Instrumentation For The InvestIgation of Comoposite Films
Abstract
The requested instrumentation includes: (a) Thermal Conductivity Measurement System TR-Trident-P31 from C-Therm; (b) Physical Property Measurement System VersaLab-PPMS from Quantum Design Inc.; (c) Customized Waveguide Film Analyzer WFA-001X from SSS Optical Technologies.; and (d) Precision Sectioning Saw IsoMet100 from NCI, Inc. The instrumentation will support the ongoing research and research-related education efforts of Dr. Darwish, the PI, in the direction of making composite films using the patented pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method. This research matches the needs of AFOSRÕs Scientific Directorate, Chemistry and Biological Sciences (RTB2), and the Technical Area/Program, Organic material chemistry. Such films combine organic and inorganic components in various proportions and have functionalities not attributed to the components themselves. The films include a least one component in the form of nanoparticles with sizes from one to few hundred nanometers. One of the few technologies that make it possible to mix efficiently organic and inorganic components with broad variations of proportions and sizes is the concurrent multi-beam multi-target pulsed laser deposition (CMBMT-PLD), which Dr. Darwish has been actively developing. Dr. DarwishÕs research is currently focused on films where the organic component (polymer) has a fractional volume of no less than 90% and serves as a host for the inorganic nanoparticles of fluorides of rare-earth (RE) elements with optical spectrum down-conversion functionality. The films work as the components of efficient luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) converting solar UV light in the near-IR radiation optimized for silicon-based photovoltaic cells. The requested thermal conductivity, physical property measurement, and waveguide film analyzer systems will be used to characterize the properties of the films made in vacuum and in ambient air point to the direction of their improvement to optimize the efficiency of the LSCs being developed. The VersaLab-PPMS system will additionally provide a capability of magnetization of the composite films in a strong magnetic field (3 Tesla) and thus explore the effect of magnetization, and magnetic composite materials on the optical spectrum down-converting properties essential for the LSC project. The requested precision sectioning saw will be used to cut the PLD targets of larger size and shape to optimize the PLD process developed at Dr. DawishÕs lab at Dillard University. The instrumentation will also have a positive impact on the STEM education at three departments of the School of STEM at Dillard - Physics/Pre-Engineering, Biology, and Chemistry. Additionally, the equipment will be made available to faculty and students at Tulane University and the University of New Orleans, collaborating with Dr. Darwish. There will be multiple occasions that the local high-school teachers and students will visit the lab of Dr. Darwish to become familiar with the requested instrumentation.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Aug 02, 2022
- Source ID
- W911NF2210128
Entities
People
- Ken Caster
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- Dillard University
- Office of the Secretary of Defense