub 1} state of the energy-transferring carotenoids (Car ) in LHC II. The authors also report the time dependence of the upconverted chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence aftermore » TPE at the maximum of the observed band. Surprisingly, a fast rise of 250 {+-} 50 fs followed by a multiexponential decay on the picosecond time scale was observed. This result provides strong indication that there is a fast energy transfer even from the dipole-forbidden Car S{sub 1} state to the Chl's. The sub picosecond energy transfer from the Car S{sub 1} state is likely a consequence of the large number of energy-accepting Chls in van der Waals contact with the central Car's in LHC II. They also present upconversion data of the Car S{sub 2}, Chl a, and Chl b fluorescence observed after one-photon excitation into the dipole-allowed Car S{sub 2} state. The lifetime of the Car S{sub 2} state is {approximately}120 {+-} 30 fs. With the observed time constants they are able to calculate quantum yields for the different possible pathways contributing to the overall Car to Chl energy transfer in LHC II.« less

One-pot synthesis of SnO{sub 2}/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite in ionic liquid-based solution and its application for lithium ion batteries

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

Gu, Changdong, E-mail: cdgu@zju.edu.cn; Zhang, Heng; Wang, Xiuli

2013-10-15

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • A facile and low-temperature method is developed for SnO{sub 2}/graphene composite. • Synthesis performed in a choline chloride-based ionic liquid. • The composite shows an enhanced cycling stability as anode for Li-ion batteries. • 4 nm SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles mono-dispersed on the surface of reduced graphene oxide. - Abstract: A facile and low-temperature method is developed for SnO{sub 2}/graphene composite which involves an ultrasonic-assistant oxidation–reduction reaction between Sn{sup 2+} and graphene oxide in a choline chloride–ethylene glycol based ionic liquid under ambient conditions. The reaction solution is non-corrosive and environmental-friendly. Moreover, the proposed technique doesmore » not require complicated infrastructures and heat treatment. The SnO{sub 2}/graphene composite consists of about 4 nm sized SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles with cassiterite structure mono-dispersed on the surface of reduced graphene oxide. As anode for lithium-ion batteries, the SnO{sub 2}/graphene composite shows a satisfying cycling stability (535 mAh g{sup −1} after 50 cycles @100 mA g{sup −1}), which is significantly prior to the bare 4 nm sized SnO{sub 2} nanocrsytals. The graphene sheets in the hybrid nanostructure could provide a segmentation effect to alleviate the volume expansion of the SnO{sub 2} and restrain the small and active Sn-based particles aggregating into larger and inactive clusters during cycling.« less

Visualization of defect-induced excitonic properties of the edges and grain boundaries in synthesized monolayer molybdenum disulfide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newaz, Akm; Yore, A. E.; Miller, A.; Crumrine, W.; Redd, B.; Tuck, J. A.; Wang, Bin; Smithe, K. K. H.; Pop, E.

Understanding nanoscale optical behavior of the edges and grain boundaries of synthetically grown transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) is vital for optimizing their optoelectronic properties. Here we present our experimental work on spatial photoluminescence (PL) scanning of large size (>= 50 μ m) monolayer MoS2 grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) using a diffraction limited blue laser beam spot (wavelength 405 nm) with a beam diameter as small as 200 nm allowing us to probe nanoscale excitonic phenomena which was not observed before. We have found several important features: (i) there exists a sub-micron width strip ( 500 nm) along the edges that fluoresces 1000 % brighter than the region far inside; (ii) there is another brighter wide region consisting of parallel fluorescing lines ending at the corners of the zig-zag peripheral edges; (iii) there is a giant blue shifted A-excitonic peak, as large as 120 meV, in the PL spectra from the edges. Using density functional theory calculations, we attribute this giant blue shift to the adsorption of oxygen dimers at the edges, which reduces the excitonic binding energy. Our results offer an attractive route to tailor optical properties at the TMDC edges through defect engineering. AFOSR Grant FA9550-14-1-0251, NSF EFRI 2-DARE Grant 1542883, NSF Graduate Research Fellowship under Grant DGE-114747.

Electrochemically assisted fabrication of size-exclusion films of organically modified silica and application to the voltammetry of phospholipids.

PubMed

Mehdi, B Layla; Rutkowska, Iwona A; Kulesza, Pawel J; Cox, James A

2013-06-01

Modification of electrodes with nm-scale organically modified silica films with pores diameters controlled at 10- and 50-nm is described. An oxidation catalyst, mixed-valence ruthenium oxide with cyano crosslinks or gold nanoparticles protected by dirhodium-substituted phosophomolybdate (AuNP-Rh 2 PMo 11 ), was immobilized in the pores. These systems comprise size-exclusion films at which the biological compounds, phosphatidylcholine and cardiolipin, were electrocatalytically oxidized without interference from surface-active concomitants such as bovine serum albumin. 10-nm pores were obtained by adding generation-4 poly(amidoamine) dendrimer, G4-PAMAM, to a (CH 3 ) 3 SiOCH 3 sol. 50-nm pores were obtained by modifying a glassy carbon electrode (GC) with a sub-monolayer film of aminopropyltriethoxylsilane, attaching 50-nm diameter poly(styrene sulfonate), PSS, spheres to the protonated amine, transferring this electrode to a (CH 3 ) 3 SiOCH 3 sol, and electrochemically generating hydronium at uncoated GC sites, which catalyzed ormosil growth around the PSS. Voltammetry of Fe(CN) 6 3- and Ru(NH 3 ) 6 3+ demonstrated the absence of residual charge after removal of the templating agents. With the 50-nm system, the pore structure was sufficiently defined to use layer-by-layer electrostatic assembly of AuNP-Rh 2 PMo 11 therein. Flow injection amperometry of phosphatidylcholine and cardiolipin demonstrated analytical utility of these electrodes.

Frequency conversion of structured light.

PubMed

Steinlechner, Fabian; Hermosa, Nathaniel; Pruneri, Valerio; Torres, Juan P

2016-02-15

Coherent frequency conversion of structured light, i.e. the ability to manipulate the carrier frequency of a wave front without distorting its spatial phase and intensity profile, provides the opportunity for numerous novel applications in photonic technology and fundamental science. In particular, frequency conversion of spatial modes carrying orbital angular momentum can be exploited in sub-wavelength resolution nano-optics and coherent imaging at a wavelength different from that used to illuminate an object. Moreover, coherent frequency conversion will be crucial for interfacing information stored in the high-dimensional spatial structure of single and entangled photons with various constituents of quantum networks. In this work, we demonstrate frequency conversion of structured light from the near infrared (803 nm) to the visible (527 nm). The conversion scheme is based on sum-frequency generation in a periodically poled lithium niobate crystal pumped with a 1540-nm Gaussian beam. We observe frequency-converted fields that exhibit a high degree of similarity with the input field and verify the coherence of the frequency-conversion process via mode projection measurements with a phase mask and a single-mode fiber. Our results demonstrate the suitability of exploiting the technique for applications in quantum information processing and coherent imaging.

Revealing the Effects of Nanoscale Membrane Curvature on Lipid Mobility

PubMed Central

Kabbani, Abir Maarouf; Woodward, Xinxin

2017-01-01

Recent advances in nanoengineering and super-resolution microscopy have enabled new capabilities for creating and observing membrane curvature. However, the effects of curvature on single-lipid diffusion have yet to be revealed. The simulations presented here describe the capabilities of varying experimental methods for revealing the effects of nanoscale curvature on single-molecule mobility. Traditionally, lipid mobility is revealed through fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP), fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS), and single particle tracking (SPT). However, these techniques vary greatly in their ability to detect the effects of nanoscale curvature on lipid behavior. Traditionally, FRAP and FCS depend on diffraction-limited illumination and detection. A simulation of FRAP shows minimal effects on lipids diffusion due to a 50 nm radius membrane bud. Throughout the stages of the budding process, FRAP detected minimal changes in lipid recovery time due to the curvature versus flat membrane. Simulated FCS demonstrated small effects due to a 50 nm radius membrane bud that was more apparent with curvature-dependent lipid mobility changes. However, SPT achieves a sub-diffraction-limited resolution of membrane budding and lipid mobility through the identification of the single-lipid positions with ≤15 nm spatial and ≤20 ms temporal resolution. By mapping the single-lipid step lengths to locations on the membrane, the effects of membrane topography and curvature could be correlated to the effective membrane viscosity. Single-fluorophore localization techniques, such SPT, can detect membrane curvature and its effects on lipid behavior. These simulations and discussion provide a guideline for optimizing the experimental procedures in revealing the effects of curvature on lipid mobility and effective local membrane viscosity. PMID:29057801

Electrical and morphological characterization of transfer-printed Au/Ti/TiO{sub x}/p{sup +}-Si nano- and microstructures with plasma-grown titanium oxide layers

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

Weiler, Benedikt, E-mail: benedikt.weiler@nano.ei.tum.de; Nagel, Robin; Albes, Tim

2016-04-14

Highly-ordered, sub-70 nm-MOS-junctions of Au/Ti/TiO{sub x}/p{sup +}-Si were efficiently and reliably fabricated by nanotransfer-printing (nTP) over large areas and their functionality was investigated with respect to their application as MOS-devices. First, we used a temperature-enhanced nTP process and integrated the plasma-oxidation of a nm-thin titanium film being e-beam evaporated directly on the stamp before the printing step without affecting the p{sup +}-Si substrate. Second, morphological investigations (scanning electron microscopy) of the nanostructures confirm the reliable transfer of Au/Ti/TiO{sub x}-pillars of 50 nm, 75 nm, and 100 nm size of superior quality on p{sup +}-Si by our transfer protocol. Third, the fabricated nanodevices are alsomore » characterized electrically by conductive AFM. Fourth, the results are compared to probe station measurements on identically processed, i.e., transfer-printed μm-MOS-structures including a systematic investigation of the oxide formation. The jV-characteristics of these MOS-junctions demonstrate the electrical functionality as plasma-grown tunneling oxides and the effectivity of the transfer-printing process for their large-scale fabrication. Next, our findings are supported by fits to the jV-curves of the plasma-grown titanium oxide by kinetic-Monte-Carlo simulations. These fits allowed us to determine the dominant conduction mechanisms, the material parameters of the oxides and, in particular, a calibration of the thickness depending on applied plasma time and power. Finally, also a relative dielectric permittivity of 12 was found for such plasma-grown TiO{sub x}-layers.« less

Measurement of nanoscale three-dimensional diffusion in the interior of living cells by STED-FCS.

PubMed

Lanzanò, Luca; Scipioni, Lorenzo; Di Bona, Melody; Bianchini, Paolo; Bizzarri, Ranieri; Cardarelli, Francesco; Diaspro, Alberto; Vicidomini, Giuseppe

2017-07-06

The observation of molecular diffusion at different spatial scales, and in particular below the optical diffraction limit (<200 nm), can reveal details of the subcellular topology and its functional organization. Stimulated-emission depletion microscopy (STED) has been previously combined with fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) to investigate nanoscale diffusion (STED-FCS). However, stimulated-emission depletion fluorescence correlation spectroscopy has only been used successfully to reveal functional organization in two-dimensional space, such as the plasma membrane, while, an efficient implementation for measurements in three-dimensional space, such as the cellular interior, is still lacking. Here we integrate the STED-FCS method with two analytical approaches, the recent separation of photons by lifetime tuning and the fluorescence lifetime correlation spectroscopy, to simultaneously probe diffusion in three dimensions at different sub-diffraction scales. We demonstrate that this method efficiently provides measurement of the diffusion of EGFP at spatial scales tunable from the diffraction size down to ∼80 nm in the cytoplasm of living cells.The measurement of molecular diffusion at sub-diffraction scales has been achieved in 2D space using STED-FCS, but an implementation for 3D diffusion is lacking. Here the authors present an analytical approach to probe diffusion in 3D space using STED-FCS and measure the diffusion of EGFP at different spatial scales.

ABCB1 as predominant resistance mechanism in cells with acquired SNS-032 resistance

PubMed Central

Rothweiler, Florian; Voges, Yvonne; Balónová, Barbora; Blight, Barry A.; Cinatl, Jindrich

2016-01-01

The CDK inhibitor SNS-032 had previously exerted promising anti-neuroblastoma activity via CDK7 and 9 inhibition. ABCB1 expression was identified as major determinant of SNS-032 resistance. Here, we investigated the role of ABCB1 in acquired SNS-032 resistance. In contrast to ABCB1-expressing UKF-NB-3 sub-lines resistant to other ABCB1 substrates, SNS-032-adapted UKF-NB-3 (UKF-NB-3rSNS- 032300nM) cells remained sensitive to the non-ABCB1 substrate cisplatin and were completely re-sensitized to cytotoxic ABCB1 substrates by ABCB1 inhibition. Moreover, UKF-NB-3rSNS-032300nM cells remained similarly sensitive to CDK7 and 9 inhibition as UKF-NB-3 cells. In contrast, SHEPrSNS-0322000nM, the SNS-032-resistant sub-line of the neuroblastoma cell line SHEP, displayed low level SNS-032 resistance also when ABCB1 was inhibited. This discrepancy may be explained by the higher SNS-032 concentrations that were used to establish SHEPrSNS-0322000nM cells, since SHEP cells intrinsically express ABCB1 and are less sensitive to SNS-032 (IC50 912 nM) than UKF-NB-3 cells (IC50 153 nM). In conclusion, we show that ABCB1 expression represents the primary (sometimes exclusive) resistance mechanism in neuroblastoma cells with acquired resistance to SNS-032. Thus, ABCB1 inhibitors may increase the SNS-032 efficacy in ABCB1-expressing cells and prolong or avoid resistance formation. PMID:27517323

Spatial variations of storm runoff pollution and their correlation with land-use in a rapidly urbanizing catchment in China.

PubMed

Qin, Hua-Peng; Khu, Soon-Thiam; Yu, Xiang-Ying

2010-09-15

The composition of land use for a rapidly urbanizing catchment is usually heterogeneous, and this may result in significant spatial variations of storm runoff pollution and increase the difficulties of water quality management. The Shiyan Reservoir catchment, a typical rapidly urbanizing area in China, is chosen as a study area, and temporary monitoring sites were set at the downstream of its 6 sub-catchments to synchronously measure rainfall, runoff and water quality during 4 storm events in 2007 and 2009. Due to relatively low frequency monitoring, the IHACRES and exponential pollutant wash-off simulation models are used to interpolate the measured data to compensate for data insufficiency. Three indicators, event pollutant loads per unit area (EPL), event mean concentration (EMC) and pollutant loads transported by the first 50% of runoff volume (FF50), were used to describe the runoff pollution for different pollutants in each sub-catchment during the storm events, and the correlations between runoff pollution spatial variations and land-use patterns were tested by Spearman's rank correlation analysis. The results indicated that similar spatial variation trends were found for different pollutants (EPL or EMC) in light storm events, which strongly correlate with the proportion of residential land use; however, they have different trends in heavy storm events, which correlate with not only the residential land use, but also agricultural and bare land use. And some pairs of pollutants (such as COD/BOD, NH(3)-N/TN) might have the similar source because they have strong or moderate positive spatial correlation. Moreover, the first flush intensity (FF50) varies with impervious land areas and different interception ratio of initial storm runoff volume should be adopted in different sub-catchments. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sample-morphology effects on x-ray photoelectron peak intensities. III. Simulated spectra of model core–shell nanoparticles

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

Powell, Cedric J., E-mail: cedric.powell@nist.gov; Chudzicki, Maksymilian; Werner, Wolfgang S. M.

2015-09-15

The National Institute of Standards and Technology database for the simulation of electron spectra for surface analysis has been used to simulate Cu 2p photoelectron spectra for four types of spherical copper–gold nanoparticles (NPs). These simulations were made to extend the work of Tougaard [J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 14, 1415 (1996)] and of Powell et al. [J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 31, 021402 (2013)] who performed similar simulations for four types of planar copper–gold films. The Cu 2p spectra for the NPs were compared and contrasted with analogous results for the planar films and the effects of elastic scatteringmore » were investigated. The new simulations were made for a monolayer of three types of Cu/Au core–shell NPs on a Si substrate: (1) an Au shell of variable thickness on a Cu core with diameters of 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 5.0, and 10.0 nm; (2) a Cu shell of variable thickness on an Au core with diameters of 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 5.0, and 10.0 nm; and (3) an Au shell of variable thickness on a 1 nm Cu shell on an Au core with diameters of 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 5.0, and 10.0 nm. For these three morphologies, the outer-shell thickness was varied until the Cu 2p{sub 3/2} peak intensity was the same (within 2%) as that found in our previous work with planar Cu/Au morphologies. The authors also performed similar simulations for a monolayer of spherical NPs consisting of a CuAu{sub x} alloy (also on a Si substrate) with diameters of 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 5.0, and 10.0 nm. In the latter simulations, the relative Au concentration (x) was varied to give the same Cu 2p{sub 3/2} peak intensity (within 2%) as that found previously. For each morphology, the authors performed simulations with elastic scattering switched on and off. The authors found that elastic-scattering effects were generally strong for the Cu-core/Au-shell and weak for the Au-core/Cu-shell NPs; intermediate elastic-scattering effects were found for the Au-core/Cu-shell/Au-shell NPs. The shell thicknesses required to give the selected Cu 2p{sub 3/2} peak intensity for the three types of core–shell NPs were less than the corresponding film thicknesses of planar samples since Cu 2p photoelectrons can be detected from the sides and, for the smaller NPs, bottoms of the NPs. Elastic-scattering effects were also observed on the Au atomic fractions found for the CuAu{sub x} NP alloys with different diameters.« less

Fluorescence Studies of Protein Crystal Nucleation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pusey, Marc L.; Sumida, John

2000-01-01

One of the most powerful and versatile methods for studying molecules in solution is fluorescence. Crystallization typically takes place in a concentrated solution environment, whereas fluorescence typically has an upper concentration limit of approximately 1 x 10(exp -5)M, thus intrinsic fluorescence cannot be employed, but a fluorescent probe must be added to a sub population of the molecules. However the fluorescent species cannot interfere with the self-assembly process. This can be achieved with macromolecules, where fluorescent probes can be covalently attached to a sub population of molecules that are subsequently used to track the system as a whole. We are using fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) to study the initial solution phase self-assembly process of tetragonal lysozyme crystal nucleation, using covalent fluorescent derivatives which crystallize in the characteristic P432121 space group. FRET studies are being carried out between cascade blue (CB-lys, donor, Ex 376 nm, Em 420 nm) and lucifer yellow (LY-lys, acceptor, Ex 425 nm, Em 520 nm) asp101 derivatives. The estimated R0 for this probe pair, the distance where 50% of the donor energy is transferred to the acceptor, is approximately 1.2 nm, compared to 2.2 nm between the side chain carboxyls of adjacent asp101's in the crystalline 43 helix. The short CB-lys lifetime (approximately 5 ns), coupled with the large average distances between the molecules ((sup 3) 50 nm) in solution, ensure that any energy transfer observed is not due to random diffusive interactions. Addition of LY-lys to CB-lys results in the appearance of a second, shorter lifetime (approximately 0.2 ns). Results from these and other ongoing studies will be discussed in conjunction with a model for how tetragonal lysozyme crystals nucleate and grow, and the relevance of that model to microgravity protein crystal growth

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

Gul, R., E-mail: rubi786@yahoo.com; Alabama A&M University, Normal AL, 35762; Cui, Y.

With the global shortage of {sup 3}He gas, researchers worldwide are looking for alternative materials for detecting neutrons. Among the candidate materials, semiconductors are attractive because of their light weight and ease in handling. Currently, we are looking into the suitability of boron arsenide (B{sub 12}As{sub 2}) for this specific application. As the first step in evaluating the material qualitatively, the photo-response of B{sub 12}As{sub 2} bulk crystals to light with different wavelengths was examined. The crystals showed photocurrent response to a band of 407- and 470- nm blue light. The maximum measured photoresponsivity and the photocurrent density at 0.7more » V for 470 nm blue light at room temperature were 0.25 A ⋅ W{sup −1} and 2.47 mA ⋅ cm{sup −2}, respectively. In addition to photo current measurements, the electrical properties as a function of temperature (range: 50-320 K) were measured. Reliable data were obtained for the low-temperature I-V characteristics, the temperature dependence of dark current and its density, and the resistivity variations with temperature in B{sub 12}As{sub 2} bulk crystals. The experiments showed an exponential dependence on temperature for the dark current, current density, and resistivity; these three electrical parameters, respectively, had a variation of a few nA to μA, 1-100 μA ⋅ cm{sup −2} and 7.6x10{sup 5}-7.7x10{sup 3} Ω ⋅ cm, for temperature increasing from 50 K to 320 K. The results from this study reported the first photoresponse and demonstrated that B{sub 12}As{sub 2} is a potential candidate for thermal-neutron detectors.« less

Ion transport in sub-5-nm graphene nanopores.

PubMed

Suk, Myung E; Aluru, N R

2014-02-28

Graphene nanopore is a promising device for single molecule sensing, including DNA bases, as its single atom thickness provides high spatial resolution. To attain high sensitivity, the size of the molecule should be comparable to the pore diameter. However, when the pore diameter approaches the size of the molecule, ion properties and dynamics may deviate from the bulk values and continuum analysis may not be accurate. In this paper, we investigate the static and dynamic properties of ions with and without an external voltage drop in sub-5-nm graphene nanopores using molecular dynamics simulations. Ion concentration in graphene nanopores sharply drops from the bulk concentration when the pore radius is smaller than 0.9 nm. Ion mobility in the pore is also smaller than bulk ion mobility due to the layered liquid structure in the pore-axial direction. Our results show that a continuum analysis can be appropriate when the pore radius is larger than 0.9 nm if pore conductivity is properly defined. Since many applications of graphene nanopores, such as DNA and protein sensing, involve ion transport, the results presented here will be useful not only in understanding the behavior of ion transport but also in designing bio-molecular sensors.

Dependence of Pentacene Crystal Growth on Dielectric Roughness for Fabrication of Flexible Field-Effect Transistors

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

Yang, H.; Yang, C; Kim, S

2010-01-01

The dependence of pentacene nanostructures on gate dielectric surfaces were investigated for flexible organic field-effect transistor (OFET) applications. Two bilayer types of polymer/aluminum oxide (Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}) gate dielectrics were fabricated on commercial Al foils laminated onto a polymer back plate. Some Al foils were directly used as gate electrodes, and others were smoothly polished by an electrolytic etching. These Al surfaces were then anodized and coated with poly({alpha}-methyl styrene) (PAMS). For PAMS/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} dielectrics onto etched Al foils, surface roughness up to 1 nm could be reached, although isolated dimples with a lateral diameter of several micrometers weremore » still present. On PAMS/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} dielectrics (surface roughness >40 nm) containing mechanical grooves of Al foil, average hole mobility ({mu}FET) of 50 nm thick pentacene-FETs under the low operating voltages (|V| < 6 V) was {approx}0.15 cm{sup 2} V{sup -1} s{sup -1}. In contrast, pentacene-FETs employing the etched Al gates exhibited {mu}FET of 0.39 cm{sup 2} V{sup -1} s{sup -1}, which was comparable to that of reference samples with PAMS/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} dielectrics onto flat sputtered Al gates. Conducting-probe atomic force microscopy and two-dimensional X-ray diffraction of pentacene films with various thicknesses revealed different out-of-plane and in-plane crystal orderings of pentacene, depending on the surface roughness of the gate dielectrics.« less

SiO2/ZnO Composite Hollow Sub-Micron Fibers: Fabrication from Facile Single Capillary Electrospinning and Their Photoluminescence Properties.

PubMed

Song, Guanying; Li, Zhenjiang; Li, Kaihua; Zhang, Lina; Meng, Alan

2017-02-24

In this work, SiO2/ZnO composite hollow sub-micron fibers were fabricated by a facile single capillary electrospinning technique followed by calcination, using tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and ZnO nanoparticles as raw materials. The characterization results of the scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) spectra indicated that the asprepared composite hollow fibers consisted of amorphous SiO2 and hexagonal wurtzite ZnO. The products revealed uniform tubular structure with outer diameters of 400-500 nm and wall thickness of 50-60 nm. The gases generated and the directional escaped mechanism was proposed to illustrate the formation of SiO2/ZnO composite hollow sub-micron fibers. Furthermore, a broad blue emission band was observed in the photoluminescence (PL) of SiO2/ZnO composite hollow sub-micron fibers, exhibiting great potential applications as blue light-emitting candidate materials.

In situ X-ray ptychography imaging of high-temperature CO{sub 2} acceptor particle agglomerates

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

Høydalsvik, Kristin; Bø Fløystad, Jostein; Esmaeili, Morteza

2014-06-16

Imaging nanoparticles under relevant reaction conditions of high temperature and gas pressure is difficult because conventional imaging techniques, like transmission electron microscopy, cannot be used. Here we demonstrate that the coherent diffractive imaging technique of X-ray ptychography can be used for in situ phase contrast imaging in structure studies at atmospheric pressure and elevated temperatures. Lithium zirconate, a candidate CO{sub 2} capture material, was studied at a pressure of one atmosphere in air and in CO{sub 2}, at temperatures exceeding 600 °C. Images with a spatial resolution better than 200 nm were retrieved, and possibilities for improving the experiment are described.

Characterization and regulation of (/sup 3/H)-serotonin uptake and release in rodent spinal

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

Stauderman, K.A.

1986-01-01

The uptake and release of (/sup 3/H)-serotonin were investigated in rat spinal cord synaptosomes. In the uptake experiments, sodium-dependent and sodium-independent (/sup 3/H)-serotonin accumulation processes were found. Sodium-dependent (/sup 3/H)-serotonin accumulation was: linear with sodium concentrations up to 180 mM; decreased by disruption of membrane integrity or ionic gradients; associated with purified synaptosomal fractions; and reduced after description of descending serotonergic neurons in the spinal cord. Of the uptake inhibitors tested, the most potent was fluoxetine (IC/sub 50/ 75 nM), followed by desipramine (IC/sub 50/ 430 nM) and nomifensine (IC/sub 50/ 950 nM). The sodium-independent (/sup 3/H)-serotonin accumulation process wasmore » insensitive to most treatments and probably represents nonspecific membrane binding. Thus, only sodium-dependent (/sup 3/H)-serotonin uptake represents the uptake process of serotonergic nerve terminals in rat spinal cord homogenates. In the release experiments, K/sup +/-induced release of previously accumulated (/sup 3/H)-serotonin was Ca/sup 2 +/-dependent, and originated from serotonergic synaptosomes. Exogenous serotonin and 5-methyoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine inhibited (/sup 3/H)-serotonin release in a concentration-dependent way. Of the antagonists tested, only methiothepin effectively blocked the effect of serotonin. These data support the existence of presynaptic serotonin autoreceptors on serotonergic nerve terminals in the rat spinal cord that act to inhibit a voltage and Ca/sup 2 +/-sensitive process linked to serotonin release. Alteration of spinai cord serotonergic function may therefore be possible by drugs acting on presynaptic serotonin autoreceptors in the spinal cord.« less

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

Petzer, Anél, E-mail: 12264954@nwu.ac.za; Harvey, Brian H.; Wegener, Gregers

Methylene blue (MB) has been shown to act at multiple cellular and molecular targets and as a result possesses diverse medical applications. Among these is a high potency reversible inhibition of monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) that may, at least in part, underlie its adverse effects but also its psycho- and neuromodulatory actions. MB is metabolized to yield N-demethylated products of which azure B, the monodemethyl species, is the major metabolite. Similar to MB, azure B also displays a variety of biological activities and may therefore contribute to the pharmacological profile of MB. Based on these observations, the present study examinesmore » the interactions of azure B with recombinant human MAO-A and -B. The results show that azure B is a potent MAO-A inhibitor (IC{sub 50} = 11 nM), approximately 6-fold more potent than is MB (IC{sub 50} = 70 nM) under identical conditions. Measurements of the time-dependency of inhibition suggest that the interaction of azure B with MAO-A is reversible. Azure B also reversibly inhibits the MAO-B isozyme with an IC{sub 50} value of 968 nM. These results suggest that azure B may be a hitherto under recognized contributor to the pharmacology and toxicology of MB by blocking central and peripheral MAO-A activity and as such needs to be considered during its use in humans and animals. Highlights: ► Methylene blue (MB) is a known potent MAO-A inhibitor. ► Azure B, the major metabolite of MB, is more potent as a MAO-A inhibitor. ► Azure B may be a contributor to the CNS pharmacology and toxicology of MB.« less

Self-formation of polymer nanostructures in plasma etching: mechanisms and applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, Ke; Jiang, Youhua; Huang, Po-Shun; Ding, Junjun; Gao, Tongchuan; Choi, Chang-Hwan

2018-01-01

In recent years, plasma-induced self-formation of polymer nanostructures has emerged as a simple, scalable and rapid nanomanufacturing technique to pattern sub-100 nm nanostructures. High-aspect-ratio nanostructures (>20:1) are fabricated on a variety of polymer surfaces such as poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA), polystyrene (PS), polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), and fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP). Sub-100 nm nanostructures (i.e. diameter  ⩽  50 nm) are fabricated in this one-step process without relying on slow and expensive nanolithography techniques. This review starts with discussion of the self-formation mechanisms including surface modulation, random masks, and materials impurities. Emphasis is put on the applications of polymer nanostructures in the fields of hierarchical nanostructures, liquid repellence, adhesion, lab-on-a-chip, surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), organic light emitting diode (OLED), and energy harvesting. The unique advantages of this nanomanufacturing technique are illustrated, followed by prospects.

Atmospheric correction of AVIRIS data in ocean waters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Terrie, Gregory; Arnone, Robert

1992-01-01

Hyperspectral data offers unique capabilities for characterizing the ocean environment. The spectral characterization of the composition of ocean waters can be organized into biological and terrigenous components. Biological photosynthetic pigments in ocean waters have unique spectral ocean color signatures which can be associated with different biological species. Additionally, suspended sediment has different scattering coefficients which result in ocean color signatures. Measuring the spatial distributions of these components in the maritime environments provides important tools for understanding and monitoring the ocean environment. These tools have significant applications in pollution, carbon cycle, current and water mass detection, location of fronts and eddies, sewage discharge and fate etc. Ocean color was used from satellite for describing the spatial variability of chlorophyll, water clarity (K(sub 490)), suspended sediment concentration, currents etc. Additionally, with improved atmospheric correction methods, ocean color results produced global products of spectral water leaving radiance (L(sub W)). Ocean color results clearly indicated strong applications for characterizing the spatial and temporal variability of bio-optical oceanography. These studies were largely the results of advanced atmospheric correction techniques applied to multispectral imagery. The atmosphere contributes approximately 80 percent - 90 percent of the satellite received radiance in the blue-green portion of the spectrum. In deep ocean waters, maximum transmission of visible radiance is achieved at 490nm. Conversely, nearly all of the light is absorbed by the water at wavelengths greater than about 650nm and thus appears black. These spectral ocean properties are exploited by algorithms developed for the atmospheric correction used in satellite ocean color processing. The objective was to apply atmospheric correction techniques that were used for procesing satellite Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS) data to AVIRIS data. Quantitative measures of L(sub W) from AVIRIS are compared with ship ground truth data and input into bio-optical models.

Efficient killing of CD22{sup +} tumor cells by a humanized diabody-RNase fusion protein

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

Krauss, Juergen; Arndt, Michaela A.E.; Vu, Bang K.

2005-06-03

We report on the generation of a dimeric immunoenzyme capable of simultaneously delivering two ribonuclease (RNase) effector domains on one molecule to CD22{sup +} tumor cells. As targeting moiety a diabody derived from the previously humanized scFv SGIII with grafted specificity of the murine anti-CD22 mAb RFB4 was constructed. Further engineering the interface of this construct (V{sub L}36{sub Leu{yields}}{sub Tyr}) resulted in a highly robust bivalent molecule that retained the same high affinity as the murine mAb RFB4 (K{sub D} 0.2 nM). A dimeric immunoenzyme comprising this diabody and Rana pipiens liver ribonuclease I (rapLRI) was generated, expressed as solublemore » protein in bacteria, and purified to homogeneity. The dimeric fusion protein killed several CD22{sup +} tumor cell lines with high efficacy (IC{sub 50} = 3-20 nM) and exhibited 9- to 48-fold stronger cytotoxicity than a monovalent rapLRI-scFv counterpart. Our results demonstrate that engineering of dimeric antibody-ribonuclease fusion proteins can markedly enhance their biological efficacy.« less

Energetics, structure and photodissociation dynamics of the cluster Arter dot N sup + sub 2

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

Kim, H.; Bowers, M.T.

A mass selected ion beam of ArN{sup +}{sub 2} clusters is brought to a spatial focus and crossed with the polarized output of an argon ion laser. Photofragment ions are mass and energy analyzed using an electrostatic analyzer and detected using single ion counting methods. Photoproducts observed over the photon energy range of 2.1 to 3.5 eV are Ar{sup +}/N{sub 2} and N{sup +}{sub 2}/Ar with the former favored by about a factor of 3. Analysis of the data indicate the upper state is purely repulsive leading to strongly translationally and vibrationally excited products. The absolute cross section has anmore » onset at about 600 nm and smoothly increases to 357 nm. In order to reasonably interpret the data it is suggested the higher energy Ar{sup +}({sup 2}{ital P}{sub 3/2})/N{sub 2} asymptote diabatically correlates to the ground state of ArN{sup +}{sub 2} and the lower energy N{sup +}{sub 2}({ital X} {sup 2}{Sigma})/Ar asymptote diabatically correlates to the repulsive state accessed by the photon. Detailed dynamics in the region where the curves cross are responsible for the observed product distribution. Application of an impulsive model indicates the ground state of ArN{sup +}{sub 2} is linear. Finally, equilibrium measurements of the reaction (N{sub 2}){sup +}{sub 2}+Ar{leftrightarrow}ArN{sup +}{sub 2}+N{sub 2} indicate {Delta}{ital H}{sup 0}{sub 0}={minus}1.0{plus minus}0.3 kcal/mol and {Delta}{ital S}{sup 0}=1.5{plus minus}0.5 cal k{sup {minus}1} mol{sup {minus}1} in agreement with the result of Teng and Conway which had been disputed in the literature.« less

Tip-Enhanced Raman Nanographs: Mapping Topography and Local Electric Fields

DOE PAGES

El-Khoury, Patrick Z.; Gong, Yu; Abellan, Patricia; ...

2015-03-05

We report tip-enhanced Raman scattering experiments in which topographic and local electric field images are recorded simultaneously. We employ a Raman-active 4,4’-dimercaptostilbene (DMS)-coated gold tip of an atomic force microscope to map the topography and image electric fields localized at nanometric (20 and 5 nm-wide) slits lithographically etched in silver. Bi-modal imaging is feasible by virtue of the recorded scanning probe position-dependent frequency-resolved optical response, which can be sub-divided into two components. The first is a 500-2250 cm-1 Raman-shifted signal, characteristic of DMS. The molecular response reports on topography through intensity contrast in the absence/presence of a plasmonic junction formedmore » between the scanning probe and patterned silver surface. Here, we demonstrate that sub-15 nm spatial resolution is attainable using a 30 nm DMS-coated gold tip. The second response consists of two correlated sub-500 cm-1 signals arising from mirror-like reflections of (i) the incident laser, and (ii) the Raman scattered response of an underlying glass support (at 100-500 cm-1) off the gold tip. We show that both the low-wavenumber signals trace the local electric fields in the vicinity of the nanometric slits.« less

Three-dimensional controlled growth of monodisperse sub-50 nm heterogeneous nanocrystals

PubMed Central

Liu, Deming; Xu, Xiaoxue; Du, Yi; Qin, Xian; Zhang, Yuhai; Ma, Chenshuo; Wen, Shihui; Ren, Wei; Goldys, Ewa M.; Piper, James A.; Dou, Shixue; Liu, Xiaogang; Jin, Dayong

2016-01-01

The ultimate frontier in nanomaterials engineering is to realize their composition control with atomic scale precision to enable fabrication of nanoparticles with desirable size, shape and surface properties. Such control becomes even more useful when growing hybrid nanocrystals designed to integrate multiple functionalities. Here we report achieving such degree of control in a family of rare-earth-doped nanomaterials. We experimentally verify the co-existence and different roles of oleate anions (OA−) and molecules (OAH) in the crystal formation. We identify that the control over the ratio of OA− to OAH can be used to directionally inhibit, promote or etch the crystallographic facets of the nanoparticles. This control enables selective grafting of shells with complex morphologies grown over nanocrystal cores, thus allowing the fabrication of a diverse library of monodisperse sub-50 nm nanoparticles. With such programmable additive and subtractive engineering a variety of three-dimensional shapes can be implemented using a bottom–up scalable approach. PMID:26743184

Suspended sub-50 nm vanadium dioxide membrane transistors: fabrication and ionic liquid gating studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sim, Jai S.; Zhou, You; Ramanathan, Shriram

2012-10-01

We demonstrate a robust lithographic patterning method to fabricate self-supported sub-50 nm VO2 membranes that undergo a phase transition. Utilizing such self-supported membranes, we directly observed a shift in the metal-insulator transition temperature arising from stress relaxation and consistent opening of the hysteresis. Electric double layer transistors were then fabricated with the membranes and compared to thin film devices. The ionic liquid allowed reversible modulation of channel resistance and distinguishing bulk processes from the surface effects. From the shift in the metal-insulator transition temperature, the carrier density doped through electrolyte gating is estimated to be 1 × 1020 cm-3. Hydrogen annealing studies showed little difference in resistivity between the film and the membrane indicating rapid diffusion of hydrogen in the vanadium oxide rutile lattice consistent with previous observations. The ability to fabricate electrically-wired, suspended VO2 ultra-thin membranes creates new opportunities to study mesoscopic size effects on phase transitions and may also be of interest in sensor devices.

Design of an intelligent sub-50 nm nuclear-targeting nanotheranostic system for imaging guided intranuclear radiosensitization.

PubMed

Fan, Wenpei; Shen, Bo; Bu, Wenbo; Zheng, Xiangpeng; He, Qianjun; Cui, Zhaowen; Zhao, Kuaile; Zhang, Shengjian; Shi, Jianlin

2015-03-01

Clinically applied chemotherapy and radiotherapy is sometimes not effective due to the limited dose acting on DNA chains resident in the nuclei of cancerous cells. Herein, we develop a new theranostic technique of "intranuclear radiosensitization" aimed at directly damaging the DNA within the nucleus by a remarkable synergetic chemo-/radiotherapeutic effect based on intranuclear chemodrug-sensitized radiation enhancement. To achieve this goal, a sub-50 nm nuclear-targeting rattle-structured upconversion core/mesoporous silica nanotheranostic system was firstly constructed to directly transport the radiosensitizing drug Mitomycin C (MMC) into the nucleus for substantially enhanced synergetic chemo-/radiotherapy and simultaneous magnetic/upconversion luminescent (MR/UCL) bimodal imaging, which can lead to efficient cancer treatment as well as multi-drug resistance circumvention in vitro and in vivo . We hope the technique of intranuclear radiosensitization along with the design of nuclear-targeting nanotheranostics will contribute greatly to the development of cancer theranostics as well as to the improvement of the overall therapeutic effectiveness.

Large Area Nano-transfer Printing of Sub-50-nm Metal Nanostructures Using Low-cost Semi-flexible Hybrid Templates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagel, Robin D.; Haeberle, Tobias; Schmidt, Morten; Lugli, Paolo; Scarpa, Giuseppe

2016-03-01

In this work, we present a method for printing metal micro- and nanopatterns down to sub-50-nm feature sizes using replicated, defect-tolerant stamps made out of OrmoStamp®; material. The relevant parameters for a successful transfer over large areas were investigated and yields above 99 % have been achieved. Comparing our results to conventional nano-transfer printing using PDMS stamps, we find that the more rigid hybrid polymer used here prevents unintended transfer from interspaces between structures of large distance due to roof collapse and deformation of nano-sized structures due to lateral collapse. Yet, our stamps are flexible enough to ensure intimate contact with the underlying substrate over large areas even in the presence of defect particles. Additionally, the presented patterning technique is resist-, solvent-, and chemical-free and is therefore ideally suited for applications in organic nanoelectronics where standard nanostructuring methods can harm or destroy the organic material.

Influence of molecular clustering on the interpretation of diffractograms of hydrocarbon films from tokamak T-10

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

Neverov, V. S., E-mail: vs-never@hotmail.com; Voloshinov, V. V., E-mail: vladimir.voloshinov@gmail.com; Kukushkin, A. B., E-mail: kukushkin-ab@nrcki.ru

2015-12-15

The influence of molecular clustering on the formerly suggested interpretation of diffraction patterns of hydrocarbon films formed in the vacuum vessel of the tokamak T-10 is analyzed numerically. The simulation of clustering of simple hydrocarbon molecules C(D, H){sub 4}, C{sub 2}(D, H){sub 4}, and C{sub 6}(D, H){sub 6} and molecules composed of curved graphene (fullerenes and toroidal nanotubes) is carried out with the rigid body molecular dynamics method. It is shown that formerly neglected atomic correlations C–C and C–D(H) in the amorphous hydrocarbon component decrease the calculated values of the scattered intensity in the range of scattering vector modulus 5more » < q < 20 nm{sup –1} because of homogenization of scatters on the spatial scale of ∼1 nm. The allowance for these correlations does not change the diffraction patterns in the range q > 20 nm{sup –1}. The results suggest the necessity to introduce to the procedure of determining the structural content of the films, similar to those from the tokamak T-10, the clusters formed by the van der Waals adhesion of hydrocarbon molecules to “graphene” nanoparticles. This simplifies the mathematical optimization to the former level of complexity—but for an extended ensemble of objects—and makes it possible to calculate the diffraction patterns of these objects using the distributed computing resources. A modified algorithm of structural content identification on the basis of joint X-ray and neutron diffractometry is suggested.« less

Effects of long-term lithium and desipramine treatment upon clonidine-induced inhibition of /sup 3/H-norepinephrine release from rat hippocampal slices

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

Spengler, R.N.; Hollingsworth, P.J.; Smith, C.B.

1986-03-01

Long-term treatment with antidepressant agents alters the specific binding of /sup 3/H-clonidine, an alpha/sub 2/ adrenoreceptor agonist, to neural membranes isolated from specific areas of the rat brain. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether these changes in binding of /sup 3/H-clonidine represent an alteration in the functional state of the presynaptic alpha/sub 2/ adrenorecepotr. Hippocampal slices were incubated with /sup 3/H-norepinephrine (/sup 3/H-NE, 330 nM0 for 20 min, washed with fresh buffer for 30 min and then stimulated (4 Hz, 2 msec duration, 2 min) at 12 min intervals. Cumulative concentration-effect curves were determined of /supmore » 3/H-NE. Rats were injected, i.p., twice daily for 14 days with lithium chloride (105 mg/kg), desipramine HCl (10 mg/kg) or saline. In controls, the EC50 for clonidine was 2.3 +/- 1.0 nM (n = 3). After lithium treatment, the clonidine concentration-effect curve was shifted to the right, and the EC50 as 12.1 +/- 4.3 nM. Desipramine treatment nearly abolished the inhibitory effect of clonidine upon the release of /sup 3/H-NE by field stimulation. These observations indicate that the long-term administration of desipramine and lithium produce a functional subsensitivity of the alpha/sub 2/ adrenoreceptor which regulates norepinephrine release in the rat brain.« less

Construction of 3D Metallic Nanostructures on an Arbitrarily Shaped Substrate.

PubMed

Chen, Fei; Li, Jingning; Yu, Fangfang; Zhao, Di; Wang, Fan; Chen, Yanbin; Peng, Ru-Wen; Wang, Mu

2016-09-01

Constructing conductive/magnetic nanowire arrays with 3D features by electrodeposition remains challenging. An unprecedented fabrication approach that allows to construct metallic (cobalt) nanowires on an arbitrarily shaped surface is reported. The spatial separation of nanowires varies from 70 to 3000 nm and the line width changes from 50 to 250 nm depending on growth conditions. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Exciton dynamics at a single dislocation in GaN probed by picosecond time-resolved cathodoluminescence

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

Liu, W., E-mail: we.liu@epfl.ch, E-mail: gwenole.jacopin@epfl.ch; Carlin, J.-F.; Grandjean, N.

2016-07-25

We investigate the dynamics of donor bound excitons (D°X{sub A}) at T = 10 K around an isolated single edge dislocation in homoepitaxial GaN, using a picosecond time-resolved cathodoluminescence (TR-CL) setup with high temporal and spatial resolutions. An ∼ 1.3 meV dipole-like energy shift of D°X{sub A} is observed around the dislocation, induced by the local strain fields. By simultaneously recording the variations of both the exciton lifetime and the CL intensity across the dislocation, we directly assess the dynamics of excitons around the defect. Our observations are well reproduced by a diffusion model. It allows us to deduce an exciton diffusion length ofmore » ∼24 nm as well as an effective area of the dislocation with a radius of ∼95 nm, where the recombination can be regarded as entirely non-radiative.« less

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

Ambrosone, Alfredo; Scotto di Vettimo, Maria Rosaria; Malvindi, Maria Ada

It is generally accepted that silica (SiO{sub 2}) is not toxic. But the increasing use of silica nanoparticles (SiO{sub 2}NPs) in many different industrial fields has prompted the careful investigation of their toxicity in biological systems. In this report, we describe the effects elicited by SiO{sub 2}NPs on animal and cell physiology. Stable and monodisperse amorphous silica nanoparticles, 25 nM in diameter, were administered to living Hydra vulgaris (Cnidaria). The dose-related effects were defined by morphological and behavioral assays. The results revealed an all-or-nothing lethal toxicity with a rather high threshold (35 nM NPs) and a LT50 of 38 h.more » At sub lethal doses, the morphophysiological effects included: animal morphology alterations, paralysis of the gastric region, disorganization and depletion of tentacle specialized cells, increase of apoptotic and collapsed cells, and reduction of the epithelial cell proliferation rate. Transcriptome analysis (RNAseq) revealed 45 differentially expressed genes, mostly involved in stress response and cuticle renovation. Our results show that Hydra reacts to SiO{sub 2}NPs, is able to rebalance the animal homeostasis up to a relatively high doses of SiO{sub 2}NPs, and that the physiological modifications are transduced to gene expression modulation.« less

SIMS of organics—Advances in 2D and 3D imaging and future outlook

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

Gilmore, Ian S.

Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) has become a powerful technique for the label-free analysis of organics from cells to electronic devices. The development of cluster ion sources has revolutionized the field, increasing the sensitivity for organics by two or three orders of magnitude and for large clusters, such as C{sub 60} and argon clusters, allowing depth profiling of organics. The latter has provided the capability to generate stunning three dimensional images with depth resolutions of around 5 nm, simply unavailable by other techniques. Current state-of-the-art allows molecular images with a spatial resolution of around 500 nm to be achieved andmore » future developments are likely to progress into the sub-100 nm regime. This review is intended to bring those with some familiarity with SIMS up-to-date with the latest developments for organics, the fundamental principles that underpin this and define the future progress. State-of-the-art examples are showcased and signposts to more in-depth reviews about specific topics given for the specialist.« less

Zeta-potential and particle size studies of silver sulphide nanoparticles

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

Sharma, Vikash, E-mail: vikash@csr.res.in; Tarachand,; Ganesan, V.

Silver sulfide (Ag{sub 2}S) nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared successfully for the first time using diethylene glycol (DEG) as a surfactant. X-ray diffraction (XRD) data revealed single phase nature of the compound and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) confirmed its nominal composition. Their sizes were 43 nm from XRD, 50 nm from atomic force microscopy (AFM) and 19 nm & 213 nm from dynamic light scattering (DLS); their differences have been discussed. Autotitration study of zeta potential of these NPs in deionized water by DLS at different pH values confirmed an isoelectric point at pH = 5.14 and their very unstable nature in deionized water.

Modeling and experimental investigation of an integrated optical microheater in silicon-on-insulator.

PubMed

Kaushal, Saket; Das, Bijoy Krishna

2016-04-10

A linear piecewise model has been formulated to analyze the performance of a metallic microheater integrated with single-mode waveguides (λ∼1550  nm) in silicon-on-insulator (SOI). The model has been used to evaluate integrated optical microheaters fabricated in a SOI substrate with 2 µm device layer thickness. The Fabry-Perot modulation technique has been used to extract the effective thermo-optic phase shift and response time. The effective thermal power budget of P_eff,π∼500  µW (out of actually consumed power P_π=1.1  mW) for a π phase shift and a switching time of τ∼9  µs, have been recorded for a typical Ti heater stripe of length L_H=50  µm, width W_H=2  µm, and thickness t_H∼150  nm, integrated with a Fabry-Perot waveguide cavity of length ∼20  mm. It has been shown that the performance of a heater improves (in terms of power budget) as the length of a microheater decreases. However, smaller heater size requires higher joule heating to obtain a desired phase shift, which is again found to be dependent on polarization of the guided mode because of thermal stress.

Strain relaxation of thin Si{sub 0.6}Ge{sub 0.4} grown with low-temperature buffers by molecular beam epitaxy

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

Zhao, M.; Hansson, G. V.; Ni, W.-X.

A double-low-temperature-buffer variable-temperature growth scheme was studied for fabrication of strain-relaxed thin Si{sub 0.6}Ge{sub 0.4} layer on Si(001) by using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), with particular focuses on the influence of growth temperature of individual low-temperature-buffer layers on the relaxation process and final structural qualities. The low-temperature buffers consisted of a 40 nm Si layer grown at an optimized temperature of {approx}400 deg. C, followed by a 20 nm Si{sub 0.6}Ge{sub 0.4} layer grown at temperatures ranging from 50 to 550 deg. C. A significant relaxation increase together with a surface roughness decrease both by a factor of {approx}2, accompaniedmore » with the cross-hatch/cross-hatch-free surface morphology transition, took place for the sample containing a low-temperature Si{sub 0.6}Ge{sub 0.4} layer that was grown at {approx}200 deg. C. This dramatic change was explained by the association with a certain onset stage of the ordered/disordered growth transition during the low-temperature MBE, where the high density of misfit dislocation segments generated near surface cusps largely facilitated the strain relaxation of the top Si{sub 0.6}Ge{sub 0.4} layer.« less

Comparative study between REAP 200 and FEP171 CAR with 50-kV raster e-beam system for sub-100-nm technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baik, Ki-Ho; Lem, Homer Y.; Dean, Robert L.; Osborne, Stephen; Mueller, Mark; Abboud, Frank E.

2003-08-01

In this paper, a process established with a positive-tone chemically amplified resist (CAR) from TOK REAP200 and Fujifilm Arch FEP171 and 50kV MEBES system is discussed. This TOK resist is developed for raster scan 50 kV e-beam systems. It has high contrast, good coating characteristics, good dry etch selectivity, and high environmental stability. In the mask industries, the most popular positive tone CAR is FEP171, which is a high activation energy type CAR. REAP (Raster E-beam Advanced Process) 200 is low activation energy type and new acetal protecting polymer. In this study, we compared to these different type resists in terms of contrast, PAB and PEB latitude, resist profile, footing, T-topping, PED stability, LER, Global CDU (Critical Dimension Uniformity) and resolution. The REAP200 Resist obtained 75nm isolated lines and spaces, 90nm dense patterns with vertical profile, and a good stability of delay time.

Laser characterization of the depth profile of complex refractive index of PMMA implanted with 50 keV silicon ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stefanov, Ivan L.; Stoyanov, Hristiyan Y.; Petrova, Elitza; Russev, Stoyan C.; Tsutsumanova, Gichka G.; Hadjichristov, Georgi B.

2013-03-01

The depth profile of the complex refractive index of silicon ion (Si+) implanted polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) is studied, in particular PMMA implanted with Si+ ions accelerated to a relatively low energy of 50 keV and at a fluence of 3.2 × 1015 cm-2. The ion-modified material with nano-clustered structure formed in the near(sub)surface layer of a thickness of about 100 nm is optically characterized by simulation based on reflection ellipsometry measurements at a wavelength of 632.8 nm (He-Ne laser). Being of importance for applications of ion-implanted PMMA in integrated optics, optoelectronics and optical communications, the effect of the index depth profile of Si+-implanted PMMA on the profile of the reflected laser beam due to laser-induced thermo-lensing in reflection is also analyzed upon illumination with a low power cw laser (wavelength 532 nm, optical power 10 - 50 mW).

Synthesis and microstructural control of flower-like cadmium germanate

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

Pei, L.Z., E-mail: lzpei@ahut.edu.cn; Yang, Y.; Pei, Y.Q.

Flower-like Cd{sub 2}Ge{sub 2}O{sub 6} have been synthesized using a facile hydrothermal process with ethylenediamine. The roles of hydrothermal conditions on the size and morphology of the flower-like Cd{sub 2}Ge{sub 2}O{sub 6} were investigated. The research results show that the obtained Cd{sub 2}Ge{sub 2}O{sub 6} presents a flower-like microstructures composed by radial nanorods with diameter of 50-100 nm and length of 0.5-2 {mu}m, respectively. The formation mechanism of the flower-like Cd{sub 2}Ge{sub 2}O{sub 6} is explained according to the ethylenediamine-assisted nucleation-'Ostwald ripening' process. - Highlights: {yields}Cd{sub 2}Ge{sub 2}O{sub 6} flower-like microstructures were synthesized using ethylenediamine. {yields}Cd{sub 2}Ge{sub 2}O{sub 6} flower-likemore » microstructures can be controlled by growth conditions. {yields}Ethylenediamine induces the growth of the Cd{sub 2}Ge{sub 2}O{sub 6} flower-like microstructures.« less

Ammonia concentration distribution measurements in the exhaust of a heavy duty diesel engine based on limited data absorption tomography.

PubMed

Stritzke, Felix; van der Kley, Sani; Feiling, Alexander; Dreizler, Andreas; Wagner, Steven

2017-04-03

A multichannel tunable diode laser absorption spectrometer is used to measure absolute ammonia concentrations and their distributions in exhaust gas applications with intense CO₂ and H₂O background. Designed for in situ diagnostics in SCR after treatment systems with temperatures up to 800 K, the system employs a fiber coupled near-infrared distributed feedback diode laser. With the laser split into eight coplanar beams crossing the exhaust pipe, the sensor provides eight concentration measurements simultaneously. Three ammonia ro-vibrational transitions coinciding near 2200.5 nm with rather weak temperature dependency and negligible CO₂/H₂O interference were probed during the measurements. The line-of-sight averaged channel concentrations are transformed into 2-D ammonia distributions using limited data IR species tomography based on Tikhonov regularization. This spectrometer was successfully applied in the exhaust system of a 340 kW heavy duty diesel engine operated without oxidation catalyst or particulate filter. In this harsh environment the multi-channel sensor achieved single path ammonia detection limits of 25 to 80 ppm_V with a temporal resolution of 1 Hz whereas, while operated as a single-channel sensor, these characteristics improved to 10 ppm_V and 100 Hz. Spatial averaging of the reconstructed 2-D ammonia distributions shows good agreement to cross-sectional extractive measurements. In contrast to extractive methods more information about spatial inhomogeneities and transient operating conditions can be derived from the new spectrometer.

Ledge-type Co/L1{sub 0}-FePt exchange-coupled composites

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

Speliotis, Th.; Giannopoulos, G.; Niarchos, D.

2016-06-21

FePt-based exchange-coupled composites consisting of a magnetically hard L1{sub 0}-FePt phase exchange-coupled with a soft ferromagnetic material are promising candidates for future ultra-high density (>1 Tbit/in{sup 2}) perpendicular magnetic recording media, also being of interest for other applications including spin torque oscillators and micro-electro-mechanical systems, among others. In this paper, the effect of the thickness of a soft Co layer (3 < th{sub Co} < 20 nm) on the magnetic behavior of ledge-type fcc(100)-Co/L1{sub 0}(001)-FePt composites deposited on an MgO (100) substrate is systematically studied by combining morpho-structural analyses and angular magnetization measurements. Starting from a film consisting of isolated L1{submore » 0}(001)–FePt islands, the ledge-type structure was obtained by depositing a Co layer that either covered the FePt islands or filled-up the inter-island region, gradually forming a continuous layer with increasing Co thickness. A perpendicular anisotropy was maintained up to th{sub Co} ∼ 9.5 nm and a significant reduction in the coercivity (about 50% for th{sub Co} ∼ 3 nm) with the increase in th{sub Co} was observed, indicating that, by coupling hard FePt and soft Co phases in a ledge-type configuration, the writability can be greatly improved. Recoil loops' measurements confirmed the exchange-coupled behavior, reinforcing a potential interest in these systems for future magnetic recording media.« less

Electrical dependence on the chemical composition of the gate dielectric in indium gallium zinc oxide thin-film transistors

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

Tari, Alireza, E-mail: atari@uwaterloo.ca; Lee, Czang-Ho; Wong, William S.

Bottom-gate thin-film transistors were fabricated by depositing a 50 nm InGaZnO (IGZO) channel layer at 150 °C on three separate gate dielectric films: (1) thermal SiO{sub 2}, (2) plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition (PECVD) SiN{sub x}, and (3) a PECVD SiO{sub x}/SiN{sub x} dual-dielectric. X-ray photoelectron and photoluminescence spectroscopy showed the V{sub o} concentration was dependent on the hydrogen concentration of the underlying dielectric film. IGZO films on SiN{sub x} (high V{sub o}) and SiO{sub 2} (low V{sub o}) had the highest and lowest conductivity, respectively. A PECVD SiO{sub x}/SiN{sub x} dual-dielectric layer was effective in suppressing hydrogen diffusion from the nitride layer intomore » the IGZO and resulted in higher resistivity films.« less

CRISM/HiRISE Correlative Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seelos, F. P.; Murchie, S. L.; McGovern, A.; Milazzo, M. P.; Herkenhoff, K. E.

2011-12-01

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) and High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) are complementary investigations with high spectral resolution and broad wavelength coverage (CRISM ~20 m/pxl; ~400 - 4000 nm, 6.55 nm sampling) and high spatial resolution with broadband color capability (HiRISE ~25 cm/pxl; ~500, 700, 900 nm band centers, ~200-300 nm FWHM). Over the course of the MRO mission it has become apparent that spectral variations in the IR detected by CRISM (~1000 nm - 4000 nm) sometimes correlate spatially with visible and near infrared 3-band color variations observed by HiRISE. We have developed a data processing procedure that establishes a numerical mapping between HiRISE color and CRISM VNIR and IR spectral data and provides a statistical evaluation of the uncertainty in the mapping, with the objective of extrapolating CRISM-inferred mineralogy to the HiRISE spatial scale. The MRO mission profile, spacecraft capabilities, and science planning process emphasize coordinated observations - the simultaneous observation of a common target by multiple instruments. The commonalities of CRISM/HiRISE coordinated observations present a unique opportunity for tandem data analysis. Recent advances in the systematic processing of CRISM hyperspectral targeted observations account for gimbal-induced photometric variations and transform the data to a synthetic nadir acquisition geometry. The CRISM VNIR (~400 nm - 1000 nm) data can then be convolved to the HiRISE Infrared, Red, and Blue/Green (IRB) response functions to generate a compatible CRISM IRB product. Statistical evaluation of the CRISM/HiRISE spatial overlap region establishes a quantitative link between the data sets. IRB spectral similarity mapping for each HiRISE color spatial pixel with respect to the CRISM IRB product allows a given HiRISE pixel to be populated with information derived from the coordinated CRISM observation, including correlative VNIR or IR spectral data, spectral summary parameters, or browse products. To properly characterize the quality and fidelity of the IRB correlation, a series of ancillary information bands that record the numerical behavior of the procedure are also generated. Prototype CRISM/HiRISE correlative data products have been generated for a small number of coordinated observation pairs. The resulting products have the potential to support integrated spectral and morphological mapping at sub-meter spatial scales. Such data products would be invaluable for strategic and tactical science operations on landed missions, and would allow observations from a landed platform to be evaluated in a CRISM-based spectral and mineralogical context.

Aurora B inhibitor barasertib and cytarabine exert a greater-than-additive cytotoxicity in acute myeloid leukemia cells.

PubMed

Yamauchi, Takahiro; Uzui, Kanako; Shigemi, Hiroko; Negoro, Eiju; Yoshida, Akira; Ueda, Takanori

2013-07-01

Barasertib, an aurora B inhibitor, terminates cell division, introduces polyploidy, and consequently causes apoptosis. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of the combination of barasertib and cytarabine (ara-C), a key agent for leukemia chemotherapy, on leukemic cells in vitro. Human leukemia HL-60 cells and HL-60/ara-C20 cells, a 20-fold ara-C-resistant variant, were used. The 50% growth inhibitory concentrations of an active metabolite of barasertib, barasertib-hydroxyquinazoline-pyrazol-aniline (Barasertib-HQPA), and ara-C were 51 nM and 300 nM for HL-60 cells and 70 nM and 5300 nM for HL-60/ara-C20 cells, respectively. Barasertib-HQPA induced polyploidy with a subsequent induction of sub-G1 phase apoptosis, indicating the M-phase specific cytotoxicity. Cells treated with the S-phase specific ara-C accumulated in S phase and subsequently died through apoptosis. When HL-60 cells were treated with barasertib-HQPA and ara-C in combination, a greater-than-additive apoptosis was induced. This enhancement was obtained when the cells were treated with barasertib-HQPA prior to ara-C (37.9% sub-G1) or with both concurrently (31.2% sub-G1), but not with ara-C prior to barasertib-HQPA (17.8% sub-G1). The combination effects were similarly obtained in HL-60/ara-C20 cells with 19.7% sub-G1 for barasertib-HQPA→ara-C, 18.4% sub-G1 for both concurrently, and 13.8% sub-G1 for ara-C→barasertib-HQPA, and another leukemic U937 cells with 25.4% sub-G1 for barasertib-HQPA→ara-C, 28.2% sub-G1 for both concurrently, and 16.0% sub-G1 for ara-C→barasertib-HQPA. Barasertib-HQPA inhibited aurora B autophosphorylation and histone H3 phosphorylation in all the cell lines. Barasertib-HQPA did not inhibit DNA synthesis, allowing ara-C incorporation into DNA for its cytotoxicity. Thus, barasertib-HQPA and ara-C provided a greater-than-additive cytotoxicity in leukemic cells in vitro. © 2013 Japanese Cancer Association.

Tailoring Curie temperature and magnetic anisotropy in ultrathin Pt/Co/Pt films

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

Parakkat, Vineeth Mohanan; Ganesh, K. R.; Anil Kumar, P. S., E-mail: anil@physics.iisc.ernet.in

The dependence of perpendicular magnetization and Curie temperature (T{sub c}) of Pt/Co/Pt thin films on the thicknesses of Pt seed (Pt{sub s}) and presence of Ta buffer layer has been investigated in this work. Pt and Co thicknesses were varied between 2 to 8 nm and 0.35 to 1.31 nm (across the spin reorientation transition thickness) respectively and the T{sub c} was measured using SQUID magnetometer. We have observed a systematic dependence of T{sub c} on the thickness of Pt{sub s}. For 8 nm thickness of Pt{sub s} the Co layer of 0.35 nm showed ferromagnetism with perpendicular anisotropy atmore » room temperature. As the thickness of the Pt{sub s} was decreased to 2 nm, the T{sub c} went down below 250 K. XRD data indicated polycrystalline growth of Pt{sub s} on SiO{sub 2}. On the contrary Ta buffer layer promoted the growth of Pt(111). As a consequence Ta(5 nm)/Pt(3 nm)/Co(0.35 nm)/Pt(2 nm) had much higher T{sub c} (above 300 K) with perpendicular anisotropy when compared to the same stack without the Ta layer. Thus we could tune the ferromagnetic T{sub c} and anisotropy by varying the Pt{sub s} thickness and also by introducing Ta buffer layer. We attribute these observations to the micro-structural evolution of Pt{sub s} layer which hosts the Co layer.« less

Single Photon Counting Large Format Imaging Sensors with High Spatial and Temporal Resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siegmund, O. H. W.; Ertley, C.; Vallerga, J. V.; Cremer, T.; Craven, C. A.; Lyashenko, A.; Minot, M. J.

High time resolution astronomical and remote sensing applications have been addressed with microchannel plate based imaging, photon time tagging detector sealed tube schemes. These are being realized with the advent of cross strip readout techniques with high performance encoding electronics and atomic layer deposited (ALD) microchannel plate technologies. Sealed tube devices up to 20 cm square have now been successfully implemented with sub nanosecond timing and imaging. The objective is to provide sensors with large areas (25 cm2 to 400 cm2) with spatial resolutions of <20 μm FWHM and timing resolutions of <100 ps for dynamic imaging. New high efficiency photocathodes for the visible regime are discussed, which also allow response down below 150nm for UV sensing. Borosilicate MCPs are providing high performance, and when processed with ALD techniques are providing order of magnitude lifetime improvements and enhanced photocathode stability. New developments include UV/visible photocathodes, ALD MCPs, and high resolution cross strip anodes for 100 mm detectors. Tests with 50 mm format cross strip readouts suitable for Planacon devices show spatial resolutions better than 20 μm FWHM, with good image linearity while using low gain ( 106). Current cross strip encoding electronics can accommodate event rates of >5 MHz and event timing accuracy of 100 ps. High-performance ASIC versions of these electronics are in development with better event rate, power and mass suitable for spaceflight instruments.

Single-Molecule and Superresolution Imaging in Live Bacteria Cells

PubMed Central

Biteen, Julie S.; Moerner, W.E.

2010-01-01

Single-molecule imaging enables biophysical measurements devoid of ensemble averaging, gives enhanced spatial resolution beyond the diffraction limit, and permits superresolution reconstructions. Here, single-molecule and superresolution imaging are applied to the study of proteins in live Caulobacter crescentus cells to illustrate the power of these methods in bacterial imaging. Based on these techniques, the diffusion coefficient and dynamics of the histidine protein kinase PleC, the localization behavior of the polar protein PopZ, and the treadmilling behavior and protein superstructure of the structural protein MreB are investigated with sub-40-nm spatial resolution, all in live cells. PMID:20300204

Sub-one-third wavelength focusing of surface plasmon polaritons excited by linearly polarized light.

PubMed

Wang, Jiayuan; Zhang, Jiasen

2018-05-28

We report the generation of a subwavelength focal spot for surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) by increasing the proportion of high-spatial-frequency components in the plasmonic focusing field. We have derived an analytical expression for the angular-dependent contribution of an arbitrary-shaped SPP line source to the focal field and have found that the proportion for high-spatial-frequency components can be significantly increased by launching SPPs from a horizontal line source. Accordingly, we propose a rectangular-groove plasmonic lens (PL) consisting of horizontally-arrayed central grooves and slantingly-arrayed flanking grooves on gold film. We demonstrate both numerically and experimentally that, under linearly polarized illumination, such a PL generates a focal spot of full width half maximum 274 nm at an operating wavelength of 830 nm. The method we describe provides guidance to the further structure design and optimization for plasmonic focusing devices.

Dual-color multiple-particle tracking at 50-nm localization and over 100-µm range in 3D with temporal focusing two-photon microscopy

PubMed Central

Ding, Yu; Li, Chunqiang

2016-01-01

Nanoscale particle tracking in three dimensions is crucial to directly observe dynamics of molecules and nanoparticles in living cells. Here we present a three-dimensional particle tracking method based on temporally focused two-photon excitation. Multiple particles are imaged at 30 frames/s in volume up to 180 × 180 × 100 µm3. The spatial localization precision can reach 50 nm. We demonstrate its capability of tracking fast swimming microbes at speed of ~200 µm/s. Two-photon dual-color tracking is achieved by simultaneously exciting two kinds of fluorescent beads at 800 nm to demonstrate its potential in molecular interaction studies. Our method provides a simple wide-field fluorescence imaging approach for deep multiple-particle tracking. PMID:27867724

Synthesis of α-MoO{sub 3} nanoplates using organic aliphatic acids and investigation of sunlight enhanced photodegradation of organic dyes

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

Kumar, V. Vinod; Gayathri, K.; Anthony, Savarimuthu Philip, E-mail: philip@biotech.sastra.edu

Graphical abstract: Thermodynamically stable α-MoO{sub 3} nanoplates and nanorods were synthesized using organic structure controlling agents and demonstrated sun light enhanced photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) and rhodamine blue (Rh-B) dyes in aqueous solution. - Highlights: • α-MoO{sub 3} hexagonal nanoplates using organic structure controlling agents. • Tunable optical band gap of MoO{sub 3}. • Demonstrated strong sun light mediated enhanced photodegradation of methylene blue and rhodamine blue. • Photodegradation did not use any other external oxidizing agents. - Abstract: Thermodynamically stable α-MoO{sub 3} nanoplates were synthesized using organic aliphatic acids as structure controlling agents and investigated photocatalytic degradationmore » of methylene blue (MB) and rhodamine blue (Rh-B) in presence of sun light. Three different organic aliphatic acids, citric acid (CA), tartaric acid (TA) and ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid (EDTA), were employed to control morphologies. CA and TA predominantly produced extended hexagonal plates where EDTA gave nanorods as well as nanoplates. PXRD studies confirmed the formation of α-MoO{sub 3} nanoparticles. HR-TEM and FE-SEM reveal the formation of plate morphologies with 20–40 nm thickness, 50–100 nm diameter and 600 nm lengths. The different morphologies of α-MoO{sub 3} nanoparticles lead to the tunable optical band gap between 2.80 and 2.98 eV which was obtained from diffused reflectance spectra (DRS). Interestingly, the synthesized α-MoO{sub 3} nanoplates exhibited strong photocatalytic degradation of MB and Rh-B up to 99% in presence of sun light without using any oxidizing agents.« less

Hydrothermal synthesis of vanadium pentoxide nanowires

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

Kumar, J. Santhosh; Thangadurai, P., E-mail: thangaduraip.nst@pondiuni.edu.in, E-mail: thangadurai.p@gmail.com

2016-05-23

Nanowires of V{sub 2}O{sub 5} were prepared via hydrothermal route using NH{sub 4}VO{sub 3} as precursor in the presence of sulfuric acid at 120°C for 24 h. This synthesis process is free of any templates and reducing agents. Thermal analysis showed a phase change at 350°C and the samples were annealed at 500°C. The XRD analysis showed the monoclinic phase for the as-prepared and orthorhombic phase of V{sub 2}O{sub 5} when annealed at 500°C. Characteristic Raman peaks also expressed the same structural features. Microstructure analysis by SEM showed the nanowire structure of V{sub 2}O{sub 5} with thickness in the range ofmore » 20–50 nm and length in micrometers. The possible mechanisms of formation of the nanowires were schematically explained based on the layered structure of V{sub 2}O{sub 5}.« less

Analysis of emission spectra of Ho{sup 3+}:LFBCd glasses

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

Naresh, V., E-mail: varna.naresh@gmail.com; Buddhudu, S., E-mail: varna.naresh@gmail.com

2014-04-24

In the present paper, we report on the absorption and emission properties of (0.1-1.5 mol %) Ho{sup 3+} doped LFBCd (Li{sub 2}O{sub −}LiF{sub −}B{sub 2}O{sub 3−}CdO) glasses prepared via melt quenching method. On exciting these glasses at (λ{sub exci}) = 452 nm, two emissions at 556 nm ({sup 5}S{sub 2}→{sup 5}I{sub 8}; Green), 655 nm ({sup 5}F{sub 5}→{sup 5}I{sub 8}; Red) have been obtained. Upon exciting these glasses with a 980 nm diode laser, NIR emissions at 1195 nm ({sup 5}I{sub 6}→{sup 5}I{sub 8}), 1951 nm ({sup 5}I{sub 7}→{sup 5}I{sub 8}) have been measured for 1 mol % Ho{sup 3+}:LFBCdmore » glass. For higher concentration beyond 1.0 mol %, emission quenching of Ho{sup 3+} glass has been noticed and which has successfully been explained in terms of an energy level diagram. From absorption cross-section data, stimulated emission cross-section has been evaluated by applying McCumber's theory and further cross-sectional gain has also been computed for the emissions at 1195 nm (∼1.20 μm) and 1951 nm (∼2.0 μm) of 1 mol % Ho{sup 3+}:LFBCd glass.« less

New Crystalline Materials for Nonlinear Frequency Conversion, Electro-Optic Modulation, and Mid-Infrared Gain Media

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

Adams, J

New crystalline materials were investigated for applications in frequency conversion of near-infrared wavelengths and as gain media for tunable mid-infrared solid-state lasers. GaCa{sub 4}O(BO{sub 3}){sub 3} (GdCOB), YCa{sub 4}O(BO{sub 3}){sub 3} (YCOB), LaCa{sub 4}O(BO{sub 3}){sub 3} (LaCOB), and Gd{sub 0.275}Y{sub 0.725}Ca{sub 4}O(BO{sub 3}){sub 3} were characterized for frequency conversion of 1 {micro}m lasers. For type I doubling at 1064 nm, LaCOB, GdCOB, and YCOB were found to have effective coupling coefficients (d{sub eff}) of 0.52 {+-} 0.05, 0.78 {+-} 0.06, and 1.12 {+-} 0.07 pm/V, respectively. LaCOB was measured to have angular and thermal sensitivities of 1224 {+-} 184 (cm-rad){supmore » -1} and < 0.10 (cm-{sup o}C){sup -1}, respectively. The effective coupling coefficient for type II noncritically phasematched (NCPM) doubling at 1064 nm in Gd{sub 0.275}Y{sub 0.725}Ca{sub 4}O(BO{sub 3}){sub 3} was measured to be 0.37 {+-} 0.04 pm/V. We predict LaCOB to have a type I NCPM fundamental wavelength of 1042 {+-} 1.5 nm. Due to its low angular and thermal sensitivities for doubling near 1047 nm, LaCOB has potential for frequency doubling of high-average power Nd:LiYF{sub 4} and Yb:Sr{sub 5}(P0{sub 4}){sub 3}F lasers. LaCOB, GdCOB, and YCOB were also investigated for optical parametric oscillator applications and we determined that they may have potential in a Ti:sapphire pumped oscillator. The effective linear electro-optic coefficients (r{sub eff}) were measured along dielectric directions in YCOB and a maximum r{sub eff} of 10.8 pm/V was found. For a crystal with a 5:1 aspect ratio, the corresponding half-wave voltage at 1064 nm would be 19.6 kV. Therefore a Pockels cell composed of two YCOB crystals with 5:1 aspect ratios would have a required half-wave voltage <10 kV. Moderate coupling coefficients (3 x KH{sub 2}PO{sub 4}), low thermal sensitivities, ease of growth to large sizes, non-hygroscopicity, and favorable polishing and coating characteristics make LaCOB, GdCOB, and YCOB attractive for frequency conversion of high-average power near-infrared lasers. Absorption and emission cross-sections of {approx}10{sup -18} cm{sup 2} were measured for Fe{sup 2+}:ZnSe in the 4 {micro}m region at temperatures below 220 K. Luminescence lifetimes were found that ranged from 5-110 {micro}s below 220 K. Tunable lasing action was demonstrated for the first time in Fe{sup 2+}:ZnSe with a tuning range from 3.98 {micro}m (20 K) to 4.54 {micro}m (180 K). The Fe{sup 2+}:ZnSe laser had thresholds {le}50 {micro}J and slope efficiencies {le}10% with 0.6% output coupling.« less

Optical absorption and TEM studies of silver nanoparticle embedded BaO-CaF{sub 2}-P{sub 2}O{sub 5} glasses

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

Narayanan, Manoj Kumar, E-mail: manukokkal01@gmail.com; Shashikala, H. D.

Silver nanoparticle embedded 30BaO-20CaF{sub 2}-50P{sub 2}O{sub 5}-4Ag{sub 2}O-4SnO glasses were prepared by melt-quenching and subsequent heat treatment process. Silver-doped glasses were heat treated at temperatures 500 °C, 525°C and 550 °C for a fixed duration of 10 hours to incorporate metal nanoparticles into the glass matrix. Appearance and shift in peak positions of the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) bands in the optical absorption spectra of heat treated glass samples indicated that both formation and growth of nanoparticle depended on heat treatment temperature. Glass sample heat treated at 525 °C showed a SPR peak around 3 eV, which indicated that sphericalmore » nanoparticles smaller than 20 nm were formed inside the glass matrix. Whereas sample heat treated at 550 °C showed a size dependent red shift in SPR peak due to the presence of silver nanoparticles of size larger than 20 nm. Size of the nanoparticles calculated using full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of absorption band showed a good agreement with the particle size obtained from transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis.« less

A sensitive EUV Schwarzschild microscope for plasma studies with sub-micrometer resolution

DOE PAGES

Zastrau, U.; Rodel, C.; Nakatsutsumi, M.; ...

2018-02-05

We present an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) microscope using a Schwarzschild objective which is optimized for single-shot sub-micrometer imaging of laser-plasma targets. The microscope has been designed and constructed for imaging the scattering from an EUV-heated solid-density hydrogen jet. Here, imaging of a cryogenic hydrogen target was demonstrated using single pulses of the free-electron laser in Hamburg (FLASH) free-electron laser at a wavelength of 13.5 nm. In a single exposure, we observe a hydrogen jet with ice fragments with a spatial resolution in the sub-micrometer range. In situ EUV imaging is expected to enable novel experimental capabilities for warm dense mattermore » studies of micrometer-sized samples in laser-plasma experiments.« less

A sensitive EUV Schwarzschild microscope for plasma studies with sub-micrometer resolution

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

Zastrau, U.; Rodel, C.; Nakatsutsumi, M.

We present an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) microscope using a Schwarzschild objective which is optimized for single-shot sub-micrometer imaging of laser-plasma targets. The microscope has been designed and constructed for imaging the scattering from an EUV-heated solid-density hydrogen jet. Here, imaging of a cryogenic hydrogen target was demonstrated using single pulses of the free-electron laser in Hamburg (FLASH) free-electron laser at a wavelength of 13.5 nm. In a single exposure, we observe a hydrogen jet with ice fragments with a spatial resolution in the sub-micrometer range. In situ EUV imaging is expected to enable novel experimental capabilities for warm dense mattermore » studies of micrometer-sized samples in laser-plasma experiments.« less

Evaluation of Temperature Elevation During Root Canal Treatment with Dual Wavelength Laser: 2780 nm Er,Cr:YSGG and 940 nm Diode.

PubMed

Al-Karadaghi, Tamara Sardar; Gutknecht, Norbert; Jawad, Hussein A; Vanweersch, Leon; Franzen, Rene

2015-09-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of dual wavelength (2780 nm Er,Cr:YSGG and 940 nm diode) laser with radial firing tip (RFT) on the external root surface and sub-surfaces, in terms of temperature changes during laser-assisted root canal treatment. A significant factor that may limit the use of lasers in endodontics is the possible thermal injury to tooth supporting structures. A total of 50 sound single-rooted extracted teeth were divided randomly into two groups (n = 25). Group A, irradiated with Er,Cr:YSGG laser at 1.06 W, 50 Hz, and 50 μs was a control group, and group B was irradiated with dual wavelength of Er,Cr:YSGG laser with the same settings as group A and a diode laser of 0.51 W at 4 ms and 10 ms pulse duration. K-type thermocouples were used to record temperature changes at the cervical, middle, and apical root thirds, on root surfaces and sub-surfaces, arising from delivery of laser energy through RFT. Temperature elevation in group B was significantly higher in the middle and apical thirds of the prepared samples than in group A (p < 0.0001). Group B presented a mean temperature elevation of 5.07°C on the apical surface region corresponding to a 1.48 mm dentin thickness, whereas a mean temperature increase of 7.72°C was recorded corresponding to dentin thickness of 0.95 mm. Within the studied parameters, the dual wavelength laser did not result in adverse thermal changes on the external root surface in vitro.

Real-time sensing of epithelial cell-cell and cell-substrate interactions by impedance spectroscopy on porous substrates

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

Mondal, D.; RoyChaudhuri, C., E-mail: chirosreepram@yahoo.com; Pal, D.

2015-07-28

Oxidized porous silicon (PS) is a common topographical biocompatible substrate that potentially provides a distinct in vitro environment for better understanding of in vivo behavior. But in the reported studies on oxidized PS, cell-cell and cell-substrate interactions have been detected only by fluorescent labeling. This paper is the first attempt to investigate real-time sensing of these interactions on HaCaT cells by label-free impedance spectroscopy on oxidized PS of two pore diameters (50 and 500 nm). One of the major requirements for successful impedance spectroscopy measurement is to restrict the channeling of electric field lines through the pores. To satisfy this criterion,more » we have designed the pore depths after analyzing the penetration of the medium by using computational fluid dynamics simulation. A distributed electrical model was also developed for estimating the various cellular attributes by considering a pseudorandom distribution of pores. It is observed from the impedance measurements and from the model that the proliferation rate increases for 50 nm pores but decreases for 500 nm pores compared to that for planar substrates. The rate of decrease in cell substrate separation (h) in the initial stage is more than the rate of increase in cell-cell junction resistance (R{sub b}) corresponding to the initial adhesion phase of cells. It is observed that R{sub b} and h are higher for 50 nm pores than those for planar substrates, corresponding to the fact that substrates more conducive toward cell adhesion encourage cell-cell interactions than direct cell-substrate interactions. Thus, the impedance spectroscopy coupled with the proposed theoretical framework for PS substrates can sense and quantify the cellular interactions.« less

Highly spatially resolved structural and optical investigation of Bi nanoparticles in Y-Er disilicate thin films

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

Scarangella, A.; Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Università di Catania, Via S. Sofia 64, 95123 Catania; Amiard, G.

2016-08-08

Er-containing silicon compatible materials have been widely used as infrared emitters for microphotonics application. In this field, the additional introduction of a proper sensitizer permits to increase the Er excitation cross sections, thus increasing its optical efficiency. This work aims to investigate the influence of a post-transition metal, bismuth, on the optical properties of erbium-yttrium disilicate thin films synthesized by magnetron co-sputtering. After thermal treatments at 1000 °C in O{sub 2} or N{sub 2} environment, the presence of small precipitates, about 6 nm in diameter, was evidenced by transmission electron microscopy analyses. The spatially resolved chemical nature of the nanoparticles was discernedmore » in the Si and O rich environments by means of scanning transmission electron microscopy–energy dispersive X-ray and scanning transmission electron microscopy–electron energy loss spectroscopy analyses performed with nanometric resolution. In particular, metallic Bi nanoparticles were stabilized in the N{sub 2} environment, being strongly detrimental for the Er emission. A different scenario was instead observed in O{sub 2}, where the formation of Bi silicate nanoparticles was demonstrated with the support of photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy. In particular, a broad band peaked at 255 nm, correlated to the excitation band of Bi silicate nanoparticles, was identified in Er excitation spectrum. Thus Bi silicate clusters act as sensitizer for Er ions, permitting to improve Er emission up to 250 times with respect to the resonant condition. Moreover, the Er decay time increases in the presence of the Bi silicate nanoparticles that act as cages for Er ions. These last results permit to further increase Er optical efficiency in the infrared range, suggesting (Bi + Er)-Y disilicate as a good candidate for applications in microphotonics.« less

Three-dimensional automated nanoparticle tracking using Mie scattering in an optical microscope.

PubMed

Gineste, J-M; Macko, P; Patterson, E A; Whelan, M P

2011-08-01

The forward scattering of light in a conventional inverted optical microscope by nanoparticles ranging in diameter from 10 to 50nm has been used to automatically and quantitatively identify and track their location in three-dimensions with a temporal resolution of 200ms. The standard deviation of the location of nominally stationary 50-nm-diameter nanoparticles was found to be about 50nm along the light path and about 5nm in the plane perpendicular to the light path. The method is based on oscillating the microscope objective along the light path using a piezo actuator and acquiring images with the condenser aperture closed to a minimum to enhance the effects of diffraction. Data processing in the time and spatial domains allowed the location of particles to be obtained automatically so that the technique has potential applications both in the processing of nanoparticles and in their use in a variety of fields including nanobiotechnology, pharmaceuticals and food processing where a simple optical microscope maybe preferred for a variety of reasons. © 2011 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2011 Royal Microscopical Society.

Spin wave eigenmodes in single and coupled sub-150 nm rectangular permalloy dots

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

Carlotti, G., E-mail: giovanni.carlotti@fisica.unipg.it; Madami, M.; Tacchi, S.

2015-05-07

We present the results of a Brillouin light scattering investigation of thermally excited spin wave eigenmodes in square arrays of either isolated rectangular dots of permalloy or twins of dipolarly coupled elements, placed side-by-side or head-to-tail. The nanodots, fabricated by e-beam lithography and lift-off, are 20 nm thick and have the major size D in the range between 90 nm and 150 nm. The experimental spectra show the presence of two main peaks, corresponding to modes localized either at the edges or in the center of the dots. Their frequency dependence on the dot size and on the interaction with adjacent elements hasmore » been measured and successfully interpreted on the basis of dynamical micromagnetic simulations. The latter enabled us also to describe the spatial profile of the eigenmodes, putting in evidence the effects induced by the dipolar interaction between coupled dots. In particular, in twinned dots the demagnetizing field is appreciably modified in proximity of the “internal edges” if compared to the “external” ones, leading to a splitting of the edge mode. These results can be relevant for the exploitation of sub-150 nm magnetic dots in new applications, such as magnonic metamaterials, bit-patterned storage media, and nano-magnetic logic devices.« less

Directed self-assembly of poly(styrene)-block-poly(acrylic acid) copolymers for sub-20nm pitch patterning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Jing; Lawson, Richard A.; Yeh, Wei-Ming; Jarnagin, Nathan D.; Peters, Andrew; Tolbert, Laren M.; Henderson, Clifford L.

2012-03-01

Directed self-assembly (DSA) of block copolymers is a promising technology for extending the patterning capability of current lithographic exposure tools. For example, production of sub-40 nm pitch features using 193nm exposure technologies is conceivably possible using DSA methods without relying on time consuming, challenging, and expensive multiple patterning schemes. Significant recent work has focused on demonstration of the ability to produce large areas of regular grating structures with low numbers of defects using self-assembly of poly(styrene)-b-poly(methyl methacrylate) copolymers (PS-b-PMMA). While these recent results are promising and have shown the ability to print pitches approaching 20 nm using DSA, the ability to advance to even smaller pitches will be dependent upon the ability to develop new block copolymers with higher χ values and the associated alignment and block removal processes required to achieve successful DSA with these new materials. This paper reports on work focused on identifying higher χ block copolymers and their associated DSA processes for sub-20 nm pitch patterning. In this work, DSA using polystyrene-b-polyacid materials has been explored. Specifically, it is shown that poly(styrene)-b-poly(acrylic acid) copolymers (PS-b-PAA) is one promising material for achieving substantially smaller pitch patterns than those possible with PS-b-PMMA while still utilizing simple hydrocarbon polymers. In fact, it is anticipated that much of the learning that has been done with the PS-b-PMMA system, such as development of highly selective plasma etch block removal procedures, can be directly leveraged or transferred to the PS-b-PAA system. Acetone vapor annealing of PS-b-PAA (Mw=16,000 g/mol with 50:50 mole ratio of PS:PAA) and its self-assembly into a lamellar morphology is demonstrated to generate a pattern pitch size (L0) of 21 nm. The χ value for PS-b-PAA was estimated from fingerprint pattern pitch data to be approximately 0.18 which is roughly 4.5 times greater than the χ for PS-b-PMMA (χPS-b-PMMA ~ 0.04).

pH-sensitive ion-selective field-effect transistor with zirconium dioxide film

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

Vlasov, Yu.G.; Bratov, A.V.; Tarantov, Yu.A.

1988-09-20

Miniature semiconductor pH sensors for liquid media, i.e., ion-selective field-effect transistors (ISFETs), are silicon field-effect transistors with a two-layer dielectric consisting of a passivating SiO/sub 2/ layer adjoining the silicon and a layer of pH-sensitive material in contact with the electrolyte solution to be tested. This study was devoted to the characteristics of pH-sensitive ISFETs with ZrO/sub 2/ films. The base was p-type silicon (KDB-10) with a (100) surface orientation. A ZrO/sub 2/ layer 10-50 nm thick was applied over the SiO/sub 2/ layer by electron-beam deposition. The measurements were made in aqueous KNO/sub 3/ or KCl solutions.

In-depth evolution of chemical states and sub-10-nm-resolution crystal orientation mapping of nanograins in Ti(5 nm)/Au(20 nm)/Cr(3 nm) tri-layer thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Xiaoli; Todeschini, Matteo; Bastos da Silva Fanta, Alice; Liu, Lintao; Jensen, Flemming; Hübner, Jörg; Jansen, Henri; Han, Anpan; Shi, Peixiong; Ming, Anjie; Xie, Changqing

2018-09-01

The applications of Au thin films and their adhesion layers often suffer from a lack of sufficient information about the chemical states of adhesion layers and about the high-lateral-resolution crystallographic morphology of Au nanograins. Here, we demonstrate the in-depth evolution of the chemical states of adhesive layers at the interfaces and the crystal orientation mapping of gold nanograins with a lateral resolution of less than 10 nm in a Ti/Au/Cr tri-layer thin film system. Using transmission electron microscopy, the variation in the interdiffusion at Cr/Au and Ti/Au interfaces was confirmed. From X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) depth profiling, the chemical states of Cr, Au and Ti were characterized layer by layer, suggesting the insufficient oxidation of the adhesive layers. At the interfaces the Au 4f peaks shift to higher binding energies and this behavior can be described by a proposed model based on electron reorganization and substrate-induced final-state neutralization in small Au clusters supported by the partially oxidized Ti layer. Utilizing transmission Kikuchi diffraction (TKD) in a scanning electron microscope, the crystal orientation of Au nanograins between two adhesion layers was non-destructively characterized with sub-10 nm spatial resolution. The results provide nanoscale insights into the Ti/Au/Cr thin film system and contribute to our understanding of its behavior in nano-optic and nano-electronic devices.

Bayesian model for matching the radiometric measurements of aerospace and field ocean color sensors.

PubMed

Salama, Mhd Suhyb; Su, Zhongbo

2010-01-01

A Bayesian model is developed to match aerospace ocean color observation to field measurements and derive the spatial variability of match-up sites. The performance of the model is tested against populations of synthesized spectra and full and reduced resolutions of MERIS data. The model derived the scale difference between synthesized satellite pixel and point measurements with R(2) > 0.88 and relative error < 21% in the spectral range from 400 nm to 695 nm. The sub-pixel variabilities of reduced resolution MERIS image are derived with less than 12% of relative errors in heterogeneous region. The method is generic and applicable to different sensors.

Characterization of ions at Alpine waterfalls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolarž, P.; Gaisberger, M.; Madl, P.; Hofmann, W.; Ritter, M.; Hartl, A.

2012-04-01

During a three-year field campaign of measuring waterfall generated ions, we monitored five different waterfalls in the Austrian Alps. Most measurements were performed at the Krimml waterfall (Salzburg, Austria), which is the biggest waterfall in Europe, and the Gartl waterfall (Mölltal, Austria). We characterized spatial, time and size distributions of waterfall-generated ions under the influence of surrounding topography. The smallest ions with boundary diameters of 0.9, 1.5 and 2 nm, were measured with a cylindrical air ion detector (CDI-06), while ion sizes from 5.5 to 350 nm were measured using a modified Grimm SMPS aerosol spectrometer. High negative ion concentration gradients are detected in the vicinity of the waterfalls, whereas the increase of positive ions was only moderate. Ions in the nano range were the most abundant at 2 nm, and at 120 nm in the sub-micrometer range.

Sub-100-ps amplitude-modulation mode-locked Tm-Ho:BaY2F8 laser at 2.06 μm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galzerano, G.; Marano, M.; Longhi, S.; Sani, E.; Toncelli, A.; Tonelli, M.; Laporta, P.

2003-11-01

We report the generation of sub-100-ps pulse trains near the 2.06-μm wavelength in an actively mode-locked diode-pumped Tm-Ho:BaYF laser operating at room temperature. Transform-limited, 97-ps Gaussian pulses at a 100-MHz repetition rate with an average power in excess of 20 mW and with a carrier wavelength tunable by ~50 nm near 2.066 μm are demonstrated.

Spectral Changes in Metal Halide and High-Pressure Sodium Lamps Equipped with Electronic Dimming

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bubenheim, David L.; Sargis, Raman; Wilson, David

1995-01-01

Electronic dimming of high-intensity discharge lamps offers control of Photosynthetic Photon Flux (PPF) but is often characterized as causing significant spectral changes. Growth chambers with 400-W Metal Halide (MH) and High-Pressure Sodium (HPS) lamps were equipped with a dimmer system using Silicon-Controlled Rectifiers (SCR) as high-speed switches. Phase control operation turned the line power off for some period of the alternating current cycle. At full power, the electrical input to HPS and MH lamps was 480 W (root mean squared) and could be decreased to 267 W and 428 W, respectively, before the arc was extinguished. Concomitant with this decrease in input power, PPF decreased by 60% in HPS and 50% in MH. The HPS lamp has characteristic spectral peaks at 589 and 595 nm. As power to the HPS lamps was decreased, the 589-nm peak remained constant while the 595-nm peak decreased, equaling the 589-nm peak at 345-W input, and 589-nm peak was almost absent at 270-W input. The MH lamp has a broader spectral output but also has a peak at 589 nm and another smaller peak at 545 nm. As input power approached 428 W, the 589-nm peak shifted to 570 nm. While the spectrum changed as input power was decreased in the MH and HPS lamps, the phytochrome equilibrium ratio (P(sub ft):P(sub tot)) remains unchanged for both lamp types.

Nanostructured polymer brushes.

PubMed

Schmelmer, Ursula; Paul, Anne; Küller, Alexander; Steenackers, Marin; Ulman, Abraham; Grunze, Michael; Gölzhäuser, Armin; Jordan, Rainer

2007-03-01

Nanopatterned polymer brushes with sub-50-nm resolution were prepared by a combination of electron-beam chemical lithography (EBCL) of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) and surface-initiated photopolymerization (SIPP). As a further development of our previous work, selective EBCL was performed with a highly focused electron beam and not via a mask, to region-selectively convert a SAM of 4'-nitro-1,1'-biphenyl-4-thiol to defined areas of crosslinked 4'-amino-1,1'-biphenyl-4-thiol. These "written" structures were then used to prepare surface-bonded, asymmetric, azo initiator sites of 4'-azomethylmalonodinitrile-1,1'-biphenyl-4-thiol. In the presence of bulk styrene, SIPP amplified the primary structures of line widths from 500 to 10 nm to polystyrene structures of line widths 530 nm down to approximately 45 nm at a brush height of 10 or 7 nm, respectively, as measured by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The relative position of individual structures was within a tolerance of a few nanometers, as verified by AFM. At line-to-line spacings down to 50-70 nm, individual polymer brush structures are still observable. Below this threshold, neighboring structures merge due to chain overlap.

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

Xu, Jing; Chongqing University of Science and Technology, Chongqing 401331; Hu, Chenguo, E-mail: hucg@cqu.edu.cn

Graphical abstract: The flower-shaped barium vanadate was obtained for the first time. The photoluminescence and magnetic properties of the barium vanadate nanoflowers were investigated at room temperature. Research highlights: {yields} In the paper, the flower-shaped barium vanadate were obtained for the first time. The CHM method used here is new and simple for preparation of barium vanadate. {yields} The photoluminescence and magnetic properties of the barium vanadate nanoflowers were investigated at room temperature. The strong bluish-green emission was observed. {yields} The ferromagnetic behavior of the barium vanadate nanoflowers was found with saturation magnetization of about 83.50 x 10{sup -3} emu/g,more » coercivity of 18.89 Oe and remnant magnetization of 4.63 x 10{sup -3} emu/g. {yields} The mechanisms of PL and magnetic property of barium vanadate nanoflowers have been discussed. -- Abstract: The flower-shaped barium vanadate has been obtained by the composite hydroxide mediated (CHM) method from V{sub 2}O{sub 5} and BaCl{sub 2} at 200 {sup o}C for 13 h. XRD and XPS spectrum of the as-synthesized sample indicate it is hexagonal Ba{sub 3}V{sub 2}O{sub 8} with small amount of Ba{sub 3}VO{sub 4.8} coexistence. Scan electron microscope and transmission electron microscope display that the flower-shaped crystals are composed of nanosheets with thickness of {approx}20 nm. The UV-visible spectrum shows that the barium vanadate sample has two optical gaps (3.85 eV and 3.12 eV). Photoluminescence spectrum of the barium vanadate flowers exhibits a visible light emission centered at 492 and 525 nm which might be attributed to VO{sub 4} tetrahedron with T{sub d} symmetry in Ba{sub 3}V{sub 2}O{sub 8}. The ferromagnetic behavior of the barium vanadate nanoflowers has been found with saturation magnetization of about 83.50 x 10{sup -3} emu/g, coercivity of 18.89 Oe and remnant magnetization of 4.63 x 10{sup -3} emu/g, which is mainly due to the presence of a non-orthovanadate phase with spin S = 1/2.« less

Mars 1064-nm Spectral Radiance Measurements from the Receiver Noise Response of the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sun, Xiaoli; Neumann, Gregory A.; Abshire, James B.; Zuber, Maria T.

2005-01-01

The Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter not only provides surface topography from the laser pulse time-of-flight, but also two radiometric measurements, the active measurement of transmitted and reflected laser pulse energy, and the passive measurement of reflected solar illumination. The passive radiometry measurement is accomplished in a novel fashion by monitoring the noise density at the output of the photodetector and solving for the amount of background light. The passive radiometry measurements provide images of Mars at 1064-nm wavelength over a 2 nm bandwidth with sub-km spatial resolution and with 2% or better precision under full illumination. We describe in this paper the principle of operation, the receiver mathematical model, its calibration, and performance assessment from sample measurement data.

Sub-50-nm self-assembled nanotextures for enhanced broadband antireflection in silicon solar cells.

PubMed

Rahman, Atikur; Ashraf, Ahsan; Xin, Huolin; Tong, Xiao; Sutter, Peter; Eisaman, Matthew D; Black, Charles T

2015-01-21

Materials providing broadband light antireflection have applications as highly transparent window coatings, military camouflage, and coatings for efficiently coupling light into solar cells and out of light-emitting diodes. In this work, densely packed silicon nanotextures with feature sizes smaller than 50 nm enhance the broadband antireflection compared with that predicted by their geometry alone. A significant fraction of the nanotexture volume comprises a surface layer whose optical properties differ substantially from those of the bulk, providing the key to improved performance. The nanotexture reflectivity is quantitatively well-modelled after accounting for both its profile and changes in refractive index at the surface. We employ block copolymer self-assembly for precise and tunable nanotexture design in the range of ~10-70 nm across macroscopic solar cell areas. Implementing this efficient antireflection approach in crystalline silicon solar cells significantly betters the performance gain compared with an optimized, planar antireflection coating.

Recent Progress Made in the Development of High-Energy UV Transmitter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prasad, Narasimha S.; Singh, Upendra N.; Armstrong, Darrell J.

2007-01-01

In this paper, the status of an all-solid-state UV converter development for ozone sensing applications is discussed. A high energy Nd:YAG laser for pumping the UV converter arrangement was recently reported. The pump is an all-solid-state, single longitudinal mode, and conductively cooled Nd:YAG laser operating at 1064 nm wavelength. Currently, this pump laser provides an output pulse energy of greater than 1J/pulse at 50 Hz PRF and a pulsewidth of 22 ns with an electrical-to-optical system efficiency of greater than 7% and a M(sup 2) value of approx. 2. The spatial profile of the output beam is a rectangular super Gaussian. This Nd:YAG pump laser has been developed to pump the nonlinear optics based UV converter arrangement to generate 320 nm and 308 nm wavelengths by means of 532 nm wavelength. Previously, this UV converter arrangement has demonstrated IR-to-UV conversion efficiency of 24% using a flash lamp pumped laser providing a round, flat top spatial profile. Recently, the UV converter was assembled and tested at NASA LaRC for pumping with the diode pumped Nd:YAG laser. With current spatial profile, the UV converter was made operational. Current efforts to maximize the nonlinear conversion efficiency by refining its spatial profile to match RISTRA OPO requirements are progressing.

Sub-diffraction Limit Localization of Proteins in Volumetric Space Using Bayesian Restoration of Fluorescence Images from Ultrathin Specimens

PubMed Central

Wang, Gordon; Smith, Stephen J.

2012-01-01

Photon diffraction limits the resolution of conventional light microscopy at the lateral focal plane to 0.61λ/NA (λ = wavelength of light, NA = numerical aperture of the objective) and at the axial plane to 1.4nλ/NA2 (n = refractive index of the imaging medium, 1.51 for oil immersion), which with visible wavelengths and a 1.4NA oil immersion objective is ∼220 nm and ∼600 nm in the lateral plane and axial plane respectively. This volumetric resolution is too large for the proper localization of protein clustering in subcellular structures. Here we combine the newly developed proteomic imaging technique, Array Tomography (AT), with its native 50–100 nm axial resolution achieved by physical sectioning of resin embedded tissue, and a 2D maximum likelihood deconvolution method, based on Bayes' rule, which significantly improves the resolution of protein puncta in the lateral plane to allow accurate and fast computational segmentation and analysis of labeled proteins. The physical sectioning of AT allows tissue specimens to be imaged at the physical optimum of modern high NA plan-apochormatic objectives. This translates to images that have little out of focus light, minimal aberrations and wave-front distortions. Thus, AT is able to provide images with truly invariant point spread functions (PSF), a property critical for accurate deconvolution. We show that AT with deconvolution increases the volumetric analytical fidelity of protein localization by significantly improving the modulation of high spatial frequencies up to and potentially beyond the spatial frequency cut-off of the objective. Moreover, we are able to achieve this improvement with no noticeable introduction of noise or artifacts and arrive at object segmentation and localization accuracies on par with image volumes captured using commercial implementations of super-resolution microscopes. PMID:22956902

Sub-diffraction limit localization of proteins in volumetric space using Bayesian restoration of fluorescence images from ultrathin specimens.

PubMed

Wang, Gordon; Smith, Stephen J

2012-01-01

Photon diffraction limits the resolution of conventional light microscopy at the lateral focal plane to 0.61λ/NA (λ = wavelength of light, NA = numerical aperture of the objective) and at the axial plane to 1.4nλ/NA(2) (n = refractive index of the imaging medium, 1.51 for oil immersion), which with visible wavelengths and a 1.4NA oil immersion objective is -220 nm and -600 nm in the lateral plane and axial plane respectively. This volumetric resolution is too large for the proper localization of protein clustering in subcellular structures. Here we combine the newly developed proteomic imaging technique, Array Tomography (AT), with its native 50-100 nm axial resolution achieved by physical sectioning of resin embedded tissue, and a 2D maximum likelihood deconvolution method, based on Bayes' rule, which significantly improves the resolution of protein puncta in the lateral plane to allow accurate and fast computational segmentation and analysis of labeled proteins. The physical sectioning of AT allows tissue specimens to be imaged at the physical optimum of modern high NA plan-apochormatic objectives. This translates to images that have little out of focus light, minimal aberrations and wave-front distortions. Thus, AT is able to provide images with truly invariant point spread functions (PSF), a property critical for accurate deconvolution. We show that AT with deconvolution increases the volumetric analytical fidelity of protein localization by significantly improving the modulation of high spatial frequencies up to and potentially beyond the spatial frequency cut-off of the objective. Moreover, we are able to achieve this improvement with no noticeable introduction of noise or artifacts and arrive at object segmentation and localization accuracies on par with image volumes captured using commercial implementations of super-resolution microscopes.

Fabrication of high aspect ratio TiO{sub 2} and Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanogratings by atomic layer deposition

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

Shkondin, Evgeniy, E-mail: eves@fotonik.dtu.dk; Takayama, Osamu; Lavrinenko, Andrei V.

The authors report on the fabrication of TiO{sub 2} and Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanostructured gratings with an aspect ratio of up to 50. The gratings were made by a combination of atomic layer deposition (ALD) and dry etch techniques. The workflow included fabrication of a Si template using deep reactive ion etching followed by ALD of TiO{sub 2} or Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}. Then, the template was etched away using SF{sub 6} in an inductively coupled plasma tool, which resulted in the formation of isolated ALD coatings, thereby achieving high aspect ratio grating structures. SF{sub 6} plasma removes silicon selectively withoutmore » any observable influence on TiO{sub 2} or Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, thus revealing high selectivity throughout the fabrication. Scanning electron microscopy was used to analyze every fabrication step. Due to nonreleased stress in the ALD coatings, the top parts of the gratings were observed to bend inward as the Si template was removed, thus resulting in a gradual change in the pitch value of the structures. The pitch on top of the gratings is 400 nm, and it gradually reduces to 200 nm at the bottom. The form of the bending can be reshaped by Ar{sup +} ion beam etching. The chemical purity of the ALD grown materials was analyzed by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The approach presented opens the possibility to fabricate high quality optical metamaterials and functional nanostructures.« less

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

Fu, H.B.; Hu, Y.J.; Bernstein, E.R.

Small methanol clusters are formed by expanding a mixture of methanol vapor seeded in helium and are detected using vacuum UV (vuv) (118 nm) single-photon ionization/linear time-of-flight mass spectrometer (TOFMS). Protonated cluster ions, (CH{sub 3}OH){sub n-1}H{sup +} (n=2-8), formed through intracluster ion-molecule reactions following ionization, essentially correlate to the neutral clusters, (CH{sub 3}OH){sub n}, in the present study using 118 nm light as the ionization source. Both experimental and Born-Haber calculational results clarify that not enough excess energy is released into protonated cluster ions to initiate further fragmentation in the time scale appropriate for linear TOFMS. Size-specific spectra for (CH{submore » 3}OH){sub n} (n=4 to 8) clusters in the OH stretch fundamental region are recorded by IR+vuv (118 nm) nonresonant ion-dip spectroscopy through the detection chain of IR multiphoton predissociation and subsequent vuv single-photon ionization. The general structures and gross features of these cluster spectra are consistent with previous theoretical calculations. The lowest-energy peak contributed to each cluster spectrum is redshifted with increasing cluster size from n=4 to 8, and limits near {approx}3220 cm{sup -1} in the heptamer and octamer. Moreover, IR+vuv nonresonant ionization detected spectroscopy is employed to study the OH stretch first overtone of the methanol monomer. The rotational temperature of the clusters is estimated to be at least 50 K based on the simulation of the monomer rotational envelope under clustering conditions.« less

Combined Atomic Force Microscope-Based Topographical Imaging and Nanometer Scale Resolved Proximal Probe Thermal Desorption/Electrospray Ionization-Mass Spectrometry

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

Ovchinnikova, Olga S; Nikiforov, Maxim; Bradshaw, James A

2011-01-01

Nanometer scale proximal probe thermal desorption/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (TD/ESI-MS) was demonstrated for molecular surface sampling of caffeine from a thin film using a 30 nm diameter nano-thermal analysis (nano-TA) probe tip in an atomic force microscope (AFM) coupled via a vapor transfer line and ESI interface to a MS detection platform. Using a probe temperature of 350 C and a spot sampling time of 30 s, conical desorption craters 250 nm in diameter and 100 nm deep were created as shown through subsequent topographical imaging of the surface within the same system. Automated sampling of a 5 x 2more » array of spots, with 2 m spacing between spots, and real time selective detection of the desorbed caffeine using tandem mass spectrometry was also demonstrated. Estimated from the crater volume (~2x106 nm3), only about 10 amol (2 fg) of caffeine was liberated from each thermal desorption crater in the thin film. These results illustrate a relatively simple experimental setup and means to acquire in automated fashion sub-micrometer scale spatial sampling resolution and mass spectral detection of materials amenable to TD. The ability to achieve MS-based chemical imaging with 250 nm scale spatial resolution with this system is anticipated.« less

Kinetics of the inhibitory interaction of organophosphorus neuropathy inducers and non-inducers in soluble esterases in the avian nervous system

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

Mangas, Iris; Vilanova, Eugenio; Estevez, Jorge, E-mail: jorge.estevez@umh.es

2011-11-15

Some published studies suggest that low level exposure to organophosphorus esters (OPs) may cause neurological and neurobehavioral effects at long term exposure. These effects cannot be explained by action on known targets. In this work, the interactions (inhibition, spontaneous reactivation and 'ongoing inhibition') of two model OPs (paraoxon, non neuropathy-inducer, and mipafox, neuropathy-inducer) with the chicken brain soluble esterases were evaluated. The best-fitting kinetic model with both inhibitors was compatible with three enzymatic components. The amplitudes (proportions) of the components detected with mipafox were similar to those obtained with paraoxon. These observations confirm the consistency of the results and themore » model applied and may be considered an external validation. The most sensitive component (E{alpha}) for paraoxon (11-23% of activity, I{sub 50} (30 min) = 9-11 nM) is also the most sensitive for mipafox (I{sub 50} (30 min) = 4 nM). This component is spontaneously reactivated after inhibition with paraoxon. The second sensitive component to paraoxon (E{beta}, 71-84% of activity; I{sub 50} (30 min) = 1216 nM) is practically resistant to mipafox. The third component (E{gamma}, 5-8% of activity) is paraoxon resistant and has I{sub 50} (30 min) of 3.4 {mu}M with mipafox, similar to NTE (neuropathy target esterase). The role of these esterases remains unknown. Their high sensitivity suggests that they may either play a role in toxicity in low-level long-term exposure of organophosphate compounds or have a protective effect related with the spontaneous reactivation. They will have to be considered in further metabolic and toxicological studies. -- Research Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Paraoxon and mipafox interactions have been evaluated with chicken soluble brain esterases. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The paraoxon inhibition was analyzed considering the simultaneous spontaneous reactivation. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The best-fitting kinetic models were compatible with a three enzymatic components. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The amplitudes of the components were similar in paraoxon and mipafox experiments. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer It is suggested they may play a role in toxicity in low-level long-term exposure of these compounds.« less

Direct writing of continuous and discontinuous sub-wavelength periodic surface structures on single-crystalline silicon using femtosecond laser

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

Kuladeep, Rajamudili; Sahoo, Chakradhar; Narayana Rao, Desai, E-mail: dnrsp@uohyd.ernet.in, E-mail: dnr-laserlab@yahoo.com

Laser-induced ripples or uniform arrays of continuous near sub-wavelength or discontinuous deep sub-wavelength structures are formed on single-crystalline silicon (Si) by femtosecond (fs) laser direct writing technique. Laser irradiation was performed on Si wafers at normal incidence in air and by immersing them in dimethyl sulfoxide using linearly polarized Ti:sapphire fs laser pulses of ∼110 fs pulse duration and ∼800 nm wavelength. Morphology studies of laser written surfaces reveal that sub-wavelength features are oriented perpendicular to laser polarization, while their morphology and spatial periodicity depend on the surrounding dielectric medium. The formation mechanism of the sub-wavelength features is explained by interferencemore » of incident laser with surface plasmon polaritons. This work proves the feasibility of fs laser direct writing technique for the fabrication of sub-wavelength features, which could help in fabrication of advanced electro-optic devices.« less

Biological forcing controls the chemistry of reef-building coral skeleton

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meibom, Anders; Mostefaoui, Smail; Cuif, Jean-Pierre; Dauphin, Yannicke; Houlbreque, Fanny; Dunbar, Robert; Constantz, Brent

2007-01-01

We present analyses of major elements C and Ca and trace elements N, S, Mg and Sr in a Porites sp. exoskeleton with a spatial resolution better than ˜150 nm. Trace element variations are evaluated directly against the ultra-structure of the skeleton and are ascribed to dynamic biological forcing. Individual growth layers in the bulk fibrous aragonite skeleton form on sub-daily timescales. Magnesium concentration variations are dramatically correlated with the growth layers, but are uncorrelated with Sr concentration variations. Observed (sub)seasonal relationships between water temperature and skeletal trace-element chemistry are secondary, mediated by sensitive biological processes to which classical thermodynamic formalism does not apply.

Novel sodium channel inhibitor from Conus geographus: purification, structure, and pharmacological properties

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

Yanagawa, Y.; Abe, T.; Satake, M.

1988-08-23

A novel toxin, tentatively named conotoxin GS (CGS), has been isolated form a marine snail, Conus geographus. CGS was found to exist as a single polypeptide chain, consisting of 34 amino acid residues, cross-linked by three disulfide bonds. Its amino acid sequence was shown to be Ala-Cys-Ser-Gly-Arg-Gly-Ser-Arg-Cys-Hyp-Hyp-Gln-Cys-Cys-Met-Gly-Leu-Arg-Cys-Gly-Arg-Gly-Asn-Pro-Gln-Lys-Cys-Ile-Gly-Ala-His-Gla-Asp-Val. In competition experiments, CGS inhibited the bindings of (/sup 3/H)Lys-tetrodotoxin ((/sup 3/H)Lys-TTX) and (/sup 3/H)propionylconotoxin GIIIA to Electrophorus electricus electroplax membranes, with K/sub i/ values of 34 nM and 24 nM, respectively. The toxin inhibited the binding of (/sup 3/H)Lys-TTX (1 nM) to rat skeletal muscle homogenates with an IC/sub 50/ value ofmore » 880 nM but showed very little effect on this binding to the rat brain P/sub 2/ fraction at 10 ..mu..M. These binding studies indicate that CGS belongs to the same group of Na channel inhibitors as TTX, STX (saxitoxin), and ..mu..-conotoxins. Although CGS, like the ..mu..-conotoxins, is a pharmacological probe for distinguishing between neuronal and muscle Na channel subtypes, the homology in the sequences of CGS and ..mu..-conotoxins is very limited.« less

On the role of spatial position of bridged oxygen atoms as surface passivants on the ground-state gap and photo-absorption spectrum of silicon nano-crystals

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

Nazemi, Sanaz; Soleimani, Ebrahim Asl; Pourfath, Mahdi, E-mail: pourfath@ut.ac.ir, E-mail: pourfath@iue.tuwien.ac.at

2015-11-28

Silicon nano-crystals (NCs) are potential candidates for enhancing and tuning optical properties of silicon for optoelectronic and photo-voltaic applications. Due to the high surface-to-volume ratio, however, optical properties of NC result from the interplay of quantum confinement and surface effects. In this work, we show that both the spatial position of surface terminants and their relative positions have strong effects on NC properties as well. This is accomplished by investigating the ground-state HOMO-LUMO band-gap, the photo-absorption spectra, and the localization and overlap of HOMO and LUMO orbital densities for prototype ∼1.2 nm Si{sub 32–x}H{sub 42–2x}O{sub x} hydrogenated silicon NC with bridgedmore » oxygen atoms as surface terminations. It is demonstrated that the surface passivation geometry significantly alters the localization center and thus the overlap of frontier molecular orbitals, which correspondingly modifies the electronic and optical properties of NC.« less

Spectral Changes in Metal Halide and High-pressure Sodium Lamps Equipped with Electronic Dimming

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bubenheim, David L.; Sargis, Raman; Wilson, David

1995-01-01

Electronic dimming of high-intensity discharge lamps offers control of photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) but is often characterized as causing significant spectral changes. Growth chambers with 400-W metal halide (MH) and high-pressure sodium (HPS) lamps were equipped with a dimmer system using silicon-controlled rectifiers (SCR) as high-speed switches. Phase control operation turned the line power off for some period of the alternating current cycle. At full power, the electrical input to HPS and MH lamps was 480 W (root mean squared) and could be decreased to 267 W and 428 W, respectively, before the arc was extinguished. Concomitant with this decrease in input power, PPF decreased by 60% in HPS and 50% in MH. The HPS lamp has characteristic spectral peaks at 589 and 595 nm. As power to the HPS lamps was decreased, the 589-nm peak remained constant while the 595-nm peak decreased, equaling the 589-nm peak at 345-W input, and the 589-nm peak was almost absent at 270-W input. The MH lamp has a broader spectral output but also has a peak at 589 nm and another smaller peak at 545 nm. As input power to the MH lamps decreased, the peak at 589 diminished to equal the 545-nm peak. As input power approached 428 W, the 589-nm peak shifted to 570 nm. While the spectrum changed as input power was decreased in the MH and HPS lamps, the phytochrome equilibrium ratio (P(sub fr):P(sub tot)) remains unchanged for both lamp types.

The role of the non-magnetic material in spin pumping and magnetization dynamics in NiFe and CoFeB multilayer systems

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

Ruiz-Calaforra, A., E-mail: ruiz@physik.uni-kl.de; Brächer, T.; Lauer, V.

2015-04-28

We present a study of the effective magnetization M{sub eff} and the effective damping parameter α{sub eff} by means of ferromagnetic resonance spectroscopy on the ferromagnetic (FM) materials Ni{sub 81}Fe{sub 19} (NiFe) and Co{sub 40}Fe{sub 40}B{sub 20} (CoFeB) in FM/Pt, FM/NM, and FM/NM/Pt systems with the non-magnetic (NM) materials Ru, Cr, Al, and MgO. Moreover, for NiFe layer systems, the influence of interface effects is studied by way of thickness dependent measurements of M{sub eff} and α{sub eff}. Additionally, spin pumping in NiFe/NM/Pt is investigated by means of inverse spin Hall effect (ISHE) measurements. We observe a large dependence ofmore » M{sub eff} and α{sub eff} of the NiFe films on the adjacent NM layer. While Cr and Al do not induce a large change in the magnetic properties, Ru, Pt, and MgO affect M{sub eff} and α{sub eff} in different degrees. In particular, NiFe/Ru and NiFe/Ru/Pt systems show a large perpendicular surface anisotropy and a significant enhancement of the damping. In contrast, the magnetic properties of CoFeB films do not have a large influence of the NM adjacent material and only CoFeB/Pt systems present an enhancement of α{sub eff}. However, this enhancement is much more pronounced in NiFe/Pt. By the introduction of the NM spacer material, this enhancement is reduced. Furthermore, a difference in symmetry between NiFe/NM/Pt and NiFe/NM systems in the output voltage signal from the ISHE measurements reveals the presence of spin pumping into the Pt layer in all-metallic NiFe/NM/Pt and NiFe/Pt systems.« less

Harnessing Solid-State Ionic Transport for Nanomanufacturing and Nanodevices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsu, Keng Hao

2009-01-01

Through this work a new all-solid, ambient processing condition direct metal patterning technique has been developed and characterized. This ionic-transport-based patterning technique is capable of sub-50nm feature resolution under ambient conditions. It generates features with a rate that is comparable to conventional dry-etching techniques. A…

Effect of 50MeV Li{sup 3+} ion irradiation on structural, optical and electrical properties of amorphous Se{sub 95}Zn{sub 5} thin films

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

Ahmad, Shabir, E-mail: shaphyjmi@gmail.com; Sethi, Riti; Nasir, Mohd

2015-08-28

Present work focuses on the effect of swift heavy ion (SHI) irradiation of 50MeV Li{sup 3+} ions by varying the fluencies in the range of 1×10{sup 12} to 5×10{sup 13} ions/cm{sup 2} on the morphological, structural, optical and electrical properties of amorphous Se{sub 95}Zn{sub 5} thin films. Thin films of ~250nm thickness were deposited on cleaned glass substrates by thermal evaporation technique. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis shows the pristine thin film of Se{sub 95}Zn{sub 5} growsin hexagonal phase structure. Also it was found that the small peak observed in XRD spectra vanishes after SHI irradiation indicates the defects of themore » material increases. The optical parameters: absorption coefficient (α), extinction coefficient (K), refractive index (n) optical band gap (E{sub g}) and Urbach’s energy (E{sub U}) are determined from optical absorption spectra data measured from spectrophotometry in the wavelength range 200-1000nm. It was found that the values of absorption coefficient, refractive index and extinction coefficient increases while the value optical band gap decreases with the increase of ion fluence. This post irradiation change in the optical parameters was interpreted in terms of bond distribution model. Electrical properties such as dc conductivity and temperature dependent photoconductivity of investigated thin films were carried out in the temperature range 309-370 K. Analysis of data shows activation energy of dark current is greater as compared to activation energy photocurrent. The value of activation energy decreases with the increase of ion fluence indicates that the defect density of states increases.Also it was found that the value of dc conductivity and photoconductivity increases with the increase of ion fluence.« less

Plasmonic nanoparticle lithography: Fast resist-free laser technique for large-scale sub-50 nm hole array fabrication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Zhenying; Yu, Ye Feng; Valuckas, Vytautas; Yap, Sherry L. K.; Vienne, Guillaume G.; Kuznetsov, Arseniy I.

2018-05-01

Cheap large-scale fabrication of ordered nanostructures is important for multiple applications in photonics and biomedicine including optical filters, solar cells, plasmonic biosensors, and DNA sequencing. Existing methods are either expensive or have strict limitations on the feature size and fabrication complexity. Here, we present a laser-based technique, plasmonic nanoparticle lithography, which is capable of rapid fabrication of large-scale arrays of sub-50 nm holes on various substrates. It is based on near-field enhancement and melting induced under ordered arrays of plasmonic nanoparticles, which are brought into contact or in close proximity to a desired material and acting as optical near-field lenses. The nanoparticles are arranged in ordered patterns on a flexible substrate and can be attached and removed from the patterned sample surface. At optimized laser fluence, the nanohole patterning process does not create any observable changes to the nanoparticles and they have been applied multiple times as reusable near-field masks. This resist-free nanolithography technique provides a simple and cheap solution for large-scale nanofabrication.

Discovery of Potent and Selective Dipeptidyl Peptidase IV Inhibitors Derived from [beta]-Aminoamides Bearing Subsituted Triazolopiperazines

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

Kim, Dooseop; Kowalchick, Jennifer E.; Brockunier, Linda L.

2008-06-30

A series of {beta}-aminoamides bearing triazolopiperazines have been discovered as potent, selective, and orally active dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-4) inhibitors by extensive structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies around the triazolopiperazine moiety. Among these, compound 34b with excellent in vitro potency (IC{sub 50} = 4.3 nM) against DPP-4, high selectivity over other enzymes, and good pharmacokinetic profiles exhibited pronounced in vivo efficacy in an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in lean mice. On the basis of these properties, compound 34b has been profiled in detail. Further refinement of the triazolopiperazines resulted in the discovery of a series of extremely potent compounds withmore » subnanomolar activity against DPP-4 (42b-49b), that is, 4-fluorobenzyl-substituted compound 46b, which is notable for its superior potency (IC{sub 50} = 0.18 nM). X-ray crystal structure determination of compounds 34b and 46b in complex with DPP-4 enzyme revealed that (R)-stereochemistry at the 8-position of triazolopiperazines is strongly preferred over (S) with respect to DPP-4 inhibition.« less

Subsurface imaging of metal lines embedded in a dielectric with a scanning microwave microscope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

You, Lin; Ahn, Jung-Joon; Obeng, Yaw S.; Kopanski, Joseph J.

2016-02-01

We demonstrate the ability of the scanning microwave microscope (SMM) to detect subsurface metal lines embedded in a dielectric film with sub-micrometer resolution. The SMM was used to image 1.2 μm-wide Al-Si-Cu metal lines encapsulated with either 800 nm or 2300 nm of plasma deposited silicon dioxide. Both the reflected microwave (S 11) amplitude and phase shifted near resonance frequency while the tip scanned across these buried lines. The shallower line edge could be resolved within 900 nm  ±  70 nm, while the deeper line was resolved within 1200 nm  ±  260 nm. The spatial resolution obtained in this work is substantially better that the 50 μm previously reported in the literature. Our observations agree very well with the calculated change in peak frequency and phase using a simple lumped element model for an SMM with a resonant transmission line. By conducting experiments at various eigenmodes, different contrast levels and signal-to-noise ratios have been compared. With detailed sensitivity studies, centered around 9.3 GHz, it has been revealed that the highest amplitude contrast is obtained when the probe microwave frequency matches the exact resonance frequency of the experimental setup. By RLC equivalent circuit modeling of the tip-sample system, two competing effects have been identified to account for the positive and negative S 11 amplitude and phase contrasts, which can be leveraged to further improve the contrast and resolution. Official contribution of the National Institute of Standards and Technology; not subject to copyright in the United States.

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

Plint, Trevor; Lessard, Benoît H.; Bender, Timothy P.

In this study, we have assessed the potential application of group 13 and 14 metal and metalloid phthalocyanines ((X){sub n}-MPcs) and their axially substituted derivatives as hole-transporting layers in organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). OLEDs studied herein have the generic structure of glass/ITO/(N,N′-di(1-naphthyl)-N,N′-diphenyl-(1,1′-biphenyl)-4,4′-diamine (NPB) or (X){sub n}-MPc)(50 nm)/Alq{sub 3} (60 nm)/LiF (1 nm)/Al (80 nm), where X is an axial substituent group. OLEDs using chloro aluminum phthalocyanine (Cl-AlPc) showed good peak luminance values of 2620 ± 113 cd/m{sup 2} at 11 V. To our knowledge, Cl-AlPc has not previously been shown to work as a hole transport material (HTL) in OLEDs. Conversely, the di-chlorides of silicon, germanium, andmore » tin phthalocyanine (Cl{sub 2}-SiPc, Cl{sub 2}-GePc, and Cl{sub 2}-SnPc, respectively) showed poor performance compared to Cl-AlPc, having peak luminances of only 38 ± 4 cd/m{sup 2} (12 V), 23 ± 1 cd/m{sup 2} (8.5 V), and 59 ± 5 cd/m{sup 2} (13.5 V), respectively. However, by performing a simple axial substitution of the chloride groups of Cl{sub 2}-SiPc with pentafluorophenoxy groups, the resulting bis(pentafluorophenoxy) silicon phthalocyanine (F{sub 10}-SiPc) containing OLED had a peak luminance of 5141 ± 941 cd/m{sup 2} (10 V), a two order of magnitude increase over its chlorinated precursor. This material showed OLED characteristics approaching those of a baseline OLED based on the well-studied triarylamine NPB. Attempts to attach the pentafluorophenoxy axial group to both SnPc and GePc were hindered by synthetic difficulties and low thermal stability, respectively. In light of the performance improvements observed by simple axial substitution of SiPc in OLEDs, the use of axially substituted MPcs in organic electronic devices remains of continuing interest to us and potentially the field in general.« less

Microstructure evolution and electrical characterization of Lanthanum doped Barium Titanate (BaTiO{sub 3}) ceramics

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

Billah, Masum, E-mail: masum.buet09@gmail.com; Ahmed, A., E-mail: jhinukbuetmme@gmail.com; Rahman, Md. Miftaur, E-mail: miftaurrahman@mme.buet.ac.bd

2016-07-12

In the current work, we investigated the structural and dielectric properties of Lanthanum oxide (La{sub 2}O{sub 3}) doped Barium Titanate (BaTiO{sub 3}) ceramics and established a correlation between them. Solid state sintering method was used to dope BaTiO{sub 3} with 0.3, 0.5 and 0.7 mole% La{sub 2}O{sub 3} under different sintering parameters. The raw materials used were La{sub 2}O{sub 3} nano powder of ~80 nm grain size and 99.995% purity and BaTiO{sub 3} nano powder of 100 nm grain size and 99.99% purity. Grain size distribution and morphology of fracture surface of sintered pellets were examined by Field Emission Scanningmore » Electron Microscope and X-Ray Diffraction analysis was conducted to confirm the formation of desired crystal structure. The research result reveal that grain size and electrical properties of BaTiO{sub 3} ceramic significantly enhanced for small amount of doping (up to 0.5 mole% La{sub 2}O{sub 3}) and then decreased with increasing doping concentration. Desired grain growth (0.80-1.3 µm) and high densification (<90% theoretical density) were found by proper combination of temperature, sintering parameters and doping concentration. We found the resultant stable value of dielectric constant was 10000-12000 at 100-300 Hz in the temperature range of 30°-50° C for 0.5 mole% La{sub 2}O{sub 3} with corresponding shift of curie temperature around 30° C. So overall this research showed that proper La{sup 3+} concentration can control the grain size, increase density, lower curie temperature and hence significantly improve the electrical properties of BaTiO{sub 3} ceramics.« less

Preparation of ultra-thin and high-quality WO{sub 3} compact layers and comparision of WO{sub 3} and TiO{sub 2} compact layer thickness in planar perovskite solar cells

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

Zhang, Jincheng; Shi, Chengwu, E-mail: shicw506@foxmail.com; Chen, Junjun

2016-06-15

In this paper, the ultra-thin and high-quality WO{sub 3} compact layers were successfully prepared by spin-coating-pyrolysis method using the tungsten isopropoxide solution in isopropanol. The influence of WO{sub 3} and TiO{sub 2} compact layer thickness on the photovoltaic performance of planar perovskite solar cells was systematically compared, and the interface charge transfer and recombination in planar perovskite solar cells with TiO{sub 2} compact layer was analyzed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results revealed that the optimum thickness of WO{sub 3} and TiO{sub 2} compact layer was 15 nm and 60 nm. The planar perovskite solar cell with 15 nm WO{submore » 3} compact layer gave a 9.69% average and 10.14% maximum photoelectric conversion efficiency, whereas the planar perovskite solar cell with 60 nm TiO{sub 2} compact layer achieved a 11.79% average and 12.64% maximum photoelectric conversion efficiency. - Graphical abstract: The planar perovskite solar cell with 15 nm WO{sub 3} compact layer gave a 9.69% average and 10.14% maximum photoelectric conversion efficiency, whereas the planar perovskite solar cell with 60 nm TiO{sub 2} compact layer achieved a 11.79% average and 12.64% maximum photoelectric conversion efficiency. Display Omitted - Highlights: • Preparation of ultra-thin and high-quality WO{sub 3} compact layers. • Perovskite solar cell with 15 nm-thick WO{sub 3} compact layer achieved PCE of 10.14%. • Perovskite solar cell with 60 nm-thick TiO{sub 2} compact layer achieved PCE of 12.64%.« less

Spectra of surface plasmon polariton enhanced electroluminescence from electroformed Al-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}-Ag diodes

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

Hickmott, T. W.

Narrow band-pass filters have been used to measure the spectral distribution of electroluminescent photons with energies between 1.8 eV and 3.0 eV from electroformed Al-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}-Ag diodes with anodic Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} thicknesses between 12 nm and 18 nm. Electroforming of metal-insulator-metal (MIM) diodes is a non-destructive dielectric breakdown that results in a conducting channel in the insulator and changes the initial high resistance of the MIM diode to a low resistance state. It is a critical step in the development of resistive-switching memories that utilize MIM diodes as the active element. Electroforming of Al-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}-Ag diodes in vacuum results in voltage-controlledmore » negative resistance (VCNR) in the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics. Electroluminescence (EL) and electron emission into vacuum (EM) develop simultaneously with the current increase that results in VCNR in the I-V characteristics. EL is due to recombination of electrons injected at the Al-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} interface with radiative defect centers in Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}. Measurements of EL photons between 1.8 eV and 3.0 eV using a wide band-pass filter showed that EL intensity is exponentially dependent on Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} thickness for Al-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}-Ag diodes between 12 nm and 20 nm thick. Enhanced El intensity in the thinnest diodes is attributed to an increase in the spontaneous emission rate of recombination centers due to high electromagnetic fields generated in Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} when EL photons interact with electrons in Ag or Al to form surface plasmon polaritons at the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}-Ag or Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}-Al interface. El intensity is a maximum at 2.0–2.2 eV for Al-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}-Ag diodes with Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} thicknesses between 12 nm and 18 nm. EL in diodes with 12 nm or 14 nm of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} is enhanced by factors of 8–10 over EL from a diode with 18 nm of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}. The extent of EL enhancement in the thinnest diodes can vary significantly between samples. A narrow band of recombination centers was found in one Al-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}-Ag diode with 12 nm of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}; it had EL intensity 100 times greater at 2.15 eV than the diode with 18 nm of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}. EL intensity for photons with energies greater than 2.6 eV is nearly the same for all diodes.« less

Patient-specific quantification of image quality: An automated method for measuring spatial resolution in clinical CT images

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

Sanders, Jeremiah, E-mail: jeremiah.sanders@duke.e

Purpose: To develop and validate an automated technique for evaluating the spatial resolution characteristics of clinical computed tomography (CT) images. Methods: Twenty one chest and abdominopelvic clinical CT datasets were examined in this study. An algorithm was developed to extract a CT resolution index (RI) analogous to the modulation transfer function from clinical CT images by measuring the edge-spread function (ESF) across the patient’s skin. A polygon mesh of the air-skin boundary was created. The faces of the mesh were then used to measure the ESF across the air-skin interface. The ESF was differentiated to obtain the line-spread function (LSF),more » and the LSF was Fourier transformed to obtain the RI. The algorithm’s ability to detect the radial dependence of the RI was investigated. RIs measured with the proposed method were compared with a conventional phantom-based method across two reconstruction algorithms (FBP and iterative) using the spatial frequency at 50% RI, f{sub 50}, as the metric for comparison. Three reconstruction kernels were investigated for each reconstruction algorithm. Finally, an observer study was conducted to determine if observers could visually perceive the differences in the measured blurriness of images reconstructed with a given reconstruction method. Results: RI measurements performed with the proposed technique exhibited the expected dependencies on the image reconstruction. The measured f{sub 50} values increased with harder kernels for both FBP and iterative reconstruction. Furthermore, the proposed algorithm was able to detect the radial dependence of the RI. Patient-specific measurements of the RI were comparable to the phantom-based technique, but the patient data exhibited a large spread in the measured f{sub 50}, indicating that some datasets were blurrier than others even when the projection data were reconstructed with the same reconstruction algorithm and kernel. Results from the observer study substantiated this finding. Conclusions: Clinically informed, patient-specific spatial resolution can be measured from clinical datasets. The method is sufficiently sensitive to reflect changes in spatial resolution due to different reconstruction parameters. The method can be applied to automatically assess the spatial resolution of patient images and quantify dependencies that may not be captured in phantom data.« less

Realization of solid-state nanothermometer using Ge quantum-dot single-hole transistor in few-hole regime

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

Chen, I. H.; Lai, W. T.; Li, P. W., E-mail: pwli@ee.ncu.edu.tw

2014-06-16

Semiconductor Ge quantum-dot (QD) thermometry has been demonstrated based on extraordinary temperature-dependent oscillatory differential conductance (G{sub D}) characteristics of Ge-QD single-hole transistors (SHTs) in the few-hole regime. Full-voltage width-at-half-minimum, V{sub 1/2}, of G{sub D} valleys appears to be fairly linear in the charge number (n) and temperature within the QD in a relationship of eV{sub 1/2} ≅ (1 − 0.11n) × 5.15k{sub B}T, providing the primary thermometric quantity. The depth of G{sub D} valley is also proportional to charging energy (E{sub C}) and 1/T via ΔG{sub D} ≅ E{sub C}/9.18k{sub B}T, providing another thermometric quantity. This experimental demonstration suggests our Ge-QD SHT offering effective building blocks for nanothermometersmore » over a wide temperature range with a detection temperature as high as 155 K in a spatial resolution less than 10 nm and temperature accuracy of sub-kelvin.« less

Tribological performance of sub-100-nm femtosecond laser-induced periodic surface structures on titanium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonse, J.; Höhm, S.; Koter, R.; Hartelt, M.; Spaltmann, D.; Pentzien, S.; Rosenfeld, A.; Krüger, J.

2016-06-01

Sub-100-nm laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) were processed on bulk titanium (Ti) surfaces by femtosecond laser pulse irradiation in air (30 fs pulse duration, 790 nm wavelength). The laser peak fluence, the spatial spot overlap, and the number of overscans were optimized in a sample-scanning geometry in order to obtain large surface areas (5 mm × 5 mm) covered homogeneously by the LIPSS. The laser-processed regions were characterized by optical microscopy (OM), white light interference microscopy (WLIM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The friction coefficient of the nanostructured surfaces was tested during 1000 cycles under reciprocal sliding conditions (1 Hz, 1.0 N normal load) against a 10-mm diameter ball of hardened 100Cr6 steel, both in paraffin oil and in engine oil used as lubricants. Subsequently, the corresponding wear tracks were qualified by OM, SEM, and energy dispersive X-ray analyses (EDX). The results of the tribological tests are discussed and compared to that obtained for near wavelength-sized fs-LIPSS, processed under somewhat different irradiation conditions. Some constraints for a beneficial effect of LIPSS on the tribological performance are provided.

Functional connectivity of hippocampal and prefrontal networks during episodic and spatial memory based on real-world environments.

PubMed

Robin, Jessica; Hirshhorn, Marnie; Rosenbaum, R Shayna; Winocur, Gordon; Moscovitch, Morris; Grady, Cheryl L

2015-01-01

Several recent studies have compared episodic and spatial memory in neuroimaging paradigms in order to understand better the contribution of the hippocampus to each of these tasks. In the present study, we build on previous findings showing common neural activation in default network areas during episodic and spatial memory tasks based on familiar, real-world environments (Hirshhorn et al. (2012) Neuropsychologia 50:3094-3106). Following previous demonstrations of the presence of functionally connected sub-networks within the default network, we performed seed-based functional connectivity analyses to determine how, depending on the task, the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex differentially couple with one another and with distinct whole-brain networks. We found evidence for a medial prefrontal-parietal network and a medial temporal lobe network, which were functionally connected to the prefrontal and hippocampal seeds, respectively, regardless of the nature of the memory task. However, these two networks were functionally connected with one another during the episodic memory task, but not during spatial memory tasks. Replicating previous reports of fractionation of the default network into stable sub-networks, this study also shows how these sub-networks may flexibly couple and uncouple with one another based on task demands. These findings support the hypothesis that episodic memory and spatial memory share a common medial temporal lobe-based neural substrate, with episodic memory recruiting additional prefrontal sub-networks. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A novel blue-greenish emitting phosphor Ba{sub 3}LaK(PO{sub 4}){sub 3}F:Tb{sup 3+} with high thermal stability

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

Zeng, Chao; Huang, Hongwei, E-mail: hhw@cugb.edu.cn; Hu, Yingmo, E-mail: huyingmo@cugb.edu.cn

Highlights: • The Ba{sub 3}LaK(PO{sub 4}){sub 3}F:Tb{sup 3+} phosphors exhibit a broad excitation band. • The Ba{sub 3}LaK(PO{sub 4}){sub 3}F:Tb{sup 3+} emission color adjust from blue to green. • The Ba{sub 3}LaK(PO{sub 4}){sub 3}F:Tb{sup 3+} show superior thermal stability. - Abstract: Ba{sub 3}La{sub 1−m}K(PO{sub 4}){sub 3}F:mTb{sup 3+}(m = 0.01–0.50) phosphors have been prepared by a traditional high temperature solid-state reaction. XRD analysis verified the apatite-type phase structure of the as-prepared samples, and the morphology has been checked by the Scanning electron microscope (SEM). The emission spectrum of Ba{sub 3}LaK(PO{sub 4}){sub 3}F:Tb{sup 3+} phosphor consists of two regions, blue emission bandmore » from 380 to 470 nm and green emission band from 470 to 650 nm. With increasing Tb{sup 3+} ions doped concentration (m), the color hue of Ba{sub 3}La{sub 1−m}K(PO{sub 4}){sub 3}F:mTb{sup 3+}adjusts from blue to green. On the basis of concentration quenching method, the critical distance between Tb{sup 3+} ions is calculated to be 7.98 Å, suggesting that multipolar interaction predominate in quenching process. In addition, the temperature-dependence PL spectra of Ba{sub 3}LaK(PO{sub 4}){sub 3}F:0.01Tb{sup 3+} and Ba{sub 3}LaK(PO{sub 4}){sub 3}F:0.40Tb{sup 3+} phosphor are given,which exhibit superior thermal stability.« less

High resolution spectroscopic optical coherence tomography in the 900-1100 nm wavelength range

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bizheva, Kostadinka K.; Povazay, Boris; Apolonski, Alexander A.; Unterhuber, Angelika; Hermann, Boris; Sattmann, Harald; Russell, Phillip S. J.; Krausz, Ferenc; Fercher, Adolf F.; Drexler, Wolfgang

2002-06-01

We demonstrate for the first time optical coherence tomography (OCT) in the 900-1100 nm wavelength range. A photonic crystal fiber (PCF) in combination with a sub-15fs Ti:sapphire laser is used to produce an emission spectrum with an optical bandwidth of 35 nm centered at ~1070 nm. Coupling the light from the PCF based source to an optimized free space OCT system results in ~15 micrometers axial resolution in air, corresponding to ~10 micrometers in biological tissue. The near infrared wavelength range around 1100 nm is very attractive for high resolution ophthalmologic OCT imaging of the anterior and posterior eye segment with enhanced penetration. The emission spectrum of the PCF based light source can also be reshaped and tuned to cover the wavelength region around 950-970 nm, where water absorption has a local peak. Therefore, the OCT system described in this paper can also be used for spatially resolved water absorption measurements in non-transparent biological tissue. A preliminary qualitative spectroscopic Oct measurement in D2O and H2 O phantoms is described in this paper.

Multi-Subband Ensemble Monte Carlo simulations of scaled GAA MOSFETs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donetti, L.; Sampedro, C.; Ruiz, F. G.; Godoy, A.; Gamiz, F.

2018-05-01

We developed a Multi-Subband Ensemble Monte Carlo simulator for non-planar devices, taking into account two-dimensional quantum confinement. It couples self-consistently the solution of the 3D Poisson equation, the 2D Schrödinger equation, and the 1D Boltzmann transport equation with the Ensemble Monte Carlo method. This simulator was employed to study MOS devices based on ultra-scaled Gate-All-Around Si nanowires with diameters in the range from 4 nm to 8 nm with gate length from 8 nm to 14 nm. We studied the output and transfer characteristics, interpreting the behavior in the sub-threshold region and in the ON state in terms of the spatial charge distribution and the mobility computed with the same simulator. We analyzed the results, highlighting the contribution of different valleys and subbands and the effect of the gate bias on the energy and velocity profiles. Finally the scaling behavior was studied, showing that only the devices with D = 4nm maintain a good control of the short channel effects down to the gate length of 8nm .

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

Lin, C.T.

Linear and nonlinear photochemistries of 1,4-diazabicyclo(2.2.2)octane (DABCO) are investigated at room temperature by using ArF (193 nm) and KrF (248 nm) lasers. With an unfocused beam geometry, DABCO vapor displays a strong fluorescence when excited at 248 nm, but it shows no detectable emission with 193-nm excitation. The linear photochemistry quantum yield for DABCO is determined as phi/sub p/(248nm) approx. 0.1 and phi/sub p/(193 nm) approx. 0.3. The main stable photochemical products are analyzed as C/sub 2/H/sub 4/ and C/sub 2/H/sub 2/ for 248- and 193-nm excitation, respectively. When focused beam excitation is used, both ArF and KrF lasers dissociatemore » DABCO molecules and give three strong radical emissions of CN*(B vector /sup 2/..sigma.. ..-->.. X vector /sup 2/ ..sigma../sup +/), CH*(A vector /sup 2/..delta.. ..-->.. X vector /sup 2/II), and C/sub 2/*(D vector /sup 3/II/sub g/ ..-->.. a vector /sup 3/II/sub u/). The time behavior, the laser power dependence, and the sample pressure dependence of these emissive radicals are examined. The possible mechanisms for the Rydberg state photochemistry of DABCO are discussed.« less

REAP (raster e-beam advanced process) using 50-kV raster e-beam system for sub-100-nm node mask technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baik, Ki-Ho; Dean, Robert L.; Mueller, Mark; Lu, Maiying; Lem, Homer Y.; Osborne, Stephen; Abboud, Frank E.

2002-07-01

A chemically amplified resist (CAR) process has been recognized as an approach to meet the demanding critical dimension (CD) specifications of 100nm node technology and beyond. Recently, significant effort has been devoted to optimizing CAR materials, which offer the characteristics required for next generation photomask fabrication. In this paper, a process established with a positive-tone CAR from TOK and 50kV MEBES eXara system is discussed. This resist is developed for raster scan 50 kV e-beam systems. It has high contrast, good coating characteristics, good dry etch selectivity, and high environmental stability. The coating process is conducted in an environment with amine concentration less than 2 ppb. A nitrogen environment is provided during plate transfer steps. Resolution using a 60nm writing grid is 90nm line and space patterns. CD linearity is maintained down to 240nm for isolated lines or spaces by applying embedded proximity effect correction (emPEC). Optimizations of post-apply bake (PAB) and post-expose bake (PEB) time, temperature, and uniformity are completed to improve adhesion, coating uniformity, and resolution. A puddle develop process is optimized to improve line edge roughness, edge slope, and resolution. Dry etch process is optimized on a TetraT system to transfer the resist image into the chrome layer with minimum etch bias.

Electro-thermo-optical simulation of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smagley, Vladimir Anatolievich

Three-dimensional electro-thermal simulator based on the double-layer approximation for the active region was coupled to optical gain and optical field numerical simulators to provide a self-consistent steady-state solution of VCSEL current-voltage and current-output power characteristics. Methodology of VCSEL modeling had been established and applied to model a standard 850-nm VCSEL based on GaAs-active region and a novel intracavity-contacted 400-nm GaN-based VCSEL. Results of GaAs VCSEL simulation were in a good agreement with experiment. Correlations between current injection and radiative mode profiles have been observed. Physical sub-models of transport, optical gain and cavity optical field were developed. Carrier transport through DBRs was studied. Problem of optical fields in VCSEL cavity was treated numerically by the effective frequency method. All the sub-models were connected through spatially inhomogeneous rate equation system. It was shown that the conventional uncoupled analysis of every separate physical phenomenon would be insufficient to describe VCSEL operation.

Nanoscale morphology of Ni{sub 50}Ti{sub 45}Cu{sub 5} nanoglass

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

Śniadecki, Z., E-mail: sniadecki@ifmpan.poznan.pl; Institute of Nanotechnology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, D-76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen; Wang, D.

2016-03-15

Nanoglasses are noncrystalline solids with a granular nano-/microstructure. In contrast to their nanocrystalline analogs, typically constituted of grains and grain boundaries, nanoglasses consist of glassy regions with a structure corresponding to melt-quenched glasses and amorphous interfaces characterized by a reduced density. Their unique properties can be controlled by modifying size and chemical composition of the granular and interfacial regions. Ni{sub 50}Ti{sub 45}Cu{sub 5} amorphous films were obtained by magnetron sputtering and analyzed to determine their nanoscale morphology and the formation mechanisms. The nanoglasses were noted to have a hierarchical nano-columnar structure with the smallest Ni-rich (Ni:Ti ratio of ca. 5:3)more » amorphous columns with diameters of about 8 nm and Ti-rich glassy interfacial regions with a substantially lower density. The results were obtained utilizing X-ray diffraction and different microscopic methods, e.g., atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. A detailed analysis indicates the complexity of the formation mechanisms of topologically and chemically distinguishable structural units with curvature driven surface diffusion, surface mobility, self-shadowing and internal stresses as the most important parameters. Common and simple synthesis method and the possibility for easy modification of the morphology and, consequently, the physical properties offer an opportunity for intensive studies of this new class of materials, opening the way towards possible applications. - Highlights: • Ni{sub 50}Ti{sub 45}Cu{sub 5} thin film nanoglasses were synthesized by magnetron sputtering. • Ti amorphous interfacial phase with reduced density is observed. • Stabilization of interfaces by specific local thermodynamic conditions.« less

Bayesian Model for Matching the Radiometric Measurements of Aerospace and Field Ocean Color Sensors

PubMed Central

Salama, Mhd. Suhyb; Su, Zhongbo

2010-01-01

A Bayesian model is developed to match aerospace ocean color observation to field measurements and derive the spatial variability of match-up sites. The performance of the model is tested against populations of synthesized spectra and full and reduced resolutions of MERIS data. The model derived the scale difference between synthesized satellite pixel and point measurements with R2 > 0.88 and relative error < 21% in the spectral range from 400 nm to 695 nm. The sub-pixel variabilities of reduced resolution MERIS image are derived with less than 12% of relative errors in heterogeneous region. The method is generic and applicable to different sensors. PMID:22163615

5-HT receptor probe (/sup 3/H)8-OH-DPAT labels the 5-HT transporter in human platelets

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

Ieni, J.R.; Meyerson, L.R.

1988-01-01

The present study characterizes a serotonin (5-HT) binding site on human platelet membranes, using (/sup 3/H)8-OH-DPAT as the radioligand. (/sup 3/H)8-OH-DPAT binds specifically and saturably to a site on human platelet membranes with an average K/sub D/ of 43 nM and B/sub max/ of 1078 fmol/mg protein. Determinations of IC/sub 50/ values for various serotonergic characterizing agents in platelets for displacement of (/sup 3/H)8-OH-DPAT were performed. The pharmacological inhibitory profile of the platelet 8-OH-DPAT site is not consistent with profiles reported for brain. 8-OH-DPAT does not inhibit (/sup 3/H) imipramine binding, however, it does inhibit (/sup 3/H)5-HT uptake in humanmore » platelets near 5-HT's K/sub m/ value (IC/sub 50/ = 2-4 ..mu..M). These results suggest that the human platelet site labelled by (/sub 3/H)8-OH-DPAT is pharmocologically different from the neuronal site and probably is a component of the 5-HT transporter. 32 references, 1 figure, 4 tables.« less

Optical magnetic imaging of living cells

PubMed Central

Le Sage, D.; Arai, K.; Glenn, D. R.; DeVience, S. J.; Pham, L. M.; Rahn-Lee, L.; Lukin, M. D.; Yacoby, A.; Komeili, A.; Walsworth, R. L.

2013-01-01

Magnetic imaging is a powerful tool for probing biological and physical systems. However, existing techniques either have poor spatial resolution compared to optical microscopy and are hence not generally applicable to imaging of sub-cellular structure (e.g., magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]1), or entail operating conditions that preclude application to living biological samples while providing sub-micron resolution (e.g., scanning superconducting quantum interference device [SQUID] microscopy2, electron holography3, and magnetic resonance force microscopy [MRFM]4). Here we demonstrate magnetic imaging of living cells (magnetotactic bacteria) under ambient laboratory conditions and with sub-cellular spatial resolution (400 nm), using an optically-detected magnetic field imaging array consisting of a nanoscale layer of nitrogen-vacancy (NV) colour centres implanted at the surface of a diamond chip. With the bacteria placed on the diamond surface, we optically probe the NV quantum spin states and rapidly reconstruct images of the vector components of the magnetic field created by chains of magnetic nanoparticles (magnetosomes) produced in the bacteria, and spatially correlate these magnetic field maps with optical images acquired in the same apparatus. Wide-field sCMOS acquisition allows parallel optical and magnetic imaging of multiple cells in a population with sub-micron resolution and >100 micron field-of-view. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of the bacteria confirm that the correlated optical and magnetic images can be used to locate and characterize the magnetosomes in each bacterium. The results provide a new capability for imaging bio-magnetic structures in living cells under ambient conditions with high spatial resolution, and will enable the mapping of a wide range of magnetic signals within cells and cellular networks5, 6. PMID:23619694

Highly Sensitive Bulk Silicon Chemical Sensors with Sub-5 nm Thin Charge Inversion Layers.

PubMed

Fahad, Hossain M; Gupta, Niharika; Han, Rui; Desai, Sujay B; Javey, Ali

2018-03-27

There is an increasing demand for mass-producible, low-power gas sensors in a wide variety of industrial and consumer applications. Here, we report chemical-sensitive field-effect-transistors (CS-FETs) based on bulk silicon wafers, wherein an electrostatically confined sub-5 nm thin charge inversion layer is modulated by chemical exposure to achieve a high-sensitivity gas-sensing platform. Using hydrogen sensing as a "litmus" test, we demonstrate large sensor responses (>1000%) to 0.5% H 2 gas, with fast response (<60 s) and recovery times (<120 s) at room temperature and low power (<50 μW). On the basis of these performance metrics as well as standardized benchmarking, we show that bulk silicon CS-FETs offer similar or better sensing performance compared to emerging nanostructures semiconductors while providing a highly scalable and manufacturable platform.

Erbium-doped borosilicate glasses containing various amounts of P{sub 2}O{sub 5} and Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}: Influence of the silica content on the structure and thermal, physical, optical and luminescence properties

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

Bourhis, Kevin; Massera, Jonathan; BioMediTech, Tampere

2015-10-15

Highlights: • Er{sup 3+} doped borosilicate glasses were processed with different compositions and characterizations. • An increase in the SiO{sub 2} content leads to a silicate-rich environment around the Er{sup 3+} site. • An increase in the SiO{sub 2} content decreases the Er{sup 3+} absorption cross-section at 980 nm. • Glasses with 60 mol% of SiO{sub 2} exhibit a stronger emission intensity at 1530 nm than glasses with x = 50. • Highest 1.5 μm emission intensity was achieved for the Al and P containing glass with 60 mol% of SiO{sub 2}. - Abstract: The influence of the silica contentmore » on several properties of Er-doped borosilicate glasses in the presence of various amounts of P{sub 2}O{sub 5} and Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} has been investigated. The introduction of P{sub 2}O{sub 5} and/or Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} are responsible for structural modifications in the glass network through a charge-compensation mechanism related to the formation of negatively-charged PO{sub 4} and AlO{sub 4} groups or through the formation of AlPO{sub 4}-like structural units. In this paper, we show that an increase in the SiO{sub 2} content leads to a silicate-rich environment around the Er{sup 3+} site, resulting in an increased dependence of the Er{sup 3+} ions optical and luminescence properties on the P{sub 2}O{sub 5} and/or Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} concentration. The highest emission intensity at 1.5 μm was achieved for the glass with an equal proportion of P and Al in the glass system with 60 mol% of SiO{sub 2}.« less

Nanopattern-guided growth of single-crystal silicon on amorphous substrates and high-performance sub-100 nm thin-film transistors for three-dimensional integrated circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Jian

This thesis explores how nanopatterns can be used to control the growth of single-crystal silicon on amorphous substrates at low temperature, with potential applications on flat panel liquid-crystal display and 3-dimensional (3D) integrated circuits. I first present excimer laser annealing of amorphous silicon (a-Si) nanostructures on thermally oxidized silicon wafer for controlled formation of single-crystal silicon islands. Preferential nucleation at pattern center is observed due to substrate enhanced edge heating. Single-grain silicon is obtained in a 50 nm x 100 nm rectangular pattern by super lateral growth (SLG). Narrow lines (such as 20-nm-wide) can serve as artificial heterogeneous nucleation sites during crystallization of large patterns, which could lead to the formation of single-crystal silicon islands in a controlled fashion. In addition to eximer laser annealing, NanoPAtterning and nickel-induced lateral C&barbelow;rystallization (NanoPAC) of a-Si lines is presented. Single-crystal silicon is achieved by NanoPAC. The line width of a-Si affects the grain structure of crystallized silicon lines significantly. Statistics show that single-crystal silicon is formed for all lines with width between 50 nm to 200 nm. Using in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nickel-induced lateral crystallization (Ni-ILC) of a-Si inside a pattern is revealed; lithography-constrained single seeding (LISS) is proposed to explain the single-crystal formation. Intragrain line and two-dimensional defects are also studied. To test the electrical properties of NanoPAC silicon films, sub-100 nm thin-film transistors (TFTs) are fabricated using Patten-controlled crystallization of Ṯhin a-Si channel layer and H&barbelow;igh temperature (850°C) annealing, coined PaTH process. PaTH TFTs show excellent device performance over traditional solid phase crystallized (SPC) TFTs in terms of threshold voltage, threshold voltage roll-off, leakage current, subthreshold swing, on/off current ratio, device-to-device uniformity etc. Two-dimensional device simulations show that PaTH TFTs are comparable to silicon-on-insulator (SOI) devices, making it a promising candidate for the fabrication of future high performance, low-power 3D integrated circuits. Finally, an ultrafast nanolithography technique, laser-assisted direct imprint (LADI) is introduced. LADI shows the ability of patterning nanostructures directly in silicon in nanoseconds with sub-10 nm resolution. The process has potential applications in multiple disciplines, and could be extended to other materials and processes.

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

He Liang; Xiu Faxian; Huang Guan

In this paper, we report the epitaxial growth of Bi{sub 2}Se{sub 3} thin films on Si (111) substrate, using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). We show that the as-grown samples have good crystalline quality, and their surfaces exhibit terracelike quintuple layers. Angel-resolved photoemission experiments demonstrate single-Dirac-conelike surface states. These results combined with the temperature- and thickness-dependent magneto-transport measurements, suggest the presence of a shallow impurity band. Below a critical temperature of {approx}100K, the surface states of a 7 nm thick film contribute up to 50% of the total conduction.

Alternating current magnetic susceptibility and heat dissipation by Mn{sub 1−x}Zn{sub x}Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanoparticles for hyperthermia treatment

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

Kondo, T.; Mori, K.; Hachisu, M.

2015-05-07

Mn-Zn ferrite, Mn{sub 1−x}Zn{sub x}Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanoparticles encapsulated in amorphous SiO{sub 2} were prepared using our original wet chemical method. X-ray diffraction patterns confirmed that the diameters of these particles were within 7–30 nm. Magnetization measurements for various sample compositions revealed that the saturation magnetization (M{sub s}) of 7 nm particles was maximum for the x = 0.2 sample. AC magnetic susceptibility measurements were performed for Mn{sub 0.8}Zn{sub 0.2}Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4} (x = 0.2) samples with 13–30 nm particles. The peak of the imaginary part of the magnetic susceptibility χ″ shifted to higher temperatures as the particle size increased. An AC field was found to causemore » the increase in temperature, with the 18 nm particles exhibiting the highest temperature increase, as expected. In addition, in vitro experiments were carried out to study the hyperthermia effects of Mn{sub 1−x}Zn{sub x}Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4} (x = 0.2, 18 nm) particles on human cancer cells.« less

Design and Optimization of Renin Inhibitors: Orally Bioavailable Alkyl Amines

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

Tice, C.; Xu, Z; Yuan, J

2009-01-01

Structure-based drug design led to the identification of a novel class of potent, low MW alkylamine renin inhibitors. Oral administration of lead compound 21l, with MW of 508 and IC{sub 50} of 0.47 nM, caused a sustained reduction in mean arterial blood pressure in a double transgenic rat model of hypertension.

Preferential orientation relationships in Ca{sub 2}MnO{sub 4} Ruddlesden-Popper thin films

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

Lacotte, M.; David, A.; Prellier, W., E-mail: wilfrid.prellier@ensicaen.fr

2015-07-28

A high-throughput investigation of local epitaxy (called combinatorial substrate epitaxy) was carried out on Ca{sub 2}MnO{sub 4} Ruddlesden-Popper thin films of six thicknesses (from 20 to 400 nm), all deposited on isostructural polycrystalline Sr{sub 2}TiO{sub 4} substrates. Electron backscatter diffraction revealed grain-over-grain local epitaxial growth for all films, resulting in a single orientation relationship (OR) for each substrate-film grain pair. Two preferred epitaxial ORs accounted for more than 90% of all ORs on 300 different microcrystals, based on analyzing 50 grain pairs for each thickness. The unit cell over unit cell OR ([100][001]{sub film} ∥ [100][001]{sub substrate}, or OR1) accounted formore » approximately 30% of each film. The OR that accounted for 60% of each film ([100][001]{sub film} ∥ [100][010]{sub substrate}, or OR2) corresponds to a rotation from OR1 by 90° about the a-axis. OR2 is strongly favored for substrate orientations in the center of the stereographic triangle, and OR1 is observed for orientations very close to (001) or to those near the edge connecting (100) and (110). While OR1 should be lower in energy, the majority observation of OR2 implies kinetic hindrances decrease the frequency of OR1. Persistent grain over grain growth and the absence of variations of the OR frequencies with thickness implies that the growth competition is finished within the first few nm, and local epitaxy persists thereafter during growth.« less

Zone plate lenses for X-ray microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vladimirsky, Y.; Kern, D. P.; Chang, T. H. P.; Attwood, D. T.; Iskander, N.; Rothman, S.; McQuaide, K.; Kirz, J.; Ade, H.; McNulty, I.; Rarback, H.; Shu, D.

1988-04-01

Fresnel zone plate lenses with feature sizes as small as 50 nm have been constructed and used in the Stony Brook/NSLS scanning X-ray microscope with 3.1 nm radiation from Brookhaven's X-17 mini-undulator. The zone plates were fabricated at IBM using electron beam writing techniques, moiré pattern techniques to monitor ellipticity, and a double development/double plating technique to provide additional thickness in the central region. A spatial resolution down to 75 nm was measured in the microscope. Using these zone plates, biological images were obtained of unaltered subcellular components. The images highlight protein concentration in unsectioned, unfixed, and unstained enzymatic granules in an aqueous environment.

Detecting Intramolecular Conformational Dynamics of Single Molecules in Short Distance Range with Sub-Nanometer Sensitivity

PubMed Central

Zhou, Ruobo; Kunzelmann, Simone; Webb, Martin R.; Ha, Taekjip

2011-01-01

Single molecule detection is useful for characterizing nanoscale objects such as biological macromolecules, nano-particles and nano-devices with nano-meter spatial resolution. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) is widely used as a single-molecule assay to monitor intramolecular dynamics in the distance range of 3–8 nm. Here we demonstrate that self-quenching of two rhodamine derivatives can be used to detect small conformational dynamics corresponding to sub-nanometer distance changes in a FRET-insensitive short range at the single molecule level. A ParM protein mutant labeled with two rhodamines works as a single molecule ADP sensor which has 20 times brighter fluorescence signal in the ADP bound state than the unbound state. Single molecule time trajectories show discrete transitions between fluorescence on and off states that can be directly ascribed to ADP binding and dissociation events. The conformational changes observed with 20:1 contrast are only 0.5 nm in magnitude and are between crystallographic distances of 1.6 nm and 2.1 nm, demonstrating exquisite sensitivity to short distance scale changes. The systems also allowed us to gain information on the photophysics of self-quenching induced by rhodamine stacking: (1) photobleaching of either of the two rhodamines eliminates quenching of the other rhodamine fluorophore and (2) photobleaching from the highly quenched, stacked state is only two-fold slower than from the unstacked state. PMID:22023515

Preparation of sub 3 nm copper nanoparticles by microwave irradiation in the presence of triethylene tetramin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tseng, Po-Hao; Wang, Yen-Zen; Hsieh, Tar-Hwa; Ho, Ko-Shan; Tsai, Cheng-Hsien; Chen, Kuan-Ting

2018-02-01

The preparation of sub 3 nm copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) in ethylene glycol (EG) using triethylene tetramine (TETA) as chelating and reducing agents via a rapid microwave (MW) irradiation is reported. The sub 3 nm CuNPs after MW irradiation are clearly seen from the electronic micrographs. The firm chelation of Cu2+ by TETA is illustrated by the dark blue color of Cu2+/TETA/EG solution and the redox reaction is confirmed by the appearance of red color of the mixtures. The optimal mole ratio of TETA/Cu 2+ is found to be 2.5/1 for preparing sub 3 nm CuNPs under the MW irradiation, operated at 800 W for 1 min. The plasmonic absorption λ max demonstrated in UV-vis spectra are found to close to 200 nm for sub 3 nm CuNPs, comparing to 500 ˜ 600 nm for regular, larger CuNPs. The extremely low Tm around 30 °C and the fusion/recrystallization sequence of sub 3 nm CuNPs can be directly measured by their differential scanning calorimetry thermograms.

Thermal MEMS actuator operation in aqueous media/seawater: Performance enhancement through atomic layer deposition post processing of PolyMUMPs devices

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

Warnat, Stephan, E-mail: stephan.warnat@dal.ca; Forbrigger, Cameron; Hubbard, Ted

A method to enhance thermal microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) actuators in aqueous media by using dielectric encapsulation layers is presented. Aqueous media reduces the available mechanical energy of the thermal actuator through an electrical short between actuator structures. Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} and TiO{sub 2} laminates with various thicknesses were deposited on packaged PolyMUMPs devices to electrically separate the actuator from the aqueous media. Atomic layer deposition was used to form an encapsulation layer around released MEMS structures and the package. The enhancement was assessed by the increase of the elastic energy, which is proportional to the mechanical stiffness of the actuatormore » and the displacement squared. The mechanical stiffness of the encapsulated actuators compared with the noncoated actuators was increased by factors ranging from 1.45 (for 45 nm Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} + 20 nm TiO{sub 2}) to 1.87 (for 90 nm Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} + 40 nm TiO{sub 2}). Displacement measurements were made for all laminate combinations in filtered tap water and seawater by using FFT based displacement measurement technique with a repeatability of ∼10 nm. For all laminate structures, the elastic energy increased and enhanced the actuator performance: In seawater, the mechanical output energy increased by factors ranging from 5 (for 90 nm Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}) to 11 (for 90 nm Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} + 40 nm TiO{sub 2}). The authors also measured the long-term actuator stability/reliability in seawater. Samples were stored for 29 days in seawater and tested for 17 days in seawater. Laminates with TiO{sub 2} layers allowed constant operation over the entire measurement period.« less

Photoluminescence properties of a new orange–red emitting Sm{sup 3+}-doped Y{sub 2}Mo{sub 4}O{sub 15} phosphor

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

Deng, Huajuan; Zhao, Ze; Wang, Jing

2015-08-15

A series of novel Y{sub 2}Mo{sub 4}O{sub 15}:xSm{sup 3+} ( (0.01 ≤ x ≤ 0.20) phosphors for white light-emitting (W-LEDs) were successfully prepared by the solid state reaction technology at 973 K for 12 h. X-ray diffraction and photoluminescence spectra were utilized to characterize the structure and luminescence properties of the as-synthesized phosphors. The emission spectra of the Y{sub 2}Mo{sub 4}O{sub 15}:Sm{sup 3+} phosphors consisted of some sharp emission peaks of Sm{sup 3+} ions centered at 565 nm, 605 nm, 650 nm, and 712 nm. The strongest one is located at 605 nm due to {sup 4}G{sub 5/2}–{sup 6}H{sub 7/2}more » transition of Sm{sup 3+}, generating bright orange–red light. The optimum dopant concentration of Sm{sup 3+} ions in Y{sub 2}Mo{sub 4}O{sub 15}:xSm{sup 3+} is around 5 mol% and the critical transfer distance of Sm{sup 3+} is calculated as 23.32 Å. The CIE chromaticity coordinates of the Y{sub 2}Mo{sub 4}O{sub 15}:0.05Sm{sup 3+} phosphors were located in the orange reddish region. The Y{sub 2}Mo{sub 4}O{sub 15}:Sm{sup 3+} phosphors may be potentially used as red phosphors for white light-emitting diodes. - Graphical abstract: The excitation spectrum of Y{sub 2}Mo{sub 4}O{sub 15}:Sm{sup 3+} is composed of a broad band and some sharp f–f transitions. Under 407 nm excitation, the phosphor presents some sharp emission peaks of Sm{sup 3+} ions. - Highlights: • An orange–red emitting Y{sub 2}Mo{sub 4}O{sub 15}:Sm{sup 3+} phosphor has been firstly synthesized. • Their structures, luminescent properties have also been investigated. • The optical absorption edge for the molybdate lies around 325 nm. • The CIE chromaticity coordinates were located in the orange reddish region.« less

Opal photonic crystals infiltrated with chalcogenide glasses

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

Astratov, V. N.; Adawi, A. M.; Skolnick, M. S.

Composite opal structures for nonlinear applications are obtained by infiltration with chalcogenide glasses As{sub 2}S{sub 3} and AsSe by precipitation from solution. Analysis of spatially resolved optical spectra reveals that the glass aggregates into submillimeter areas inside the opal. These areas exhibit large shifts in the optical stop bands by up to 80 nm, and by comparison with modelling are shown to have uniform glass filling factors of opal pores up to 40%. Characterization of the domain structure of the opals prior to infiltration by large area angle-resolved spectroscopy is an important step in the analysis of the properties ofmore » the infiltrated regions. {copyright} 2001 American Institute of Physics.« less

Low Dimensional Modeling of Zero-Net Mass-Flux Actuators

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-07-01

centerline deflection of the diaphragm is measured using a laser displacement sensor (Micro-Epsilon Model ILD2000-10). Both signals are acquired phase...the flowfield emanating from the ZNMF orifice are acquired using Laser Doppler Anemometry (LDA), the details of which are listed in Table 1. The...synthetic jet actuator is mounted to a three-axis traverse with sub-micron spatial resolution. The 488 and 514.5 nm lines of an argon-ion laser are

Source Parameter Inversion for Recent Great Earthquakes from a Decade-long Observation of Global Gravity Fields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Han, Shin-Chan; Riva, Ricccardo; Sauber, Jeanne; Okal, Emile

2013-01-01

We quantify gravity changes after great earthquakes present within the 10 year long time series of monthly Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) gravity fields. Using spherical harmonic normal-mode formulation, the respective source parameters of moment tensor and double-couple were estimated. For the 2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake, the gravity data indicate a composite moment of 1.2x10(exp 23)Nm with a dip of 10deg, in agreement with the estimate obtained at ultralong seismic periods. For the 2010 Maule earthquake, the GRACE solutions range from 2.0 to 2.7x10(exp 22)Nm for dips of 12deg-24deg and centroid depths within the lower crust. For the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake, the estimated scalar moments range from 4.1 to 6.1x10(exp 22)Nm, with dips of 9deg-19deg and centroid depths within the lower crust. For the 2012 Indian Ocean strike-slip earthquakes, the gravity data delineate a composite moment of 1.9x10(exp 22)Nm regardless of the centroid depth, comparing favorably with the total moment of the main ruptures and aftershocks. The smallest event we successfully analyzed with GRACE was the 2007 Bengkulu earthquake with M(sub 0) approx. 5.0x10(exp 21)Nm. We found that the gravity data constrain the focal mechanism with the centroid only within the upper and lower crustal layers for thrust events. Deeper sources (i.e., in the upper mantle) could not reproduce the gravity observation as the larger rigidity and bulk modulus at mantle depths inhibit the interior from changing its volume, thus reducing the negative gravity component. Focal mechanisms and seismic moments obtained in this study represent the behavior of the sources on temporal and spatial scales exceeding the seismic and geodetic spectrum.

Induction of high tolerance to artemisinin by sub-lethal administration: A new in vitro model of P. falciparum.

PubMed

De Lucia, Serena; Tsamesidis, Ioannis; Pau, Maria Carmina; Kesely, Kristina R; Pantaleo, Antonella; Turrini, Francesco

2018-01-01

Artemisinin resistance is a major threat to malaria control efforts. Resistance is characterized by an increase in the Plasmodium falciparum parasite clearance half-life following treatment with artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) and an increase in the percentage of surviving parasites. The remarkably short blood half-life of artemisinin derivatives may contribute to drug-resistance, possibly through factors including sub-lethal plasma concentrations and inadequate exposure. Here we selected for a new strain of artemisinin resistant parasites, termed the artemisinin resistant strain 1 (ARS1), by treating P. falciparum Palo Alto (PA) cultures with sub-lethal concentrations of dihydroartemisinin (DHA). The resistance phenotype was maintained for over 1 year through monthly maintenance treatments with low doses of 2.5 nM DHA. There was a moderate increase in the DHA IC50 in ARS1 when compared with parental strain PA after 72 h of drug exposure (from 0.68 nM to 2 nM DHA). In addition, ARS1 survived treatment physiologically relevant DHA concentrations (700 nM) observed in patients. Furthermore, we confirmed a lack of cross-resistance against a panel of antimalarials commonly used as partner drugs in ACTs. Finally, ARS1 did not contain Pfk13 propeller domain mutations associated with ART resistance in the Greater Mekong Region. With a stable growth rate, ARS1 represents a valuable tool for the development of new antimalarial compounds and studies to further elucidate the mechanisms of ART resistance.

Microwave-assisted synthesis of Co{sub 3}O{sub 4}–graphene sheet-on-sheet nanocomposites and electrochemical performances for lithium ion batteries

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

Su, Qingmei, E-mail: suqingmei@zjnu.cn; Yuan, Weiwei; Yao, Libing

2015-12-15

Highlights: • Co{sub 3}O{sub 4}–graphene nanocomposites are prepared by microwave irradiation method. • Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanosheets exhibit porous structure with the pore sizes of 3–6 nm. • The porous Co{sub 3}O{sub 4}–graphene nanocomposites show excellent electrochemical performance. • Synergistic effects of Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} and graphene improve the electrochemical performance. - Abstract: Porous Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanosheets anchored on graphene nanosheets were synthesized by microwave irradiation method. The obtained Co{sub 3}O{sub 4}–graphene sheet-on-sheet nanocomposite as an anode material for LIBs demonstrates a high initial discharge capacity of 1359.6 mAh g{sup −1} with a Columbic efficiency of 72.7% at amore » rate of 100 mA g{sup −1}. Moreover, a significantly enhanced reversible capacity of ∼1036.9 mAh g{sup −1} is retained after 50 cycles, and the capacity can reincrease to 1068 mAh g{sup −1} when the current density returns back to 100 mA g{sup −1} after cycled at various rates for 50 cycles. The improved electrochemical performance is attributed to the unique architectures of the porous Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanosheets and the incorporation of graphene nanosheets. Therefore, this nanocomposite is widely considered to be an attractive candidate as an anode material for next-generation LIBs.« less

Stimulated Raman scattering holography for time-resolved imaging of methane gas.

PubMed

Amer, Eynas; Gren, Per; Edenharder, Stefan; Sjödahl, Mikael

2016-05-01

In this paper, pulsed digital holographic detection is coupled to the stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) process for imaging gases. A Q-switched Nd-YAG laser (532 nm) has been used to pump methane gas (CH₄) at pressures up to 12 bars. The frequency-tripled (355 nm) beam from the same laser was used to pump an optical parametric oscillator (OPO). The Stokes beam (from the OPO) has been tuned to 629.93 nm so that the frequency difference between the pump (532 nm) and the Stokes beams fits a Raman active vibrational mode of the methane molecule (2922  cm^-1). The pump beam has been spatially modulated with fringes produced in a Michelson interferometer. The pump and the Stokes beams were overlapped in time, space, and polarization on the gas molecules, resulting in a stimulated Raman gain of the Stokes beam and a corresponding loss of the pump beam through the SRS process. The resulting gain of the Stokes beam has been detected using pulsed digital holography by blending it with a reference beam on the detector. Two holograms of the Stokes beam, without and with the pump beam fringes present, were recorded. Intensity maps calculated from the recorded digital holograms showed amplification of the Stokes beam at the position of overlap with the pump beam fringes and the gas molecules. The gain of the Stokes beam has been separated from the background in the Fourier domain. A gain of about 4.5% at a pump beam average intensity of 4  MW/cm² and a Stokes beam intensity of 0.16  MW/cm² have been recorded at a gas pressure of 12 bars. The gain decreased linearly with decreasing gas pressure. The results show that SRS holography is a promising technique to pinpoint a specific species and record its spatial and temporal distribution.

Passivation of c-Si surfaces by sub-nm amorphous silicon capped with silicon nitride

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

Wan, Yimao, E-mail: yimao.wan@anu.edu.au; Yan, Di; Bullock, James

2015-12-07

A sub-nm hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) film capped with silicon nitride (SiN{sub x}) is shown to provide a high level passivation to crystalline silicon (c-Si) surfaces. When passivated by a 0.8 nm a-Si:H/75 nm SiN{sub x} stack, recombination current density J{sub 0} values of 9, 11, 47, and 87 fA/cm{sup 2} are obtained on 10 Ω·cm n-type, 0.8 Ω·cm p-type, 160 Ω/sq phosphorus-diffused, and 120 Ω/sq boron-diffused silicon surfaces, respectively. The J{sub 0} on n-type 10 Ω·cm wafers is further reduced to 2.5 ± 0.5 fA/cm{sup 2} when the a-Si:H film thickness exceeds 2.5 nm. The passivation by the sub-nm a-Si:H/SiN{sub x} stack is thermally stable at 400 °C in N{sub 2} formore » 60 min on all four c-Si surfaces. Capacitance–voltage measurements reveal a reduction in interface defect density and film charge density with an increase in a-Si:H thickness. The nearly transparent sub-nm a-Si:H/SiN{sub x} stack is thus demonstrated to be a promising surface passivation and antireflection coating suitable for all types of surfaces encountered in high efficiency c-Si solar cells.« less

Study of Lead Free Ferroelectric Films for New Solar Cells

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

Fasquelle, D.; Mascot, M.; Carru, J. C.

2009-09-14

We report on the deposition by a sol-gel process of Ba{sub 0.8}Sr{sub 0.2}TiO{sub 3} and Ba{sub 0.9}Sr{sub 0.1}TiO{sub 3} films on platinum coated silicon substrates. X-Ray diffraction patterns show that the films are (111) preferentially oriented. The surface morphology is smooth, without cracks and the grain size is about 50 nm as determined by AFM and SEM. The dielectric constant measured from 10{sup 2} to 10{sup 6} Hz decreases slightly and is around 400 at 10{sup 4} Hz. The losses are constant in a first approximation for a 1.5 {mu}m thick BST(80/20) film with a value of 0.03 at 10more » kHz. The existence of an hysteresis cycle attests that the films, whatever their thickness, are in a ferroelectric state. Pyroelectric coefficients have been determined and the best figure of merit obtained on BST(90/10) at 293 K and 10 kHz is of 149 {mu}C/m{sup 3}/K. The best dielectric and pyroelectric properties (tg{delta} = 0.006 at 1 MHz, tunability = 30%, {gamma} = 340 {mu}C/m{sup 2}/K) were obtained on the 400 nm BST(90/10) film. Work is in progress to characterize the piezoelectric and photovoltaic properties of our BST films.« less

Tunable KTA Stokes laser based on stimulated polariton scattering and its intracavity frequency doubling.

PubMed

Zang, Jie; Cong, Zhenhua; Chen, Xiaohan; Zhang, Xingyu; Qin, Zengguang; Liu, Zhaojun; Lu, Jianren; Wu, Dong; Fu, Qiang; Jiang, Shiqi; Zhang, Shaojun

2016-04-04

This paper presents the tunable Stokes laser characteristics of KTiOAsO₄ (KTA) crystal based on stimulated polariton scattering (SPS). When the pumping laser wavelength is 1064.2 nm, the KTA Stokes wave can be discontinuously tuned from 1077.9 to 1088.4 nm with four gaps from 1079.0 to 1080.1 nm, from 1080.8 to 1082.8 nm, from 1083.6 to 1085.5 nm, and from 1085.8 to 1086.8 nm. When a frequency doubling crystal LiB₃O₅ (LBO) is inserted into the Stokes laser cavity, the frequency-doubled wave can be discontinuously tuned from 539.0 to 539.5 nm, from 540.1 to 540.4 nm, from 541.3 to 541.8 nm, from 542.7 to 542.9 nm and from 543.4 to 544.2 nm. With a pumping pulse energy of 130.0 mJ and an output coupler reflectivity of about 30%, the obtained maximum Stokes laser pulse energy at 1078.6 nm is 33.9 mJ and the obtained maximum frequency-doubled laser pulse energy at 543.8 nm is 15.7 mJ. By using the most probably coupled transverse optical modes obtained from the literature, the polariton refractive indexes, and the simplified polariton Sellmeier equations, the polariton dispersion curve is obtained. The formation of the Stokes frequency gaps is explained.

Structure, stability, and photoluminescence in the anti-perovskites Na{sub 3}W{sub 1−x}Mo{sub x}O{sub 4}F (0≤x≤1)

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

Sullivan, Eirin, E-mail: esulliv@ilstu.edu; Avdeev, Maxim; Blom, Douglas A.

2015-10-15

Single-phase ordered oxyfluorides Na{sub 3}WO{sub 4}F, Na{sub 3}MoO{sub 4}F and their mixed members Na{sub 3}W{sub 1−x}Mo{sub x}O{sub 4}F can be prepared via facile solid state reaction of Na{sub 2}MO{sub 4}·2H{sub 2}O (M=W, Mo) and NaF. Phases produced from incongruent melts are metastable, but lower temperatures allow for a facile one-step synthesis. In polycrystalline samples of Na{sub 3}W{sub 1−x}Mo{sub x}O{sub 4}F, the presence of Mo stabilizes the structure against decomposition to spinel phases. Photoluminescence studies show that upon excitation with λ=254 nm and λ=365 nm, Na{sub 3}WO{sub 4}F and Na{sub 3}MoO{sub 4}F exhibit broad emission maxima centered around 485 nm. Thesemore » materials constitute new members of the family of self-activating ordered oxyfluoride phosphors with anti-perovskite structures which are amenable to doping with emitters such as Eu{sup 3+}. - Graphical abstract: Directed synthesis of the ordered oxyfluorides Na{sub 3}W{sub 1−x}Mo{sub x}O{sub 4}F (0≤x≤1) has shown that a complete solid solution is attainable and provides the first example of photoluminescence in these materials. - Highlights: • Na{sub 3}W{sub 1−x}Mo{sub x}O{sub 4}F is a complete solid solution with hexagonal anti-perovskite structure. • The presence of even small amounts of Mo stabilizes the structure against decomposition. • Na{sub 3}W{sub 1−x}Mo{sub x}O{sub 4}F has broad emissions centered ≈485 nm (λ{sub ex}=254 nm and λ{sub ex}=365 nm). • These materials constitute a new family of self-activated oxyfluoride phosphors. • Na{sub 3}W{sub 1−x}Mo{sub x}O{sub 4}F materials are amenable to doping with emitters such as Eu{sup 3+}.« less

Plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy growth and effect of varying buffer thickness on the formation of ultra-thin In{sub 0.17}Al{sub 0.83}N/GaN heterostructure on Si(111)

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

Chowdhury, Subhra, E-mail: subhra1109@gmail.com; Biswas, Dhrubes; Department of E and E C E, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur 721302

2015-02-23

This work reports on the detailed plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PAMBE) growth of ultra-thin In{sub 0.17}Al{sub 0.83}N/GaN heterostructures on Si(111) substrate with three different buffer thickness (600 nm, 400 nm, and 200 nm). Growth through critical optimization of growth conditions is followed by the investigation of impact of varying buffer thickness on the formation of ultra-thin 1.5 nm, In{sub 0.17}Al{sub 0.83}N–1.25 nm, GaN–1.5 nm, In{sub 0.17}Al{sub 0.83}N heterostructure, in terms of threading dislocation (TD) density. Analysis reveals a drastic reduction of TD density from the order 10{sup 10 }cm{sup −2} to 10{sup 8 }cm{sup −2} with increasing buffer thickness resulting smooth ultra-thin active region for thick buffer structure.more » Increasing strain with decreasing buffer thickness is studied through reciprocal space mapping analysis. Surface morphology through atomic force microscopy analysis also supports our study by observing an increase of pits and root mean square value (0.89 nm, 1.2 nm, and 1.45 nm) with decreasing buffer thickness which are resulted due to the internal strain and TDs.« less

Microwave heating synthesis and formation mechanism of chalcopyrite structured CuInS{sub 2} nanorods in deep eutectic solvent

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

Zhang, Jianjun, E-mail: zhangjianjun7110@163.com; Chen, Jun; Li, Qiang

2015-03-15

Graphical abstract: Chalcopyrite structured CuInS{sub 2} nanorods were synthesized by an environmentally friendly microwave heating method in deep eutectic solvent. Results show that microwave heating time plays an important role in the formation of CuInS{sub 2} nanostructure phase. The SEM results indicated that the obtained CuInS{sub 2} nanostructures display rod-like morphology with diameters of about 40 nm and lengths of about 400 nm. The UV–vis spectrum results indicated that the CuInS{sub 2} nanorods exhibit strong absorption from the entire visible light region to the near-infrared region beyond 1100 nm. The possible growth mechanism of CuInS{sub 2} nanorods was discussed. -more » Abstract: Chalcopyrite structured CuInS{sub 2} nanorods were synthesized by an environmentally friendly microwave heating method in deep eutectic solvent. The as-synthesized CuInS{sub 2} nanorods were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), respectively. The results indicated that the obtained CuInS{sub 2} nanostructures display rod-like morphology with diameters of about 40 nm and lengths of about 400 nm. The influences of microwave heating time on the formation of CuInS{sub 2} phase were discussed. Ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) and photoluminescence (PL) spectra were utilized to investigate the optical properties of CuInS{sub 2} nanorods. The results showed that the as-synthesized CuInS{sub 2} nanorods exhibit strong absorption from the entire visible light region to the near-infrared region beyond 1100 nm. PL spectrum of the as-synthesized CuInS{sub 2} nanorods displays an emission peak centered at 580 nm under excitation wavelength of 366 nm at room temperature. The possible growth mechanism of CuInS{sub 2} nanorods was discussed.« less

Grain boundary misorientations and percolative current paths in high-{ital J}{sub {ital c}} powder-in-tube (Bi,Pb){sub 2}Sr{sub 3}Ca{sub 3}Cu{sub 3}O{sub {ital x}}

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

Goyal, A.; Specht, E.D.; Kroeger, D.M.

1995-05-22

Grain orientations and grain boundary misorientations in high-{ital J}{sub {ital c}}, powder-in-tube (PIT) (Bi,Pb){sub 2}Sr{sub 2}Ca{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub {ital x}} (Bi-2223) were determined using electron backscatter Kikuchi diffraction and x-ray microdiffraction. Data collected from over 113 spatially correlated grains, resulting in 227 grain boundaries, show that over 40% of the boundaries are {Sigma}1 or small angle (less than 15{degree}). In addition, 8% of the boundaries are within the Brandon criterion for CSLs (sigma larger than 1 and less than 50). Grain boundary ``texture maps`` derived from the electron microscope image and orientation data reveal the presence of percolative paths betweenmore » low energy boundaries.« less

Characterization of Yb{sup 3+}:Sr{sub 5{minus}x}Ba{sub x}(PO{sub 4}){sub 3}F crystals for diode pumped lasers

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

Bayramian, A.J.; Marshall, C.D.; Schaffers, K.I.

Ytterbium-doped Sr{sub 5}(PO{sub 4}){sub 3}F (S-FAP) has been shown to be a useful material for diode pumping, since it displays high gain, low loss, and a long radiative lifetime. One of the issues with S-FAP is that it has a relatively narrow absorption bandwidth ({approximately}5 nm) at 900 nm, the diode-pumping wavelength, while the diode`s output bandwidth can be large ({approximately}10 nm). By changing the host slightly, the absorption feature can be broadened to better match the pump bandwidth. Four mixed crystal boules of Yb{sup 3+}:Sr{sub 5{minus}x}Ba{sub x}(PO{sub 4}){sub 3}F were grown by the Czochralski method with x = 0.25,more » 0.5, 1, and 2. The bandwidth of the 900-nm absorption feature was found to grow with increasing barium concentration from 4.7 nm to a maximum of 15.9 nm. Emission spectra showed a similar bandwidth increase with barium content from 4.9 nm to a maximum of 10 nm. Emission cross sections for these materials were deduced by the methods of reciprocity, the Einstein method, and small-signal gain. The absorption feature`s homogeneity was probed using a tunable pump source which qualitatively showed that the barium-broadened lines were at least partly inhomogeneous. Each of these materials lased with a variety of output couplers. This family of materials was found to provide suitable laser hosts where a broader absorption and/or emission bandwidth is desired.« less

Infrared absorption nano-spectroscopy using sample photoexpansion induced by tunable quantum cascade lasers.

PubMed

Lu, Feng; Belkin, Mikhail A

2011-10-10

We report a simple technique that allows obtaining mid-infrared absorption spectra with nanoscale spatial resolution under low-power illumination from tunable quantum cascade lasers. Light absorption is detected by measuring associated sample thermal expansion with an atomic force microscope. To detect minute thermal expansion we tune the repetition frequency of laser pulses in resonance with the mechanical frequency of the atomic force microscope cantilever. Spatial resolution of better than 50 nm is experimentally demonstrated.

Chemical environment of rare earth ions in Ge{sub 28.125}Ga{sub 6.25}S{sub 65.625} glass-ceramics doped with Dy{sup 3+}

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

Wang, Rongping, E-mail: rongping.wang@anu.edu.au; Yan, Kunlun; Luther-Davies, Barry

2015-10-19

We have annealed Ge{sub 28.125}Ga{sub 6.25}S{sub 65.625} glasses doped with 0.5% Dy to create glass-ceramics in order to examine the local chemical environment of the rare earth ions (REI). More than 12 times enhancement of the emission at 2.9 and 3.5 μm was achieved in glass-ceramics produced using prolonged annealing time. Elemental mapping showed clear evidence that Ga{sub 2}S{sub 3} crystalline grains with a size of 50 nm were dispersed in a Ge-S glass matrix in the glass-ceramics, and the REI could only be found near the Ga{sub 2}S{sub 3} crystalline grains. From the unchanged lineshape of the emissions at 2.9 andmore » 3.5 μm and lack of splitting of the absorption peaks, we concluded that the REI were bonded to Ga on the surface of the Ga{sub 2}S{sub 3} crystals.« less

Controlling the sol–gel process of nano-crystalline lithium-mica glass-ceramic by its chemical composition and synthesis parameters

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

Tohidifar, M.R., E-mail: tohidifar@znu.ac.ir; Alizadeh, P.; Aghaei, A.R.

2015-01-15

This paper aims to explore the impact of the parameters such as pH of the system, refluxing temperature, water quantity and chemical composition on the sol–gel synthesis of lithium-mica glass-ceramic nano-powder. The synthesis process was accomplished using two chemical composition formula (Li{sub (1+x)}Mg{sub 3}AlSi{sub 3(1+x)}O{sub 10+6.5x}F{sub 2} and LiMg{sub 3}AlSi{sub 3(1+x)}O{sub 10+6x}F{sub 2}). X-ray diffraction, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area measurement and scanning electron microscopy techniques were applied to evaluate a variety of as-synthesized samples. Consequently, a transparent homogeneous sol was obtained under the conditions as pH ≤ 4, synthesis temperature ≤ 50 °C, and mol ratio of water to chemicals ≤more » 2. The prepared nano-powders under such conditions were in the range of 60–100 nm. The results also revealed that the mica glass-ceramics prepared based on the composition Li{sub (1+x)}Mg{sub 3}AlSi{sub 3(1+x)}O{sub 10+6.5x}F{sub 2} possessed finer powders due to their slow hydrolysis process. Moreover, any reduction in the stoichiometric deviation of lithium mica (x) leads to acquiring finer powders. - Highlights: • A transparent homogeneous sol leads to prepare nanopowders in the range of 60–100 nm. • The particles synthesized at lower temperatures possess finer sizes. • The acquired product which is prepared with excessive water offers larger sizes. • Any reduction in stoichiometric deviation leads to acquiring finer powders. • Taking synthesis composition as Li{sub (1+x)}Mg{sub 3}AlSi{sub 3(1+x)}O{sub 10+6.5x}F{sub 2} offers finer powders.« less

Method to reduce CO.sub.2 to CO using plasmon-enhanced photocatalysis

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

Huber, George W.; Upadhye, Aniruddha A.; Kim, Hyung Ju

Described is a method of reducing CO.sub.2 to CO using visible radiation and plasmonic photocatalysts. The method includes contacting CO.sub.2 with a catalyst, in the presence of H.sub.2, wherein the catalyst has plasmonic photocatalytic reductive activity when exposed to radiation having a wavelength between 380 nm and 780 nm. The catalyst, CO.sub.2, and H.sub.2 are exposed to non-coherent radiation having a wavelength between 380 nm and 780 nm such that the catalyst undergoes surface plasmon resonance. The surface plasmon resonance increases the rate of CO.sub.2 reduction to CO as compared to the rate of CO.sub.2 reduction to CO without surfacemore » plasmon resonance in the catalyst.« less

High spatial resolution detection of low-energy electrons using an event-counting method, application to point projection microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salançon, Evelyne; Degiovanni, Alain; Lapena, Laurent; Morin, Roger

2018-04-01

An event-counting method using a two-microchannel plate stack in a low-energy electron point projection microscope is implemented. 15 μm detector spatial resolution, i.e., the distance between first-neighbor microchannels, is demonstrated. This leads to a 7 times better microscope resolution. Compared to previous work with neutrons [Tremsin et al., Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res., Sect. A 592, 374 (2008)], the large number of detection events achieved with electrons shows that the local response of the detector is mainly governed by the angle between the hexagonal structures of the two microchannel plates. Using this method in point projection microscopy offers the prospect of working with a greater source-object distance (350 nm instead of 50 nm), advancing toward atomic resolution.

Silver electrodeposition on nanostructured gold: from nanodots to nanoripples.

PubMed

Dos Santos Claro, P C; Fonticelli, M; Benítez, G; Azzaroni, O; Schilardi, P L; Luque, N B; Leiva, E; Salvarezza, R C

2006-07-28

Silver nanodots and nanoripples have been grown on nanocavity-patterned polycrystalline Au templates by controlled electrodeposition. The initial step is the growth of a first continuous Ag monolayer followed by preferential deposition at nanocavities. The Ag-coated nanocavities act as preferred sites for instantaneous nucleation and growth of the three-dimensional metallic centres. By controlling the amount of deposited Ag, dots of approximately 50 nm average size and approximately 4 nm average height can be grown with spatial and size distributions dictated by the template. The dots are in a metastable state. Further Ag deposition drives the dot surface structure to nanoripple formation. Results show that electrodeposition on nanopatterned electrodes can be used to prepare a high density of nanostructures with a narrow size distribution and spatial order.

High temperature interfacial superconductivity

DOEpatents

Bozovic, Ivan [Mount Sinai, NY; Logvenov, Gennady [Port Jefferson Station, NY; Gozar, Adrian Mihai [Port Jefferson, NY

2012-06-19

High-temperature superconductivity confined to nanometer-scale interfaces has been a long standing goal because of potential applications in electronic devices. The spontaneous formation of a superconducting interface in bilayers consisting of an insulator (La.sub.2CuO.sub.4) and a metal (La.sub.1-xSr.sub.xCuO.sub.4), neither of which is superconducting per se, is described. Depending upon the layering sequence of the bilayers, T.sub.c may be either .about.15 K or .about.30 K. This highly robust phenomenon is confined to within 2-3 nm around the interface. After exposing the bilayer to ozone, T.sub.c exceeds 50 K and this enhanced superconductivity is also shown to originate from a 1 to 2 unit cell thick interfacial layer. The results demonstrate that engineering artificial heterostructures provides a novel, unconventional way to fabricate stable, quasi two-dimensional high T.sub.c phases and to significantly enhance superconducting properties in other superconductors. The superconducting interface may be implemented, for example, in SIS tunnel junctions or a SuFET.

Femtosecond-laser-written Tm:KLu(WO₄)₂ waveguide lasers.

PubMed

Kifle, Esrom; Mateos, Xavier; de Aldana, Javier Rodríguez Vázquez; Ródenas, Airan; Loiko, Pavel; Choi, Sun Yung; Rotermund, Fabian; Griebner, Uwe; Petrov, Valentin; Aguiló, Magdalena; Díaz, Francesc

2017-03-15

Depressed-index channel waveguides with a circular and photonic crystal cladding structures are prepared in a bulk monoclinic Tm:KLu(WO₄)₂ crystal by 3D direct femtosecond laser writing. The channel waveguide structures are characterized and laser operation is achieved using external mirrors. In the continuous-wave mode, the maximum output power of 46 mW is achieved at 1912 nm corresponding to a slope efficiency of 15.2% and a laser threshold of only 21 mW. Passive Q-switching of a waveguide with a circular cladding is realized using single-walled carbon nanotubes. Stable 7 nJ/50 ns pulses are achieved at a repetition rate of 1.48 MHz. This first demonstration of ∼2  μm fs-laser-written waveguide lasers based on monoclinic double tungstates is promising for further lasers of this type doped with Tm³⁺ and Ho³⁺  ions.

Atmospheric pressure spatial atomic layer deposition web coating with in situ monitoring of film thickness

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

Yersak, Alexander S.; Lee, Yung C.; Spencer, Joseph A.

Spectral reflectometry was implemented as a method for in situ thickness monitoring in a spatial atomic layer deposition (ALD) system. Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} films were grown on a moving polymer web substrate at 100 °C using an atmospheric pressure ALD web coating system, with film growth of 0.11–0.13 nm/cycle. The modular coating head design and the in situ monitoring allowed for the characterization and optimization of the trimethylaluminum and water precursor exposures, purge flows, and web speed. A thickness uniformity of ±2% was achieved across the web. ALD cycle times as low as 76 ms were demonstrated with a web speed of 1 m/smore » and a vertical gap height of 0.5 mm. This atmospheric pressure ALD system with in situ process control demonstrates the feasibility of low-cost, high throughput roll-to-roll ALD.« less

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

Barkaoui, Sami; Haddaoui, Marwa; Dhaouadi, Hassouna, E-mail: dhaouadihassouna@yahoo.fr

Nanostructured tricobalt tetraoxide, Co{sub 3}O{sub 4}, was hydrothermally synthesized starting from cobalt dichloride hexahydrate (CoCl{sub 2}·6H{sub 2}O) and urea (H{sub 2}NCONH{sub 2}) as precursor and polyethylene glycol-400 (PEG-400) as a structure-directing agent. Uniform urchin-like nanostructures were hydrothermally obtained at 150 °C for 16 h, and the Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} morphology did not collapse after a subsequent calcination at 300 °C for 2 h. XRD measurements indicated that the average sizes of Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} particles prior and after heating at 300 °C are 64 and 44 nm, respectively. This material has been successfully used for the nanostructuration of screen-printed carbonmore » electrodes (SPCEs) which were used for the sensitive electrochemical detection of hydrogen peroxide (H{sub 2}O{sub 2}). The sensor is endowed with a large dynamic range (0.1 to 50 µM) and a limit of detection of 0.145 µM. The as obtained results show that the Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanomaterial could be a candidate to be used as sensors for the detection of analytes. - Graphical abstract: The nanowires appear to have a common center and grow to the outside along the radial direction. - Highlights: • Nanostructured was hydrothermally prepared using PEG-400. • Uniform urchin-like Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanostructures were hydrothermally obtained. • X-ray diffraction showed a cubic structure after calcinations process. • Nanostructured Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} was used for the sensitive electrochemical detection of H{sub 2}O{sub 2.} • The sensor is endowed with a large dynamic range 0.1 to 50 µM.« less

Frequency-doubled passively Q-switched microchip laser producing 225  ps pulses at 671  nm.

PubMed

Nikkinen, Jari; Korpijärvi, Ville-Markus; Leino, Iiro; Härkönen, Antti; Guina, Mircea

2016-11-15

We report a 671 nm laser source emitting 225 ps pulses with an average power of 55 mW and a repetition rate of 444 kHz. The system consists of a 1342 nm SESAM Q-switched Nd:YVO₄ microchip master oscillator and a dual-stage Nd:YVO₄ power amplifier. The 1342 nm signal was frequency-doubled to 671 nm using a periodically poled lithium niobate crystal. This laser source provides a practical alternative for applications requiring high energy picosecond pulses, such as time-gated Raman spectroscopy.

Local probing of ionic diffusion by electrochemical strain microscopy: Spatial resolution and signal formation mechanisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morozovska, A. N.; Eliseev, E. A.; Balke, N.; Kalinin, S. V.

2010-09-01

Electrochemical insertion-deintercalation reactions are typically associated with significant change in molar volume of the host compound. This strong coupling between ionic currents and strains underpins image formation mechanisms in electrochemical strain microscopy (ESM), and allows exploring the tip-induced electrochemical processes locally. Here we analyze the signal formation mechanism in ESM, and develop the analytical description of operation in frequency and time domains. The ESM spectroscopic modes are compared to classical electrochemical methods including potentiostatic and galvanostatic intermittent titration, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. This analysis illustrates the feasibility of spatially resolved studies of Li-ion dynamics on the sub-10-nm level using electromechanical detection.

Flip-chip integrated silicon Mach-Zehnder modulator with a 28nm fully depleted silicon-on-insulator CMOS driver.

PubMed

Yong, Zheng; Shopov, Stefan; Mikkelsen, Jared C; Mallard, Robert; Mak, Jason C C; Voinigescu, Sorin P; Poon, Joyce K S

2017-03-20

We present a silicon electro-optic transmitter consisting of a 28nm ultra-thin body and buried oxide fully depleted silicon-on-insulator (UTBB FD-SOI) CMOS driver flip-chip integrated onto a Mach-Zehnder modulator. The Mach-Zehnder silicon optical modulator was optimized to have a 3dB bandwidth of around 25 GHz at -1V bias and a 50 Ω impedance. The UTBB FD-SOI CMOS driver provided a large output voltage swing around 5 V_pp to enable a high dynamic extinction ratio and a low device insertion loss. At 44 Gbps, the transmitter achieved a high extinction ratio of 6.4 dB at the modulator quadrature operation point. This result shows open eye diagrams at the highest bit rates and with the largest extinction ratios for silicon electro-optic transmitter using a CMOS driver.

Effect of capping and particle size on Raman laser-induced degradation of {gamma}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanoparticles

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

Varadwaj, K.S.K.; Panigrahi, M.K.; Ghose, J.

2004-11-01

Diol capped {gamma}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanoparticles are prepared from ferric nitrate by refluxing in 1,4-butanediol (9.5nm) and 1,5-pentanediol (15nm) and uncapped particles are prepared by refluxing in 1,2-propanediol followed by sintering the alkoxide formed. X-ray diffraction (XRD) shows that all the samples have the spinel phase. Raman spectroscopy shows that the samples prepared in 1,4-butanediol and 1,5-pentanediol and 1,2-propanediol (sintered at 573 and 673K) are {gamma}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} and the 773K-sintered sample is Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}. Raman laser studies carried out at various laser powers show that all the samples undergo laser-induced degradation to {alpha}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} at higher lasermore » power. The capped samples are however, found more stable to degradation than the uncapped samples. The stability of {gamma}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} sample with large particle size (15.4nm) is more than the sample with small particle size (10.2nm). Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} having a particle size of 48nm is however less stable than the smaller {gamma}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanoparticles.« less

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

Mufti, Nandang, E-mail: nandangmufti@gmail.com; Atma, T., E-mail: nandangmufti@gmail.com; Fuad, A., E-mail: nandangmufti@gmail.com

The aim of this research is to synthesize nanoparticles of black pigment of Magnetite (Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}), red pigment of hematite (α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}), and yellow pigment of ghoetite (α-FeOOH) from the iron sand. The black pigment of Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} and the yellow pigment α-FeOOH nanoparticles were synthesized by coprecipitation method with variation of pH. Whereas, the red pigment Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} was synthesized by sintering Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles at temperature between 400 °C and 700 7°C for 1 hour. All the pigments has been characterized using X-ray diffraction and SEM. The XRD results shown that the particlemore » size of the black pigmen Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}, red pigment Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} and yellow pigment α-FeOOH are around 12, 32, and 30 nm respectively. The particle size of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanoparticles increase by increasing sintering temperature from 32 nm at 400 °C to 39 nm at 700 °C. For yellow pigment of α-FeOOH, the particle size increase by increasing pH from 30,54 nm at pH 4 to 48,60 nm at pH 7. The SEM results shown that the morphologies of black, yellow and red pigments are aglomarated.« less

Titanate nanotube thin films with enhanced thermal stability and high-transparency prepared from additive-free sols

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

Koroesi, Laszlo, E-mail: korosi@enviroinvest.hu; Department of Biotechnology, Nanophage Therapy Center, Enviroinvest Corporation, Kertvaros utca 2, H-7632 Pecs; Papp, Szilvia

2012-08-15

Titanate nanotubes were synthesized from TiO{sub 2} in alkaline medium by a conventional hydrothermal method (150 Degree-Sign C, 4.7 bar). To obtain hydrogen titanates, the as-prepared sodium titanates were treated with either HCl or H{sub 3}PO{sub 4} aqueous solutions. A simple synthesis procedure was devised for stable titanate nanotube sols without using any additives. These highly stable ethanolic sols can readily be used to prepare transparent titanate nanotube thin films of high quality. The resulting samples were studied by X-ray diffraction, N{sub 2}-sorption measurements, Raman spectroscopy, transmission and scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and spectroscopic ellipsometry. The comparative resultsmore » of using two kinds of acids shed light on the superior thermal stability of the H{sub 3}PO{sub 4}-treated titanate nanotubes (P-TNTs). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that P-TNTs contains P in the near-surface region and the thermal stability was enhanced even at a low ({approx}0.5 at%) concentration of P. After calcination at 500 Degree-Sign C, the specific surface areas of the HCl- and H{sub 3}PO{sub 4}-treated samples were 153 and 244 m{sup 2} g{sup -1}, respectively. The effects of H{sub 3}PO{sub 4} treatment on the structure, morphology and porosity of titanate nanotubes are discussed. - Graphical Abstract: TEM picture (left) shows P-TNTs with diameters about 5-6 nm. Inset shows a stable titanate nanotube sol illuminated by a 532 nm laser beam. Due to the presence of the nanoparticles the way of the light is visible in the sol. Cross sectional SEM picture (right) as well as ellipsometry revealed the formation of optical quality P-TNT films with thicknesses below 50 nm. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer H{sub 3}PO{sub 4} treatment led to TNTs with high surface area even after calcination at 500 Degree-Sign C. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer H{sub 3}PO{sub 4}-treated TNTs preserved their nanotube morphology up to 500 Degree-Sign C. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Stable TNT sols can be prepared by the peptization of TNT gels. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer High-transparency TNT thin films of high quality were fabricated.« less

Luminescence properties of phosphate phosphor Ba{sub 3}Y(PO{sub 4}){sub 3}:Sm{sup 3+}

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

Yang, Fu; Liu, Yufeng, E-mail: liuyufeng4@126.com; Tian, Xiaodong

2015-05-15

A series of reddish orange-emitting phosphate phosphors Ba{sub 3}Y{sub 1−x}(PO{sub 4}){sub 3}:xSm{sup 3+}(0.01≤x≤0.20) were synthesized by solid-state reaction. X-ray diffraction and photoluminescence spectra were utilized to characterize the structure and luminescence properties of as-synthesized phosphors. The optimized phosphors Ba{sub 3}Y{sub 0.95}(PO{sub 4}){sub 3}:0.05Sm{sup 3+} present several excitation bands from 300 to 500 nm, and exhibit intense reddish orange-emitting properties. The energy transfer type between Sm{sup 3+} ions was confirmed as d–d interaction by using Van Uitert model. The chromatic properties of the typical sample Ba{sub 3}Y(PO{sub 4}){sub 3}:0.05Sm{sup 3+} phosphor have been found to have chromaticity coordinates of (0.583, 0.405),more » which are located in reddish orange region under the excitation of 401 nm. These results indicated that Ba{sub 3}Y(PO{sub 4}){sub 3}:Sm{sup 3+} phosphors have potential applications in the field of lighting and display due to their effective excitation in the near-ultraviolet range. - Graphical abstract: The color coordinates for 5 mol% Sm{sup 3+} doped Ba{sub 3}Y(PO{sub 4}){sub 3} phosphor were calculated to be (0.583, 0.405), which are located in reddish orange region under the excitation of 401 nm. The peaks of Ba{sub 3}Y{sub 0.95}(PO{sub 4}){sub 3}:0.05Sm{sup 3+} phosphor with the highest emission intensity at 600 nm are broader than those of Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}:Eu{sup 3+} and Y{sub 2}O{sub 2}S:Eu{sup 3+} phosphors. All these characteristics suggest that Ba{sub 3}Y(PO{sub 4}){sub 3}:Sm{sup 3+} phosphors are suitable for near-UV (370–410 nm) excitation and can be applicable to near UV-based WLEDs. ▪ - Highlights: • Different concentration Sm{sup 3+}-doped Ba{sub 3}Y(PO{sub 4}){sub 3} phosphors were fabricated by solid state method. • The optimized phosphors present the several excitation bands from 300 to 500 nm. • The Ba{sub 3}Y(PO{sub 4}){sub 3}:Sm{sup 3+} shows bright reddish orange emissions under 401 nm excitation.« less

Thermite combustion enhancement resulting from biomodal luminum distribution

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

Moore, K. M.; Pantoya, M.; Son, S. F.

2004-01-01

In recent years many studies that incorporated nano-scale or ultrafine aluminum (Al) as part of an energetic formulation and demonstrated significant performance enhancement. Decreasing the fuel particle size from the micron to nanometer range alters the material's chemical and thermal-physical properties. The result is increased particle reactivity that translates to an increase in the combustion wave speed and ignition sensitivity. Little is known, however, about the critical level of nano-sized fuel particles needed to enhance the performance of the energetic composite. Ignition sensitivity and combustion wave speed experiments were performed using a thermite composite of Al and MoO{sub 3} pressedmore » to a theoretical maximum density of 50% (2 g/cm{sup 3}). A bimodal Al particle size distribution was prepared using 4 or 20 {mu}m Al fuel particles that were replaced in 10% increments by 80 nm Al particles until the fuel was 100% 80 nm Al. These bimodal distributions allow the unique characteristics of nano-scale materials to be better understood. The pellets were ignited using a 50W CO{sub 2} laser. High speed imaging diagnostics were used to measure the ignition delay time and combustion wave speed.« less

The effect of Eu{sup 2+} doping concentration on luminescence properties of Sr{sub 3}B{sub 2}O{sub 6}:Eu{sup 2+} yellow phosphor

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

Song, Yue; Liu, Quansheng, E-mail: liuqs@cust.edu.cn; School of Physics, JiLin University, No. 2699 Qianjin Street, Changchun 130012

2013-10-15

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • The concentration quenching mechanism of Sr{sub 3}B{sub 2}O{sub 6}:Eu{sup 2+}can be interpreted by the dipole–dipole (d–d) interaction of Eu{sup 2+} ions. • The average electronegativity of O{sup 2−} ions located around Eu{sup 2+} ion is 1.9991 eV. • The optimum concentration of Eu{sup 2+} ions in Sr{sub 3}B{sub 2}O{sub 6} is 7 mol%. • Sr{sub 3}B{sub 2}O{sub 6}:Eu{sup 2+} is a hexagonal crystal structure. - Abstract: The Sr{sub 3}B{sub 2}O{sub 6}:Eu{sup 2+} yellow phosphors were synthesized by high-temperature solid state reaction method. The crystal structure and optical properties of the Sr{sub 3}B{sub 2}O{sub 6}:Eu{sup 2+}more » phosphor was studied. Results indicate that Sr{sub 3}B{sub 2}O{sub 6}:Eu{sup 2+} has a hexagonal crystal structure. The excitation spectrum indicates that this phosphor can be effectively excited by ultraviolet light of near 390 nm and blue light of 460 nm. The emission spectrum shows a intense broad band spectrum peaking at 566 nm, which corresponds to the 4f{sup 6}({sup 7}F)5d ({sup 2}e{sub g})→{sup 8}S{sub 7/2} (4f{sup 7})transition of Eu{sup 2+} ion. The excitation spectrum is a broad asymmetric excitation band extending from 300 nm to 500 nm and the main excitation peak is at 468 nm. The average electronegativity of O{sup 2−} ions located around Eu{sup 2+} ion is 1.9991 eV. The optimum concentration of Eu{sup 2+} is 7 mol%. The concentration quenching mechanism can be interpreted by the dipole–dipole (d–d) interaction of Eu{sup 2+} ions.« less

Stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy-based relative localization analysis (STORM-RLA) for quantitative nanoscale assessment of spatial protein organization.

PubMed

Veeraraghavan, Rengasayee; Gourdie, Robert G

2016-11-07

The spatial association between proteins is crucial to understanding how they function in biological systems. Colocalization analysis of fluorescence microscopy images is widely used to assess this. However, colocalization analysis performed on two-dimensional images with diffraction-limited resolution merely indicates that the proteins are within 200-300 nm of each other in the xy-plane and within 500-700 nm of each other along the z-axis. Here we demonstrate a novel three-dimensional quantitative analysis applicable to single-molecule positional data: stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy-based relative localization analysis (STORM-RLA). This method offers significant advantages: 1) STORM imaging affords 20-nm resolution in the xy-plane and <50 nm along the z-axis; 2) STORM-RLA provides a quantitative assessment of the frequency and degree of overlap between clusters of colabeled proteins; and 3) STORM-RLA also calculates the precise distances between both overlapping and nonoverlapping clusters in three dimensions. Thus STORM-RLA represents a significant advance in the high-throughput quantitative assessment of the spatial organization of proteins. © 2016 Veeraraghavan and Gourdie. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). Two months after publication it is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

IF-WS{sub 2} nanoparticles size design and synthesis via chemical reduction

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

Ghoreishi, S.M., E-mail: ghoreshi@cc.iut.ac.ir; Meshkat, S.S.; Dadkhah, A.A.

2010-05-15

An innovative synthesis of inorganic fullerene-like disulfide tungsten (IF-WS{sub 2}) nanoparticles was developed using a chemical reduction reaction in a horizontal quartz reactor. In this process, first tungsten trisulfide (WS{sub 3}) was formed via a chemical reaction of tetra thiotungstate ammonium ((NH{sub 4}){sub 2}WS{sub 4}), polyethylene glycol (PEG), and hydrochloric acid (HCl) at ambient temperature and pressure. Subsequently, WS{sub 3} was reacted with hydrogen (H{sub 2}) at high temperature (1173-1373 K) in a quartz tube. The produced WS{sub 2} nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDAX), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Themore » characterization results indicated that the high-purity (100%) IF-WS{sub 2} nanoparticles were produced. Moreover, addition of surfactant (PEG) and higher operating temperature (1173-1373 K) decreased the particles agglomeration, and consequently led to the reduction of average diameter of WS{sub 2} particles in the range of 50-78 nm. The developed method is simple, environmentally compatible, and cost-effective in contrast to the conventional techniques.« less

Ultrabroadband infrared nanospectroscopic imaging

PubMed Central

Bechtel, Hans A.; Muller, Eric A.; Olmon, Robert L.; Martin, Michael C.; Raschke, Markus B.

2014-01-01

Characterizing and ultimately controlling the heterogeneity underlying biomolecular functions, quantum behavior of complex matter, photonic materials, or catalysis requires large-scale spectroscopic imaging with simultaneous specificity to structure, phase, and chemical composition at nanometer spatial resolution. However, as with any ultrahigh spatial resolution microscopy technique, the associated demand for an increase in both spatial and spectral bandwidth often leads to a decrease in desired sensitivity. We overcome this limitation in infrared vibrational scattering-scanning probe near-field optical microscopy using synchrotron midinfrared radiation. Tip-enhanced localized light–matter interaction is induced by low-noise, broadband, and spatially coherent synchrotron light of high spectral irradiance, and the near-field signal is sensitively detected using heterodyne interferometric amplification. We achieve sub-40-nm spatially resolved, molecular, and phonon vibrational spectroscopic imaging, with rapid spectral acquisition, spanning the full midinfrared (700–5,000 cm−1) with few cm−1 spectral resolution. We demonstrate the performance of synchrotron infrared nanospectroscopy on semiconductor, biomineral, and protein nanostructures, providing vibrational chemical imaging with subzeptomole sensitivity. PMID:24803431

Upconversion emission study of Er{sup 3+} doped CaMoO{sub 4} phosphor

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

Sinha, Shriya, E-mail: Shriya.sinha6@gmail.com; Mahata, Manoj Kumar; Kumar, Kaushal

2016-05-06

The infrared to visible upconversion emission in Er{sup 3+} doped CaMoO{sub 4} phosphor has been investigated upon 980 nm diode laser excitation. The X-ray diffraction analysis reveals well crystalline nature and tetragonal phase structure of the prepared phosphor annealed at 800 °C. The Er{sup 3+} doped CaMoO{sub 4} phosphor has shown intense green upconversion emission upon 980 nm didode laser excitation. The green emission bands at 530 nm and 552 nm corresponds to the {sup 2}H{sub 11/2}→{sup 4}I{sub 15/2} and {sup 4}S{sub 3/2}→{sup 4}I{sub 15/2} electronic transitions, respectively of Er{sup 3+} ion. The very weak red emission band around 656more » nm is assigned to the {sup 4}F{sub 9/2}→{sup 4}I{sub 15/2} transition of Er{sup 3+} ion. The CIE color coordinate exhibits the emission color in intense green region, indicating the use of present phosphor in display device applications.« less

Femtosecond laser induced periodic surface structures on multi-layer graphene

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

Beltaos, Angela, E-mail: abeltaos@ualberta.ca; Kovačević, Aleksander G.; Matković, Aleksandar

2014-11-28

In this work, we present an observation of laser induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) on graphene. LIPSS on other materials have been observed for nearly 50 years, but until now, not on graphene. Our findings for LIPSS on multi-layer graphene were consistent with previous reports of LIPSS on other materials, thus classifying them as high spatial frequency LIPSS. LIPSS on multi-layer graphene were generated in an air environment by a linearly polarized femtosecond laser with excitation wavelength λ of 840 nm, pulse duration τ of ∼150 fs, and a fluence F of ∼4.3–4.4 mJ/cm{sup 2}. The observed LIPSS were perpendicular tomore » the laser polarization and had dimensions of width w of ∼30–40 nm and length l of ∼0.5–1.5 μm, and spatial periods Λ of ∼70–100 nm (∼λ/8–λ/12), amongst the smallest of spatial periods reported for LIPSS on other materials. The spatial period and width of the LIPSS were shown to decrease for an increased number of laser shots. The experimental results support the leading theory behind high spatial frequency LIPSS formation, implying the involvement of surface plasmon polaritons. This work demonstrates a new way to pattern multi-layer graphene in a controllable manner, promising for a variety of emerging graphene/LIPSS applications.« less

Design of a portable optical emission tomography system for microwave induced compact plasma for visible to near-infrared emission lines

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

Rathore, Kavita, E-mail: kavira@iitk.ac.in, E-mail: pmunshi@iitk.ac.in, E-mail: sudeepb@iitk.ac.in; Munshi, Prabhat, E-mail: kavira@iitk.ac.in, E-mail: pmunshi@iitk.ac.in, E-mail: sudeepb@iitk.ac.in; Bhattacharjee, Sudeep, E-mail: kavira@iitk.ac.in, E-mail: pmunshi@iitk.ac.in, E-mail: sudeepb@iitk.ac.in

A new non-invasive diagnostic system is developed for Microwave Induced Plasma (MIP) to reconstruct tomographic images of a 2D emission profile. A compact MIP system has wide application in industry as well as research application such as thrusters for space propulsion, high current ion beams, and creation of negative ions for heating of fusion plasma. Emission profile depends on two crucial parameters, namely, the electron temperature and density (over the entire spatial extent) of the plasma system. Emission tomography provides basic understanding of plasmas and it is very useful to monitor internal structure of plasma phenomena without disturbing its actualmore » processes. This paper presents development of a compact, modular, and versatile Optical Emission Tomography (OET) tool for a cylindrical, magnetically confined MIP system. It has eight slit-hole cameras and each consisting of a complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor linear image sensor for light detection. The optical noise is reduced by using aspheric lens and interference band-pass filters in each camera. The entire cylindrical plasma can be scanned with automated sliding ring mechanism arranged in fan-beam data collection geometry. The design of the camera includes a unique possibility to incorporate different filters to get the particular wavelength light from the plasma. This OET system includes selected band-pass filters for particular argon emission 750 nm, 772 nm, and 811 nm lines and hydrogen emission H{sub α} (656 nm) and H{sub β} (486 nm) lines. Convolution back projection algorithm is used to obtain the tomographic images of plasma emission line. The paper mainly focuses on (a) design of OET system in detail and (b) study of emission profile for 750 nm argon emission lines to validate the system design.« less

The development of a super-fine-grained nuclear emulsion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asada, Takashi; Naka, Tatsuhiro; Kuwabara, Ken-ichi; Yoshimoto, Masahiro

2017-06-01

A nuclear emulsion with micronized crystals is required for the tracking detection of submicron ionizing particles, which are one of the targets of dark-matter detection and other techniques. We found that a new production method, called the PVA—gelatin mixing method (PGMM), could effectively control crystal size from 20 nm to 50 nm. We called the two types of emulsion produced with the new method the nano imaging tracker and the ultra-nano imaging tracker. Their composition and spatial resolution were measured, and the results indicate that these emulsions detect extremely short tracks.

Spatiospectral Analysis of Accelerated Protons from Sub-Micron Liquid Crystal Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Willis, Christopher; Poole, Patrick; Cochran, Ginevra; van Woerkom, Linn; Schumacher, Douglass

2017-10-01

Recent studies on ion acceleration have trended towards ultra-thin (<1 μm) targets due to improved ion energies and yields from these targets. As discussed here, ultra-thin targets may exhibit unusual spatial distributions in the accelerated ions, such that ion spectrometer data may not be representative of the overall distribution. More complete characterization of the ions requires spectral unfolding of radiochromic film (RCF) data, yielding spatially dependent spectra. Spatiospectral data will be presented from several experiments using sub-micron liquid crystal film targets at the Scarlet (OSU), Texas Petawatt (UT, Austin) and PHELIX (GSI, Darmstadt) laser facilities, including evidence of >75 MeV protons from 300 nm films at PHELIX. Analysis of RCF data is supported by Monte-Carlo modeling of RCF response to ions and electrons using FLUKA. Trends in the resulting ion distributions will be discussed including spatially varying slope temperature and observation of annular ring features at moderate ion energies on many shots. This material is based upon work supported by the AFOSR under award FA9550-14-1-0085, by the DARPA PULSE program through a Grant from AMRDEC, and by the NNSA under contract DE-NA0003107.

Performance evaluation of nonchemically amplified negative tone photoresists for e-beam and EUV lithography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Vikram; Satyanarayana, Vardhineedi Sri Venkata; Batina, Nikola; Reyes, Israel Morales; Sharma, Satinder K.; Kessler, Felipe; Scheffer, Francine R.; Weibel, Daniel E.; Ghosh, Subrata; Gonsalves, Kenneth E.

2014-10-01

Although extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography is being considered as one of the most promising next-generation lithography techniques for patterning sub-20 nm features, the development of suitable EUV resists remains one of the main challenges confronting the semiconductor industry. The goal is to achieve sub-20 nm line patterns having low line edge roughness (LER) of <1.8 nm and a sensitivity of 5 to 20 mJ/cm2. The present work demonstrates the lithographic performance of two nonchemically amplified (n-CARs) negative photoresists, MAPDST homopolymer and MAPDST-MMA copolymer, prepared from suitable monomers containing the radiation sensitive sulfonium functionality. Investigations into the effect of several process parameters are reported. These include spinning conditions to obtain film thicknesses <50 nm, baking regimes, exposure conditions, and the resulting surface topographies. The effect of these protocols on sensitivity, contrast, and resolution has been assessed for the optimization of 20 nm features and the corresponding LER/line width roughness. These n-CARs have also been found to possess high etch resistance. The etch durability of MAPDST homopolymer and MAPDST-MMA copolymer (under SF6 plasma chemistry) with respect to the silicon substrate are 7.2∶1 and 8.3∶1, respectively. This methodical investigation will provide guidance in designing new resist materials with improved efficiency for EUVL through polymer microstructure engineering.

Amorphous iron–chromium oxide nanoparticles with long-term stability

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

Iacob, Mihail; Institute of Chemistry of ASM, Academiei str. 3, Chisinau 2028, Republic of Moldova; Cazacu, Maria, E-mail: mcazacu@icmpp.ro

2015-05-15

Highlights: • Fe–Cr oxide nanoparticles with pre-established metals ratio were obtained. • The amorphous state and its long-term stability were highlighted by X-ray diffraction. • The average diameter of dried nanoparticles was 3.5 nm, as was estimated by TEM, AFM. • In hexane dispersion, nanoparticles with diameter in the range 2.33–4.85 nm were found. • Superparamagnetic state of NPs co-exists with diamagnetism of the organic layer. - Abstract: Iron–chromium nanoparticles (NPs) were obtained through the thermal decomposition of μ{sub 3}-oxo heterotrinuclear (FeCr{sub 2}O) acetate in the presence of sunflower oil and dodecylamine (DA) as surfactants. The average diameter of themore » NPs was 3.5 nm, as estimated on the basis of transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy images. Both techniques revealed the formation of roughly approximated spheres with some irregularities and agglomerations in larger spherical assemblies of 50–100 nm. In hexane, NPs with diameters in the 2.33–4.85 nm range are individually dispersed, as emphasized by dynamic light scattering measurements. The amorphous nature of the product was emphasized by X-ray powder diffraction. The study of the magnetic properties shows the presence of superparamagnetic state of iron–chromium oxide NPs and the diamagnetic contribution from DA layer forming a shell of NPs.« less

Synthesis of TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles by self-assembling reverse micelle cores of PS-b-PAA for functional textile applications

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

Akpolat, Leyla Budama; Çakır, Burçin Acar; Topel, Önder, E-mail: ondertopel@akdeniz.edu.tr

2015-04-15

Highlights: • TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles were synthesized within poly(styrene)-b-poly(acrylic acid) micelles. • The copolymer solution including nano TiO{sub 2} was coated onto textile fabrics. • UV-protective factor of nano TiO{sub 2} coated fabrics was estimated as 50+. • Nano TiO{sub 2} coated fabrics was found to exhibit a high photocatalytic activity. - Abstract: Titanium dioxide (i.e., titanium(IV) oxide, TiO{sub 2}) nanoparticles have been fabricated using a copolymer templating technique in micellar solution of poly(styrene)-block-poly(acrylic acid), PS(10912)-b-PAA(4842) synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The size and morphology of the synthesized TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles have been characterized via TEM and XRDmore » measurements. The average size of TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles was determined as 13 ± 3 and 13 ± 4 nm for titanium:copolymer ratios of 20:1 and 33:1, respectively. The copolymer solution including nano TiO{sub 2} particles has been coated onto textile fabrics to enhance their UV-blocking and self-cleaning properties. It has been determined that nano TiO{sub 2} coated textile fabrics have very good UV-blocking properties with 50+ of the ultraviolet protecting factor (UPF) and high photocatalytic efficiency with 69.2% of the photodegradation of methylene blue.« less

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

Nagpure, I. M., E-mail: indrajitnagpure@gmail.com; Painuly, Deepshikha; Rabanal, Maria Eugenia

The various composition of ZnAlQ{sub 5} such as Zn{sub 1.5}A{sub 10.5}Q{sub 5}, Zn{sub 1}Al{sub 1}Q{sub 5}, Zn{sub 0.5}Al{sub 1.5}Q{sub 5} organic phosphors were prepared via simple cost effective co-precipitation method. The FTIR, SEM, photoluminescence analysis of the prepared phosphors were reported. ZnQ{sub 2} and AlQ{sub 3} were also prepared by similar method and their properties were compared with different composition of ZnAlQ{sub 5}. The structural elucidation in the form of stretching frequencies of chemical bonds of the prepared phosphor was carried out using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The stretching frequency analysis confirms the formation of prepared phosphor materials. Themore » SEM analysis shows the surface morphological behavior of prepared phosphor materials. Greenish photoluminescence were observed at 505 to 510 nm for the different composition of ZnAlQ{sub 5},in which Zn{sub 1.5}Al{sub 0.5}Q{sub 5} shows maximum luminescence intensity at 505 nm. PL emission of ZnQ{sub 2} was observed at 515 nm, while for AlQ{sub 3} at 520 nm. The blue shift of 10 nm was observed in Zn{sub 1.5}A{sub 10.5}Q{sub 5} due to modification of energy level due to presence of Zn{sup 2+} and Al{sup 3+}. The enhancement in PL intensity was observed in Zn{sub 1.5}A{sub 10.5}Q{sub 5} compared to the other composition due to transfer of energy between Zn{sup 2+} and quinolate complex. Optical properties of the prepared materials were evaluated for possible applications in organic light emitting devices (OLED).« less

Synthesis and characterization of a new family of alkylammonium–chromium phosphates with worm-like morphology

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

Amghouz, Zakariae, E-mail: amghouz.uo@uniovi.es; Departamento de Química Orgánica e Inorgánica, Universidad de Oviedo-CINN, 33006 Oviedo; Espina, Aránzazu

A series of layered alkylammonium–chromium phosphates, formulated as [C{sub n}H{sub 2n+1}NH{sub 3}]Cr(OH)PO{sub 4} (n=2–6), has been synthesized under hydrothermal conditions. The interlayer spacing, increasing linearly with the increase of alkyl-chain length from 13.61 Å (n=2) to 21.20 Å (n=6), is occupied by a double sheet of packed amine molecules with a tilt angle of ca. 51° respect to the inorganic sheet. The powders are constituted by circular plates (diameter=0.5–3 µm, thickness=∼50 nm) with central holes when n=4–6, stacked in axial direction showing worm-like morphologies. The presence of holes, and some corrugated and zig-zag fashions observed on the edge of thinmore » circular plates are the most probable ways for the reduction of the steric tensions between organic and inorganic portions in these hybrid materials. The thermal and thermo-oxidative stability of selected compounds have been studied, including the determination of activation energy data for the decomposition processes. - Graphical abstract: A novel series of layered alkylammonium–chromium phosphates, [C{sub n}H{sub 2n+1}NH{sub 3}]Cr(OH)PO{sub 4} (n=2–6), was obtained and characterized. The interlayer spacing, increasing linearly with the increase of alkyl-chain length, is occupied by a double sheet of packed amine molecules. The powders are constituted by circular plates (diameter=0.5–3 µm, thickness=∼50 nm) with central holes when n=4–6, stacked in axial direction showing worm-like morphologies. - Highlights: • A series of alkylammonium–chromium phosphates has been obtained by the hydrothermal method. • The interlayer spacing increases linearly with the increase of alkyl-chain length. • The interlayer spacing is occupied by a double sheet of packed amine molecules. • The powders are constituted by stacked circular plates showing wormlike morphology. • Thermal behaviour depends on the atmosphere used and the intercalated amine.« less

(Anti)estrogenic effects of phytochemicals on human primary mammary fibroblasts, MCF-7 cells and their co-culture

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

Meeuwen, J.A. van; Korthagen, N.; Jong, P.C. de

In the public opinion, phytochemicals (PCs) present in the human diet are often considered beneficial (e.g. by preventing breast cancer). Two possible mechanisms that could modulate tumor growth are via interaction with the estrogen receptor (ER) and inhibition of aromatase (CYP19). Multiple in vitro studies confirmed that these compounds act estrogenic, thus potentially induce tumor growth, as well as aromatase inhibitory, thus potentially reduce tumor growth. It is thought that in the in vivo situation breast epithelial (tumor) cells communicate with surrounding connective tissue by means of cytokines, prostaglandins and estradiol forming a complex feedback mechanism. Recently our laboratory developedmore » an in vitro co-culture model of healthy mammary fibroblasts and MCF-7 cells that (at least partly) simulated this feedback mechanism (M. Heneweer et al., TAAP vol. 202(1): 50-58, 2005). In the present study biochanin A, chrysin, naringenin, apigenin, genistein and quercetin were studied for their estrogenic properties (cell proliferation, pS2 mRNA) and aromatase inhibition in MCF-7 breast tumor cells, healthy mammary fibroblasts and their co-culture. The proliferative potency of these compounds in the MCF-7 cells derived from their EC{sub 50}s decreased in the following order: estadiol (4*10{sup -3} nM) > biochanin A (9 nM) > genistein (32 nM) > testosterone (46 nM) > naringenin (287 nM) > apigenin (440 nM) > chrysin (4 {mu}M). The potency to inhibit aromatase derived from their IC{sub 50}s decreased in the following order: chrysin (1.5 {mu}M) > naringenin (2.2 {mu}M) > genistein (3.6 {mu}M) > apigenin (4.1 {mu}M) > biochanin A (25 {mu}M) > quercetin (30 {mu}M). The results of these studies show that these PCs can induce cell proliferation or inhibit aromatase in the same concentration range (1-10 {mu}M). Results from co-cultures did not elucidate the dominant effect of these compounds. MCF-7 cell proliferation occurs at concentrations that are not uncommon in blood of individuals using food supplements. Results also indicate that estrogenicity of these PCs is quantitatively more sensitive than aromatase inhibition. It is suggested that perhaps a more cautionary approach should be taken for these PCs before taken as food supplements.« less

Room temperature magnetoelectric coupling in BaTi{sub 1−x}Cr{sub x}O{sub 3} multiferroic thin films

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

Sundararaj, Anuraj; Chandrasekaran, Gopalakrishnan, E-mail: hod.nano@ktr.srmuniv.ac.in; Therese, Helen Annal

2016-01-14

We report on room temperature (RT) magnetoelectric coupling in tetragonal BaTi{sub 1−x}Cr{sub x}O{sub 3} thin film multiferroics (BTCO) sputter deposited on (100) SrTiO{sub 3} (where x = 0.005, 0.01, 0.02, and 0.03). As-deposited thin films are vacuum annealed by electron beam rapid thermal annealing technique. 50 nm thick BTCO with “x = 0.01” shows RT ferromagnetic and ferroelectric response with saturation magnetic moment of 1120 emu/cc and polarization of 14.7 microcoulomb/cm{sup 2}. Piezoresponse/magnetic force microscope images shows RT magnetoelectric coupling in BTCO with “x = 0.01,” which is confirmed using magnetocapacitance measurement where an increase in capacitance from 17.5 pF to 18.4 pF is observed with an applied magneticmore » field.« less

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

Tsai, Mu-Tsun, E-mail: mttsai@ms23.hinet.net; Chang, Yee-Shin; Chou, You-Hsin

A blue-emitting phosphor of titanium-doped zinc spinel (ZnAl{sub 2}O{sub 4}:Ti; Ti=0–6.0 mol% in relation to Al) nanopowders was prepared by a simple sol–gel method. On annealing at 1000 °C, single-phase ZnAl{sub 2}O{sub 4}:Ti powders had primary particles of 25–30 nm in size and most Ti ions in the form of Ti{sup 4+}. Under UV excitation at 280 nm, a strong and broad blue emission centered at 435 nm was observed. The sources of the excitation and emission were assigned to the charge-transfer excitation and recombination between O{sup 2–}–Ti{sup 4+} and Ti{sup 3+}–O{sup –} ion pairs. Optimum brightness occurred at amore » doping of 2.0 mol% Ti. The decay lifetime of ZnAl{sub 2}O{sub 4}:2%Ti was calculated to be 3.0 ms for the blue emission with CIE coordinates of x=0.168 and y=0.153. The results suggest that ZnAl{sub 2}O{sub 4}:Ti is a promising candidate for application as a blue component phosphor for UV-converting white light-emitting diodes. - Graphical abstract: The absorption band around 270 nm is associated with the charge-transfer processes between octahedral Ti{sup 4+} and O{sup 2−} ions. The excitation band around 280 nm corresponds to the charge-transfer excitations from O{sup 2–}(2p){sup 6} electrons to Ti{sup 4+} (3d{sup 0}). Under 280 nm excitation, the PL spectrum shows a strong blue emission with a peak at around 435 nm. - Highlights: • Single-phase ZnAl{sub 2}O{sub 4}:Ti nanocrystals have been synthesized by a sol–gel process. • Under UV excitation at 280 nm, the blue emission centered at 435 nm is observed. • Blue emission is attributed to a charge-transfer transition involving the Ti{sup 4+} ions.« less

Dissecting the actin cortex density and membrane-cortex distance in living cells by super-resolution microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clausen, M. P.; Colin-York, H.; Schneider, F.; Eggeling, C.; Fritzsche, M.

2017-02-01

Nanoscale spacing between the plasma membrane and the underlying cortical actin cytoskeleton profoundly modulates cellular morphology, mechanics, and function. Measuring this distance has been a key challenge in cell biology. Current methods for dissecting the nanoscale spacing either limit themselves to complex survey design using fixed samples or rely on diffraction-limited fluorescence imaging whose spatial resolution is insufficient to quantify distances on the nanoscale. Using dual-color super-resolution STED (stimulated-emission-depletion) microscopy, we here overcome this challenge and accurately measure the density distribution of the cortical actin cytoskeleton and the distance between the actin cortex and the membrane in live Jurkat T-cells. We found an asymmetric cortical actin density distribution with a mean width of 230 (+105/-125) nm. The spatial distances measured between the maximum density peaks of the cortex and the membrane were bi-modally distributed with mean values of 50  ±  15 nm and 120  ±  40 nm, respectively. Taken together with the finite width of the cortex, our results suggest that in some regions the cortical actin is closer than 10 nm to the membrane and a maximum of 20 nm in others.

Study of silicon doped with zinc ions and annealed in oxygen

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

Privezentsev, V. V., E-mail: v.privezentsev@mail.ru; Kirilenko, E. P.; Goryachev, A. N.

2017-02-15

The results of studies of the surface layer of silicon and the formation of precipitates in Czochralski n-Si (100) samples implanted with {sup 64}Zn{sup +} ions with an energy of 50 keV and a dose of 5 × 10{sup 16} cm{sup –2} at room temperature and then oxidized at temperatures from 400 to 900°C are reported. The surface is visualized using an electron microscope, while visualization of the surface layer is conducted via profiling in depth by elemental mapping using Auger electron spectroscopy. The distribution of impurity ions in silicon is analyzed using a time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometer. Using X-raymore » photoelectron spectroscopy, the chemical state of atoms of the silicon matrix and zinc and oxygen impurity atoms is studied, and the phase composition of the implanted and annealed samples is refined. After the implantation of zinc, two maxima of the zinc concentration, one at the wafer surface and the other at a depth of 70 nm, are observed. In this case, nanoparticles of the Zn metal phase and ZnO phase, about 10 nm in dimensions, are formed at the surface and in the surface layer. After annealing in oxygen, the ZnO · Zn{sub 2}SiO{sub 4} and Zn · ZnO phases are detected near the surface and at a depth of 50 nm, respectively.« less

The Magnetospheric Constellation Mission. Dynamic Response and Coupling Observatory (DRACO): Understanding the Global Dynamics of the Structured Magnetotail

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

Magnetospheric Constellation Dynamic Response and Coupling Observatory (DRACO) is the Solar Terrestrial Probe (STP) designed to understand the nonlinear dynamics, responses, and connections within the Earth's structured magnetotail, using a constellation of approximately 50 to 100 distributed vector measurement spacecraft. DRACO will reveal magnetotail processes operating within a domain extending 20 Earth radii (R(sub E)) across the tail and 40 R(sub E)down the tail, on spatial and time scales accessible to global circulation models, i.e., approximately 2 R(sub E) and 10 seconds.

Towards improved parameterization of a macroscale hydrologic model in a discontinuous permafrost boreal forest ecosystem

DOE PAGES

Endalamaw, Abraham; Bolton, W. Robert; Young-Robertson, Jessica M.; ...

2017-09-14

Modeling hydrological processes in the Alaskan sub-arctic is challenging because of the extreme spatial heterogeneity in soil properties and vegetation communities. Nevertheless, modeling and predicting hydrological processes is critical in this region due to its vulnerability to the effects of climate change. Coarse-spatial-resolution datasets used in land surface modeling pose a new challenge in simulating the spatially distributed and basin-integrated processes since these datasets do not adequately represent the small-scale hydrological, thermal, and ecological heterogeneity. The goal of this study is to improve the prediction capacity of mesoscale to large-scale hydrological models by introducing a small-scale parameterization scheme, which bettermore » represents the spatial heterogeneity of soil properties and vegetation cover in the Alaskan sub-arctic. The small-scale parameterization schemes are derived from observations and a sub-grid parameterization method in the two contrasting sub-basins of the Caribou Poker Creek Research Watershed (CPCRW) in Interior Alaska: one nearly permafrost-free (LowP) sub-basin and one permafrost-dominated (HighP) sub-basin. The sub-grid parameterization method used in the small-scale parameterization scheme is derived from the watershed topography. We found that observed soil thermal and hydraulic properties – including the distribution of permafrost and vegetation cover heterogeneity – are better represented in the sub-grid parameterization method than the coarse-resolution datasets. Parameters derived from the coarse-resolution datasets and from the sub-grid parameterization method are implemented into the variable infiltration capacity (VIC) mesoscale hydrological model to simulate runoff, evapotranspiration (ET), and soil moisture in the two sub-basins of the CPCRW. Simulated hydrographs based on the small-scale parameterization capture most of the peak and low flows, with similar accuracy in both sub-basins, compared to simulated hydrographs based on the coarse-resolution datasets. On average, the small-scale parameterization scheme improves the total runoff simulation by up to 50 % in the LowP sub-basin and by up to 10 % in the HighP sub-basin from the large-scale parameterization. This study shows that the proposed sub-grid parameterization method can be used to improve the performance of mesoscale hydrological models in the Alaskan sub-arctic watersheds.« less

Towards improved parameterization of a macroscale hydrologic model in a discontinuous permafrost boreal forest ecosystem

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

Endalamaw, Abraham; Bolton, W. Robert; Young-Robertson, Jessica M.

Modeling hydrological processes in the Alaskan sub-arctic is challenging because of the extreme spatial heterogeneity in soil properties and vegetation communities. Nevertheless, modeling and predicting hydrological processes is critical in this region due to its vulnerability to the effects of climate change. Coarse-spatial-resolution datasets used in land surface modeling pose a new challenge in simulating the spatially distributed and basin-integrated processes since these datasets do not adequately represent the small-scale hydrological, thermal, and ecological heterogeneity. The goal of this study is to improve the prediction capacity of mesoscale to large-scale hydrological models by introducing a small-scale parameterization scheme, which bettermore » represents the spatial heterogeneity of soil properties and vegetation cover in the Alaskan sub-arctic. The small-scale parameterization schemes are derived from observations and a sub-grid parameterization method in the two contrasting sub-basins of the Caribou Poker Creek Research Watershed (CPCRW) in Interior Alaska: one nearly permafrost-free (LowP) sub-basin and one permafrost-dominated (HighP) sub-basin. The sub-grid parameterization method used in the small-scale parameterization scheme is derived from the watershed topography. We found that observed soil thermal and hydraulic properties – including the distribution of permafrost and vegetation cover heterogeneity – are better represented in the sub-grid parameterization method than the coarse-resolution datasets. Parameters derived from the coarse-resolution datasets and from the sub-grid parameterization method are implemented into the variable infiltration capacity (VIC) mesoscale hydrological model to simulate runoff, evapotranspiration (ET), and soil moisture in the two sub-basins of the CPCRW. Simulated hydrographs based on the small-scale parameterization capture most of the peak and low flows, with similar accuracy in both sub-basins, compared to simulated hydrographs based on the coarse-resolution datasets. On average, the small-scale parameterization scheme improves the total runoff simulation by up to 50 % in the LowP sub-basin and by up to 10 % in the HighP sub-basin from the large-scale parameterization. This study shows that the proposed sub-grid parameterization method can be used to improve the performance of mesoscale hydrological models in the Alaskan sub-arctic watersheds.« less

Spatial Risk Assessments Based on Vector-Borne Disease Epidemiologic Data: Importance of Scale for West Nile Virus Disease in Colorado

PubMed Central

Winters, Anna M.; Eisen, Rebecca J.; Delorey, Mark J.; Fischer, Marc; Nasci, Roger S.; Zielinski-Gutierrez, Emily; Moore, Chester G.; Pape, W. John; Eisen, Lars

2010-01-01

We used epidemiologic data for human West Nile virus (WNV) disease in Colorado from 2003 and 2007 to determine 1) the degree to which estimates of vector-borne disease occurrence is influenced by spatial scale of data aggregation (county versus census tract), and 2) the extent of concordance between spatial risk patterns based on case counts versus incidence. Statistical analyses showed that county, compared with census tract, accounted for approximately 50% of the overall variance in WNV disease incidence, and approximately 33% for the subset of cases classified as West Nile neuroinvasive disease. These findings indicate that sub-county scale presentation provides valuable risk information for stakeholders. There was high concordance between spatial patterns of WNV disease incidence and case counts for census tract (83%) but not for county (50%) or zip code (31%). We discuss how these findings impact on practices to develop spatial epidemiologic data for vector-borne diseases and present data to stakeholders. PMID:20439980

Crystal structure of Ca{sub 12}Al{sub 14}O{sub 32}Cl{sub 2} and luminescence properties of Ca{sub 12}Al{sub 14}O{sub 32}Cl{sub 2}:Eu{sup 2+}

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

Iwata, Tomoyuki; Haniuda, Masahide; Fukuda, Koichiro

2008-01-15

The crystal structure of Ca{sub 12}Al{sub 14}O{sub 32}Cl{sub 2} was determined from laboratory X-ray powder diffraction data (CuK{alpha}{sub 1}) using the Rietveld method, with the anisotropic displacement parameters being assigned for all atoms. The crystal structure is cubic (space group I4-bar 3d, Z=2) with lattice dimensions a=1.200950(5) nm and V=1.73211(1) nm{sup 3}. The reliability indices calculated from the Rietveld method were R{sub wp}=8.48% (S=1.21), R{sub p}=6.05%, R{sub B}=1.27% and R{sub F}=1.01%. The validity of the structural model was verified by the three-dimensional electron density distribution, the structural bias of which was reduced as much as possible using the maximum-entropy methods-basedmore » pattern fitting (MPF). The reliability indices calculated from the MPF were R{sub B}=0.75% and R{sub F}=0.56%. In the structural model there are one Ca site, two Al sites, two O sites and one Cl site. This compound is isomorphous with Ca{sub 12}Al{sub 10.6}Si{sub 3.4}O{sub 32}Cl{sub 5.4}. Europium-doped sample Ca{sub 12}Al{sub 14}O{sub 32}Cl{sub 2}:Eu{sup 2+} was prepared and the photoluminescence properties were presented. The excitation spectrum consisted of two wide bands, which were located at about 268 and 324 nm. The emission spectrum, when excited at 324 nm, resulted in indigo light with a peak at about 442 nm. - Graphical abstract: A portion of the crystal structure of Ca{sub 12}Al{sub 14}O{sub 32}Cl{sub 2} showing eight-membered AlO{sub 4} rings and Ca-Cl-Ca unit.« less

Energy transfer and optical gain properties of P{sub 2}O{sub 5}-ZnO-LiF: (Yb{sup 3+}, Er{sup 3+}) glasses

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

Reddy, C. Parthasaradhi, E-mail: cgparthasaradhi@gmail.com, E-mail: ktrkreddy@gmail.com; Naresh, V.; Reddy, K. T. Ramakrishna, E-mail: cgparthasaradhi@gmail.com, E-mail: ktrkreddy@gmail.com

2015-06-24

The present paper reports on the results pertaining to the emission properties of 0.5 mol% Er{sup 3+} and together (0.5 Yb{sup 3+} /0.5 Er{sup 3+}) doped PZL (P{sub 2}O{sub 5}-ZnO-LiF) glasses prepared by a melt quenching method. From the optical absorption data, absorption and stimulated emission cross-sections have been evaluated using McCumber’s theory and further cross-sectional gain has also been computed for Yb{sup 3+}/Er{sup 3+} doped glass. On exciting the single (Er{sup 3+}) and dual rare earth ions (Yb{sup 3+}/Er{sup 3+}) doped glass sample at λ{sub exci} = 379 nm, three emission bands in the visible region {sup 2}H{sub 11/2}→{sup 4}I{sub 15/2}more » (526 nm), {sup 4}S{sub 3/2}→{sup 4}I{sub 15/2} (549 nm) and {sup 4}F{sub 9/2}→{sup 4}I{sub 15/2} (664 nm) are observed and while at λ{sub exci} = 980 nm (Laser Diode) excitation a broad emission at 1530 nm attributed to {sup 4}H{sub 13/2}→{sup 4}I{sub 15/2} is observed in the NIR region. The enhancement in visible and NIR emission intensities with the addition of Yb{sup 3+} to Er{sup 3+} due to an energy transfer process from Yb{sup 3+} to Er{sup 3+} has been explained in terms of an energy level diagram.« less

A Statistical Analysis of Laser Ablated Ba(Sub 0.50)Sr(Sub 0.50)TiO(Sub 3)/LaAlO(Sub 3) Films for Microwave Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Romanofsky, R. R.; Varaljay, N. C.; Alterovitz, S. A.; Miranda, F. A.; Mueller, C. M.; VanKeuls, F. W.; Kim, J.; Harshavardhan, K. S.

2002-01-01

The NASA Glenn Research Center is constructing a 616 element scanning phased array antenna using thin film Ba(sub x)Sr(sub 1-x)TiO(sub 3) based phase shifters. A critical milestone is the production of 616 identical phase shifters at 19 GHz with [asymptotically equal to]4 dB insertion loss and at least 337.5 deg phase shift with 3 percent bandwidth. It is well known that there is a direct relationship between dielectric tuning and loss due to the Kramers-Kronig relationship and that film crystallinity and strain, affected by the substrate template, play an important role. Ba(sub 0.50)Sr(sub 0.50)TiO (sub 3) films, nominally 400 nm thick, were deposited on 48 0.25 mm thick, 5 cm diameter LaAlO(sub 3) wafers. Although previous results suggested that Mn-doped films on MgO were intrinsically superior in terms of phase shift per unit loss, for this application phase shift per unit length was more important. The composition was selected as a compromise between tuning and loss for room temperature operation (e.g. crystallinity progressively degrades for Ba concentrations in excess of 30 percent). As a prelude to fabricating the array, it was necessary to process, screen, and inventory a large number of samples. Variable angle ellipsometry was used to characterize refractive index and film thickness across each wafer. Microstructural properties of the thin films were characterized using high resolution X-ray diffractometry. Finally, prototype phase shifters and resonators were patterned on each wafer and RE probed to measure tuning as a function of dc bias voltage as well as peak (0 field) permittivity and unloaded Q. The relationship among film quality and uniformity and performance is analyzed. This work presents the first statistically relevant study of film quality and microwave performance and represents a milestone towards commercialization of thin ferroelectric films for microwave applications.

Sub-wavelength terahertz beam profiling of a THz source via an all-optical knife-edge technique.

PubMed

Phing, Sze Ho; Mazhorova, Anna; Shalaby, Mostafa; Peccianti, Marco; Clerici, Matteo; Pasquazi, Alessia; Ozturk, Yavuz; Ali, Jalil; Morandotti, Roberto

2015-02-25

Terahertz technologies recently emerged as outstanding candidates for a variety of applications in such sectors as security, biomedical, pharmaceutical, aero spatial, etc. Imaging the terahertz field, however, still remains a challenge, particularly when sub-wavelength resolutions are involved. Here we demonstrate an all-optical technique for the terahertz near-field imaging directly at the source plane. A thin layer (<100 nm-thickness) of photo carriers is induced on the surface of the terahertz generation crystal, which acts as an all-optical, virtual blade for terahertz near-field imaging via a knife-edge technique. Remarkably, and in spite of the fact that the proposed approach does not require any mechanical probe, such as tips or apertures, we are able to demonstrate the imaging of a terahertz source with deeply sub-wavelength features (<30 μm) directly in its emission plane.

Origins of enhanced thermoelectric power factor in topologically insulating Bi{sub 0.64}Sb{sub 1.36}Te{sub 3} thin films

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

Liu, Wei; State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070; Chi, Hang

2016-01-25

In this research, we report the enhanced thermoelectric power factor in topologically insulating thin films of Bi{sub 0.64}Sb{sub 1.36}Te{sub 3} with a thickness of 6–200 nm. Measurements of scanning tunneling spectroscopy and electronic transport show that the Fermi level lies close to the valence band edge, and that the topological surface state (TSS) is electron dominated. We find that the Seebeck coefficient of the 6 nm and 15 nm thick films is dominated by the valence band, while the TSS chiefly contributes to the electrical conductivity. In contrast, the electronic transport of the reference 200 nm thick film behaves similar to bulk thermoelectric materialsmore » with low carrier concentration, implying the effect of the TSS on the electronic transport is merely prominent in the thin region. The conductivity of the 6 nm and 15 nm thick film is obviously higher than that in the 200 nm thick film owing to the highly mobile TSS conduction channel. As a consequence of the enhanced electrical conductivity and the suppressed bipolar effect in transport properties for the 6 nm thick film, an impressive power factor of about 2.0 mW m{sup −1} K{sup −2} is achieved at room temperature for this film. Further investigations of the electronic transport properties of TSS and interactions between TSS and the bulk band might result in a further improved thermoelectric power factor in topologically insulating Bi{sub 0.64}Sb{sub 1.36}Te{sub 3} thin films.« less

Exchange-dominated eigenmodes in sub-100 nm permalloy dots: A micromagnetic study at finite temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carlotti, G.; Gubbiotti, G.; Madami, M.; Tacchi, S.; Stamps, R. L.

2014-05-01

Micromagnetic simulations at room temperature (300 K) have been carried out in order to analyse the magnetic eigenmodes (frequency and spatial profile) in elliptical dots with sub-100 nm lateral size. Features are found that are qualitatively different from those typical of larger dots because of the dominant role played by the exchange-energy. These features can be understood most simply in terms of nodal planes defined relative to the orientation of the static magnetization. A new, generalized labeling scheme is proposed that simplifies discussion and comparison of modes from different geometries. It is shown that the lowest-frequency mode for small dots is characterized by an in-phase precession of spins, without nodal planes, but with a maximum amplitude at the edges. This mode softens at an applied switching field with magnitude comparable to the coercive field and determines specific aspects of magnetization reversal. This characteristic behavior can be relevant for optimization of microwave assisting switching as well as for maximizing interdot coupling in dense arrays of dots.

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

Li, X.; Guo, F.; Wang, X.

One-dimensional (1D) nanotubes of Nd{sub 0.1}Bi{sub 0.9}FeO{sub 3} (NBFO) with an inner diameter of ∼50 nm were synthesized via sol-gel based electrospinning without template assistant. The phases, morphologies, crystalline structures, and magnetic properties of these 1D nanostructures were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and SQUID, respectively. It was found that the calcination condition plays a crucial role in determining the morphologies and the magnetic properties. Interestingly, these 1D NBFO nanotubes exhibit wasp-waisted magnetic hysteresis with a lower coercivity and larger saturation magnetization, which were prevalent in natural rocks and artificial composite materials. The originmore » of these wasp-waisted hysteresis loops was discussed.« less

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

Lee, Taehoon; Jung, Yong Chan; Seong, Sejong

The metal gate electrodes of Ni, W, and Pt have been investigated for their scavenging effect: a reduction of the GeO{sub x} interfacial layer (IL) between HfO{sub 2} dielectric and Ge substrate in metal/HfO{sub 2}/GeO{sub x}/Ge capacitors. All the capacitors were fabricated using the same process except for the material used in the metal electrodes. Capacitance-voltage measurements, scanning transmission electron microscopy, and electron energy loss spectroscopy were conducted to confirm the scavenging of GeO{sub x} IL. Interestingly, these metals are observed to remotely scavenge the interfacial layer, reducing its thickness in the order of Ni, W, and then Pt. Themore » capacitance equivalent thickness of these capacitors with Ni, W, and Pt electrodes are evaluated to be 2.7 nm, 3.0 nm, and 3.5 nm, and each final remnant physical thickness of GeO{sub x} IL layer is 1.1 nm 1.4 nm, and 1.9 nm, respectively. It is suggested that the scavenging effect induced by the metal electrodes is related to the concentration of oxygen vacancies generated by oxidation reaction at the metal/HfO{sub 2} interface.« less

Layer-by-layer charging in non-volatile memory devices using embedded sub-2 nm platinum nanoparticles

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

Ramalingam, Balavinayagam; Zheng, Haisheng; Gangopadhyay, Shubhra, E-mail: gangopadhyays@missouri.edu

In this work, we demonstrate multi-level operation of a non-volatile memory metal oxide semiconductor capacitor by controlled layer-by-layer charging of platinum nanoparticle (PtNP) floating gate devices with defined gate voltage bias ranges. The device consists of two layers of ultra-fine, sub-2 nm PtNPs integrated between Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} tunneling and separation layers. PtNP size and interparticle distance were varied to control the particle self-capacitance and associated Coulomb charging energy. Likewise, the tunneling layer thicknesses were also varied to control electron tunneling to the first and second PtNP layers. The final device configuration with optimal charging behavior and multi-level programming was attainedmore » with a 3 nm Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} initial tunneling layer, initial PtNP layer with particle size 0.54 ± 0.12 nm and interparticle distance 4.65 ± 2.09 nm, 3 nm Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} layer to separate the PtNP layers, and second particle layer with 1.11 ± 0.28 nm PtNP size and interparticle distance 2.75 ± 1.05 nm. In this device, the memory window of the first PtNP layer saturated over a programming bias range of 7 V to 14 V, after which the second PtNP layer starts charging, exhibiting a multi-step memory window with layer-by-layer charging.« less

Optimization of orally bioavailable alkyl amine renin inhibitors

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

Xu, Zhenrong; Cacatian, Salvacion; Yuan, Jing

2010-09-17

Structure-guided drug design led to new alkylamine renin inhibitors with improved in vitro and in vivo potency. Lead compound 21a, has an IC{sub 50} of 0.83 nM for the inhibition of human renin in plasma (PRA). Oral administration of 21a at 10 mg/kg resulted in >20 h reduction of blood pressure in a double transgenic rat model of hypertension.

Characterization of the insulator barrier and the superconducting transition temperature in GdBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7−δ}/BaTiO{sub 3} bilayers for application in tunnel junctions

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

Navarro, H., E-mail: henrynavarro@cab.cnea.gov.ar; Sirena, M.; Haberkorn, N.

2015-07-28

The optimization of the superconducting properties in a bottom electrode and the quality of an insulator barrier are the first steps in the development of superconductor/insulator/superconductor tunnel junctions. Here, we study the quality of a BaTiO{sub 3} tunnel barrier deposited on a 16 nm thick GdBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7−δ} thin film by using conductive atomic force microscopy. We find that the tunnel current is systematically reduced (for equal applied voltage) by increasing the BaTiO{sub 3} barrier thickness between 1.6 and 4 nm. The BaTiO{sub 3} layers present an energy barrier of ≈1.2 eV and an attenuation length of 0.35–0.5 nm (depending on the appliedmore » voltage). The GdBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7−δ} electrode is totally covered by a BaTiO{sub 3} thickness above 3 nm. The presence of ferroelectricity was verified by piezoresponse force microscopy for a 4 nm thick BaTiO{sub 3} top layer. The superconducting transition temperature of the bilayers is systematically suppressed by increasing the BaTiO{sub 3} thickness. This fact can be associated with stress at the interface and a reduction of the orthorhombicity of the GdBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7−δ}. The reduction in the orthorhombicity is expected by considering the interface mismatch and it can also be affected by reduced oxygen stoichiometry (poor oxygen diffusion across the BaTiO{sub 3} barrier)« less

Solubilization of phencyclidine receptors from rat cerebral cortex in an active ligand binding site

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

McVittie, L.D.; Sibley, D.R.

1989-01-01

A phencyclidine (PCP) receptor binding site has been solubilized in an active ligand-binding state from rat cerebral cortical membranes with sodium deoxycholate. Optimal receptor solubilization occurs at a detergent/protein ratio of 0.5 (w/w); for 5 mg protein/ml solubilized with 0.25% sodium deoxycholate, about 60% of the protein and 25% of the receptor is solubilized. Specific binding of either (/sup 3/H)-N-(1-(2-thienyl)cyclohexyl)piperidine ((/sup 3/H)TCP) or (/sup 3/H)MK-801 is measurable by filtration through Sephadex G-50 columns or glass fiber filters; more than 60% of the binding activity is stable after 48 h at 4/degrees/C. In the presence of detergent, (/sup 3/H)TCP binding exhibitsmore » a K/sub d/ of 250 nM, a B/sub max/ of 0.56 pmol/mg protein, and a pharmacological profile consistent with that of the membrane-bound PCP receptor, although most drugs bind with affinities 2 to 8 fold lower than in membranes. Upon reduction of detergent concentration, binding parameters approximate those for the membrane-bound receptor (/sup 3/H)TCP binding: K/sub d/ = 48 nM, M/sub max/ = 1.13 pmol/mg protein.« less

Synthesis, energy transfer and luminescence properties of Ca{sub 2}MgWO{sub 6}:Sm{sup 3+}, Bi{sup 3+} phosphor

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

Cao, Renping, E-mail: jxcrp@163.com; Xu, Haidong; Luo, Wenjie

Graphical abstract: PL spectra of Ca{sub 2}MgWO{sub 6}:Sm{sup 3+} and Ca{sub 2}MgWO{sub 6}:Sm{sup 3+}, Bi{sup 3+} phosphors with excitation at 407 nm, and the corresponding CIE chromaticity diagram and chromaticity coordinates. - Highlights: • Novel Ca{sub 2}MgWO{sub 6}:Sm{sup 3+}, Bi{sup 3+} phosphor is synthesized by solid-state reaction method in air. • Emission intensity of Ca{sub 2}MgWO{sub 6}:Sm{sup 3+} phosphor is enhanced ∼2 times after co-doped Bi{sup 3+} ion. • Charge compensation and energy transfer may be explained via luminescence properties. • Luminous mechanism is analyzed by energy level diagrams of WO{sub 6}{sup 6−} group, Sm{sup 3+} and Bi{sup 3+} ions.more » - Abstract: Novel Ca{sub 2}MgWO{sub 6}:Sm{sup 3+}, Bi{sup 3+} phosphor is synthesized by solid-state reaction method in air. Host Ca{sub 2}MgWO{sub 6} with excitation 300 nm emits blue light. Ca{sub 2}MgWO{sub 6}:Bi{sup 3+} phosphor with excitation 300 and 338 nm emits yellow light. Ca{sub 2}MgWO{sub 6}:Sm{sup 3+} phosphor with excitation 300 nm exhibits tunable emission from blue to red light by increasing Sm{sup 3+} doping concentration from 0 to 8 mol%, however, only emits red light with excitation 407 nm. Ca{sub 2}MgWO{sub 6}:Sm{sup 3+}, Bi{sup 3+} phosphor with excitation 300 and 338 nm emits red light. The optimal Sm{sup 3+} doping concentration is ∼5 mol% in Ca{sub 2}MgWO{sub 6}:Sm{sup 3+} phosphor. After Bi{sup 3+} ion is co-doped, luminescence properties of Ca{sub 2}MgWO{sub 6}:Sm{sup 3+} phosphor can be improved obviously because of Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3} as fluxing agent role and energy transfer from Bi{sup 3+} to Sm{sup 3+} ions. The possible luminous mechanism of Ca{sub 2}MgWO{sub 6}:Sm{sup 3+}, Bi{sup 3+} phosphor is analyzed and explained by simplified energy level diagrams of WO{sub 6}{sup 6−} group, Bi{sup 3+} and Sm{sup 3+} ions.« less

The first quaternary lanthanide(III) nitride iodides: NaM{sub 4}N{sub 2}I{sub 7} (M=La-Nd)

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

Schurz, Christian M.; Schleid, Thomas, E-mail: schleid@iac.uni-stuttgart.d

In attempts to synthesize lanthanide(III) nitride iodides with the formula M{sub 2}NI{sub 3} (M=La-Nd), moisture-sensitive single crystals of the first quaternary sodium lanthanide(III) nitride iodides NaM{sub 4}N{sub 2}I{sub 7} (orthorhombic, Pna2{sub 1}; Z=4; a=1391-1401, b=1086-1094, c=1186-1211 pm) could be obtained. The dominating structural features are {sup 1}{sub {infinity}}{l_brace}[NM{sub 4/2}{sup e}]{sup 3+}{r_brace} chains of trans-edge linked [NM{sub 4}]{sup 9+} tetrahedra, which run parallel to the polar 2{sub 1}-axis [001]. Between the chains, direct bonding via special iodide anions generates cages, in which isolated [NaI{sub 6}]{sup 5-} octahedra are embedded. The IR spectrum of NaLa{sub 4}N{sub 2}I{sub 7} recorded from 100 tomore » 1000 cm{sup -1} shows main bands at {upsilon}=337, 373 and 489 cm{sup -1}. With decreasing radii of the lanthanide trications these bands, which can be assigned as an influence of the vibrations of the condensed [NM{sub 4}]{sup 9+} tetrahedra, are shifted toward higher frequencies for the NaM{sub 4}N{sub 2}I{sub 7} series (M=La-Nd), following the lanthanide contraction. - Abstract: View at the main structural features of the NaM{sub 4}N{sub 2}I{sub 7} series (M=La-Nd): The {sup 1}{sub {infinity}}{l_brace}[NM{sub 4/2}{sup e}]{sup 3+}{r_brace} chains, consisting of trans-edge connected [NM{sub 4}]{sup 9+} tetrahedra, and the special kind of iodide anions, namely (I7){sup -}, form cages, in which isolated [NaI{sub 6}]{sup 5-} octahedra are embedded.« less

In situ formation and characterisation of singly ionised atomic europium in rare gas matrices—Luminescence spectroscopy and MP2 calculations

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

Byrne, Owen; Davis, Barry; McCaffrey, John G., E-mail: john.mccaffrey@nuim.ie

2015-02-07

Irradiation of atomic europium isolated in the solid rare gases, with low intensity laser excitation of the y{sup 8}P←a{sup 8}S resonance transition at ca. 465 nm, is found to produce singly charged europium cations (Eu{sup +}) in large amounts in xenon and in smaller amounts in argon. Confirmation of the formation of matrix-isolated Eu{sup +} is obtained from characteristic absorption bands in the UV and in the visible spectral regions. The luminescence produced with excitation of the cation bands is presented in greatest detail for Eu/Xe and assigned. Excitation of the 4f{sup 7}({sup 8}S{sub 7/2})6p{sub 3/2} absorption bands of Eu{supmore » +} between 390 and 410 nm produces emission which is quite distinct from that resulting from excitation of the 4f{sup 7}({sup 8}S{sub 7/2})6p{sub 1/2} absorption (430 to 450 nm) features. The latter consists of narrow, resolved emission bands with Stokes shifts ten times smaller than the former. The observed spectral differences are discussed in relation to the different spatial symmetries of the p{sub 3/2} and p{sub 1/2} orbitals in these j-j coupled (7/2, 3/2){sub J} and the (7/2, 1/2){sub J} levels. Møller-Plesset calculations are conducted to obtain the molecular parameters of the neutral Eu-RG and cationic Eu{sup +}-RG diatomics (RG = Ar, Kr, Xe). From the short bond lengths and the strong binding energies obtained for the Eu{sup +}-RG species, these values suggest the isolation of the ion in small, possibly interstitial sites especially in xenon. In contrast, but consistent with previous work [O. Byrne and J. G. McCaffrey, J. Chem. Phys. 134, 124501 (2011)], the interaction potentials calculated herein for the Eu-RG diatomics suggest that the neutral Eu atom occupies tetra-vacancy (tv) and hexa-vacancy (hv) sites in the solid rare gas hosts. Possible reasons for the facile production of Eu{sup +} in the solid rare gases are discussed. The mechanism proposed is that atomic europium is also acting as an electron acceptor, providing a temporary trap for the ionised electron in the matrices.« less

A next-generation in-situ nanoprobe beamline for the Advanced Photon Source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maser, Jörg; Lai, Barry; Buonassisi, Tonio; Cai, Zhonghou; Chen, Si; Finney, Lydia; Gleber, Sophie-Charlotte; Harder, Ross; Jacobsen, Chris; Liu, Wenjun; Murray, Conal; Preissner, Curt; Roehrig, Chris; Rose, Volker; Shu, Deming; Vine, David; Vogt, Stefan

2013-09-01

The Advanced Photon Source is currently developing a suite of new hard x-ray beamlines, aimed primarily at the study of materials and devices under real conditions. One of the flagship beamlines of the APS Upgrade is the In-Situ Nanoprobe beamline (ISN beamline), which will provide in-situ and operando characterization of advanced energy materials and devices under change of temperature and gases, under applied fields, in 3D. The ISN beamline is designed to deliver spatially coherent x-rays with photon energies between 4 keV and 30 keV to the ISN instrument. As an x-ray source, a revolver-type undulator with two interchangeable magnetic structures, optimized to provide high brilliance throughout the range of photon energies of 4 keV - 30 keV, will be used. The ISN instrument will provide a smallest hard x-ray spot of 20 nm using diffractive optics, with sensitivity to sub-10 nm sample structures using coherent diffraction. Using nanofocusing mirrors in Kirkpatrick-Baez geometry, the ISN will also provide a focus of 50 nm with a flux of 8·1011 Photons/s at a photon energy of 10 keV, several orders of magnitude larger than what is currently available. This will allow imaging of trace amounts of most elements in the periodic table, with a sensitivity to well below 100 atoms for most metals in thin samples. It will also enable nanospectroscopic studies of the chemical state of most materials relevant to energy science. The ISN beamline will be primarily used to study inorganic and organic photovoltaic systems, advanced batteries and fuel cells, nanoelectronics devices, and materials and systems diesigned to reduce the environmental impact of combustion.

Hyperlens-array-implemented optical microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iwanaga, Masanobu

2014-08-01

Limit of resolution of conventional optical microscopes has never reached below 100 nm under visible light illumination. We show that numerically designed high-transmittance hyperlens array (HLA) is implemented in an optical microscope and works in practice for achieving one-shot-recording optical images of in-situ placed objects with sub 50 nm resolution in lateral direction. Direct resolution test employing well-defined nanopatterns proves that the HLA-implemented imaging is super-resolution optical microscopy, which works even under nW/mm2 visible illumination for objects. The HLA implementation makes the resolution of conventional microscopes one-scale higher, leading to the 1/10 illumination wavelength range, that is, mesoscopic range.

A novel red phosphor Ca{sub 12}Al{sub 14}O{sub 32}Cl{sub 2}:Eu{sup 3+} for near UV white light-emitting diodes

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

Yang, Zhigang; Zhao, Zhengyan; Shi, Yurong

2013-10-15

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Novel red phosphor Ca{sub 12}Al{sub 14}O{sub 32}Cl{sub 2}:Eu{sup 3+} was prepared by solid-state reaction. • Excitation spectra suggested an obvious absorption in near-ultraviolet region. • Under 392 nm excitation, the phosphors exhibited a red emission at 614 nm. • Ca{sub 12}Al{sub 14}O{sub 32}Cl{sub 2}:Eu{sup 3+} could be potentially applied in near UV white LEDs. - Abstract: A novel red phosphor Ca{sub 12}Al{sub 14}O{sub 32}Cl{sub 2}:Eu{sup 3+} was synthesized using a solid-state reaction method, and its luminescence characteristics and charge compensators effect (Li{sup +}, Na{sup +}, K{sup +}) were investigated. The excitation spectra showed a obviousmore » absorption in near-ultraviolet region. Under 392 nm excitation, the phosphors exhibited an intense red emission at 614 nm. The Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage (CIE) chromaticity coordinates and quantum efficiency (QE) were (0.65, 0.35) and 62.3%, respectively. The good color saturation, high quantum efficiency and small thermal-quenching properties indicate that Ca{sub 12}Al{sub 14}O{sub 32}Cl{sub 2}:Eu{sup 3+} could be potentially applied in near UV white light-emitting diodes.« less

Luminescent properties of SrZn{sub 2}(PO{sub 4}){sub 2}:Tb{sup 3+} and its luminescence improvement by incorporating A{sup +} (A=Li, Na, and K)

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

Li, Panlai, E-mail: li_panlai@126.com; Wang, Zhijun, E-mail: wangzj1998@126.com; Yang, Zhiping

2014-12-15

A novel green phosphor SrZn{sub 2}(PO{sub 4}){sub 2}:Tb{sup 3+} is synthesized by a high temperature solid-state method, and its luminescent property is investigated. X-ray diffraction patterns of SrZn{sub 2}(PO{sub 4}){sub 2}:Tb{sup 3+} indicate a similarity crystalline phase to SrZn{sub 2}(PO{sub 4}){sub 2}. SrZn{sub 2}(PO{sub 4}){sub 2}:Tb{sup 3+} shows green emission under 369 nm excitation, and the prominent luminescence in green (544 nm) due to {sup 5}D{sub 4}–{sup 7}F{sub 5} transition of Tb{sup 3+}. For the 544 nm emission, excitation spectrum has several excitation band from 200 nm to 400 nm. Emission intensity of SrZn{sub 2}(PO{sub 4}){sub 2}:Tb{sup 3+} is influencedmore » by Tb{sup 3+} concentration, and concentration quenching effect of Tb{sup 3+} in SrZn{sub 2}(PO{sub 4}){sub 2} is also observed. With incorporating A{sup +} (A=Li, Na, and K) as compensator charge, the emission intensity of SrZn{sub 2}(PO{sub 4}){sub 2}:Tb{sup 3+} can be obviously enhanced. CIE color coordinates of SrZn{sub 2}(PO{sub 4}){sub 2}:Tb{sup 3+} locate in the green region. The results indicate this phosphor may be a potential application in white LEDs. - Graphical abstract: SrZn{sub 2}(PO{sub 4}){sub 2}:Tb{sup 3+} can produce green emission under near-UV excitation, and its luminescent properties can be improved by incorporating A{sup +} (A=Li, Na, and K). - Highlights: • SrZn{sub 2}(PO{sub 4}){sub 2}:Tb{sup 3+} can produce green emission under near-UV excitation. • Concentration quenching effect of Tb{sup 3+} in SrZn{sub 2}(PO{sub 4}){sub 2} is observed. • Emission intensities of SrZn{sub 2}(PO{sub 4}){sub 2}:Tb{sup 3+} are enhanced by codoped A{sup +} (A=Li, Na, K)« less

Relationship between sensitizer concentration and resist performance of chemically amplified extreme ultraviolet resists in sub-10 nm half-pitch resolution region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kozawa, Takahiro; Santillan, Julius Joseph; Itani, Toshiro

2017-01-01

The development of lithography processes with sub-10 nm resolution is challenging. Stochastic phenomena such as line width roughness (LWR) are significant problems. In this study, the feasibility of sub-10 nm fabrication using chemically amplified extreme ultraviolet resists with photodecomposable quenchers was investigated from the viewpoint of the suppression of LWR. The relationship between sensitizer concentration (the sum of acid generator and photodecomposable quencher concentrations) and resist performance was clarified, using the simulation based on the sensitization and reaction mechanisms of chemically amplified resists. For the total sensitizer concentration of 0.5 nm-3 and the effective reaction radius for the deprotection of 0.1 nm, the reachable half-pitch while maintaining 10% critical dimension (CD) LWR was 11 nm. The reachable half-pitch was 7 nm for 20% CD LWR. The increase in the effective reaction radius is required to realize the sub-10 nm fabrication with 10% CD LWR.

The effects of energy transfer on the Er{sup 3+} 1.54 {mu}m luminescence in nanostructured Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} thin films with heterogeneously distributed Yb{sup 3+} and Er{sup 3+} codopants

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

Hoang, J.; Chang, J. P.; Schwartz, Robert N.

2012-09-15

We report the effects of heterogeneous Yb{sup 3+} and Er{sup 3+} codoping in Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} thin films on the 1535 nm luminescence. Yb{sup 3+}:Er{sup 3+}:Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} thin films were deposited using sequential radical enhanced atomic layer deposition. The Yb{sup 3+} energy transfer was investigated for indirect and direct excitation of the Yb {sup 2}F{sub 7/2} state using 488 nm and 976 nm sources, respectively, and the trends were described in terms of Forster and Dexter's resonant energy transfer theory and a macroscopic rate equation formalism. The addition of 11 at. % Yb resulted in an increase in themore » effective Er{sup 3+} photoluminescence (PL) yield at 1535 nm by a factor of 14 and 42 under 488 nm and 976 nm excitations, respectively. As the Er{sub 2}O{sub 3} local thickness was increased to greater than 1.1 A, PL quenching occurred due to strong local Er{sup 3+}{r_reversible} Er{sup 3+} excitation migration leading to impurity quenching centers. In contrast, an increase in the local Yb{sub 2}O{sub 3} thickness generally resulted in an increase in the effective Er{sup 3+} PL yield, except when the Er{sub 2}O{sub 3} and Yb{sub 2}O{sub 3} layers were separated by more than 2.3 A or were adjacent, where weak Yb{sup 3+}{r_reversible} Er{sup 3+} coupling or strong Yb{sup 3+}{r_reversible} Yb{sup 3+} interlayer migration occurred, respectively. Finally, it is suggested that enhanced luminescence at steady state was observed under 488 nm excitation as a result of Er{sup 3+}{yields} Yb{sup 3+} energy back transfer coupled with strong Yb{sup 3+}{r_reversible} Yb{sup 3+} energy migration.« less

DAPHNE silicon photonics technological platform for research and development on WDM applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baudot, Charles; Fincato, Antonio; Fowler, Daivid; Perez-Galacho, Diego; Souhaité, Aurélie; Messaoudène, Sonia; Blanc, Romuald; Richard, Claire; Planchot, Jonathan; De-Buttet, Come; Orlando, Bastien; Gays, Fabien; Mezzomo, Cécilia; Bernard, Emilie; Marris-Morini, Delphine; Vivien, Laurent; Kopp, Christophe; Boeuf, Frédéric

2016-05-01

A new technological platform aimed at making prototypes and feasibility studies has been setup at STMicroelectronics using 300mm wafer foundry facilities. The technology, called DAPHNE (Datacom Advanced PHotonic Nanoscale Environment), is devoted at developing and evaluating new devices and sub-systems in particular for wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) applications and ring resonator based applications. Developed in the course of PLAT4MFP7 European project, DAPHNE is a flexible platform that fits perfectly R&D needs. The fabrication flow enables the processing of photonic integrated circuits using a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) of 300nm, partial etches of 150nm and 50nm and a total silicon etching. Consequently, two varieties of rib waveguides and one strip waveguide can be fabricated simultaneously with auto-alignment properties. The process variability on the 150nm partially etched silicon and the thin 50nm slab region are both less than 6 nm. Using a variety of different implantation configurations and a back-end of line of 5 metal layers, active devices are fabricated both in germanium and silicon. An available far back-end of line process consists of making 20 μm diameter copper posts on top of the electrical pads so that an electronic integrated circuit can be bonded on top the photonic die by 3D integration. Besides having those fabrication process options, DAPHNE is equipped with a library of standard cells for optical routing and multiplexing. Moreover, typical Mach-Zehnder modulators based on silicon pn junctions are also available for optical signal modulation. To achieve signal detection, germanium photodetectors also exist as standard cells. The measured single-mode propagation losses are 3.5 dB/cm for strip, 3.7 dB/cm for deep-rib (50nm slab) and 1.4 dB/cm for standard rib (150nm slab) waveguides. Transition tapers between different waveguide structures are as low as 0.006 dB.

High-power actively Q-switched single-mode 1342 nm Nd:YVO₄ ring laser, injection-locked by a cw single-frequency microchip laser.

PubMed

Koch, Peter; Bartschke, Juergen; L'huillier, Johannes A

2015-11-30

In this paper we report on the realization of a single-mode Q-switched Nd:YVO₄ ring laser at 1342 nm. Unidirectional and single-mode operation of the ring laser is achieved by injection-locking with a continuous wave Nd:YVO₄ microchip laser, emitting a single-frequency power of up to 40 mW. The ring laser provides a single-mode power of 13.9 W at 10 kHz pulse repetition frequency with a pulse duration of 18.2 ns and an excellent beam quality (M² < 1.05). By frequency doubling of the fundamental 1342 nm laser, a power of 8.7 W at 671 nm with a pulse duration of 14.8 ns and a beam propagation factor of M² < 1.1 is obtained. The 671 nm radiation features a long-term spectral width of 75 MHz.

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

Chen, Peican; Zhou, Liya, E-mail: zhouliyatf@163.com; Mo, Fuwang

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Novel Eu{sup 2+} doped Sr{sub 6}Ca{sub 4}(PO{sub 4}){sub 6}F{sub 2} phosphors was synthesized for the first time. • The Sr{sub 6}Ca{sub 4}(PO{sub 4}){sub 6}F{sub 2}:Eu{sup 2+} phosphors produced blue light when irradiated at 368 nm. • The emission band of the sample could be decomposed into two Gaussian profiles. - Abstract: For the first time, a series of novel blue light-emitting phosphors Sr{sub 6}Ca{sub 4}(PO{sub 4}){sub 6}F{sub 2}:Eu{sup 2+} were synthesized by a traditional solid-state reaction. The phosphors exhibited a broad and intense excitation band that could be pumped by near ultraviolet to exhibit amore » broad photoluminescence band ranging from 400 nm to 530 nm peaking at 452 nm. Quenching concentration was 0.05 mol. Furthermore, the mechanism of concentration quenching involving SCPF:Eu{sup 2+} was demonstrated to be a dipole–dipole interaction with critical distance of 27.95 Å. Decay time curves were also measured to validate energy transfer, and quantum efficiency is investigated. The chromaticity diagram of Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage indicated that SCPF:Eu{sup 2+} may be used as a blue-emitting component for white light-emitting diode applications.« less

The photodissociation dynamics of alkyl radicals

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

Giegerich, Jens; Fischer, Ingo, E-mail: ingo.fischer@uni-wuerzburg.de

2015-01-28

The photodisscociation dynamics of the alkyl radicals i-propyl (CH(CH{sub 3}){sub 2}) and t-butyl (C(CH{sub 3}){sub 3}) are investigated by H-atom photofragment imaging. While i-propyl is excited at 250 nm, the photodynamics of t-butyl are explored over a large energy range using excitation wavelengths between 347 nm and 233 nm. The results are compared to those obtained previously for ethyl, CH{sub 3}CH{sub 2}, and to those reported for t-butyl using 248 nm excitation. The translational energy (E{sub T}) distribution of the H-atom photofragments is bimodal and appears rather similar for all three radicals. The low E{sub T} part of the distributionmore » shows an isotropic photofragment angular distribution, while the high E{sub T} part is associated with a considerable anisotropy. Thus, for t-butyl, two H-atom loss channels of roughly equal importance have been identified in addition to the CH{sub 3}-loss channel reported previously. A mechanism for the photodissociation of alkyl radicals is suggested that is based on interactions between Rydberg- and valence states.« less

Analysis of the Performance Characteristics of the Five-Channel Microtops II Sun Photometer for Measuring Aerosol Optical Thickness and Precipitable Water Vapor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ichoku, Charles; Levy, Robert; Kaufman, Yoram; Remer, Lorraine A.; Li, Rong-Rong; Martins, Vanderlei J.; Holben, Brent N.; Abuhassan, Nader; Slutsker, Ilya; Eck, Thomas F.;

Spectrally-isolated violet to blue wavelength generation by cascaded degenerate four-wave mixing in a photonic crystal fiber.

PubMed

Yuan, Jinhui; Kang, Zhe; Li, Feng; Zhang, Xianting; Zhou, Guiyao; Sang, Xinzhu; Wu, Qiang; Yan, Binbin; Zhou, Xian; Wang, Liang; Zhong, Kangping; Wang, Kuiru; Yu, Chongxiu; Tam, Hwa Yaw; Wai, P K A

2016-06-01

Generation of spectrally-isolated wavelengths in the violet to blue region based on cascaded degenerate four-wave mixing (FWM) is experimentally demonstrated for the first time in a tailor-made photonic crystal fiber, which has two adjacent zero dispersion wavelengths (ZDWs) at 696 and 852 nm in the fundamental mode. The influences of the wavelength λ_p and the input average power P_av of the femtosecond pump pulses on the phase-matched frequency conversion process are studied. When femtosecond pump pulses at λ_p of 880, 870, and 860 nm and P_av of 500 mW are coupled into the normal dispersion region close to the second ZDW, the first anti-Stokes waves generated near the first ZDW act as a secondary pump for the next FWM process. The conversion efficiency η_as2 of the second anti-Stokes waves, which are generated at the violet to blue wavelengths of 430, 456, and 472 nm, are 4.8, 6.48, and 9.66%, for λ_p equalling 880, 870, and 860 nm, respectively.

Amino-functionalized sub-40 nm ultrathin Ag/ZnO transparent electrodes for flexible polymer dispersed liquid crystal devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Jinhua; Lu, Yuehui; Wu, Wenxuan; Li, Jia; Zhang, Xianpeng; Zhu, Chaoting; Yang, Ye; Xu, Feng; Song, Weijie

2017-11-01

Various flexible transparent conducting electrodes (FTCEs) have been studied for promising applications in flexible optoelectronic devices, but there are still challenges in achieving higher transparency and conductivity, lower thickness, better mechanical flexibility, and lower preparation temperatures. In this work, we prepared a sub-40 nm Ag(9 nm)/ZnO(30 nm) FTCE at room temperature, where each layer played a relatively independent role in the tailoring of the optoelectronic properties. A continuous and smooth 9-nm Ag thin film was grown on amino-functionalized glass and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates to provide good conductivity. A 30-nm ZnO cladding, as an antireflection layer, further improved the transmittance while hardly affecting the conductivity. The room-temperature grown sub-40 nm Ag/ZnO thin films on PET substrate exhibited a transmittance of 88.6% at 550 nm and a sheet resistance of 7.6 Ω.sq-1, which were superior to those of the commercial ITO. The facile preparation benefits the integration of FTCEs into various flexible optoelectronic devices, where the excellent performance of the sub-40 nm Ag/ZnO FTCEs in a flexible polymer dispersed liquid crystal device was demonstrated. Sub-40 nm Ag/ZnO FTCEs that have the characteristics of simple structure, room-temperature preparation, and easily tailored optoelectronic properties would provide flexible optoelectronic devices with more degrees of freedom.

Crossover from disordered to core-shell structures of nano-oxide Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} dispersed particles in Fe

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

Higgins, M. P.; Wang, L. M.; Gao, F., E-mail: gaofeium@umich.edu

Molecular dynamic simulations of Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} in bcc Fe and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations were used to understand the structure of Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} nano-clusters in an oxide dispersion strengthened steel matrix. The study showed that Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} nano-clusters below 2 nm were completely disordered. Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} nano-clusters above 2 nm, however, form a core-shell structure, with a shell thickness of 0.5–0.7 nm that is independent of nano-cluster size. Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} nano-clusters were surrounded by off-lattice Fe atoms, further increasing the stability of these nano-clusters. TEM was used to corroborate our simulation results and showed a crossover frommore » a disordered nano-cluster to a core-shell structure.« less

1.319 μm excited intense 800 nm frequency upconversion emission in Tm{sup 3+}-doped fluorogermanate glass

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

Gouveia-Neto, A. S.; Vermelho, M. V. D.; Gouveia, E. A.

2015-11-23

Generation of near-infrared light within the first biological optical window via frequency upconversion in Tm{sup 3+}-doped PbGeO{sub 3}-PbF{sub 2}-CdF{sub 2} glass excited within the second biological window at 1.319 μm is reported. The upconversion emission at 800 nm is the sole light signal observed in the entire ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared spectral region making it possible obtaining high contrast imaging. The dependence of the 800 nm signal upon the sample temperature was investigated and results showed an increase by a factor of ×2.5 in the 30–280 °C range. Generation of detectable 690 nm for temperatures above 100 °C in addition to the intense 800 nm main signal was also observed.more » The proposed excitation mechanism for the 800 nm thulium emitting level is assigned to a multiphonon-assisted excitation from the ground-state {sup 3}H{sub 6} to the {sup 3}H{sub 5} excited-state level, a rapid relaxation to the {sup 3}F{sub 4} level and followed by an excited-state absorption of the pump photons mediated by multiphonons connecting the {sup 3}F{sub 4} level to the {sup 3}H{sub 4} emitting level.« less

Size effect on multiferroic TbMn{sub 2}O{sub 5} nanorods

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

Yang, Chun-Chuen, E-mail: chunchuenyang@cycu.edu.tw; Tung, Yung-Hsiang; Hsu, Ting-Wei

2015-05-07

The effect of the size of TbMn{sub 2}O{sub 5} on their magnetoelectric properties is studied using a field emission transmission electron microscope, ac magnetic susceptibility, relative dielectric constant, specific heat capacity, and x-ray diffraction at various temperatures. A bulk sample and nanorods with two axial lengths, 〈L{sub C}〉, are investigated. Nanorods with 〈L{sub C}〉 of 216 nm and 64 nm crystallize with orthorhombic Pbam symmetry as the bulk material. The axial direction of the two sizes of nanorod is parallel to the c axis of the crystal. No particular radial direction is observed. The critical size for the magnetic ordering of TbMn{submore » 2}O{sub 5} is found to be between 〈L{sub C}〉 = 64 nm and 216 nm. Experiments on specific heat capacity verified these results. No similar phenomenon concerning the ferroelectric property is observed. At T = 30 K and 35 K, the 〈L{sub C}〉 = 216 nm sample yields a charge-ordering-like x-ray diffraction peak, which may be associated with the magnetically induced charge ordering superlattice.« less

Synthetic and spectroscopic studies of vanadate glaserites I: Upconversion studies of doubly co-doped (Er, Tm, or Ho):Yb:K{sub 3}Y(VO{sub 4}){sub 2}

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

Kimani, Martin M., E-mail: kimani@g.clemson.edu; Chen, Hongyu, E-mail: hongyuc@g.clemson.edu; McMillen, Colin D., E-mail: cmcmill@g.clemson.edu

2015-03-15

The synthesis and upconversion properties of trigonal glaserite-type K{sub 3}Y(VO{sub 4}){sub 2} co-doped with Er{sup 3+}/Yb{sup 3+}, Ho{sup 3+}/Yb{sup 3+}, or Tm{sup 3+}/Yb{sup 3+} were studied. Powder samples were synthesized by solid state reactions at 1000 °C for 48 h, while well-formed hexagonal single crystals of the same were grown hydrothermally using 10 M K{sub 2}CO{sub 3} at 560–650 °C. Infrared-to-visible upconversion by Er{sup 3+}/Yb{sup 3+}, Ho{sup 3+}/Yb{sup 3+}, or Tm{sup 3+}/Yb{sup 3+} codoped-K{sub 3}Y(VO{sub 4}){sub 2} glaserite powder and single crystals was observed, and the upconversion spectral properties were studied as a function of different Er{sup 3+}, Tm{sup 3+},more » Ho{sup 3+}, and Yb{sup 3+} ion concentrations. The process is observed under 980 nm laser diode excitation and leads to strong green (552 nm) and red (659 nm) emission for Er{sup 3+}/Yb{sup 3+}, green (549 nm) and red (664 nm) emission for Ho{sup 3+}/Yb{sup 3+}, and blue (475 nm) and red (647 nm) emission for Tm{sup 3+}/Yb{sup 3+}. The main mechanism that allows for up-conversion is attributed the energy transfer among Yb{sup 3+} and the various Er{sup 3+}/Ho{sup 3+}/Tm{sup 3+} ions in excited states. These results illustrate the large potential of co-doped alkali double vanadates for photonic applications involving optoelectronics devices. - Graphical abstract: Synthesis and upconversion in vanadate glaserites. - Highlights: • K{sub 3}Y(VO{sub 4}){sub 2} codoped with Er, Tm, or Ho:Yb were synthesized via solid-state and hydrothermal routes. • Upconversion properties are investigated. • The codoped compounds revealed efficient infrared-to-visible upconversion. • The presented compounds are potential host for solid state lighting.« less

Corrosion resistance of titanium ion implanted AZ91 magnesium alloy

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

Liu Chenglong; Xin Yunchang; Tian Xiubo

2007-03-15

Degradable metal alloys constitute a new class of materials for load-bearing biomedical implants. Owing to their good mechanical properties and biocompatibility, magnesium alloys are promising in degradable prosthetic implants. The objective of this study is to improve the corrosion behavior of surgical AZ91 magnesium alloy by titanium ion implantation. The surface characteristics of the ion implanted layer in the magnesium alloys are examined. The authors' results disclose that an intermixed layer is produced and the surface oxidized films are mainly composed of titanium oxide with a lesser amount of magnesium oxide. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveals that the oxide has threemore » layers. The outer layer which is 10 nm thick is mainly composed of MgO and TiO{sub 2} with some Mg(OH){sub 2}. The middle layer that is 50 nm thick comprises predominantly TiO{sub 2} and MgO with minor contributions from MgAl{sub 2}O{sub 4} and TiO. The third layer from the surface is rich in metallic Mg, Ti, Al, and Ti{sub 3}Al. The effects of Ti ion implantation on the corrosion resistance and electrochemical behavior of the magnesium alloys are investigated in simulated body fluids at 37{+-}1 deg. C using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and open circuit potential techniques. Compared to the unimplanted AZ91 alloy, titanium ion implantation significantly shifts the open circuit potential (OCP) to a more positive potential and improves the corrosion resistance at OCP. This phenomenon can be ascribed to the more compact surface oxide film, enhanced reoxidation on the implanted surface, as well as the increased {beta}-Mg{sub 12}Al{sub 17} phase.« less

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

Lin, Xiaomei; Lv, Xin; Wang, Limin

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Effect of CTAB on the morphology and crystallization of MnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}. • The lowest coercivity of MnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} polyhedron is 11.9 Oe. • MnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} as anode for LIB shows good reversible capacity and cycle performances. - Abstract: The uniform different morphologies MnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}, including cube, truncated cube, polyhedron and octahedron, were successfully synthesized via a solvothermal route using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide. The results of control experiments revealed that the concentration of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide was an important factor, which affected the morphology and crystallization of MnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} submicro-crystals. All the preparedmore » samples exhibited soft-magnetic behavior at room temperature. Especially, the coercivity of MnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} polyhedron with 200 nm diameter was 11.9 Oe, which was among the lowest values reported so far. Moreover, MnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} submicro-crystals with special morphologies demonstrated higher reversible capacity (about 1000 mAh g{sup −1}) and different cycle performances. After 50 cycles, polyhedron structure remained 428 mAh/g. The MnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} would have a potential application as anode material for lithium ion batteries.« less

Single-mode, All-Solid-State Nd:YAG Laser Pumped UV Converter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prasad, Narasimha S.; Armstrong, Darrell, J.; Edwards, William C.; Singh, Upendra N.

2008-01-01

In this paper, the status of a high-energy, all solid-state Nd:YAG laser pumped nonlinear optics based UV converter development is discussed. The high-energy UV transmitter technology is being developed for ozone sensing applications from space based platforms using differential lidar technique. The goal is to generate greater than 200 mJ/pulse with 10-50 Hz PRF at wavelengths of 308 nm and 320 nm. A diode-pumped, all-solid-state and single longitudinal mode Nd:YAG laser designed to provide conductively cooled operation at 1064 nm has been built and tested. Currently, this pump laser provides an output pulse energy of >1 J/pulse at 50 Hz PRF and a pulsewidth of 22 ns with an electrical-to-optical system efficiency of greater than 7% and a M(sup 2) value of <2. The single frequency UV converter arrangement basically consists of an IR Optical Parametric Oscillator (OPO) and a Sum Frequency Generator (SFG) setups that are pumped by 532 nm wavelength obtained via Second Harmonic Generation (SHG). In this paper, the operation of an inter cavity SFG with CW laser seeding scheme generating 320 nm wavelength is presented. Efforts are underway to improve conversion efficiency of this mJ class UV converter by modifying the spatial beam profile of the pump laser.

Cell response to quasi-monochromatic light with different coherence

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

Budagovsky, A V; Solovykh, N V; Budagovskaya, O N

The problem of the light coherence effect on the magnitude of the photoinduced cell response is discussed. The origins of ambiguous interpretation of the known experimental results are considered. Using the biological models, essentially differing in anatomy, morphology and biological functions (acrospires of radish, blackberry microsprouts cultivated in vitro, plum pollen), the effect of statistical properties of quasi-monochromatic light (λ{sub max} = 633 nm) on the magnitude of the photoinduced cell response is shown. It is found that for relatively low spatial coherence, the cell functional activity changes insignificantly. The maximal enhancement of growing processes (stimulating effect) is observed whenmore » the coherence length L{sub coh} and the correlation radius r{sub cor} are greater than the cell size, i.e., the entire cell fits into the field coherence volume. In this case, the representative indicators (germination of seeds and pollen, the spears length) exceeds those of non-irradiated objects by 1.7 – 3.9 times. For more correct assessment of the effect of light statistical properties on photocontrol processes, it is proposed to replace the qualitative description (coherent – incoherent) with the quantitative one, using the determination of spatial and temporal correlation functions and comparing them with the characteristic dimensions of the biological structures, e.g., the cell size. (biophotonics)« less

Controlling material birefringence in sapphire via self-assembled, sub-wavelength defects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Astha; Sharma, Geeta; Ranjan, Neeraj; Mittholiya, Kshitij; Bhatnagar, Anuj; Singh, B. P.; Mathur, Deepak; Vasa, Parinda

2018-02-01

Birefringence is the optical property of a material having a refractive index that depends on the polarization and propagation direction of light. Generally, this is an intrinsic optical property of a material and cannot be altered. Here, we report a novel technique—direct laser writing—that enables us to control the natural, material birefringence of sapphire over a broad range of wavelengths. The broadband form birefringence originating from self-assembled, periodic array of sub-wavelength (˜ 50-200 nm) defects created by laser writing, can enhance, suppress or maintain the material birefringence of sapphire without affecting its transparency range in visible or its surface quality.

Measurement of absorption spectrum of deuterium oxide (D{sub 2}O) and its application to signal enhancement in multiphoton microscopy at the 1700-nm window

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

Wang, Yuxin; Wen, Wenhui; Wang, Kai

2016-01-11

1700-nm window has been demonstrated to be a promising excitation window for deep-tissue multiphoton microscopy (MPM). Long working-distance water immersion objective lenses are typically used for deep-tissue imaging. However, absorption due to immersion water at 1700 nm is still high and leads to dramatic decrease in signals. In this paper, we demonstrate measurement of absorption spectrum of deuterium oxide (D{sub 2}O) from 1200 nm to 2600 nm, covering the three low water-absorption windows potentially applicable for deep-tissue imaging (1300 nm, 1700 nm, and 2200 nm). We apply this measured result to signal enhancement in MPM at the 1700-nm window. Compared with water immersion, D{sub 2}O immersionmore » enhances signal levels in second-harmonic generation imaging, 3-photon fluorescence imaging, and third-harmonic generation imaging by 8.1, 24.8, and 24.7 times with 1662-nm excitation, in good agreement with theoretical calculation based on our absorption measurement. This suggests D{sub 2}O a promising immersion medium for deep-tissue imaging.« less

Performance evaluation of bimodal thermite composites : nano- vs miron-scale particles

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

Moore, K. M.; Pantoya, M.; Son, S. F.

2004-01-01

In recent years many studies of metastable interstitial composites (MIC) have shown vast combustion improvements over traditional thermite materials. The main difference between these two materials is the size of the fuel particles in the mixture. Decreasing the fuel size from the micron to nanometer range significantly increases the combustion wave speed and ignition sensitivity. Little is known, however, about the critical level of nano-sized fuel particles needed to enhance the performance of the traditional thermite. Ignition sensitivity experiments were performed using Al/MoO{sub 3} pellets at a theoretical maximum density of 50% (2 g/cm{sup 3}). The Al fuel particles weremore » prepared as bi-modal size distributions with micron (i.e., 4 and 20 {micro}m diameter) and nano-scale Al particles. The micron-scale Al was replaced in 10% increments by 80 nm Al particles until the fuel was 100% 80 nm Al. These bi-modal distributions allow the unique characteristics of nano-scale materials to be better understood. The pellets were ignited using a 50-W CO{sub 2} laser. High speed imaging diagnostics were used to measure ignition delay times, and micro-thermocouples were used to measure ignition temperatures. Combustion wave speeds were also examined.« less

Measuring the bending of asymmetric planar EAP structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiss, Florian M.; Zhao, Xue; Thalmann, Peter; Deyhle, Hans; Urwyler, Prabitha; Kovacs, Gabor; Müller, Bert

2013-04-01

The geometric characterization of low-voltage dielectric electro-active polymer (EAP) structures, comprised of nanometer thickness but areas of square centimeters, for applications such as artificial sphincters requires methods with nanometer precision. Direct optical detection is usually restricted to sub-micrometer resolution because of the wavelength of the light applied. Therefore, we propose to take advantage of the cantilever bending system with optical readout revealing a sub-micrometer resolution at the deflection of the free end. It is demonstrated that this approach allows us to detect bending of rather conventional planar asymmetric, dielectric EAP-structures applying voltages well below 10 V. For this purpose, we built 100 μm-thin silicone films between 50 nm-thin silver layers on a 25 μm-thin polyetheretherketone (PEEK) substrate. The increase of the applied voltage in steps of 50 V until 1 kV resulted in a cantilever bending that exhibits only in restricted ranges the expected square dependence. The mean laser beam displacement on the detector corresponded to 6 nm per volt. The apparatus will therefore become a powerful mean to analyze and thereby improve low-voltage dielectric EAP-structures to realize nanometer-thin layers for stack actuators to be incorporated into artificial sphincter systems for treating severe urinary and fecal incontinence.

Isothermal sections of the quasi-ternary systems Ag{sub 2}S(Se)–Ga{sub 2}S(Se){sub 3}–In{sub 2}S(Se){sub 3} at 820 K and the physical properties of the ternary phases Ga{sub 5.5}In{sub 4.5}S{sub 15}, Ga{sub 6}In{sub 4}Se{sub 15} and Ga{sub 5.5}In{sub 4.5}S{sub 15}:Er{sup 3+}, Ga{sub 6}In{sub 4}Se{sub 15}:Er{sup 3+}

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

Ivashchenko, I.A., E-mail: Ivashchenko.Inna@eenu.edu.ua; Danyliuk, I.V.; Gulay, L.D.

Isothermal sections of the quasi-ternary systems Ag{sub 2}S(Se)–Ga{sub 2}S(Se){sub 3}–In{sub 2}S(Se){sub 3} at 820 K were compared. Along the 50 mol% Ag{sub 2}S(Se), both systems feature continuous solid solutions with the chalcopyrite structure. Along the 17 mol% Ag{sub 2}S(Se), the interactions at the AgIn{sub 5}S(Se){sub 8}–'AgGa{sub 5}S(Se){sub 8}' sections are different. In the Ag{sub 2}S–Ga{sub 2}S{sub 3}–In{sub 2}S{sub 3} system the existence of the layered phase AgGa{sub x}In{sub 5–x}S{sub 8}, 2.25≤x≤2.85, was confirmed (S.G. P6{sub 3}mc). The Ag{sub 2}Se–Ga{sub 2}Se{sub 3}–In{sub 2}Se{sub 3} system features the formation of solid solution (up to 53 mol% Ga{sub 2}Se{sub 3}) based on AgIn{submore » 5}Se{sub 8} (S.G. P-42m). Crystal structure, atomic coordinates were determined by powder diffraction method for samples from the homogeneity region of AgIn{sub 5}Se{sub 8}. Specific conductivities of the crystals Ga{sub 6}In{sub 4}Se{sub 15} (1.33·10{sup −6} Ω{sup −1} m{sup −1}), Ga{sub 5.94}In{sub 3.96}Er{sub 0.1}Se{sub 15} (3.17·10{sup −6} Ω{sup −1} m{sup −1}), Ga{sub 5.5}In{sub 4.5}S{sub 15} (7.94·10{sup −6} Ω{sup −1} m{sup −1}), Ga{sub 5.46}In{sub 4.47}Er{sub 0.07}S{sub 15} (1·10{sup −9} Ω{sup −1} m{sup −1}) were measured at room temperature. Optical absorption and photoconductivity spectra were recorded in the range 400–760 nm. The introduction of erbium leads to an increase in the absorption coefficient and to the appearance of absorption bands at 530, 660, 810, 980, 1530 nm. - Highlights: • Nature of solid solutions in Ag{sub 2}S(Se)–Ga{sub 2}S(Se){sub 3}–In{sub 2}S(Se){sub 3} (820 K) were discussed. • Crystal structures of ternary and quaternary compounds were discussed. • Specific conductivity, optical properties of four single crystals were measured. • Photoconductivity of the Ga{sub 5.5}In{sub 4.5}S{sub 15} in the range 400–760 nm were recorded.« less

AOSLO: from benchtop to clinic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yuhua; Poonja, Siddharth; Roorda, Austin

2006-08-01

We present a clinically deployable adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscope (AOSLO) that features micro-electro-mechanical (MEMS) deformable mirror (DM) based adaptive optics (AO) and low coherent light sources. With the miniaturized optical aperture of a μDMS-Multi TM MEMS DM (Boston Micromachines Corporation, Watertown, MA), we were able to develop a compact and robust AOSLO optical system that occupies a 50 cm X 50 cm area on a mobile optical table. We introduced low coherent light sources, which are superluminescent laser diodes (SLD) at 680 nm with 9 nm bandwidth and 840 nm with 50 nm bandwidth, in confocal scanning ophthalmoscopy to eliminate interference artifacts in the images. We selected a photo multiplier tube (PMT) for photon signal detection and designed low noise video signal conditioning circuits. We employed an acoustic-optical (AOM) spatial light modulator to modulate the light beam so that we could avoid unnecessary exposure to the retina or project a specific stimulus pattern onto the retina. The MEMS DM based AO system demonstrated robust performance. The use of low coherent light sources effectively mitigated the interference artifacts in the images and yielded high-fidelity retinal images of contiguous cone mosaic. We imaged patients with inherited retinal degenerations including cone-rod dystrophy (CRD) and retinitis pigmentosa (RP). We have produced high-fidelity, real-time, microscopic views of the living human retina for healthy and diseased eyes.

Dynamics of femtosecond laser-induced periodic surface structures on silicon by high spatial and temporal resolution imaging

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

Jia, X., E-mail: jiaxin@sdju.edu.cn; Department of Mathematics and Physics, Shanghai Dianji University, Shanghai 201306; Jia, T. Q., E-mail: tqjia@phy.ecnu.edu.cn

2014-04-14

The formation dynamics of periodic ripples induced by femtosecond laser pulses (pulse duration τ = 50 fs and central wavelength λ = 800 nm) are studied by a collinear pump-probe imaging technique with a temporal resolution of 1 ps and a spatial resolution of 440 nm. The ripples with periods close to the laser wavelength begin to appear upon irradiation of two pump pulses at surface defects produced by the prior one. The rudiments of periodic ripples emerge in the initial tens of picoseconds after fs laser irradiation, and the ripple positions keep unmoved until the formation processes complete mainly in a temporal span of 1500 ps. Themore » results suggest that the periodic deposition of laser energy during the interaction between femtosecond laser pulses and sample surface plays a dominant role in the formation of periodic ripples.« less

Far-infrared, submillimeter, and millimeter spectroscopy of the Galactic center - Radio ARC and +20/+50 kilometer per second clouds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Genzel, R.; Harris, A. I.; Geis, N.; Stacey, G. J.; Townes, C. H.

1990-01-01

Results are presented from FIR, sub-mm, and mm spectroscopic observations of the radio arc and the +20/+50 km/s molecular clouds in the Galactic center. The results for the radio arc are analyzed, including the spatial distribution of C II forbidden line emission, the spatial distribution of CO emission, the luminosity and mass of C(+) regions, and the CO 7 - 6 emission and line profiles. Model calculations are used to study molecular gas in the radio arc. In addition, forbidden C II, CO 7 - 6, and C(O-18) mapping is presented for the +20/+50 km/x clouds. Consideration is given to the impact of the results on the interpretation of the physical conditions, excitation, and heating of the gas clouds in the arc and near the center.

Synthetic and spectroscopic studies of vanadate glaserites II: Photoluminescence studies of Ln:K{sub 3}Y(VO{sub 4}){sub 2} (Ln=Eu, Er, Sm, Ho, or Tm)

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

Kimani, Martin M., E-mail: kimani@g.clemson.edu; McMillen, Colin D., E-mail: cmcmill@g.clemson.edu; Kolis, Joseph W., E-mail: kjoseph@clemson.edu

2015-03-15

Glaserite-type potassium yttrium double vanadates (K{sub 3}Y(VO{sub 4}){sub 2}) doped with Eu{sup 3+}, Er{sup 3+}, Sm{sup 3+}, Ho{sup 3+}, or Tm{sup 3+} have been synthesized by solid state reactions at 1000 °C for 48 h and their photoluminescence properties investigated. Efficient energy transfer from the vanadate group to the rare earth ion has been established by photoluminescence investigation. Ultraviolet excitation into the metal to ligand charge transfer band of the vanadate groups results in orange-red, blue and green emissions from Eu{sup 3+} (592 nm), Sm{sup 3+} (602 nm), Tm{sup 3+} (475 nm), Er{sup 3+} (553 nm), and Ho{sup 3+} (541–551more » nm) dopant ions. The emission intensities of the lanthanide-doped K{sub 3}Y(VO{sub 4}){sub 2} powders were studied as a function of dopant ion concentrations. Over the concentration ranges studied, no emission quenching was observed for Eu{sup 3+} or Ho{sup 3+} dopants, while Er{sup 3+}, Sm{sup 3+} and Tm{sup 3+} dopants did exhibit such effects for dopant ion concentrations greater than 5%, probably due to cross relaxation processes. - Graphical abstract: Synthesis and photoluminescence in vanadate glaserites. - Highlights: • K{sub 3}Y(VO{sub 4}){sub 2} doped with Eu, Er, Tm, Sm, or Ho were synthesized via solid-state reactions. • Photoluminescence properties are investigated. • The lanthanide doped K{sub 3}Y(VO{sub 4}){sub 2} compounds revealed efficient energy transfer from the vanadate group to the rare earth ions. • The presented compounds are promising materials for light display systems, lasers, and optoelectronic devices.« less

Textured Pr{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B flakes with submicron or nanosize thickness prepared by surfactant-assisted ball milling

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

Zuo, Wen-Liang, E-mail: wlzuo@iphy.ac.cn, E-mail: shenbg@aphy.iphy.ac.cn; Liu, Rong-Ming; Zheng, Xin-Qi

2014-05-07

The textured Pr{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B nanoflakes were produced by surfactant-assisted ball milling (SABM). Single phase tetragonal structure was characterized for the samples before and after SABM by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The thickness and length of the as-milled flakes are mainly in the range of 50–150 nm and 0.5–2 μm, respectively. For the field-aligned Pr{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B nanoflakes, the out-of-plane texture (the easy magnetization direction (EMD) along the c-axis) is indicated from the increasing (00l) peaks in the XRD patterns. SEM image demonstrates that the EMD is parallel to flaky surface, which is different from the RCo{sub 5} (R = rare earth) system with EMDmore » perpendicular to the surface. We propose a hypothesis that the easy glide planes are related with the area of crystal planes. In addition, a large coercivity H{sub c} = 3.9 kOe is observed in the Pr{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B flakes with strong texture.« less

New Homogeneous Standards by Atomic Layer Deposition for Synchrotron X-ray Fluorescence and Absorption Spectroscopies.

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

Butterworth, A.L.; Becker, N.; Gainsforth, Z.

2012-03-13

Quantification of synchrotron XRF analyses is typically done through comparisons with measurements on the NIST SRM 1832/1833 thin film standards. Unfortunately, these standards are inhomogeneous on small scales at the tens of percent level. We are synthesizing new homogeneous multilayer standards using the Atomic Layer Deposition technique and characterizing them using multiple analytical methods, including ellipsometry, Rutherford Back Scattering at Evans Analytical, Synchrotron X-ray Fluorescence (SXRF) at Advanced Photon Source (APS) Beamline 13-ID, Synchrotron X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) at Advanced Light Source (ALS) Beamlines 11.0.2 and 5.3.2.1 and by electron microscopy techniques. Our motivation for developing much-needed cross-calibration of synchrotronmore » techniques is borne from coordinated analyses of particles captured in the aerogel of the NASA Stardust Interstellar Dust Collector (SIDC). The Stardust Interstellar Dust Preliminary Examination (ISPE) team have characterized three sub-nanogram, {approx}1{micro}m-sized fragments considered as candidates to be the first contemporary interstellar dust ever collected, based on their chemistries and trajectories. The candidates were analyzed in small wedges of aerogel in which they were extracted from the larger collector, using high sensitivity, high spatial resolution >3 keV synchrotron x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (SXRF) and <2 keV synchrotron x-ray transmission microscopy (STXM) during Stardust ISPE. The ISPE synchrotron techniques have complementary capabilities. Hard X-ray SXRF is sensitive to sub-fg mass of elements Z {ge} 20 (calcium) and has a spatial resolution as low as 90nm. X-ray Diffraction data were collected simultaneously with SXRF data. Soft X-ray STXM at ALS beamline 11.0.2 can detect fg-mass of most elements, including cosmochemically important oxygen, magnesium, aluminum and silicon, which are invisible to SXRF in this application. ALS beamline 11.0.2 has spatial resolution better than 25 nm. Limiting factors for Stardust STXM analyses were self-imposed limits of photon dose due to radiation damage concerns, and significant attenuation of <1500 eV X-rays by {approx}80{micro}m thick, {approx}25 mg/cm{sup 3} density silica aerogel capture medium. In practice, the ISPE team characterized the major, light elements using STXM (O, Mg, Al, Si) and the heavier minor and trace elements using SXRF. The two data sets overlapped only with minor Fe and Ni ({approx}1% mass abundance), providing few quantitative cross-checks. New improved standards for cross calibration are essential for consortium-based analyses of Stardust interstellar and cometary particles, IDPs. Indeed, they have far reaching application across the whole synchrotron-based analytical community. We have synthesized three ALD multilayers simultaneously on silicon nitride membranes and silicon and characterized them using RBS (on Si), XRF (on Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}) and STXM/XAS (holey Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}). The systems we have started to work with are Al-Zn-Fe and Y-Mg-Er. We have found these ALD multi-layers to be uniform at {micro}m- to nm scales, and have found excellent consistency between four analytical techniques so far. The ALD films can also be used as a standard for e-beam instruments, eg., TEM EELS or EDX. After some early issues with the consistency of coatings to the back-side of the membrane windows, we are confident to be able to show multi-analytical agreement to within 10%. As the precision improves, we can use the new standards to verify or improve the tabulated cross-sections.« less

Plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition of ZnO with diethyl zinc and oxygen plasma: Effect of precursor decomposition

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

Muneshwar, Triratna, E-mail: muneshwa@ualberta.ca; Cadien, Ken; Shoute, Gem

2016-09-15

Although atomic layer deposition (ALD) of ZnO using diethyl zinc (DEZ) precursor has been extensively reported, variation in growth-per-cycle (GPC) values and the range of substrate temperature (T{sub sub}) for ALD growth between related studies remain unexplained. For identical processes, GPC for the characteristic self-limiting ALD growth is expected to be comparable. Hence, a significant variation in GPC among published ZnO ALD studies strongly suggests a concealed non-ALD growth component. To investigate this, the authors report plasma-enhanced ALD growth of ZnO using DEZ precursor and O{sub 2} inductively coupled plasma. The effect of T{sub sub} on ZnO GPC was studiedmore » with deposition cycles (1) 0.02 s–15 s–6 s–15 s, (2) 0.10 s–15 s–15 s–15 s, and (3) 0.20 s–15 s–30 s–15 s, where the cycle parameters t{sub 1}–t{sub 2}–t{sub 3}–t{sub 4} denote duration of DEZ pulse, post-DEZ purge, plasma exposure, and postplasma purge, respectively. The non-ALD growth characteristics observed at T{sub sub} ≥ 60 °C are discussed and attributed to DEZ precursor decomposition. The authors demonstrate ZnO growth at T{sub sub} = 50 °C to be self-limiting with respect to both t{sub 1} and t{sub 3} giving GPC of 0.101 ± 0.001 nm/cycle. The effect of precursor decomposition related (non-ALD) growth at T{sub sub} ≥ 60 °C is illustrated from comparison of optical dielectric function, electrical resistivity, and surface roughness of ZnO films deposited at T{sub sub} = 50, 125, and 200 °C.« less

Ultrafast third-harmonic spectroscopy of single nanoantennas fabricated using helium-ion beam lithography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kollmann, H.; Esmann, M.; Becker, S. F.; Piao, X.; Huynh, C.; Kautschor, L.-O.; Bösker, G.; Vieker, H.; Beyer, A.; Gölzhäuser, A.; Park, N.; Silies, M.; Lienau, C.

2016-03-01

Metallic nanoantennas are able to spatially localize far-field electromagnetic waves on a few nanometer length scale in the form of surface plasmon excitations 1-3. Standard tools for fabricating bowtie and rod antennas with sub-20 nm feature sizes are Electron Beam Lithography or Ga-based Focused Ion Beam (FIB) Milling. These structures, however, often suffer from surface roughness and hence show only a limited optical polarization contrast and therefore a limited electric field localization. Here, we combine Ga- and He-ion based milling (HIM) for the fabrication of gold bowtie and rod antennas with gap sizes of less than 6 nm combined with a high aspect ratio. Using polarization-sensitive Third-Harmonic (TH) spectroscopy, we compare the nonlinear optical properties of single HIM-antennas with sub-6-nm gaps with those produced by standard Ga-based FIB. We find a pronounced enhancement of the total TH intensity of more than three in comparison to Ga-FIB antennas and a highly improved polarization contrast of the TH intensity of 250:1 for Heion produced antennas 4. These findings combined with Finite-Element Method calculations demonstrate a field enhancement of up to one hundred in the few-nanometer gap of the antenna. This makes He-ion beam milling a highly attractive and promising new tool for the fabrication of plasmonic nanoantennas with few-nanometer feature sizes.

Superhydrophobic and transparent coatings prepared by self-assembly of dual-sized silica particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Qian-Feng; Wang, Jian-Nong

2010-06-01

Superhydrophobic and transparent coatings have been prepared by self-assembly of dual-sized silica particles from a mixed dispersion. The desirable micro/nano hierarchical structure for superhydrophobicity is constructed simply by adjusting the size and ratio of the dual-sized particles without organic/inorganic templates. The transparency of the prepared coatings is also researched, and the light scattering can be reduced by lowering the ratio of big sub-micro particles while the superhydrophobicity maintains unchanged. When nano particles with a diameter of 50 nm and sub-micro particles with a diameter of 350 nm are assembled, a superhydrophobic property with a water contact angle of 161° is achieved. Additionally, the coated glass is also very transparent. The highest transmittance of the coated glass can reach 85%. Compared to traditional colloid self-assembly approach, which often involves dozens of steps of layer-by-layer processing and organic/inorganic templates, the present approach is much simpler and has advantages for large-scale coating.

Laser-induced desorption of atomic and molecular fragments from a tin dioxide surface modified by a thin organic covering of copper phthalocyanine

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

Komolov, A. S., E-mail: akomolov07@ya.ru; Komolov, S. A.; Lazneva, E. F.

2012-01-15

The systematic features of laser-induced desorption from an SnO{sub 2} surface exposed to 10-ns pulsed neodymium laser radiation are studied at the photon energy 2.34 eV, in the range of pulse energy densities 1 to 50 mJ/cm{sup 2}. As the threshold pulse energy 28 mJ/cm{sup 2} is achieved, molecular oxygen O{sub 2} is detected in the desorption mass spectra from the SnO{sub 2} surface; as the threshold pulse energy 42 mJ/cm{sup 2} is reached, tin Sn, and SnO and (SnO){sub 2} particle desorption is observed. The laser desorption mass spectra from the SnO{sub 2} surface coated with an organic coppermore » phthalocyanine (CuPc) film 50 nm thick are measured. It is shown that laser irradiation causes the fragmentation of CuPc molecules and the desorption of molecular fragments in the laser pulse energy density range 6 to 10 mJ/cm{sup 2}. Along with the desorption of molecular fragments, a weak desorption signal of the substrate components O{sub 2}, Sn, SnO, and (SnO){sub 2} is observed in the same energy range. Desorption energy thresholds of substrate atomic components from the organic film surface are approximately five times lower than thresholds of their desorption from the atomically clean SnO{sub 2} surface, which indicates the diffusion of atomic components of the SnO{sub 2} substrate to the bulk of the deposited organic film.« less

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

Manaf, A., E-mail: azwar@ui.ac.id; Fahmi, Agam Aidil; Yustanti, Erlina

This paper describes the particle size characterization of mechanically alloyed Ba{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}TiO{sub 3} and Ba{sub 0.3}Sr{sub 0.7}TiO{sub 3} prepared with the aid of a high-power ultrasonic destruction. Analytical-grade BaCO{sub 3}, TiO{sub 2} and SrCO{sub 3} with a purity greater than 99 wt.% were used as precursors for Ba{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}TiO{sub 3} and Ba{sub 0.3}Sr{sub 0.7}TiO{sub 3}. The mechanically powders were respectively sintered at 1200 °C for 3 hours to form crystalline powders. This work is aimed at studying the effect of diameter ratio between reactor and transducer of a high power sonicator on the Ba{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}TiO{sub 3} andmore » Ba{sub 0.3}Sr{sub 0.7}TiO{sub 3} nanoparticles formation. The presence of a single phase of the two materials was confirmed by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). The concentration of the particles in demineralized water was 3.0 g / 100 mL which become the object of 3 hours ultrasonic destruction subjected to the application of transducer in which the ratio between the diameter of the reactor and the transducer (D/d) was fixed at 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8 respectively. It was found that the mean particle size before the ultrasonic destruction was 538 nm for Ba{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}TiO{sub 3} and 480 nm for Ba{sub 0.3}Sr{sub 0.7}TiO{sub 3}. With D/d of 1.8, the mean particle size of the two materials was found to decrease drastically to 38 nm and 24 nm, respectively. These mean particle sizes were respectively comparable with that of the crystallite size of the particles derived using the Whole Powder Pattern Modelling (WPPM) from which the mean crystallite size of 22 nm for Ba{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}TiO{sub 3} and 14 nm for Ba{sub 0.3}Sr{sub 0.7}TiO{sub 3} were obtained. It is then confirmed single nanocrystallite Ba{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}TiO{sub 3} and Ba{sub 0.3}Sr{sub 0.7}TiO{sub 3} particles were already achieved. We can conclude that the ultrasonic destruction to mechanically milled crystalline particles would be one of an effective way to produce nanoparticles.« less

Design considerations and emerging challenges for nanotube-, nanowire-, and negative capacitor-field effect transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wahab, Md. Abdul

As the era of classical planar metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) comes to an end, the semiconductor industry is beginning to adopt 3D device architectures, such as FinFETs, starting at the 22 nm technology node. Since physical limits such as short channel effect (SCE) and self-heating may dominate, it may be difficult to scale Si FinFET below 10 nm. In this regard, transistors with different materials, geometries, or operating principles may help. For example, gate has excellent electrostatic control over 2D thin film channel with planar geometry, and 1D nanowire (NW) channel with gate-all-around (GAA) geometry to reduce SCE. High carrier mobility of single wall carbon nanotube (SWNT) or III-V channels may reduce VDD to reduce power consumption. Therefore, as channel of transistor, 2D thin film of array SWNTs and 1D III-V multi NWs are promising for sub 10 nm technology nodes. In this thesis, we analyze the potential of these transistors from process, performance, and reliability perspectives. For SWNT FETs, we discuss a set of challenges (such as how to (i) characterize diameter distribution, (ii) remove metallic (m)-SWNTs, and (iii) avoid electrostatic cross-talk among the neighboring SWNTs), and demonstrate solution strategies both theoretically and experimentally. Regarding self-heating in these new class of devices (SWNT FET and GAA NW FET including state-of-the-art FinFET), higher thermal resistance from poor thermal conducting oxides results significant temperature rise, and reduces the IC life-time. For GAA NW FETs, we discuss accurate self-heating evaluation with good spatial, temporal, and thermal resolutions. The introduction of negative capacitor (NC), as gate dielectric stack of transistor, allows sub 60 mV/dec operation to reduce power consumption significantly. Taken together, our work provides a comprehensive perspective regarding the challenges and opportunities of sub 10 nm technology nodes.

Synthesis and characterization of aluminium–alumina micro- and nano-composites by spark plasma sintering

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

Dash, K., E-mail: khushbudash@gmail.com; Chaira, D.; Ray, B.C.

Graphical abstract: The evolution of microstructure by varying the particle size of reinforcement in the matrix employing spark plasma sintering has been demonstrated here in Al–Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} system. An emphasis has been laid on varying the reinforcement particle size and evaluating the microstructural morphologies and their implications on mechanical performance of the composites. Nanocomposites of 0.5, 1, 3, 5, 7 volume % alumina (average size < 50 nm) reinforced in aluminium matrix were fabricated by powder metallurgy route using spark plasma sintering technique technique at a temperature of 773 K and pressure of 50 MPa. Another set of specimensmore » having composition 1, 5, 20 vol.% of alumina (average size ∼ 10 μm) had been fabricated to compare the physical as well as mechanical attributes of the microcomposite as well as the nanocomposites. These micro- and nano-composites have been characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy followed by density, microhardness and nanoindentation measurements. The alumina nanoparticles revealed an interface showing appreciable physical intimacy with the aluminium matrix compared to that of the alumina microparticles. The interfacial integrity in case of nanocomposites is better than in the microcomposite which has been studied using microscopic techniques. Spark plasma sintering imparts enhanced densification as well as matrix-reinforcement proximity which has been corroborated with the experimental results. - Highlights: • The Al–Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} micro- and nano-composites fabricated by spark plasma sintering. • Better matrix-reinforcement integrity in nanocomposites than microcomposites. • Spark plasma sintering method results in higher density and hardness values. • High density and hardness values of nanocomposites than microcomposites. • High dislocation density in spark plasma sintered Al–Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} composites. - Abstract: In the present study, an emphasis has been laid on evaluation of the microstructural morphologies and their implications on mechanical performance of the composites by varying the reinforcement particle size. Nanocomposites of 0.5, 1, 3, 5, 7 volume % alumina (average size < 50 nm) and microcomposites of 1, 5, 20 volume % of alumina (average size ∼ 10 μm) reinforced in aluminium matrix were fabricated by spark plasma sintering technique at a temperature of 773 K and pressure of 50 MPa. These micro- and nano-composites have been characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy followed by density, microhardness and nanoindentation hardness measurements. The alumina nanoparticles revealed appreciable physical intimacy with the aluminium matrix than that of alumina microparticles. The highest nanohardness recorded 0.85 GPa and 99% densification for 7 and 1 vol.% Al–Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} nancomposites respectively. Spark plasma sintering imparts enhanced densification and matrix-reinforcement proximity which have been corroborated with the experimental results.« less

Semiconductor laser-based ranging instrument for earth gravity measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abshire, James B.; Millar, Pamela S.; Sun, Xiaoli

1995-01-01

A laser ranging instrument is being developed to measure the spatial variations in the Earth's gravity field. It will range in space to a cube corner on a passive co-orbiting sub-satellite with a velocity accuracy of 20 to 50 microns/sec by using AlGaAs lasers intensity modulated at 2 GHz.

Experimental Investigation of Ultrafast Hydration Structure and Dynamics at Sub-Angstrom Lengthscales

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coridan, Robert Henry

2009-01-01

This thesis outlines how meV-resolution inelastic x-ray scattering and causality-enforcing mathematics can be used to measure the dynamical density-density linear response function for liquid water with Angstrom spatial resolution and 50fs temporal resolution. The results are compared to high-resolution spectroscopic and scattering experiments and…

Giant Enhancement in Radiative Heat Transfer in Sub-30 nm Gaps of Plane Parallel Surfaces.

PubMed

Fiorino, Anthony; Thompson, Dakotah; Zhu, Linxiao; Song, Bai; Reddy, Pramod; Meyhofer, Edgar

2018-06-13

Radiative heat transfer rates that exceed the blackbody limit by several orders of magnitude are expected when the gap size between plane parallel surfaces is reduced to the nanoscale. To date, experiments have only realized enhancements of ∼100 fold as the smallest gap sizes in radiative heat transfer studies have been limited to ∼50 nm by device curvature and particle contamination. Here, we report a 1,200-fold enhancement with respect to the far-field value in the radiative heat flux between parallel planar silica surfaces separated by gaps as small as ∼25 nm. Achieving such small gap sizes and the resultant dramatic enhancement in near-field energy flux is critical to achieve a number of novel near-field based nanoscale energy conversion systems that have been theoretically predicted but remain experimentally unverified.

The third-order optical nonlinearities of Ge-Ga-Sb(In)-S chalcogenide glasses

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

Guo, Haitao, E-mail: guoht_001@opt.ac.cn; Chen, Hongyan; Hou, Chaoqi

2011-05-15

Research highlights: {yields} It is firstly demonstrated that the nonlinear refractive index n{sub 2} is dependent on the covalency of bonds in chalcogenide glass. {yields} Homopolar metallic bonds in chalcogenide glass have positive contribution to large nonlinear refractive index n{sub 2} also. {yields} The 80GeS{sub 2}.20Sb{sub 2}S{sub 3} glass would be expected to be used in the all-optical switches working at 1330 nm and 1550 nm telecommunication wavelengths. -- Abstract: The third-order optical nonlinearities of 80GeS{sub 2}.(20 - x)Ga{sub 2}S{sub 3}.xY{sub 2}S{sub 3} (x = 0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and Y = Sb or In) chalcogenide glasses were investigatedmore » utilizing the Z-scan method at the wavelength of 800 nm and their linear optical properties and structure were also studied. By analyzing the compositional dependences and possible influencing factors including the linear refractive index, the concentration of lone electron pairs, the optical bandgap and the amount of weak covalent/homopolar bonds, it indicates that the electronic contribution in weak heteropolar covalent and homopolar metallic bonds is responsible for large nonlinear refractive index n{sub 2} in the chalcogenide glasses. These chalcogenide glasses have characteristics of environmentally friendship, wide transparency in the visible region, high nonlinear refractive index n{sub 2} and low nonlinear absorption coefficient {beta}, and would be expected to be used in the all-optical switches working at 1330 nm and 1550 nm telecommunication wavelengths.« less

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

Liu, Li-Chih; Chen, Jen-Sue, E-mail: jenschen@mail.ncku.edu.tw, E-mail: jsjeng@mail.nutn.edu.tw; Jeng, Jiann-Shing, E-mail: jenschen@mail.ncku.edu.tw, E-mail: jsjeng@mail.nutn.edu.tw

Solution-processed ultra-thin (∼3 nm) zinc tin oxide (ZTO) thin film transistors (TFTs) with a mobility of 8 cm{sup 2}/Vs are obtained with post spin-coating annealing at only 350 °C. The effect of light illumination (at wavelengths of 405 nm or 532 nm) on the stability of TFT transfer characteristics under various gate bias stress conditions (zero, positive, and negative) is investigated. It is found that the ΔV{sub th} (V{sub th}{sup stress} {sup 3400} {sup s − stress} {sup 0} {sup s}) window is significantly positive when ZTO TFTs are under positive bias stress (PBS, ΔV{sub th} = 9.98 V) and positive bias illumination stress (λ = 405 nm and ΔV{sub th} = 6.96 V), butmore » ΔV{sub th} is slightly negative under only light illumination stress (λ = 405 nm and ΔV{sub th} = −2.02 V) or negative bias stress (ΔV{sub th} = −2.27 V). However, the ΔV{sub th} of ZTO TFT under negative bias illumination stress is substantial, and it will efficiently recover the ΔV{sub th} caused by PBS. The result is attributed to the photo-ionization and subsequent transition of electronic states of oxygen vacancies (i.e., V{sub o}, V{sub o}{sup +}, and V{sub o}{sup ++}) in ZTO. A detailed mechanism is discussed to better understand the bias stress stability of solution processed ZTO TFTs.« less

Ceramic materials with low thermal conductivity and low coefficients of thermal expansion

DOEpatents

Brown, Jesse; Hirschfeld, Deidre; Liu, Dean-Mo; Yang, Yaping; Li, Tingkai; Swanson, Robert E.; Van Aken, Steven; Kim, Jin-Min

1992-01-01

Compositions having the general formula (Ca.sub.x Mg.sub.1-x)Zr.sub.4 (PO.sub.4).sub.6 where x is between 0.5 and 0.99 are produced by solid state and sol-gel processes. In a preferred embodiment, when x is between 0.5 and 0.8, the MgCZP materials have near-zero coefficients of thermal expansion. The MgCZPs of the present invention also show unusually low thermal conductivities, and are stable at high temperatures. Macrostructures formed from MgCZP are useful in a wide variety of high-temperature applications. In a preferred process, calcium, magnesium, and zirconium nitrate solutions have their pH adjusted to between 7 and 9 either before or after the addition of ammonium dihydrogen phosphate. After dehydration to a gel, and calcination at temperatures in excess of 850.degree. C. for approximately 16 hours, single phase crystalline MgCZP powders with particle sizes ranging from approximately 20 nm to 50 nm result. The MgCZP powders are then sintered at temperatures ranging from 1200.degree. C. to 1350.degree. C. to form solid macrostructures with near-zero bulk coefficients of thermal expansion and low thermal conductivities. Porous macrostructures of the MgCZP powders of the present invention are also formed by combination with a polymeric powder and a binding agent, and sintering at high temperatures. The porosity of the resulting macrostructures can be adjusted by varying the particle size of the polymeric powder used.

Ceramic materials with low thermal conductivity and low coefficients of thermal expansion

DOEpatents

Brown, J.; Hirschfeld, D.; Liu, D.M.; Yang, Y.; Li, T.; Swanson, R.E.; Van Aken, S.; Kim, J.M.

1992-04-07

Compositions, having the general formula (Ca[sub x]Mg[sub 1[minus]x])Zr[sub 4](PO[sub 4])[sub 6] where x is between 0.5 and 0.99, are produced by solid state and sol-gel processes. In a preferred embodiment, when x is between 0.5 and 0.8, the MgCZP materials have near-zero coefficients of thermal expansion. The MgCZPs of the present invention also show unusually low thermal conductivities, and are stable at high temperatures. Macrostructures formed from MgCZP are useful in a wide variety of high-temperature applications. In a preferred process, calcium, magnesium, and zirconium nitrate solutions have their pH adjusted to between 7 and 9 either before or after the addition of ammonium dihydrogen phosphate. After dehydration to a gel, and calcination at temperatures in excess of 850 C for approximately 16 hours, single phase crystalline MgCZP powders with particle sizes ranging from approximately 20 nm to 50 nm result. The MgCZP powders are then sintered at temperatures ranging from 1200 C to 1350 C to form solid macrostructures with near-zero bulk coefficients of thermal expansion and low thermal conductivities. Porous macrostructures of the MgCZP powders of the present invention are also formed by combination with a polymeric powder and a binding agent, and sintering at high temperatures. The porosity of the resulting macrostructures can be adjusted by varying the particle size of the polymeric powder used. 7 figs.

Variations in optical coherence tomography resolution and uniformity: a multi-system performance comparison

PubMed Central

Fouad, Anthony; Pfefer, T. Joshua; Chen, Chao-Wei; Gong, Wei; Agrawal, Anant; Tomlins, Peter H.; Woolliams, Peter D.; Drezek, Rebekah A.; Chen, Yu

2014-01-01

Point spread function (PSF) phantoms based on unstructured distributions of sub-resolution particles in a transparent matrix have been demonstrated as a useful tool for evaluating resolution and its spatial variation across image volumes in optical coherence tomography (OCT) systems. Measurements based on PSF phantoms have the potential to become a standard test method for consistent, objective and quantitative inter-comparison of OCT system performance. Towards this end, we have evaluated three PSF phantoms and investigated their ability to compare the performance of four OCT systems. The phantoms are based on 260-nm-diameter gold nanoshells, 400-nm-diameter iron oxide particles and 1.5-micron-diameter silica particles. The OCT systems included spectral-domain and swept source systems in free-beam geometries as well as a time-domain system in both free-beam and fiberoptic probe geometries. Results indicated that iron oxide particles and gold nanoshells were most effective for measuring spatial variations in the magnitude and shape of PSFs across the image volume. The intensity of individual particles was also used to evaluate spatial variations in signal intensity uniformity. Significant system-to-system differences in resolution and signal intensity and their spatial variation were readily quantified. The phantoms proved useful for identification and characterization of irregularities such as astigmatism. Our multi-system results provide evidence of the practical utility of PSF-phantom-based test methods for quantitative inter-comparison of OCT system resolution and signal uniformity. PMID:25071949

Nanoscale thermal transport. II. 2003-2012

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cahill, David G.; Braun, Paul V.; Chen, Gang; Clarke, David R.; Fan, Shanhui; Goodson, Kenneth E.; Keblinski, Pawel; King, William P.; Mahan, Gerald D.; Majumdar, Arun; Maris, Humphrey J.; Phillpot, Simon R.; Pop, Eric; Shi, Li

2014-03-01

A diverse spectrum of technology drivers such as improved thermal barriers, higher efficiency thermoelectric energy conversion, phase-change memory, heat-assisted magnetic recording, thermal management of nanoscale electronics, and nanoparticles for thermal medical therapies are motivating studies of the applied physics of thermal transport at the nanoscale. This review emphasizes developments in experiment, theory, and computation in the past ten years and summarizes the present status of the field. Interfaces become increasingly important on small length scales. Research during the past decade has extended studies of interfaces between simple metals and inorganic crystals to interfaces with molecular materials and liquids with systematic control of interface chemistry and physics. At separations on the order of ˜ 1 nm , the science of radiative transport through nanoscale gaps overlaps with thermal conduction by the coupling of electronic and vibrational excitations across weakly bonded or rough interfaces between materials. Major advances in the physics of phonons include first principles calculation of the phonon lifetimes of simple crystals and application of the predicted scattering rates in parameter-free calculations of the thermal conductivity. Progress in the control of thermal transport at the nanoscale is critical to continued advances in the density of information that can be stored in phase change memory devices and new generations of magnetic storage that will use highly localized heat sources to reduce the coercivity of magnetic media. Ultralow thermal conductivity—thermal conductivity below the conventionally predicted minimum thermal conductivity—has been observed in nanolaminates and disordered crystals with strong anisotropy. Advances in metrology by time-domain thermoreflectance have made measurements of the thermal conductivity of a thin layer with micron-scale spatial resolution relatively routine. Scanning thermal microscopy and thermal analysis using proximal probes has achieved spatial resolution of 10 nm, temperature precision of 50 mK, sensitivity to heat flows of 10 pW, and the capability for thermal analysis of sub-femtogram samples.

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

Yan, S. A.; Tang, M. H., E-mail: mhtang@xtu.edu.cn, E-mail: lizheng@xtu.edu.cn; Xiao, Y. G.

In this work, metal-ferroelectric-insulator-semiconductor (MFIS) structure capacitors with SrBi{sub 2}Ta{sub 2}O{sub 9} (300 nm) as ferroelectric thin film and HfTaO (6 nm, 8 nm, 10 nm, and 12 nm) as insulating buffer layer were proposed and investigated. The prepared capacitors were fabricated and characterized before radiation and then subjected to {sup 60}Co gamma irradiation in steps of two dose levels. Significant irradiation-induced degradation of the electrical characteristics was observed. The radiation experimental results indicated that stability and reliability of as-fabricated MFIS capacitors for nonvolatile memory applications could become uncontrollable under strong irradiation dose and/or long irradiation time.

Broadband visible light source based on AllnGaN light emitting diodes

DOEpatents

Crawford, Mary H.; Nelson, Jeffrey S.

2003-12-16

A visible light source device is described based on a light emitting diode and a nanocluster-based film. The light emitting diode utilizes a semiconductor quantum well structure between n-type and p-type semiconductor materials on the top surface a substrate such as sapphire. The nanocluster-based film is deposited on the bottom surface of the substrate and can be derived from a solution of MoS.sub.2, MoSe.sub.2, WS.sub.2, and WSe.sub.2 particles of size greater than approximately 2 nm in diameter and less than approximately 15 nm in diameter, having an absorption wavelength greater than approximately 300 nm and less than approximately 650 nm.

Luminescence properties of Ca{sub 14}Mg{sub 2}(SiO{sub 4}){sub 8}:Eu{sup 2+} from various Eu{sup 2+} sites for white-light-emitting diodes

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

Zhang, Jia, E-mail: zhangjia@hytc.edu.cn; Jiang, Cheng

2014-12-15

Ca{sub 14}Mg{sub 2}(SiO{sub 4}){sub 8}:Eu{sup 2+} phosphors were synthesized by solid-state reaction method, and their luminescence properties were investigated. In the emission spectra, several overlapping emission bands originating from various Eu{sup 2+} sites were found. Eu{sup 2+} in Ca{sub 14}Mg{sub 2}(SiO{sub 4}){sub 8} exhibits green emission around 506 nm, and the sample doped with 0.1 mol% Eu{sup 2+} shows the strongest brightness under 365 nm excitation with the quantum efficiency of 63.6%. In the excitation spectra, strong and broad excitation bands from 250 to 450 nm were observed, which could well match with the emission wavelength of the light-emitting diodemore » chip. The fabrication test on the InGaN chip indicates the Ca{sub 14}Mg{sub 2}(SiO{sub 4}){sub 8}:Eu{sup 2+} phosphor could be promising candidate for white light-emitting diodes.« less

Note: All solid-state high repetitive sub-nanosecond risetime pulse generator based on bulk gallium arsenide avalanche semiconductor switches.

PubMed

Hu, Long; Su, Jiancang; Ding, Zhenjie; Hao, Qingsong; Fan, Yajun; Liu, Chunliang

2016-08-01

An all solid-state high repetitive sub-nanosecond risetime pulse generator featuring low-energy-triggered bulk gallium arsenide (GaAs) avalanche semiconductor switches and a step-type transmission line is presented. The step-type transmission line with two stages is charged to a potential of 5.0 kV also biasing at the switches. The bulk GaAs avalanche semiconductor switch closes within sub-nanosecond range when illuminated with approximately 87 nJ of laser energy at 905 nm in a single pulse. An asymmetric dipolar pulse with peak-to-peak amplitude of 9.6 kV and risetime of 0.65 ns is produced on a resistive load of 50 Ω. A technique that allows for repetition-rate multiplication of pulse trains experimentally demonstrated that the parallel-connected bulk GaAs avalanche semiconductor switches are triggered in sequence. The highest repetition rate is decided by recovery time of the bulk GaAs avalanche semiconductor switch, and the operating result of 100 kHz of the generator is discussed.

Application of holographic sub-wavelength diffraction gratings for monitoring of kinetics of bioprocesses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tamulevičius, Tomas; Šeperys, Rimas; Andrulevičius, Mindaugas; Kopustinskas, Vitoldas; Meškinis, Šarūnas; Tamulevičius, Sigitas; Mikalayeva, Valeryia; Daugelavičius, Rimantas

2012-09-01

In this work we present a refractive index (RI) sensor based on a sub-wavelength holographic diffraction grating. The sensor chip was fabricated by dry etching of the finely spaced (d = 428 nm) diffraction grating in SiOx doped diamond like carbon (DLC) film. It is shown that employing a fabricated sensor chip, and using the proposed method of analysis of data, one can inspect kinetics of processes in liquids occurring in the vicinity of the grating surface. The method is based on the spectral composition analysis of polarized polychromatic light reflected from the sub-wavelength diffraction grating. The RI measurement system was tested with different model liquid analytes including 25 wt.%, 50 wt.% sugar water solutions, 10 °C, 50 °C distilled water, also Gram-positive bacteria Bacillus subtilis interaction with ion-permeable channels forming antibiotic gramicidin D and a murolytic enzyme lysozyme. Analysis of the data set of specular reflection spectra enabled us to follow the kinetics of the RI changes in the analyte with millisecond resolution. Detectable changes in the effective RI were not worse than Δn = 10-4.

Direct Imaging of Long-Range Exciton Transport in Quantum Dot Superlattices by Ultrafast Microscopy.

PubMed

Yoon, Seog Joon; Guo, Zhi; Dos Santos Claro, Paula C; Shevchenko, Elena V; Huang, Libai

2016-07-26

Long-range charge and exciton transport in quantum dot (QD) solids is a crucial challenge in utilizing QDs for optoelectronic applications. Here, we present a direct visualization of exciton diffusion in highly ordered CdSe QDs superlattices by mapping exciton population using ultrafast transient absorption microscopy. A temporal resolution of ∼200 fs and a spatial precision of ∼50 nm of this technique provide a direct assessment of the upper limit for exciton transport in QD solids. An exciton diffusion length of ∼125 nm has been visualized in the 3 ns experimental time window and an exciton diffusion coefficient of (2.5 ± 0.2) × 10(-2) cm(2) s(-1) has been measured for superlattices constructed from 3.6 nm CdSe QDs with center-to-center distance of 6.7 nm. The measured exciton diffusion constant is in good agreement with Förster resonance energy transfer theory. We have found that exciton diffusion is greatly enhanced in the superlattices over the disordered films with an order of magnitude higher diffusion coefficient, pointing toward the role of disorder in limiting transport. This study provides important understandings on energy transport mechanisms in both the spatial and temporal domains in QD solids.

Near-infrared photoluminescence in La{sub 0.98}AlO{sub 3}: {sub 0.02}Ln{sup 3+}(Ln = Nd/Yb) for sensitization of c-Si solar cells

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

Sawala, N. S., E-mail: nssawala@gmail.com; Koparkar, K. A.; Omanwar, S. K.

2016-05-06

The host matrix LaAlO{sub 3} was synthesized by conventional solid state reaction method in which the Nd{sup 3+} ions and Yb{sup 3+} ions successfully doped at 2mol% concentrations. The phase purity was confirmed by X ray powder diffraction (XRD) method. The photoluminescence (PL) properties were studied by spectrophotometer in near infra red (NIR) and ultra violet visible (UV-VIS) region. The Nd{sup 3+} ion doped LaAlO{sub 3} converts a visible (VIS) green photon (587 nm) into near infrared (NIR) photon (1070 nm) while Yb{sup 3+} ion doped converts ultra violet (UV) photon (221 nm) into NIR photon (980 nm). The La{sub 0.98}AlO{sub 3}: {sub 0.02}Ln{supmore » 3+}(Ln = Nd / Yb) can be potentiality used for betterment of photovoltaic (PV) technology. This result further indicates its potential application as a luminescence converter layer for enhancing solar cells performance.« less

In vitro and in vivo binding of (E)- and (Z)-N-(iodoallyl)spiperone to dopamine D sub 2 and serotonin 5-HT sub 2 neuroreceptors

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

Lever, J.R.; Scheffel, U.A.; Stathis, M.

1990-01-01

Apparent affinities (K{sub i}) of (E)- and (Z)-N-(iodoallyl)spiperone ((E)- and (Z)- NIASP) for dopamine D{sub 2} and serotonin 5-HT{sub 2} receptors were determined in competition binding assays. (Z)-NIASP (K{sub i} 0.35 nM, D{sub 2}; K{sub i} 1.75 nM, 5-HT{sub 2}) proved slightly more potent and selective for D{sub 2} sites in vitro than (E)-NIASP (K{sub i} 0.72 nM, D{sub 2}; K{sub i} 1.14 nM, 5-HT{sub 2}). In vivo, radioiodinated (E)- and (Z)-({sup 125}I)-NIASP showed regional distributions in mouse brain which are consonant with prolonged binding to dopamine D{sub 2} receptors accompanied by a minor serotonergic component of shorter duration. Stereoselective,more » dose-dependent blockade of (E)-({sup 125}I)-NIASP uptake was found for drugs binding to dopamine D{sub 2} sites, while drugs selective for serotonin 5-HT{sub 2}, {alpha}{sub 1}-adrenergic and dopamine D{sub 1} receptors did not inhibit radioligand binding 2 hr postinjection. Specific binding in striatal tissue was essentially irreversible over the time course of the study, and (E)-({sup 125}I)-NIASP gave a striatal to cerebellar tissue radioactivity concentration of 16.9 to 1 at 6 hr postinjection. Thus, (E)-({sup 125}I)-NIASP binds with high selectivity and specificity to dopamine D{sub 2} sites in vivo.« less

Hysteresis and change of transition temperature in thin films of Fe([Me{sub 2}Pyrz]{sub 3}BH){sub 2}, a new sublimable spin-crossover molecule

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

Davesne, V.; Gruber, M.; Physikalisches Institut, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Wolfgang-Gaede-Str. 1, 76131 Karlsruhe

2015-05-21

Thin films of the spin-crossover (SCO) molecule Fe([Me{sub 2}Pyrz]{sub 3}BH){sub 2} (Fe-pyrz) were sublimed on Si/SiO{sub 2} and quartz substrates, and their properties investigated by X-ray absorption and photoemission spectroscopies, optical absorption, atomic force microscopy, and superconducting quantum interference device. Contrary to the previously studied Fe(phen){sub 2}(NCS){sub 2}, the films are not smooth but granular. The thin films qualitatively retain the typical SCO properties of the powder sample (SCO, thermal hysteresis, soft X-ray induced excited spin-state trapping, and light induced excited spin-state trapping) but present intriguing variations even in micrometer-thick films: the transition temperature decreases when the thickness is decreased,more » and the hysteresis is affected. We explain this behavior in the light of recent studies focusing on the role of surface energy in the thermodynamics of the spin transition in nano-structures. In the high-spin state at room temperature, the films have a large optical gap (∼5 eV), decreasing at thickness below 50 nm, possibly due to film morphology.« less

Alkaline earth metal doped tin oxide as a novel oxygen storage material

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

Dong, Qiang, E-mail: dong@tagen.tohoku.ac.jp; Yin, Shu; Yoshida, Mizuki

2015-09-15

Alkaline earth metal doped tin oxide (SnO{sub 2}) hollow nanospheres with a diameter of 50 nm have been synthesized successfully via a facial solvothermal route in a very simple system composed of only ethanol, acetic acid, SnCl{sub 4}·5H{sub 2}O and A(NO{sub 3}){sub 2}·xH{sub 2}O (A = Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba). The synthesized undoped SnO{sub 2} and A-doped SnO{sub 2} hollow nanospheres were characterized by the oxygen storage capacity (OSC), X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and the Brunauer–Emmet–Teller (BET) technique. The OSC values of all samples were measured using thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis. The incorporation of alkaline earth metal ion into tinmore » oxide greatly enhanced the thermal stability and OSC. Especially, Ba-doped SnO{sub 2} hollow nanospheres calcined at 1000 °C for 20 h with a BET surface area of 61 m{sup 2} g{sup −1} exhibited the considerably high OSC of 457 μmol-O g{sup −1} and good thermal stability. Alkaline earth metal doped tin oxide has the potential to be a novel oxygen storage material.« less

Fresnel zone plate stacking in the intermediate field for high efficiency focusing in the hard X-ray regime

DOE PAGES

Gleber, Sophie -Charlotte; Wojcik, Michael; Liu, Jie; ...

2014-11-05

Focusing efficiency of Fresnel zone plates (FZPs) for X-rays depends on zone height, while the achievable spatial resolution depends on the width of the finest zones. FZPs with optimal efficiency and sub-100-nm spatial resolution require high aspect ratio structures which are difficult to fabricate with current technology especially for the hard X-ray regime. A possible solution is to stack several zone plates. To increase the number of FZPs within one stack, we first demonstrate intermediate-field stacking and apply this method by stacks of up to five FZPs with adjusted diameters. Approaching the respective optimum zone height, we maximized efficiencies formore » high resolution focusing at three different energies, 10, 11.8, and 25 keV.« less

Nano-size defects in arsenic-implanted HgCdTe films: a HRTEM study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonchyk, O. Yu.; Savytskyy, H. V.; Swiatek, Z.; Morgiel, Y.; Izhnin, I. I.; Voitsekhovskii, A. V.; Korotaev, A. G.; Mynbaev, K. D.; Fitsych, O. I.; Varavin, V. S.; Dvoretsky, S. A.; Marin, D. V.; Yakushev, M. V.

2018-02-01

Radiation damage and its transformation under annealing were studied with bright-field and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy for arsenic-implanted HgCdTe films with graded-gap surface layers. In addition to typical highly defective layers in as-implanted material, a 50 nm-thick sub-surface layer with very low defect density was observed. The main defects in other layers after implantation were dislocation loops, yet after arsenic activation annealing, the dominating defects were single dislocations. Transport (from depth to surface), transformation and annihilation of radiation-induced defects were observed as a result of annealing, with the depth with the maximum defect density decreasing from 110 to 40 nm.

Thomson scattering at general fusion

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

Young, W. C., E-mail: william.young@generalfusion.com; Parfeniuk, D.

2016-11-15

This paper provides an overview of the Thomson scattering diagnostic in use at General Fusion, including recent upgrades and upcoming plans. The plasma experiment under examination produces temperatures in the 50-500 eV range with density on the order of 10{sup 20} m{sup −3}. A four spatial point collection optics scheme has been implemented, with plans to expand to six spatial points. Recent changes to the optics of the laser beamline have reduced stray light. The system employs a frequency doubled Nd:YAG laser (532 nm), a grating spectrometer, and a photomultiplier array based detector.

Investigation on Nonlinear-Optical Properties of Palm Oil/Silver Nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zamiri, R.; Parvizi, R.; Zakaria, A.; Sadrolhosseini, A. R.; Zamiri, G.; Darroudi, M.; Husin, M. S.

2012-06-01

We have investigated the spatial self phase modulation of palm oil containing silver nanoparticles (palm oil/Ag-NPs). The study carried out using continuous wave diode pumped solid state laser with wavelength of 405 nm and power of 50 mW. The strong spatial self phase modulation patterns were observed that suggest the palm oil/Ag-NPs have a relatively large nonlinear refractive index. The obtained values of nonlinear refractive index were increased with the increment in the volume fractions. The observed experimental patterns were also theoretically modeled which are in good agreement with experimental results.

Asymmetric quantum-well structures for AlGaN/GaN/AlGaN resonant tunneling diodes

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

Yang, Lin'an, E-mail: layang@xidian.edu.cn; Li, Yue; Wang, Ying

Asymmetric quantum-well (QW) structures including the asymmetric potential-barrier and the asymmetric potential-well are proposed for AlGaN/GaN/AlGaN resonant tunneling diodes (RTDs). Theoretical investigation gives that an appropriate decrease in Al composition and thickness for emitter barrier as well as an appropriate increase of both for collector barrier can evidently improve the negative-differential-resistance characteristic of RTD. Numerical simulation shows that RTD with a 1.5-nm-thick GaN well sandwiched by a 1.3-nm-thick Al{sub 0.15}Ga{sub 0.85}N emitter barrier and a 1.7-nm-thick Al{sub 0.25}Ga{sub 0.75}N collector barrier can yield the I-V characteristic having the peak current (Ip) and the peak-to-valley current ratio (PVCR) of 0.39 A andmore » 3.6, respectively, about double that of RTD with a 1.5-nm-thick Al{sub 0.2}Ga{sub 0.8}N for both barriers. It is also found that an introduction of InGaN sub-QW into the diode can change the tunneling mode and achieve higher transmission coefficient of electron. The simulation demonstrates that RTD with a 2.8-nm-thick In{sub 0.03}Ga{sub 0.97}N sub-well in front of a 2.0-nm-thick GaN main-well can exhibit the I-V characteristic having Ip and PVCR of 0.07 A and 11.6, about 7 times and double the value of RTD without sub-QW, respectively. The purpose of improving the structure of GaN-based QW is to solve apparent contradiction between the device structure and the device manufacturability of new generation RTDs for sub-millimeter and terahertz applications.« less

Countercurrent fixed-bed gasification of biomass at laboratory scale

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

Di Blasi, C.; Signorelli, G.; Portoricco, G.

1999-07-01

A laboratory-scale countercurrent fixed-bed gasification plant has been designed and constructed to produce data for process modeling and to compare the gasification characteristics of several biomasses (beechwood, nutshells, olive husks, and grape residues). The composition of producer gas and spatial temperature profiles have been measured for biomass gasification at different air flow rates. The gas-heating value always attains a maximum as a function of this operating variable, associated with a decrease of the air-to-fuel ratio. Optical gasification conditions of wood and agricultural residues give rise to comparable gas-heating values, comprised in the range 5--5.5 MJ/Nm{sup 3} with 28--30% CO, 5--7%more » CO{sub 2}, 6--8% H{sub 2}, 1--2% CH{sub 4}, and small amounts of C{sub 2}- hydrocarbons (apart from nitrogen). However, gasification of agricultural residues is more difficult because of bed transport, partial ash sintering, nonuniform flow distribution, and the presence of a muddy phase in the effluents, so that proper pretreatments are needed for largescale applications.« less

Multi-pinhole SPECT Imaging with Silicon Strip Detectors

PubMed Central

Peterson, Todd E.; Shokouhi, Sepideh; Furenlid, Lars R.; Wilson, Donald W.

2010-01-01

Silicon double-sided strip detectors offer outstanding instrinsic spatial resolution with reasonable detection efficiency for iodine-125 emissions. This spatial resolution allows for multiple-pinhole imaging at low magnification, minimizing the problem of multiplexing. We have conducted imaging studies using a prototype system that utilizes a detector of 300-micrometer thickness and 50-micrometer strip pitch together with a 23-pinhole collimator. These studies include an investigation of the synthetic-collimator imaging approach, which combines multiple-pinhole projections acquired at multiple magnifications to obtain tomographic reconstructions from limited-angle data using the ML-EM algorithm. Sub-millimeter spatial resolution was obtained, demonstrating the basic validity of this approach. PMID:20953300

Slow Organic-to-Inorganic Sub-Lattice Thermalization in Methylammonium Lead Halide Perovskites Observed by Ultrafast Photoluminescence

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

Chang, Angela Y.; Cho, Yi-Ju; Chen, Kuan-Chen

2016-05-31

Carrier dynamics in methylammonium lead halide (CH3NH3PbI3-xClx) perovskite thin films, of differing crystal morphology, are examined as functions of temperature and excitation wavelength. At room temperature, long-lived (> nanosecond) transient absorption signals indicate negligible carrier trapping. However, in measurements of ultrafast photoluminescence excited at 400 nm, a heretofore unexplained, large amplitude (50%-60%), 45 ps decay process is observed. This feature persists for temperatures down to the orthorhombic phase transition. Varying pump photon energy reveals that the fast, band-edge photoluminescence (PL) decay only appears for excitation >= 2.38 eV (520 nm), with larger amplitudes for higher pump energies. Lower photon-energy excitationmore » yields slow dynamics consistent with negligible carrier trapping. Further, sub-bandgap two-photon pumping yields identical PL dynamics as direct absorption, signifying sensitivity to the total deposited energy and insensitivity to interfacial effects. Together with first principles electronic structure and ab initio molecular dynamics calculations, the results suggest the fast PL decay stems from excitation of high energy phonon modes associated with the organic sub-lattice that temporarily enhance wavefunction overlap within the inorganic component owing to atomic displacement, thereby transiently changing the PL radiative rate during thermalization. Hence, the fast PL decay relates a characteristic organic-to-inorganic sub-lattice equilibration timescale at optoelectronic-relevant excitation energies.« less

Lensfree on-chip microscopy over a wide field-of-view using pixel super-resolution

PubMed Central

Bishara, Waheb; Su, Ting-Wei; Coskun, Ahmet F.; Ozcan, Aydogan

2010-01-01

We demonstrate lensfree holographic microscopy on a chip to achieve ~0.6 µm spatial resolution corresponding to a numerical aperture of ~0.5 over a large field-of-view of ~24 mm2. By using partially coherent illumination from a large aperture (~50 µm), we acquire lower resolution lensfree in-line holograms of the objects with unit fringe magnification. For each lensfree hologram, the pixel size at the sensor chip limits the spatial resolution of the reconstructed image. To circumvent this limitation, we implement a sub-pixel shifting based super-resolution algorithm to effectively recover much higher resolution digital holograms of the objects, permitting sub-micron spatial resolution to be achieved across the entire sensor chip active area, which is also equivalent to the imaging field-of-view (24 mm2) due to unit magnification. We demonstrate the success of this pixel super-resolution approach by imaging patterned transparent substrates, blood smear samples, as well as Caenoharbditis Elegans. PMID:20588977

Assessment of the spatial scaling behaviour of floods in the United Kingdom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Formetta, Giuseppe; Stewart, Elizabeth; Bell, Victoria

2017-04-01

Floods are among the most dangerous natural hazards, causing loss of life and significant damage to private and public property. Regional flood-frequency analysis (FFA) methods are essential tools to assess the flood hazard and plan interventions for its mitigation. FFA methods are often based on the well-known index flood method that assumes the invariance of the coefficient of variation of floods with drainage area. This assumption is equivalent to the simple scaling or self-similarity assumption for peak floods, i.e. their spatial structure remains similar in a particular, relatively simple, way to itself over a range of scales. Spatial scaling of floods has been evaluated at national scale for different countries such as Canada, USA, and Australia. According our knowledge. Such a study has not been conducted for the United Kingdom even though the standard FFA method there is based on the index flood assumption. In this work we present an integrated approach to assess of the spatial scaling behaviour of floods in the United Kingdom using three different methods: product moments (PM), probability weighted moments (PWM), and quantile analysis (QA). We analyse both instantaneous and daily annual observed maximum floods and performed our analysis both across the entire country and in its sub-climatic regions as defined in the Flood Studies Report (NERC, 1975). To evaluate the relationship between the k-th moments or quantiles and the drainage area we used both regression with area alone and multiple regression considering other explanatory variables to account for the geomorphology, amount of rainfall, and soil type of the catchments. The latter multiple regression approach was only recently demonstrated being more robust than the traditional regression with area alone that can lead to biased estimates of scaling exponents and misinterpretation of spatial scaling behaviour. We tested our framework on almost 600 rural catchments in UK considered as entire region and split in 11 sub-regions with 50 catchments per region on average. Preliminary results from the three different spatial scaling methods are generally in agreement and indicate that: i) only some of the peak flow variability is explained by area alone (approximately 50% for the entire country and ranging between the 40% and 70% for the sub-regions); ii) this percentage increases to 90% for the entire country and ranges between 80% and 95% for the sub-regions when the multiple regression is used; iii) the simple scaling hypothesis holds in all sub-regions with the exception of weak multi-scaling found in the regions 2 (North), and 5 and 6 (South East). We hypothesize that these deviations can be explained by heterogeneity in large scale precipitation and by the influence of the soil type (predominantly chalk) on the flood formation process in regions 5 and 6.

III-V compound semiconductor material characterization of microstructures and nanostructures on various optoelectronic devices with analytical transmission electron microscopy and high resolution electron microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Wei

Analytical Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and High Resolution Electron Microscopy have been carried out to characterize microstructures and nanostructures in various III-V compound semiconductor devices by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The low-defect GaN nonplanar templates by lateral epitaxial overgrowth (LEO) has a trapezoidal cross-section with smooth (0001) and {112¯2} facets. Penetration of threading dislocations (TDs) beyond mask windows is observed in ordinary LEO substrates. In two-step LEO substrates, where TDs are engineered to bend 90° in the TD bending layer after the first LEO step, only perfect a-type dislocations with Burgers vector b = 1/3 <112¯0> are generated in the upper Post-bending layer with a density of ˜8 x 107cm-2. The demonstrated 3-dimensional dislocation spatial distribution in the LEO nonplanar substrate substantiates the dislocation reaction mechanism. Al0.07GaN/GaN superlattice can further decrease dislocations. InGaN QW thickness enhancement on top of GaN nonplanar templates has been verified to influence the optoelectronic properties significantly. Dense arrays of hexagonally ordered MOCVD-grown (In)(Ga)As nano-QDs by block copolymer nanolithography & selective area growth (SAG), approximately 20nm in diameter and 40nm apart with a density of 1011/cm 2, are perfect crystals by TEM. V-shaped defects and worse InAs growth uniformity have been observed in multiple layers of vertically coupled self-assembled InAs nanostructure arrays on strain-modulated GaAs substrates. TEM shows a smooth coalesced GaN surface with a thickness as thin as ˜200nm after Nano-LEO and a defect reduction of 70%-75%. The (In)GaAs 20 nm twist bonded compliant substrates have almost no compliant effect and higher dislocation density, but the 10nm compliant substrates are on the contrary. A 60nm oxygen-infiltrated crystallized transition layer is observed between the amorphous oxidized layer and the crystallized unoxidized aperture in Al xGa1-xAs wet lateral oxidation, potentially influencing the current confinement characteristic of the sub-micron oxide aperture. Almost no dislocation is aroused by the wet lateral oxidation of In0.52Al 0.48As in the InP microresonator waveguides. XTEM was performed to compare InP SAG regions with 10˜50mum masks, which shows the performance deterioration of laser threshold current densities in the case of 50mum mask results from high density of dislocations induced from the highly strained QW structures caused by the high enhancements.

Low-dose, high-resolution and high-efficiency ptychography at STXM beamline of SSRF

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Zijian; Wang, Chunpeng; Liu, Haigang; Tao, Xulei; Tai, Renzhong

2017-06-01

Ptychography is a diffraction-based X-ray microscopy method that can image extended samples quantitatively while remove the resolution limit imposed by image-forming optical elements. As a natural extension of scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) imaging method, we developed soft X-ray ptychographic coherent diffraction imaging (PCDI) method at the STXM endstation of BL08U beamline of Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility. Compared to the traditional STXM imaging, the new PCDI method has resulted in significantly lower dose, higher resolution and higher efficiency imaging in our platform. In the demonstration experiments shown here, a spatial resolution of sub-10 nm was obtained for a gold nanowires sample, which is much better than the limit resolution 30 nm of the STXM method, while the radiation dose is only 1/12 of STXM.

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

Kundu, Virender Singh; Tanwar, Amit; Singh, Davender, E-mail: Davender-kadian@rediffmail.com

The pure and Ag-doped TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles were prepared by using Titanium isoproxide (TTIP), silver nitrate sodium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide. The calcined nanoparticles at 400°C were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD). XRD analyses reveal that the nanoparticles of various doping concentration were having anatase phase. The particle size was calculated by Scherrer formula and was found 11.08 nm for pure TiO{sub 2} and 8.86 nm for 6 mol % Ag doped TiO{sub 2}. The morphology and nature of nanoparticles was analyzed by using scanning electron microscope (SEM), the optical absorption spectra of pure TiO{sub 2} and Ag-doped TiO{sub 2} nanoparticlesmore » showed that absorption edge increases towards longer wavelength from 390 nm (pure) to 450 nm (doped), also band gap energy calculated from Tauc’s plot decrease from 3.20eV to 2.92eV with increase in doing. The measurement of photocatalytic properties of pure TiO{sub 2} and Ag-doped TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles showed that Ag-doped TiO{sub 2} degrades MB dye more efficiently than pure TiO{sub 2}.« less

Fabrication of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors by nonlinear femtosecond optical lithography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Minaev, N. V.; Tarkhov, M. A.; Dudova, D. S.; Timashev, P. S.; Chichkov, B. N.; Bagratashvili, V. N.

2018-02-01

This paper describes a new approach to the fabrication of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors from ultrathin NbN films on SiO2 substrates. The technology is based on nonlinear femtosecond optical lithography and includes direct formation of the sensitive element of the detector (the meander) through femtosecond laser exposure of the polymethyl methacrylate resist at a wavelength of 525 nm and subsequent removal of NbN using plasma-chemical etching. The nonlinear femtosecond optical lithography method allows the formation of planar structures with a spatial resolution of ~50 nm. These structures were used to fabricate single-photon superconducting detectors with quantum efficiency no worse than 8% at a wavelength of 1310 nm and dark count rate of 10 s-1 at liquid helium temperature.

Phosphate glass useful in high energy lasers

DOEpatents

Hayden, Yuiko T.; Payne, Stephen A.; Hayden, Joseph S.; Campbell, John H.; Aston, Mary Kay; Elder, Melanie L.

1996-01-01

In a high energy laser system utilizing phosphate laser glass components to amplify the laser beam, the laser system requires a generated laser beam having an emission bandwidth of less than 26 nm and the laser glass components consist essentially of (on an oxide composition basis) in mole percent: P{sub 2}O{sub 5}, 50--75; Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, {gt}0--10; K{sub 2}O, {gt}0--30; MgO, 0--30; CaO, 0--30; Li{sub 2}O, 0--20; Na{sub 2}O, 0--20; Rb{sub 2}O, 0--20; Cs{sub 2}O, 0--20; BeO, 0--20; SrO, 0--20; BaO, 0--20; ZnO, 0--20; PbO, 0--20; B{sub 2}O{sub 3}, 0--10; Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}, 0--10; La{sub 2}O{sub 3}, 0--8; Ln{sub 2}O{sub 3}, 0.01--8; wherein the sum of MgO and CaO is >0--30; the sum of Li{sub 2}O, Na{sub 2}O, Rb{sub 2}O, and Cs{sub 2}O is 0--20; the sum of BeO, SrO, BaO, ZnO, and PbO is 0--20; the sum of B{sub 2}O{sub 3} and Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} is 0--10; and Ln{sub 2}O{sub 3} represents the sum of the oxides of active lasing lanthanides of atomic number 58--71. 21 figs.

Phosphate glass useful in high energy lasers

DOEpatents

Hayden, Y.T.; Payne, S.A.; Hayden, J.S.; Campbell, J.H.; Aston, M.K.; Elder, M.L.

1996-06-11

In a high energy laser system utilizing phosphate laser glass components to amplify the laser beam, the laser system requires a generated laser beam having an emission bandwidth of less than 26 nm and the laser glass components consist essentially of (on an oxide composition basis) in mole percent: P{sub 2}O{sub 5}, 50--75; Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, {gt}0--10; K{sub 2}O, {gt}0--30; MgO, 0--30; CaO, 0--30; Li{sub 2}O, 0--20; Na{sub 2}O, 0--20; Rb{sub 2}O, 0--20; Cs{sub 2}O, 0--20; BeO, 0--20; SrO, 0--20; BaO, 0--20; ZnO, 0--20; PbO, 0--20; B{sub 2}O{sub 3}, 0--10; Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}, 0--10; La{sub 2}O{sub 3}, 0--8; Ln{sub 2}O{sub 3}, 0.01--8; wherein the sum of MgO and CaO is >0--30; the sum of Li{sub 2}O, Na{sub 2}O, Rb{sub 2}O, and Cs{sub 2}O is 0--20; the sum of BeO, SrO, BaO, ZnO, and PbO is 0--20; the sum of B{sub 2}O{sub 3} and Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} is 0--10; and Ln{sub 2}O{sub 3} represents the sum of the oxides of active lasing lanthanides of atomic number 58--71. 21 figs.

Morphology-controlled synthesis of Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4} nano/microcrystals and their antibacterial properties

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

Wu, Aiping; Tian, Chungui, E-mail: tianchungui@yahoo.com.cn; Chang, Wei

Graphical abstract: The Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4} with rhombic dodecahedral, spherical and small size particles were controllable fabricated just by changing the types of the solvent. The materials possess good antibacterial properties toward different kinds of bacteria. - Highlights: • The Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4} with three morphologies were controllable fabricated. • The Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4} as-prepared possess obvious antibacterial properties in the dark. • The antibacterial ability of Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4} could be greatly improved under the visible light irradiation. - Abstract: We reported the controllable fabrication of Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4} nano/microcrystals through a simple solution-based precipitation reaction. The samples weremore » characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and infrared spectroscopy. The results indicated that the Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4} crystals with three different morphology, including the rhombic dodecahedron of 500 nm, the sphere of 100 nm and the particles with small-size of 20 nm, could be obtained in the solvents of water, ethylene glycol (EG) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). The antibacterial assay showed that all samples possess obvious antibacterial properties. In addition, the Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4} with small size of 20 nm showed better activity due to their high specific surface areas. Notably, we have found that the antibacterial ability of Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4} could be greatly improved under the visible light irradiation, which are superior to that in the dark and commercial streptomycin.« less

Tapping mode SPM local oxidation nanolithography with sub-10 nm resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishimura, S.; Ogino, T.; Takemura, Y.; Shirakashi, J.

2008-03-01

Tapping mode SPM local oxidation nanolithography with sub-10 nm resolution is investigated by optimizing the applied bias voltage (V), scanning speed (S) and the oscillation amplitude of the cantilever (A). We fabricated Si oxide wires with an average width of 9.8 nm (V = 17.5 V, S = 250 nm/s, A = 292 nm). In SPM local oxidation with tapping mode operation, it is possible to decrease the size of the water meniscus by enhancing the oscillation amplitude of cantilever. Hence, it seems that the water meniscus with sub-10 nm dimensions could be formed by precisely optimizing the oxidation conditions. Moreover, we quantitatively explain the size (width and height) of Si oxide wires with a model based on the oxidation ratio, which is defined as the oxidation time divided by the period of the cantilever oscillation. The model allows us to understand the mechanism of local oxidation in tapping mode operation with amplitude modulation. The results imply that the sub-10 nm resolution could be achieved using tapping mode SPM local oxidation technique with the optimization of the cantilever dynamics.

Laser performance of in-band pumped Er : LiYF{sub 4} and Er : LiLuF{sub 4} crystals

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

Gorbachenya, K N; Kisel, V E; Yasukevich, A S

2016-02-28

Spectroscopic properties of Er : LiLuF{sub 4} and Er : LiYF{sub 4} crystals in the spectral region near 1.5 μm and the lasing characteristics of these crystals under in-band pumping at a wavelength of 1522 nm are studied. With the Er : LiLuF{sub 4} crystal, the maximum slope efficiency with respect to the absorbed pump power was 44% at a wavelength of 1609 nm. Continuous-wave operation of an inband pumped Er : LiYF{sub 4} laser is obtained for the first time. The output power at a wavelength of 1606 nm was 58 mW with a slope efficiency of 21%. (lasers)

Thermal management in MoS{sub 2} based integrated device using near-field radiation

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

Peng, Jiebin; Zhang, Gang, E-mail: zhangg@ihpc.a-star.edu.sg; Li, Baowen

2015-09-28

Recently, wafer-scale growth of monolayer MoS{sub 2} films with spatial homogeneity is realized on SiO{sub 2} substrate. Together with the latest reported high mobility, MoS{sub 2} based integrated electronic devices are expected to be fabricated in the near future. Owing to the low lattice thermal conductivity in monolayer MoS{sub 2}, and the increased transistor density accompanied with the increased power density, heat dissipation will become a crucial issue for these integrated devices. In this letter, using the formalism of fluctuation electrodynamics, we explored the near-field radiative heat transfer from a monolayer MoS{sub 2} to graphene. We demonstrate that in resonance,more » the maximum heat transfer via near-field radiation between MoS{sub 2} and graphene can be ten times higher than the in-plane lattice thermal conduction for MoS{sub 2} sheet. Therefore, an efficient thermal management strategy for MoS{sub 2} integrated device is proposed: Graphene sheet is brought into close proximity, 10–20 nm from MoS{sub 2} device; heat energy transfer from MoS{sub 2} to graphene via near-field radiation; this amount of heat energy then be conducted to contact due to ultra-high lattice thermal conductivity of graphene. Our work sheds light for developing cooling strategy for nano devices constructing with low thermal conductivity materials.« less

In-situ realtime monitoring of nanoscale gold electroplating using micro-electro-mechanical systems liquid cell operating in transmission electron microscopy

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

Egawa, Minoru; Fujita, Hiroyuki; Ishida, Tadashi, E-mail: ishida.t.ai@m.titech.ac.jp

2016-01-11

The dynamics of nanoscale electroplating between gold electrodes was investigated using a microfabricated liquid cell mounted on a scanning transmission electron microscope. The electroplating was recorded in-situ for 10 min with a spatial resolution higher than 6 nm. At the beginning of the electroplating, gold spike-like structures of about 50 nm in size grew from an electrode, connected gold nanoclusters around them, and form three dimensional nanoscale structures. We visualized the elementary process of the gold electroplating, and believe that the results lead to the deeper understanding of electroplating at the nanoscale.

Characterization of an Optical Device with an Array of Blue Light Emitting Diodes LEDS for Treatment of Neonatal Jaundice.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sebbe, Priscilla Fróes; Villaverde, Antonio G. J. Balbin; Nicolau, Renata Amadei; Barbosa, Ana Maria; Veissid, Nelson

2008-04-01

Phototherapy is a treatment that consists in irradiating a patient with light of high intensity, which promotes beneficial photochemical transformations in the irradiated area. The phototherapy for neonates is applied to break down the bilirubin, an organic pigment that is a sub product of the erythrocytes degradation, and to increase its excretion by the organism. Neonates should be irradiated with light of wavelength that the bilirubin can absorb, and with spectral irradiances between 4 and 16 μW/cm2/nm. The efficiency of the treatment depends on the irradiance and the area of the body that is irradiated. A convenient source of light for treatment of neonatal jaundice is the blue Light Emitter Diode (LED), emitting in the range of 400 to 500 nm, with power of the order of 10-150 mW. Some of the advantages for using LEDS are: low cost, operating long lifetime (over 100,000 hours), narrow emission linewith, low voltage power supply requirement and low heating. The aim of this work was to build and characterize a device for phototherapy treatment of neonatal jaundice. This consists of a blanket with 88 blue LEDs (emission peak at 472 nm), arranged in an 8×11 matrix, all connected in parallel and powered by a 5V-2A power supply. The device was characterized by using a spectroradiometer USB2000 (Ocean Optics Inc, USA), with a sensitivity range of 339-1019 nm. For determination of light spatial uniformity was used a calibrated photovoltaic sensor for measuring light intensity and mapping of the light intensity spatial distribution. Results indicate that our device shows a uniform spatial distribution for distances from the blanket larger than 10 cm, with a maximum of irradiance at such a distance. This device presenting a large and uniform area of irradiation, efficient wavelength emission and high irradiance seems to be promising for neonates' phototherapy treatment.

Refractive index and birefringence of 2H silicon carbide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Powell, J. A.

1972-01-01

The refractive indices of 2H SiC were measured over the wavelength range 435.8 to 650.9 nm by the method of minimum deviation. At the wavelength lambda = 546.1 nm, the ordinary index n sub 0 was 2.6480 and the extraordinary index n sub e was 2.7237. The estimated error (standard deviation) in the measured values is 0.0006 for n sub 0 and 0.0009 for n sub e. The experimental data were curve fitted to the Cauchy equation for the index of refraction as a function of wavelength. The birefringence of 2H SiC was found to vary from 0.0719 at lambda = 650.9 nm to 0.0846 at lambda = 435.8 nm.

Luminescence of phosphorus containing oxide materials: Crystalline SiO{sub 2}‐P and 3P{sub 2}O{sub 5}⋅7SiO{sub 2}; CaO⋅P{sub 2}O{sub 5}; SrO⋅P{sub 2}O{sub 5} glasses

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

Trukhin, A. N., E-mail: truhins@cfi.lu.lv; Smits, K., E-mail: truhins@cfi.lu.lv; Jansons, J., E-mail: truhins@cfi.lu.lv

2014-10-21

Luminescence of phosphate glasses such as CaO⋅P{sub 2}O{sub 5} and SrO⋅P{sub 2}O{sub 5} is compared with that of phosphorus doped crystalline α-quartz and phosphosilicate glass with content 3P{sub 2}O{sub 5}⋅7SiO{sub 2}. Water and OH groups are found by IR spectra in these materials. The spectrum of luminescence contains many bands in the range 1.5 - 5.5 eV. The luminescence bands in UV range at 4.5-5 eV are similar in those materials. Decay duration in exponential approximation manifests a time constant about 37 ns. Also a component in μs range was detected. PL band of μs component is shifted to lowmore » energy with respect to that of ∼37 ns component. This shift is about 0.6 eV. It is explained as singlet-triplet splitting of excited state. Below 14 K increase of luminescence kinetics duration in μs range was observed and it was ascribed to zero magnetic field splitting of triplet excited state of the center. Yellow-red luminescence was induced by irradiation in phosphorus doped crystalline α-quartz, phosphosilicate glasses. The yellowl uminescence contains two bands at 600 and 740 nm. Their decay is similar under 193 nm laser and may be fitted with the first order fractal kinetics or stretched exponent. Thermally stimulated luminescence contains only band at 600 nm. The 248 nm laser excites luminescence at 740 nm according to intra center process with decay time constant about 4 ms at 9 K. Both type of luminescence UV and yellow were ascribed to different defects containing phosphorus. P-doped α-quartz sample heated to 550 co become opalescent. Ir spectra related to water and OH groups are changed. Photoluminescence intensity of all three bands, UV (250 nm), yellow (600 nm) and red (740 nm) strongly diminished and disappeared after heating to 660 C°. Radiation induced red luminescence of non-bridging oxygen luminescence center (NBO) appeared in crystal after heat treatment. We had observed a crystalline version of this center (l. Skuja et al, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B 286,159-168 (2012)). Effect of heat treatment explained as sedimentation of phosphorus in some state. Keeping of treated sample at 450-500 C° leads to partial revival of ability to create yellow luminescence center under irradiation.« less

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

Kumari, Astha, E-mail: asthaguru90@gmail.com; Rai, Vineet Kumar, E-mail: vineetkrrai@yahoo.co.in

Upconversion is an interesting optical property, generally shown by rare-earth doped materials. This unusual optical behavior shown by these rare-earths doped materials are due to their peculiar atomic configuration and electronic transitions. Here, the Tm{sup 3+}-Yb{sup 3+} codoped BaTiO{sub 3} glass with TeO{sub 2} as former has been prepared by conventional melt and quench technique and the upconversion property has been investigated with the help of near infrared (NIR) to Visible UC study. The generation of the visible UC bands around ∼ 476 nm, ∼ 653 nm, ∼ 702 nm and one NIR UC band at ∼795 nm are assignedmore » due to the {sup 1}G{sub 4}→ {sup 3}H{sub 6}, {sup 1}G{sub 4}→ {sup 3}F{sub 4}, {sup 3}F{sub 2}→ {sup 3}H{sub 6} and {sup 3}H{sub 4}→ {sup 3}H{sub 6} transitions respectively. The generations of these upconversion bands have been discussed in detail with the help of energy level diagram. The colour coordinates corresponding to the prepared material have been shown with the help of CIE chromaticity diagram. These glasses can be very appropriately used in the fabrication of solid state laser and as NIR to blue light upconverter.« less

Low-temperature high-density magneto-optical trapping of potassium using the open 4S{yields}5P transition at 405 nm

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

McKay, D. C.; Jervis, D.; Fine, D. J.

2011-12-15

We report the laser cooling and trapping of neutral potassium on an open transition. Fermionic {sup 40}K is captured using a magneto-optical trap (MOT) on the closed 4S{sub 1/2}{yields}4P{sub 3/2} transition at 767 nm and then transferred, with high efficiency, to a MOT on the open 4S{sub 1/2}{yields}5P{sub 3/2} transition at 405 nm. Because the 5P{sub 3/2} state has a smaller linewidth than the 4P{sub 3/2} state, the Doppler limit is reduced from 145 {mu}K to 24 {mu}K, and we observe temperatures as low as 63(6) {mu}K. The density of trapped atoms also increases, due to reduced temperature and reducedmore » expulsive light forces. We measure a two-body loss coefficient of {beta}=1.4(1)x10{sup -10} cm{sup 3}/s near saturation intensity, and estimate an upper bound of 8x10{sup -18} cm{sup 2} for the ionization cross section of the 5P state at 405 nm. The combined temperature and density improvement in the 405 nm MOT is a twenty-fold increase in phase-space density over our 767 nm MOT, showing enhanced precooling for quantum gas experiments. A qualitatively similar enhancement is observed in a 405 nm MOT of bosonic {sup 41}K.« less

Comparative study of genotoxicity and tissue distribution of nano and micron sized iron oxide in rats after acute oral treatment

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

Singh, Shailendra Pratap; Rahman, M.F.; Murty, U.S.N.

2013-01-01

Though nanomaterials (NMs) are being utilized worldwide, increasing use of NMs have raised concerns over their safety to human health and environment. Iron oxide (Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}) NMs have important applications. The aim of this study was to assess the genotoxicity of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}-30 nm and Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}-bulk in female Wistar rats. Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}-30 nm was characterized by using transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, laser Doppler velocimetry and surface area analysis. The rats were treated orally with the single doses of 500, 1000, 2000 mg/kg bw of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}-30 nm and Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} –bulk.more » The genotoxicity was evaluated at 6, 24, 48 and 72 h by the comet assay in leucocytes, 48 and 72 h by micronucleus test (MNT) in peripheral blood cells, 18 and 24 h by chromosomal aberration (CA) assay and 24 and 48 h by MNT in bone marrow cells. The biodistribution of iron (Fe) was carried out at 6, 24, 48 and 72 h after treatment in liver, spleen, kidney, heart, brain, bone marrow, urine and feces by using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The % tail DNA, frequencies of micronuclei and CAs were statistically insignificant (p > 0.05) at all doses. These results suggest that Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}-30 nm and Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}-bulk was not genotoxic at the doses tested. Bioavailability of Fe was size and dose dependent in all the tissues from the groups exposed to Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}-30 nm. Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} NMs were able to enter in the organs and the rats are biocompatible with much higher concentration of Fe. However, the accumulated Fe did not cause significant genotoxicity. This study provides additional knowledge about the toxicology of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} NMs. -- Highlights: ► Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}-30 nm and Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}-bulk were orally administered to rats with single doses. ► The nano and bulk Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} showed insignificant results with MNT, comet and CA assays. ► The bulk was excreted via feces whereas the NMs were found both in urine and feces. ► The NMs mainly accumulated in the liver, spleen, kidney, heart and bone marrow. ► However the accumulated Fe did not cause significant genotoxicological effects.« less

Comparison between 355 nm and 1064 nm damage of high grade dielectric mirror coatings

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

Bodemann, A.; Kaiser, N.

1996-12-31

Advanced reactive e-beam evaporation process was used to deposit HfO{sub 2}/SiO{sub 2} HR coatings for 355 nm high power laser applications. Atomic force microscopy studies and Nomarski microscopy have shown that the defect density of these coatings is extremely low exhibiting nearly no nodular defects known for an increased susceptibility to laser damage in the IR spectral region. Standard damage testing (conditioned and unconditioned) was conducted at LLNL at 355 nm (3 ns) for normal (0{degrees}) and nonnormal-incident designs (45{degrees}). Damage thresholds between 5 J/cm{sup 2} and 8 J/cm{sup 2} were obtained. No significant conditioning effect could be demonstrated. Themore » same evaporation technique was used to manufacture normal incident HfO{sub 2}/SiO{sub 2} HR coatings for 1064 nm wavelength from 2 different types of evaporant grade HfO{sub 2} as well as from a Hf metal source. Damage test results, as well as defect concentrations and conditioning effect, were compared to the 355 nm samples. Moreover, care was taken on the detection of the origin of damage at fluences near the damage thresholds.« less

Ultraviolet-B radiation effects on inorganic nitrogen uptake by natural assemblages of oceanic plankton

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

Behrenfeld, M.J.; Lean, D.R.S.; Lee, H. II

1995-02-01

Ultraviolet-B radiation (UVBR: 290-320 nm) inhibited ammonium uptake ({rho}{sub NH4}) and nitrate uptake ({rho}{sub NO3}) in natural plankton assemblages collected during a transect from 37{degrees}N to 55{degrees}N in the Pacific Ocean. Comparison of responses in {rho}{sub NH4} to ambient solar- and lamp-enhanced UVBR spectra allowed calculation of an action spectrum for {rho}{sub NH4} inhibition. The slope of the action spectrum for {rho}{sub NH4} is half as steep as action spectra for UVBR inhibition of photosynthetic carbon uptake. Consequently, UVBR-induced photoinhibition of {rho}{sub NH4} extends to greater depths than inhibition of carbon fixation due to the greater relative effect of longermore » UVBR wavelengths. Inhibition of {rho}{sub NH4} was dependent upon UVBR dose when doses were weighted by the {rho}{sub NH4} action spectrum. Dependence of UVBR inhibition of {rho}{sub NH4} on dose rate was not apparent. We found that near-surface {rho}{sub NH4} and {rho}{sub NO3} can be overestimated in excess of 50% when measured using standard incubation vessels made of UVBR-absorbing materials such as polycarbonate. 68 refs., 9 figs., 1 tab.« less

Initial growth processes in the epitaxy of Ge with GeH{sub 4} on oxidized Si substrates

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

Angermeier, D.; Kuhn, W.S.; Druihle, R.

1997-02-01

The heteroepitaxial growth of Ge on (100) Si in a horizontal, atmospheric pressure metallorganic vapor-phase epitaxy reactor is reported using germane GeH{sub 4} (0.1% in H{sub 2}). A particularly crucial parameter for germanium deposition on silicon is the time for the onset of epitaxial growth, the incubation time. The time was measured at substrate temperatures between 450 and 600{degree}C. At a substrate temperature of 450{degree}C an incubation time of 520 s was found and for the subsequent epitaxy growth rates of 50 nm/min were determined by Nomarski microscopy and electron diffraction. The existence of residual oxide in the reactor chambermore » forming an in situ SiO{sub 2} layer was evaluated by x-ray photoemission spectroscopy. To obtain a more thorough understanding of the gas- and solid-phase composition of Ge, Si, and oxygen the Gibbs energy of the system was calculated for various growth temperatures. It was concluded that SiO{sub 2} molecules are reduced by GeH{sub 4} molecules during the incubation period.« less

Synthesis and photoluminescence properties of Dy{sup 3+} doped white light emitting CdTa{sub 2}O{sub 6} phosphors

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

İlhan, Mustafa, E-mail: mustafa.ilhan@marmara.edu.tr; Ekmekçi, Mete Kaan

2015-03-15

The undoped and CdTa{sub 2}O{sub 6}:Dy{sup 3+} (0.2≤x≤2.0 mol%) phosphors were synthesized at 1100 °C for 12 h by the conventional solid state reaction method. The synthesized CdTa{sub 2}O{sub 6}:Dy{sup 3+} phosphors were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and Photoluminescence (PL) analyses. The PL spectra showed the presence of excitation peaks between 310 and 440 nm due to the 4f–4f transitions of Dy{sup 3+}. The emission of Dy{sup 3+} ions at 353.0 nm excitation was observed at 487.1 nm (blue) and 577.8 nm (yellow) due to the {sup 4}F{sub 9/2}→{sup 6}H{sub 15/2}more » transitions and {sup 4}F{sub 9/2}→{sup 6}H{sub 13/2} transitions, respectively. The PL analysis results also showed that the emissions increase with the increasing Dy{sup 3+} ion content. The emissions increased with the doping concentration of up to 1 mol%, and above this level decreased due to concentration quenching effect. The CIE chromaticity color coordinates (x,y) of the CdTa{sub 2}O{sub 6}:Dy{sup 3+} phosphors were found to be in the white light region of the chromaticity diagram. - Graphical abstract: Emission spectra at λ{sub ex}=353.0 nm and CIE chromaticity coordinate diagram of CdTa{sub 2}O{sub 6}:Dy{sup 3+} phosphors. - Highlights: • Pure and CdTa{sub 2}O{sub 6}:Dy{sup 3+} was produced by solid state reaction method. • CdTa{sub 2}O{sub 6}:Dy{sup 3+} phosphor exhibited blue and yellow emissions due to the {sup 4}F{sub 9/2}→{sup 6}H{sub 15/2} and {sup 4}F{sub 9/2}→{sup 6}H{sub 13/2} transitions. • The CCT value for 1.0 mol% CdTa{sub 2}O{sub 6}:Dy{sup 3+} was 5133 K which was located in the cool white daylight region. • Dy{sup 3+} doped CdTa{sub 2}O{sub 6} phosphor has potential in the production of white LEDs.« less

Defect analysis in low temperature atomic layer deposited Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} and physical vapor deposited SiO barrier films and combination of both to achieve high quality moisture barriers

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

Maindron, Tony, E-mail: tony.maindron@cea.fr; Jullien, Tony; André, Agathe

2016-05-15

Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} [20 nm, atomic layer deposition (ALD)] and SiO films' [25 nm, physical vacuum deposition (PVD)] single barriers as well as hybrid barriers of the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/SiO or SiO/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} have been deposited onto single 100 nm thick tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (AlQ{sub 3}) organic films made onto silicon wafers. The defects in the different barrier layers could be easily observed as nonfluorescent AlQ{sub 3} black spots, under ultraviolet light on the different systems stored into accelerated aging conditions (85 °C/85% RH, ∼2000 h). It has been observed that all devices containing an Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} layer present a lag time τ frommore » which defect densities of the different systems start to increase significantly. This is coherent with the supposed pinhole-free nature of fresh, ALD-deposited, Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} films. For t > τ, the number of defect grows linearly with storage time. For devices with the single Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} barrier layer, τ has been estimated to be 64 h. For t > τ, the defect occurrence rate has been calculated to be 0.268/cm{sup 2}/h. Then, a total failure of fluorescence of the AlQ{sub 3} film appears between 520 and 670 h, indicating that the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} barrier has been totally degraded by the hot moisture. Interestingly, the device with the hybrid barrier SiO/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} shows the same characteristics as the device with the single Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} barrier (τ = 59 h; 0.246/cm{sup 2}/h for t > τ), indicating that Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} ALD is the factor that limits the performance of the barrier system when it is directly exposed to moisture condensation. At the end of the storage period (1410 h), the defect density for the system with the hybrid SiO/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} barrier is 120/cm{sup 2}. The best sequence has been obtained when Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} is passivated by the SiO layer (Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/SiO). In that case, a large lag time of 795 h and a very low defect growth rate of 0.032/cm{sup 2}/h (t > τ) have been measured. At the end of the storage test (2003 h), the defect density remains very low, i.e., only 50/cm{sup 2}. On the other hand, the device with the single PVD-deposited SiO barrier layer shows no significant lag time (τ ∼ 0), and the number of defects grows linearly from initial time with a high occurrence rate of 0.517/cm{sup 2}/h. This is coherent with the pinhole-full nature of fresh, PVD-deposited, SiO films. At intermediate times, a second regime shows a lower defect occurrence rate of 0.062/cm{sup 2}/h. At a longer time span (t > 1200 h), the SiO barrier begins to degrade, and a localized crystallization onto the oxide surface, giving rise to new defects (occurrence rate 0.461/cm{sup 2}/h), could be observed. At the end of the test (2003 h), single SiO films show a very high defect density of 600/cm{sup 2}. Interestingly, the SiO surface in the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/SiO device does not appeared crystallized at a high time span, suggesting that the crystallization observed on the SiO surface in the AlQ{sub 3}/SiO device rather originates into the AlQ{sub 3} layer, due to high humidity ingress on the organic layer through SiO pinholes. This has been confirmed by atomic force microscopy surface imaging of the AlQ{sub 3}/SiO surface showing a central hole in the crystallization zone with a 60 nm depth, deeper than SiO thickness (25 nm). Using the organic AlQ{sub 3} sensor, the different observations made in this work give a quantitative comparison of defects' occurrence and growth in ALD-deposited versus PVD-deposited oxide films, as well as in their combination PVD/ALD and ALD/PVD.« less

Development of a Novel Melt Spinning-Based Processing Route for Oxide Dispersion-Strengthened Steels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, Zuliang; Morrison, Alasdair P. C.; Zhang, Hongtao; Roberts, Steve G.; Grant, Patrick S.

2018-02-01

Melt spinning of an Fe-5Y and Fe-1Y-1Ti (wt pct) alloy produced a relatively uniform spatial distribution of Y and Ti in solid solution and ribbons with consistent yield (> 60 pct by weight), fast processing time (< 10 seconds), good scalability (up to > 100 g feedstock material), and repeatability. Heat treatment in the presence of Fe2O3 as an oxygen source (Rhines pack method) at 973 K validated the potential of forming < 20 nm Y-rich oxides in the Fe-5Y ribbons. Pulverized Fe-1Y-1Y ribbons were consolidated to bulk using the field-assisted sintering technique (FAST) incorporating nano-sized Fe3O4 powder as the oxygen source. After FAST at 1273 K, 50 MPa, and 30 minutes, a comparatively high number density of sub-micron Y and/or Ti-rich oxides were developed. Further formation of fine-scale oxides took place during post-FAST annealing, resulting in an approximate 20 pct increase in hardness at temperatures below 573 K, but with a reduced hardening effect above 673 K due to a small fraction of persistent porosity and mechanically weak prior ribbon boundaries that were decorated with Ti-rich oxides.

'Nano' Morphology and Element Signatures of Early Life on Earth: A New Tool for Assessing Biogenicity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oehler, D. Z.; Mostefaoui, S.; Meibom, A.; Selo, M.; McKay, D. S.; Robert, F.

2006-01-01

The relatively young technology of NanoSIMS is unlocking an exciting new level of information from organic matter in ancient sediments. We are using this technique to characterize Proterozoic organic material that is clearly biogenic as a guide for interpreting controversial organic structures in either terrestrial or extraterrestrial samples. NanoSIMS is secondary ion mass spectrometry for trace element and isotope analysis at sub-micron resolution. In 2005, Robert et al. [1] combined NanoSIMS element maps with optical microscopic imagery in an effort to develop a new method for assessing biogenicity of Precambrian structures. The ability of NanoSIMS to map simultaneously the distribution of organic elements with a 50 nm spatial resolution provides new biologic markers that could help define the timing of life s development on Earth. The current study corroborates the work of Robert et al. and builds on their study by using NanoSIMS to map C, N (as CN), S, Si and O of both excellently preserved microfossils and less well preserved, non-descript organics in Proterozoic chert from the ca. 0.8 Ga Bitter Springs Formation of Australia.

Optical damage performance of conductive widegap semiconductors: spatial, temporal, and lifetime modeling

DOE PAGES

Elhadj, Selim; Yoo, Jae-hyuck; Negres, Raluca A.; ...

2016-12-19

The optical damage performance of electrically conductive gallium nitride (GaN) and indium tin oxide (ITO) films is addressed using large area, high power laser beam exposures at 1064 nm sub-bandgap wavelength. Analysis of the laser damage process assumes that onset of damage (threshold) is determined by the absorption and heating of a nanoscale region of a characteristic size reaching a critical temperature. We use this model to rationalize semi-quantitatively the pulse width scaling of the damage threshold from picosecond to nanosecond timescales, along with the pulse width dependence of the damage threshold probability derived by fitting large beam damage densitymore » data. Multi-shot exposures were used to address lifetime performance degradation described by an empirical expression based on the single exposure damage model. A damage threshold degradation of at least 50% was observed for both materials. Overall, the GaN films tested had 5-10 × higher optical damage thresholds than the ITO films tested for comparable transmission and electrical conductivity. This route to optically robust, large aperture transparent electrodes and power optoelectronics may thus involve use of next generation widegap semiconductors such as GaN.« less

Validation of a particle tracking analysis method for the size determination of nano- and microparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kestens, Vikram; Bozatzidis, Vassili; De Temmerman, Pieter-Jan; Ramaye, Yannic; Roebben, Gert

2017-08-01

Particle tracking analysis (PTA) is an emerging technique suitable for size analysis of particles with external dimensions in the nano- and sub-micrometre scale range. Only limited attempts have so far been made to investigate and quantify the performance of the PTA method for particle size analysis. This article presents the results of a validation study during which selected colloidal silica and polystyrene latex reference materials with particle sizes in the range of 20 nm to 200 nm were analysed with NS500 and LM10-HSBF NanoSight instruments and video analysis software NTA 2.3 and NTA 3.0. Key performance characteristics such as working range, linearity, limit of detection, limit of quantification, sensitivity, robustness, precision and trueness were examined according to recommendations proposed by EURACHEM. A model for measurement uncertainty estimation following the principles described in ISO/IEC Guide 98-3 was used for quantifying random and systematic variations. For nominal 50 nm and 100 nm polystyrene and a nominal 80 nm silica reference materials, the relative expanded measurement uncertainties for the three measurands of interest, being the mode, median and arithmetic mean of the number-weighted particle size distribution, varied from about 10% to 12%. For the nominal 50 nm polystyrene material, the relative expanded uncertainty of the arithmetic mean of the particle size distributions increased up to 18% which was due to the presence of agglomerates. Data analysis was performed with software NTA 2.3 and NTA 3.0. The latter showed to be superior in terms of sensitivity and resolution.

Stratigraphic Correlation via Opportunity's Pancam of the Burns Formation, Meridiani Planum, Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, S. D.; Calvin, W. M.; Farrand, W. H.

2006-12-01

Spectral properties of Meridiani Planum hematite-rich Burns formation observed by Opportunity's Pancam have been described previously but not at minimum spatial scales. This study is of the fine scale visible and near- infrared spectral features within the sedimentary structures over the entire lateral extent explored by Opportunity across an 8 km traverse from Endurance to Victoria craters. Investigation of the bedrock has shown sub-centimeter thinly laminated evaporite deposits with few occurrences of festoon cross-bedding, massive bedding, and subtle differences in color and texture. Pancam data analyses of rock targets where sufficient spatial resolution (<10 mm) is achieved (within 10 m) constrain spectral parameters of laminar, erosional, and possible secondary diagenetic features. Results show differences of statistical significance in iron mineral varieties and phases in both vertical section and lateral extent of the Burns formation. Spectra exhibit a steep positive slope in the visible (432-753 nm) region and subtle changes in the near infrared (753-1009 nm) region ranging from flat, concave, to convex profiles. Maxima are typically in the 750-850 nm region but can occur as low as 673 nm and as high as 1009 nm with the latter usually from the lower albedo materials (i.e., spherules and basaltic sands). Positive slopes from 934-1009 nm in this region are consistent with the presence of hematite, commonly associated with the spherules. The higher albedo surfaces tend to have greatest negative slope in the longer wavelengths. This could result from intrinsic characteristics of the outcrop material or a significantly thick (i.e. >100 micron) dust deposit. Band depth images centered at 535 nm and 904 nm provide statistics on the relative occurrences of crystalline ferric oxide minerals. Rarely iron-rich signatures are present in individual laminations and not in the adjacent layers. Such occurrences could result from multiple iron-rich sedimentary events, secondary diagenetic products such as cementation or recrystallization, or an invasive fracture fill material. Comparisons of geomorphologic and spectroscopic mapping will be presented to show overall relationships of the Meridiani plains materials.

Sub-10 nm lanthanide doped BaLuF{sub 5} nanocrystals: Shape controllable synthesis, tunable multicolor emission and enhanced near-infrared upconversion luminescence

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

Rao, Ling; Lu, Wei; Wang, Haibo

2015-04-15

Highlights: • Sub-10 nm cubic phase BaLuF{sub 5} nanocrystals were synthesized by a hydrothermal method for the first time. • Tunable multicolor from yellow to yellow-green was achieved by controlling Gd{sup 3+} content in BaLuF{sub 5}:Yb/Er system. • Intense near-infrared upconversion luminescence in BaLuF{sub 5}:Gd/Yb/Tm nanocrystal. • The enhancement near-infrared luminescence can be realized by adjusting the content of Gd{sup 3+} in BaLuF{sub 5}:Gd/Yb/Tm system. - Abstract: In this study, sub-10 nm BaLuF{sub 5} nanocrystals with cubic phase structure were synthesized by a solvothermal method using oleic acid as the stabilizing agent. The as-prepared BaLuF{sub 5} nanocrystals were characterized bymore » transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and analyzed by the upconversion (UC) spectra. The TEM results reveal that these samples present high uniformity. Compared with Gd-free samples, the size of BaLuF{sub 5}:Yb/Er doped with 10% Gd{sup 3+} decreased to 5.6 nm. In addition, BaLuF{sub 5}:Yb/Tm/Gd upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) presented efficient near-infrared (NIR)-NIR UC luminescence. Therefore, it is expected that these ultra-small BaLuF{sub 5} nanocrystals with well-controlled shape, size, and UC emission have potential applications in biomedical imaging fields.« less

Layout-aware simulation of soft errors in sub-100 nm integrated circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balbekov, A.; Gorbunov, M.; Bobkov, S.

2016-12-01

Single Event Transient (SET) caused by charged particle traveling through the sensitive volume of integral circuit (IC) may lead to different errors in digital circuits in some cases. In technologies below 180 nm, a single particle can affect multiple devices causing multiple SET. This fact adds the complexity to fault tolerant devices design, because the schematic design techniques become useless without their layout consideration. The most common layout mitigation technique is a spatial separation of sensitive nodes of hardened circuits. Spatial separation decreases the circuit performance and increases power consumption. Spacing should thus be reasonable and its scaling follows the device dimensions' scaling trend. This paper presents the development of the SET simulation approach comprised of SPICE simulation with "double exponent" current source as SET model. The technique uses layout in GDSII format to locate nearby devices that can be affected by a single particle and that can share the generated charge. The developed software tool automatizes multiple simulations and gathers the produced data to present it as the sensitivity map. The examples of conducted simulations of fault tolerant cells and their sensitivity maps are presented in this paper.

Novel combination of near-field s-SNOM microscopy with peak-force tapping for nano-chemical and nano-mechanical material characterization with sub-20 nm spatial resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagner, Martin; Carneiro, Karina; Habelitz, Stefan; Mueller, Thomas; BNS Team; UCSF Team

Heterogeneity in material systems requires methods for nanoscale chemical identification. Scattering scanning near-field microscopy (s-SNOM) is chemically sensitive in the infrared fingerprint region while providing down to 10 nm spatial resolution. This technique detects material specific tip-scattering in an atomic force microscope. Here, we present the first combination of s-SNOM with peak-force tapping (PFT), a valuable AFM technique that allows precise force control between tip and sample down to 10s of pN. The latter is essential for imaging fragile samples, but allows also quantitative extraction of nano-mechanical properties, e.g. the modulus. PFT can further be complemented by KPFM or conductive AFM for nano-electrical mapping, allowing access to nanoscale optical, mechanical and electrical information in a single instrument. We will address several questions ranging from graphene plasmonics to material distributions in polymers. We highlight a biological application where dental amelogenin protein was studied via s-SNOM to learn about its self-assembly into nanoribbons. At the same time PFT allows to track crystallization to distinguish protein from apatite crystals for which amelogenin is supposed to act as a template.

Microanalytical characterization of multi-rare earth nanocrystalline magnets by TEM and APT

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

Wu, Y. Q.; Tang, W.; Miller, Michael K

2006-01-01

The partitioning behavior of various rare-earth (RE) elements during solidification and their segregation behavior at the grain boundaries were investigated in nanocrystalline (Y{sub 0.5}Dy{sub 0.5}{sub 2.2}Fe{sub 14}B and (Nd{sub 0.5}Y{sub 0.25}Dy{sub 0.25}){sub 1.8}Zr{sub 0.4}Co{sub 1.5}Fe{sub 12.5}B alloys by transmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography. The best hard magnetic properties obtained are H{sub cj} = 22 kOe, B{sub r}=5.10 kG, and (BH){sub max} = 5.97 MG Oe for the Y-Dy-based alloy and H{sub cj}=10.6 kOe, B{sub r}=6.64 kG, and (BH){sub max}=9.56 MG Oe for the Y-Nd-Dy based alloy. The grain size of the Y-Dy based alloy was {approx} 50 nm.more » The Y-Nd-Dy based alloy had an overall finer, bimodal grain size. An intergranular (Y{sub 0.36}Dy{sub 0.64}){sub 6}Fe{sub 23} phase was detected in the Y-Dy based alloy. A uniform distribution of RE elements was found within the 2-14-1 grains in both alloys. The Y:(Dy+Nd) ratio in the Y-Nd-Dy alloy was lower than its nominal composition, indicating that the Y is segregating to grain boundaries or forming a second phase.« less

Modifying exchange-spring behavior of CoPt/NiFe bilayer by inserting a Pt or Ru spacer

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

Hsu, Jen-Hwa, E-mail: jhhsu@phys.ntu.edu.tw; Tsai, C. L.; Lee, C.-M.

2015-05-07

We herein explore the possibility of obtaining tunable tilted magnetic anisotropy in ordered-CoPt (5 nm)/NiFe(t{sub NiFe}) bilayers through modifying their exchange spring behavior by inserting Pt and Ru-spacers. The tuning process of tilt angle magnetization of NiFe-layer was systematically investigated by varying the Pt or Ru thickness (t{sub Pt} or t{sub Ru}) from 0 to 8 nm at different thicknesses of NiFe (t{sub NiFe} = 1.5, 4.0, and 6.0 nm). Polar magneto-optic Kerr effect (p-MOKE) studies reveal that the bilayers grown in absence of spacers exhibit almost a rectangular hysteresis loop. With the insertion of Pt-spacer, the loop becomes more and more tilted as t{submore » Pt} increases; whereas, in the case of Ru-spacer, the nature of the loops is not simply changing in one direction. The estimated SQR{sub ⊥} (= θ{sub r}/θ{sub s}) values from the p-MOKE loops are found to monotonically decrease with increasing t{sub Pt} when t{sub Pt} ≦ 4 nm. In contrast, in the case of Ru-spacer, an oscillatory behavior for the SQR{sub ⊥} values is apparent when t{sub Ru} ≦ 4 nm. As a result, an oscillatory tilted angle of NiFe spin configuration was obtained in the case of Ru-spacer; while a decoupling effect was prominent for the Pt-spacer. The results of present study reveal that the insertion of Pt and Ru-spacers as an appropriate means for realizing tunable tilted magnetic anisotropy in the CoPt/NiFe exchange springs.« less

Fluorescence properties of Tb{sup 3+} and Sm{sup 3+} activated novel LiAl{sub 7}B{sub 4}O{sub 17} host via solution combustion synthesis

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

Palaspagar, R.S., E-mail: rspalaspagar@gmail.com; Gawande, A.B., E-mail: gawandeab@gmail.com; Sonekar, R.P., E-mail: sonekar_rp@yahoo.com

2015-12-15

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • New LiAl{sub 7}B{sub 4}O{sub 17}:Tb{sup 3+}, Sm{sup 3+} phosphors were synthesized first time by solution combustion method. • The LiAl{sub 7}B{sub 4}O{sub 17}:Tb{sup 3+} emissions; 489, 544, 586 and 623 nm (λ{sub ex} = 234 nm). • Also for LiAl{sub 7}B{sub 4}O{sub 17}:Sm{sup 3+}; 564, 601 and 649 nm (λ{sub ex} = 403 nm). • Synthesized materials were characterized by powder XRD, FE-SEM. • Concentration quenching mechanism and critical transfer distance of Tb{sup 3+} and Sm{sup 3+} in the prepared sample has been investigated. - Abstract: Novel LiAl{sub 7}B{sub 4}O{sub 17} (LABO) phosphor activated withmore » trivalent rare earth ions (RE = Tb, Sm) was synthesized by using solution combustion synthesis. The powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission-scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), photoluminescence (PL), critical transfer distance (R{sub c}) and quenching mechanism studies were employed to characterize the samples. Under ultraviolet irradiation of the LiAl{sub 7}B{sub 4}O{sub 17}: Tb{sup 3+}, Sm{sup 3+} phosphors exhibit the typical green ({sup 5}D{sub 4} → {sup 7}F{sub j} = 6, 5, 4 and 3) emission band of the Tb{sup 3+} ions, as well as an orange-red and red ({sup 4}G{sub 5/2} → {sup 6}H{sub J=5/2,} {sub 7/2,} {sub 9/2}) emission bands of the Sm{sup 3+} ions. These results suggest that Tb{sup 3+} and Sm{sup 3+} activated LABO phosphor could be promising in vision of the necessity for solid state lighting applications.« less

100-nm gate lithography for double-gate transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krasnoperova, Azalia A.; Zhang, Ying; Babich, Inna V.; Treichler, John; Yoon, Jung H.; Guarini, Kathryn; Solomon, Paul M.

2001-09-01

The double gate field effect transistor (FET) is an exploratory device that promises certain performance advantages compared to traditional CMOS FETs. It can be scaled down further than the traditional devices because of the greater electrostatic control by the gates on the channel (about twice as short a channel length for the same gate oxide thickness), has steeper sub-threshold slope and about double the current for the same width. This paper presents lithographic results for double gate FET's developed at IBM's T. J. Watson Research Center. The device is built on bonded wafers with top and bottom gates self-aligned to each other. The channel is sandwiched between the top and bottom polysilicon gates and the gate length is defined using DUV lithography. An alternating phase shift mask was used to pattern gates with critical dimensions of 75 nm, 100 nm and 125 nm in photoresist. 50 nm gates in photoresist have also been patterned by 20% over-exposure of nominal 100 nm lines. No trim mask was needed because of a specific way the device was laid out. UV110 photoresist from Shipley on AR-3 antireflective layer were used. Process windows, developed and etched patterns are presented.

The magnetic structure and palaeomagnetic recording fidelity of sub-micron greigite (Fe3S4)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valdez-Grijalva, Miguel A.; Nagy, Lesleis; Muxworthy, Adrian R.; Williams, Wyn; Fabian, Karl

2018-02-01

We present the results of a finite-element micromagnetic model of 30nm to 300nm greigite (Fe3S4) grains with a variety of equant morphologies. This grain size range covers the magnetic single-domain (SD) to pseudo single-domain (PSD) transition, and possibly also the PSD to multi-domain (MD) transition. The SD-PSD threshold d0 is determined to be 50nm ≤d0 ≤ 56nm depending on grain shape. The nudged elastic-band method was used to determine the room temperature energy barriers between stable states and thus the blocking volumes. It is found that, in the absence of interparticle magnetostatic interactions, the magnetisation of equant SD greigite is not stable on a geological scale and only PSD grains ≥ 70nm can be expected to carry a stable magnetisation over billion-year timescales, i.e., all non-interacting SD particles are essentially superparamagnetic. We further identify a mechanism for the PSD to multi-domain (MD) transition, which is of a continuous nature from PSD nucleation up to 300nm, when structures typical of MD behaviour like closure domains begin to form.

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

Pathak, A. A., E-mail: anuapathak@yahoo.com; Yadav, P. J.; Talewar, R. A.

Blue-emitting phosphor LaMgAl{sub 11}O{sub 19}:Eu{sup 2+} has been synthesized successfully at 500 °C by one step combustion synthesis method. The as-synthesized materials were characterized by powder x-ray diffraction (XRD) and photoluminescence (PL) techniques. Upon 365 nm excitation, emission spectra of the LaMgAl{sub 11}O{sub 19}:Eu{sup 2+} phosphors show a blue band at 450 nm. The excitation spectra corresponding to 4f{sup 7}-4f{sup 6}5d transition of Eu{sup 2+} cover the spectral range of 280–430 nm. The concentration quenching of Eu{sup 2+} in the LaMgAl{sub 11}O{sub 19} host was determined to be 3 mol%. The CIE chromaticity of LAM: Eu{sup 2+} phosphors was compared with the commercial BAM.

Effects of spatial disturbance on common loon nest site selection and territory success

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCarthy, K.P.; DeStefano, S.

2011-01-01

The common loon (Gavia immer) breeds during the summer on northern lakes and water bodies that are also often desirable areas for aquatic recreation and human habitation. In northern New England, we assessed how the spatial nature of disturbance affects common loon nest site selection and territory success. We found through classification and regression analysis that distance to and density of disturbance factors can be used to classify observed nest site locations versus random points, suggesting that these factors affect loon nest site selection (model 1: Correct classification = 75%, null = 50%, K = 0.507, P < 0.001; model 2: Correct classification = 78%, null = 50%, K = 0.551, P < 0.001). However, in an exploratory analysis, we were unable to show a relation between spatial disturbance variables and breeding success (P = 0.595, R 2 = 0.436), possibly because breeding success was so low during the breeding seasons of 2007-2008. We suggest that by selecting nest site locations that avoid disturbance factors, loons thereby limit the effect that disturbance will have on their breeding success. Still, disturbance may force loons to use sub-optimal nesting habitat, limiting the available number of territories, and overall productivity. We advise that management efforts focus on limiting disturbance factors to allow breeding pairs access to the best nesting territories, relieving disturbance pressures that may force sub-optimal nest placement. ?? 2011 The Wildlife Society.

Manufacturing and advanced characterization of sub-25nm diameter CD-AFM probes with sub-10nm tip edges radius

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foucher, Johann; Filippov, Pavel; Penzkofer, Christian; Irmer, Bernd; Schmidt, Sebastian W.

2013-04-01

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is increasingly used in the semiconductor industry as a versatile monitoring tool for highly critical lithography and etching process steps. Applications range from the inspection of the surface roughness of new materials, over accurate depth measurements to the determination of critical dimension structures. The aim to address the rapidly growing demands on measurement uncertainty and throughput more and more shifts the focus of attention to the AFM tip, which represents the crucial link between AFM tool and the sample to be monitored. Consequently, in order to reach the AFM tool's full potential, the performance of the AFM tip has to be considered as a determining parameter. Currently available AFM tips made from silicon are generally limited by their diameter, radius, and sharpness, considerably restricting the AFM measurement capabilities on sub-30nm spaces. In addition to that, there's lack of adequate characterization structures to accurately characterize sub-25nm tip diameters. Here, we present and discuss a recently introduced AFM tip design (T-shape like design) with precise tip diameters down to 15nm and tip radii down to 5nm fabricated from amorphous, high density diamond-like carbon (HDC/DLC) using electron beam induced processing (EBIP). In addition to that advanced design, we propose a new characterizer structure, which allows for accurate characterization and design control of sub-25nm tip diameters and sub-10nm tip edges radii. We demonstrate the potential advantages of combining a small tip shape design, i.e. tip diameter and tip edge radius, and an advanced tip characterizer for the semiconductor industry by the measurement of advanced lithography patterns.

Thermal aging effect of vanadyl acetylacetonate precursor for deposition of VO{sub 2} thin films with thermochromic properties

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

Yu, Jung-Hoon; Nam, Sang-Hun; Kim, Donguk

Highlights: • 7 day aged VO(acac){sub 2} sol shows enhanced adhesivity on the SiO{sub 2} compared with non-aged sol. • The aging process has significantly affected the morphologies of VO{sub 2} films. • From the FT-IR spectra, thermal aging process provides the deformation of precursor. • The metal insulator transition (MIT) efficiency (ΔT{sub at2000} {sub nm}) reached a maximum value of 51% at 7 day aging. • Thermal aging process could shorten the aging time of sol solution. - Abstract: Thermochromic properties of vanadium dioxide (VO{sub 2}) have been studied extensively due to their IR reflection applications in energy smartmore » windows. In this paper, we studied the optical switching property of VO{sub 2} thin film, depending on the thermal aging time of the vanadyl acetylacetonate (VO(acac){sub 2}) precursor. We found the alteration of the IR spectra of the precursor by tuning the aging time as well as heat treatments of the precursor. An aging effect of vanadium precursor directly affects the morphologies, optical switching property and crystallinity of VO{sub 2} films. The optimum condition was achieved at the 7 day aging time with metal insulator transition (MIT) efficiency of 50%.« less

Creating Sub-50 nm Nanofluidic Junctions in PDMS Microchip via Self-Assembly Process of Colloidal Silica Beads for Electrokinetic Concentration of Biomolecules

PubMed Central

Syed, A.; Mangano, L.; Mao, P.; Han, J.

2014-01-01

In this work we describe a novel and simple self-assembly of colloidal silica beads to create nanofluidic junction between two microchannels. The nanoporous membrane was used to induce ion concentration polarization inside the microchannel and this electrokinetic preconcentration system allowed rapid concentration of DNA samples by ∼1700 times and protein samples by ∼100 times within 5 minutes. PMID:25254651

Ion beam lithography system

DOEpatents

Leung, Ka-Ngo

2005-08-02

A maskless plasma-formed ion beam lithography tool provides for patterning of sub-50 nm features on large area flat or curved substrate surfaces. The system is very compact and does not require an accelerator column and electrostatic beam scanning components. The patterns are formed by switching beamlets on or off from a two electrode blanking system with the substrate being scanned mechanically in one dimension. This arrangement can provide a maskless nano-beam lithography tool for economic and high throughput processing.

Synthesis, Characterization and Applications of Photoactive Nanomaterials

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-08-01

20nm to 50µm. The photolithography technique uses a light-sensitive polymer (photo- resist ), which is exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light to transfer...through a photomask that consists of opaque features on a transparent substrate (e.g., quartz, glass) to make an exposure on a photo- resist that is...coated on a sub- strate (Moreau, 1988; Elliott, 1989; Madou, 2002) . The polymer chains of photo- resist 1 break down in the exposed area, resulting in more

New approach for pattern collapse problem by increasing contact area at sub-100nm patterning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Sung-Koo; Jung, Jae Chang; Lee, Min Suk; Lee, Sung K.; Kim, Sam Young; Hwang, Young-Sun; Bok, Cheol K.; Moon, Seung-Chan; Shin, Ki S.; Kim, Sang-Jung

2003-06-01

To accomplish minimizing feature size to sub 100nm, new light sources for photolithography are emerging, such as ArF(193nm), F2(157nm), and EUV(13nm). However as the pattern size decreases to sub 100nm, a new obstacle, that is pattern collapse problem, becomes most serious bottleneck to the road for the sub 100 nm lithography. The main reason for this pattern collapse problem is capillary force that is increased as the pattern size decreases. As a result there were some trials to decrease this capillary force by changing developer or rinse materials that had low surface tension. On the other hands, there were other efforts to increase adhesion between resists and sub materials (organic BARC). In this study, we will propose a novel approach to solve pattern collapse problems by increasing contact area between sub material (organic BARC) and resist pattern. The basic concept of this approach is that if nano-scale topology is made at the sub material, the contact area between sub materials and resist will be increased. The process scheme was like this. First after coating and baking of organic BARC material, the nano-scale topology (3~10nm) was made by etching at this organic BARC material. On this nano-scale topology, resist was coated and exposed. Finally after develop, the contact area between organic BARC and resist could be increased. Though nano-scale topology was made by etching technology, this 20nm topology variation induced large substrate reflectivity of 4.2% and as a result the pattern fidelity was not so good at 100nm 1:1 island pattern. So we needed a new method to improve pattern fidelity problem. This pattern fidelity problem could be solved by introducing a sacrificial BARC layer. The process scheme was like this. First organic BARC was coated of which k value was about 0.64 and then sacrificial BARC layers was coated of which k value was about 0.18 on the organic BARC. The nano-scale topology (1~4nm) was made by etching of this sacrificial BARC layer and then as the same method mentioned above, the contact area between sacrificial layer and resist could be increased. With this introduction of sacrificial layer, the substrate reflectivity of sacrificial BARC layer was decreased enormously to 0.2% though there is 20nm topology variation of sacrificial BARC layer. With this sacrificial BARC layer, we could get 100nm 1:1 L/S pattern. With conventional process, the minimum CD where no collapse occurred, was 96.5nm. By applying this sacrificial BARC layer, the minimum CD where no collapse occurred, was 65.7nm. In conclusion, with nano-scale topology and sacrificial BARC layer, we could get very small pattern that was strong to pattern collapse issue.

Discovery of a Series of Imidazo[4,5-b]pyridines with Dual Activity at Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor and Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor-[gamma

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

Casimiro-Garcia, Agustin; Filzen, Gary F.; Flynn, Declan

2013-03-07

Mining of an in-house collection of angiotensin II type 1 receptor antagonists to identify compounds with activity at the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-{gamma} (PPAR{gamma}) revealed a new series of imidazo[4,5-b]pyridines 2 possessing activity at these two receptors. Early availability of the crystal structure of the lead compound 2a bound to the ligand binding domain of human PPAR{gamma} confirmed the mode of interaction of this scaffold to the nuclear receptor and assisted in the optimization of PPAR{gamma} activity. Among the new compounds, (S)-3-(5-(2-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl)phenyl)-2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-1-yl)-2-ethyl-5-isobutyl-7-methyl-3H-imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (2l) was identified as a potent angiotensin II type I receptor blocker (IC{sub 50} = 1.6 nM) with partialmore » PPAR{gamma} agonism (EC{sub 50} = 212 nM, 31% max) and oral bioavailability in rat. The dual pharmacology of 2l was demonstrated in animal models of hypertension (SHR) and insulin resistance (ZDF rat). In the SHR, 2l was highly efficacious in lowering blood pressure, while robust lowering of glucose and triglycerides was observed in the male ZDF rat.« less

Structural transformation in nano-structured CuAl{sub x}Cr{sub x}Fe{sub 2-2x}O{sub 4} system

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

Mehta, D. K., E-mail: daxabjoshi@gmail.com; Chhantbar, M. C.; Joshi, H. H.

Polycrystalline spinel ferrite system CuAl{sub x}Cr{sub x}Fe{sub 2-2x}O{sub 4} (x=0.2, 0.6) was synthesized by solid-state reaction route. Nanoparticles of the samples have been prepared by using high energy ball milling technique with different milling durations and characterized by X-ray Diffraction and Tunneling Electron Microscope. It is observed that the structural transformation occurred from Cubic to tetragonal and particle size varied between 29 nm -14 nm with increase of milling time.

CHARACTERIZING THE DUST COMA OF COMET C/2012 S1 (ISON) AT 4.15 AU FROM THE SUN

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

Li, Jian-Yang; Kelley, Michael S. P.; Farnham, Tony L.

2013-12-10

We report results from broadband visible images of comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3 on 2013 April 10. C/ISON's coma brightness follows a 1/ρ (where ρ is the projected distance from the nucleus) profile out to 5000 km, consistent with a constant speed dust outflow model. The turnaround distance in the sunward direction suggests that the dust coma is composed of sub-micron-sized particles emitted at speeds of tens of m s{sup –1}. A(θ)fρ, which is commonly used to characterize the dust production rate, was 1340 and 1240 cm in the F606W and F438W filters, respectively,more » in apertures <1.''6 in radius. The dust colors are slightly redder than solar, with a slope of 5.0% ± 0.2% per 100 nm, increasing to >10% per 100 nm 10,000 km down the tail. The colors are similar to those of comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) and other long-period comets, but somewhat bluer than typical values for short-period comets. The spatial color variations are also reminiscent of C/Hale-Bopp. A sunward jet is visible in enhanced images, curving to the north and then tailward in the outer coma. The 1.''6 long jet is centered at a position angle of 291°, with an opening angle of ∼45°. The jet morphology remains unchanged over 19 hr of our observations, suggesting that it is near the rotational pole of the nucleus, and implying that the pole points to within 30° of (R.A., decl.) = (330°, 0°). This pole orientation indicates a high obliquity of 50°-80°.« less

Construction and characterization of ultraviolet acousto-optic based femtosecond pulse shapers

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

Mcgrane, Shawn D; Moore, David S; Greenfield, Margo T

2008-01-01

We present all the information necessary for construction and characterization of acousto optic pulse shapers, with a focus on ultraviolet wavelengths, Various radio-frequency drive configurations are presented to allow optimization via knowledgeable trade-off of design features. Detailed performance characteristics of a 267 nm acousto-optic modulator (AOM) based pulse shaper are presented, Practical considerations for AOM based pulse shaping of ultra-broad bandwidth (sub-10 fs) amplified femtosecond pulse shaping are described, with particular attention paid to the effects of the RF frequency bandwidth and optical frequency bandwidth on the spatial dispersion of the output laser pulses.

Smart Gold Nanobowls (Nano-Crescent Moon) with Sub-10 nm Circular Edge for Local Electromagnetic Field Enhancement Effect, Spatial, and NIR Temporal/Thermal Modulations for Molecular and Cellular Dynamic Imaging

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-01-31

nanoring [10], the Au nanocrescent has a higher local field enhancement factor in the near infrared wavelength region due to the simultaneous...incorporation of SERS hot spots including sharp nanotip and nanoring geometries and thus the strong hybrid resonance modes from nanocavity resonance mode and tip...Raman, "A change of wave-length in light scattering," Nature 121, 619-619 (1928). 22. Y. Lu, G. L. Liu, and L. P. Lee, "High-density silver nanoparticle

Photolysis of CH{sub 3}CHO at 248 nm: Evidence of triple fragmentation from primary quantum yield of CH{sub 3} and HCO radicals and H atoms

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

Morajkar, Pranay; Schoemaecker, Coralie; Fittschen, Christa, E-mail: christa.fittschen@univ-lille1.fr

2014-06-07

Radical quantum yields have been measured following the 248 nm photolysis of acetaldehyde, CH{sub 3}CHO. HCO radical and H atom yields have been quantified by time resolved continuous wave Cavity Ring Down Spectroscopy in the near infrared following their conversion to HO{sub 2} radicals by reaction with O{sub 2}. The CH{sub 3} radical yield has been determined using the same technique following their conversion into CH{sub 3}O{sub 2}. Absolute yields have been deduced for HCO radicals and H atoms through fitting of time resolved HO{sub 2} profiles, obtained under various O{sub 2} concentrations, to a complex model, while the CH{submore » 3} yield has been determined relative to the CH{sub 3} yield from 248 nm photolysis of CH{sub 3}I. Time resolved HO{sub 2} profiles under very low O{sub 2} concentrations suggest that another unknown HO{sub 2} forming reaction path exists in this reaction system besides the conversion of HCO radicals and H atoms by reaction with O{sub 2}. HO{sub 2} profiles can be well reproduced under a large range of experimental conditions with the following quantum yields: CH{sub 3}CHO + hν{sub 248nm} → CH{sub 3}CHO{sup *}, CH{sub 3}CHO{sup *} → CH{sub 3} + HCO ϕ{sub 1a} = 0.125 ± 0.03, CH{sub 3}CHO{sup *} → CH{sub 3} + H + CO ϕ{sub 1e} = 0.205 ± 0.04, CH{sub 3}CHO{sup *}→{sup o{sub 2}}CH{sub 3}CO + HO{sub 2} ϕ{sub 1f} = 0.07 ± 0.01. The CH{sub 3}O{sub 2} quantum yield has been determined in separate experiments as ϕ{sub CH{sub 3}} = 0.33 ± 0.03 and is in excellent agreement with the CH{sub 3} yields derived from the HO{sub 2} measurements considering that the triple fragmentation (R1e) is an important reaction path in the 248 nm photolysis of CH{sub 3}CHO. From arithmetic considerations taking into account the HO{sub 2} and CH{sub 3} measurements we deduce a remaining quantum yield for the molecular pathway: CH{sub 3}CHO{sup *} → CH{sub 4} + CO ϕ{sub 1b} = 0.6. All experiments can be consistently explained with absence of the formerly considered pathway: CH{sub 3}CHO{sup *} → CH{sub 3}CO + H ϕ{sub 1c} = 0.« less

Lu{sub 2}O{sub 3}:Eu{sup 3+} glass ceramic films: Synthesis, structural and spectroscopic studies

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

Carrera Jota, M.L.; García Murillo, A., E-mail: angarciam@ipn.mx; Carrillo Romo, F.

2014-03-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Lu{sub 2}O{sub 3}:Eu{sup 3+}@SiO{sub 2} films were synthesized by sol–gel and by dip-coating technique. • Effects of incorporating PVP on structural properties were studied. • Effects of incorporating silica (SiO{sub 2}) luminescence characteristics were analyzed. • X-ray diffraction results showed that Lu{sub 2}O{sub 3}:Eu{sup 3+}@SiO{sub 2} crystallizes at 700 °C. • The 611 nm emission for the Lu:Si = 8:1 system presented an improvement. - Abstract: For the first time, transparent and crack free europium-doped lutetia silica sol–gel films were synthesized using the dip-coating technique on silica quartz substrates. In this study, we examined themore » effects of incorporating polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and silica (SiO{sub 2}) into different precursor solutions for different Lu–Si molar ratios: 4:1, 6:1, 8:1 and 10:1. Different systems, such as Lu{sub 2}O{sub 3}:Eu{sup 3+}@SiO{sub 2} (using the above Lu:Si molar ratios), were synthesized by sol–gel and by dip-coating technique, employing acetylacetonate lutetium and tetraethylorthosilicate as Lu and Si precursors, in order to produce Lu{sub 2}O{sub 3}:Eu{sup 3+} (5 mol%)@SiO{sub 2} glass–ceramic films. The film microstructure was studied by microRaman spectroscopy (MRS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) for different Lu:Si molar ratios on films annealed at 700 °C. X-ray diffraction results showed that the lutetium oxide cubic phase crystallizes in the silica matrix at 700 °C, and the crystallite size of Lu{sub 2}O{sub 3}:Eu{sup 3+}@SiO{sub 2} films varies from 5 nm to 17 nm according to the respective Lu:Si molar ratios. Opto-geometrical parameters determined by m-lines spectroscopy using a 632.5 nm He–Ne laser showed that the Eu{sup 3+} doped films heat-treated at 700 °C presented a thickness and density of 1.7 μm (8.8 g cm{sup −3}), 970 nm (9.2 g cm{sup −3}), 1 μm (9.3 g cm{sup −3}) and 1.3 μm (9.25 g cm{sup −3}) for the Lu:Si = 4:1, 6:1, 8:1 and 10:1 molar ratio systems, respectively. The Lu:Si = 8:1 system 611 nm emission presented an improvement. These results were provided by photoluminescent spectroscopy.« less

Light response of phytoplankton in the South Atlantic Ocean: Interpretation of observations and application to remote sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hood, Raleigh R.

1995-01-01

A simplified, nonspectral derivation of a classical theory in plant physiology is presented and used to derive an absorption-based primary productivity algorithm. Field observations from a meridional transect (4 deg N to 42 deg S) in the Atlantic Ocean are then described and interpreted in this theoretical context. The observations include photosynthesis-irradiance curve parameters (alpha and P(sub max)), chlorophyll a and phaeopigment concentration, and estimated phytoplankton absorption coefficients at wavelength = 440 nm (a(sub ph)(440)). Observations near the top (50% I(sub 0)) and bottom (6% I(sub 0)) of the euphotic zone are contrasted. At both light levels, alpha, P(sub max), a(sub ph)(440), and pigment concentration varied similarly along the transect: values were highest at the equator and at the southern end of the transect and lowest in the central South Atlantic. It is concluded that this pattern was related to increased nutrient availability due to equatorial upwelling in the north, and increased wind mixing in the south. At the 50% light level, alpha increased relative to a(sub ph) at the southern end of the transect. This result appears to reflect a large-scale meridional (southward) increase in the average quantum efficiency of the photosynthetic units of the phytoplankton. A correlation analysis of the data reveals that at the 50% light level, variations in P(sub max) were more closely related to a(sub ph)(440) than chlorophyll concentration and that phytoplankton absorption explains 90% of the variability in P(sub max). In theory, this shows that the ratio of the average quantum efficiency of the photosynthetic units of the phytoplankton to the product of their average absorption cross section and turnover time is relatively constant. This result is used to simplify the absorption-based primary productivity algorithm derived previously. The feasibility of using this model to estimate production rate from satellite ocean color observations is discussed. It is concluded that an absorption-based algorithm should provide more accurate production rate estimates than one based upon chlorophyll (pigment) concentration.

Spectroscopic study of carbon plasma produced by the first (1064 nm) and second (532 nm) harmonics of Nd:YAG laser

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

Hanif, M., E-mail: drhanif-mcs@nust.edu.pk; Salik, M.; Arif, F.

2015-03-15

In this research work, spectroscopic studies of carbon (C) plasma by using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) are presented. The plasma was produced by the first (1064 nm) and second (532 nm) harmonics of a Q-switched Nd:YAG (Quantel Brilliant) pulsed laser having a pulse duration of 5 ns and 10-Hz repetition rate, which is capable of delivering 400 mJ at 1064 nm and 200 mJ at 532 nm. The laser beam was focused on the target material (100% carbon) by placing it in air at atmospheric pressure. The experimentally observed line profiles of five neutral carbon (C I) lines at 247.85,more » 394.22, 396.14, 588.95, and 591.25 nm were used to extract the electron temperature T{sub e} by using the Boltzmann plot method and determine its value, 9880 and 9400 K, respectively, for the fundamental and second harmonics of the laser, whereas the electron density N{sub e} was determined from the Stark broadening profile of neutral carbon line at 247.85 nm. The values of N{sub e} at a distance of 0.05 mm from the target surface for the fundamental-harmonic laser with a pulse energy of 130 mJ and the second-harmonic laser with a pulse energy of 72 mJ are 4.68 × 10{sup 17} and 5.98 × 10{sup 17} cm{sup −3}, respectively. This extracted information on T{sub e} and N{sub e} is useful for the deposition of carbon thin films by using the pulsed laser deposition technique. Moreover, both plasma parameters (T{sub e} and N{sub e}) were also calculated by varying the distance from the target surface along the line of propagation of the plasma plume and also by varying the laser irradiance.« less

Involvement of 1,25D{sub 3}-MARRS (membrane associated, rapid response steroid-binding), a novel vitamin D receptor, in growth inhibition of breast cancer cells

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

Richard, Cynthia L.; Farach-Carson, Mary C.; Rohe, Ben

2010-03-10

In addition to classical roles in calcium homeostasis and bone development, 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D{sub 3} [1,25(OH){sub 2}D{sub 3}] inhibits the growth of several cancer types, including breast cancer. Although cellular effects of 1,25(OH){sub 2}D{sub 3} traditionally have been attributed to activation of a nuclear vitamin D receptor (VDR), a novel receptor for 1,25(OH){sub 2}D{sub 3} called 1,25D{sub 3}-MARRS (membrane-associated, rapid response steroid-binding) protein was identified recently. The purpose of this study was to determine if the level of 1,25D{sub 3}-MARRS expression modulates 1,25(OH){sub 2}D{sub 3} activity in breast cancer cells. Relative levels of 1,25D{sub 3}-MARRS protein in MCF-7, MDA MBmore » 231, and MCF-10A cells were estimated by real-time RT-PCR and Western blotting. To determine if 1,25D{sub 3}-MARRS receptor was involved in the growth inhibitory effects of 1,25(OH){sub 2}D{sub 3} in MCF-7 cells, a ribozyme construct designed to knock down 1,25D{sub 3}-MARRS mRNA was stably transfected into MCF-7 cells. MCF-7 clones in which 1,25D{sub 3}-MARRS receptor expression was reduced showed increased sensitivity to 1,25(OH){sub 2}D{sub 3} ( IC{sub 50} 56 {+-} 24 nM) compared to controls (319 {+-} 181 nM; P < 0.05). Reduction in 1,25D{sub 3}-MARRS receptor lengthened the doubling time in transfectants treated with 1,25(OH){sub 2}D{sub 3}. Knockdown of 1,25D{sub 3}-MARRS receptor also increased the sensitivity of MCF-7 cells to the vitamin D analogs KH1060 and MC903, but not to unrelated agents (all-trans retinoic acid, paclitaxel, serum/glucose starvation, or the isoflavone, pomiferin). These results suggest that 1,25D{sub 3}-MARRS receptor expression interferes with the growth inhibitory activity of 1,25(OH){sub 2}D{sub 3} in breast cancer cells, possibly through the nuclear VDR. Further research should examine the potential for pharmacological or natural agents that modify 1,25D{sub 3}-MARRS expression or activity as anticancer agents.« less

Photodissociation dynamics of Mo(CO) sub 6 at 266 and 355 nm: CO photofragment kinetic-energy and internal-state distributions

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

Buntin, S.A.; Cavanagh, R.R.; Richter, L.J.

1991-06-15

The internal-state and kinetic-energy distributions of the CO photofragments from the 266 and 355 nm photolysis of Mo(CO){sub 6} have been measured under collision-free conditions using vacuum-ultraviolet laser-induced fluorescence. The rotational-state distributions for CO({ital v}{double prime}=0) and ({ital v}{double prime}=1) are well represented by Boltzmann distributions with effective rotational temperatures'' of {ital T}{sub {ital r}}({ital v}{double prime}=0)=950{plus minus}70 K and {ital T}{sub {ital r}}({ital v}{double prime}=1)=935{plus minus}85 K for 266 nm and {ital T}{sub {ital r}}({ital v}{double prime}=0)=750{plus minus}70 K and {ital T}{sub {ital r}}({ital v}{double prime}=1)=1150{plus minus}250 K for 355 nm photolysis. The CO({ital v}{double prime}=1/{ital v}{double prime}=0) vibrational-statemore » ratios for 266 and 355 nm photolysis are 0.19{plus minus}0.03 and 0.09{plus minus}0.02, respectively. The Doppler-broadened CO photofragment line shapes indicate that the translational energy distributions are isotropic and Maxwellian. There is no photolysis-laser wavelength or internal-state dependence to the extracted translational temperatures.'' The observed energy partitioning and kinetic-energy distributions are inconsistent with an impulsive ejection of a single CO ligand. CO photofragment line shapes for 266 nm photolysis are not consistent with a mechanism involving the repulsive ejection of the first CO ligand, followed by the statistical decomposition of the Mo(CO){sub 5} fragment. While phase-space theories do not predict quantitatively the energy disposal, the photodissociation mechanism appears to be dominated by statistical considerations. The results also suggest that the photodissociation of Mo(CO){sub 6} at 266 and 355 nm involves a common initial state'' and that similar exit channel effects are operative.« less

Pore size distribution and accessible pore size distribution in bituminous coals

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

Sakurovs, Richard; He, Lilin; Melnichenko, Yuri B

2012-01-01

The porosity and pore size distribution of coals determine many of their properties, from gas release to their behavior on carbonization, and yet most methods of determining pore size distribution can only examine a restricted size range. Even then, only accessible pores can be investigated with these methods. Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and ultra small-angle neutron scattering (USANS) are increasingly used to characterize the size distribution of all of the pores non-destructively. Here we have used USANS/SANS to examine 24 well-characterized bituminous and subbituminous coals: three from the eastern US, two from Poland, one from New Zealand and the restmore » from the Sydney and Bowen Basins in Eastern Australia, and determined the relationships of the scattering intensity corresponding to different pore sizes with other coal properties. The range of pore radii examinable with these techniques is 2.5 nm to 7 {micro}m. We confirm that there is a wide range of pore sizes in coal. The pore size distribution was found to be strongly affected by both rank and type (expressed as either hydrogen or vitrinite content) in the size range 250 nm to 7 {micro}m and 5 to 10 nm, but weakly in intermediate regions. The results suggest that different mechanisms control coal porosity on different scales. Contrast-matching USANS and SANS were also used to determine the size distribution of the fraction of the pores in these coals that are inaccessible to deuterated methane, CD{sub 4}, at ambient temperature. In some coals most of the small ({approx} 10 nm) pores were found to be inaccessible to CD{sub 4} on the time scale of the measurement ({approx} 30 min - 16 h). This inaccessibility suggests that in these coals a considerable fraction of inherent methane may be trapped for extended periods of time, thus reducing the effectiveness of methane release from (or sorption by) these coals. Although the number of small pores was less in higher rank coals, the fraction of total pores that was inaccessible was not rank dependent. In the Australian coals, at the 10 nm to 50 nm size scales the pores in inertinites appeared to be completely accessible to CD{sub 4}, whereas the pores in the vitrinite were about 75% inaccessible. Unlike the results for total porosity that showed no regional effects on relationships between porosity and coal properties, clear regional differences in the relationships between fraction of closed porosity and coal properties were found. The 10 to 50 nm-sized pores of inertinites of the US and Polish coals examined appeared less accessible to methane than those of the inertinites of Australian coals. This difference in pore accessibility in inertinites may explain why empirical relationships between fluidity and coking properties developed using Carboniferous coals do not apply to Australian coals.« less

Aerosol concentration and size distribution measured below, in, and above cloud from the DOE G-1 during VOCALS-REx

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

Kleinman, L.I.; Daum, P. H.; Lee, Y.-N.

2011-06-21

During the VOCALS Regional Experiment, the DOE G-1 aircraft was used to sample a varying aerosol environment pertinent to properties of stratocumulus clouds over a longitude band extending 800 km west from the Chilean coast at Arica. Trace gas and aerosol measurements are presented as a function of longitude, altitude, and dew point in this study. Spatial distributions are consistent with an upper atmospheric source for O{sub 3} and South American coastal sources for marine boundary layer (MBL) CO and aerosol, most of which is acidic sulfate in agreement with the dominant pollution source being SO{sub 2} from Cu smeltersmore » and power plants. Pollutant layers in the free troposphere (FT) can be a result of emissions to the north in Peru or long range transport from the west. At a given altitude in the FT (up to 3 km), dew point varies by 40 C with dry air descending from the upper atmospheric and moist air having a BL contribution. Ascent of BL air to a cold high altitude results in the condensation and precipitation removal of all but a few percent of BL water along with aerosol that served as CCN. Thus, aerosol volume decreases with dew point in the FT. Aerosol size spectra have a bimodal structure in the MBL and an intermediate diameter unimodal distribution in the FT. Comparing cloud droplet number concentration (CDNC) and pre-cloud aerosol (Dp > 100 nm) gives a linear relation up to a number concentration of {approx}150 cm{sup -3}, followed by a less than proportional increase in CDNC at higher aerosol number concentration. A number balance between below cloud aerosol and cloud droplets indicates that {approx}25% of aerosol in the PCASP size range are interstitial (not activated). One hundred and two constant altitude cloud transects were identified and used to determine properties of interstitial aerosol. One transect is examined in detail as a case study. Approximately 25 to 50% of aerosol with D{sub p} > 110 nm were not activated, the difference between the two approaches possibly representing shattered cloud droplets or unknown artifact. CDNC and interstitial aerosol were anti-correlated in all cloud transects, consistent with the occurrence of dry in-cloud areas due to entrainment or circulation mixing.« less

Accounting for Limited Detection Efficiency and Localization Precision in Cluster Analysis in Single Molecule Localization Microscopy

PubMed Central

Shivanandan, Arun; Unnikrishnan, Jayakrishnan; Radenovic, Aleksandra

2015-01-01

Single Molecule Localization Microscopy techniques like PhotoActivated Localization Microscopy, with their sub-diffraction limit spatial resolution, have been popularly used to characterize the spatial organization of membrane proteins, by means of quantitative cluster analysis. However, such quantitative studies remain challenged by the techniques’ inherent sources of errors such as a limited detection efficiency of less than 60%, due to incomplete photo-conversion, and a limited localization precision in the range of 10 – 30nm, varying across the detected molecules, mainly depending on the number of photons collected from each. We provide analytical methods to estimate the effect of these errors in cluster analysis and to correct for them. These methods, based on the Ripley’s L(r) – r or Pair Correlation Function popularly used by the community, can facilitate potentially breakthrough results in quantitative biology by providing a more accurate and precise quantification of protein spatial organization. PMID:25794150

RESOLFT nanoscopy with photoswitchable organic fluorophores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwon, Jiwoong; Hwang, Jihee; Park, Jaewan; Han, Gi Rim; Han, Kyu Young; Kim, Seong Keun

2015-12-01

Far-field optical nanoscopy has been widely used to image small objects with sub-diffraction-limit spatial resolution. Particularly, reversible saturable optical fluorescence transition (RESOLFT) nanoscopy with photoswitchable fluorescent proteins is a powerful method for super-resolution imaging of living cells with low light intensity. Here we demonstrate for the first time the implementation of RESOLFT nanoscopy for a biological system using organic fluorophores, which are smaller in size and easier to be chemically modified. With a covalently-linked dye pair of Cy3 and Alexa647 to label subcellular structures in fixed cells and by optimizing the imaging buffer and optical parameters, our RESOLFT nanoscopy achieved a spatial resolution of ~74 nm in the focal plane. This method provides a powerful alternative for low light intensity RESOLFT nanoscopy, which enables biological imaging with small organic probes at nanoscale resolution.

Surface Plasmon-Mediated Nanoscale Localization of Laser-Driven sub-Terahertz Spin Dynamics in Magnetic Dielectrics.

PubMed

Chekhov, Alexander L; Stognij, Alexander I; Satoh, Takuya; Murzina, Tatiana V; Razdolski, Ilya; Stupakiewicz, Andrzej

2018-05-09

We report spatial localization of the effective magnetic field generated via the inverse Faraday effect employing surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) at Au/garnet interface. Analyzing both numerically and analytically the electric field of the SPPs at this interface, we corroborate our study with a proof-of-concept experiment showing efficient SPP-driven excitation of coherent spin precession with 0.41 THz frequency. We argue that the subdiffractional confinement of the SPP electric field enables strong spatial localization of the SPP-mediated excitation of spin dynamics. We demonstrate two orders of magnitude enhancement of the excitation efficiency at the surface plasmon resonance within a 100 nm layer of a dielectric garnet. Our findings broaden the horizons of ultrafast spin-plasmonics and open pathways toward nonthermal opto-magnetic recording on the nanoscale.

Visualization of Nanoplasmonic Coupling to Molecular Orbital in Light Emission Induced by Tunneling Electrons.

PubMed

Yu, Arthur; Li, Shaowei; Wang, Hui; Chen, Siyu; Wu, Ruqian; Ho, W

2018-05-09

The coupling between localized plasmon and molecular orbital in the light emission from a metallic nanocavity has been directly detected and imaged with sub-0.1 nm resolution. The light emission intensity was enhanced when the energy difference between the tunneling electrons and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of an azulene molecule matches the energy of a plasmon mode of the nanocavity defined by the Ag-tip and Ag (110) substrate of a scanning tunneling microscope (STM). The spatially resolved image of the light emission intensity matches the spatial distribution of the LUMO obtained by scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Our results highlight the near-field coupling of a molecular orbital to the radiative decay of a plasmonic excitation in a confined nanoscale junction.

1059 and 1328nm LD pumped Nd:S-FAP solid state laser

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

Sun Lianke; Zhang Shaojun; Zhao Shengzhi

In this paper the authors introduce a new laser crystal--Nd{sup 3+}:Sr{sub 5}(PO{sub 4}){sub 3}F, Nd:S-FAP, and present its optical and physical characteristics. Based on the experiment lasing performance of CW LD pumped Nd:S-FAP crystal is reported here: the threshold and slope efficiency of 1059 nm Nd:S-FAP laser pumped by CW LD at 805nm are 7mW and 41%, and that of 1328nm Nd:S-FAP laser are 19mW and 35%. The comparison between experimental result and theoretical calculation is also discussed in this paper.

Nano-Optics for Chemical and Materials Characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beversluis, Michael; Stranick, Stephan

2007-03-01

Light microscopy can provide non-destructive, real-time, three-dimensional imaging with chemically-specific contrast, but diffraction frequently limits the resolution to roughly 200 nm. Recently, structured illumination techniques have allowed fluorescence imaging to reach 50 nm resolution [1]. Since these fluorescence techniques were developed for use in microbiology, a key challenge is to take the resolution-enhancing features and apply them to contrast mechanisms like vibrational spectroscopy (e.g., Raman and CARS microscopy) that provide morphological and chemically specific imaging.. We are developing a new hybrid technique that combines the resolution enhancement of structured illumination microscopy with scanning techniques that can record hyperspectral images with 100 nm spatial resolution. We will show such superresolving images of semiconductor nanostructures and discuss the advantages and requirements for this technique. Referenence: 1. M. G. L. Gustafsson, P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 102, 13081-13086 (2005).

Dimensional crossover of electron weak localization in ZnO/TiO{sub x} stacked layers grown by atomic layer deposition

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

Saha, D., E-mail: sahaphys@gmail.com, E-mail: pmisra@rrcat.gov.in; Misra, P., E-mail: sahaphys@gmail.com, E-mail: pmisra@rrcat.gov.in; Joshi, M. P.

2016-01-25

We report on the dimensional crossover of electron weak localization in ZnO/TiO{sub x} stacked layers having well-defined and spatially-localized Ti dopant profiles along film thickness. These films were grown by in situ incorporation of sub-monolayer TiO{sub x} on the growing ZnO film surface and subsequent overgrowth of thin conducting ZnO spacer layer using atomic layer deposition. Film thickness was varied in the range of ∼6–65 nm by vertically stacking different numbers (n = 1–7) of ZnO/TiO{sub x} layers of nearly identical dopant-profiles. The evolution of zero-field sheet resistance (R{sub ◻}) versus temperature with decreasing film thickness showed a metal to insulator transition. Onmore » the metallic side of the metal-insulator transition, R{sub ◻}(T) and magnetoresistance data were found to be well corroborated with the theoretical framework of electron weak localization in the diffusive transport regime. The temperature dependence of both R{sub ◻} and inelastic scattering length provided strong evidence for a smooth crossover from 2D to 3D weak localization behaviour. Results of this study provide deeper insight into the electron transport in low-dimensional n-type ZnO/TiO{sub x} stacked layers which have potential applications in the field of transparent oxide electronics.« less

Evaluation of a spatially-distributed Thornthwaite water-balance model

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

Lough, J.A.

1993-03-01

A small watershed of low relief in coastal New Hampshire was divided into hydrologic sub-areas in a geographic information system on the basis of soils, sub-basins and remotely-sensed landcover. Three variables were spatially modeled for input to 49 individual water-balances: available water content of the root zone, water input and potential evapotranspiration (PET). The individual balances were weight-summed to generate the aggregate watershed-balance, which saw 9% (48--50 mm) less annual actual-evapotranspiration (AET) compared to a lumped approach. Analysis of streamflow coefficients suggests that the spatially-distributed approach is more representative of the basin dynamics. Variation of PET by landcover accounted formore » the majority of the 9% AET reduction. Variation of soils played a near-negligible role. As a consequence of the above points, estimates of landcover proportions and annual PET by landcover are sufficient to correct a lumped water-balance in the Northeast. If remote sensing is used to estimate the landcover area, a sensor with a high spatial resolution is required. Finally, while the lower Thornthwaite model has conceptual limitations for distributed application, the upper Thornthwaite model is highly adaptable to distributed problems and may prove useful in many earth-system models.« less

New Developments in Hard X-ray Fluorescence Microscopy for In-situ Investigations of Trace Element Distributions in Aqueous Systems of Soil Colloids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gleber, Sophie-Charlotte; Weinhausen, Britta; Köster, Sarah; Ward, Jesse; Vine, David; Finney, Lydia; Vogt, Stefan

2013-10-01

The distribution, binding and release of trace elements on soil colloids determine matter transport through the soil matrix, and necessitates an aqueous environment and short length and time scales for their study. However, not many microscopy techniques allow for that. We previously showed hard x-ray fluorescence microscopy capabilities to image aqueous colloidal soil samples [1]. As this technique provides attogram sensitivity for transition elements like Cu, Zn, and other geochemically relevant trace elements at sub micrometer spatial resolution (currently down to 150 nm at 2-ID-E [2]; below 50nm at Bionanoprobe, cf. G.Woloschak et al, this volume) combined with the capability to penetrate tens of micrometer of water, it is ideally suited for imaging the elemental content of soil colloids. To address the question of binding and release processes of trace elements on the surface of soil colloids, we developed a microfluidics based XRF flow cytometer, and expanded the applied methods of hard x-ray fluorescence microscopy towards three dimensional imaging. Here, we show (a) the 2-D imaged distributions of Si, K and Fe on soil colloids of Pseudogley samples; (b) how the trace element distribution is a dynamic, pH-dependent process; and (c) x-ray tomographic applications to render the trace elemental distributions in 3-D. We conclude that the approach presented here shows the remarkable potential to image and quantitate elemental distributions from samles within their natural aqueous microenvironment, particularly important in the environmental, medical, and biological sciences.

Analytical possibilities of highly focused ion beams in biomedical field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, M. Q.; Ji, X.; Vajandar, S. K.; Mi, Z. H.; Hoi, A.; Walczyk, T.; van Kan, J. A.; Bettiol, A. A.; Watt, F.; Osipowicz, T.

2017-09-01

At the Centre for Ion Beam Applications (CIBA), a 3.5 MV HVEE Singletron™ accelerator serves to provide MeV ion beams (mostly protons or He+) to six state-of-the-art beam lines, four of which are equipped with Oxford triplet magnetic quadrupole lens systems. This facility is used for a wide range of research projects, many of which are in the field of biomedicine. Here we presented a discussion of currently ongoing biomedical work carried out using two beamlines: The Nuclear Microscopy (NM) beamline is mainly used for trace elemental quantitative mapping using a combination of Particle Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE), to measure the trace elemental concentration of inorganic elements, Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS), to characterise the organic matrix, and Scanning Transmission Ion Microscopy (STIM) to provide information on the lateral areal density variations of the specimen. Typically, a 2.1 MeV proton beam, focused to 1-2 μm spot size with a current of 100 pA is used. The high resolution single cell imaging beamline is equipped with direct STIM to image the interior structure of single cells with proton and alpha particles of sub-50 nm beam spot sizes. Simultaneously, forward scattering transmission ion microscopy (FSTIM) is utilized to generate images with improved contrast of nanoparticles with higher atomic numbers, such as gold nanoparticles, and fluorescent nanoparticles can be imaged using Proton Induced Fluorescence (PIF). Lastly, in this facility, RBS has been included as an option if required to determine the depth distribution of nanoparticles in cells, albeit with reduced spatial resolution.

Early Results from the Odyssey THEMIS Investigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Christensen, Philip R.; Bandfield, Joshua L.; Bell, James F., III; Hamilton, Victoria E.; Ivanov, Anton; Jakosky, Bruce M.; Kieffer, Hugh H.; Lane, Melissa D.; Malin, Michael C.; McConnochie, Timothy

2003-01-01

The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) began studying the surface and atmosphere of Mars in February, 2002 using thermal infrared (IR) multi-spectral imaging between 6.5 and 15 m, and visible/near-IR images from 450 to 850 nm. The infrared observations continue a long series of spacecraft observations of Mars, including the Mariner 6/7 Infrared Spectrometer, the Mariner 9 Infrared Interferometer Spectrometer (IRIS), the Viking Infrared Thermal Mapper (IRTM) investigations, the Phobos Termoscan, and the Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer (MGS TES). The THEMIS investigation's specific objectives are to: (1) determine the mineralogy of localized deposits associated with hydrothermal or sub-aqueous environments, and to identify future landing sites likely to represent these environments; (2) search for thermal anomalies associated with active sub-surface hydrothermal systems; (3) study small-scale geologic processes and landing site characteristics using morphologic and thermophysical properties; (4) investigate polar cap processes at all seasons; and (5) provide a high spatial resolution link to the global hyperspectral mineral mapping from the TES investigation. THEMIS provides substantially higher spatial resolution IR multi-spectral images to complement TES hyperspectral (143-band) global mapping, and regional visible imaging at scales intermediate between the Viking and MGS cameras.

High Resolution Aerosol Data from MODIS Satellite for Urban Air Quality Studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chudnovsky, A.; Lyapustin, A.; Wang, Y.; Tang, C.; Schwartz, J.; Koutrakis, P.

2013-01-01

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) provides daily global coverage, but the 10 km resolution of its aerosol optical depth (AOD) product is not suitable for studying spatial variability of aerosols in urban areas. Recently, a new Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction (MAIAC) algorithm was developed for MODIS which provides AOD at 1 km resolution. Using MAIAC data, the relationship between MAIAC AOD and PM(sub 2.5) as measured by the 27 EPA ground monitoring stations was investigated. These results were also compared to conventional MODIS 10 km AOD retrievals (MOD04) for the same days and locations. The coefficients of determination for MOD04 and for MAIAC are R(exp 2) =0.45 and 0.50 respectively, suggested that AOD is a reasonably good proxy for PM(sub 2.5) ground concentrations. Finally, we studied the relationship between PM(sub 2.5) and AOD at the intra-urban scale (10 km) in Boston. The fine resolution results indicated spatial variability in particle concentration at a sub-10 kilometer scale. A local analysis for the Boston area showed that the AOD-PM(sub 2.5) relationship does not depend on relative humidity and air temperatures below approximately 7 C. The correlation improves for temperatures above 7 - 16 C. We found no dependence on the boundary layer height except when the former was in the range 250-500 m. Finally, we apply a mixed effects model approach to MAIAC aerosol optical depth (AOD) retrievals from MODIS to predict PM(sub 2.5) concentrations within the greater Boston area. With this approach we can control for the inherent day-to-day variability in the AOD-PM(sub 2.5) relationship, which depends on time-varying parameters such as particle optical properties, vertical and diurnal concentration profiles and ground surface reflectance. Our results show that the model-predicted PM(sub 2.5) mass concentrations are highly correlated with the actual observations (out-of-sample R(exp 2) of 0.86). Therefore, adjustment for the daily variability in the AOD-PM(sub 2.5) relationship provides a means for obtaining spatially-resolved PM(sub 2.5) concentrations.

Silicon structuring by etching with liquid chlorine and fluorine precursors using femtosecond laser pulses

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

Radu, C.; Simion, S.; Zamfirescu, M.

2011-08-01

The aim of this study is to investigate the micrometer and submicrometer scale structuring of silicon by liquid chlorine and fluorine precursors with 200 fs laser pulses working at both fundamental (775 nm) and frequency doubled (387 nm) wavelengths. The silicon surface was irradiated at normal incidence by immersing the Si (111) substrates in a glass container filled with liquid chlorine (CCl{sub 4}) and fluorine (C{sub 2}Cl{sub 3}F{sub 3}) precursors. We report that silicon surfaces develop an array of spikes with single step irradiation processes at 775 nm and equally at 387 nm. When irradiating the Si surface with 400more » pulses at 330 mJ/cm{sup 2} laser fluence and a 775 nm wavelength, the average height of the formed Si spikes in the case of fluorine precursors is 4.2 {mu}m, with a full width at half maximum of 890 nm. At the same irradiation wavelength chlorine precursors develop Si spikes 4 {mu}m in height and with a full width at half maximum of 2.3 {mu}m with irradiation of 700 pulses at 560 mJ/cm{sup 2} laser fluence. Well ordered areas of submicrometer spikes with an average height of about 500 nm and a width of 300 nm have been created by irradiation at 387 nm by chlorine precursors, whereas the fluorine precursors fabricate spikes with an average height of 700 nm and a width of about 200 nm. Atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy of the surface show that the formation of the micrometer and sub-micrometer spikes involves a combination of capillary waves on the molten silicon surface and laser-induced etching of silicon, at both 775 nm and 387 nm wavelength irradiation. The energy-dispersive x-ray measurements indicate the presence of chlorine and fluorine precursors on the structured surface. The fluorine precursors create a more ordered area of Si spikes at both micrometer and sub-micrometer scales. The potential use of patterned Si substrates with gradient topography as model scaffolds for the systematic exploration of the role of 3D micro/nano morphology on cell adhesion and growth is envisaged.« less

Regulation of cyclic AMP metabolism by prostaglandins in rabbit cortical collecting tubule cells

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

Sonnenburg, W.K.

1987-01-01

In the rabbit cortical collecting tubule (RCCT), prostaglandin E/sub 1/ (PGE/sub 1/) and prostaglandin E/sub 2/ (PGE/sub 2/) at 1 nM inhibit arginine-vasopressin (AVP)-induced water reabsorption, while 100 nM PGE/sub 1/ and PGE/sub 2/ alone stimulate water reabsorption. Reported here are studies designed to investigate the molecular basis for the biphasic physiological action of PGE/sub 1/ and PGE/sub 2/ in the collecting duct. In freshly isolated RCCT cells, PGE/sub 1/, PGE/sub 2/, and 16,16-dimethyl-PGE/sub 2/ (DM-PGE/sub 2/) stimulated cAMP synthesis at concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 10 M. Other prostaglandins including the synthetic PGE/sub 2/ analogue, sulprostone, failed to stimulatemore » cAMP synthesis. Moreover, sulprostone did not antagonize PGE/sub 2/-stimulated cAMP formation. In contrast, PGE/sub 2/ and sulprostone at concentrations ranging from 1 to 100 nM, inhibited AVP-induced cAMP accumulation in freshly isolated RCCT cells. PGE/sub 2/, PGE/sub 1/, DM-PGE/sub 2/ and sulprostone at 100 nM were equally effective in inhibiting AVP-induced cAMP formation. Moreover sulprostone inhibited AVP-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity. These results suggest that PGE derivatives mediate either inhibition or activation of adenylate cyclase by stimulating different PGE receptors. To further test this concept, PGE/sub 2/ binding to freshly isolated RCCT cell membranes was characterized. Two different classes of PGE/sub 2/ binding were detected. //sup 3/H/PGE/sub 2/ binding to the high affinity class of sites was increased by the GTP-analogue, GTP S, while pertussis toxin pretreatment blocked the stimulatory action. In contrast, //sup 3/H/ PGE/sub 2/ binding to the low affinity class of sites was decreased by GTP S; this inhibitory effect was not blocked by pertussis toxin pretreatment.« less

Photoluminescence and electrical characterization of unfilled tetragonal tungsten bronze Ba{sub 4}La{sub 1−x}Eu{sub x}TiNb{sub 9}O{sub 30}

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

Wei, T., E-mail: weitong.nju@gmail.com; Wang, Y.Q.; Zhao, C.Z.

Graphical abstract: PL spectra of the unfilled TTB structure BLTN: Eu{sup 3+}x samples (x = 0.00, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.00) excited by 399 nm. The inset is a schematic diagram of the unfilled TTB structure. - Highlights: • Unfilled TTB structure BLTN: Eu{sup 3+}x ceramics have been synthesized. • Photoluminescenct properties of the BLTN: Eu{sup 3+}x ceramics have been first reported. • Bright red emission excited by NUV light has been observed at room temperature. • Obvious variations of dielectric characteristics have been confirmed. • Relaxor-like ferroelectric phase transitions have been detected. - Abstract: Unfilled tetragonal tungsten bronze (TTB)more » structure Ba{sub 4}LaTiNb{sub 9}O{sub 30} doped by Eu{sup 3+} (BLTN: Eu{sup 3+}x) with different x have been prepared, and their structural, photoluminescence, dielectric, and ferroelectric properties are carefully investigated in this work. Bright red emission, originating from {sup 5}D{sub 0} → {sup 7}F{sub 1} and {sup 5}D{sub 0} → {sup 7}F{sub 2} transitions of Eu{sup 3+} ions, has been observed by naked eyes at room temperature under near ultraviolet (NUV) light excitation. Optimized emission intensity is obtained when x = 1.00 for present unfilled TTB-type BLTN: Eu{sup 3+}x samples. Furthermore, with increasing x, the dielectric and ferroelectric characteristics of the unfilled TTB-type BLTN: Eu{sup 3+}x samples also display remarkable variation. When x ≥ 0.50 relaxor-like ferroelectric phase transitions are detected above room temperature, it is believed that unfilled TTB-type BLTN: Eu{sup 3+}x = 1.00 involving bright photoluminescence and enhanced ferroelectric properties may act as a potentially multifunctional optical-electro material.« less

A study on dependence of the structural, optical and electrical properties of cadmium lead sulphide thin films on Cd/Pb ratio

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

Nair, Sinitha B., E-mail: sinithanair@gmail.com, E-mail: anithakklm@gmail.com; Abraham, Anitha, E-mail: sinithanair@gmail.com, E-mail: anithakklm@gmail.com; Philip, Rachel Reena, E-mail: reenatara@rediffmail.com

2014-10-15

Cadmium Lead Sulphide thin films with systematic variation in Cd/Pb ratio are prepared at 333K by CBD, adjusting the reagent-molarity, deposition time and pH. XRD exhibits crystalline-amorphous transition as Cd% exceeds Pb%. AFM shows agglomeration of crystallites of size ∼50±5 nm. EDAX assess the composition whereas XPS ascertains the ternary formation, with binding energies of Pb4f{sub 7/2} and 4f{sub 5/2}, Cd3d{sub 5/2} and 3d{sub 3/2} and S2p at 137.03, 141.606, 404.667, 412.133 and 160.218 eV respectively. The optical absorption spectra reveal the variance in the direct allowed band gaps, from 1.57eV to 2.42 eV as Cd/Pb ratio increases from 0.2more » to 2.7, suggesting possibility of band gap engineering in the n-type films.« less

Impacts of climate variability and change on crop yield in sub-Sahara Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, S.; Zhang, J.; Yang, J.; Chen, G.; Xu, R.; Zhang, B.; Lou, Y.

2017-12-01

Much concern has been raised about the impacts of climate change and climate extremes on Africa's food security. The impact of climate change on Africa's agriculture is likely to be severe compared to other continents due to high rain-fed agricultural dependence, and limited ability to mitigate and adapt to climate change. In recent decades, warming in Africa is more pronounced and faster than the global average and this trend is likely to continue in the future. However, quantitative assessment on impacts of climate extremes and climate change on crop yield has not been well investigated yet. By using an improved agricultural module of the Dynamic Land Ecosystem Model (DLEM-AG2) driven by spatially-explicit information on land use, climate and other environmental changes, we have assessed impacts of historical climate variability and future climate change on food crop yield across the sub-Sahara Africa during1980-2016 and the rest of the 21st century (2017-2099). Our simulated results indicate that African crop yield in the past three decades shows an increasing trend primarily due to cropland expansion. However, crop yield shows substantially spatial and temporal variation due to inter-annual and inter-decadal climate variability and spatial heterogeneity of environmental drivers. Droughts have largely reduced crop yield in the most vulnerable regions of Sub-Sahara Africa. Future projections with DLEM-AG2 show that food crop production in Sub-Sahara Africa would be favored with limiting end-of-century warming to below 1.50 C.

The influence of interface on spin pumping effect in Ni{sub 80}Fe{sub 20} /Tb bilayer

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

Yue, Jinjin; Jiang, Sheng; Zhang, Dong

2016-05-15

Focusing on the interface effect of the Ni{sub 80}Fe{sub 20} (Py)/terbium (Tb) bilayer, the influence of interface on the magnetization dynamic damping is investigated systematically. Two series of Py (12 nm)/Tb (d nm) films with and without copper (Cu) (1 nm) interlayer are deposited on silicon (Si) substrates by DC magnetron sputtering at room temperature. From vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) measurements, the saturation magnetization (M{sub s}) decreases with increasing Tb thickness in Py/Tb bilayer while the decrease of M{sub s} is suppressed efficiently by inserting a Cu layer with even 1 nm of thickness. From the frequency dependence of ferromagneticmore » resonance (FMR) linewidth, we can obtain the Gilbert damping coefficient (α), α is found to exhibit an extreme enhancement in comparison to the single Py layer and shows an increasing trend with increasing Tb thickness. By inserting the Cu layer, α decreases significantly. From theoretical fitting, the spin diffusion length (λ{sub SD}) and spin mixing conductance (g{sup ↑↓}) are determined. It shows that the interface structure influences the spin mixing conductance but not the spin diffusion length.« less

All-Solid-State UV Transmitter Development for Ozone Sensing Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prasad, Narasimha S.; Singh, Upendra N.; Armstrong, Darrell Jr.

2009-01-01

In this paper, recent progress made in the development of an all-solid-state UV transmitter suitable for ozone sensing applications from space based platforms is discussed. A nonlinear optics based UV setup based on Rotated Image Singly Resonant Twisted Rectangle (RISTRA) optical parametric oscillator (OPO) module was effectively coupled to a diode pumped, single longitudinal mode, conductively cooled, short-pulsed, high-energy Nd:YAG laser operating at 1064 nm with 50 Hz PRF. An estimated 10 mJ/pulse with 10% conversion efficiency at 320 nm has been demonstrated limited only by the pump pulse spatial profile. The current arrangement has the potential for obtaining greater than 200 mJ/pulse. Previously, using a flash-lamp pumped Nd:YAG laser with round, top-hat profile, up to 24% IR-UV conversion efficiency was achieved with the same UV module. Efforts are underway to increase the IR-UV conversion efficiency of the all solid-state setup by modifying the pump laser spatial profile along with incorporating improved OPO crystals.

Effect of enhanced Renilla luciferase and fluorescent protein variants on the Foerster distance of Bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET)

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

Dacres, Helen, E-mail: helen.dacres@csiro.au; Michie, Michelle; Wang, Jian

2012-08-31

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer First experimental determination of Foerster distance (R{sub 0}) for enhanced BRET systems. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Effect of brighter BRET components RLuc2, RLuc8 and Venus was assessed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Using brighter BRET components substantially increased (25%) R{sub 0} of the BRET{sup 1} system. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Using brighter BRET components marginally increased (2-9%) R{sub 0} of the BRET{sup 2} system. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Brighter BRET components improve the different weaknesses of BRET{sup 1} and BRET{sup 2} systems. -- Abstract: Bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) is an important tool for monitoring macromolecular interactions and is useful as a transduction technique for biosensor development. Foerster distance (R{sub 0}),more » the intermolecular separation characterized by 50% of the maximum possible energy transfer, is a critical BRET parameter. R{sub 0} provides a means of linking measured changes in BRET ratio to a physical dimension scale and allows estimation of the range of distances that can be measured by any donor-acceptor pair. The sensitivity of BRET assays has recently been improved by introduction of new BRET components, RLuc2, RLuc8 and Venus with improved quantum yields, stability and brightness. We determined R{sub 0} for BRET{sup 1} systems incorporating novel RLuc variants RLuc2 or RLuc8, in combination with Venus, as 5.68 or 5.55 nm respectively. These values were approximately 25% higher than the R{sub 0} of the original BRET{sup 1} system. R{sub 0} for BRET{sup 2} systems combining green fluorescent proteins (GFP{sup 2}) with RLuc2 or RLuc8 variants was 7.67 or 8.15 nm, i.e. only 2-9% greater than the original BRET{sup 2} system despite being {approx}30-fold brighter.« less

Sub-micron materials characterization using near-field optics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blodgett, David Wesley

1998-12-01

High-resolution sub-surface materials characterization and inspection are critical in the microelectronics and thin films industries. To this end, a technique is described that couples the bulk property measurement capabilities of high-frequency ultrasound with the high-resolution surface imaging capabilities of the near-field optical microscope. Sensing bulk microstructure variations in the material, such as grain boundaries, requires a detection footprint smaller than the variation itself. The near-field optical microscope, with the ability to exceed the diffraction limit in optical resolution, meets this requirement. Two apertureless near-field optical microscopes, on-axis and off-axis illumination, have been designed and built. Near-field and far-field approach curves for both microscopes are presented. The sensitivity of the near-field approach curve was 8.3 muV/nm. Resolution studies for the near-field microscope indicate optical resolutions on the order of 50 nm, which exceeds the diffraction limit. The near-field microscope has been adapted to detect both contact-transducer-generated and laser-generated ultrasound. The successful detection of high-frequency ultrasound with the near-field optical microscope demonstrates the potential of this technique.

Quantum calculations for one-dimensional cooling of helium

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

Vredenbregt, E.; Doery, M.; Bergeman, T.

1993-05-01

We report theoretical velocity distributions for sub-Doppler laser cooling of metastable He*(2{sup 3}S), calculated with the Density Matrix and Monte Carlo Wavefunction approaches. For low-field (B = 50 mG) magnetic-field induced laser cooling on the 2{sup 3}S {yields} (2{sup 3}P, J = 2) transition ({lambda} = 1083 nm), we get a narrow, sub-Doppler structure, consisting of three, {approximately}1 photon recoil wide peaks, spaced {approximately}1 recoil apart. With increasing field, this three-peak structure develops into two velocity-selective resonance (VSR) peaks, each {approximately}2 recoils wide. For the 2{sup 3}S {yields} (3{sup 3}P, J = 2) transition ({lambda} 389 nm), VSR peaks aremore » predicted to appear at low field without the third, central peak, which only develops at higher field (B = 200 mG). Additional computations deal with polarization-gradient cooling. In general, we find that for one-dimensional cooling calculations, the Density Matrix method is more efficient than the Monte Carlo Wavefunction approach. Experiments are currently under way to test the results.« less

UV superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors with high efficiency, low noise, and 4 K operating temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wollman, E. E.; Verma, V. B.; Beyer, A. D.; Briggs, R. M.; Korzh, B.; Allmaras, J. P.; Marsili, F.; Lita, A. E.; Mirin, R. P.; Nam, S. W.; Shaw, M. D.

2017-10-01

For photon-counting applications at ultraviolet wavelengths, there are currently no detectors that combine high efficiency (> 50%), sub-nanosecond timing resolution, and sub-Hz dark count rates. Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) have seen success over the past decade for photon-counting applications in the near-infrared, but little work has been done to optimize SNSPDs for wavelengths below 400 nm. Here, we describe the design, fabrication, and characterization of UV SNSPDs operating at wavelengths between 250 and 370 nm. The detectors have active areas up to 56 ${\\mu}$m in diameter, 70 - 80% efficiency, timing resolution down to 60 ps FWHM, blindness to visible and infrared photons, and dark count rates of ~ 0.25 counts/hr for a 56 ${\\mu}$m diameter pixel. By using the amorphous superconductor MoSi, these UV SNSPDs are also able to operate at temperatures up to 4.2 K. These performance metrics make UV SNSPDs ideal for applications in trapped-ion quantum information processing, lidar studies of the upper atmosphere, UV fluorescent-lifetime imaging microscopy, and photon-starved UV astronomy.

Photovoltaic device comprising compositionally graded intrinsic photoactive layer

DOEpatents

Hoffbauer, Mark A; Williamson, Todd L

2013-04-30

Photovoltaic devices and methods of making photovoltaic devices comprising at least one compositionally graded photoactive layer, said method comprising providing a substrate; growing onto the substrate a uniform intrinsic photoactive layer having one surface disposed upon the substrate and an opposing second surface, said intrinsic photoactive layer consisting essentially of In.sub.1-xA.sub.xN,; wherein: i. 0.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.1; ii. A is gallium, aluminum, or combinations thereof; and iii. x is at least 0 on one surface of the intrinsic photoactive layer and is compositionally graded throughout the layer to reach a value of 1 or less on the opposing second surface of the layer; wherein said intrinsic photoactive layer is isothermally grown by means of energetic neutral atom beam lithography and epitaxy at a temperature of 600.degree. C. or less using neutral nitrogen atoms having a kinetic energy of from about 1.0 eV to about 5.0 eV, and wherein the intrinsic photoactive layer is grown at a rate of from about 5 nm/min to about 100 nm/min.

Sub-wavelength ripples in fused silica after irradiation of the solid/liquid interface with ultrashort laser pulses.

PubMed

Böhme, R; Vass, C; Hopp, B; Zimmer, K

2008-12-10

Laser-induced backside wet etching (LIBWE) is performed using ultrashort 248 nm laser pulses with a pulse duration of 600 fs to obtain sub-wavelength laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) on the back surface of fused silica which is in contact with a 0.5 mol l(-1) solution of pyrene in toluene. The LIPSS are strictly one-dimensional patterns, oriented parallel to the polarization of the laser radiation, and have a constant period of about 140 nm at all applied laser fluences (0.33-0.84 J cm(-2)) and pulse numbers (50-1000 pulses). The LIPSS amplitude varies due to the inhomogeneous fluence in the laser spot. The LIPSS are examined with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Their power spectral density (PSD) distribution is analysed at a measured area of 10 µm × 10 µm. The good agreement of the measured and calculated LIPSS periods strongly supports a mechanism based on the interference of surface-scattered and incident waves.

SCIL nanoimprint solutions: high-volume soft NIL for wafer scale sub-10nm resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voorkamp, R.; Verschuuren, M. A.; van Brakel, R.

2016-10-01

Nano-patterning materials and surfaces can add unique functionalities and properties which cannot be obtained in bulk or micro-structured materials. Examples range from hetro-epitaxy of semiconductor nano-wires to guiding cell expression and growth on medical implants. [1] Due to the cost and throughput requirements conventional nano-patterning techniques such as deep UV lithography (cost and flat substrate demands) and electron-beam lithography (cost, throughput) are not an option. Self-assembly techniques are being considered for IC manufacturing, but require nano-sized guiding patterns, which have to be fabricated in any case.[2] Additionally, the self-assembly process is highly sensitive to the environment and layer thickness, which is difficult to control on non-flat surfaces such as PV silicon wafers or III/V substrates. Laser interference lithography can achieve wafer scale periodic patterns, but is limited by the throughput due to intensity of the laser at the pinhole and only regular patterns are possible where the pattern fill fraction cannot be chosen freely due to the interference condition.[3] Nanoimprint lithography (NIL) is a promising technology for the cost effective fabrication of sub-micron and nano-patterns on large areas. The challenges for NIL are related to the technique being a contact method where a stamp which holds the patterns is required to be brought into intimate contact with the surface of the product. In NIL a strong distinction is made between the type of stamp used, either rigid or soft. Rigid stamps are made from patterned silicon, silica or plastic foils and are capable of sub-10nm resolution and wafer scale patterning. All these materials behave similar at the micro- to nm scale and require high pressures (5 - 50 Bar) to enable conformal contact to be made on wafer scales. Real world conditions such as substrate bow and particle contaminants complicate the use of rigid stamps for wafer scale areas, reducing stamp lifetime and yield. Soft stamps, usually based on silicone rubber, behave fundamentally different compared to rigid stamps on the macro-, micro- and nanometer level. The main limitation of traditional silicones is that they are too soft to support sub-micron features against surface tension based stamp deformation and collapse [4] and handling a soft stamp to achieve accurate feature placement on wafer scales to allow overlay alignment with sub-100nm overlay accuracy.

Efficient single-mode (TEM{sub 00}) Nd : YVO{sub 4} laser with longitudinal 808-nm diode pumping

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

Donin, V I; Yakovin, D V; Yakovin, M D

2013-10-31

A single-mode Nd : YVO{sub 4} laser with unidirectional longitudinal pumping by laser diodes with λ = 808 nm and a power of 40 W is studied. In the TEM{sub 00} mode, the output laser power is 24 W with the optical efficiency η{sub opt} = 57.1 % (slope efficiency 63.3 %), which, as far as we know, is the best result for Nd{sup 3+} : YVO{sub 4} lasers with longitudinal pumping at λ = 808 nm from one face of the active crystal. Estimates of thermal effects show that, using a Nd : YVO{sub 4} crystal (length 20 mm,more » diameter 3 mm, dopant concentration 0.27 at%) with two undoped ends and bidirectional diode pumping with a total power of 170 W, one can obtain an output power of ∼100 W in the TEM{sub 00} mode from one active element. (lasers)« less

Generation of spectral clusters in a mixture of noble and Raman-active gases.

PubMed

Hosseini, Pooria; Abdolvand, Amir; St J Russell, Philip

2016-12-01

We report a novel scheme for the generation of dense clusters of Raman sidebands. The scheme uses a broadband-guiding hollow-core photonic crystal fiber (HC-PCF) filled with a mixture of H₂, D₂, and Xe for efficient interaction between the gas mixture and a green laser pump pulse (532 nm, 1 ns) of only 5 μJ of energy. This results in the generation from noise of more than 135 rovibrational Raman sidebands covering the visible spectral region with an average spacing of only 2.2 THz. Such a spectrally dense and compact fiber-based source is ideal for applications where closely spaced narrow-band laser lines with high spectral power density are required, such as in spectroscopy and sensing. When the HC-PCF is filled with a H₂-D₂ mixture, the Raman comb spans the spectral region from the deep UV (280 nm) to the near infrared (1000 nm).

Tuning exchange bias in Fe/γ-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} core-shell nanoparticles: Impacts of interface and surface spins

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

Khurshid, Hafsa, E-mail: hkhurshi@usf.edu, E-mail: phanm@usf.edu, E-mail: sharihar@usf.edu; Phan, Manh-Huong, E-mail: hkhurshi@usf.edu, E-mail: phanm@usf.edu, E-mail: sharihar@usf.edu; Mukherjee, Pritish

A comparative study has been performed of the exchange bias (EB) effect in Fe/γ-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} core-shell nanoparticles with the same thickness of the γ-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} shell (∼2 nm) and the diameter of the Fe core varying from 4 nm to 11 nm. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-resolution TEM confirmed the high quality of the core-shell nanostructures. A systematic analysis of magnetization versus magnetic field measurements under zero-field-cooled and field-cooled regimes using the Meiklejohn-Bean model and deconvoluting superparamagnetic and paramagnetic contribution to the total magnetic moment Langevin function shows that there exists a critical particle size (∼10 nm), above which the spinsmore » at the interface between Fe and γ-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} contribute primarily to the EB, but below which the surface spin effect is dominant. Our finding yields deeper insight into the collective contributions of interface and surface spins to the EB in core-shell nanoparticle systems, knowledge of which is the key to manipulating EB in magnetic nanostructures for spintronics applications.« less

Antitumor Activity and Induction of TP53-Dependent Apoptosis toward Ovarian Clear Cell Adenocarcinoma by the Dual PI3K/mTOR Inhibitor DS-7423

PubMed Central

Kashiyama, Tomoko; Oda, Katsutoshi; Ikeda, Yuji; Shiose, Yoshinobu; Hirota, Yasuhide; Inaba, Kanako; Makii, Chinami; Kurikawa, Reiko; Miyasaka, Aki; Koso, Takahiro; Fukuda, Tomohiko; Tanikawa, Michihiro; Shoji, Keiko; Sone, Kenbun; Arimoto, Takahide; Wada-Hiraike, Osamu; Kawana, Kei; Nakagawa, Shunsuke; Matsuda, Koichi; McCormick, Frank; Aburatani, Hiroyuki; Yano, Tetsu; Osuga, Yutaka; Fujii, Tomoyuki

2014-01-01

DS-7423, a novel, small-molecule dual inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), is currently in phase I clinical trials for solid tumors. Although DS-7423 potently inhibits PI3Kα (IC50 = 15.6 nM) and mTOR (IC50 = 34.9 nM), it also inhibits other isoforms of class I PI3K (IC50 values: PI3Kβ = 1,143 nM; PI3Kγ = 249 nM; PI3Kδ = 262 nM). The PI3K/mTOR pathway is frequently activated in ovarian clear cell adenocarcinomas (OCCA) through various mutations that activate PI3K-AKT signaling. Here, we describe the anti-tumor effect of DS-7423 on a panel of nine OCCA cell lines. IC50 values for DS-7423 were <75 nM in all the lines, regardless of the mutational status of PIK3CA. In mouse xenograft models, DS-7423 suppressed the tumor growth of OCCA in a dose-dependent manner. Flow cytometry analysis revealed a decrease in S-phase cell populations in all the cell lines and an increase in sub-G1 cell populations following treatment with DS-7423 in six of the nine OCCA cell lines tested. DS-7423-mediated apoptosis was induced more effectively in the six cell lines without TP53 mutations than in the three cell lines with TP53 mutations. Concomitantly with the decreased phosphorylation level of MDM2 (mouse double minute 2 homolog), the level of phosphorylation of TP53 at Ser46 was increased by DS-7423 in the six cell lines with wild-type TP53, with induction of genes that mediate TP53-dependent apoptosis, including p53AIP1 and PUMA at 39 nM or higher doses. Our data suggest that the dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor DS-7423 may constitute a promising molecular targeted therapy for OCCA, and that its antitumor effect might be partly obtained by induction of TP53-dependent apoptosis in TP53 wild-type OCCAs. PMID:24504419

Reconstruction of hyperspectral reflectance for optically complex turbid inland lakes: test of a new scheme and implications for inversion algorithms.

PubMed

Sun, Deyong; Hu, Chuanmin; Qiu, Zhongfeng; Wang, Shengqiang

2015-06-01

A new scheme has been proposed by Lee et al. (2014) to reconstruct hyperspectral (400 - 700 nm, 5 nm resolution) remote sensing reflectance (R_rs(λ), sr^-1) of representative global waters using measurements at 15 spectral bands. This study tested its applicability to optically complex turbid inland waters in China, where R_rs(λ) are typically much higher than those used in Lee et al. (2014). Strong interdependence of R_rs(λ) between neighboring bands (≤ 10 nm interval) was confirmed, with Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) mostly above 0.98. The scheme of Lee et al. (2014) for R_rs(λ) re-construction with its original global parameterization worked well with this data set, while new parameterization showed improvement in reducing uncertainties in the reconstructed R_rs(λ). Mean absolute error (MAE_Rrs(λ_i)) in the reconstructed R_rs(λ) was mostly < 0.0002 sr^-1 between 400 and 700nm, and mean relative error (MRE_Rrs(λ_i)) was < 1% when the comparison was made between reconstructed and measured R_rs(λ) spectra. When R_rs(λ) at the MODIS bands were used to reconstruct the hyperspectral R_rs(λ), MAE_Rrs(λ_i) was < 0.001 sr^-1 and MRE_Rrs(λ_i) was < 3%. When R_rs(λ) at the MERIS bands were used, MAE_Rrs(λ_i) in the reconstructed hyperspectral R_rs(λ) was < 0.0004 sr^-1 and MRE_Rrs(λ_i) was < 1%. These results have significant implications for inversion algorithms to retrieve concentrations of phytoplankton pigments (e.g., chlorophyll-a or Chla, and phycocyanin or PC) and total suspended materials (TSM) as well as absorption coefficient of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM), as some of the algorithms were developed from in situ R_rs(λ) data using spectral bands that may not exist on satellite sensors.

Two-photon absorption in SiO{sub 2}- and (SiO{sub 2} + GeO{sub 2})-based fibres at a wavelength of 349 nm

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

Chunaev, D S; Karasik, A Ya

2014-06-30

The nonlinear two-photon light absorption coefficients have been measured in an optical fibre with a quartz glass (SiO{sub 2}) core and in a fibre with a germanosilicate glass (SiO{sub 2} + GeO{sub 2}) core. The two-photon absorption coefficient β measured at a wavelength of 349 nm in the (SiO{sub 2} + GeO{sub 2})-based fibre (13.7 cm TW{sup -1}) multiply exceeds that for the pure quartz glass optical fibre (0.54 cm TW{sup -1}). (nonlinear optical phenomena)

Study of preparation of TiB{sub 2} by TiC in Al melts

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

Ding Haimin; Key Laboratory for Liquid-Solid Structural Evolution and Processing of Materials, Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250061; Liu Xiangfa, E-mail: xfliu@sdu.edu.cn

2012-01-15

TiB{sub 2} particles are prepared by TiC in Al melts and the characteristics of them are studied. It is found that TiC particles are unstable when boron exists in Al melts with high temperature and will transform to TiB{sub 2} and Al{sub 4}C{sub 3}. Most of the synthesized TiB{sub 2} particles are regular hexagonal prisms with submicron size. The diameter of the undersurfaces of these prisms is ranging from 200 nm to 1 {mu}m and the height is ranging from 100 nm to 300 nm. It is considered that controlling the transformation from TiC to TiB{sub 2} is an effectivemore » method to prepare small and uniform TiB{sub 2} particles. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer TiC can easily transform into TiB{sub 2} in Al melts. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer TiB{sub 2} formed by TiC will grow into regular hexagonal prisms with submicron size. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Controlling the transformation from TiC to TiB{sub 2} is an effective method to prepare small and uniform TiB{sub 2} particles.« less

Synthesis metal nanoparticle

DOEpatents

Bunge, Scott D.; Boyle, Timothy J.

2005-08-16

A method for providing an anhydrous route for the synthesis of amine capped coinage-metal (copper, silver, and gold) nanoparticles (NPs) using the coinage-metal mesityl (mesityl=C.sub.6 H.sub.2 (CH.sub.3).sub.3 -2,4,6) derivatives. In this method, a solution of (Cu(C.sub.6 H.sub.2 (CH.sub.3).sub.3).sub.5, (Ag(C.sub.6 H.sub.2 (CH.sub.3).sub.3).sub.4, or (Au(C.sub.6 H.sub.2 (CH.sub.3).sub.3).sub.5 is dissolved in a coordinating solvent, such as a primary, secondary, or tertiary amine; primary, secondary, or tertiary phosphine, or alkyl thiol, to produce a mesityl precursor solution. This solution is subsequently injected into an organic solvent that is heated to a temperature greater than approximately 100.degree. C. After washing with an organic solvent, such as an alcohol (including methanol, ethanol, propanol, and higher molecular-weight alcohols), oxide free coinage NP are prepared that could be extracted with a solvent, such as an aromatic solvent (including, for example, toluene, benzene, and pyridine) or an alkane (including, for example, pentane, hexane, and heptane). Characterization by UV-Vis spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy showed that the NPs were approximately 9.2.+-.2.3 nm in size for Cu.degree., (no surface oxide present), approximately 8.5.+-.1.1 nm Ag.degree. spheres, and approximately 8-80 nm for Au.degree..

The L76V Drug Resistance Mutation Decreases the Dimer Stability and Rate of Autoprocessing of HIV-1 Protease by Reducing Internal Hydrophobic Contacts

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

Louis, John M.; Zhang, Ying; Sayer, Jane M.

2011-09-06

The mature HIV-1 protease (PR) bearing the L76V drug resistance mutation (PR{sub L76V}) is significantly less stable, with a >7-fold higher dimer dissociation constant (K{sub d}) of 71 {+-} 24 nM and twice the sensitivity to urea denaturation (UC{sub 50} = 0.85 M) relative to those of PR. Differential scanning calorimetry showed decreases in T{sub m} of 12 C for PR{sub L76V} in the absence of inhibitors and 5-7 C in the presence of inhibitors darunavir (DRV), saquinavir (SQV), and lopinavir (LPV), relative to that of PR. Isothermal titration calorimetry gave a ligand dissociation constant of 0.8 nM for DRV,more » {approx}160-fold higher than that of PR, consistent with DRV resistance. Crystal structures of PR{sub L76V} in complexes with DRV and SQV were determined at resolutions of 1.45-1.46 {angstrom}. Compared to the corresponding PR complexes, the mutated Val76 lacks hydrophobic interactions with Asp30, Lys45, Ile47, and Thr74 and exhibits closer interactions with Val32 and Val56. The bound DRV lacks one hydrogen bond with the main chain of Asp30 in PR{sub L76V} relative to PR, possibly accounting for the resistance to DRV. SQV shows slightly improved polar interactions with PR{sub L76V} compared to those with PR. Although the L76V mutation significantly slows the N-terminal autoprocessing of the precursor TFR-PR{sub L76V} to give rise to the mature PR{sub L76V}, the coselected M46I mutation counteracts the effect by enhancing this rate but renders the TFR-PRM46I/L76V precursor less responsive to inhibition by 6 {micro}M LPV while preserving inhibition by SQV and DRV. The correlation of lowered stability, higher K{sub d}, and impaired autoprocessing with reduced internal hydrophobic contacts suggests a novel molecular mechanism for drug resistance.« less

Modeling spatial effects of PM{sub 2.5} on term low birth weight in Los Angeles County

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

Coker, Eric, E-mail: cokerer@onid.orst.edu; Ghosh, Jokay; Jerrett, Michael

Air pollution epidemiological studies suggest that elevated exposure to fine particulate matter (PM{sub 2.5}) is associated with higher prevalence of term low birth weight (TLBW). Previous studies have generally assumed the exposure–response of PM{sub 2.5} on TLBW to be the same throughout a large geographical area. Health effects related to PM{sub 2.5} exposures, however, may not be uniformly distributed spatially, creating a need for studies that explicitly investigate the spatial distribution of the exposure–response relationship between individual-level exposure to PM{sub 2.5} and TLBW. Here, we examine the overall and spatially varying exposure–response relationship between PM{sub 2.5} and TLBW throughout urbanmore » Los Angeles (LA) County, California. We estimated PM{sub 2.5} from a combination of land use regression (LUR), aerosol optical depth from remote sensing, and atmospheric modeling techniques. Exposures were assigned to LA County individual pregnancies identified from electronic birth certificates between the years 1995-2006 (N=1,359,284) provided by the California Department of Public Health. We used a single pollutant multivariate logistic regression model, with multilevel spatially structured and unstructured random effects set in a Bayesian framework to estimate global and spatially varying pollutant effects on TLBW at the census tract level. Overall, increased PM{sub 2.5} level was associated with higher prevalence of TLBW county-wide. The spatial random effects model, however, demonstrated that the exposure–response for PM{sub 2.5} and TLBW was not uniform across urban LA County. Rather, the magnitude and certainty of the exposure–response estimates for PM{sub 2.5} on log odds of TLBW were greatest in the urban core of Central and Southern LA County census tracts. These results suggest that the effects may be spatially patterned, and that simply estimating global pollutant effects obscures disparities suggested by spatial patterns of effects. Studies that incorporate spatial multilevel modeling with random coefficients allow us to identify areas where air pollutant effects on adverse birth outcomes may be most severe and policies to further reduce air pollution might be most effective. - Highlights: • We model the spatial dependency of PM{sub 2.5} effects on term low birth weight (TLBW). • PM{sub 2.5} effects on TLBW are shown to vary spatially across urban LA County. • Modeling spatial dependency of PM{sub 2.5} health effects may identify effect 'hotspots'. • Birth outcomes studies should consider the spatial dependency of PM{sub 2.5} effects.« less

AVERAGE SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF COSMIC RAYS BEHIND THE INTERPLANETARY SHOCK—GLOBAL MUON DETECTOR NETWORK OBSERVATIONS

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

Kozai, M.; Munakata, K.; Kato, C.

2016-07-10

We analyze the galactic cosmic ray (GCR) density and its spatial gradient in Forbush Decreases (FDs) observed with the Global Muon Detector Network (GMDN) and neutron monitors (NMs). By superposing the GCR density and density gradient observed in FDs following 45 interplanetary shocks (IP-shocks), each associated with an identified eruption on the Sun, we infer the average spatial distribution of GCRs behind IP-shocks. We find two distinct modulations of GCR density in FDs, one in the magnetic sheath and the other in the coronal mass ejection (CME) behind the sheath. The density modulation in the sheath is dominant in themore » western flank of the shock, while the modulation in the CME ejecta stands out in the eastern flank. This east–west asymmetry is more prominent in GMDN data responding to ∼60 GV GCRs than in NM data responding to ∼10 GV GCRs, because of the softer rigidity spectrum of the modulation in the CME ejecta than in the sheath. The geocentric solar ecliptic- y component of the density gradient, G {sub y}, shows a negative (positive) enhancement in FDs caused by the eastern (western) eruptions, while G {sub z} shows a negative (positive) enhancement in FDs caused by the northern (southern) eruptions. This implies that the GCR density minimum is located behind the central flank of IP-shocks and propagating radially outward from the location of the solar eruption. We also confirmed that the average G {sub z} changes its sign above and below the heliospheric current sheet, in accord with the prediction of the drift model for the large-scale GCR transport in the heliosphere.« less

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

Wang, Yong; State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Complex System, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080; Zhu, Qingshan, E-mail: qszhu@home.ipe.ac.cn

{beta}-Ni(OH){sub 2} hierarchical micro-flowers, hierarchical hollow microspheres and nanosheets were synthesized via a facile, single-step and selected-control hydrothermal method. Both hierarchical micro-flowers and hierarchical hollow microspheres were built from two-dimensional nanosheets with thickness of 50-100 nm. The as-obtained products were characterized by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). It was observed that marked morphological changes in {beta}-Ni(OH){sub 2} depended on the initial concentrations of Ni{sup 2+} ions and glycine. A possible growth mechanism was proposed based on experimental results. In addition, the effect of morphology on the electrochemical properties wasmore » also investigated. Both hierarchical micro-flowers and hierarchical hollow microspheres exhibited enhanced specific capacity and high-rate discharge ability as compared with pure Ni(OH){sub 2} nanosheets. Investigations confirmed that hierarchical structures had a pronounced influence upon the electrochemical performance of nickel hydroxide.« less

Photoluminescence spectra of thin films of ZnTPP–C{sub 60} and CuTPP–C{sub 60} molecular complexes

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

Elistratova, M. A., E-mail: marina.elistratova@mail.ioffe.ru; Zakharova, I. B.; Romanov, N. M.

2016-09-15

The results of studies of thin composite films of zinc and copper tetraphenylporphyrins with different fractions of fullerene C{sub 60} are reported. The photoluminescence spectra are recorded, and the composition and surface morphology are analyzed by means of scanning electron microscopy. The results show a difference in the structure of films with two types of metals (Zn, Cu) entering into the complex of the porphyrin macrocycle. An additional long-wavelength photoluminescence band at 1.4 eV is detected for the first time, which is evidence of the formation of ZnTPP–C{sub 60} molecular complexes from a gas-dynamic vapor flow upon condensation. In CuTPPmore » thin films, the processes of self-assembly into nanowires 20 nm in diameter and up to 50 µm in length and the formation of nanoheterojunctions upon the addition of fullerene C{sub 60} are observed. Quantum-chemical calculations in the context of density-functional theory are carried out to interpret the experimental data.« less