Materials Science and Engineering Commons^™

Transition-Metal Ions In Β-Ga2O3 Crystals: Identification Of Ni Acceptors, Timothy D. Gustafson, Nancy C. Giles, Brian C. Holloway, J. Jesenovec, B. L. Dutton, M. D. Mccluskey, Larry E. Halliburton

Faculty Publications

Excerpt: Transition-metal ions (Ni, Cu, and Zn) in β-Ga₂O₃ crystals form deep acceptor levels in the lower half of the bandgap. In the present study, we characterize the Ni acceptors in a Czochralski-grown crystal and find that their (0/−) level is approximately 1.40 eV above the maximum of the valence band.

Experimental Evidence That Shear Bands In Metallic Glasses Nucleate Like Cracks, Alan A. Long, Wendelin Wright, Xiaojun Gu, Anna Thackray, Mayisha Nakib, Jonathan T. Uhl, Karin A. Dahmen

Faculty Journal Articles

Highly time-resolved mechanical measurements, modeling, and simulations show that large shear bands in bulk metallic glasses nucleate in a manner similar to cracks. When small slips reach a nucleation size, the dynamics changes and the shear band rapidly grows to span the entire sample. Smaller nucleation sizes imply lower ductility. Ductility can be increased by increasing the nucleation size relative to the maximum (“cutoff”) shear band size at the upper edge of the power law scaling range of their size distribution. This can be achieved in three ways: (1) by increasing the nucleation size beyond this cutoff size of the …

Magnetism In Doped And Hybrid Two – Dimensional Transition Metal Dichalcogenides, Nalaka Kapuruge

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, spintronics has gained increasing interest due to the possibility of storing and processing information through the manipulation of both the charge and spin of an electron. Dilute magnetic semiconductors are ideal for the fabrication of such devices as they display carrier-mediated ferromagnetism which allows the electronic control of magnetism. Transferring these properties into the two-dimensional (2D) realm is very attractive for both fundamental research and novel applications. The recent discovery of long-range magnetic order in 2D materials has attracted a growing effort in the search for new functional 2D materials that can display ferromagnetic properties at room-temperature. …

Optimizing Switching Of Non-Linear Properties With Hyperbolic Metamaterials, James A. Ethridge, John G. Jones, Manuel R. Ferdinandus, Michael J. Havrilla, Michael A. Marciniak

Faculty Publications

Hyperbolic metamaterials have been demonstrated to have special potential in their linear response, but the extent of their non-linear response has not been extensively modeled or measured. In this work, novel non-linear behavior of an ITO/SiO₂ layered hyperbolic metamaterial is modeled and experimentally confirmed, specifically a change in the sign of the non-linear absorption with intensity. This behavior is tunable and can be achieved with a simple one-dimensional layered design. Fabrication was performed with physical vapor deposition, and measurements were conducted using the Z-scan technique. Potential applications include tunable optical switches, optical limiters, and tunable components of laser sources.

Oxygen Vacancies In Lib3O5 Crystals And Their Role In Nonlinear Absorption, Brian C. Holloway, Christopher A. Lenyk, Timothy D. Gustafson, Nancy C. Giles

Faculty Publications

LiB₃O₅ (LBO) crystals are used to generate the second, third, and fourth harmonics of near-infrared solid-state lasers. At high power levels, the material’s performance is adversely affected by nonlinear absorption. We show that as-grown crystals contain oxygen and lithium vacancies. Transient absorption bands are formed when these intrinsic defects serve as traps for “free” electrons and holes created by x rays or by three- and four-photon absorption processes. Trapped electrons introduce a band near 300 nm and trapped holes produce bands in the 500-600 nm region. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) is used to identify and characterize the …

Investigation Of Adhesion, Deformation Mechanics, And Electrical Properties Of Ag/Sio2/Pdms Tri-Layers For Stretchable Electronic Applications, Rhandy Joe Paladines

Theses and Dissertations

The motivation behind this research is to improve the interfacial layer bonding of metallic thin films to PDMS substrates with the aid of a buffer layer. The physical vapor deposition (PVD) technique of sputtering was used to deposit bilayer thin films of silver (Ag) and silicon dioxide (SiO2) on PDMS. Two chamber pressures were used in this work, 5 and 20 mTorr, to investigate the role of this parameter in determining the interfacial adhesion and the role in determining the resistance sensitivity. Studies of the surface energy and increased bonding strength for metallization are carried out. Surface characterization using atomic …

Pulsed Lased Deposition Of Single-Crystalline (001) Oriented Pb(Zr0.5t0.5)O3 Thin Film On Prsco3 Substrate, Mahamudu H. Mtebwa, Nava Setter

Tanzania Journal of Science

High quality thin films are important for domain engineering applications such as on-volatile memory applications. Single crystalline (001) oriented Pb (Zr0.5T0.5)O3 thin films have been grown by pulsed laser deposition on PrScO3 with strontium ruthenate (SRO) electrodes. Thin films were prepared from PZT ceramic targets with 15% excess PbO to compensate for lead loss at high deposition temperature. Layer by layer/step flow growth mode observed on AFM images has been realised by using a single terminated PrScO3 substrate as well as optimized deposition parameters. XRD measurements have confirmed the highly (001) oriented tetragonal symmetry. Furthermore, analysis conducted using piezoresponse force …

Effects Of Multilayer Structure On The Microstructure And Optical Properties Of The Dc Sputtered Chromium Thin Films For Selective Solar Absorber Applications, Justine J. Tibaijuka, Margaret E. Samiji, Mmantsae Diale, Nuru R. Mlyuka

Tanzania Journal of Science

Chromium thin films exhibit several properties that make them potential for solar thermal applications. In this work the effect of film thickness and sputtering power based multilayer structure on the optical properties of DC sputtered chromium thin films is reported. The structural, topological, and optical properties of these films were determined by X-ray diffractometer, Atomic Force Microscopy, and Ultraviolet-Visible-Near Infrared spectrophotometer, respectively. XRD spectra revealed a single peak with preferential orientation of (200) and (210) for single layer and multilayer chromium films, respectively. The grain size and roughness were relatively higher for the multilayer compared to single layer Chromium films. …

Developing Positive Thermal Coefficient (Ptc) Heaters For Solar Electric Cooking, Katarina Ivana Brekalo, Andrew Shepherd

Physics

Positive Thermal Coefficients, PTCs, are materials that abruptly change in resistance in response to changes in temperature. The purpose of this experiment is to explore the viability of using the switching type ceramic PTC thermistor as a replacement for current resistive heaters. These types of PTCs have a nonlinear change in resistance with increases in temperature. This device will be used as a temperature-controlling heating element intended to power an Insulated Solar Electric Cooker (ISEC). The ISEC is designed to cook meals throughout the day for impacted communities as an alternative cooking method that doesn’t require biofuel as an energy …

Coupled Oscillators: Protein And Acoustics, Angelique N. Mcfarlane

Theses

This work encompassed three different vibrational energy transfer studies of coupled resonators (metal, topological, and microtubule comparison) inspired by the lattices of microtubules from regular and cancerous cells. COMSOL Multiphysics 5.4 was utilized to design the experiment. The simulation starts with an acoustic pressure study to examine the vibrational modes present in coupled cylinders, representing α-, β-tubulin heterodimers. The Metal Study consisted of 3 models (monomer, dimer, and trimer) to choose the correct height (40 mm) and mode (Mode 1) for study. The Topological Study was run to predict and understand how the lattice structure changes over a parametric sweep …

Plasmonic Nanomaterials-Based Point-Of-Care Biosensors, Rohit Gupta

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Point-of-care (POC) biosensors, although rapid and easy-to-use, are orders magnitude less sensitive than laboratory-based tests. Further they are plagued by poor stability of recognition element thus limiting its widespread applicability in resource-limited settings. Therefore, there is a critical need for realizing stable POC biosensors with sensitivity comparable to gold-standard laboratory-based tests. This challenge constitutes the fundamental basis of this dissertation work– to expand access to quality and accurate biodiagnostic tools. At the heart of these solutions lies plasmonic nanoparticles which exhibit unique optical properties which are attractive for label-free and labelled biosensors.Firstly, we improve the stability and applicability of label-free …

Study Of Single-Photon Wave-Packets With Atomically Thin Nonlinear Mirrors, Christopher Klenke

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A novel controlled phase gate for photonic quantum computing is proposed by exploiting the powerful nonlinear optical responses of atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) and it is shown that such a gate could elicit a π-rad phase shift in the outgoing electric field only in the case of two incident photons and no other cases. Firstly, the motivation for such a gate is developed and then the implementation of monolayer TMDs is presented as a solution to previous realization challenges. The single-mode case of incident photons upon a TMD is derived and is then used to constrain the more …

A Comparison Of Uniaxial Compressive Response And Inelastic Deformation Mechanisms In Freeze Cast Alumina-Epoxy Composites Without And With Rigid Confinement, Tareq Aljuhari

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Cellular ceramics have an array of improved mechanical properties that make them incredibly desired for different applications such as armor systems, aircraft structures, automobiles bumpers, and biomedical implants. It is also desirable that porous architecture could be shaped into bulk complicated shapes and easy to scale-up with low manufacturing cost. Despite several efficient techniques to fabricate cellular ceramics, some limitations are preventing us from meeting the high demand of the after mentioned applications. For that, freeze casting, also called ice-templating, is technique of solidifying an aqueous ceramic suspension under the effect of unidirectional temperature gradient. In this study, Ice-templated porous …

Multi-Technique Characterization Of Superconducting Materials For Particle Accelerator Applications, Junki Makita

Physics Theses & Dissertations

We investigated the performance limitations of superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) cavities and materials using multiple experimental techniques. In particular, this study focuses on understanding the surface properties of nitrogen-doped Nb cavities and superconducting thin films with higher T_c such as Nb₃Sn. The main goal of this work is to use different techniques to better understand each aspect of the complex loss mechanism in superconductors to further improve the already highly efficient SRF cavities.

Nitrogen doping applied to a Nb SRF cavity significantly improves the quality factor Q₀ compared to a conventional Nb cavity, at an expense of …

Subwavelength Engineering Of Silicon Photonic Waveguides, Farhan Bin Tarik

All Dissertations

The dissertation demonstrates subwavelength engineering of silicon photonic waveguides in the form of two different structures or avenues: (i) a novel ultra-low mode area v-groove waveguide to enhance light-matter interaction; and (ii) a nanoscale sidewall crystalline grating performed as physical unclonable function to achieve hardware and information security. With the advancement of modern technology and modern supply chain throughout the globe, silicon photonics is set to lead the global semiconductor foundries, thanks to its abundance in nature and a mature and well-established industry. Since, the silicon waveguide is the heart of silicon photonics, it can be considered as the core …

Quantum-Mechanical Evaluation Of Defects In Uranium-Bearing Materials, Megan Hoover

All Dissertations

Quantum-mechanical calculations using density functional theory with the generalized gradient approximation were employed to investigate the effects dopants have on the uranium dioxide (UO₂) structure. Uraninite is a common U⁴⁺ mineral in the Earth's crust and an important material used to produce energy and medical isotopes. Though the incorporation mechanism remains unclear, divalent cations are known to incorporate into the uranium dioxide system. Three charge-balancing mechanisms were evaluated to achieve a net neutral system, including the substitution of (1) a divalent cation for a tetravalent uranium atom and oxygen atom; (2) two divalent cations for a tetravalent …

Hierarchically Structured Photoelectrodes Via Atomic Layer Deposition, Justin Rowan Reed Demoulpied

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the search for a sustainable method to meet increasing energy needs, solar energy emerges as an underutilized, plentiful resource. Solar intermittency and requirements for transportation necessitate storing solar energy in the form of chemical bonds via artificial photosynthesis. Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting generates hydrogen fuel from solar energy and water. A semiconducting material that successfully meets the complex requirements for building an industrially scalable PEC device has yet to emerge. This is leading to a reevaluation of materials previously overlooked within PEC research, mainly materials with limitations such as minimal charge carrier mobility and propensity to corrosion under illumination …

Controlled Manipulation Of Droplets On Fibers: Fundamentals And Printing Applications, Yueming Sun

All Dissertations

In this dissertation, the drop interactions with a single fiber is discussed under an application angle for the development on new Drop-on-Demand (DOD) printhead using a fiber-in-a-tube platform[1] to print highly viscous materials[2]. To control the drop formation and manipulation on fiber, one needs to know how the fiber wetting properties and the fiber diameter influence drop formation. And then, one needs to know the effects of fiber movement in the device on drop formation. These two questions constitute the main theme of this dissertation.

Before this study, it was accepted that the liquids could not form axisymmetric droplets if …

61st Annual Rocky Mountain Conference On Magnetic Resonance

Rocky Mountain Conference on Magnetic Resonance

Final program, abstracts, and information about the 61st annual meeting of the Rocky Mountain Conference on Magnetic Resonance, co-endorsed by the Colorado Section of the American Chemical Society and the Society for Applied Spectroscopy. Held in Copper Mountain, Colorado, July 25-29, 2022.

Bbt Acoustic Alternative Top Bracing Cadd Data Set-Norev-2022jun28, Bill Hemphill

STEM Guitar Project’s BBT Acoustic Kit

This electronic document file set consists of an overview presentation (PDF-formatted) file and companion video (MP4) and CADD files (DWG & DXF) for laser cutting the ETSU-developed alternate top bracing designs and marking templates for the STEM Guitar Project’s BBT (OM-sized) standard acoustic guitar kit. The three (3) alternative BBT top bracing designs in this release are
(a) a one-piece base for the standard kit's (Martin-style) bracing,
(b) 277 Ladder-style bracing, and
(c) an X-braced fan-style bracing similar to traditional European or so-called 'classical' acoustic guitars.

The CADD data set for each of the three (3) top bracing designs includes …

Nuclear Fuel Cycle: Safe Management Of Spent Nuclear Fuel, Robert L. Sindelar

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

The aim for storage of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) either in wet or in dry storage systems is to ensure general safety objectives are met throughout a desired storage period. Staff at the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), in collaborations with partners at other national laboratories, industry research organizations, and the University of South Carolina (UofSC), have performed materials aging testing and analyses, and have established nuclear materials aging management programs to support extended periods of safe storage of research reactor (RR) SNF and of commercial power reactor (PR) SNF pending ultimate disposal. Several example challenges include susceptibility of aluminum …

Noncontact Liquid Crystalline Broadband Optoacoustic Sensors, Hengky Chandrahalim, Michael T. Dela Cruz

AFIT Patents

An optoacoustic sensor includes a liquid crystal (LC) cell formed between top and bottom plates of transparent material. A transverse grating formed across the LC cell that forms an optical transmission bandgap. A CL is aligned to form a spring-like, tunable Bragg grating that is naturally responsive to external agitations providing a spectral transition regime, or edge, in the optical transmission bandgap of the transverse grating that respond to broadband acoustic waves. The optoacoustic sensor includes a narrowband light source that is oriented to transmit light through the top plate, the LC cell, and the bottom plate. The optoacoustic sensor …

Bbt Side Mold Assy, Bill Hemphill

STEM Guitar Project’s BBT Acoustic Kit

This electronic document file set covers the design and fabrication information of the ETSU Guitar Building Project’s BBT (OM-sized) Side Mold Assy for use with the STEM Guitar Project’s standard acoustic guitar kit. The extended 'as built' data set contains an overview file and companion video, the 'parent' CADD drawing, CADD data for laser etching and cutting a drill &/or layout template, CADD drawings in AutoCAD .DWG and .DXF R12 formats of the centerline tool paths for creating the mold assembly pieces on an AXYZ CNC router, and support documentation for CAM applications including router bit specifications, feeds, speed, multi-pass …

Nondestructive Evaluation Of 3d Printed, Extruded, And Natural Polymer Structures Using Terahertz Spectroscopy And Imaging, Alexander T. Clark

Dissertations

Terahertz (THz) spectroscopy and imaging are considered for the nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of various three-dimensional (3D) printed, extruded, and natural polymer structures. THz radiation is the prime candidate for many NDE challenges due to the added benefits of safety, increased contrast and depth resolution, and optical characteristic visualization when compared to other techniques. THz imaging, using a wide bandwidth pulse-based system, can evaluate the external and internal structure of most nonconductive and nonpolar materials without any permanent effects. NDE images can be created based on THz pulse attributes or a material’s spectroscopic characteristics such as refractive index, attenuation coefficient, or …

Synthesis Of Polynitrogen With Radio Frequency Plasma, Haizheng Zhuang

Dissertations

Cubic gauche polynitrogen (cgPN) has been very attractive due to its high energy density that is 2.5 times higher than that of TNT. In the literature, cgPN has been investigated theoretically in detail, but few experimental works have been reported. In 2004, cgPN was first synthesized from nitrogen gas under extremely high temperature and high pressure (HTHP) conditions and the trace amount of cgPN in the high-pressure vessel decomposed once the pressure was released. Until recently, our group was the first to synthesize cgPN from NaN₃ precursor under ambient conditions with radio frequency (RF) plasma. In this study, the …

Finite-Difference-Time-Domain Simulation Of Ultrafast Experiments, Alpha Ma

Macalester Journal of Physics and Astronomy

The Finite-Difference-Time-Domain (FDTD) method is a numerical method that calculates electric fields or magnetic fields by interleaving them in space and time. Using a python package called “MEEP”, I was able to write optical simulations of ultrafast experiments, especially the Terahertz Pump-Probe experiments. The goal of this project was to use FDTD simulation to measure the transmission of an electro-magnetic pulse passing through a thin film of conducting material on a dielectric substrate in order to study the characteristic conductivity of potential solar cell materials.

Monolithically Integrated Microscale Pressure Sensor On An Optical Fiber Tip, Jeremiah C. Williams, Hengky Chandrahalim

AFIT Patents

A passive microscopic Fabry-Pérot Interferometer (FPI) pressure sensor includes an optical fiber and a three-dimensional microscopic optical enclosure. The three-dimensional microscopic optical enclosure includes tubular side walls having lateral pleated corrugations and attached to a cleaved tip of the optical fiber to receive a light signal. An optically reflecting end wall is distally engaged to the tubular side walls to enclose a trapped quantity of gas that longitudinally positions the optically reflecting end wall in relation to ambient air pressure, changing a distance traveled by a light signal reflected back through the optical fiber.

Hinged Temperature-Immune Self-Referencing Fabry–Pérot Cavity Sensors, Jeremiah C. Williams, Hengky Chandrahalim

AFIT Patents

A passive microscopic Fabry-Pérot Interferometer (FPI) sensor includes a three-dimensional microscopic optical structure formed on a cleaved tip of the optical fighter using a two-photon polymerization process on a photosensitive polymer by a three-dimensional micromachining device. The three-dimensional microscopic optical structure having a hinged optical layer pivotally connected to a distal portion of a suspended structure. A reflective layer is deposited on a mirror surface of the hinged optical layer while in an open position. The hinged optical layer is subsequently positioned in the closed position to align the mirror surface to at least partially reflect a light signal back …

Porous Silicon Photonics For Label-Free Interferometric Biosensing And Flat Optics, Tahmid Hassan Talukdar

All Dissertations

This dissertation uses porous silicon as a material platform to explore novel optical effects in three domains: (i) It studies dispersion engineering in integrated waveguides to achieve high performance group index sensing. With proper design parameters, the sensor waveguides can theoretically achieve 6 times larger group index shift compared to the actual bulk effective refractive index shift. We demonstrate the guided mode confinement factor to be a key parameter in design and implementation of these waveguides. (ii) It explores multicolor laser illumination to experimentally demonstrate perceptually enhanced colorimetric sensing, overcoming the limitations faced by many contemporary colorimetric sensors. Our technique …

Extractive Membranes For The Detection And Screening Of Waterborne Plutonium, James Foster

All Dissertations

The development of rapid screening tools for special nuclear materials remains a crucial focus for nonproliferation efforts. Traditional approaches for the analysis of trace-level Pu isotopes in water requires tedious and time-consuming sample preparation steps that do not lend well to expeditious screening. Therefore, a novel analytical method that combines both Pu concentration and source preparation into a single detection system would make for an invaluable tool for nuclear security applications. Extractive membranes absorbers can help to fulfill this role as they are capable of concentrating Pu to detectable limits while subsequently serving as alpha spectrometry sample sources. In Chapter …