Condensed Matter Physics Commons^™

Characterization Of Losses In Superconducting Radio-Frequency Cavities By Combined Temperature And Magnetic Field Mapping, Ishwari Prasad Parajuli

Physics Theses & Dissertations

Superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) cavities are one of the fundamental building blocks of modern particle accelerators. To achieve the highest quality factors (10¹⁰-10¹¹), SRF cavities are operated at liquid helium temperatures. Magnetic flux trapped on the surface of SRF cavities during cool-down below the critical temperature is one of the leading sources of residual RF losses. Instruments capable of detecting the distribution of trapped flux on the cavity surface are in high demand in order to better understand its relation to the cavity material, surface treatments and environmental conditions. We have designed, developed, and commissioned two novel …

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 …

Nonlinear Dynamics Of Vortices In Different Types Of Grain Boundaries, Ahmad K. Sheikhzada

Physics Theses & Dissertations

As a major component of linear particle accelerators, superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) resonator cavities are required to operate with lowest energy dissipation and highest accelerating gradient. SRF cavities are made of polycrystalline materials in which grain boundaries can limit maximum RF currents and produce additional power dissipation sources due to local penetration of Josephson vortices. The essential physics of vortex penetration and mechanisms of dissipation of vortices driven by strong RF currents along networks of grain boundaries and their contribution to the residual surface resistance have not been well understood. To evaluate how GBs can limit the performance of SRF materials, …

Investigation Of Nbnx Thin Films And Nanoparticles Grown By Pulsed Laser Deposition And Thermal Diffusion, Ashraf Hassan Farha

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Niobium nitride films (NbNx) were grown on Nb and Si (100) substrates using pulsed laser deposition (PLD), laser heating, and thermal diffusion methods. Niobium nitride films were deposited on Nb substrates using PLD with a Q-switched Nd: YAG laser (λ = 1064 nm, 40 ns pulse width, and 10 Hz repetition rate) at different laser fluences, different nitrogen background pressures and deposition temperatures. The effect of changing PLD parameters for films done by PLD was studied. The seen observations establish guidelines for adjusting the laser parameters to achieve the desired morphology and phase of the grown NbNx films.

When the …

Excitation-Induced Ge Quantum Dot Growth On Si(100)-2x1 By Pulsed Laser Deposition, Ali Oguz Er

Physics Theses & Dissertations

Self-assembled Ge quantum dots (QD) are grown on Si(100)-(2×1) with laser excitation during growth processes by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). In situ reflection-high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) and post-deposition atomic force microscopy (AFM) are used to study the growth dynamics and morphology of the QDs. A Q-switched Nd:YAG laser (λ = 1064 nm, 40 ns pulse width, 5 J/cm² fluence, and 10 Hz repetition rate) were used to ablate germanium and irradiate the silicon substrate. Ge QD formation on Si(100)-(2×1) with different substrate temperatures and excitation laser energy densities was studied. The excitation laser reduces the epitaxial growth temperature …

Ultrafast High-Energy Electron Diffraction Study Of Photoexcited Bismuth Nanoclusters By Femtosecond Laser Pulses, Ahmed R. Esmail

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The advancement in ultrafast electron crystallography (UEC) over the past few decades facilitated the study of structural dynamics in all phases of matter induced by femtosecond laser pulses. This technique became very powerful when the spatial resolution was combined with the temporal resolution, and succeeded in studying chemical reactions by ultrafast electron diffraction, bulk crystal phonons and melting by X-ray diffraction.

In this dissertation, I demonstrate the uniqueness of UEC and its potential in monitoring in real time the structural dynamics of bismuth (Bi) nanoclusters and islands induced by femtosecond laser pulses. Our approach to accomplish this task includes building …

Reflection High-Energy Electron Diffraction Studies Of Indium Phosphide (100) And Growth On Indium And Indium Nitride On Silicon (100), Mohamed Abd-Elsattar Hafez

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Study of the effects of atomic hydrogen exposure on structure and morphology of semiconductor surfaces is important for fundamental properties and applications. In this dissertation, the electron yield of a hydrogen-cleaned indium phosphide (InP) surface was measured and correlated to the development of the surface morphology, which was monitored by in situ reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED). Atomic hydrogen treatment produced a clean, well-ordered, and (2x4)-reconstructed InP(100) surface. The quantum efficiency, after activation to negative electron affinity, and the secondary electron emission were shown to increase with hydrogen cleaning time. RHEED patterns of low-index InP(100) surface were modified by the …

Investigation Of The Superconducting Properties Of Niobium Radio-Frequency Cavities, Gianluigi Ciovati

Physics Theses & Dissertations

Radio-frequency (rf) superconducting cavities are widely used to increase the energy of a charged particle beam in particle accelerators. The maximum gradients of cavities made of bulk niobium have constantly improved over the last ten years and they are approaching the theoretical limit of the material. Nevertheless, rf tests of niobium cavities are still showing some "anomalous" losses (so-called "Q-drop"), characterized by a marked increase of the surface resistance at high rf fields, in absence of field emission. A low temperature "in-situ" baking under ultra-high vacuum has been successfully applied by several laboratories to reduce those losses and …

Role Of Nanophase Oxides In Short-Term Atmospheric Corrosion Of Structural Steels, Rama Balasubramanian

Physics Theses & Dissertations

Systematic studies on the development of nanophase iron oxides in the corrosion products of carbon and weathering steel were performed to understand the role of nanophase oxides in short-term atmospheric corrosion. Similarities and/or differences between short-term and long-term atmospheric corrosion were established by studying carbon steel and weathering steel coupons exposed in mild marine environments for short-term and comparing it with previously established long-term data. Influence of substitutional elements, in particular chromium, in forming nanophase goethite was investigated. Crystallographic, magnetic and morphological properties of nanophase chromium substituted goethite have been characterized in order to understand the protective nature of chromium-substituted …

Dynamics Of Phase Transitions On Low-Index Metal Surfaces, Bo Lin

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The surface superheating and phase transitions at the low-index surface of metal were investigated using conventional continuous and 100-ps time-resolved reflection high-energy electron diffraction. Three metal surfaces, In(111), Au(110) and Pb(111), have been investigated in this work. The high temperature behavior of the In(111) surface was investigated using reflection high-energy electron diffraction with 100-ps temporal resolution. The change of surface vacancy density on In(111) is observed from 300 K to near the bulk melting point. The vacancy-formation energy of In(111) surface is estimated from experimental results. The surface vacancy density is observed to increase with temperature; however, the average random …

Nuclear Forward-Scattering Of Synchrotron Radiation From Krypton: First Observation And Application To The Study Of Lattice Dynamics In Near-Monolayer Krypton-On-Graphite, David Eric Johnson

Physics Theses & Dissertations

Since 1985 nuclear-resonant scattering, and in particular nuclear forward-scattering, of synchrotron radiation has been observed in a select few Mossbauer isotopes including: ⁵⁷Fe, ¹¹⁹Sn, ¹⁶⁹Tm. For the first time, nuclear forward-scattering from the 9.4 keV Mossbauer level in ⁸³Kr has been observed. A large resonance effect, comparable to that in ⁵⁷Fe, has been observed in a variety of systems containing Kr including bulk crystals and physisorbed Kr-on-exfoliated graphite. Previous nuclear-resonant scattering experiments using synchrotron radiation have consisted of demonstration experiments. Nuclear forward-scattering from Kr has been applied to study the lattice dynamics of near-monolayer Kr-on-graphite …

Compensation And Characterization Of Gallium Arsenide, Randy A. Roush

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The properties of transition metals in gallium arsenide have been previously investigated extensively with respect to activation energies, but little effort has been made to correlate processing parameters with electronic characteristics. Diffusion of copper in gallium arsenide is of technological importance due to the development of GaAs:Cu bistable photoconductive devices. Several techniques are demonstrated in this work to develop and characterize compensated gallium arsenide wafers. The material is created by the thermal diffusion of copper into silicon-doped GaAs. Transition metals generally form deep and shallow acceptors in GaAs, and therefore compensation is possible by material processing such that the shallow …

Study Of The Heavy Fermion/Spin-Glass System, Ce1-X GdX Al3, Using 155Gd Mossbauer Spectroscopy, Nicholas G. Ruggiero

Physics Theses & Dissertations

The magnetic properties of Ce_1-xGd_x.Al₃ have been studied using ¹⁵⁵Gd Mossbauer spectroscopy. It has been shown that the magnetic moments of the host GdAl₃ are constrained to the basal plane. The magnetic properties of GdAl₃ can best be described in the framework of RKKY theory. Prior studies of Ce_1-xGd_xAl₃, have revealed complex magnetic behavior throughout the series. As observed with Mossbauer spectroscopy magnetic ordering occurs for x ≥ 0.5, though not at the reported spin glass temperatures. For x = 0.23 and x = 0.18, the …

The Study Of Oxygen Transport Through Polycrystalline, Single Crystal And Alloyed Silver, Dongchuan Wu

Physics Theses & Dissertations

The permeation of oxygen through large grain polycrystalline silver, through the (110), (111) and (100) single crystals of silver and through Ag0.05Zr alloy have been studied over the temperature range of 400 - 800 °C. In addition, studies were also conducted using glow discharge dissociation of the supply side ( upstream ) molecular oxygen in order to examine whether normal dissociative adsorption is a limiting step in the overall transport process.

The permeability of oxygen through polycrystalline silver was found to be quite linear and quite repeatable. The diffusivity measurements were found to exhibit two distinct linear regions, one above …