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Development Of Group Iii-V Quantum Confinement-Enabled Detectors: Bias-Tunable Quantum Well Infrared Photodetector (Qwip) And Quantum Dot Scintillation Detector (Qdsd), Gyana R. Biswal

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This dissertation discloses the physics, fabrication, characterization, and analysis of two novel types of group III-V semiconductor detectors relying on quantum confinement of carriers, namely voltage-tunable quantum well infrared photodetectors (QWIP) and a high-yield ultrafast quantum dot scintillation detector (QDSD). Both QWIP and QDSD heterostructures presented here were grown on 3” GaAs (001) substrates using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE).

A major part of the dissertation focuses on development of the voltage-tunable QWIPs targeting detection in the mid-wave infrared region (MWIR) (3μm -5μm) and long-wave infrared region (LWIR) (8μm -12μm) with control of sensitivity by the applied bias. The QWIPs utilize …

Backgrounds And Efficiencies For Low-Energy Searches, And Improved Calibration Techniques In The Lux-Zeplin Dark Matter Experiment, Gregory M. Blockinger

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The full understanding of dark matter has eluded physicists for many years. While there is abundant astrophysical evidence across many scales, the exact nature of this matter, which comprises about 25% of the Universe’s energy density, remains unknown. Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) are one of the leading theoretical candidates, and numerous ex- periments have searched for their interactions. In recent decades, dual-phase Time Projection Chambers (TPCs) have become the leading technology in this search. The LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) detector is one such xenon-based experiment, operating nearly a mile underground in the Black Hills of South Dakota at the Sanford Underground …

Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment Data Caching With Frontier, Alexander Rahe

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is an unprecedented long baseline neutrino experiment that aims to measure various neutrino mixing parameters. With state-of-the-art technology, DUNE will measure neutrino mixing angles (θ13, θ12, θ23) and a Charge-Parity (CP) violating phase (δcp) with precision and will determine the elusive mass ordering. In order to accomplish these goals, scientists all over the world must have quick and reliable access to the data provided by the DUNE detectors. The data caching system known as Frontier is a distributed database caching system that was previously used in other large particle physics experiments for this purpose. …

Optical Properties Of Rare Earth Doped Molybdenum Trioxide Thin Films, Jessica Fink

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This study aims to investigate the optical properties of Dy-doped MoO₃ thin films. MoO₃ is a transition metal oxide that is wide band gap semiconductor. As a transition-metal oxide, it has been widely studied for its tunable properties. However, there is little literature on the subject of Dysprosium doped MoO₃, and none found as of now on thin film Dy-MoO₃ . This indicates that this topic is at best under reported, and thin film Dy-MoO₃ possesses a certain novelty. Unlike most transition metal oxides, undoped MoO₃ has a negligible crystal field splitting. This is due to the electron vacancy of …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Doped Rare-Earth Zinc Alloys, Partha Das

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Rare-Earth-Zinc (RE-Zn) alloys doped with manganese represent a promising class of materials with diverse applications in magnetic, electronic, and thermoelectric devices. These alloys hold significant potential owing to the unique combination of rare-earth elements' properties with the versatility of zinc, augmented by manganese doping. In this study, I present the successful synthesis of ErMn_0.2Zn_11.8 alloys, achieved through self-flux method. The synthesized crystals were characterized using electron dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and single crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD). Additionally, magnetic measurements were performed to investigate the magnetic properties. Future plans include DFT calculations and comparison study between Rare-Earth-Zinc alloys with …

Exploring Physics Teacher Identity: Pathways Toward Equitable Instruction Among Teachers, Clausell Mathis, Jomo Mutegi, Turhan Carroll, Maya Patel, Andrea Wooley

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Physics teacher identity encompasses teachers' beliefs and views toward being a physics teacher. Physics teacher identity is influenced by teachers' perspectives on physics teaching and learning. Previous studies on teacher identity in general suggest that the construct is complex and malleable. Studies further suggest that it influences instructional methods, student engagement, and classroom environment. However, within physics education, there has yet to be an examination of how physics teacher identity influences "equitable" teaching approaches. This qualitative study sought to identify various dimensions of physics teacher identity and its implications for physics education research. We interviewed secondary and postsecondary physics teachers …

Eulerian Smoke Simulation With Multiple Fields, Diyang Zhang

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

Fluid simulation is a cornerstone of computer graphics, enabling the realistic depiction of dynamic phenomena such as smoke, fire, and other gaseous behaviours. This thesis focuses on advancing Eulerian smoke simulation techniques, with a particular emphasis on grid-based simulations that capture intricate vortical structures and fine visual details.

We propose several detail-preserving frameworks that incorporate various scalar and vector fields within the simulation pipeline, including velocity, impulse, and Lamb vectors, along with their decompositions and transformed representations. By mathematically analyzing the properties of impulse, we derive its scalar fields decomposition (ImpSFD), which introduces an alternative numerical interpretation, and Vortex-Particles in …

Dosimetric Validation Of An Electron Monte Carlo (Emc) Algorithm For Small Cutouts And Extended Ssd’S: Assessing Emc In Small Field Dosimetry, Anil Basavaaraju

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis validates the accuracy and limitations of Electron Monte Carlo (eMC) simulations in Eclipse treatment planning systems for small-field electron dosimetry and extended source-to-surface distances (SSDs). Systematic measurements were performed using a microDiamond detector across various electron energies and field sizes. The study examines the discrepancies between measured and calculated (eMC) dose distributions, validating challenges due to lateral scatter disequilibrium and extended air gaps. Our findings provide systematic data for eMC dose calculations and demonstrate that eMC performs within clinical tolerances, with the ultimate goal of enhancing the precision and safety of radiation treatments.

Periodic Trends In The Electronic And Magnetic Structure Of Superatomic 3d Transition Metal Chalcogenide Clusters, Gabriel Bohannon

Theses and Dissertations

We have systematically investigated the electronic structure of octahedral transition metal chalcogenide clusters, TM₆S₈(CO)₆, in which the transition metal atoms are from the 3d series in order to identify if periodic properties emerge. We were motivated by the identification of closed electronic shells with electron counts of 96, 100 and 114 in similar clusters from the 4d and 5d transition metal series. Further motivation was the finding of a dual-shell closing in the Fe₆S₈(CN)₆^5- cluster. This cluster is stabilized with a large spin magnetic moment due to the …

Establishing A Conventional Linac-Based Electron Flash Beam, Justin Defrancisco

Theses and Dissertations

Problems: A rediscovered radiotherapy technique, FLASH, involves increasing the dose rate to >40 Gy/s. For a given dose, FLASH is shown to decrease the normal tissue complication probability without affecting the tumor control probability. More preclinical studies are necessary to confirm and enable these desirable properties on humans. Current preclinical investigations have diverse constraints, requiring FLASH apparatuses with flexible parameters and accurate control. However, there are limited FLASH platforms available, the existing ones are costly. Our institution is not in possession of any such infrastructure. Even if available, dosimetry and beam control in FLASH are extremely lacking. There is …

Size Dependent Thermodynamic Properties Of Dppc, Zhenghao Pan

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study explores the viability of measuring the melting transition behavior in a simple unilamellar vesicle (LUV/SUV) liposome (DPPC surfactant) system using size data from Dy- namic Light Scattering (DLS). The melting transition of phospholipid membranes has been a focal point of studies in biological systems. Conventionally, the transition temperature of a membrane system is measured using either spectroscopy or Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). By assuming that the bilayer volume is conserved, it is shown that DLS provides a transition signal comparable to that of DSC and aligns with known data. The data are fit- ted using Van’t Hoff’s equation. …

Characterization Of A Large-Scale Electrohydrodynamic Vortex Confinement Flow For Particle Agglomeration, Sanjay Dangi

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

With industrialization and the increasing use of microplastics and nanoparticle-based products, the concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the biosphere has increased due to the disposal of manufacturing waste and expired parts. If inhaled, PM2.5 can have detrimental health effects, as these particles can travel deep into the lungs and even penetrate blood vessels. Conventional fabric filters used for indoor air quality control have drawbacks, including the need for periodic filter replacement and a high-pressure drop across the filter over time, which leads to increased power consumption. In power plants, electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) are primarily used to collect fly …

Experimental Demonstration Of A Metallic Sub-Terahertz Structure For High-Gradient, High-Efficiency Acceleration, Brendan Leung

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Future accelerator facilities are increasingly constrained by the cost and footprint of conventional radiofrequency technology. Advancing both accelerating gradient and beam-to-wake energy transfer efficiency in the sub-terahertz (sub-THz) regime offers a credible path toward compact machines. Short wavelengths strengthen beam–structure coupling and enable small-aperture, high-impedance geometries; paired with tailored drive-beam current profiles, they can simultaneously raise gradient and transformer ratio.

This dissertation reports the design, fabrication, and beam testing of a sub-THz structure-wakefield accelerating (SWFA) device evaluated at the Argonne Wakefield Accelerator (AWA). The emittance-exchange (EEX) beamline was used to generate prescribed longitudinal current profiles in two modes: (i) a …

Sensitivity Studies Of Vector-Like Quark (Vlq) Pair Production In The Full-Hadronic Channel At The High-Luminosity Large Hadron Collider (Hl-Lhc) And A 10 Tev Muon Collider, Olabisi Olayinka

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Vector-like quarks (VLQs) appear in various extensions of the Standard Model that consider a new strongly interacting sector to resolve the fine-tuning problem. These new particles can provide radiative corrections to the Higgs mass while also having electroweak-singlet masses. This latter property would allow them to escape existing constraints from Higgs boson measurements and electroweak precision data, which disfavor the existence of a fourth generation of quarks.

VLQ can be produced at colliders, with a variety of production modes and decay mechanisms open for study. In this work, we investigate the pair production of VLQ Tops (T), which are assumed …

Effects Of A-Site Cation Structure And B-Site Metal On Optical And Electronic Properties Of 2d Ruddlesden-Popper Phase Tin-Based Hybrid Perovskites, Henry Pruett

Theses and Dissertations--Chemistry

Organic metal halide perovskites (HPs) are attractive materials for a variety of electronic applications due to their low cost, tunable band gaps, excellent charge transport properties, and high photoluminescence efficiency. As such, HPs are being investigated for use in solar cells, photodetectors, X-ray detectors, light emitting diodes, field effect transistors, lasers, resistive random-access memory, etc. Currently the most popular metal used in HPs is lead, but the use of lead comes with the potential for heavy metal exposure. Tin-based perovskites offer a less hazardous alternative, but their optoelectronic properties lag behind those of lead and less work has been done …

X-Ray Standing-Wave Fluorescence Study Of The Interaction Of An Anti-Microbial Peptide With A Supported Phospholipid Bilayer, Gobind Basnet

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

To understand the mechanism by which anti-microbial peptide penetrates biological membranes,the study uses artificial supported lipid bilayers (SLBs) deposited on solid substrates. These bilayers were prepared from a lipid mixture of 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3- phosphocholine (DMPC)and 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-(1’-rac-glycerol (DMPG) in a 10:1 molar ratio and were incubated both with and without indolicidin. Additionally, bilayers were studied after incubation with a labeled form of indolicidin, which involved attaching a 1.8 nm diameter gold nanoparticle to the peptide’s terminal arginine group.

X-ray reflectivity (XRR) was employed to identify structural differences between SLBsincubated with indolicidin and those without it. The introduction of gold labeling facilitated the …

Optimization Of Derivation Jobs And Modernization Of I/O Integration Tests For The Atlas Epxeriment, Arthur Charles Kraus

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The High-Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) is a phase of the LHC that is expected to start toward the end of the decade. With this comes an increase in data taken per year that current software and computing infrastructure, including I/O, is being prepared to handle. The ATLAS experiment's Software Performance Optimization Team has areas in development to improve the Athena software framework that is scalable in performance and ready for wide-spread HL-LHC era data taking. One area of interest is optimization of derivation production jobs by improving derived object data stored to disk by about 4-5% by eliminating the upper-limit on …

Monte Carlo Modeling Of Spin Polarized Photoemission From Gaas At Low Temperatures And Positive Electron Affinity Surfaces, John Rison Callahan

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Research and development of new photocathode materials are essential to the continuing success and productivity of accelerator technology. High-quality photocathodes characterized by high quantum efficiencies, long lifetimes, low mean transverse energies, and robustness to vacuum environments and operation loads are becoming increasingly essential to the successful operation of the next generation of high brightness accelerator applications. For nuclear and high-energy physics experiments and other applications that rely on spin-polarized electron beams, photocathodes must also demonstrate high electron spin polarizations. The development of state of-the-art spin-polarized photocathodes will require both development of methods to improve the quality of already existing cathode …

Linking Empirical Data And Numerical Simulation To Characterize Dynamic Fire Behavior Associated With Interacting Firelines, Marta Sergeevna Jerebets

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Understanding fuel pattern-fire process relationships is key for predicting fire behavior and effects with follow-on benefits to proactive fire management and model validation. To characterize dynamic fire behavior, this thesis leverages empirical data and numerical simulation through two complementary studies.

In the first study, longwave thermal sensors aboard unmanned aerial systems (UAS) were used to capture fine-scale fire behavior in two experimental grass burns. A novel paired design was used to quantify the effects of fuel arrangement on fire behavior with 3.66 m diameter treatments cut to a height of 0.15 m. The treatments ephemerally reduced fire rate of spread …

Vaim-Cff: A Variational Autoencoder Inverse Mapper Solution To Compton Form Factor Extraction From Deeply Virtual Compton Scattering, Manal Almaeen, Tareq Alghamdi, Brandon Kriesten, Douglas Adams, Yaohang Li, Huey-Wen Lin, Simonetta Liuti

Computer Science Faculty Publications

We develop a new methodology for extracting Compton form factors (CFFs) from deeply virtual exclusive reactions such as the unpolarized DVCS cross section using a specialized inverse problem solver, a variational autoencoder inverse mapper (VAIM). The VAIM-CFF framework not only allows us access to a fitted solution set possibly containing multiple solutions in the extraction of all 8 CFFs from a single cross section measurement, but also accesses the lost information contained in the forward mapping from CFFs to cross section. We investigate various assumptions and their effects on the predicted CFFs such as cross section organization, number of extracted …

Ai For Nuclear Physics: The Exclaim Project, S. Liuti, D. Adams, M. Boër, G. W. Chern, M. Cuic, M. Engelhardt, G. R. Goldstein, B. Kriesten, Y. Li, H. W. Lin, M. Sievert, D. Sivers

Computer Science Faculty Publications

An overview of the recent activity of the newly funded EXCLusives with AI and Machine learning (EXCLAIM) collaboration is presented. The main goal of the collaboration is to develop a framework to implement AI and machine learning techniques in problems emerging from the phenomenology of high energy exclusive scattering processes from nucleons and nuclei, maximizing the information that can be extracted from various sets of experimental data, while implementing theoretical constraints from lattice QCD. A specific perspective embraced by EXCLAIM is to use the methods of theoretical physics to understand the working of ML, beyond its standardized applications to physics …

Doping Hybrid Photopolymerisable Glass With Bodipy Photosensitiser: An Efficient Approach To Improve Uv-Resistance, Luca Sorridente, Tatsiana Mikulchyk, Metodej Dvoracek, Mikhail A. Filatov, Izabela Naydenova, Kevin P. Murphy

Conference Papers

The development of photosensitive materials with improved performance and extended functionality is crucial for advancing holographic technologies. This study presents the modification and characterization of a recently reported photopolymerisable glass composition, focusing on achieving an optimal balance between maximizing photosensitivity of the material during recording and minimizing the impact of UV light on the performance of the recorded holographic structure. Building on these findings, the ultimate goal is to develop UV-resistant holographic optical elements for wavefront sensing in space applications. The research approach is based on introducing a photosensitiser with weaker UV absorption than the typically used in this material …

Boundary Conditions, Symmetries, And Bootstrap In 2d Conformal Field Theory, Yucong Cai

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This dissertation contains two parts of study on the Friedan states and on the conformal bootstrap with symmetries.

The Friedan states are potential physical boundary states of the free boson. However, they exhibited a continuous spectrum in the open string sector, in contrast to more standard examples. The explicit expressions for the density of states of the Friedan states is obtained. Some pathologies and possible contradictions of these states are explored. The $g$ functions of the Friedan states are shown to be infinite, suggesting an infinite number of degrees of freedom in the theory.

The modular conformal bootstrap using the …

Investigation Of A Busemann Intake At Negative Angle Of Attack, Mark E. Noftz, Andrew N. Bustard, Nicholas J. Bisek, Thomas J. Juliano, Joseph S. Jewell

Publications

A high-speed, shape-transitioned, inward-turning intake was tested in Purdue’s Boeing/AFOSR Mach 6 Quiet Tunnel. The inlet model, called the Indiana Inlet (INlet), had a total contraction ratio of 4.68:1 and a design point of Mach 6 at 0° angle of attack. The model was outfitted with a suite of high-frequency pressure transducers, and the external flowfield was imaged with high-speed schlieren photography. The INlet was tested under low freestream disturbance levels for a variety of freestream unit Reynolds numbers and at-4° angle of attack. An unsteady shockwave near the leading edge of the inlet forebody, indicative of boundary layer separation, …

Jack Reacher And The Deployment Of An Airbag, Gregory A. Dilisi, Richard A. Rarick

2025 Faculty Bibliography

No abstract provided.

Radioactive Seed Localization For The Resection Of Nonpalpable Breast Lesions, Katherine Ward

All ETDs from UAB

Accurate localization of malignant tissues is critical in breast cancer treatment to ensure effective therapy while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissues. Radioactive seed localization, specifically using Iodine-125 (I-125), is a prominent method due to its precision and minimally invasive nature. However, this technique poses a risk of radiation exposure to adjacent healthy tissues. This study aims to quantify the radiation dose to healthy breast tissue from I-125 seed implantation by employing two distinct computational approaches: a hemisphere breast model in MATLAB and Monte Carlo simulations in Mathematica. The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Task Group 43 (TG- …

Atomic Physics For Everyone: An Introduction To Atomic Physics, Quantum Mechanics, And Precision Spectroscopy With No College-Level Prerequisites, Will Raven

Open Educational Resources: Textbooks

This open access textbook introduces beginning undergraduate students and high school students to the world of quantum mechanics and atomic spectroscopy. Requiring no previous knowledge of physics and no math beyond basic algebra and sines and cosines, this book focuses on concepts to make the excitement of atomic physics more accessible for learners than ever before. It comes replete with learning goals, exercises and solutions, and an optional experimental component, making this text readily adoptable for both the classroom and the undergraduate lab. The book takes the reader on a lively and engaging tour through topics at the forefront of …

Interplay Between Computational Techniques And Quantum Theory: Advancing Quantum Chaos And Quantum Error Correction, Refaat Ismail

Theses and Dissertations--Physics and Astronomy

This dissertation investigates computational techniques addressing critical problems arising within quantum chaos and quantum error correction (QEC). First, we investigate quantum dynamics via the Lanczos algorithm, establishing how its computational features — branching patterns, convergence, and complexity saturation — relate to physical properties like spectral statistics and operator matrix elements. We derive a formula connecting Lanczos coefficients to spectral densities for two-branched Lanczos sequences, revealing how branching patterns encode level repulsion—a hallmark of quantum chaos. Furthermore, we develop an analytic framework predicting Krylov complexity saturation from static system properties alone. Specifically, we decompose the saturation value into a spectral density-dependent …

Laser–Assisted Free–Free (Laff) Electron Scattering: An Elastic Angular Distribution In Argon And The Use Of A Novel Pulsed-Laser Multipass System In Laff Experiments, Charles M. Weaver

Theses and Dissertations--Physics and Astronomy

Laser–assisted free–free experiments investigate the emission or absorption of photons when an electron scatters from an atom in the presence of a laser field.

We measured the relative differential cross sections for 350 eV electrons scattered by an argon target in the presence of 1.17 eV photons from a Nd:YAG laser. The angular distribution for elastically scattered 350 eV electrons was measured over scattering angles from 4◦ to 80◦. This distribution exhibits a pronounced maximum near 47◦ and is symmetric about this angle, as predicted by a Kroll–Watson approximation (KWA) calculation for the experimental kinematics. These measurements directly test a …

Quantum Hall Phases In Monolayer Graphene, Jincheng An

Theses and Dissertations--Physics and Astronomy

In the presence of a perpendicular magnetic field, monolayer graphene at and near charge neutrality forms a quantum Hall ferromagnet—a correlated electronic state where the interplay of interactions, spin, and valley degrees of freedom leads to spontaneous symmetry breaking. While the dominant Coulomb interaction has $SU(4)$ symmetry, the ground state is ultimately determined by subdominant terms: residual lattice-scale anisotropic interactions, Zeeman, and sublattice couplings. Relaxing the ultra-short-range limit of anisotropic interactions unveils diverse symmetry-breaking phases in both integer and fractional quantum Hall regimes. Haldane pseudopotentials, which quantify interactions between particle pairs with fixed relative angular momentum, provide a readily parameterizable …