<p> The process of star formation is an integral part of the new field of astrobiology, which studies the origins of life. Since the gas that collapses to form stars and their resulting protoplanetary disks is known to be weakly ionized and contain magnetic fields, star formation is governed by multifluid magnetohydrodynamics. In this thesis we consider two important problems involved in the process of star formation that may have strongly affected the origins of life, with the goal of determining the thermal effects of these flows and modeling the physical conditions of these environments.</p><p> We first considered the outstanding problem of how primitive bodies, specifically asteroids, were heated in protoplanetary disks early in their lifetime. Reexamining asteroid heating due to the classic unipolar induction heating mechanism described by Sonett et al. (1970), we find that this mechanism contains a subtle conceptual error. As original conceived, heating due to this mechanism is driven by a uniform, supersonic, fully-ionized, magnetized, T Tauri solar wind, which sweeps past an asteroid and causes the asteroid to experience a motional electric field in its rest frame. We point out that this mechanism ignores the interaction between the body surface and the flow, and thus only correctly describes the electric field far away from the asteroid where the plasma streams freely. In a realistic protoplanetary disk environment, we show that the interaction due to friction between the asteroid surface and the flow causes a shear layer to form close to the body, wherein the motional electric field predicted by Sonett et al. decreases and tends to zero at the asteroid surface. We correct this error by using the equations of multifluid magnetohydrodynamics to explicitly treat the shear layer. We calculate the velocity field in the plasma, and the magnetic and electric fields everywhere for two flows over an idealized infinite asteroid with varying magnetic field orientations. We show that the total electric field in the asteroid may either be of comparable strength to the electric field predicted by Sonett et al. or vanish depending on the magnetic field geometry. We include the effects of dust grains in the gas and calculate the heating rates in the plasma flow due to ion-neutral scattering and viscous dissipation. We term this newly discovered heating mechanism &ldquo;electrodynamic heating&rdquo;, use measurements of asteroid electrical conductivities to estimate the upper limits of the possible heating rates and amount of thermal energy that can be deposited in the solid body, and compare these to the heating produced by the decay of radioactive nuclei like Al²⁶.</p><p> For the second problem we modeled molecular line emission from time-dependent multifluid MHD shock waves in star-forming regions. By incorporating realistic radiative cooling by CO and H₂ into the numerical method developed by Ciolek &amp; Roberge (2013), we present the only current models of truly time-dependent multifluid MHD shock waves in weakly-ionized plasmas. Using the physical conditions determined by our models, we present predictions of molecular emission in the form of excitation diagrams, which can be compared to observations of protostellar outflows in order to trace the physical conditions of these environments. Current work focuses on creating models for varying initial conditions and shock ages, which are and will be the subject of several in progress studies of observed molecular outflows and will provide further insight into the physics and chemistry of these flows.</p>

This is a mathematical study of certain aspects of the interacting electron system in very high perpendicular magnetic field. We analyse restrictions imposed upon the density correlation functions of this system and propose a set of sum rules which they must obey. We study the possibility of building a bosonisation scheme for the projected density operators in the lowest Landau level. We suggest a second order bosonisation, along with an approximation scheme, which may be useful for carrying out calculations in the lowest Landau level. We analyse the possible ground states of the system. We suggest a set of variational wavefunctions which can have lower energy than the Laughlin state for sufficiently soft interaction potentials. We study the collective excitations of the system, paying particular attention to its symmetries. We suggest a set of variational excited states and discuss their applicability to finite as well as infinite systems.

Although high-temperature superconductivity in layered copper oxides (cuprates) was discovered more than twenty years ago, the nature of the high temperature superconductivity still remains elusive. The discovery of the Fe-based superconductors with the maximum transition temperature of 56K has broken the cuprates monopoly in the physics of high temperature superconducting compounds and opened a new avenue for investigating the superconducting mechanism. In this dissertation I will focus on iron chalcogenide, which is an important member of Fe-based superconductors. Similar to other classes of unconventional superconductors, the superconductivity in Fe-based superconductors can be achieved by suppressing the long-range antiferromagnetic order of the parent compounds through either pressure or charge carrier doping. Although the superconducting pairing mechanism of Fe-based supercondcutors has not yet been identified, a great deal of experiments has shown that the superconducting pairing in these materials is associated with magnetic spin fluctuations. Further clarification of the relationship between magnetism and superconductivity in these materials is among the central topics in the field of superconductivity For iron pnictides, such as LaO1-xF xFeAs and Ba1-xK xFe2As2, the antiferromagnetism of undoped parent compounds is widely believed to be driven by a spin density wave instability arising from the nesting of two Fermi surface (FS) pockets by a vector Q =(pi, pi) (in the units of the inverse tetragonal lattice parameters.). The FS nesting vector corresponds to the wavevector of the AFM order. However, this itinerant model is not applicable to the antiferromagnetism of the parent compound of iron chalcogenides, since its antiferromagnetic wavevector is Q AF = (pi, 0), 45&deg; rotated relative to the FS nesting vector. Although the parent compound of iron chalcogenides possesses an antiferromagnetic state distinct from that of iron pnictides, the superconducting state of the optimally-doped iron chalcogeinde exhibits spin resonance in magnetic excitation spectra, similar to that seen in optimally-doped iron pnictide superconductors; spin resonance is observed at the same wavevector (pi, pi) in both types of materials. This suggests that both classes of materials might have the same magnetic origin for superconducting pairing. Therefore, resolution of the dichotomy between (pi, 0) magnetic order in the parent compound FeTe and superconductivity with (pi, pi) magnetic resonance in Se-substituted samples is a key challenge to our emerging understanding of iron-based superconductivity In this dissertation we aim to elucidate the puzzling relationship between magnetism and superconductivity by studying the evolution of superconductivity and magnetism in Fe1.02(Te1-xSe x). We first performed preliminary studies of the evolution of superconductivity, magnetism, and structural transition in Fe1.22 (Te1-xSex) using polycrystalline samples. Our results and analyses suggest that superconductivity in this system is associated with magnetic fluctuations and therefore may be unconventional in nature In follow-up studies, we established the complete phase diagram of electronic and magnetic properties for Fe1.02(Te1- xSex) using high-quality single crystal samples. We find that for low Se content long-range AFM order is formed with a magnetic wave vector (pi, 0). Dynamic magnetic correlations with a (pi, pi) wave vector, however, do co-exist in a wide range of the phase diagram. Increasing Se doping tunes the relative strength of these distinct correlations. Bulk superconductivity occurs only in a composition range where (pi, 0) magnetic correlations are sufficiently suppressed and (pi, pi) spin fluctuations associated with the nearly nesting Fermi surface dominate. This indicates that iron chalcogenide and iron pnictide superconductors, despite a competing magnetic instability in the former, have a similar mechanism for superconductivity In addition, we address another important issue in Fe(Te, Se) system: the effect of excess iron at interstitial sites of the (Te, Se) layers on electronic properties. Our results show that the excess Fe not only suppresses superconductivity, but also leads to weak charge carrier localization. Our results suggest that such weak charge carrier localization is related to the magnetic coupling between the excess Fe and the adjacent Fe sheets, which is responsible for the superconductivity suppression caused by the excess Fe / acase@tulane.edu

In this work I present results of a theoretical study of the intrinsic response of ferromagnetic tunnel junctions (MTJ's). The goal of the work has been to understand the underlying physics in order to describe the intrinsic portion of the observed behavior. Specifically, I present a free electron tunneling model which predicts that the magneto-conductance ratio (DeltaG/G) or tunneling magneto-resistance (TMR) in high quality MTJs is dominated by the intrinsic response. The model assumes an effective tunneling electronic structure which has been constructed from parameters extracted from first principles calculations and a simple barrier whose effective height and thickness are deduced from the experiments. This model does not utilize the polarization (P) of the density of states (DOS) as an input parameter, but rather calculates the conductance for each spin channel and configuration in order to calculate TMR directly. The process of matching spin-dependent tunneling states with spin-independent barrier states produces a spin-dependent T-matrix which is the main difference between this model and other prevalent models which have been built upon Julliere's model (M. Julliere, Phys. Lett. 54 225, 1975). The effect of bias is handled by increasing the chemical potential on one side of the barrier, and the effect of temperature is included via Fermi smearing and the temperature dependent magnetic band structure. The model predicts that MTJ's are quite sensitive to changes in the magnetic band structure. This explains both the large temperature dependence of TMR and the high sensitivity of MTJ's to magnetic fields. The model strongly supports the assertion that only a portion of the total DOS is relevant to spin-dependent tunneling (SDT) and that the bands which supply the tunneling electrons are essentially Stoner split. I conclude with a consideration of asymmetric TMR and a short first principles study of fcc magnetic alloys which gives some insight into the relative success of permalloy based MTJ's / acase@tulane.edu

This dissertation examines the electronic structure and magnetic properties of II-VI and IV-VI dilute magnetic semiconductors (DMS). Properties that are investigated include the exchange energy, magnetic moment, density of states, sources of the magnetic coupling, and the effect that crystal disorder has on the aforementioned parameters. The computational methods employed are the Vienna ab-initio Simulation Package (VASP), and the Layered Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker (LKKR) method. These two methods are based upon density functional theory. VASP relies on the construction of a pseudopotential and a plane wave expansion to model the charge density and wavefunction. LKKR uses multiple scattering theory to find the Green's function and electronic structure. The coherent potential approximation (CPA) can be readily incorporated into the LKKR approach, resulting in a first principle technique that can study a substitutionally disordered random alloy We have studied how the double-exchange, super-exchange, and inter-band exchange are effected by the crystal symmetry of the host, the electronic structure of the transition metal, and geometry of the impurities d-shell. We observed in a few materials that a competition between exchange mechanism is possible. When the sign of the interactions are the same, the result is an unambiguous magnetic ground state. However, when the sign of the competing exchange mechanisms are opposite, the material is expected to have a weaker, often oscillating, magnetic coupling, as a result of magnetic frustration and sensitivity to transition metal spacing and orientation. We have also examined how the chemical interactions may be coupled to the magnetic interactions. This becomes important at high impurity concentrations when the transition metal impurity cannot participate effectively in crystal bonding. In these cases, the transition metal d-orbitals that reside in the gap, and are involved in the exchange, are forced to initiate bonding with the host. This will result in an unexpected magnetic coupling. We note that most models of the transition metal coupling are formulated in the dilute limit The goal of this study was to discover, theoretically, a DMS structure that is both half-metallic and ferromagnetic at room temperature. The Cr doped compounds, and Ni II-VI compounds were found to be the most likely candidates to exhibit these properties. We also seek to establish systematic trends of how the electronic structure and magnetic properties vary as a function of crystal disorder. This is relevant since disorder is always present to some degree in these types of materials as a consequence of the growth techniques used in their fabrication / acase@tulane.edu

Further increase of erbium concentrations in Er-doped amplifiers and lasers is needed for the design of efficient, reliable, compact and cost-effective components for telecommunications and other photonic applications. However, this is hindered by Er concentration dependent loss mechanism known as upconversion. The upconversion arises due to non-radiative energy transfer (ET) interactions (migration and energy-transfer upconversion) among the Er ions exited to the metastable level that is used for amplification. The upconversion deteriorates the conversion efficiency of Er doped gain medium and may even totally quench the gain. The upconversion can be significantly intensified if the Er distribution in glass is non-uniform, which can be minimized by optimizing the fabrication process and the glass composition. The optimization requires detailed characterization techniques capable to distinguish between the effects caused by the uniformly distributed ions (homogeneous upconversion, HUC) and non-homogeneously distributed ions (pair induced quenching, PIQ) The thesis deals with rigorous statistical modeling of the HUC and development of experimental methods that can provide accurate and detailed data about the upconversion, which are needed for the characterization of the upconversion. The presented model interprets the homogenous upconversion as an interplay of ET interactions between randomly distributed Er ions, which is affected by stimulated emission/absorption of the radiation propagating in the medium. The model correspondingly uses the ET interactions parameters as the main modeling parameters. The presented analytical model is verified by Monte-Carlo simulations. It explains strongly non-quadratic character of the upconversion observed in experiments and variety of the associated effects. The model is applicable to the interpretation of the upconversion measurements in various experimental conditions, which facilitates the upconversion characterization. The thesis also presents an advanced experimental method for accurate and detailed characterization of the upconversion in both continues-wave pumping conditions and during the decay of Er population inversion. Using the method the upconversion modeling is experimentally verified by correlating the measurements results with the modeling predictions in the whole range of the practical Er doping levels. This also allows to estimate the parameters for the ET interactions in silica. Finally, it is shown that the presented method can serve as a basis for discrimination of HUC and PIQ effects, which is crucial for optimizing the fabrication process and the glass composition.

Investigation of magnetic proximity effect in ferromagnet/superconductor thin films by low temperature Magneto Optical Kerr Effect measurement

<p>This dissertation examines the use of artificial structured materials -- known as metamaterials -- in two antenna applications in which conventional dielectric materials are otherwise used. In the first application, the use of metamaterials to improve the impedance matching of planar phased array antennas over a broad range of scan angles is explored. A phased array antenna is composed of an array of antenna elements and enables long-distance signal propagation by directional radiation. The direction of signal propagation is defined as the scan angle. The power transmission ratio of a phased array is the ratio of the radiated power to the input power, and depends on the scan angle. The variation in the power transmission ratio is due to the different mutual coupling contributions between antenna elements at different scan angles. An optimized stack of dielectric layers, known as a wide-angle impedance matching layer (WAIM), is used to optimize the power transmission ratio profile over a broad range of scan angles. In this work, the use of metamaterials to design anisotropic WAIMs with access to a larger range of constitutive parameters -- including magnetic permeability -- to offer an improved power transmission ratio at a broad range of scan angles is investigated. </p> <p>In the second antenna application, a strategy to create maximally transmissive and minimally reflective electromagnetic radome materials using embedded metamaterial inclusions is introduced. A radome is a covering used to protect an antenna from weather elements or provide structural function such as the prevention of aerodynamic drag. A radome should be made from a fully transparent and non-refractive material so that radiated fields from and to the enclosed antenna are not disrupted. The aim of this research was to demonstrate that embedded metamaterial inclusions can be used to isotropically adjust the dielectric properties of a composite material to a desired value. This strategy may lead to the creation of a structural material with electromagnetic properties close to air, thus reducing the detrimental scattering effects often associated with conventional radome materials.</p> <p>Chapter 1 introduces the concept of metamaterials and discusses the use of subwavelength metallic structures to artificially engineer constitutive parameters such as permeability of permittivity. In Chapter 2, the analytical formulations that enable the characterization of the transmission performance of a planar phased array covered with anisotropic impedance matching layers are developed. Chapter 3 discusses the design rules that must govern the design parameters of anisotropic WAIMs realizable using metamaterials, and also presents examples of anisotropic impedance matching layers that provide a maximum power transmission ratio for most scan angles. In addition, numerical and experimental results on a metamaterial placed over a phased array are presented. In Chapter 4, the feasibility of using metamaterials to realize a minimally transparent and fully transmissive radome material is numerically investigated. In Chapter 5, experimental results that corroborate earlier numerical simulation results are analyzed.</p> / Dissertation

In the human brain, electrical activities are created due to the body functions. These electrical activities create potentials and magnetic fields which can be monitored elec- trically (Electroencephalography - EEG) or magnetically (Magnetoencephalography - MEG). Electrical activities in human brain are usually modeled by electrical dipoles. The purpose of Electro-magnetic source imaging (EMSI) is to determine the position, orientation and strength of dipoles. The first stage of EMSI is to model the human head numerically. In this study, The Finite Element Method (FEM) is chosen to han- dle anisotropy in the brain. The second stage of EMSI is to solve the potentials and magnetic fields for an assumed dipole configuration (forward problem). Realistic con- ductivity distribution of human head is required for more accurate forward problem solutions. However, to our knowledge, conductivity distribution for an individual has not been computed yet. The aim of this thesis study is to investigate the feasibility of a new approach to update the initially assumed conductivity distribution by using the evoked potentials and fields acquired during EMSI studies. This will increase the success of source localization problem, since more realistic conductivity distribution of the head will be used in the forward problem. This new method can also be used as a new imaging modality, especially for inhomogeneities where the conductivity value deviates. In this thesis study, to investigate the sensitivity of measurements to conductivity perturbations, a FEM based sensitivity matrix approach is used. The performance of the proposed method is tested using three different head models - homogeneous spherical, 4 layer concentric sphere and realistic head model. For spherical head models rectangular grids are preferred in the middle and curved elements are used nearby the head boundary. For realistic cases, head models are developed using uniform grids. Tissue boundary information is obtained by applying segmentation algorithms to the Magnetic Resonance (MR) images. A paralel computer cluster is employed to assess the feasibility of this new approach. PETSc library is used for forward problem calculations and linear system solutions. The performance of this novel approach depends on many factors such as the head model, number of dipoles and sensors used in the calculation, noise in the measure- ments, etc. In this thesis study, a number of simulations are performed to investigate the effects of each of these parameters. Increase in the number of elements in the head model leads to the increase in the number of unknows for linear system solu- tions. Then, accuracy of the solution is improved with increased number of dipoles or sensors. The performance of the adopted approach is investigated using noise-free measurements as well as noisy measurements. For EEG, measurement noise decreases the accuracy of the approach. For MEG, the effect of measurement noise is more pronounced and may lead to a larger error in tissue conductivity calculation.

In industrial drives market, speed and position estimation are one of the most important subjects for accurate motor drives. Vector controlled drives has the best dynamic performance among AC motor drives. Sensorless vector control is one of the most studied one. However, sensorless drive systems fail at low or zero speeds and may not have enough accuracy. For better accuracy and speed range speed sensors or position encoders are usually essential. However, coupling of sensor and sensor prices introduces extra cost on the drive. Thus in order to reduce the cost of the drive a cheap and easy to mount speed sensor is essential. Throughout this study, a speed and position sensor using an external search coil placed between cooling fins on the frame of an induction machine is proposed. The search coil utilizes the fringing flux outside the frame of induction motor. Using the induced voltage on the external search coil, a new method that estimates the flux and rotor position is proposed. In this study, the induced voltage on the search coils are investigated with different types of search coils placed on various positions. The frequency domain and time domain analysis are performed in order to build a model that can estimate machine flux, rotor speed and rotor position. As a result of this study, a low cost, easy to mount speed and position sensor is designed and implemented. Experiment results are presented.