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We study the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photodissociation dynamics of carbonyl sulfide (OCS) by using the time sliced velocity map ion imaging technique. Experimental images of the dissociative O (3PJ=0,1,2) products were acquired at five VUV photolysis wavelengths from 133.26 to 139.96 nm that correspond to the F Rydberg state of OCS. High vibrational states of the carbon monosulfide (CS) co-products are partially resolved in the images. The product total kinetic energy releases, angular distributions, and the product state branching ratios were derived from the experimental images. Notably, it is found that the anisotropic parameters change systematically with the photolysis wavelength. The anisotropic parameters and the product state branching ratios are significantly sensitive to the J quantum number of the O (3PJ) products. The phenomenon indicates that multiple nonadiabatic pathways are strongly involved in the photodissociation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional methods of initiating oblique detonation waves (ODWs) using wedges and cones face a fundamental challenge in reconciling the need for rapid initiation with stable combustion, especially at low flight Mach numbers (Ma < 8). This study introduces an innovative initiation configuration involving a truncated cone. By utilizing Euler equations coupled with detailed hydrogen–air chemical reaction models, the wave dynamics induced by the truncated cone configuration are systematically explored. The findings reveal that the truncated cone configuration enables more rapid initiation of ODWs compared to conventional cones, while also preserving improved stability when contrasted with wedge. This behavior can be attributed to the planar flow characteristics in the post-shock field of truncated cone, generated by the upstream wedge-shaped shock, and the Taylor–Maccoll flow characteristics, caused by the downstream conical shock. Furthermore, the study delves into the initiation and morphological changes with respect to the inner radius and angle of the truncated cone. As inner radii or truncated cone angle increase, three initiation wave systems emerge: stable, oscillatory, and detached modes. Analysis of the dynamic variations in pressure and velocity within the induction zone highlights that the upstream oscillation originates from the flow velocity in the induction zone falling below the local Chapman–Jouguet velocity of normal detonation wave (NDW). However, the upstream region of the truncated cone exhibits more pronounced expansion effects, leading to momentum loss, and subsequently, the weakening and even vanishing of the NDW. This prompts the downstream oscillation of the initiation structure, instigating a cyclic oscillation pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A compact nanosecond pulse generator was developed, aiming at producing high-energy flash x rays with a long lifetime. The generator was designed on the basis of a 0.67-ns pulse forming line (PFL), which is charged to ∼700 kV by an air core Tesla transformer and switched by a fast spark gap. The Tesla transformer consists of a single turn primary coil surrounding a 44-turn secondary coil using no magnetic cores. 2D magnetostatic and electrostatic simulations were carried out, and the inductance and stray capacitance of the transformer were calculated. The transformer was powered by a 40-nF capacitor bank via a hydrogen thyratron. An effective coupling co-efficiency keff of 0.55 was achieved. The PFL voltage reached its second peak of 680 kV in 395 ns when the capacitor bank was switched at 25 kV. A nanosecond pulse with a peak voltage of 510 kV, a peak power of 2.6 GW, and a pulse width of 2.1 ns was generated on a 100- Ω ceramic resistor, which is going to be replaced by a vacuum x-ray tube. Since the pulse energy is small, the x-ray tube is expected to have a long lifetime. The generator is 285 mm in diameter, 800 mm in length, and 35 kg in weight, providing a compact means for high-energy x-ray radiographies both in scientific research and industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We design and develop a high-performance magnetic shielding system for a long baseline fountain-type atom interferometer. The shielding system is achieved by a combination of passive shielding using permalloy and active compensation with coils. An 11.4 m-long three-layer cylindrical shield is completed by the process of welding, local annealing, and entire annealing. The active compensations compress the residual magnetic field to 8.0 nT max-to-min and the corresponding gradient below 30 nT/m over 10 m along the axial direction in which external compensation, internal compensation, and constant magnetic field (C-field) compensation reduce the inhomogeneities to 25.0, 12.6, and 1.7 nT (standard deviation) sequentially. We estimate that this system could reduce the systematic error of the quadratic Zeeman shift to the 10−13 level for the weak equivalence principle test with a simultaneous 85Rb–87Rb dual-species atom interferometer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The acoustic non-diffracting Airy beam as its optical counterpart has unique features of self-bending and self-healing. The complexity of most current designs handicaps its applications. A simple design of an acoustic source capable of generating multi-frequency and broad-band acoustic Airy beam has been theoretically demonstrated by numerical simulations. In the design, a piston transducer is corrugated to induce spatial phase variation for transducing the Airy function. The piston's surface is grooved in a pattern that the width of each groove corresponds to the half wavelength of Airy function. The resulted frequency characteristics and its dependence on the size of the piston source are also discussed. This simple design may promote the wide applications of acoustic Airy beam particularly in the field of medical ultrasound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is demonstrated that a novel design of a multi-branch structure can converge plane acoustic waves to a focal region of sub-wavelength scale. The structure consists of multiple sub-wavelength apertures; each has length equal to the integer times that of the shortest aperture. The periodicity length of the inlet array is selected equal to the length of the structure, inducing a cooperation between the surface resonances and the Fabry-Perot (FP) resonances in apertures. The design allows FP resonances to exhibit in all apertures simultaneously, hence a multiple FP resonance is achieved. The generated evanescent waves are amplified effectively, and the acoustic focusing of sub-wavelength scale is realized within a wide frequency range, with an approximate maximum transmission gain of 7 dB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microstructure of AuNiAlTi/Al0.84In0.16N/AlN/GaN Ohmic contacts annealed from 700 to 900 °C has been determined using transmission electron microscopy and associated analytical techniques. Intermixing and phase separation of the metal contact layers was observed to degrade the surface roughness. An optimal contact performance was obtained for contacts annealed at 800 °C and was attributed to the formation of TiN contact inclusions that had penetrated through the AlInN layers into the GaN layers underneath. These TiN contact inclusions had an inverted mushroom shape with a density of ∼108 cm-2, and they were invariably located at the positions of mixed-type threading dislocations. These inclusion defects would act as a conduction path between the metal contacts and the two-dimensional electron gas of heterojunction field-effect transistor devices. The AlInN layer remained intact in dislocation-free areas of all samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we report the growth of GaN quantum dot superlattices (QDSLs) with AlN barriers on (0001) sapphire substrates by molecular beam epitaxy at relatively high temperature (770 °C) using the modified Stranski-Krastanov growth mode. Observations with atomic force microscopy show that the height distribution of the dots depends strongly on the number of GaN monolayers (MLs) grown on the AlN barriers. Specifically, the height distribution consists of two Gaussian distributions (bimodal) for coverages of 3 or 4 ML, and becomes a single Gaussian distribution for 5 and 6 ML of coverage. Furthermore, the density of quantum dots increases with the degree of coverage and saturates at 2×1011 dots/cm2. An increase in the number of stacks in the superlattice structure with 4 ML coverage also leads to a more pronounced bimodal height distribution. Electron microscopy observations indicate that the GaN QDs are truncated pyramids faceted along the {1103} planes and suggest that larger dots are associated with threading dislocations which presumably provide low-energy nucleation sites. Transmission electron microscopy studies also indicate that most of the larger dots are nucleated next to edge-type dislocations, while most of the smaller dots are located in dislocation-free regions. These GaN QDSLs were also studied by grazing-incidence small angle x-ray scattering and grazing-incidence x-ray diffraction methods. The average lateral deviation and the vertical correlation length between QD positions for two successive layers were determined to be 1.4 nm and 190 nm, respectively. A GaN QD growth model is proposed to explain the phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microchannel plate (MCP) photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) are frequently used in experimental diagnostics, where they are operated in single-pulse current measurement mode. However, considering the significant amplitude fluctuations in the measured signal, the resulting output signal from the MCP-PMT is inevitably distorted by gain saturation. Therefore, understanding the correlation between the MCP-PMT output signal and gain saturation is critical in assessing the extent of output signal distortion and determining the MCP-PMT saturation level. This knowledge allows for a more precise assessment of the input signal's features. In this paper, we present an experimental method for restoring the initial waveform from the saturated MCP-PMT signal. To correct the amplitude-drop caused by gain saturation, our technique involves calibrating the MCP-PMT's relative gain as a function of the accumulated output charge using a square-wave light source. We then applied this approach to restore a ∼500 ns saturated pulse from a double-layer 10 mm diameter MCP-PMT. The restored signal showed a deviation of less than 6% from the reference waveform, which validates the effectiveness of the technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Models for shock initiation in explosives must consider how energy transfers from products to reactants. This is based on different energy-apportionment assumptions, which affect the results for shock initiation. This study proposes a robust model of shock initiation in explosives using a free choice of energy-apportionment assumptions. The reacting explosive is treated as a mixture of reactants and products under different energy-apportionment assumptions. The equations of state of the mixture are efficiently solved by refining the Cochran–Chan concept of the real volume fraction and introducing a real energy fraction term. The validity, efficiency, and universality of the proposed model are verified in one-dimensional numerical simulations of the shock initiation of homogeneous (nitromethane) and heterogeneous (PBX 9404) explosives. Compared to the conventional Cochran–Chan and Johnson–Tang–Forest models, the proposed model has a better balance of computational efficiency and universality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A numerical study was performed to investigate the detailed effects of activation energy Ea on the oblique detonation wave surface instability. Numerical simulations were performed using an ideal reactive flow model given by the inviscid Euler equations with one-step irreversible Arrhenius reaction kinetics. The numerical results demonstrate two types of unstable structures following the initial smooth surface after detonation initiation. One exhibits by a "saw-tooth" reactive front and the other exhibits by a "keystone" feature. To quantify the destabilization processes, two characteristic length scales, L1 and L2, are defined statistically to be the length of the smooth detonation surface before the appearance of instabilities and the length of the unstable surface before the first cellular structure with the onset of right-running transverse waves, respectively. Their dependence on Ea was simulated and analyzed. In general, both lengths decrease with increasing Ea, making the surface more unstable. However, with increasing Ea, the high temperature sensitivity of the mixture causes an abrupt explosion in the initiation region, introducing a high overdriven surface and suppressing the instability. With the balance between the destabilizing effect of Ea and the stabilizing effect of increasing overdrive factor, both L1 and L2 are found to approach a near-constant value in the high Ea limit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The basic safety requirement for explosive charges is their charge quality. Increasing the casting pressure can significantly reduce the solidification/cooling time and improve the charge quality of melt-cast explosives, but the mechanism underlying the former reduction is yet to be revealed. This study uses a simplified formulation of inverse analysis (namely, the conjugate gradient method with an adjoint equation) to estimate the contact conductance at the charge/mold interface with the help of experimentally determined temperatures. The method is described in detail and verified by comparing the estimated contact conductance with the exact value using simulated measurement temperatures, thereby demonstrating the effectiveness of the method. Combining this method with the experimentally determined temperatures, the mechanism underlying the reduction in the solidification/cooling time with the increase in casting pressure is revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An acoustic focusing lens incorporated with periodically aligned subwavelength grooves corrugated on its spherical surface has been developed. It is demonstrated theoretically and experimentally that acoustic focusing achieved by using the lens can suppress the relative sidelobe amplitudes, enhance the focal gain, and minimize the shifting of the focus. Use of the lens coupled with a planar ultrasound transducer can generate an ultrasound beam with enhanced acoustic transmission and collimation effect, which offers the capability of improving the safety, efficiency, and accuracy of targeted surgery implemented by high intensity focused ultrasound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precipitates have recently been found to significantly enhance the mechanical quality factor in piezoelectric ceramics. Such a piezoelectric hardening effect was attributed to strong interactions between ferroelectric domains and precipitates. In the present work, the response of domains to applied electric fields is observed in situ via transmission electron microscopy in aged (Ba, Ca)TiO3 ceramics with precipitates to reveal the underlying mechanism of this phenomenon. Ferroelectric domains in the Ba-rich matrix grain are observed to be more concentrated near non-polar Ca-rich precipitates. With increasing applied voltage, domains separate from precipitates merge together first, while those near precipitates persist to higher voltages. During ramping down, domains nucleate from precipitates. These direct observations confirm the strong interactions between ferroelectric domains and precipitates in piezoelectric ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrical responses, either structurally or chemically, at the interface between a SiO2 thin film and a single crystalline Si substrate are an important research subject in Si-based devices. Dielectric breakdown-induced epitaxial migration of Si into SiO2 has been reported as a degradation mechanism in field effect transistors. Here, we show a direct observation of electric field induced conversion of single crystalline Si to nonstoichiometric amorphous oxide starting from the Si/native oxide interface using in situ transmission electron microscopy. We further show that nanocrystalline Si can form in the amorphous oxide under a voltage bias of reversed polarity. Electron energy loss spectroscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analyses indicate that the observed amorphization process was caused by the oxidation of Si and the recrystallization process was caused by the reduction of nonstoichiometric amorphous silicon oxide. Both transitions are a result of field-driven directional migration of oxygen which originally comes from its native oxide layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large eddy simulation is performed for investigating the local and far-field behaviors of free and swirling jets at moderate Reynolds number. By solving compressible boundary layer equations, the inflow profiles with different swirl number are calculated, and then their stability characteristics are analyzed based on linear stability theory. The amplification rates of swirling jets are higher than the free one, particularly for higher or negative azimuthal wavenumber modes. Multiple unstable modes are superimposed to construct inflow forcing. The quantities of flow and acoustic are presented and compared against the results of existed experiments and other computations, besides, the comparisons are also made among themselves. For swirling jets, the spreadings of jet half-width and vorticity thickness at the initial and transition stage are enhanced, but they are surpassed by the free jet at turbulent mixing stage. In all cases, the development of mixing layer initially is greatly influenced by frequencies f0 and f0/2 associated with upstream forcing. As the swirl intensity is increased, the growth rates of fluctuation quantities on the centerline and the nozzle lip line are raised, but the peak levels on the centerline are reduced substantially. In swirling jets, the strength of vortex pairing is decreased, and the pairing noise is weakened correspondingly. The overall sound pressure levels are lower than that of the free jet at all observation angles ([lowercase_phi_synonym]), and about 3 decibels (dB) is reduced at [lowercase_phi_synonym] ≃ 30° in the strong swirling case at a distance of 60 radii. The Fourier analyses of pressure and acoustic sources show that the modes are varied greatly, which suggests that the noise reduction should be corresponding to the change of instability waves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fe-Au nanoclusters ranging in composition from ∼33 to 79 at. % Fe were prepared by inert gas condensation. Resulting phases were single crystalline solid solutions for all compositions with significant defects present. The as-deposited clusters formed in a bcc structure for Fe content >65 at. % and in a fcc structure for Fe < 65 at. %. Lattice parameters were expanded beyond rule-of-mixture estimates. The lattice expansion is explained by an analytical self-interstitial model. All clusters were ferromagnetic, although the fcc structures showed low magnetization. The low magnetizations are thought to arise from antiferromagnetic cores with uncompensated ferromagnetic surface spins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GaN(Si)/AlInN multiple quantum wells were grown on GaN/Al2O3 (0001) templates by metalorganic vapor-phase epitaxy. Transmission electron microscopy observations showed well-defined GaN quantum wells and AlInN barrier layers. Electrostatic potential profiles across the heterostructure have been measured using off-axis electron holography. A polarization-induced electric field with magnitude of ∼2.2 ± 0.1 MV/cm was measured across the GaN quantum wells, in reasonable agreement with simulated values. However, the measured fields across the AlInN barriers were considerably less than predicted from simulations: possible reasons are briefly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrostatic potential profiles across wurtzite AlN/GaN quantum dot (QD) superlattices grown by molecular beam epitaxy have been measured using off-axis electron holography. The profiles for individual GaN QDs show large phase shifts which can be understood in terms of spontaneous polarization and piezoelectric fields and the accumulation of positive and negative charge at the GaN/AlN interfaces. An electric field with magnitude of ∼7.8 ± 2 MV/cm was measured across the center of a GaN QD, in reasonable agreement with reported simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microstructure of GaN(Si)/AlInN multiple quantum wells grown on GaN/Al2O3 (0001) templates by metalorganic vapor-phase epitaxy has been investigated using transmission electron microscopy and associated techniques. Dodecagon-shape V-defects with hexagonal apexes, which nucleate on screw-component threading dislocations, are observed at the film surface. The hexagonal apexes are bounded by {112_1} planes, whereas the dodecagons are bounded by {101_1} and {112_1} planes, where the {101_1} facets are generated from the edges between adjacent {112_1} planes. Indium segregation is observed along these edges. A possible reason for formation of these defects is briefly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Off-axis electron holography has been used to measure the built-in potential profile across an Al0.85In0.15N/AlN/GaN high electron mobility transistor heterostructure. Profile measurements indicated a polarization-induced electric field of 6.9 MV/cm within the AlN layer. A two-dimensional electron gas with a density of ∼2.1×1013 cm-2 was located in the GaN layer at ∼0.8 nm away from the AlN/GaN interface in reasonable agreement with the reported simulations. Electron microscopy confirmed that the Al0.85In0.15N layer was uniform and that Al0.85In0.15N/AlN and AlN/GaN interfaces were abrupt and well defined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microstructure of InxAl1-xN/GaN heterostructures (where x∼0.13–0.19), grown by molecular beam epitaxy, was investigated by transmission electron microscopy. Observations in the cross-section and plan-view geometries show evidence for lateral phase separation originating at the GaN surface that results in a vertical honeycomblike structure within the InAlN layers. The lateral dimensions of the honeycomb cells are ∼5–10 nm. The vertical walls are In rich with a width of ∼1–2 nm and align roughly perpendicular to <1120> and <1100> directions. The phase separation is attributed to random compositional fluctuations during the early stages of growth, possibly associated with misfit-strain relaxation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For microwave power transmission (MPT), the transmitting (Tx) array with a tapered amplitude distribution can achieve a maximum beam collection efficiency, but it needs a feeding network with an arbitrary power division ratio; thus, it is complicated and costly in practical applications. This work explores realizing high transmission efficiency by a Tx array with the equal-ratio steps amplitude distribution (ERSAD). By using the ERSAD, the amplitude value of the central units of the Tx array is uniform, and the amplitude feeding of the edge units only needs equal power divisions. Thus, the amplitude feeding is greatly simplified. Besides, a compensated phase distribution is used to focus the radiating beam on the receiving aperture. To validate the proposed design, a Tx antenna consisting of 8 × 8 units with a total aperture size of 1 × 1 m2 is designed. The operating frequency and the focused distance are 5.8 GHz and 10 m, respectively. A 64-way microwave power source is used to adjust the amplitude and the phase of the Tx array, and an MPT experiment is conducted. The measurement shows that, compared with the 10 dB Gaussian amplitude array, the proposed array nearly has the same transmission efficiency against different receiving apertures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Target poisoning is prevalent in reactive magnetron sputtering and causes deleterious effects, especially in deposition using metal targets. Both the deposition rate and the stoichiometry ratio of the coatings will be compromised because of the quicker coverage of the poisoning materials on the target relative to removal by sputtering. Continuous high-power magnetron sputtering (C-HPMS) possesses merits such as more rapid sputtering than high-power impulse magnetron sputtering and better target poisoning resistance. In this work, the discharge and plasma characteristics of C-HPMS for an Al metal target in reactive O2/Ar atmospheres are investigated by modeling and alumina deposition. At a constant oxygen partial pressure, larger discharge power increases target etching significantly compared to surface combination with O2, leading to reduced surface poisoning. Besides, a higher temperature is produced near the target to produce more intense rarefaction effects and decrease the risk of target poisoning. In Al discharge, the stable deposition window in the O2/Ar ratio under 120 W/cm2 is 5 times of that under 20 W/cm2. Moreover, a large deposition rate of 112 nm/min is achieved at the poisoning-saturated point and a target/substrate distance can be increased to larger than 40 cm, thus providing more flexibility in the design of deposition parameters and hardware requirement. Our results show that high discharge intensity improves plasma density and ionization rates of reactive particles boding well for the deposition of under-stoichiometric and higher-quality amorphous Al2O3 films. The reactive C-HPMS technique has large potential in the commercial production of functional coatings and thin films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of magnetic field cycling through the first-order magnetostructural transformation on the magnetic and magnetocaloric properties, as well as hysteresis of polycrystalline Gd5Si2Ge2, has been studied using magnetometry. The cycling has a minimal effect on the magnetic field-induced entropy change and the phase transformation temperature of the material. On the other hand, magnetic hysteresis decreases by 30% after approximately ten cycles and remains low unless the sample is moved far into the paramagnetic regime. Factors playing a role in the history dependence of hysteresis have been discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports some important properties of a dynamic hohlraum radiation source intended to study the high-temperature opacity of medium-Z atoms. The time-resolved axial radiation power in two x-ray diodes gives the time-evolution of an equivalent black-body temperature that peaks at ∼260 eV at stagnation. Time-gated framing pinhole images show that the source comprises an intense high-temperature core that lasts for ∼2 ns preceded by a 10-ns-long lower-temperature implosion phase that emits mostly softer x rays. Combining pinhole images with soft x-ray power gives a time-resolved brightness radiation temperature that reaches 130 eV. Thus, the lower-temperature source could ionize an opacity sample, then the intense high-temperature radiation pulse could measure its opacity. Likewise, the time-integrated spectrum measured with a spherically bent crystal spectrometer is compatible with multiple blackbodies with different temperatures, from 176 to 185 eV. These characterizations suggest that this dynamic hohlraum can be used for high-temperature opacity measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a triple resonance pulse transformer based on a magnetic core transformer is developed, which uses the first peak of the output voltage to charge the load capacitor. A compact magnetic core pulse transformer is developed, which uses an innovative bi-conical specific geometry. Based on this magnetic core pulse transformer, the triple resonance circuit is built by adding a tuning capacitor and a tuning inductor between this transformer and a pulse forming line (PFL). The tuning capacitor is designed to be an irregular coaxial capacitor with a capacitance of 70 pF and the tuning inductor is made as a single-layer air core cylindrical inductor. The experimental results indicate that the peak output voltage of the triple resonance pulse transformer is about 530 kV and the rise time is about 790 ns. The peak voltage across PFL is 1.6 times the peak voltage across the magnetic core transformer. It is feasible to develop a magnetic core pulse transformer into a triple resonance pulse transformer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Propagation of an electromagnetic (EM) wave through a compound plasmonic crystal composed of perpendicularly arranged gold nanorod pairs has been studied. Because of the strong coupling between the EM wave and vibrations of free electrons inside nanorod pairs, the polarization-tunable polariton stop band as well as pronounced polarization conversion can be achieved in the compound plasmonic crystal. A theory based on Huang-Kun-like equations is presented to reveal the mechanism, which agrees well with the simulations. Our results may shed light on the structure design and physical understandings on the anisotropic metamaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the development of deep-ultraviolet (DUV) wavelength-selective top-illuminated photodetectors based on AlGaN/AlN quantum-dots-in-wells. Structures consisting of 100 AlGaN wells and AlN barriers were grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy on sapphire substrates. Interdigitated metal–semiconductor–metal photodetector devices were formed lithographically using indium as the contact metal. The effect of variation of the group III to group V flux ratio and the use of indium as a surfactant on the UV photoresponse were determined. Growth under near-stoichiometric conditions lead to a photocurrent peak in the 210–215 nm range with a peak width of ∼20 nm, with no other additional signatures in the entire UV–visible range. Under excess group III conditions, a second red-shifted peak was observed at ∼225 nm with significantly (up to 10×) higher responsivity. This enhancement was linked to the formation of quantum dots with truncated pyramidal structures with near-uniform size distribution and density of 6 × 1010 cm−2 within the quantum wells. Their formation was attributed to the process of droplet epitaxy. Such photodetectors do not require p-type doping or growth onto UV-transparent substrates and are appropriate for monitoring DUV skin-safe germicidal radiation in the presence of ambient visible light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hydrocarbon (CH) polymer is often chosen as the converter material with potential applications to Z-pinch driven dynamic hohlraum implosion experiments. Its physical and optical properties in the warm dense matter regime are important for dynamic hohlraum platform designs. Using the quantum molecular dynamics (QMD) method, we have obtained the equation of state, absorption coefficient, and reflectivity of hydrocarbon and Al–CH mixtures with the temperature and density ranging from 104–106 K and 0.1–0.9 g/cm3, respectively. The QMD-predicted principal Hugoniot data are compared with experiments as well as the theoretical calculations, and both show good agreement. The optical reflectivity from the corresponding dielectric functions is calculated using the corrected refraction index of the ambient (n0 = 1.59). Besides, we have further analyzed the atomic structure and bond dissociation process of polystyrene and Al–CH mixture systems using a bond tracking method with the temperature ranging from 1000 K to 10 000 K. The Al impurities have a slightly promoting effect on the initial stage of polystyrene pyrolysis. The calculation results can be helpful for future theoretical and experimental studies in high energy density physics research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high voltage power supply system for a compact neutron generator is developed. A four-stage symmetrical Cockcroft–Walton voltage multiplier circuit is adopted to produce 300 kV direct current high voltage. A two-stage 360 kV isolation transformer system is used to drive the ion source power supply. The high voltage power supply and the isolation transformer system are integrated in an epoxy bucket with a size of ϕ360 × 700 containing No. 25 transformer oil. The maximum output voltage of the power supply can reach 300 kV. The variation in the high voltage power supply is less than 0.5% when the power supply works at 300 kV/6 mA with an input voltage variation of ±8%. Meanwhile, the isolation transformer system can withstand more than 360 kV, with its output power being about 2.5 kW. No overvoltage protection devices are used in the power supply, and the protection resistors are connected in series to two pairs of rectifiers at the highest and lowest potential terminals and to the output terminal of the voltage multiplier to prevent overcurrent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experimental study of the semi-cylindrical self-magnetic insulated diode with No. 25 transformer oil and methyl silicone oil filled into stainless steel metal foam as anode discharging materials is carried out for the first time. The results show that the lifetime of this type of ion beam diode is about 3000 discharges, significantly higher than that of the conventional solid-film ion beam diode, which is about 400 discharges. Meanwhile, the ion beam current density of transformer oil and methyl silicone oil is higher than the polyethylene film, and the maximum ion beam current density of No. 25 transformer oil and methyl silicone oil is 330 A/cm2 and 250 A/cm2, respectively. In addition, the ion beam current density of No. 25 transformer oil and methyl silicone oil is more stable than that of the polyethylene film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate a novel laser frequency shift scheme using a 12-pass 350-MHz acousto-optic modulator (AOM). This AOM system shows better performance compared to ordinary acousto-optic modulation schemes. The frequency of the incident laser beam is shifted by 4.2 GHz with the total diffraction efficiency as high as 11%, and the maximum frequency shift is 5 GHz. Combining the ±1st order diffraction, laser signals with up to 10 GHz frequency difference can be obtained, which fulfill most frequency shift requirements of laser cooling and coherent manipulation experiments with alkali metal atoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Domain boundary (DB) structures are of great importance for understanding the structure-property relationship in many ferroic crystals. Here, we present atomically resolved DB configurations in PbZrO3-based antiferroelectric ceramics. The Pb-cation displacement relative to B-site cations is precisely determined using aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy. We find that 90° DBs in undoped PbZrO3 can be as thin as one primitive cell of the perovskite structure, often appearing curved or zigzagged due to the complex dipole arrangement. In a chemically modified composition, Pb0.99Nb0.02[(Zr0.57Sn0.43)0.95Ti0.05]0.98O3, in which incommensurate modulations are present, the DB has a typical thickness of at least two primitive cells, with more or less aligned dipole moments. Our findings provide insights into establishing the structure-property relationship in antiferroelectrics, shedding light on the design and fabrication of domain-boundary electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to extend the lifetime of an anvil made of tungsten carbide used in a large volume cubic high-pressure apparatus (CHPA), we analyzed the properties of an anvil with different magnitudes of interference, matching the steel supporting ring under high pressure using finite element method. It is found that the peak value and distribution of the von Mises stress does not change obviously when the magnitude of interference is smaller than 0.3 mm. When the magnitude of interference reaches 0.3 mm, the peak value of the von Mises stress and its distribution changes substantially, due to which the performance of the anvil can be significantly affected. Thus, the magnitude of interference ought to be between 0.1 and 0.25 mm. The simulated results have been approved in many high-pressure experiments in CHPA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-organized gallium nitride nanodots have been fabricated using droplet heteroepitaxy on c-plane sapphire by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy at different substrate temperatures and Ga fluxes. Nanoscale Ga droplets were initially formed on the sapphire substrate at high temperatures by Ga deposition from an effusion cell in an ultrahigh vacuum growth chamber. Subsequently, the droplets were converted into GaN nanodots using a nitrogen plasma source. The process was monitored and controlled using real-time grazing-incidence small-angle x-ray scattering. The samples were examined postgrowth by in situ grazing incidence x-ray diffraction and reflection high-energy electron diffraction, which confirmed the epitaxial relationship between the GaN nanodots and the sapphire surface. X-ray diffraction indicated that the wurtzite phase was dominant at higher substrate temperature (710 °C), but a mixture of wurtzite and zinc blende phases was present at a substrate temperature of 620 °C. Ex situ atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy analyses showed that the dot size distribution was bimodal. A thin GaN continuous layer of ∼ three monolayers thick was observed by transmission electron microscopy on the sample grown at a substrate temperature of 620 °C, but no such layer was observed for the substrate temperature of 710 °C. This suggests that there is little mobility of Ga atoms in contact with the sapphire substrate at the lower temperature so that they cannot easily diffuse to nearby droplets and instead form a thin layer covering the surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GaN/Al0.2Ga0.8N multiple quantum wells (MQWs) were grown by molecular beam epitaxy on randomly textured and atomically smooth (0001) GaN templates. Smooth and textured GaN templates were deposited on (0001) sapphire substrates by varying the III/V ratio and the substrate temperature during growth by the hydride vapor-phase epitaxy method. We find that the MQWs replicate the texture of the GaN template, which was found to have a Gaussian distribution. The peak photoluminescence intensity from the textured MQWs is always higher than from the smooth MQWs and for GaN (7 nm)/Al0.2Ga0.8N (8 nm) MQWs, it is 700 times higher than that from similarly produced MQWs on smooth GaN templates. This result is attributed partly to the enhancement in light extraction efficiency and partly to the enhancement in internal quantum efficiency. The origin of the increase in internal quantum efficiency is partly due to the reduction of the quantum-confined Stark effect, since the polarization vector intersects the quantum well (QW) planes at angles smaller than 90°, and partly due to the charge redistribution in the QWs caused by the polarization component parallel to the planes of the QWs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an experimental and theoretical study on the composite nanostructures composed of the LT-shaped metallic nanohole arrays. Multiple resonance transmission peaks are observed in the optical transmission spectra. By analyzing their electric field distributions on the interface, we infer the electric dipole and the electric quadrupole plasmonic resonances contribute to these transmission peaks. The electric quadrupole is a subradiant mode, which cannot be directly excited by the incident light. Here, we demonstrate that the surface plasmon polaritons can excite the electric quadrupole plasmonic resonance mode through the near-field interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A double bevel anvil of the cubic high pressure apparatus (CHPA) was developed, adopting tungsten carbide as the anvil material. We have performed finite element analyses of conventional single bevel anvil and double bevel anvil. The results indicate that the double bevel anvil has two advantages. Firstly, to gain the same chamber pressure, the oil pressure of CHPA using double bevel anvil decreases about 10.8% than that using single bevel anvil. Secondly, double beveling can maintain the pressurized seal stability of the sample chamber, which is often sacrificed with improve the pressure of sample chamber. The results of finite element analyses are well consistent with the experimental results at CHPA (SPD-6×1200 type). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terahertz waves have found wide applications in the biological and medical areas. Since water is one of the most important ingredients in the biological systems, it is necessary to investigate its optical and dielectric properties in the terahertz range. These fundamental physical parameters play an important role in many applications, such as biological imaging and hyperthermia applications, and are temperature dependent. In order to shed more light on the property of temperature dependence, we performed a systematic investigation by changing the temperature of the water sample and using a terahertz time-domain spectrometer. The experimental results show that when the temperature increases from 275 K to 340 K, the refractive index and the complex dielectric constant of water increase noticeable, with the absorption coefficient increased observably. A good agreement is found between experimental data and the double Debye model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An estimated 750,000 new hybrid electric and plug-in battery vehicles, most with permanent magnet synchronous alternating current (PMAC) drive motors, took to the road in 2016 alone. Accompanied by 40% year over year growth in the EV market significant challenges exist in producing large quantities of permanent magnets (on the order of tens of millions) for reliable, low-cost traction motors [IE Agency, Energy Technology Perspectives (2017)]. Since the rare earth permanent magnet (REPM) market is essentially 100% net import reliant in the United States and has proven to have an unstable cost and supply structure in recent years, a replacement RE-free PM material must be designed or selected, fully developed, and implemented. Alnico, with its high saturation magnetization and excellent thermal stability, appears to be uniquely suited for this task. Further, while alnico typically has been considered a relatively low coercivity hard magnet, strides have been made to increase the coercivity to levels suitable for traction drive motors [W Tang, IEEE Trans. Magn., 51 (2015)]. If a simple non-cast approach for achieving near [001] easy axis grain aligned permanent magnets can be found, this would allow mass-produced final-shape anisotropic high energy product magnets suitable for usage in compact high RPM rotor designs. Therefore, a powder metallurgical approach is being explored that uses classic compression molding with “de-bind and sinter” methods, where a novel applied uniaxial loading, and an applied magnetic field may create final-shape magnets with highly textured resulting microstructures by two different mechanisms. Results indicate a positive correlation between applied uniaxial load and resulting texture (Fig. 1), along with benefits from using an applied magnetic field for improved texture, as well. The apparent mechanisms and resulting properties will be described using closed loop hysteresisgraph measurements, EBSD orientation mapping, and high-resolution SEM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resolution of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) focusing is limited by the wave diffraction. We have developed a spherical cavity transducer with two open ends to improve the focusing precision without sacrificing the acoustic intensity (App Phys Lett 2013; 102: 204102). This work aims to theoretically and experimentally investigate the frequency dependence of the acoustic field generated from the spherical cavity transducer with two open ends. The device emits high intensity ultrasound at the frequency ranging from 420 to 470 kHz, and the acoustic field is measured by a fiber optic probe hydrophone. The measured results shows that the spherical cavity transducer provides high acoustic intensity for HIFU treatment only in its resonant modes, and a series of resonant frequencies can be choosen. Furthermore, a finite element model is developed to discuss the frequency dependence of the acoustic field. The numerical simulations coincide well with the measured results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep-UV optical gain has been demonstrated in Al0.7Ga0.3N/AlN multiple quantum wells under femtosecond optical pumping. Samples were grown by molecular beam epitaxy under a growth mode that introduces band structure potential fluctuations and high-density nanocluster-like features within the AlGaN wells. A maximum net modal gain value of 118 ± 9 cm-1 has been measured and the transparency threshold of 5 ± 1 µJ/cm2 was experimentally determined, corresponding to 1.4 × 1017 cm-3 excited carriers. These findings pave the way for the demonstration of solid-state lasers with sub-250 nm emission at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work is to develop nonlinear low-dimensional models to describe vortex dynamics in spatially developing shear layers with periodicity in time. By allowing a free variable g(x) to dynamically describe downstream thickness spreading, we are able to obtain basis functions in a scaled reference frame and construct effective models with only a few modes in the new space. To apply this modified version of proper orthogonal decomposition (POD)/Galerkin projection, we first scale the flow along y dynamically to match a template function as it is developing downstream. In the scaled space, the first POD mode can capture more than 80% energy for each frequency. However, to construct a Galerkin model, the second POD mode plays a critical role and needs to be included. Finally, a reconstruction equation for the scaling variable g is derived to relate the scaled space to physical space, where downstream spreading of shear thickness occurs. Using only two POD modes at each frequency, our models capture the basic dynamics of shear layers, such as vortex roll-up (from a one-frequency model) and vortex-merging (from a two-frequency model). When arbitrary excitation at different harmonics is added to the model, we can clearly observe the promoting or delaying/eliminating vortex merging events as a result of mode competition, which is commonly demonstrated in experiments and numerical simulations of shear layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular dynamics method in conjunction with multi-scale shock technique is employed to study the melting characteristics of aluminum single crystal under dynamic conditions. The simulated results show that a linear relationship exists between the shock wave velocity and particle velocity, in good agreement with the experimental data. Comparing the Lindemann melting curve with the two Hugoniot curves for the solid and liquid phases, the Hugoniot melting is found to begin at 93.6 GPa and end at 140 GPa, which is consistent with the theoretical calculations. The impact of crystal defects on the melting characteristics of aluminum single crystal is also studied, and the results indicate that the pressure and temperature increase slightly for the system experiencing the same dynamic loading due to the crystal defects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single-crystal, single-phase Pb(ZrxTi1-x)O3 films (x=0–0.4) were grown on (001) SrTiO3 and SrTiO3:Nb substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. Layer-by-layer growth of the Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 films was achieved by using PbTiO3 buffer layers between the SrTiO3 substrates and the Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 films. The layers with low Zr content showed high crystallinity with full width at half maximum of ω-rocking curves as low as 4 arc min, whereas increase in Zr concentration led to pronounced angular broadening. The PbZr0.07Ti0.93O3 films exhibited remanent polarization as high as 83 μC/cm2, but local areas suffered from nonuniform leakage current. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AlN/GaN/AlGaN coupled quantum wells grown by molecular beam epitaxy have been developed and characterized via intersubband absorption spectroscopy. In these structures, an AlGaN layer of sufficiently low Al content is used to achieve strong interwell coupling without the need for ultrathin inner barriers. At the same time, AlN is used in the outer barriers to provide the large quantum confinement required for near-infrared intersubband transitions. The composition of the inner barriers also provides a continuously tunable parameter to control the coupling strength. Double intersubband absorption peaks are measured in each sample, at photon energies in good agreement with theoretical expectations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors report the growth of semipolar [formula] GaN films on nominally on-axis [formula] m-plane sapphire substrates using metal organic chemical vapor deposition. High-resolution x-ray diffraction (XRD) results indicate a preferred (1122) GaN orientation. Moreover, epitaxial lateral overgrowth (ELO) of GaN was carried out on the (1122) oriented GaN templates. When the ELO stripes were aligned along [1120]sapphire, the Ga-polar wings were inclined by 32° with respect to the substrate plane with smooth extended nonpolar a-plane GaN surfaces and polar c-plane GaN growth fronts. When compared with the template, the on-axis and off-axis XRD rocking curves indicated significant improvement in the crystalline quality by ELO for this mask orientation (on-axis 1700 arc sec for the template, 380 arc sec for the ELO sample, when rocked toward the GaN m axis), as verified by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). For growth mask stripes aligned along [0001]sapphire with GaN m-plane as growth fronts, the surface was composed of two {1011} planes making a 26° angle with the substrate plane. For this mask orientation XRD and TEM showed no improvement in the crystalline quality by ELO when compared to the non-ELO template. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structures with incommensurate ordering along the [0001] direction are observed in wurtzite Al0.72Ga0.28N alloys grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy on c-plane sapphire. Films grown in environments with group-III/N ratios greater than 1 exhibit ordered superlattice structures that are incommensurate with the wurtzite crystal lattice. In contrast, films grown under nitrogen-rich conditions exhibit ordered structures with a periodicity of four cation-N monolayers. The increasing complexity of the ordering with increasing Ga-rich growth environment suggests that the ordering is related to the presence of a Ga overlayer believed to exist on the surface of the growing film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the reduction of threading dislocations in GaN overlayers grown by organometallic vapor phase epitaxy on micro-porous TiN networks. These networks were obtained by in situ annealing of thin Ti layers deposited in a metalization chamber, on the (0001) face of GaN templates. Observations by transmission electron microscopy indicate dislocation reduction by factors of up to 10 in GaN layers grown on TiN networks compared with the control GaN. X-ray diffraction shows that GaN grown on the TiN network has a smaller (102) plane peak width (4.6 arcmin) than the control GaN (7.8 arcmin). In low temperature photoluminescence spectra, a narrow excitonic full-width-at-half-maximum of 2.4 meV was obtained, as compared to 3.0 meV for the control GaN, confirming the improved crystalline quality of the overgrown GaN layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]