Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Physics Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 26 of 26

Full-Text Articles in Physics

Formulation And Characterization Of Fast-Curing Plastic Scintillators With High-Z Loading, Theodore W. Stephens Mar 2022

Formulation And Characterization Of Fast-Curing Plastic Scintillators With High-Z Loading, Theodore W. Stephens

Theses and Dissertations

Development of novel fast-curing plastic scintillators is highly advantageous due to their potential to be manufactured via 3D printing. Several formulations were developed that exhibit enhanced photon sensitivity, producing modest but discernible photopeaks at an incident gamma energy of 122 keV. The photon sensitivity is achieved via bismuth high-Z loading; however, this practice typically results in diminished light yields. Subsequent formulations, which varied the photoinitiator concentration and curing time, demonstrated successful curing with sufficient plastic hardness, reduced purple discoloration, reduced heat buildup during curing, and resulted in less cracking during the curing process, all of which were correlated with lower …


Nanoengineered Materials For Energy Conversion & Storage Applications: A Density Functional Theory Study, Ahmed Biby Jan 2021

Nanoengineered Materials For Energy Conversion & Storage Applications: A Density Functional Theory Study, Ahmed Biby

Theses and Dissertations

The conventional approach for the development of novel materials has become long relative to the desired product development cycle. Thus, the sluggish pace of the development of materials within the conventional approach hinders the rapid transformation of the scientific outcomes into useful technological products. To this end, the field of hierarchical materials informatics evolved to bridge this gap. In this field, the multiscale material internal structure is considered the starting point and the core of this approach. This being said, the density functional theory (DFT) was used to generate useful materials data for the advancement of the hierarchical materials data-bases …


The Design Of A Continuous Wave Molecular Nitrogen Stimulated Raman Laser In The Visible Spectrum, Timothy J. Bate Mar 2020

The Design Of A Continuous Wave Molecular Nitrogen Stimulated Raman Laser In The Visible Spectrum, Timothy J. Bate

Theses and Dissertations

Hollow-core photonic crystal fibers (HCPCFs) shows promise as a hybrid laser with higher nonlinear process limits and small beam size over long gain lengths. This work focuses on the design of a CW molecular nitrogen (N2) stimulated Raman laser. N2 offers Raman gains scaling up to 900 amg, scaling higher than H2. The cavity experiment showed the need to include Rayleigh scattering in the high pressure required for N2 Raman lasing. Even at relatively low pressure ssuch as 1,500 psi, high conversion percentages should be found if the fiber length is chosen based on …


Nonlinear Characterizing Of A New Titanium Nitride On Aluminum Oxide Metalens, Michael A. Cumming Oct 2019

Nonlinear Characterizing Of A New Titanium Nitride On Aluminum Oxide Metalens, Michael A. Cumming

Theses and Dissertations

A sample metalens generated from Titanium Nitride deposited onto Aluminum Oxide was designed to focus at 10 microns with a beam centered at 800nm, and when analyzed with high intensity illumination was found to have a focal length of 9.650 ±.003µm at an intensity of 16.93[MW/cm2 ]. Analyzing this change by comparing it to a Fresnel Lens’ physics shows that for this lens, the effective nonlinear index of refraction is certainly greater than the nonlinear index of just Titanium Nitride itself, at −1.6239 × 10−15[m2/W] compared to the materials −1.3 × 10−15[m2 …


Photoluminescence From Gan Co-Doped With C And Si, Mykhailo Vorobiov Jan 2018

Photoluminescence From Gan Co-Doped With C And Si, Mykhailo Vorobiov

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis devoted to the experimental studies of yellow and blue luminescence (YL and BL relatively) bands in Gallium Nitride samples doped with C and Si. The band BLC was at first observed in the steady-state photoluminescence spectrum under high excitation intensities and discerned from BL1 and BL2 bands appearing in the same region of the spectrum. Using the time-resolved photoluminescence spectrum, we were able to determine the shape of the BLC and its position at 2.87 eV. Internal quantum efficiency of the YL band was estimated to be 90\%. The hole capture coefficient of the BLC …


The Dawn Of New Quantum Dots: Synthesis And Characterization Of Ge1-Xsnx Nanocrystals For Tunable Bandgaps., Richard J. Esteves Jan 2016

The Dawn Of New Quantum Dots: Synthesis And Characterization Of Ge1-Xsnx Nanocrystals For Tunable Bandgaps., Richard J. Esteves

Theses and Dissertations

Ge1-xSnx alloys are among a small class of benign semiconductors with composition tunable bandgaps in the near-infrared spectrum. As the amount of Sn is increased the band energy decreases and a transition from indirect to direct band structure occurs. Hence, they are prime candidates for fabrication of Si-compatible electronic and photonic devices, field effect transistors, and novel charge storage device applications. Success has been achieved with the growth of Ge1-xSnx thin film alloys with Sn compositions up to 34%. However, the synthesis of nanocrystalline alloys has proven difficult due to larger discrepancies (~14%) in …


Beyond Conventional C-Plane Gan-Based Light Emitting Diodes: A Systematic Exploration Of Leds On Semi-Polar Orientations, Morteza Monavarian Jan 2016

Beyond Conventional C-Plane Gan-Based Light Emitting Diodes: A Systematic Exploration Of Leds On Semi-Polar Orientations, Morteza Monavarian

Theses and Dissertations

Despite enormous efforts and investments, the efficiency of InGaN-based green and yellow-green light emitters remains relatively low, and that limits progress in developing full color display, laser diodes, and bright light sources for general lighting. The low efficiency of light emitting devices in the green-to-yellow spectral range, also known as the “Green Gap”, is considered a global concern in the LED industry. The polar c-plane orientation of GaN, which is the mainstay in the LED industry, suffers from polarization-induced separation of electrons and hole wavefunctions (also known as the “quantum confined Stark effect”) and low indium incorporation efficiency that …


A Comparative Study Of The Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function Of Several Surfaces As A Mid-Wave Infrared Diffuse Reflectance Standard, Bradley Balling Mar 2009

A Comparative Study Of The Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function Of Several Surfaces As A Mid-Wave Infrared Diffuse Reflectance Standard, Bradley Balling

Theses and Dissertations

The Bi-Directional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) has a well defined diffuse measurement standard in the ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared (NIR), Spectralon(trade name). It is predictable, stable, repeatable, and has low surface variation because it is a bulk scatterer. In the mid-wave IR (MWIR) and long-wave IR (LWIR), there is not such a well-defined standard. There are well-defined directional hemispherical reflectance (DHR) standards, but the process of integrating BRDF measurements into DHR for the purpose of calibration is problematic, at best. Direct BRDF measurement standards are needed. This study use current calibration techniques to ensure valid measurements and then systematically …


Wave Optics Simulation Of Optically Augmented Retroreflections For Monostatic/Bistatic Detection, John J. Tatar Iii Mar 2009

Wave Optics Simulation Of Optically Augmented Retroreflections For Monostatic/Bistatic Detection, John J. Tatar Iii

Theses and Dissertations

Optical devices interrogated with a laser in the appropriate band can exhibit strong, deterministic reflections of the incident beam. This characteristic could be exploited for optical target detection and identification. The distribution of reflected power is strongly dependent on the geometry of the interrogation scenario, atmospheric conditions, and the cross section of the target optical device. Previous work on laser interrogation systems in this area has focused on analytic models or testing. To the best of my knowledge, I am presenting for the first time an approach to predict reflected power for a variety of interrogation configurations, targets, and propagation …


Passive Multiple Beam Combination In Optical Fibers Via Stimulated Brillouin Scattering, Kirk C. Brown Mar 2006

Passive Multiple Beam Combination In Optical Fibers Via Stimulated Brillouin Scattering, Kirk C. Brown

Theses and Dissertations

Many active methods of scaling laser brightness have been demonstrated in recent years. The goal of this research was to demonstrate the feasibility of passively combining multiple laser beams using Stimulated Brillouin Scattering (SBS) in a long multimode optical fiber. This method of combination employed a “Gatling gun” fiber array that allowed several collimated beams to be focused by a lens into an optical fiber. The retroreflected Stokes beam is passed through the center of the beam combiner for analysis. In addition to experimental methodology and equipment used, the theoretical and historical background of SBS in optical fibers is provided. …


Characteristics Of Two-Dimensional Triangular And Three-Dimensional Face-Centered-Cubic Photonic Crystals, Jeffery D. Clark Mar 2006

Characteristics Of Two-Dimensional Triangular And Three-Dimensional Face-Centered-Cubic Photonic Crystals, Jeffery D. Clark

Theses and Dissertations

The fabrication of photonic crystals (PhC) with photonic band gaps (PBG) in the visible range is a difficult task due to the small structural feature sizes of the PhC. The particular type of PhC examined is a two-dimensional (2-D) triangular structure with a PBG designed for visible wavelengths with applications in visible integrated photonic systems. This work examines the processes involved and viability of fabricating 2-D triangular PhC's by a variety of techniques: focused ion beam, electron lithography and holographic photo-polymerization/lithography. The design of the PhC was based on a program created to display gap maps for triangular structures. The …


Multiple Channel Laser Beam Combination And Phasing Using Stimulated Brillouin Scattering In Optical Fibers, Brent W. Grime Dec 2005

Multiple Channel Laser Beam Combination And Phasing Using Stimulated Brillouin Scattering In Optical Fibers, Brent W. Grime

Theses and Dissertations

Brightness scaling lasers using stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) in optical fibers is explored. A multiple-channel amplifier approach is used to increase the total power of a laser system while avoiding a significant burden on a single channel. The work explores two approaches utilizing both SBS beam cleanup and SBS piston error conjugation. A unique beam combiner that takes advantage of the SBS beam cleanup properties of a long, gradient-index multimode fiber was designed and tested. The beam combiner was developed to combine multiple-channel laser beams simultaneously with high input and output coupling efficiency. The design for the SBS beam combiner …


Optical Characterization And Modeling Of Compositionally Matched Indium Arsenide-Antimonide Bulk And Multiple Quantum Well Semiconductors, Scott C. Phillips Mar 2004

Optical Characterization And Modeling Of Compositionally Matched Indium Arsenide-Antimonide Bulk And Multiple Quantum Well Semiconductors, Scott C. Phillips

Theses and Dissertations

Indium arsenide-antimonide (InAsSb) semiconductors have been determined to emit in the 3-5 micrometer range, the window of interest for countermeasures against infrared electro-optical threats. This experiment set out to cross the bulk to quantum well characterization barrier by optically characterizing two sets of compositionally matched type I quantum well and bulk well material samples. Absorption measurements determined the band gap energy of the bulk samples and the first allowed subband transition for the quantum wells. By collecting absorption spectra at different temperatures, the trend of the energy transitions was described by fitting a Varshni equation to them. The expected result …


Smart Structures For Control Of Optical Surfaces, D. Michael Sobers Jr. Mar 2002

Smart Structures For Control Of Optical Surfaces, D. Michael Sobers Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The development of lightweight, large-aperture optics is of vital importance to the Department of Defense and the US Air Force for advancing remote sensing applications and improving current capabilities. Synthetic polymer optics offer weight and flexibility advantages over current generation glass mirrors, but require active control to maintain tight surface figure tolerances. This research explores the feasibility of using imbedded piezoelectric materials to control optical surfaces. Membrane-based and stiff piezo-controlled mirrors were constructed to develop and validate control techniques. Test results verified that surface control on the order of tens of wavelengths is possible using these systems.


Time-Resolved Photoluminescence Of Inas/Gainsb Quantum Well Lasers, Michael R. Mckay Jun 2001

Time-Resolved Photoluminescence Of Inas/Gainsb Quantum Well Lasers, Michael R. Mckay

Theses and Dissertations

In the world of semiconductor photonic device fabrication, one important objective may be to extract as much light as possible from the device. In these devices, photons are created when electrons recombine with holes by transitioning from a high-energy state to a lower one. Unfortunately, electron-hole recombination does not always result in the formation of a photon. There are three basic types of recombination: the first results in the formation of a photon and is called radiative recombination; and the second and third, known as Shockley-Read-Hall and Auger recombination, result in the heating of the device and do not produce …


Numerical Study Of Optical Delay In Semiconductor Multilayer Distributed Bragg Reflector And Tunable Microcavity Structures, Michael I. K. Etan Mar 2001

Numerical Study Of Optical Delay In Semiconductor Multilayer Distributed Bragg Reflector And Tunable Microcavity Structures, Michael I. K. Etan

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force has a growing need for the greater bandwidth, speed, and flexibility offered by optical communication links. Future space systems and airborne platforms will most likely use optical signals for efficient power transmission and to minimize the possibility of spoofing and eavesdropping. Tunable optical delays play an important role in the implementation of free space optical communication links. The primary challenge in implementing these systems is the active maintenance of coherent wave fronts across the system's optical aperture. For space applications, this aperture may he hundreds of meters in diameter. Spatial segmentation of a large aperture into smaller …


Photoluminescence Of Single Quantum Well Structures In Gallium Arsenide, Christian A. Bartholomew Mar 2001

Photoluminescence Of Single Quantum Well Structures In Gallium Arsenide, Christian A. Bartholomew

Theses and Dissertations

The continued development of state-of the-art semiconductor technologies and devices by the United States Air Force and the Department of Defense requires accurate and efficient techniques to evaluate and model these new materials. Of particular interest to the Air Force are quantum well structures which can be used for small-scale laser sources in fly-by-light applications, as efficient infrared countermeasures to heat-seeking missiles, or as advanced seekers in optically guided missiles. This thesis provides the initial experimental procedures and data necessary to begin producing accurate yet robust models. Although carrier effective masses could not be evaluated using hot-electron photoluminescence, photoluminescence excitation …


Electrical Characterization Of Ion-Implanted 4h-Silicon Carbide, Christian P. Morath Mar 1999

Electrical Characterization Of Ion-Implanted 4h-Silicon Carbide, Christian P. Morath

Theses and Dissertations

Electrical characterization has been performed on ion-implanted p-type 4H-SiC to assess the activation efficiency and implantation-related damage recrystallization with the intention of developing an implantation/annealing scheme. Low doped (Na - Nd = 5x10(exp 15)/cu cm) epitaxial p-type layers grown by MOCVD were implanted with Al or B at doses ranging from 1x10(exp 13) to 1x10(exp 14)/sq cm at room temperature or 500 deg. C. The electrical technique of Temperature Dependent Hall Effect (TDHE) indicated that Al and B act as shallow acceptors 4H-SiC with ionization energies of ^252 and ^285 meV, respectively. The highest activation efficiency for Al and B …


Experimental Investigation Of Nonlinear Dynamics In Single Mode Semiconductor Laser Diodes With Phase Conjugate Feedback, Gordon T. Hengst Aug 1997

Experimental Investigation Of Nonlinear Dynamics In Single Mode Semiconductor Laser Diodes With Phase Conjugate Feedback, Gordon T. Hengst

Theses and Dissertations

The semiconductor laser diode offers a unique system to investigate nonlinear dynamics when optical feedback is applied. Although there is extensive research of laser diodes with optical feedback from normal dielectric mirrors, very little has been done experimentally to analyze the effects of degenerate phase conjugate feedback from a BaTiO3 crystal. This research experimentally investigated the dynamics of a single-mode laser diode with weak phase conjugate feedback using both the self-pumped and double phase conjugate geometries. The experimental results validated a mathematical model which numerically evaluates the Lang-Kobayahsi coupled differential equations. The model simulated the nonlinear behavior of a …


Investigation Of The Optical Properties Of Ordered Semiconductor Materials, Jack E. Mccrae Jr. Jan 1997

Investigation Of The Optical Properties Of Ordered Semiconductor Materials, Jack E. Mccrae Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Optical studies have been conducted upon CdGeAs2 and ZnGeP2, two of the most promising semiconductors being developed for mid-infrared non-linear optics applications. These experiments included photoluminescence (PL) studies of both compounds as well as photoreflectance (PR) measurements upon CdGeAs2. In addition, Hall effect measurements were carried out upon CdGeAs2, to aid in interpretation of the optical data. PL was measured as a function of laser power, sample temperature, and crystal orientation for CdGeAs2. One broad weak peak near 0.38 eV, and another somewhat narrower and often far brighter peak near 0.57 …


Design Of Gradient Index Optical Thin Films, Jeffrey J. Druessel Jun 1996

Design Of Gradient Index Optical Thin Films, Jeffrey J. Druessel

Theses and Dissertations

Gradient index thin films provide greater flexibility for the design of optical coatings than the more conventional 'layer' films. In addition, gradient index films have higher damage thresholds and better adhesion properties. This dissertation presents an enhancement to the existing inverse Fourier transform gradient index design method, and develops a new optimal design method for gradient index films using a generalized Fourier series approach. The inverse Fourier transform method is modified to include use of the phase of the index profile as a variable in rugate filter design. Use of an optimal phase function in Fourier-based filter designs reduces the …


Photoluminescence And Electroluminescence Of Erbium And Neodymium Implanted Semiconductors, James R. Hunter Dec 1995

Photoluminescence And Electroluminescence Of Erbium And Neodymium Implanted Semiconductors, James R. Hunter

Theses and Dissertations

Low temperature photoluminescence (PL) and electroluminescence (EL) measurements were used to study the excitation of erbium- and neodymium-implanted GaAs and AlxGa1-xAs (x=0. 1, 0.3) pn-junctions. The rare-earth (RE) emissions were investigated as a function of ion dose, aluminum mole fraction, laser excitation power, and applied forward bias voltage for the implanted samples. Low temperature PL was also measured from Er doped silicon grown by the metalorganic chemical vapor-phase deposition (MOCVD) method using various growth parameters.. The MOCVD-grown Si samples were studied as a function of metalorganic source temperature, silane (SiH4) flow, growth time, and …


Optical Characterization Of Indium Arsenide Antimonide Semiconductors Grown By Molecular Beam Epitaxy, Michael A. Marciniak Sep 1995

Optical Characterization Of Indium Arsenide Antimonide Semiconductors Grown By Molecular Beam Epitaxy, Michael A. Marciniak

Theses and Dissertations

The material parameters and crystalline quality of undoped, MBE-grown InAs1-xSbx nearly lattice-matched to (100) GaSb (-0.617% ≤ Δ a-a ≤ +0.708%) similar to material used for mid-infrared semiconductor lasers were determined by optical characterization. Absorption measurements at temperatures between 6-295 K determined the energy gap and wavelength-dependent absorption coefficient for each sample. The compositional dependence of the energy gap was anomalous when compared to previously reported data, suggesting phase separation existed in the material. The samples were also studied by temperature- and excitation-dependent photoluminescence (PL), which, for the majority of cases, showed only a single band-edge peak, …


The Excitation Mechanism Of Praseodymium-Doped Semiconductors, Paul L. Thee Jun 1994

The Excitation Mechanism Of Praseodymium-Doped Semiconductors, Paul L. Thee

Theses and Dissertations

This study on praseodymium Pr luminescence in AlxGa1-xAs was conducted to enhance the understanding of the excitation mechanism. Pr was implanted at 390 keV with doses from 5 x 1012 to 5 x 1013 sq cm into AlxGa1-xAs x0.0 to 0.50 wafers which were annealed using the rapid thermal annealing RTA method. Low temperature photoluminescence PL was conducted using an Ar-ion laser and Ge detector. PL emissions of Pr from all hosts include peaks near 1.3 and 1.6 µm which are assigned to the intra-4f transitions of 1G4 yielding 3H5 …


The Effects Of Optical Feedback On Polarization Of Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers, Gregory J. Vansuch Dec 1993

The Effects Of Optical Feedback On Polarization Of Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers, Gregory J. Vansuch

Theses and Dissertations

Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers VCSELs are a type of semiconductor laser with a cavity oriented orthogonally to the planes of material growth. These lasers differ from conventional edge emitting lasers in several important ways. They have symmetric output beams and they are easily built into two dimensional arrays, making them very attractive as photonic components. The characteristic of interest in this thesis is polarization. While the asymmetric cavities of edge emitters exhibit a clear preference for light polarized in a particular direction, the cylindrically symmetric cavity of a VCSEL has no clear preference. Therefore, it should be relatively easy …


Design And Performance Evaluation Of A Gas Chromatograph Micromachined In A Single Crystal Silicon Substrate, Rocky R. Reston Mar 1993

Design And Performance Evaluation Of A Gas Chromatograph Micromachined In A Single Crystal Silicon Substrate, Rocky R. Reston

Theses and Dissertations

This investigation designed and developed a miniature gas chromatograph (GC) using silicon micromachining techniques. The GC is composed of a miniature sample injector (10 µl sample loop); a 0.9 m long, rectangular-shaped (300 µm width and 10 micrometers height) capillary column coated with a 0.2 µm thick copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) stationary phase; and a dual-detector scheme incorporating a CuPc-coated chemiresistor and a 125 µm diameter thermal conductivity detector bead. Micromachining was employed to fabricate the sample injector interface, the GC column, and the dual-detector cavity. A novel processing technique was developed to sublime the CuPc stationary phase coating on the …