Condensed Matter Physics Commons^™

Experimental Investigation Of Impurities And Their Effect On Acousto-Electric Properties Of Lithium Niobate, Chandrima Chatterjee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Artificial Olfactory System For Multi-Component Analysis Of Gas Mixtures., Alexander Aleksandrovich Larin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Gas analysis is an important part of our world and gas sensing technology is becoming more essential for various aspects of our life. A novel approach for gas mixture analysis by using portable gas chromatography in combination with an array of highly integrated and selective metal oxide (MOX) sensors has been studied. We developed a system with small size (7 x 13 x 16 inches), low power consumption (~10 W) and absence of special carrier gases designed for portable field analysis (assuming apriori calibration). Low ppb and even sub-ppb level of detection for some VOCs was achieved during the analysis …

All-Optical Switching In Ferromagnetic Superlattices., Faren Hoveyda Marashi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The unexpected observation of ultrafast demagnetization (UDM) and subsequent time-resolved studies of laser-induced magnetization switching opened a new door to both fundamental physics and technological applications of magnetic materials. All-optical switching (AOS) can be initiated faster than the precession limit, hinting to its potential in increasing the writing speed and data storage density. However, notwithstanding considerable research interest, the mechanism of AOS in ferromagnetic materials remained unclear.

Ferromagnetic superlattices were deposited on glass substrates with e-beam evaporation and sputtering. Magnetization curves were measured in magneto-optical and vibrating sample magnetometer experiments. A femtosecond Ti:S laser was utilized in a writing setup …

Fabrication And Functionalization Of Carbon Nanocages For Use In Cfx Batteries., Nathan Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A relatively inexpensive method for obtaining high quality lithium-CF_x batteries is reported. Nickel acetate and citric acid are used to synthesize a precursor which is then annealed and subsequently etched to fabricate highly uniform 3 nm radius pristine CNCs. These CNCs are then functionalized with fluorine using an RF plasma system. The resulting fluorinated CNCs are then combined with a carbon binder and pressed onto a stainless steel mesh to form a CF_x cathode. This cathode is then tested in a coin cell primary battery with a lithium anode. Results indicate that a specific capacity of 660 mAh/g …

Synthesis And Fundamental Property Studies Of Energy Material Under High Pressure., Meysam Akhtar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recently, high-pressure science and technology has flourished and rapidly advanced to impact a wide domain of materials and physical sciences. One of the most substantial technological developments is the integration of samples at ultrahigh pressure with a wide range of in-situ probing techniques. Applications of extreme pressure have significantly enriched our understanding of the electronic, phonon, and doping effects on the newly emerged two-dimensional (2D) materials. Under high pressure, materials’ atomic volume radically decreases, and electronic density rises, which will lead to extraordinary chemical reaction kinetic and mechanisms. The promising capability of high pressure combine with the significance of novel …

Materials Design And Band Gap Engineering Of Complex Nanostructures Using A Semi-Empirical Approach : Low Dimensional Boron Nanostructures, H-Bn Sheet With Graphene Domains And Holey Graphene., Cherno Baba Kah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation will explore the potential of a semi-empirical Hamiltonian, developed by the research group at the University of Louisville, in predicting the existence of new families of low-dimensional boron nanostructures based on icosahedral α-B₁₂ clusters, and in tuning the band gaps of h-BN sheets with graphene domains and holey graphene. This semi-empirical Hamiltonian models electron-electron and electron-ion interactions using environment-dependent (ED) functions, and ion-ion interactions via usual pairwise terms. Additional features of our approach are that it uses a linear combination of atomic orbitals (LCAO) framework to describe the Hamiltonian and it calculates the charge distribution around a …

Synthesis, Characterization, And Electronic Properties Of Novel 2d Materials : Transition Metal Dichalcogenides And Phosphorene., George Anderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Scaling electronic devices has become paramount. The current work builds upon scaling efforts by developing novel synthesis methods and next generation sensing devices based on 2D materials. A new combination method utilizing thermal evaporation and chemical vapor deposition was developed and analyzed to show the possibilities of Transition Metal Dichalcogenide monolayers and heterostructures. The materials produced from the above process showed high degrees of compositional control in both spatial dimensions and chemical structure. Characterization shows controlled fabrication of heterostructures, which may pave the way for future band gap engineering possibilities. In addition, Phosphorene based field effect transistors, photodetectors, and gas …

Thermal Effects On Spin Currents In Non-Local Metallic Spin Valves, Alex Hojem

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study of non-local spin valves (NLSVs) has recently proven to be a fertile area for both applied and fundamental research in nanomagnetism due to the unique ability to separate charge currents and spin currents. NLSVs may also prove essential for a new class of high-density hard disk read heads due to their favorable scalability. Recent studies have shown thermal effects created by high current densities play a significant role in the response of NLSVs. These thermal effects also provide the opportunity to create a pure spin current from thermal gradients via a mechanism call the spin dependent Seebeck effect …

The Adsorption Of Polyatomic Molecules On Carbon Surfaces, Jared T. Burde

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Carbon nanotubes exhibit the structure and chemical properties that make them apt substrates for many adsorption applications. Of particular interest are carbon nanotube bundles, whose unique geometry is conducive to the formation of pseudo-one-dimensional phases of matter, and graphite, whose simple planar structure allows ordered phases to form in the absence of surface effects. Although both of these structures have been the focus of many research studies, knowledge gaps still remain. Much of the work with carbon nanotubes has used simple adsorbates^1-43, and there is little kinetic data available. On the other hand, there are many studies of …

Nanoscale Thermoelectrics: A Study Of The Absolute Seebeck Coefficient Of Thin Films, Sarah J. Mason

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The worlds demand for energy is ever increasing. Likewise, the environmental impact of climate change due generating that energy through combustion of fossil fuels is increasingly alarming. Due to these factors new sources of renewable energies are constantly being sought out. Thermoelectric devices have the ability to generate clean, renewable, energy out of waste heat. However promising that is, their inefficiency severely inhibits applicability and practical use. The usefulness of a thermoelectric material increases with the dimensionless quantity, ZT, where, Z = S²σ/κ, and S, σ, and κ are the Seebeck coefficient and electrical and thermal …

High Temperature And Pressure Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy Study Of Metal Hydride Systems, Rasheed Adebisi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this dissertation is to characterize the elastic properties of palladium hydride near the tri-critical point as a classic example of metal hydride systems using the resonant ultrasound spectroscopy. A high temperature and high pressure resonant ultrasound spectroscopy system which include the RUS cell and the direct contact transducer set-up was designed and constructed. The temperature and pressure dependent of elastic moduli of palladium hydride and palladium crystals were obtained at five isotherms near the critical temperature, 293 °C and for pressure range of 250–500 psi. A strong softening of the shear modulus was observed at temperature and …