Engineering Physics Commons^™

Reflection-High Energy Electron Diffraction Study Of Si(100) Homoepitaxy By Femtosecond Pulsed Laser Deposition, Mohammed S. Hegazy

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The dynamics of femtosecond pulsed laser deposition (fsPLD) of Si(!00)-1 x I and Si(!00)-2x I homoepitaxy are studied by in situ reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) and ex situ atomic force microscopy (AFM). The effects of substrate temperature, laser fluence and the pressure of a passive gas on the Si(!00)-1 x I growth mode are discussed. It is shown that films grow following the Volmer-Weber (3D) growth mode. The substrate temperature largely affects the morphology of the grown film. Below ~ 400 °C (at laser fluence of~ 1.9 J/cm²), randomly oriented 3D clusters are grown. This is shown …

Cuin1-Xalxse2 Thin Films And Solar Cells, P. D. Paulson, M. W. Haimbodi, S. Marsillac, R. W. Birkmire, W. N. Shafarman

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

CuIn[sub 1-x]Al[sub x]Se[sub 2] thin films are investigated for their application as the absorber layer material for high efficiency solar cells. Single-phase CuIn[sub 1-x]Al[sub x]Se[sub 2] films were deposited by four source elemental evaporation with a composition range of 0≤x≤0.6. All these films demonstrate a normalized subband gap transmission >85% with 2 µm film thickness. Band gaps obtained from spectroscopic ellipsometry show an increase with the Al content in the CuIn[sub 1-x]Al[sub x]Se[sub 2] film with a bowing parameter of 0.62. The structural properties investigated using x-ray diffraction measurements show a decrease in lattice spacing as the Al content increases. …

Improvements In Wavelength Modulation Spectroscopy Using Ratios Of Higher Harmonics, James Michael Barrington

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Experiments in Wavelength Modulation Spectroscopy have been conducted at Old Dominion University since 1996. The method provides a highly sensitive, nonintrusive method of probing gases. Research has concentrated on effectively modeling the higher harmonic shapes that are measured experimentally. Accurately modeling these signals will result in the ability to reliably extract the information contained in transition line shapes.

In order to accurately depict the signals, the theory must be thoroughly understood. This thesis develops the theory of Wavelength Modulation Spectroscopy from two aspects: a direct Fourier series expansion of a time varying intensity profile and through communication theory. In addition, …

Collisional Dynamics Of Bi2 A(0U+). Ii. State-To-State Rotational Energy Transfer, Robert E. Franklin, Glen P. Perram

Faculty Publications

Rotational-to-translational (R–T) energy transfer within v′=1 of the A(0⁺_u) state of Bi₂ has been investigated using spectrally resolved, laser induced fluorescence techniques. Spectrally resolved emissions from collisionally populated rotational levels of Bi₂(A,v′=1) were observed for helium, neon, and argon collision partners after laser excitation of the high rotational levels J′=171, 201, and 231. Total rotational removal rates from the initially prepared state range from 2.8–8.9×10−10 cm3/molecule s. Collisional population of rotational states with |ΔJ|⩽56 was observed at pressures of 0.09–1.4 Torr. The state-to-state rates are adequately modeled by the energy based statistical power gap …

Specification Of Jecp/Sp: Stereographic Projection With An Application For Specimen Orientation Adjustment Using Tem Holders, Xingzhong Li

Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience: Faculty Publications

1. Purpose of the program 2. Graphic user interface and program design 3. Crystallographic principle and implementation 4. System requirement 5. Installation and user instruction 6. How to contact the author 7. References

1. Purpose of the program JECP/SP is a computer program in Java Electron Crystallography Package. JECP is developed for quantitative electron diffraction and image processing, the package is designed and written by Dr. XingZhong Li. JECP/SP provides the all necessary functions of stereographic projection for regular application and furthermore it can be used to minimized the difficulties encountered when tilting highly beam-sensitive, or small-grain-size specimens with known …

Cooling Atoms In An Optical Trap By Selective Parametric Excitation, Nicola Poli, Robert J. Brecha, Giacomo Roati, Giovanni Modugno

Physics Faculty Publications

We demonstrate the possibility of energy-selective removal of cold atoms from a tight optical trap by means of parametric excitation of the trap vibrational modes. Taking advantage of the anharmonicity of the trap potential, we either selectively remove the most energetic trapped atoms or excite those at the bottom of the trap by tuning the parametric modulation frequency. This process, which had been previously identified as a possible source of heating, also appears to be a robust way for forcing evaporative cooling in anharmonic traps.

Jecp/Ed Manual, Xingzhong Li

Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience: Faculty Publications

JECP/ED is a Java program with graphic interface for simulating electron diffraction pattern. It is designed and written by Dr. Xingzhong in University of Nebraska- Lincoln. This is verision 12-2002. It can be used for simulating electron diffraction zone pattern(ZOLZ with/without FOLZ), it allows to select zone axis, high voltage, sample thickness in the simulation, optional to show index, intensity and Laue center, featureed with manuniplating the pattern with slightly tilting, 360 degree rotation, zoom. The diffraction intensity is calculated on the basis of the kinematical theory. The program is extended to simulate electron diffraction with a precession of incident …

High-Efficiency Solar Cells Based On Cu(Inal)Se[Sub 2] Thin Films, S. Marsillac, P. D. Paulson, M. W. Haimbodi, R. W. Birkmire, W. N. Shafarman

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

A Cu(InAl)Se₂solar cell with 16.9% efficiency is demonstrated using a Cu(InAl)Se₂thin film deposited by four-source elemental evaporation and a device structure of glass/Mo/Cu(InAl)Se₂/CdS/ZnO/indium tin oxide/(Ni/Algrid)/MgF₂. A key to high efficiency is improved adhesion between the Cu(InAl)Se₂ and the Mo back contact layer, provided by a 5-nm-thick Ga interlayer, which enabled the Cu(InAl)Se₂ to be deposited at a 530 °C substrate temperature. Film and device properties are compared to Cu(InGa)Se₂ with the same band gap of 1.16 eV. The solar cells have similar behavior, with performance limited by recombination through …

Advances In Space Radiation Shielding Codes, John W. Wilson, Ram K. Tripathi, Garry D. Qualls, Francis A. Cucinotta, Richard E. Prael, John W. Norbury, John H. Heinbockel, John Tweed, Giovanni De Angelis

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

Early space radiation shield code development relied on Monte Carlo methods and made important contributions to the space program. Monte Carlo methods have resorted to restricted one-dimensional problems leading to imperfect representation of appropriate boundary conditions. Even so, intensive computational requirements resulted and shield evaluation was made near the end of the design process. Resolving shielding issues usually had a negative impact on the design. Improved spacecraft shield design requires early entry of radiation constraints into the design process to maximize performance and minimize costs. As a result, we have been investigating high-speed computational procedures to allow shield analysis from …

Pulsed Electron Heating Of Atmospheric Pressure Air Glow Discharges, Hisham Merhi

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

By applying electric field pulses of short duration (compared to the time constant for glow-to-arc transitions) to a weakly ionized gas, the electron energy distribution can be temporarily shifted to higher energies. This effect causes a nonlinear increase in the ionization rate and consequently a larger electron decay time. This effect has been demonstrated using single pulse operation.³ In order to generate plasma with semi-continuous electron density, repetitive operation is required. As a first step towards repetitive pulsed electric field operation, the temporal development of the voltage across the plasma for two subsequent pulses was measured. The dual pulse …

Single-Sided Noninvasive Inspection Of Multielement Sample Using Fan-Beam Multiplexed Compton Scatter Tomography, Matthew A. Lange

Theses and Dissertations

As aircraft age, corrosion forms upon unobservable surfaces, particularly at the junction of the sheet aluminum and the steel rivets used to attach the sheets to the airframe, degrading the aircraft s airworthiness. Previous research developed a noninvasive technique for the evaluation of the material composition of aluminum surfaces, utilizing the information encoded in the energy spectra of Compton-scattered gamma emissions. The spectra are gathered by a six-element, high purity germanium detector array. A, first principles, deterministic computer code is used to reconstruct a two-dimensional map of the electron density of aluminum samples. Previous efforts, to image pure aluminum samples, …

Time-Resolved Photoluminescence Of Inas/Gainsb Quantum Well Lasers, Michael R. Mckay

Theses and Dissertations

In the world of semiconductor photonic device fabrication, one important objective may be to extract as much light as possible from the device. In these devices, photons are created when electrons recombine with holes by transitioning from a high-energy state to a lower one. Unfortunately, electron-hole recombination does not always result in the formation of a photon. There are three basic types of recombination: the first results in the formation of a photon and is called radiative recombination; and the second and third, known as Shockley-Read-Hall and Auger recombination, result in the heating of the device and do not produce …

Mitigation Of Water Vapor Interference For Infrared Polarization-Modulated Gas Filter Correlation Radiometry, David K. Lockwood

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Gas filter correlation radiometry (GFCR) is a high-resolution, high-specificity technique for sensing gaseous species. A variation of absorption spectroscopy, GFCR has a long-proven record on orbital platforms for quantitative measurements of atmospheric constituents, as well as common usage in ground-based sensing applications. PMGFCR (Polarization-modulated GFCR) is a recent refinement of the technique with several advantages over the traditional method, including reducing the number of photodetectors required, increased sensitivity, and elimination of moving parts.

To date, no infrared remote sensors have successfully measured nitric oxide (NO) in vehicle exhaust due to spectral overlap by strong water vapor (H₂O_{v …}

Use Of Quantum Mechanical Calculations To Investigate Small Silicon Carbide Clusters, Jean W. Henry

Theses and Dissertations

Density Functional Theory (DFT) method was employed to model silicon carbide small clusters. Comparing the DFT calculation results with experimental results that observed by using photoelectron spectroscopy (PES), DFT predicts the same structures that experiment observed. For electron affinity, DFT results are in good agreement with experimental results, the root mean square negative offset 0.1 eV found using medium size of basis set (cc-pVDZ+) calculation. DFT results for vibrational frequencies are in good agreement with experiment results; the root mean square error is 72.5 cm^-1 wave number. 16 ground state structures of Si_mC_n (m ≤ 4, …

Spectral And Temporal Characterization Of High Temperature Events, William F. Bagby

Theses and Dissertations

The remote observations of the temporal and spectral characteristics of the infrared (IR) emissions from exploding ordnance have been correlated with explosion conditions. A Bomem MR-154 Fourier Transform Interferometer with two detectors, InSb and HgCdTe, was used to record spectra in the 1.3 - 20 micrometers range. Data was collected at spectral resolutions of 16/cm and 4/cm, and temporal resolutions of 0.045 sand 0.123 5, respectively. The data files range in size from 900 Kilobytes to several Megabytes. These are reduced to 2-dimensional representations of temporal features that are less than 100 Kilobytes. The data analysis indicates the possibility of …

Epitaxial Growth Of Pb(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3 On Si And Its Nanoscale Piezoelectric Properties, A. Lin, X. Hong, V. Wood, A. A. Verevkin, C. H. Ahn, R. A. Mckee, F. J. Walker, E. D. Specht

Xia Hong Publications

We have demonstrated a route to epitaxial Pb(Zr_0.2Ti_0.8)O₃ on (001) Si that exhibits a uniform piezoelectric response down to nanoscale levels through the utilization of an insulating, single-crystalline SrTiO₃ transition layer. These structures, which were grown by a combination of molecular-beam epitaxy and off-axis magnetron sputtering, have a surface roughness of <5 Å, with piezoelectric microscopy measurements revealing a piezoelectric coefficient of ~50 pm/V that is switchable down to sub-100-nm dimensions.

Two-Level Atom In An Optical Parametric Oscillator: Spectra Of Transmitted And Fluorescent Fields In The Weak Driving Field Limit, James P. Clemens, Perry R. Rice, Pranaw Kumar Rungta, Robert J. Brecha

Physics Faculty Publications

We consider the interaction of a two-level atom inside an optical parametric oscillator. In the weak-driving-field limit, we essentially have an atom-cavity system driven by the occasional pair of correlated photons, or weakly squeezed light. We find that we may have holes, or dips, in the spectrum of the fluorescent and transmitted light. This occurs even in the strong-coupling limit when we find holes in the vacuum-Rabi doublet. Also, spectra with a subnatural linewidth may occur. These effects disappear for larger driving fields, unlike the spectral narrowing obtained in resonance fluorescence in a squeezed vacuum; here it is important that …

Wavelength Modulation Spectroscopy Of Water Vapor And Line Center Stabilization At 1.462 Μm For Lidar Applications, Colleen Marie Fitzgerald

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Wavelength modulation spectroscopy was employed to investigate water vapor absorption lines in the 1.462 µm wavelength region using an external-cavity diode laser. These measurements were necessary in the development of a lidar (light detection and ranging) instrument for differential absorption measurement of the concentration and movement of water vapor in the Earth's atmosphere. Differential absorption measurements require that the laser frequency remain stable throughout the duration of the measurement. To ensure this stability, the laser output wavelength is monitored and a feedback control loop set up to minimize laser line drift. Three lines were investigated in the 1.462 µm region. …

Validation Of The Ionospheric Forecast Model (Ifm) Version 3, Michael D. Scott

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to validate the Ionospheric Forecast Model (IFM) Version 3 to assess its suitability and usefulness as an operational tool. The Ionospheric forecast model is a first principles computer model designed to forecast the state of the global ionosphere to 24 hours. The scope was limited to a comparison of the F2 layer critical frequency (foF2) and peak electron density (hmF2) against observed ionosonde data. The model was run with global solar and geomagnetic indices and Information from Digitial Ionospheric Sounding System (DISS) observations as inputs. The DISS observations were input through the Parameterized Real-Time …

Temperature Determination In An I2 Gas Using Dopper-Limited Saturation Spectroscopy, James W. Myers Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Saturation spectroscopy techniques were used to demonstrate the ability to make spatially resolved temperature measurements by exploiting the B3 ∏(O⁺_u) - X1 Σ ;(O⁺_g) electronic transition in molecular iodine (I₂). Doppler-free saturation spectroscopy measurements resulted in hyperfine spectral profiles for the P(7O) 17-1 and P(53) 19-2 ro-vibrational transitions between the electronic levels. Doppler-limited saturation spectroscopy, an adaptation of the Doppler-free technique in which beams propagate in the same direction and cross within the gas sample, allowed for the measurement of spatially resolved Doppler profiles for the same transitions. The profiles were measured …

Erbium-Ytterbium Codoped Fiber Amplifiers, Wai Yee Chan

Student Works (2000-2009)

The amplification characteristics of an Erbium/Ytterbium codoped fiber amplifier(EYDFA) pumped in both the 800nm and 980nm pump bands is reported. With -3m long Er-Yb fiber, the 813nm pumped-EYDFA shows small-signal gain exceeding 20dB over a 20nm bandwidth in the l.Sµm region where the peak gain of 38.4dB is achieved at 1535nm. A low noise figure of ~3.6d8 is also achieved at 1550nm. However, it is found that 980nm pumped­EYDF A suffers lower gain due to the effect of nonsaturable absorption by Yb³⁺ ions which causes high pump poWer loss, thus degrades the signal amplification in Er³⁺ system. Compared to the …

Textured Mos 2 Thin Films Obtained On Tungsten: Electrical Properties Of The W/Mos 2 Contact, E. Gourmelon, J. C. Bernède, J. Pouzet, S. Marsillac

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Textured films of molybdenum disulfide have been obtained by solid state reaction between the constituents in thin films form when a (200) oriented tungsten sheet is used as substrate. The crystallites have their c axis perpendicular to the plane of the substrate. The annealing conditions are T=1073K and t=30 min. The films are stoichoimetric and p type. Such highly textured films are achieved without foreign atom addition (Ni, Co...). It appears, as shown by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, that a thin WS₂ layer is present at the interface W/MoS₂. The crystallization process is discussed by a …

Digital Holography And Application In Laser Metrology, Thian Khok Yong

Student Works (2000-2009)

A digital holography system has been developed in this study. The object is recorded and the hologram is stored electronically with a charged-couple-device (CCD) camera without any focusing optics. The reconstruction of the digitally sampled hologram is done numerically with a computer. The algorithm and software for numerical reconstruction, which consists in a numerical realization of the Fresnel-Kirchhoff diffraction integral, are designed and implemented with two­dimensional and three-dimensional simple objects. The characteristics of the system have been studied. For the CCD camera (768x494 pixels) been used with spatial resolution of about I 00 lines/mm, the angle between reference and object …

Application Of The Interaction Picture To Reactive Scattering In One Dimension, Michael J. Maclachlan

Theses and Dissertations

The interaction picture is used together with the channel-packet method in a new time-dependent approach to compute reactive scattering matrix elements. The channelpacket method enables the use of the interaction picture for computing reactive S-matrix elements by splitting the computational effort into two parts. First, asymptotic reactant and product wavepackets are individually propagated into the interaction region of the potential to form Moller states. The interaction picture, in contrast to the usual Schrödinger picture of quantum mechanics, is so constructed that a wavefunction that experiences no change in potential (that is, a free-particle wavefunction) remains always fixed, with no translation …

Implementation Of A Two-Dimensional Hydrodynamic Shock Code Based Upon The Weighted Average Flux Method, Mark P. Wittig

Theses and Dissertations

Numerical modeling of shock propagation and reflection is of interest to the Department of Defense (DoD). Propriety state-of-the-art codes based upon E. F. Toro's weighted average flux (WAF) method are being used to investigate complex shock reflection phenomena. Here we develop, test, and validate a one-dimensional hydrodynamic shock code. We apply WAF to Gudonov's first-order upwind method to achieve second-order accuracy. Oscillations, typical of second-order methods, are then removed using adaptive weight limiter functions based upon total variation diminishing (TVD) flux limiters. An adaptive Riemann solver routine is also implemented to improve computational efficiency. This one-dimensional code is then extended …

Development And Testing Of An Ac Micro Hollow Cathode Simulator, Thomas E. Caldwell

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The use of AC source plasma discharge devices in applications such as material processing and film deposition has increased in recent years due to improvements in discharge efficiency made possible by devices such as the micro hollow cathode. Designing hollow cathodes for specific applications requires an understanding of the processes that govern the discharge. Simulation is an inexpensive tool for understanding hollow cathode operation and optimizing the device for specific applications. This thesis describes the development of an AC micro hollow cathode simulator. It details the theoretical models used in the simulation and presents the results of test cases intended …

Fiber-Optic Coupled Lidar Receiver System To Measure Stratospheric Ozone, David Brent Harper

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A fiber-optic coupled lidar receiver system was constructed to determine ozone concentrations in the stratosphere. The system was used to make ground-based measurements of lidar returns from a UV DIAL system. A fiber-optic cable was used to couple the light from the receiver telescope to the light detector. Photon counting was implemented as the light detection technique. This technique allowed detection of 301 and 311 nm lidar returns up to 27.5 and 32.5 km respectively. A software application was developed to control the photon counting system and perform real-time data analysis of measured lidar returns. DIAL measurements of stratospheric ozone …

Optimization Of A Multilayer Photothermal Sensor For Infrared Spectroscopy, Janine O.J. Wiggins

Theses and Dissertations

Tri-layer thermal diffusion modeling was applied to the optimization of a multi-layer reed sensor for use in a photothermal infrared detector. The multi-layer reed sensor deflects in response to increased temperature. Deflection, of angstroms or larger, is measured using an atomic force microscope. A newly developed thermal diffusion model for three layer reeds was combined with an existing two-layer cantilever model, in order to explore the effects of length, operating frequency, and layer thickness on signal to noise ratio. Model behavior is presented, and compared to laboratory results.

Space Charge Structure Of A Glow Discharge In The Presence Of A Longitudinal Inhomogeneity, Frank A. Tersigni

Theses and Dissertations

A survey of space charge structures arising due to inhomogeneities in glow discharges was conducted. Space charge structures associated with tube geometries, the cathode sheath, striations, and shockwaves were examined. Space charge effects on the Electron Energy Distribution Function (EEDF) were explored for a geometric inhomogeneity using an approximate nonlocal solution to the one dimensional Boltzmann equation after Godyak. The approximate solution partially captured qualitative aspects of space charge effects on the EEDF. Simplification of collisional effects and adaptation of an approximate electric field restricted quantitative comparisons with experimental data. It is recommended that any future analysis of space charge …

Band Structure Anisotropy In Semiconductor Quantum Wells, Steven J. Novotny

Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this research is an investigation of energy band anisotropy in simple quantum well structures. This anisotropy results from the asymmetry of the periodic potential within the crystal lattice. For sufficiently high doping levels, band structure anisotropy is expected to play an important role in the evaluation of the electronic and optical properties of the quantum well structures. The analysis uses a model based on a 6x6 Luttinger-Kohn k.p approach for bulk material valence band structure together with the Envelope Function Approximation. The model is used to analyze Si/SiGe, AlGaAs/GaAs, and GaAs/InGaAs quantum wells for the 001 and …