Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) are three-dimensional porous nanomaterials with a variety of applications, including catalysis, gas storage and separation, and sustainable energy. Their potential as air filtration systems is of interest for designer carbon capture materials. The chemical constituents (i.e. organic ligands) can be functionalized to create rationally designed CO2 sequestration platforms, for example. Hardware and software alike at the bleeding edge of supercomputing are utilized for designing first principles-based molecular models for the simulation of gas sorption in these frameworks. The classical potentials developed herein are named PHAST -- Potentials with High Accuracy, Speed, and Transferability, and thus are designed via a "bottom-up" approach. Specifically, models for N2 and CH4 are constructed and presented. Extensive verification and validation leads to insights and range of applicability. Through this experience, the PHAST models are improved upon further to be more applicable in heterogeneous environments. Given this, the models are applied to reproducing high level ab initio energies for gas sorption trajectories of helium atoms in a variety of rare-gas clusters, the geometries of which being representative of sorption-like environments commonly encountered in a porous nanomaterial. This work seeks to push forward the state of classical and first principles materials modeling. Additionally, the characterization of a new type of tunable radical metal--carbene is presented. Here, a cobalt(II)--porphyrin complex, [Co(Por)], was investigated to understand its role as an effective catalyst in stereoselective cyclopropanation of a diazoacetate reagent. Density functional theory along with natural bond order analysis and charge decomposition analysis gave insight into the electronics of the catalytic intermediate. The bonding pattern unveiled a new class of radical metal--carbene complex, with a doublet cobalt into which a triplet carbene sigma donates, and subsequent back-bonding occurs into a pi* antibonding orbital. This is a different type of interaction not seen in the three existing classes of metal-carbene complexes, namely Fischer, Schrock, and Grubbs. Finally, the virtual engineering of enhanced chemical warfare agent (CWA) detection systems is discussed. As part of a U.S. Department of Defense supported research project, in silico chemical modifications to a previously synthesized zinc-porphyrin, ZnCS1, were made to attempt to achieve preferential binding of the nerve agent sarin versus its simulant, DIMP (diisopropyl methylphosphonate). Upon modification, a combination of steric effects and induced hydrogen bonding allowed for the selective binding of sarin. The success of this work demonstrates the role that high performance computing can play in national security research, without the associated costs and high security required for experimentation.

L'imagerie hyperspectrale de proximité est un outil prometteur pour le phénotypage ou la surveillance de la végétation. En association avec la régression des moindres carrés partiels ou PLS-R, elle permet de construire des cartographies de haute résolution spatiale du contenu chimique à l’échelle de la canopée. Cependant, plusieurs phénomènes optiques doivent être pris en compte lors de l'application de cette approche aux scènes de végétation dans des conditions naturelles. Notamment, les facteurs additifs et multiplicatifs liés respectivement à la réflexion spéculaire et à l'inclinaison des feuilles qui peuvent être surmontés par prétraitement. Mais le phénomène qui pose le plus de défis est la réflexion multiple. Il se produit lorsqu'une feuille est éclairée en partie par la lumière directe, et en partie par la réflexion ou la transmission de la lumière des feuilles voisines, induisant de forts effets non linéaires sur son spectre de réflectance. Bien que cet effet puisse être pris en compte dans certains modèles de télédétection à l’échelle de la canopée, aucune étude n’a été proposée à ce jour sur la façon dont un tel phénomène affecte les évaluations spectrales de la biochimie végétale par imagerie de proximité. L'objectif de la présente étude était d'analyser ces effets dans le contexte de l'imagerie hyperspectrale à des fins de phénotypage végétal et de proposer des méthodes chimiométriques pour les surmonter. Le développement méthodologique a été basé sur des outils de simulation inclus dans la plate-forme open source OpenAlea (http://openalea.gforge.inria.fr/dokuwiki/doku.php). Une scène typique de canopée de blé a été modélisée à l'aide du modèle Adel-Wheat et combinée au modèle de propagation de la lumière Caribu. L'outil proposé simule la réflectance apparente de chaque feuille visible dans la canopée pour une réflectance et une transmittance réelles données, permettant de synthétiser des images hyperspectrales réalistes. Cette approche par simulation nous a permis, dans un premier temps, d’analyser la distribution dans l’espace spectral des perturbations engendrées par les réflexions multiples, puis d’en déduire une méthode de correction applicable dans le cas d’une régression PLS. La méthode est basée sur la construction de deux sous-espaces W et B générés respectivement par la formulation analytique des réflexions multiples et la variable d'intérêt. Ceci nous permet alors de définir une matrice de projection sur B selon la direction W (projection oblique), qui permet de supprimer l’effet des réflexions multiples tout en conservant l’information utile. Il suffit ensuite d’appliquer cette projection à chaque spectre lors de l’apprentissage et de la mise en œuvre du modèle PLS. La méthode a d’abord été développée et paramétrée sur les données simulées, dans le contexte de l’évaluation de la teneur en azote (LNC) de feuilles de blé. Pour cela, les spectres de réflectance (450-1100 nm) de 57 feuilles de blé ont été collectés à l'aide d'un spectromètre ASD (FieldSpec®, Analytical Spectral Devices, Inc., Boulder, Colorado, USA), tandis que leur LNC a été mesuré à l'aide d'analyses chimiques. Des modèles de régression avec et sans projection oblique ont alors été construits à partir des spectres ASD et appliqués sur l’ensemble des données simulées. Le modèle avec projection oblique a donné d’excellents résultats (R² = 0.931; RMSEP = 0.29% DM) en comparaison du modèle classique (R² = 0.915; RMSEP = 0.42% DM).La même méthode a ensuite été appliquée en conditions réelles, sur des feuilles de blé cultivées en pot et au champ. Pour cela, des feuilles ont été collectées et imagées à plat sur fond noir pour la construction des modèles PLS, qui ont ensuite été appliqués aux plantes sur pied. Ces expérimentations ont confirmé d’une part que la PLS-R classique entraînait une forte surestimation du LNC sur les feuilles entourées d’autres feuilles, d’autre part que la projection oblique évitait cette surestimation. / Short range hyperspectral imagery is a promising tool for phenotyping and vegetation survey. When associated with partial least square regression (PLS-R), it allows high spatial resolution mapping of the plant chemical content at the canopy scale. However, several optical phenomena have to be taken into account when applying this approach to vegetation scenes in natural conditions. For instance, additive and multiplicative factors due respectively to specular reflection and leaf inclination can be overcome by spectral preprocessing. But the most challenging phenomenon is multiple scattering. It appears when a leaf is partly lightened by the reflected or transmitted light from surrounding leaves, resulting in strong non linear effects in its apparent reflectance spectrum. Though this effect can be taken into account in some remote sensing models at the canopy scale, no study has been proposed until now concerning its impact on spectral prediction of vegetation chemical content by short range imagery.The objective of this project, associated with a PhD work, was to analyze these effects in the context of hyperspectral imagery for vegetation phenotyping purpose, and to propose spectral processing methods to overcome them.The methodological development has been based on simulation tools included in the open source platform OpenAlea (http://openalea.gforge.inria.fr/dokuwiki/doku.php). A typical wheat canopy scene has been modelled using Adel-Wheat and combined with the light propagation model Caribu. The proposed tool simulates the apparent reflectance of every visible leaf in the canopy for a given actual reflectance and transmittance, allowing to synthetize realistic hyperspectral images.This simulation approach has allowed us, in a first step, to analyze the distribution of deviations due to multiple scattering in the spectral space, and then to infer a correction method in the frame of PLS regression. This method relies on the building of two subspaces EW and EB respectively generated by the analytic formulation of multiple scattering and by the variable of interest. It allows us to define a projection operation on EB subspace along EW direction (oblique projection), in order to remove multiple scattering effects while preserving useful information. This projection operation is then applied on every spectra during learning phase and using phase of the PLS model.The method has first been developed and tuned using simulated data, in the frame of leaf nitrogen content (LNC) prediction of wheat leaves. For this purpose, reflectance spectra (450-1100 nm) of 57 wheat leaves have been collected using a ASD filed spectrometer (FieldSpec®, Analytical Spectral Devices, Inc., Boulder, Colorado, USA), while their LNC was measured through reference chemical analyses. Regression models with and without oblique projection have then been built from the ASD spectra and applied to simulated data. The model with oblique projection provided excellent results (R² = 0.931; RMSEP = 0.29% DM), compared to the classical one (R² = 0.915; RMSEP = 0.42% DM).The same method has then been applied in real conditions on wheat pot plants and field plants. For this purpose, some leaves have been collected and laid on a black paper background to be imaged, in order to build PLS models that have then been applied on in-situ plants. These experimentations have confirmed that the classical PLS-R induces a strong overestimation of LNC on leaves surrounded by other leaves, and that oblique projection corrects this overestimation (same prediction on surrounded then isolated leaf).

Neste trabalho, estudamos alguns colóides magnéticos dos tipos iônico e surfactado com partículas de estrutura tipo espinélio. Usamos a técnica de varredura-Z para investigar as amostras nas escalas de tempo de femtossegundos e milissegundos. Medimos o índice de refração não-linear nas duas escalas de tempo. Na escala de milissegundos todas as amostras apresentaram comportamento tipo lente divergente, e os valores obtidos são da ordem de 10^(-7) cm^2/W. Na escala de femtossegundos, as amostras iônicas apresentaram comportamento tipo lente convergente, com valores típicos do índice de refração não-linear da ordem de 10^(11) cm^2/W. Também medimos a absorção não-linear na escala de tempo de femtossegundos. Os valores obtidos são da ordem de 10^2 cm/GW. Com os dados obtidos na escala de femtossegundos calculamos a susceptibilidade elétrica de terceira ordem (chi(3)). O módulo de chi(3) encontrado é da ordem de 10^(-17) m^2/V^2 (ou 10^(-9) esu). Obtivemos evidências experimentais da contribuição da susceptibilidade elétrica de quinta-ordem nas medidas de absorção não-linear. Verificamos a presença do efeito de tamanho das partículas no valor de chi(3) ao estudar partículas de mesma composição e de diâmetros diferentes. / In this work, we studied some magnetic colloids of kind ionic and surfacted with particles of spinel struture. We used the Z-Scan technique to investigate the samples in the time scales of femto- and milliseconds. We measured the nonlinear refractive index in both time scales. In the scale of milliseconds all samples showed divergent-lens-type behavior, and the obtained values are of order of 10^(-7) cm^2/W. In the femtoseconds scale, the ionic-type samples have convergent-lens-type behavior, with the typical values of order of 10^(11) cm^2/W. Also we measured the nonlinear absorption in the femtoseconds time scale. The obtained values are of order of 10^2 cm/GW. With the data obtained in the femtoseconds time scale we calculated the third-order electric susceptibilities (chi(3)). The found modulus of chi(3) is of order of 10^(-17) m^2/V^2 (or 10^(-9) esu). We obtained experimental evidences that fifth-order electric susceptibilities can contribute to the measurements of nonlinear absorption. We observed the dependence of particles\' size effect in the values of chi(3) in the studies of particles of the same composition and different diameters.

<pre>Bridging the gap between the classical and quantum regimes has consequences not only for fundamental tests of quantum theory, but for the relation between quantum mechanics and gravity. The field of levito-dynamics provides a promising platform for testing the hypotheses of the works investigating these ideas. By manipulating a macroscopic particle's motion to the scale of its ground state wavefunction, levito-dynamics offers insight into the macroscopic-quantum regime.</pre><pre><br></pre><pre>Ardent and promising research has brought the field of levito-dynamics to a state in which these tests are available. Recent work has brought a mesoscopic particle's motion to near the ground state. Several factors of decoherence are limiting efficient testing of these fundamental theories which implies the need for alternative strategies for achieving the same goal. This thesis is concerned with investigating alternative methods that may enable a mesoscopic particle to reach the quantum regime. </pre><pre><br></pre><pre><pre>In this thesis, three theoretical proposals are studied as a means for a mesoscopic particle to reach the quantum regime as well as a detailed study into one of the most important factors of heating and decoherence for optical trapping. The first study of cooling a particle's motion highlights that the rotational degrees of freedom of a levitated symmetric-top particle leads to large harmonic frequencies compared to the translational motion, offering a more accessible ground state temperature after feedback cooling is applied. An analysis of a recent experiment under similar conditions is compared with the theoretical findings and found to be consistent. <br></pre> <pre>The second method of cooling takes advantage of the decades long knowledge of atom trapping and cooling. By coupling a spin-polarized, continuously Doppler cooled atomic gas to a magnetic nanoparticle through the dipole-dipole interaction, motional energy is able to be removed from the nanoparticle. Through this method, the particle is able to reach near its quantum ground state provided the atoms are at a temperature below the nanoparticle ground state temperature and the atom number is sufficiently large.</pre> <pre>The final investigation presents the dynamics of an optically levitated dielectric disk in a Gaussian standing wave. Though few studies have been performed on disks both theoretically and experimentally, our findings show that the stable couplings between the translational and rotational degrees of freedom offer a possibility for cooling several degrees of freedom simultaneously by actively cooling a single degree freedom.</pre></pre>

A remote-sensing acoustic method for implementing position control feedback in Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM) is presented. The capabilities of this feedback control using the new Whispering Gallery Acoustic Sensing (WGAS) method is demonstrated in a Shear-force Scanning Probe Microscope that uses a sharp probe attached to a piezoelectric Quartz Tuning Fork (QTF) firmly mounted on the microscope's frame. As the QTF is electrically driven its mechanical response reaches the SPM frame which then acts as a resonant cavity producing acoustic modes measured with an acoustic sensor strategically placed on the SPM head. The novelty of the WGAS resides in using an SPM frame with a perimeter closely matching the intervening acoustic wavelength to act as a resonant cavity. The whispering gallery cavity constitutes an acoustic amplifier for the mechanical motion of the QTF probe. The observed monotonic behavior of the whispering gallery acoustic signal as a function of the probe sample distance is exploited here for tip-sample distance control with nanometer sensitivity, thus allowing topographic characterization as the probe is scanned across the sample's surface. This thesis includes a description of a Labview based programming for the Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) card used in the automated control of the WGAS feedback microscope, a solution for improving the effective resolution of the Digital to Analog Converter (DAC) and initial results towards theoretically modeling the WGAS working principle.

The purpose of this research project was to study the αᵧ phase in Alnico 6. Other phases were studies for comparison. Also the effect of an applied magnetic field on the formation of the αᵧ phase was investigated. Three single crystals of Alnico 6 were heat treated for one hour—one at 1250°C, one at 1000°C, and one at 800°C—and water-quenched. The microstructure of each sample was observed with the optical microscope, and X-ray diffraction patterns were taken to determine the crystal structure of the phases present. Several single crystal samples of Alnico 6 were heat treated at 1000°C and furnace-cooled. Some of the samples were heat treated and furnace-cooled in the presence of an applied magnetic field of about 5000Oe, and the others were heat treated and furnace-cooled without an applied magnetic field. Each set of samples were electrothinned, and the microstructure of the αᵧ and α₁ ₊ α₂ phases was studied using the electron microscope. Electron diffraction patterns and electron micrographs were taken from αᵧ regions and α₁ ₊ α₂ regions of each sample. By a combination of X-ray and electron diffraction, it was determined that the crystal structure of the α, α₁, α₂ and αᵧ phases is body-centered cubic, with a lattice parameter of 2.87 Å. Electron diffraction showed that the crystal structure of the combined α₁ ₊ α₂ phases is ordered body-centered cubic, and that the lattices of these two phases are coherent. Other investigators have found that only the α₁ phase is ordered in Alnico 5 and Alnico 8 and thus is believed be the case in Alnico 6 also. Electron diffraction showed the αᵧ phase to be ordered, with the degree of ordering less than that in the α₁ phase. Some difference was noted between the αᵧ phase formed with a magnetic field and that formed without a magnetic field. The αᵧ formed with a magnetic field showed twinning and some small lattice rotations, while stat formed without a field did not. The reason for this is not known.

Organic photovoltaics (OPVs) have received a great deal of focus in recent years as a possible alternative to expensive silicon based solar technology. Current challenges for organic photovoltaics are centered around improving their lifetimes and increasing their power conversion efficiencies. One approach to improving the lifetime of such devices has been the inclusion of inorganic metal oxide layers, but interaction between the metal oxides and common conjugated polymers is not favorable. Here we present two methods by which the interactions between polythiophenes and nanostructured ZnO can be made to be more favorable. Using the first method, direct side on attachment of polythiophene to ZnO nanowires via chemical grafting, we demonstrate chemical linkage between the polymer and ZnO phases. The attachment was confirmed to affect the morphological properties of the polymer layer as well, inducing highly ordered regions of the polymer at the ZnO surface via chemical attachment and physical adsorption. Using the second method to improve polythiophene ZnO interactions, we have functionalized ZnO nanowires with organic molecules that favorably interact with conjugated polymer and organic solvents. Photovoltaic devices were made using a blended active layer of functionalized ZnO nanowires and P3HT. Electrical analysis of the resultant devices concluded that the devices were functional photovoltaic cells and isolated the dominant loss mechanisms for further device improvement.

Every gas molecule has a unique absorption spectrum that can be captured using optical spectroscopy to identify an unknown sample's composition. Frequency combs systems can provide an extremely broad mid-infrared spectrum that is very useful for molecular detection. A degenerate optical parametric oscillator (OPO) was built to generate the down-converted and shifted frequency comb spectrum. This system utilizes an ultra-short pulse 1.56µm pump laser and a never before used orientation patterned gallium-phosphide crystal. Periodically polled lithium niobate (PPLN), Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) and Gallium Phosphide are all crystals used to accomplish this task. GaP, in comparison to PPLN, has (i) a larger nonlinear coefficient, (ii) much deeper infrared transparency, and (iii) smaller group dispersion – to allow for achieving broad spectral coverage. GaP also has a larger band gap than GaAs; therefore it can still be pumped with a standard telecom C-band laser. An octave-wide spanning frequency comb system was achieved and the characterization of the system is presented. This system is specifically designed to be compact and portable for initial experimental testing in the applications of medical breath analysis and combustion gas investigation.

No description available.

<p dir="ltr">Abstract: The field of singly-trapped ultracold molecules has expanded rapidly in the past few years. With the introduction of fast tweezer rearrangement and the demonstrated viability of ground-state preparation by magneto-association coupled with STIRAP, powerful and robust arrays of ultracold molecules for quantum information science are finally being realized after decades of research. This dissertation primarily discusses the engineering associated with the conventional path toward creating arrays of LiCs molecules trapped in optical tweezers. Scientific results of the successful trapping and sub-doppler cooling of both atoms to release-recapture temperatures of less than 100uK are discussed. Discussed is also recent unpublished work focusing on atomic state preparation in optical tweezers, merging of the two species, and observation of Feshbach resonances of the pairs of atoms.</p>