Thesis advisor: Michael Naughton / A helium gas-pressure system has been tested and then used to investigate the nature of a phase transition from the normal metallic state to an antiferromagnetic spin density wave state in the quasi-one dimensional molecular organic conductor (TMTSF)2PF6. This metallic state superconducts at low temperature and high pressure, in such a way that the insulating antiferromagnetic state competes with the superconducting state. The physics motivation was to examine the possibility of a ¿quantum critical point¿ near the critical pressure of the sample where these latter two states may coexist. The technical motivation was to make the first tests of the pressure system at cryogenic temperatures to ensure that it is the appropriate tool for the planned investigations. Using temperature sweeps at various fixed pressures on a single crystal sample, we were able to obtain several points on the pressure versus temperature phase boundary separating the metallic and SDW states. We have thus verified that the helium gas-pressure system is indeed capable of facilitating these types of experiments, and future measurements will be done at lower temperatures accessing the superconducting state. / Thesis (BS) — Boston College, 2003. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Physics. / Discipline: College Honors Program.

L'observation spatiale exige l’utilisation de systèmes à très haute résolution avec de grandes dimensions. La conception de ces systèmes implique la détection et associe des systèmes d'actuation pour assurer un positionnement très stable de composants optiques. Toutefois, les matériaux actuellement utilisés pour l’actionnement piézoélectrique (PZT) montrent des propriétés fortement diminuées à très basse température. Ce travail explore les performances de composés piézoélectriques PMN-xPT à des températures cryogéniques. La dépendance en température des céramiques PMN-xPT est comparée à la dépendance thermique de PZT dur (PZT-4) et doux (PZT5H) sous forme de céramiques de la température ambiante à 10 K. Les compositions en PMN-PT de structure quadratique présentent des constantes piézoélectriques stables dans la plage de température 250 - 100 K. Les plus hautes valeurs de constantes piézoélectriques sont observées pour le composé PMN-38PT dans la gamme de température 200 à 50 K. Toutes les céramiques présentent des performances décroissantes en fonction de la température. Ce comportement est attribué à un «freezing out» des contributions extrinsèques du phénomène de piézoélectricité, mais est également dû à une contribution d’effets quantiques. Le facteur de qualité mécanique (Qm) augmente très rapidement à partir de 50 K pour tous les composés. Ceci pourrait être dû à de faibles processus de relaxation à très basses températures. Les transducteurs acoustiques actuels fonctionnent avec des céramiques à base de plomb, et plus particulièrement avec des céramiques PZT. Ce matériau a de fortes propriétés électromécaniques. Cependant à cause de la toxicité du plomb, nous devons trouver des composés sans plomb afin de remplacer le PZT. Dans ce travail de recherche, un oxyde mixte synthétisé par voie classique, (K, Na, Li) (Nb, Ta, Sb) O3 sous forme de céramiques est étudié. Ce composé possède d’excellentes densités (98% dth) et de bonnes propriétés électromécaniques à température ambiante. L’étude de la texturation de ce composé montre que par la méthode de coulage en bande, nous pouvons obtenir une certaine orientation des céramiques (60%). / Space borne observation requires extremely high resolution systems with large dimensions. The design of such systems implies associating sensing and actuation systems to insure a highly stable positioning of optical components. However, the currently used PZT materials for piezoelectric actuation show strongly diminished strain at cryogenic temperatures. This work explores the performances of PMN-xPT piezoelectric materials at cryogenic temperatures. Temperature dependence of PMN-xPT ceramics is compared with hard PZT (PZT-4) and soft PZT (PZT5H) ceramics from RT to 10 K. PMN-PT tetragonal compositions exhibit stable piezoelectric constant in the 250-100 K range. The highest values of piezoelectric constant are observed for PMN-38PT in the 200-50 K range. All ceramics exhibit decreasing performances versus cooling temperature. This behaviour is attributed to a “freezing out” of extrinsic contributions to piezoelectricity [12] but is also due to a contribution of quantum effects [13, 14]. The mechanical quality factor (Qm) increases very quickly from 50 K to 10 K for all samples. This fact could be due to low relaxation processes at very low temperatures. Today acoustic transducers operate with lead-based ceramics, and more particularly lead–zirconate–titanate (PZT). This material is very powerful thanks to these high electromechanical properties. However cause of lead toxicity we have to find new materials without lead in order to replace PZT. In this paper, main guidelines to develop lead-free ceramics are given specially for acoustic transducer. A conventional mixed oxide and carbonate route to synthesis (K,Na,Li)(Nb,Ta,Sb)O3 lead-free ceramics is presented. Excellent density (98% dth) and good electromechanical properties were observed at room temperature.

L’adsorption de l’hydrogène et du deutérium purs ou en mélanges a été étudiée sur une série de zéolithes en faisant varier différents paramètres (taille et géométrie des pores, rapport Si/Al, nature du cation compensateur de charge).Les sélectivités d’adsorption ont été déterminées dans un large domaine de pression (0,1 – 1000 hPa) et de température (45 – 100 K) à l’aide une technique originale basée sur le couplage de la manométrie et de la spectrométrie de masse conçue et mise au point au laboratoire. En accord avec les données de la littérature, pour tous les matériaux et toutes les conditions expérimentales étudiées, le processus de coadsorption est toujours en faveur du deutérium. En revanche, la sélectivité varie en fonction du taux de remplissage, des propriétés des matériaux et de la température. La cinétique de coadsorption joue un rôle très important sur la sélectivité d’adsorption et ce tout particulièrement dans le domaine de fort remplissage.Ces travaux ont permis d’identifier les paramètres de l’adsorbant et les conditions opératoires qui permettront le développement d’un procédé de séparation efficace des isotopes de l’hydrogène par adsorption sélective. / The adsorption of hydrogen and deuterium (single gases and mixtures) was studied on a series of zeolites with varied parameters (Si/Al ratio, nature of the charge-compensating cation, pore geometry and diameter of pore aperture). Thermodynamic adsorption selectivities towards deuterium with respect to hydrogen were measured in a large pressure range (0.1 – 1000 hPa) and for several temperatures (45 – 100 K). The adsorption selectivity was assessed using direct coadsorption measurements performed by manometry coupled with mass spectrometry. For all studied zeolites and experimental conditions, the coadsorption process is selective towards deuterium, in agreement with the literature. However, the adsorption selectivity depends on the loading, the sorbent’s properties and the temperature. We have found that the coadsorption kinetics strongly influences the adsorption selectivity, especially at high loading. This work gives the guidelines for the choice of the formulation of materials and the optimal operating conditions for having an efficient separation of hydrogen isotopes using zeolite-based adsorbents.

L'eau joue un rôle fondamental dans la photochimie du milieu interstellaire (MIS), à travers la formation d'espèces très réactives comme OH. Les radicaux OH peuvent par la suite interagir avec d'autres molécules hydrogénées pour reformer H2O par abstraction d'hydrogène: R-H + OH → R* + H2O. Dans le cadre de ce travail de thèse, nous avons étudié l'influence des photons VUV sur des analogues de glace interstellaire. Nous montrons que l'incorporation d'une petite quantité d'eau dans NH3 et CH4 glaces augmente considérablement la formation de radicaux réactifs comme NH2 et CH3 pendant le processus de photolyse et que le chauffage des glaces binaires irradiées telles que NH3-H2O et CH4-H2O conduit à la formation de NH2OH et d'espèces alcooliques plus complexes comme le propanol et le métoxyméthanol. Nous avons également entamé d'autres études en parallèle sur le l'évolution thermique des glaces de NH2OH d'une part et la formation de propanol par voies énergétiques (irradiation VUV) et non énergétique (réaction d'addition H) d'autre part afin de tenter d'expliquer la non-détection des ces espèces organiques dans le milieu interstellaire. L'étude des glaces mixtes irradiées NH3-CH4-H2O a montré la formation à basse température d'espèces plus exotiques en combinant les spectrométries IR et de masse. Nous avons réussi à identifier des composés organiques très complexes déjà détectés ou activement recherchés dans le MIS. / Water plays a fundamental role in the photochemistry of the interstellar medium (ISM), through OH radical formation. OH radicals can interact with other H-containing species to form H2O through a hydrogen abstraction reaction: R-H + OH → R* + H2O. In this work, we have investigated the VUV processing on different interstellar ice analogs. We show that the incorporation of small amount of water in NH3 and CH4 ices greatly increases the formation of reactive NH2 and CH3 radicals during the photolysis processing. Thermal treatments of irradiated NH3-H2O and CH4-H2O ices lead to the formation of NH2OH and larger alcoholic species such as propanol and metoxymethanol. Further studies of thermal processing of NH2OH ice and formation of propanol through energetic (VUV irradiation) and non-energetic (surface H-addition reaction) processing were carried out in the context of this thesis in order to try explaining their non-detection in the interstellar medium. The study of the irradiated mixed NH3-CH4-H2O ices showed the formation of more exotic species by combining the IR and mass spectrometries. We managed to identify very large complex organic compounds already detected or tensively sought in the ISM.

Microelectronics has shaped the world beyond what was thought possible at the time of its advent. One area of current research in this field is on the solid-state Si:P-based quantum computer (QC). In this machine, each qubit requires an individually addressed fast control-pulse for non-adiabatic drive and measure operations. Additionally, it is increasingly becoming important to be able to interface nanoelectronics with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology. In this work, I have designed and demonstrated full-custom mixed-mode and full-digital fast control-pulse generators fabricated in a silicon-on-sapphire (SOS) CMOS commercial foundry process ?? a radio-frequency (RF) CMOS technology. These circuits are, fundamentally, fast monostable multivibrators. Initially, after the design specifications were decided upon, I characterized NFET and PFET devices and a n+-diffusion resistor from 500 nm and 250 nm commercial SOS-CMOS processes. Measuring their conductance curves at 300 300 K, 4.2 2 K, and sub-K (30 30 mK base to 1000 1000 mK) showed that they function with desirable behaviour although exhibiting some deviations from their 300 300 K characteristics. The mixed-mode first generation control-pulse generator was demonstrated showing that it produced dwell-time adjustable pulses with 100 100 ps rise-times at 300 K, 4.2 2 K, and sub-K with a power dissipation of 12 12 uW at 100 100 MHz. The full-digital second generation control-pulse generator was demonstrated showing accurately adjustable dwell-times settable via a control-word streamed synchronously to a shift-register. The design was based on a ripple-counter with provisions for internal or external clocking. This research has demonstrated that SOS-CMOS technology is highly feasible for the fabrication of control microelectronics for a Si:P-based QC. I have demonstrated full-custom SOS-CMOS mixed-mode and full-digital control circuits at 300 300 K, 4.2 2 K, and sub-K which suitable for qubit control.

Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) on light element materials and soft matters is problematic due to electron irradiation damage and low contrast. In this doctoral thesis techniques were developed to address some of those issues and successfully characterize these materials at high resolution. These techniques were demonstrated on graphene flakes, DNA/magnetic beads and a number of water containing biomaterials. The details of these studies are given below. A TEM based method was presented for thickness characterization of graphene flakes. For the thickness characterization, the dynamical theory of electron diffraction is used to obtain an analytical expression for the intensity of the transmitted electron beam as a function of thickness. From JEMS simulations (experiments) the absorption constant λ in a low symmetry orientation was found to be ~ 208 nm (225 ± 9 nm). When compared to standard techniques for thickness determination of graphene/graphite, the method has the advantage of being relatively simple, fast and requiring only the acquisition of bright-field (BF) images. Using the proposed method, it is possible to measure the thickness change due to one monolayer of graphene if the flake has uniform thickness over a larger area. A real-space TEM study on magnetic bead-DNA coil interaction was conducted and a statistical analysis of the number of beads attached to the DNA-coils was performed. The average number of beads per DNA coil was calculated around 6 and slightly above 2 for samples with 40 nm and 130 nm beads, respectively. These results are in good agreement with magnetic measurements. In addition, the TEM analysis supported an earlier hypothesis that 40 nm beads are preferably attached interior of the DNA-coils while 130 nm beads closer to the exterior of the coils. A focused ion-beam in-situ lift-out technique for hydrated biological specimens was developed for cryo-TEM. The technique was demonstrated on frozen Aspergillus niger spores which were frozen with liquid nitrogen to preserve their cellular structures. A thin lamella was prepared, lifted out and welded to a TEM grid. Once the lamella was thinned to electron transparency, the grid was cryogenically transferred to the TEM using a cryo-transfer bath. The structure of the cells was revealed by BF imaging. Also, a series of energy filtered images was acquired and C, N and Mn elemental maps were produced. Furthermore, 3 Å lattice fringes of the underlying Al support were successfully resolved by high resolution imaging, confirming that the technique has the potential to extract structural information down to the atomic scale. The experimental protocol is ready now to be employed on a large variety of samples e.g. soft/hard matter interfaces.

Microelectronics has shaped the world beyond what was thought possible at the time of its advent. One area of current research in this field is on the solid-state Si:P-based quantum computer (QC). In this machine, each qubit requires an individually addressed fast control-pulse for non-adiabatic drive and measure operations. Additionally, it is increasingly becoming important to be able to interface nanoelectronics with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology. In this work, I have designed and demonstrated full-custom mixed-mode and full-digital fast control-pulse generators fabricated in a silicon-on-sapphire (SOS) CMOS commercial foundry process ?? a radio-frequency (RF) CMOS technology. These circuits are, fundamentally, fast monostable multivibrators. Initially, after the design specifications were decided upon, I characterized NFET and PFET devices and a n+-diffusion resistor from 500 nm and 250 nm commercial SOS-CMOS processes. Measuring their conductance curves at 300 300 K, 4.2 2 K, and sub-K (30 30 mK base to 1000 1000 mK) showed that they function with desirable behaviour although exhibiting some deviations from their 300 300 K characteristics. The mixed-mode first generation control-pulse generator was demonstrated showing that it produced dwell-time adjustable pulses with 100 100 ps rise-times at 300 K, 4.2 2 K, and sub-K with a power dissipation of 12 12 uW at 100 100 MHz. The full-digital second generation control-pulse generator was demonstrated showing accurately adjustable dwell-times settable via a control-word streamed synchronously to a shift-register. The design was based on a ripple-counter with provisions for internal or external clocking. This research has demonstrated that SOS-CMOS technology is highly feasible for the fabrication of control microelectronics for a Si:P-based QC. I have demonstrated full-custom SOS-CMOS mixed-mode and full-digital control circuits at 300 300 K, 4.2 2 K, and sub-K which suitable for qubit control.

Submitted by Johnny Rodrigues (johnnyrodrigues@ufcg.edu.br) on 2018-10-17T19:51:05Z No. of bitstreams: 1 ALESSANDRA ALMEIDA CASTRO - TESE PPGEP 2004..pdf: 50999854 bytes, checksum: 5c3c28a3bdfe146c8c95c174dbbd858e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-10-17T19:51:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ALESSANDRA ALMEIDA CASTRO - TESE PPGEP 2004..pdf: 50999854 bytes, checksum: 5c3c28a3bdfe146c8c95c174dbbd858e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2004-08-20 / Capes / O objetivo desta pesquisa foi estudar o efeito das técnicas de: a) congelamento nas temperaturas de -20 °C, -196 °C e -170 °C; b) armazenamento as temperaturas de (-20 °C, -30 °C e -170 °C, e c) do método de descongelamento (temperatura ambiente: aproximadamente 25 °C e em banho termostatizado: 35 °C) sobre duas amostras de camarão: 1) com exoesqueleto e cabeça e 2) sem exoesqueleto e sem cabeça, por um período de 12 meses de armazenamento. Foram determinados os seguintes parâmetros: a) características físicas (massa, comprimento, espessura e volume); b) cinética de congelamento as temperaturas de -20 °C, -170 °C e -196 °C; c) propriedades termofisicas (densidade, calor específico, difusividade térmica e condutividade térmica); d) características físico-químicas (conteúdo de água, cinzas, proteínas, pH, carboidratos, gorduras, calorias, exsudado e um atributo de textura: dureza); e) caracterização microbiológica (salmonela, coliformes fecais, vibrio parahaemolyticus) e f) avaliação sensorial (sabor, odor, textura e aparência), visando verificar a eficácia das técnicas de congelamento e descongelamento na qualidade do camarão armazenado. Na análise da cinética, as curvas de congelamento obtidas à temperatura de -20 °C para o camarão com exoesqueleto e cabeça e para o filé foram observadas claramente as três fases, ou seja, resfriamento, cristalização e pós-congelamento. Este fato também ocorreu para o camarão com cabeça congelado a -170 °C, já para o filé congelado a -170 °C não se distinguiu com clareza a fase I da Fase II, ou seja, a fase de resfriamento e a fase de cristalização, fato este atribuído a maior velocidade de congelamento. Nas curvas de congelamento do camarão com cabeça e filé quando estes foram submetidos ao congelamento por imersão em N2 líquido (-196 °C) também não se observou uma distinção entre as fases de resfriamento e cristalização. Com relação às propriedades termofisicas, a densidade do camarão "fresco" (25 °C) com exoesqueleto e cabeça foi de l,066g/cm3 e do filé foi de l,02g/cm3. Os valores médios do calor específico do camarão com exoesqueleto e do filé "fresco" foram de 0,84 e 0,86 kcal/kg °C, respectivamente e para o camarão com exoesqueleto e filé à temperatura de -170 °C foram de 0,28 kcal/kg °C, 0,31 kcal/kg °C e a -196 °C foram de 0,25 kcal/kg °C e 0,28 kcal/kg °C, respectivamente. A difusividade efetiva média do camarão com exoesqueleto às temperaturas de -20 °C, -170 °C e -196 °C, foi de 9,13 x 10 3 mm2/s; 29 x 10 3 mm2/s; 571,8 x 10 3 mm2/s e para o filé nas mesmas temperaturas foi 9,9 x 10 3 mm2/s; 28,1 x IO"3 mm2/s; 384,3 x IO"3 mm2/s. A condutividade térmica média para o camarão com exoesqueleto às temperaturas de -170°C e -196 °C foi de 0,032 W/m °C e 0,499 W/m °C e para o filé nas mesmas temperaturas foi de 0,029 W/m °C e 0,371 W/m °C, respectivamente. Na caracterização físico-química, tanto nos camarões com cabeça quanto nos filés, congelados e armazenados em vapor de N2 (-170 °C) mantiveram-se inalterados o conteúdo de água, cinzas, proteínas, pH, gorduras e exsudado, durante todo o período de armazenagem. Os resultados das análises microbiológicas dos camarões frescos, depois de congelados e durante os 12 meses de armazenamento, apresentaram ausência de salmonela, de coliformes fecais e vibrio parahaemolyticus. Na avaliação sensorial quanto aos atributos sabor, odor, textura e aparência, os degustadores demonstraram preferência pelas amostras congeladas e armazenadas em vapor de N2, as amostras que tiveram menores índices de aceitabilidade foram às congeladas e armazenadas a -20 °C. Concluiu-se ainda que tanto no sabor, odor e textura, em todos os tratamentos, as médias das notas dos camarões descongelados em banho termostatizado à temperatura de 35 °C foram menores que as descongeladas a temperatura ambiente, todavia, na avaliação da aparência do camarão com exoesqueleto e cabeça, quando descongeladas em banho termostatizado a 35 °C, apresentaram notas mais elevadas que as descongeladas à temperatura ambiente, tal fato é atribuído a astaxantina existente em crustáceos, que quando aquecida dá a cor alaranjada ao camarão. / The objective of this research was to study the effect of techniques of: 1) freezing in temperatures of-20 °C, -196 °C and -170 °C; 2) storage in temperatures of (-20 °C, -30 °C and -170 °C, and 3) of unfreezing method ( environmental temperature: approximately 25 °C and in thermostatized bath: 35 °C) on two samples of shrimp: 1) with exoskeleton and head and 2) without exoskeleton and head, for a period of 12 months of storage. The following parameters had been determined: 1) physical characteristics (mass, length, thickness and volume); 2) kinetic freezing of temperatures at -20 °C, -170 °C and -196 °C; 3) thermophysical properties (density, specific heat, thermal diffusivity and thermal conductivity); 4) physicochemical characteristic (water content, ashes, proteins, pH, carbohydrates, fats, calories, exuded and an texture attribution: hardness); 5) microbiological characterization (salmonella, fecale coliform, vibrio parahaemolyticus) and 6) sensorial evaluation (flavor, scent, texture and appearance), aiming to verify the effectiveness of freezing and unfreezing techniques in the quality of the stored shrimp. During kinetic analysis, the curves of freezing obtained at the temperature of -20 °C for the shrimp with the head and exoskeleton for the filet, the three phases, or better saying, cooling, crystallization and after-freezing were clearly observed. This fact also occurred for the shrimp with frozen head at -170 °C, on the other hand for the filet at -170 °C, it was not easy to distinguish with clarity phase I from Phase II, in other words, the phases of cooling and crystallization, due to the speed of freezing. At the shrimps with head freezing curve, it was observed that when these were submitted to freezing by immersion in liquid N2 (-196 °C) there was not any distinction between the phases of cooling and crystallization. In relation to the thermophysical properties, the density of fresh shrimp (25 °C) with exoskeleton and head were of l,066g/cm3 and of that of filet was l,02g/cm3. The average values of the specific heat of the shrimp with exoskeleton and fresh filet is of 0,84 and 0,86 kcal/kg °C, respectively and for shrimp with exoskeleton and filet at temperature of -170 °C were of 0,28 kcal/kb °C, 0.31 kcal/kg °C and 196°C were of 0,25 kcal/kg °C and 0,28 kcal/kg °C, respectively. The medium diffusivity effectiveness of the shrimp with exoskeleton at the temperatures of -20 °C, -170 °C and -196 °C, was of 9,13 x 10"3 mm2/s; 29 x 10"3 mm2/s; 571,8 x 10"3 mm2/s and for the filet at the same temperature was 9,9 x 10"3 mm2/s temperatures was; 28.1 x 10"3 mm2/s; 384,3 x 10"3 mm2/s. The average thermal conductivity for shrimp with exoskeleton at -170 °C and -196 °C was of 0,032 W/m °C and 0,499 W/m °C and for filet at the temperature was of 0,029 W/m °C and 0.371 W/m °C, respectively. For physicist-chemistry characterization, both in shrimps with head as well as that of filet, frozen and stored in N2 vapor (-170 °C) the water content, proteins, pH, fats and exuded remained unchanged during all the period of storage. The results of the microbiological analyses of the fresh shrimps, after been frozen and during 12 months of storage, presented absence of salmonella, fecal coliform and vibrio parahaemolyticus. In the sensorial evaluation as much as flavor, scent, texture and appearance are concerned, the testators demonstrated preference for samples frozen and stored in vapor of N2, the samples with the least acceptability indices were those frozen and stored at -20 °C. It was concluded that in the flavor, scent and texture, in all the treatments, the average notes of defrosted shrimps in thermostatized bath of 35 °C temperature were less than those defrosted at environmental temperature, however, in the evaluation of the appearance of the shrimp with exoskeleton and head, when defrosted at thermostatized bath of 35 °C, presented higher notes than those defrosted at environmental temperature, such facts are attributed to astaxantine existing in crustaceans, which when heated, gives the shrimp that gives the orange color to the shrimp,

No description available.

State-of-the-art SiGe BiCMOS technologies leverage the maturity of deep-submicron silicon CMOS processing with bandgap-engineered SiGe HBTs in a single platform that is suitable for a wide variety of high performance and highly-integrated applications (e.g., system-on-chip (SOC), system-in-package (SiP)). Due to their bandgap-engineered base, SiGe HBTs are also naturally suited for cryogenic electronics and have the potential to replace the costly de facto technologies of choice (e.g., Gallium-Arsenide (GaAs) and Indium-Phosphide (InP)) in many cryogenic applications such as radio astronomy. This work investigates the response of mixed-signal circuits (both RF and analog circuits) when operating in extreme environments, in particular, at cryogenic temperatures and in radiation-rich environments. The ultimate goal of this work is to attempt to fill the existing gap in knowledge on the cryogenic and radiation response (both single event transients (SETs) and total ionization dose (TID)) of specific RF and analog circuit blocks (i.e., RF switches and voltage references). The design approach for different RF switch topologies and voltage references circuits are presented. Standalone Field Effect Transistors (FET) and SiGe HBTs test structures were also characterized and the results are provided to aid in the analysis and understanding of the underlying mechanisms that impact the circuits' response. Radiation mitigation strategies to counterbalance the damaging effects are investigated. A comprehensive study on the impact of cryogenic temperatures on the RF linearity of SiGe HBTs fabricated in a new 4th-generation, 90 nm SiGe BiCMOS technology is also presented.