Physics Commons^™

Simulating Ice Particle Properties Under Varying Electric Fields, Joseph Cooney

Physics Capstone Projects

In this study, the interactions between atmospheric water molecules and an electrically charged dust particle were simulated in python to determine the role of electric charge and electric fields in atmospheric ice formation. Multiple levels of electric charge were tested, corresponding to different strengths of atmospheric electric fields. The TIP4P-2005 model for water was used to simulate these molecules under the influence of a central electric potential to represent the charged dust particle. These included a control group with no electric field (0 C), a group under a fair-weather strength of electric field (1.6*10-14 C), a foul-weather electric field (1.6*10-12 …

Density Dependence And Dynamics Of Dipole-Dipole Interactions Among Rydberg Atoms, Hannah Conley

Physics and Astronomy Summer Fellows

After trapping atoms, exciting them to an initial high-energy Rydberg state, and allowing them a brief time to exchange energy with each other through dipole-dipole interactions, we observe how their energies are redistributed among various energy levels. The measurements we make in this physical experiment do not give insight into how individual atoms interact or metrics like fidelity and entanglement entropy, which impact our results. For this reason, it is useful to compare our results from the physical experiment to those of our simulation on a supercomputer, in which we can track the final and initial energy of individual atoms …

Long-Range Aceo Phenomena In Microfluidic Channel, Diganta Dutta, Keifer Smith, Xavier Palmer

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Microfluidic devices are increasingly utilized in numerous industries, including that of medicine, for their abilities to pump and mix fluid at a microscale. Within these devices, microchannels paired with microelectrodes enable the mixing and transportation of ionized fluid. The ionization process charges the microchannel and manipulates the fluid with an electric field. Although complex in operation at the microscale, microchannels within microfluidic devices are easy to produce and economical. This paper uses simulations to convey helpful insights into the analysis of electrokinetic microfluidic device phenomena. The simulations in this paper use the Navier–Stokes and Poisson Nernst–Planck equations solved using COMSOL …

Editorial For The Special Issue On Micromachines For Non-Newtonian Microfluidics, Lanju Mei, Shizhi Qian

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

In lieu of an abstract, this is an excerpt from the first page.

Microfluidics has seen a remarkable growth over the past few decades, with its extensive applications in engineering, medicine, biology, chemistry, etc [...]

Improving The Electrostatic Design Of The Jefferson Lab 300 Kv Dc Photogun, S.A.K. Wijethunga, M. A. Mamun, R. Suleiman, C. Hernandez-Garcia, B. Bullard, J. R. Delayen, J. Grames, G. A. Krafft, G. Palacios-Serrano, M. Poelker

Physics Faculty Publications

The 300 kV DC high voltage photogun at Jefferson Lab was redesigned to deliver electron beams with a much higher bunch charge and improved beam properties. The original design provided only a modest longitudinal electric field (Ez) at the photocathode, which limited the achievable extracted bunch charge. To reach the bunch charge goal of approximately few nC with 75 ps full-width at half-maximum Gaussian laser pulse width, the existing DC high voltage photogun electrodes and anode–cathode gap were modified to increase Ez at the photocathode. In addition, the anode aperture was spatially shifted with respect to the beamline longitudinal axis …

Microfluidic Study Of The Electrocoalescence Of Aqueous Droplets In Crude Oil, Thomas Leary, Mohsen Yeganeh, Charles Maldarelli

Publications and Research

In electrocoalescence, an electric field is applied to a dispersion of conducting water droplets in a poorly conducting oil to force the droplets to merge in the direction of the field. Electrocoalescence is used in petroleum refining to separate water from crude oil and in droplet-based microfluidics to combine droplets of water in oil and to break emulsions. Using a microfluidic design to generate a two-dimensional (2D) emulsion, we demonstrate that electrocoalescence in an opaque crude oil can be visualized with optical microscopy and studied on an individual droplet basis in a chamber whose height is small enough to make …

Measurement Of Electron Density And Temperature From Laser-Induced Nitrogen Plasma At Elevated Pressure (1–6 Bar), Ashwin P. Rao [*], Mark Gragston, Anil K. Patnaik, Paul S. Hsu, Michael B. Shattan

Faculty Publications

Laser-induced plasmas experience Stark broadening and shifts of spectral lines carrying spectral signatures of plasma properties. In this paper, we report time-resolved Stark broadening measurements of a nitrogen triplet emission line at 1–6 bar ambient pressure in a pure nitrogen cell. Electron densities are calculated using the Stark broadening for different pressure conditions, which are shown to linearly increase with pressure. Additionally, using a Boltzmann fit for the triplet, the electron temperature is calculated and shown to decrease with increasing pressure. The rate of plasma cooling is observed to increase with pressure. The reported Stark broadening based plasma diagnostics in …

Radar Studies Of Height-Dependent Equatorial F Region Vertical And Zonal Plasma Drifts, S. A. Shidler, F. S. Rodrigues, B. G. Fejer, M. A. Milla

All Physics Faculty Publications

We present the results of an analysis of long-term measurements of ionospheric F region E × B plasma drifts in the American/Peruvian sector. The analysis used observations made between 1986 and 2017 by the incoherent scatter radar of the Jicamarca Radio Observatory. Unlike previous studies, we analyzed both vertical and zonal components of the plasma drifts to derive the geomagnetically quiet time climatological variation of the drifts as a function of height and local time. We determine the average behavior of the height profiles of the drifts for different seasons and distinct solar flux conditions. Our results show good agreement …

Improving The State Selectivity Of Field Ionization With Quantum Control, Vincent C. Gregoric, Jason Bennett, Bianca R. Gualtieri, Ankitha Kannad, Zhimin Cheryl Liu, Zoe A. Rowley, Thomas J. Carroll, Michael W. Noel

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

The electron signals from the field ionization of two closely spaced Rydberg states of rubidium-85 are separated using quantum control. In selective field ionization, the state distribution of a collection of Rydberg atoms is measured by ionizing the atoms with a ramped electric field. Generally, atoms in higher energy states ionize at lower fields, so ionized electrons which are detected earlier in time can be correlated with higher energy Rydberg states. However, the resolution of this technique is limited by the Stark effect. As the electric field is increased, the electron encounters numerous avoided Stark level crossings which split the …

Catalysis Of Stark-Tuned Interactions Between Ultracold Rydberg Atoms, A. L. Win, W. D. Williams, Thomas J. Carroll, C. I. Sukenik

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We have experimentally investigated a catalysis effect in the resonant energy transfer between ultracold 85Rb Rydberg atoms. We studied the time dependence of the process, 34p + 34p → 34s + 35s, and observed an enhancement of 34s state population when 34d state atoms are added.We have also performed numerical model simulations, which are in qualitative agreement with experiment and indicate that the enhancement arises from a redistribution of p-state atoms due to the presence of the d-state atoms.

Detecting Rydberg Interactions With Controlled Ionization, Lauren Yoast

Physics and Astronomy Summer Fellows

Rydberg atoms, which have a highly excited outer electron, are easily manipulated by electric fields. Using a magneto-optical trap, we cool Rubidium atoms to a few hundred millionths of a Kelvin above absolute zero and then excite to Rydberg states. Our first project looks at the dipole-dipole interactions of two atoms starting in the 33p state and ending in the 34s and 33s states. The standard technique is to apply an increasing electric field that ionizes the Rydberg electron and sends it to a detector, but unfortunately the signals overlap. A genetic algorithm is used to separate the signals by …

Characterization Of Laser-Generated Aluminum Plasma Using Ion Time-Of-Flight And Optical Emission Spectroscopy, Md. Haider A. Shaim, Hani E. Elsayed-Ali

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Laser plasma generated by ablation of an Al target in vacuum is characterized by ion time-of-flight combined with optical emission spectroscopy. A Q-switched Nd:YAG laser (wavelength λ = 1064 nm, pulse width τ ∼ 7 ns, and fluence F ≤ 38 J/cm²) is used to ablate the Al target. Ion yield and energy distribution of each charge state are measured. Ions are accelerated according to their charge state by the double-layer potential developed at the plasma-vacuum interface. The ion energy distribution follows a shifted Coulomb-Boltzmann distribution. Optical emission spectroscopy of the Al plasma gives significantly lower plasma temperature …

Engineering Electron Superpositions Using A Magnetic Field, Zoe A. Rowley, Bianca R. Gualtieri

Physics and Astronomy Summer Fellows

A Rydberg atom has a highly excited valence electron which is weakly bound and far from the nucleus. These atoms have exaggerated properties that make them attractive candidates for quantum computation and studies of fundamental quantum mechanics. The discrete energy levels of Rydberg atoms are shifted in the presence of an electric field by the Stark effect and are similarly shifted due to a magnetic field by the Zeeman effect. These effects couple the energy levels together, creating avoiding crossings. At these avoided crossings, an electron in one energy level can jump to the other.

Our goal is to be …

Aluminum Multicharged Ion Generation From Femtosecond Laser Plasma, Md. Haider A. Shaim, Frederick Guy Wilson, Hani E. Elsayed-Ali

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Aluminum multicharged ion generation from femtosecond laser ablation is studied. A Ti:sapphire laser (wavelength 800 nm, pulse width ∼100 fs, and maximum laser fluence of 7.6 J/cm²) is used. Ion yield and energy distribution of each charge state are measured. A linear relationship between the ion charge state and the equivalent acceleration energy of the individual ion species is observed and is attributed to the presence of an electric field within the plasma-vacuum boundary that accelerates the ions. The ion energy distribution follows a shifted Coulomb-Boltzmann distribution. For Al¹⁺ and Al²⁺, the ion energy distributions …

Beyond The Point Charge: Equipotential Surfaces And Electric Fields Of Various Charge Configurations, Jeffrey A. Phillips, Jeff Sanny, David Berube, Anatol Hoemke

Physics Faculty Works

A laboratory experiment often performed in an introductory electricity and magnetism course involves the mapping of equipotential lines on a conductive sheet between two objects at different potentials. In this article, we describe how we have expanded this experiment so that it can be used to illustrate the electrostatic properties of conductors. Different configurations of electrodes can be used to show that the electric field is zero inside a conductor as well as within a cavity, the electric field is perpendicular to conducting surfaces, and the charge distribution on conducting surfaces can vary.

An Apparatus For Studying Electrical Breakdown In Liquid Helium At 0.4 K And Testing Electrode Materials For The Neutron Electric Dipole Moment Experiment At The Spallation Neutron Source, T. M. Ito, J. C. Ramsey, W. Yao, D. H. Beck, V. Cianciolo, S. M. Clayton, Christopher B. Crawford, S. A. Currie, B. W. Filippone, W. C. Griffith, M. Makela, R. Schmid, G. M. Seidel, Z. Tang, D. Wagner, W. Wei, S. E. Williamson

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We have constructed an apparatus to study DC electrical breakdown in liquid helium at temperatures as low as 0.4 K and at pressures between the saturated vapor pressure and ∼600 Torr. The apparatus can house a set of electrodes that are 12 cm in diameter with a gap of 1–2 cm between them, and a potential up to ±50 kV can be applied to each electrode. Initial results demonstrated that it is possible to apply fields exceeding 100 kV/cm in a 1 cm gap between two electropolished stainless steel electrodes 12 cm in diameter for a wide range of pressures …

Using A Genetic Algorithm To Optimize An Electric Field Ionization Pulse, Tamas Budner

Physics and Astronomy Honors Papers

Experimentally, we would like to demonstrate the process of selective field ionization of electrons as evidence of quantum control in a system of ultracold rubidium-85 Rydberg atoms. In order to accomplish this, an electric field pulse which is optimized to take an initial Rydberg electron state and produce the desired ionization spectra is necessary. We utilize techniques from artificial intelligence to develop a genetic algorithm for the optimization process. Our algorithm is computationally tested on an artificially constructed quantum system consisting of four energy states. In evaluating the viability of any given field pulse, we calculate the probability of an …

The Role Of Continuum States In The Field Ionization Of Rydberg Atoms, Michael P. Vennettilli

Physics and Astronomy Honors Papers

In an experiment performed by our collaborators at Bryn Mawr, we excite rubidium-85 to a coherent superposition of the different |m_j| splittings of the 37d_5/2 state induced by a small electric field. After waiting for some variable delay time, we apply a time-dependent electric field to ionize the atom and record the ionized current that arrives at the detector. Due to the initial superposition, we observe an interference pattern that depends on the delay time. This thesis describes my continued work with Dr. Carroll to develop a computational model of this experiment. Our initial method …

Multicharged Carbon Ion Generation From Laser Plasma, Oguzhan Balki, Hani E. Elsayed-Ali

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Carbon ions generated by ablation of a carbon target using an Nd:YAG laser pulse (wavelength λ = 1064 nm, pulse width τ = 7 ns, and laser fluence of 10-110 J cm-2) are characterized. Time-of-flight analyzer, a three-mesh retarding field analyzer, and an electrostatic ion energy analyzer are used to study the charge and energy of carbon ions generated by laser ablation. The dependencies of the ion signal on the laser fluence, laser focal point position relative to target surface, and the acceleration voltage are described. Up to C4+ ions are observed. When no acceleration voltage is applied between the …

Quantum Interference In The Field Ionization Of Rydberg Atoms, Rachel Feynman, Jacob A. Hollingsworth, Michael Vennettilli, Tamas Budner, Ryan Zmiewski, Donald P. Fahey, Thomas J. Carroll, Michael W. Noel

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We excite ultracold rubidium atoms in a magneto-optical trap to a coherent superposition of the three |mj | sublevels of the 37d5/2 Rydberg state. After some delay, during which the relative phases of the superposition components can evolve, we apply an electric field pulse to ionize the Rydberg electron and send it to a detector. The electron traverses many avoided crossings in the Stark levels as it ionizes. The net effect of the transitions at these crossings is to mix the amplitudes of the initial superposition into the same final states at ionization. Similar to a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, the three …

Altitudinal Variability Of Quiet-Time Plasma Drifts In The Equatorial Ionosphere, Debrup Hui

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In the modern world, we increasingly depend on space-based systems for our communication, positioning, and navigation systems. These systems depend on electromagnetic waves propagating through the ionosphere. The ionosphere is the medium in the upper atmosphere where, due to presence of the charged atomic and molecular particles and electrons collectively known as plasma, it influences the traveling electromagnetic waves following laws of electrodynamics. Improved models for predicting space weather conditions require improved knowledge of the drifts of these plasmas in the ionosphere. This study is focused on climatology of the altitudinal variations of these plasma drifts in the equatorial latitudes. …

Temperature Dependent C-Axis Hole Mobilities In Rubrene Single Crystals Determined By Time-Of-Flight, Russell L. Lidberg, Tom J. Pundsack, Neale O. Haugen, Lucas R. Johnstone, C. Daniel Frisbie

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

Hole mobilities (μ) in rubrene single crystals (space group Cmca) along the crystallographic c-axis have been investigated as a function of temperature and applied electric field by the time-of-fight method. Measurements demonstrate an inverse power law dependence on temperature, namely,μ=μ₀T⁻ⁿ with n = 1.8, from room temperature down to 180 K. At 296 K, the average value of μ was found to be 0.29 cm²/Vs increasing to an average value of 0.70 cm²/Vs at 180 K. Below 180 K a decrease in mobility is observed with further cooling. Overall, these results confirm the …

Electromechanical Magnetization Switching, Eugene M. Chudnovsky, Reem Jaafar

Publications and Research

We show that the magnetization of a torsional oscillator that, in addition to the magnetic moment also possesses an electrical polarization, can be switched by the electric field that ignites mechanical oscillations at the frequency comparable to the frequency of the ferromagnetic resonance. The 180° switching arises from the spin-rotation coupling and is not prohibited by the different symmetry of the magnetic moment and the electric field as in the case of a stationary magnet. Analytical equations describing the system have been derived and investigated numerically. Phase diagrams showing the range of parameters required for the switching have been obtained.

First-Principles Study Of The Electric Field Effect On The Water-Adsorbed Rutile Titanium Dioxide Surface, Abraham L. Hmiel

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

TiO₂ is a semiconducting material that has been used extensively in many industrial applications, and recently has become a candidate for photocatalytic water splitting, fuel cell anode support materials, sensors, and other novel nanodevices. The interface of TiO2 with water, historically well-studied but still poorly understood, presents a ubiquitous environmental challenge towards the ultimate practical usefulness of these technologies. Ground-state density functional theory (DFT) calculations studying the characteristics of molecular adsorption on model surfaces have been studied for decades, showing constant improvement in the description of the energetics and electronic structure at interfaces. These simulations are invaluable in the …

Direct Imaging Of Optical Diffraction In Photoemission Electron Microscopy, Robert Campbell Word, Joseph Fitzgerald, Rolf Kӧnenkamp

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

We report the visualization of optical diffraction at the boundaries of semiconductor and metal nanostructures in non-linear photoemission electron microscopy. We observe light diffracting into photonic and plasmonic modes of planar samples, and into photonic vacuum modes above sample surfaces. In either case, the electron photoemission rate from the sample material is spatially modulated resulting in photoemission images with information on the electric field distribution at the sample/vacuum interface. The resolution in these images is typically ∼30 nm, i.e., significantly below the wavelengths of the exciting light. Optical phase shifts and absorption losses for the diffracted modes can be determined.

Measurement Of Semiconductor Surface Potential Using The Scanning Electron Microscope, Jennifer T. Heath, Chun-Sheng Jiang, Mowafak M. Al-Jassim

Faculty Publications

We calibrate the secondary electron signal from a standard scanning electron microscope to voltage, yielding an image of the surface or near-surface potential. Data on both atomically abrupt heterojunction GaInP/GaAs and diffused homojunction Si solar cell devices clearly show the expected variation in potential with position and applied bias, giving depletion widths and locating metallurgical junctions to an accuracy better than 10 nm. In some images, distortion near the p-n junction is observed, seemingly consistent with the effects of lateral electric fields (patch fields). Reducing the tube bias removes this distortion. This approach results in rapid and straightforward collection of …

Dipole-Dipole Interaction Between Rubidium Rydberg Atoms, Emily Altiere, Donald P. Fahey, Michael W. Noel, Rachel J. Smith, Thomas J. Carroll

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

Ultracold Rydberg atoms in a static electric field can exchange energy via the dipole-dipole interaction. The Stark effect shifts the energy levels of the atoms which tunes the energy exchange into resonance at specific values of the electric field (F¨orster resonances). We excite rubidium atoms to Rydberg states by focusing either a 480 nm beam from a tunable dye laser or a pair of diode lasers into a magneto-optical trap. The trap lies at the center of a configuration of electrodes. We scan the electric field by controlling the voltage on the electrodes while measuring the fraction of atoms that …

Oxygen Vacancies Adjacent To Cu(2+) Ions In Tio(2) (Rutile) Crystals, A. T. Brant, Shan Yang (杨山), Nancy C. Giles, Zafar Iqbal, A. Manivannan, Larry E. Halliburton

Faculty Publications

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and electron-nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) are used to characterize Cu²⁺ ions substituting for Ti⁴⁺ ions in nominally undoped TiO₂ crystals having the rutile structure. Illumination at 25 K with 442 nm laser light reduces the concentration of Cu²⁺ ions by more than a factor of 2. The laser light also reduces the EPR signals from Fe³⁺ and Cr³⁺ ions and introduces signals from Ti³⁺ ions. Warming in the dark to room temperature restores the crystal to its preilluminated state. Monitoring the recovery of the photoinduced changes in the Cu …

Metallization Of Nanofilms In Strong Adiabatic Electric Fields, Maxim Durach, Anastasia Rusina, Matthias F. Kling, Mark I. Stockman

Maxim Durach

We introduce an effect of metallization of dielectric nanofilms by strong, adiabatically varying electric fields. The metallization causes optical properties of a dielectric film to become similar to those of a plasmonic metal (strong absorption and negative permittivity at low optical frequencies). This is a quantum effect, which is exponentially size-dependent, occurring at fields on the order of 0.1  V/Å and pulse durations ranging from ∼1  fs to ∼10  ns for a film thickness of 3–10 nm.

Duskside F-Region Dynamo Currents: Itsrelationship With Prereversal Enhancement Of Vertical Plasma Drift, P. Park, H. Luhr, Bela G. Fejer, K. W. Mim

Bela G. Fejer

From magnetic field observations by CHAMP we estimate F-region dynamo current densities near the sunset terminator during solar maximum years from 2001 to 2002. The dynamo currents are compared with the pre-reversal enhancement (PRE) of vertical plasma drift as observed by ROCSAT-1. The seasonal-longitudinal variation of PRE can be largely related to the F-region dynamo current density, with the correlation coefficient reaching 0.74. The correlation can be further improved if we consider a zonal gradient of the E-region Pedersen conductivity, which also depends on season and longitude. It is widely accepted that the Fregion dynamo drives PRE near sunset. For …