Plasma Ion Research Articles

Recent Advances in Black Silicon Surface Modification for Enhanced Light Trapping in Photodetectors

The intricate nanostructured surface of black silicon (BSi) has advanced photodetector technology by enhancing light absorption. Herein, we delve into the latest advancements in BSi surface modification techniques, specifically focusing on their profound impact on light trapping and resultant photodetector performance improvement. Established methods such as metal-assisted chemical etching, electrochemical etching, reactive ion etching, plasma etching, and laser ablation are comprehensively analyzed, delving into their mechanisms and highlighting their respective advantages and limitations. We also explore the impact of BSi on the emerging applications in silicon (Si)-based photodetectors, showcasing their potential for pushing the boundaries of light-trapping efficiency. Throughout this review, we critically evaluate the trade-offs between fabrication complexity and performance enhancement, providing valuable insights for future development in this rapidly evolving field. This knowledge on the BSi surface modification and its applications in photodetectors can play a crucial role in future implementations to substantially boost light trapping and the performance of Si-based optical detection devices consequently.

Deposition of thin refractory-metal-films onto glasses through diaphragms at plasma focus facility

The results of experiments are presented on the deposition onto silicate glasses of thin refractorymetal- films: molybdenum, tantalum and tungsten. The technique used for manufacturing films was based on the deposition of metal-containing plasma formed when exposing the surface of foils made of refractory metals to high-power plasma and ion pulses. For generation of such pulses, the facility of plasma focus type was used, which makes it possible to obtain ion beams and plasma flows with the energy flux density in the range of 1010—1012 W/cm2. The most intense central part of the ion-plasma flow was separated using metal diaphragms with aperture diameters of 2.5, 3.5, and 4.5 mm. Metal Mo, Ta and W films with dimensions of ∅ 3—5 mm were obtained on the surfaces of glasses. Metal films are characterized by good adhesion, since they coalesce with the glass surface. It was discovered that the planarity of films becomes violated due to the drift of molten metal particles under the glass surface. The relief of films is non-uniform, which can be explained by the presence of micrometer-sized metal particles in the plasma flow.

Impulsively Accelerated Ions as the Source of Ion Acoustic Waves in Solar Wind

Ion acoustic waves are pervasive at the Earth’s bow shock and in regions of active plasmas. Recently, frequency-dispersed ion acoustic-like waves have been observed by Parker Solar Probe in the near-Sun solar wind. These waves are electrostatic, propagate nearly along the magnetic field, and have frequencies on the order of the ion plasma frequency. Frequency-dispersed emissions appear in short (<1 s) bursts and exhibit rising and/or falling tones. This article has a narrow focus, to determine if impulsively accelerated ions are a plausible generation mechanism. We show that velocity dispersion from impulsively accelerated ions can generate a positive slope in the ion distribution that changes in space and time, which can lead to emissions with rising or falling tones given a substantial Doppler shift from the solar wind. The phase velocity is at the velocity of the positive slope, which can differ from the ion acoustic speed, but otherwise these waves are similar to ion acoustic waves. Wave growth is strongest when the positive slope velocity is near the ion acoustic speed. Two mechanisms for impulsive ion acceleration are explored. One mechanism imparts equal energy into the source ions as expected from a parallel potential. The other mechanism imparts equal velocity into the source ions such as that expected from impulsive magnetic reconnection. Both mechanisms result in similar wave characteristics with only subtle differences. Given the persistent appearance of these ion acoustic-like waves, these results suggest that impulsively accelerated ions may be abundant in the near-Sun solar wind.

Specimen preparation for atom probe tomography

Abstract In the past 20 years or so, atom probe tomography has gone from a niche technique in physical metallurgy to a well-established method in many parts of materials science and beyond. This is owing to the improvement in both instrumentation and specimen preparation. Given the availability of instruments, successful specimen preparation is often the bottleneck in atom probe projects. In this article, the authors want to give an overview of the types of preparation techniques that are available and which challenges they pose. This includes basic electropolishing, which was dominant until the introduction of focused ion beam-based preparation some 25 years ago. Nowadays, focused ion beam-based preparation methods possibly represent the largest share, as they allow for site-specific specimen preparation, non-conductive specimens and often a higher throughput. They are continuously improved, i. e., through higher current plasma ion columns, cryo preparation for sensitive materials and room temperature liquids and ‘additive’ techniques for nanomaterials. This steadily increases the types of materials that can be analyzed using atom probe tomography.

Novel nanoliter spray enhanced microwave plasma ionization mass spectrometry for the simultaneous detection of heavy metals and organic plasticizers in soil: A case study in a lead-acid battery industrial park

Soil pollution is predominantly attributed to the presence of heavy metal elements and organic compounds; However, current detection methodologies are restricted to the identification of only one of these two sources at a time. A novel analytical approach, known as nanoliter spray enhanced microwave plasma ionization mass spectrometry (Nano-Spray-EMPI-MS), has been developed to facilitate the simultaneous detection of both heavy metals and organic pollutants in soil samples. This technique is characterized by its requirement for minimal sample volumes, thereby allowing for efficient and rapid analysis. The research concentrated on the simultaneous analysis of five heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cu, Cr, and Ni) and three major phthalates (PAEs), specifically DEHP, DBP, and DMP. The detection and quantification limits for the heavy metals were established to be between 0.16-0.57 and 0.53–1.88 μg L−1, respectively, while the limits for the PAEs ranged from 0.02 to 0.05 and 0.07–0.16 μg L−1. Validation of the method's efficacy in soil detection demonstrated recovery rates of 90.9 %–105.7 % for heavy metals and 89.4 %–97.2 % for PAEs. The application of this method analyzing soil samples collected from an area adjacent to a lead-acid battery industrial park in China revealed varying levels of contamination by both heavy metals and PAEs. Notably, Lead contamination was found to be the most pronounced, with a peak concentration of 862.5 mg kg−1 and a correspondingly high pollution index. These findings are significant for evaluating local ecological risks, pinpointing sources of pollution, and formulating effective pollution management strategies in the region.

Generation of multiply charged metal ions in a high current short pulse vacuum arc

We have studied the plasma composition of a high current short pulse vacuum arc discharge with different cathode materials: lanthanum, gadolinium, lead, silver, and tin. We find that for optimal vacuum arc discharge parameters – arc current pulse duration about 2 μs and amplitude about 3 kA – the maximum ion charge state is 11+ and mean ion charge state from 7.8+ for tin to 9.6+ for lanthanum. The mean ion charge state for different materials depends on the discharge voltage and the energy required for ionization to maximum charge state. The cathode surface heats to a temperature of 700 °C–1100 °C in the course of the arc current pulse, depending on the cathode material, and the cathode surface of low melting point metals such as lead and tin melts to a depth of 5 μm and 10 μm, respectively. Surface melting does not lead to change in plasma ion composition, since the ion flux from the cathode considerably exceeds the evaporated atom flux.

Acute freshwater CO2 exposure does not impair seawater transfer in three different sizes of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) subjected to different photoperiod manipulations.

There is a growing interest in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) aquaculture to extend the time fish are reared in freshwater (FW) recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), producing larger FW salmon that can then be induced to undergo smoltification before transfer into marine net pens for grow-out and harvest. Smolts can be produced by photoperiod (PT) manipulation in RASs, but little is known about how delaying smoltification to larger body sizes affects susceptibility to elevated CO2 levels (hypercapnia), which can occur at high stocking densities in FW RAS or during transport from FW RAS rearing facilities to marine net pens. To address this, Atlantic salmon were reared from hatch to one of three different sizes (~230, ~580, or ~1300 g) in FW (3 ppt) under continuous light (24:0, light:dark). Once fish reached the desired sizes, a group of salmon were maintained on continuous light 24L:0D to serve as a control salmon. A second group of salmon were exposed to 8 weeks of 12L:12D and then to 4 weeks of 24L:0D to serve as PT treatment salmon, which is the PT manipulation commonly used in Atlantic salmon aquaculture to induce smoltification. At the end of PT manipulation, both control and PT treatment salmon were exposed to 0% or 1.5% CO2 (30 mg/L) for 96 h in FW and then transferred to air-equilibrated seawater (SW, 35 ppt, normocapnia). Salmon were sampled at the end of the 96-h FW CO2 exposure and at 24 h and 7 days in SW for measurements of blood ion/acid-base status, muscle water content (MWC), and gill and kidney Na+/K+ ATPase (NKA) activity. Exposure to 96 h of CO2 in FW resulted in acid-base disturbances in fish from all three size classes, with decreases in blood pH and increases in blood PCO2 and plasma [HCO3 -] but no mortality. Despite these large acid-base disturbances in FW, after transfer to normocapnic SW, there were no significant effects of CO2 exposure on extracellular blood pH, intracellular red blood cell pH, or plasma osmoregulatory status for all three sizes of post-smolt salmon. In general, SW transfer was associated with significant increases in plasma ions and osmolality, as well as gill and kidney NKA activity after 24 h and 1 week in SW with no significant impacts between different sizes of salmon. Thus, exposure to 30 mg CO2/L that mimics levels experienced during transport from FW RAS to an SW transfer site may have minimal effects on Atlantic salmon smolts up to 1300 g.

Analytical and dynamical analysis of nonlinear Riemann wave equation in plasma systems

The Riemann wave equation presents appealing nonlinear equations applicable in sea-water and tsunami wave propagation, ion and magneto-sound waves in plasmas, electromagnetic waves in transmission lines, and homogeneous stationary media. This study focuses on deriving soliton solutions in optics and exploring their physical properties. A wave transformation is used to convert a partial differential equation into an ordinary differential equation, from which soliton solutions are obtained using the generalized Riccati equation mapping approach. The solutions encompass various types of solitons, including bright, dark, periodic, and kink solitons. A comparison of solutions from this analytical method enhances the understanding of the nonlinear model’s behavior, with implications in plasma physics, fluid dynamics, optics, and communication technology. Additionally, 2D and 3D graphs illustrate the physical phenomena of the solutions using appropriate constant parameters. The qualitative analysis of the undisturbed planar system involves examining phase portraits in bifurcation theory, followed by introducing an outward force to induce disruption and reveal chaotic phenomena. Chaotic trajectories in the perturbed system are detected through various plots, including 3D, 2D, power spectrum, and chaotic attractor, alongside Lyapunov exponents. Stability analysis under different initial conditions is conducted, and sensitivity assessments are performed using the Runge–Kutta method. The findings are innovative and have not been previously explored for this system, highlighting the reliability, simplicity, and effectiveness of these techniques in analyzing nonlinear models in mathematical physics and engineering.

Greater than Five-Order-of-Magnitude Postcompression Temporal Contrast Improvement with an Ionization Plasma Grating.

High-intensity lasers require suppression of prepulses and other nonideal temporal structure to avoid target disruption before the arrival of the main pulse. To address this, we demonstrate that ionization gratings act as a controllable optical switch for high-power light with a temporal contrast improvement of at least 3×10^{5} and a switching time less than 500fs. We also show that a grating system can run for hours at 10Hz without degradation. The contrast improvement from an ionization grating compares favorably to that achievable with plasma mirrors.

On some new travelling wave solutions and dynamical properties of the generalized Zakharov system.

This study examines the extended version of the Zakharov system characterizing the dispersive and ion acoustic wave propagation in plasma. The genuine, non-dispersive field depicts a shift in plasma ion density from its equilibrium state, whereas the complex, dispersive field depicts the fluctuating envelope of a highly oscillatory field of electricity. The main focus of the analysis is on employing the expanded Fan sub-equation approach to achieve some novel travelling wave structures including the explicit, periodic, linked wave, and other new exact solutions are developed for different values of this parameter. Three dimensional graphs are utilised to examine the properties of the obtained solutions. Furthermore, ideas from planar dynamical theory are applied in this work to analyse the intricate behaviour of the analysed model. Sensitivity analysis, multistability, quasi-periodic and chaotic patterns, Poincaré map, and the Lyapunov characteristic exponent are used to analyse the dynamical features.

Mercury’s plasma environment after BepiColombo’s third flyby

Understanding Mercury’s magnetosphere is crucial for advancing our comprehension of how the solar wind interacts with the planetary magnetospheres. Despite previous missions, several gaps remain in our knowledge of Mercury’s plasma environment. Here, we present findings from BepiColombo’s third flyby, offering a synoptic view of the large scale structure and composition of Mercury’s magnetosphere. The Mass Spectrum Analyzer (MSA), Mass Ion Analyzer (MIA), and Mass Electron Analyzer (MEA) on the magnetospheric orbiter reveal insights, including the identification of trapped energetic hydrogen (H+) with energies around 20 keV e−1 evidencing a ring current, and a cold ion plasma with energies below 50 eV e−1. Additionally, we observe a Low-Latitude Boundary Layer (LLBL), which is a region of turbulent plasma at the edge of the magnetosphere, characterized by bursty ion enhancements, indicating an ongoing injection process in the duskside magnetosphere flank. These observations during cruise phase provide a tantalizing glimpse of future discoveries expected from the Mercury Plasma Particle Experiment (MPPE) instruments after orbit insertion, promising broader impacts on our understanding of planetary magnetospheres.

Effects of ocean warming with stable and fluctuating ocean acidification on seawater transition in Chinook salmon smolts

Anadromous salmon populations are declining in the Pacific Northwest, with high mortality during the transition from fresh- to seawater as smolts, a stage particularly vulnerable to adverse environmental conditions. This study seeks to explore the impacts of warming and ocean acidification on the transition of life in freshwater to life at sea in Chinook salmon smolts. In a fully factorial experiment, we transitioned Chinook salmon from fresh- to seawater at current and future conditions of temperature (13 °C and 16 °C, respectively) and ocean acidification (400 and 1400 atm CO2), including a fluctuating CO2 treatment (between control and high CO2) that may be more representative of natural environmental conditions associated with upwelling and tidal cycling. We hypothesized that constant elevated CO2 levels would impair smoltification success immediately following seawater transfer, but that fluctuating conditions would be even more physiologically challenging. We predicted that elevated temperatures would exacerbate these effects. To test this, we measured plasma ion concentrations, gill Na+/K+-ATPase (NKA) isoform mRNA and protein expression, as well as condition indices in freshwater and following 1, 3, 6, and 18 days in seawater at the respective treatments. We confirmed the existence of gill freshwater and seawater isoforms of NKA (α1a and α1b, respectively) in Chinook salmon for the first time, and found an upregulation of both isoforms in the fluctuating CO2 treatment but a reduction of the number of NKA α1b cells 3-days post seawater transfer at 13 °C. At 16 °C, NKA α1b was upregulated in high CO2 levels, with an elevated hematocrit indicating fish were likely stressed. Taken together, plasma ions, gill NKA and condition indices revealed a complex response to interacting warming and acidification during the first few days in seawater, however there were no longer-term adverse physiological responses. Thus, Chinook salmon appear to be relatively resilient to near-future climate change.

Implications of TRPM3 and TRPM8 for sensory neuron sensitisation.

Sensory neurons serve to receive and transmit a wide range of information about the conditions of the world around us as well as the external and internal state of our body. Sensitisation of these nerve cells, i.e.becoming more sensitive to stimuli or the emergence or intensification of spontaneous activity, for example in the context of inflammation or nerve injury, can lead to chronic diseases such as neuropathic pain. For many of these disorders there are only very limited treatment options and in order to find and establish new therapeutic approaches, research into the exact causes of sensitisation with the elucidation ofthe underlying mechanisms and the identification of themolecular components is therefore essential. These components include plasma membrane receptors and ion channels that are involved in signal reception and transmission. Members of the transient receptor potential (TRP) channel family are also expressed in sensory neurons and some of them play a crucial role in temperature perception. This review article focuses on the heat-sensitive TRPM3 andthe cold-sensitive TRPM8 (and TRPA1) channels and their importance in sensitisation of dorsal root ganglion sensory neurons is discussed based on studies related to inflammation and injury- as well as chemotherapy-induced neuropathy.

Plasma potential and ion energy characteristics in BP-HiPIMS discharge with double layer

Abstract As an emerging ion acceleration plasma source, the bipolar-pulse high power impulse magnetron sputtering (BP-HiPIMS) discharge has been widely studied by academia and industry due to its ability to adjust the ion kinetic energy. Formation of the double layer (DL) potential structure during the BP-HiPIMS positive pulse is vital for accelerating ions, but its structural characteristics are still unclear. In this work, to understand the DL characteristics affected by various discharge parameters, the evolution of plasma potential V p and ion energy in BP-HiPIMS discharge with copper target has been investigated systematically using an emissive probe and mass spectrometer together. Spatial plasma potential measurements show that the DL is established in front of the target during the positive pulse, whose boundary potential drop U DL to accelerate ions can be increased to ∼60 V at a lower operating gas pressure (p= 0.6 Pa) and a higher applied positive pulse voltage (U + = 200 V). The ignition onset time of DL after applying the positive pulse can be shortened to ∼25 μs by decreasing the gas pressure and increasing the positive pulse voltage or negative pulse duration. After DL ignition, a group of high-energy copper ions with energy higher than the surrounding plasma potential can be recognized in the ion energy distribution function curves in the downstream plasma. This result illustrates that the copper ions can be ionized in the high-potential plasma region and be accelerated by the DL boundary potential drop. In addition, a global current balance model of the DL in BP-HiPIMS is developed, which suggests that the U DL can be well adjusted by increasing the positive pulse voltage U + especially for U + &gt; 200 V as verified by the experimental potential measurements. All results suggest that the copper particles play an important role in the formation of DL and the DL plays an important role in accelerating copper ions.

Effect of Pulsed Helium Ion and Helium Plasma Flows on Austenitic Chromium–Manganese Steel Preirradiated with Deuterium

Effect of Pulsed Helium Ion and Helium Plasma Flows on Austenitic Chromium–Manganese Steel Preirradiated with Deuterium

Enhancement of longitudinal magnetic field by interaction of heavy ion beams and plasma with strong magnetic field

Enhancement of longitudinal magnetic field by interaction of heavy ion beams and plasma with strong magnetic field

Thermal Plasma‐Induced Surface Modifications Correlated With the Field Emission Properties of Copper

ABSTRACTThe present work deals with the Argon (Ar) Thermal plasma‐induced surface modification of Cu and its correlation with the electrical and field emission (FE) properties. Polycrystalline Cu targets were treated with Ar thermal plasma under atmospheric pressure at different treatment times ranging from 5 min to 30 min. XRD patterns revealed the absence of new phase in treated samples. However, significant variation in peak intensities and shifting is observed, which is explained on the basis of thermal plasma ions induced defect generation and annihilation processes. The electrical conductivity of processed Cu targets measured by four‐probe method ranges from 1.9 MS/m to 70 MS/m and is well correlated with the crystallite size variation. Surface modification induced work function alternations investigated by employing Scanning Kelvin Probe (SKP) technique are in the range of 4.69 eV 4.97 eV. The irradiated morphology explored by optical and scanning electron microscopy analyses revealed the formation of localized melt pools, grains, hillocks, spheroids, and sputtered patches, which are explainable on the basis of Coulomb's explosion, thermal spike model, plasma‐induced sputtering, and re‐deposition. FE properties of thermal plasma‐treated Cu are measured in diode configuration by measuring I‐V characteristics of target under ultra‐high vacuum condition. The improved FE parameters such as turn‐on field (Eo), field enhancement factor (β), and maximum current density (Jmax) come out to be in the range of 3–7.5 V/μm, 1715–3223, and 284–872 nA/cm2, respectively and their correlation with plasma‐induced surface structural, morphological and work function modifications is discussed.

Investigation in improving the Cs-free negative hydrogen ion production with short-pulse low power in the afterglow of pulse-power-modulated plasma sources

Abstract Pulse plasma ion sources have been shown to be capable of achieving high negative hydrogen ion densities ( n H − ) or currents. The fast cooling of the electrons and reduction in the electron density (n e) provide favorable plasma conditions to improve the H− production, with a high density ratio of negative hydrogen ions to electrons during the pulse-off period. The purpose of this research is to further improve the performance of volume-produced H− ion sources based on the pulse power modulation. In this study, a time-modulated negative hydrogen plasma sustained by 10 kHz pulse power at the typical gas pressure of 0.3 Pa was numerically investigated using a global model. The model is compared with measurements obtained in a pulsed radio frequency ion source and shows a reasonable agreement. A steplike low-high power strategy in the active glow period and a short-pulse low power in part of the afterglow period are employed to mitigate overshoot of the electron temperature (T e) in the initial stage of the pulse period and to optimize H− production in the afterglow, respectively. The model predicts that a small-magnitude, short-duration low power operation in the afterglow increases n H − and decreases n e from the onset of the low power until the beginning of the next high power pulse, due to a modest temporary increase in the T e (less than 2 eV). It facilitates dissociative electron attachments and thus H− formation. The reduction in the n e indicates that positive ions lost to the walls cannot be compensated by weak ionization. H− production with a low number of co-extracted electrons can be optimized by adjusting the magnitude and duration of the low power in the afterglow.

High precision phase difference calculation based on adaptive mixed-radix All-phase FFT for Tokamak plasma electron density measurement

In many Tokamak devices, laser interferometers, such as HCN, DCN, CO2, etc, are employed to measure the plasma electron density by calculating the phase difference between the reference signal and the detector signal. This paper proposes an adaptive All-phase fast Fourier transform (Ap-FFT) method in the electronic density of the plasma. And analyze the reasons why the multi-frequency measurement phase is inaccurate. The proposed method can reduce the accuracy of phase calculation by adjusting the conversion length and mixed-radix to reduce the spectrum leakage and grid effect. At the same time, the experimental data verifies the correctness of the calculation results of this method, and it shows that the measurement uncertainty of the method is 10% higher than the 1024-point Ap-FFT, and 15% higher than the 1024-point FFT. This method can be effectively applied to the measurement of the electronic density of an ionic plasma for plasma and provides a valuable reference for other phase detection systems and equipment.

Development of an Ultrasonic Nebulization System for an Inverse Low Temperature Plasma Ionization Source.

An effective nebulization and evaporation of a liquid sample, like in liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry (LC-MS) couplings, is an essential requirement for the ionization of analyte molecules in the gas phase by, for example, atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) or the novel low temperature plasma (LTP)-based ion source. These LTP-based ion sources have recently gained interest in the field of atmospheric pressure ion sources, as they can cover a wide range of polarity and molecular mass. They can be used in combination with separation techniques like liquid chromatography or used as an ambient ion source. However, commercial nebulizer systems are of course not constructed to fit to home-built LTP-based ion sources, and this was one incentive to develop a new nebulization system. Instead of an atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) nebulizer, two commercial nebulizers were disassembled and remodeled to be used as nebulizing systems in an LC-MS setup using an LTP-based ion source. Based on these results, a novel nebulizer system was subsequently developed. To further improve the degree of ionization, cones to focus the LC eluent spray on the plasma region, heating applications, and auxiliary nitrogen gas for dispersion of the solvent droplets were implemented. The LOD that could be calculated via the rule of three resulted in an average of 2.0 μg/L for the APCI-nebulizer and 41 μg/L for the USN. Both could be reduced to 1.4 and 18 μg/L, respectively, by using a TPI-configuration instead of an iLTP. The linearity was equally good for both types of nebulization devices. The final nebulizer could also be operated with a high water content and flow rates higher than those of the two previous ones, indicating an important improvement step.