Rashba electron's ballistic transport in two-dimensional quantum waveguide

The ballistic transport of Rashba electrons in a straight structure in two-dimensional electron gas is studied. It is found that there is no mixing between the wave functions of spin up and spin down states, and the transfer matrix is independent for the spin in every interface. The influence of the structure and Rashba coefficient on the electron transport is investigated. Our results indicate that the transmission probabilities are independent of the sign and magnitude of the Rashba coefficient and it depends on the shape of the structure, especially the stub width. The antiresonance is found, where the quasiconfined state is formed in the center part of the structure.

DISTRIBUTION FUNCTION OF A DRIFTING ELECTRON-GAS FOR GENERAL ENERGY-BAND STRUCTURES

The usual application of the Lei-Ting balance equation method for treating electron transport problems makes use of a Fermi distribution function for the electron motion relative to the center of mass. It is pointed out that this presumes the existence of a moving frame of reference that is dynamically equivalent to the rest frame of reference, and this is only true for electrons with a constant effective mass. The method is thus inapplicable to problems where electrons governed by a general energy-band dispersion E(k) are important (such as in miniband conduction). It is demonstrated that this difficulty can be overcome by introducing a distribution function for a drifting electron gas by maximizing the entropy subject to a prescribed average drift velocity. The distribution function reduces directly to the usual Fermi distribution for electron motion relative to the center of mass in the special case of E(k)=($) over bar h(2)\k\(2)/2m*. This maximum entropy treatment of a drifting electron gas provides a physically more direct as well as a more general basis for the application of the balance equation method.

Shubnikov de Haas oscillations of a two-dimensional electron gas in a modulation-doped Zn0.80Cd0.20Se/ZnS0.06Se0.94 single quantum well

The magnetotransport properties of the two-dimensional (2D) electron gas confined in a modulation-doped Zn0.80Cd0.20Se/ZnS0.06Se0.94 single quantum well structure were studied at temperatures down to 0.35 K in magnetic fields up to 7.5 T. Well resolved 2D Shubnikovde Haas (SdH) oscillations were observed, although the conductivity of the sample in the as grown state was dominated by a bulk parallel conduction layer. After removing most of the parallel conduction layer by wet chemical etching the amplitude and number of SdH oscillations increased. From the temperature dependence of the amplitude the effective mass of the electrons was estimated as 0.17 m(0). Copyright (C) 1996 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd

Influence of the lateral confining potential on the ballistic electron transport in a quantum wire

A theoretical investigation of ballistic electron transport in a quantum wire with soft wall confinement is presented. A general method of the electron transmission calculation is proposed for structures with complicated geometries. The effects of the lateral guiding potential on ballistic transport are investigated using three soft wall confinement models and the results are compared with those obtained from the hard wall confinement approximation. It is shown that the calculated transmission coefficients are notably dependent on the lateral confining potential especially when the incident electron energy is larger than the energy of the second transverse mode. It is found that the transmission profile obtained from soft wall confinement models exhibits simpler resonance structures than that obtained from the hard wall confinement approximation. Our results suggest that only in the single-channel regime the hard wall confinement approximation can give reasonable results.

In-plane stray field induced spin-filtering in a two-dimensional electron gas under the modulation of surface ferromagnetic dual-gate

Based upon a hybrid ferromagnet/semiconductor structure consisting of two-dimensional electron gas and a pair of surface ferromagnetic stripes on top, we have theoretically investigated the effect of in-plane stray field omitted frequently in previous studies on the spin-dependent ballistic transport properties in hybrid structure. It is demonstrated here that, in combination with an external-controllable electrostatic modulation, the concerned structure shows a similar function as a lateral spin-polarized resonant tunneling device, where the strong spin-filtering effect occurs and nearly single-mode polarization is anticipated for the proper modulation. More importantly, the spin polarity of transmission electron can be easily transferred from one extreme to the other by switching the magnetization of stripes, showing the promising application as an efficient spin aligner in the developing semiconductor spintronics.

Synthesis and gas permeability of novel fluorinated poly(phenylene-co-naphthalimide)s

A new class of high-performance polymers [poly(phenylene-co-naphthalimide)s] was prepared through the Ni(0) catalytic coupling of N-(4-chloro-2-trifluromethylphenyl)-5-chloro-1,8-naphthalimide and 2,5-dichlorobenzophenone. The resulting copolymers exhibited high molecular weights (high inherent viscosities) and a combination of desirable properties such as good solubility in dipolar aprotic solvents, film-forming capability, and mechanical properties. The glass-transition temperatures of the copolymers ranged from 320 to 403 degrees C and increased as the content of the naphthalimide moiety increased. Tough polymer films, obtained via casting from N-methylpyrrolidone solutions, had tensile strengths of 64-107 MPa and tensile moduli of 3.4-4.7 GPa. The gas permeability coefficients of the copolymers were measured for H-2, CO2, O-2, CH4, and N-2. They showed oxygen permeability coefficients and permeability selectivity of oxygen to nitrogen (permeability coefficient for O-2/permeability coefficient for N-2) in the ranges of 1.39-4.31 and 4.92-5.38 barrer, respectively.

Synthesis and characterization of soluble poly(amideimide)s bearing triethylamine sulfonate groups as gas dehumidification membrane material

A series of soluble poly(amide-imide)s (PAIs) bearing triethylammonium sulfonate groups were synthesized directly using trimellitic anhydride chloride (TMAC) polycondensation with sulfonated diamine such as 2,2'-benzidinedisulfonic acid (BDSA), 4,4'-diaminodiphenyl ether-2,2'-disulfonic acid (ODADS), and nonsulfonated diamine 4,4-diaminodiphenyl methane in the presence of triethylamine. The resulting copolymers exhibited high molecular weights (high inherent viscosity), and a combination of desirable properties such as good solubility in dipolar aprotic solvents, film-forming capability, and good mechanical properties. Wide-angle X-ray diffraction revealed that the polymers were amorphous. These copolymers showed high permeability coefficients of water vapor because of the presence of the hydrophilic triethylammonium sulfonate groups. The water vapor permeability coefficients (P-w) and permselectivity coefficients of water vapor to nitrogen and methane [alpha(H2O/N-2) and (alpha(H2O/CH4)] Of the films increased with increasing the amount of the triethylammonium sulfonated groups.

Effect of crosslinking distribution on gas permeability and permselectivity of crosslinked polyimides

Crosslinking modification of polyimide, prepared from 3,3'4,4'-benzophenone tetracarboxyl dianhydride (BTDA) and 2,3,5,6-tetramethyl-1,4-diphenylenediamine (4MPDA), was performed by two methods, putting the polyimide in ambient environment for 4 months, and under UV irradiation for 2 or 8 h. The gas permeation properties of the crosslinked polyimides were investigated. The crosslinked polyimides induced by UV irradiation, in which crosslinking occurs in the surface layer, are of much higher gas permselectivity of hydrogen to nitrogen than that induced by the ambient environment, in which crosslinking takes place in the whole matrix, but their gas permeabilities for hydrogen are similar. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Transport energy demand: techno-economic modelling and scenarios for Irish climate policy

The case for energy policy modelling is strong in Ireland, where stringent EU climate targets are projected to be overshot by 2015. Policy targets aiming to deliver greenhouse gas and renewable energy targets have been made, but it is unclear what savings are to be achieved and from which sectors. Concurrently, the growth of personal mobility has caused an astonishing increase in CO2 emissions from private cars in Ireland, a 37% rise between 2000 and 2008, and while there have been improvements in the efficiency of car technology, there was no decrease in the energy intensity of the car fleet in the same period. This thesis increases the capacity for evidenced-based policymaking in Ireland by developing techno-economic transport energy models and using them to analyse historical trends and to project possible future scenarios. A central focus of this thesis is to understand the effect of the car fleet‘s evolving technical characteristics on energy demand. A car stock model is developed to analyse this question from three angles: Firstly, analysis of car registration and activity data between 2000 and 2008 examines the trends which brought about the surge in energy demand. Secondly, the car stock is modelled into the future and is used to populate a baseline “no new policy” scenario, looking at the impact of recent (2008-2011) policy and purchasing developments on projected energy demand and emissions. Thirdly, a range of technology efficiency, fuel switching and behavioural scenarios are developed up to 2025 in order to indicate the emissions abatement and renewable energy penetration potential from alternative policy packages. In particular, an ambitious car fleet electrification target for Ireland is examined. The car stock model‘s functionality is extended by linking it with other models: LEAP-Ireland, a bottom-up energy demand model for all energy sectors in the country; Irish TIMES, a linear optimisation energy system model; and COPERT, a pollution model. The methodology is also adapted to analyse trends in freight energy demand in a similar way. Finally, this thesis addresses the gap in the representation of travel behaviour in linear energy systems models. A novel methodology is developed and case studies for Ireland and California are presented using the TIMES model. Transport Energy

Universal quantum viscosity in a unitary Fermi gas.

A Fermi gas of atoms with resonant interactions is predicted to obey universal hydrodynamics, in which the shear viscosity and other transport coefficients are universal functions of the density and temperature. At low temperatures, the viscosity has a universal quantum scale ħ n, where n is the density and ħ is Planck's constant h divided by 2π, whereas at high temperatures the natural scale is p(T)(3)/ħ(2), where p(T) is the thermal momentum. We used breathing mode damping to measure the shear viscosity at low temperature. At high temperature T, we used anisotropic expansion of the cloud to find the viscosity, which exhibits precise T(3/2) scaling. In both experiments, universal hydrodynamic equations including friction and heating were used to extract the viscosity. We estimate the ratio of the shear viscosity to the entropy density and compare it with that of a perfect fluid.

Implications of shale gas development for climate change.

Advances in technologies for extracting oil and gas from shale formations have dramatically increased U.S. production of natural gas. As production expands domestically and abroad, natural gas prices will be lower than without shale gas. Lower prices have two main effects: increasing overall energy consumption, and encouraging substitution away from sources such as coal, nuclear, renewables, and electricity. We examine the evidence and analyze modeling projections to understand how these two dynamics affect greenhouse gas emissions. Most evidence indicates that natural gas as a substitute for coal in electricity production, gasoline in transport, and electricity in buildings decreases greenhouse gases, although as an electricity substitute this depends on the electricity mix displaced. Modeling suggests that absent substantial policy changes, increased natural gas production slightly increases overall energy use, more substantially encourages fuel-switching, and that the combined effect slightly alters economy wide GHG emissions; whether the net effect is a slight decrease or increase depends on modeling assumptions including upstream methane emissions. Our main conclusions are that natural gas can help reduce GHG emissions, but in the absence of targeted climate policy measures, it will not substantially change the course of global GHG concentrations. Abundant natural gas can, however, help reduce the costs of achieving GHG reduction goals.

Modelling metal powder production by the gas atomisation process

Metal powder in the range of 10-100 microns is widely employed in the production of Raney nickel type catalysts for hydrogenation reactions and hydrogen fuel cell manufacture. In this presentation we examine the modelling of powder production in a gas atomisation vessel using CFD techniques. In a fully coupled Lagrangian-Eulerian two phase scheme, liquid meal particles are tracked through the vessel following atomisation of a liquid nickel-aluminium stream. There is full momentum, heat and turbulence transport between particles and surrounding argon gas and the model predicts the position of solidification depending on particle size and undercooled condition. Maps of collision probability of particles at different stages of solidification are computed, to predict the creation of satellite defects, or to initiate solidification of undercooled droplets. The model is used to support experimental work conducted under the ESA/EU project IMPRESS.

Determining the Reaeration Coefficient and Hydrodynamic Properties of Rivers Using Inert Gas Tracers

Various contaminants which can be aerobically degraded find their way directly or indirectly into surface water bodies. The reaeration coefficient (K2) characterises the rate at which oxygen can transfer from the atmosphere across the air-water interface following oxygen depletion in a water body. Other mechanisms (like advection, dispersion and transient storage) determine how quickly the contaminants can spread in the water, affecting their spatial and temporal concentrations. Tracer methods involving injection of a gas into the water body have traditionally been used for direct (in-situ) measurement of K2 in a given reach. This paper shows how additional modelling of tracer test results can be used to quantify also hydrodynamic mechanisms (e.g. dispersion and storage exchange coefficients, etc.). Data from three tracer tests conducted in the River Lagan (Northern Ireland) using an inert gas (krypton, Kr) are re-analysed using two solute transport models (ADM, TSM) and an inverse-modelling framework (OTIS-P). Results for K2 are consistent with previously published values for this reach (K2(20)~10-40 d-1). The storage area constituted 30-60% of the main cross-section area and the storage exchange rate was between 2.5×10-3-3.2×10-3s-1. The additional hydrodynamic parameters obtained give insight into transport and dispersion mechanisms within the reach.

Theoretical and experimental correlations of gas dissolution, diffusion, and thermodynamic properties in determination of gas permeability and selectivity in supported ionic liquid membranes

Supported ionic liquid membranes (SILMs) has the potential to be a new technological platform for gas/organic vapour separation because of the unique non-volatile nature and discriminating gas dissolution properties of room temperature ionic liquids (ILs). This work starts with an examination of gas dissolution and transport properties in bulk imidazulium cation based ionic liquids [C_nmim][NTf2] (n = 2.4, 6, 8.10) from simple gas H₂, N₂, to polar CO₂, and C₂H₆, leading to a further analysis of how gas dissolution and diffusion are influenced by molecular specific gas-SILMs interactions, reflected by differences in gas dissolution enthalpy and entropy. These effects were elucidated again during gas permeation studies by examining how changes in these properties and molecular specific interactions work together to cause deviations from conventional solution–diffusion theory and their impact on some remarkably contrasting gas perm-selectivity performance. The experimental perm-selectivity for all tested gases showed varied and contrasting deviation from the solution–diffusion, depending on specific gas-IL combinations. It transpires permeation for simpler non-polar gases (H₂, N₂) is diffusion controlled, but strong molecular specific gas-ILs interactions led to a different permeation and selectivity performance for C₂H₆ and CO₂. With exothermic dissolution enthalpy and large order disruptive entropy, C₂H₆ displayed the fastest permeation rate at increased gas phase pressure in spite of its smallest diffusivity among the tested gases. The C₂H₆ gas molecules “peg” on the side alkyl chain on the imidazulium cation at low concentration, and are well dispersed in the ionic liquids phase at high concentration. On the other hand strong CO₂-ILs affinity resulted in a more prolonged “residence time” for the gas molecule, typified by reversed CO₂/N₂ selectivity and slowest CO₂ transport despite CO₂ possess the highest solubility and comparable diffusivity in the ionic liquids. The unique transport and dissolution behaviour of CO₂ are further exploited by examining the residing state of CO₂ molecules in the ionic liquid phase, which leads to a hypothesis of a condensing and holding capacity of ILs towards CO₂, which provide an explanation to slower CO₂ transport through the SILMs. The pressure related exponential increase in permeations rate is also analysed which suggests a typical concentration dependent diffusion rate at high gas concentration under increased gas feed pressure. Finally the strong influence of discriminating and molecular specific gas-ILs interactions on gas perm-selectivity performance points to future specific design of ionic liquids for targeted gas separations.