Development of Nanostructure based Corrosion-Barrier Coatings on Steel for Transmutation Applications: Quaterly Report

During the past quarter, this project employed one graduate student and two undergraduate student researchers and made the following accomplishments : • Acquisition of steel samples for experiments • Design and fabrication of specialized anodization apparatus to accommodate steel samples • Investigation of adhesiveness of aluminum on steel • Investigation of effects of anodizing acids on steel to identify most appropriate acid and a suitable barrier materia

A study of holographic dark energy models using configuration entropy

The holographic dark energy models provide an alternative description of the dark energy. These models are motivated by the possible application of holographic principle to the dark energy problem. We study the one parameter Li holographic dark energy and the two parameter Barrow holographic dark energy models using configuration entropy of the matter distribution in the Universe. The configuration entropy rate exhibits a distinct minimum at a specific scale factor that corresponds to the epoch, beyond which the dark energy takes a driving role in the accelerated expansion of the Universe. We find that the location of the minimum and magnitude of the entropy rate at the minimum are sensitive to the parameters of the models. We find the best fit relations between these quantities and the parameters of each model. We propose that these relations can be used to constrain the parameters of the holographic dark energy models from the future measurements of the configuration entropy at multiple redshifts. Further, the Barrow holographic dark energy model is based on Barrow entropy which modifies the standard Bekenstein-Hawking entropy, to capture the deformation of the black-hole surface due to quantum gravitational effects. We find that the location and amplitude of the minimum of the configuration entropy rate is strongly sensitive to the deformation exponent $\Delta$ in the Barrow model. Our study suggests that signatures of the quantum gravitational effects on the future event horizon may be detected from the study of the configuration entropy of the matter distribution on large-scales.Comment: 14 pages, 8 figures, late

Investigation of nanoporous Thin-film Alumina Templates

This paper presents the results of a systematic study of the fabrication of thin-film alumina templates on silicon and other substrates. Such templates are of significant interest for the low-cost implementation of semiconductor and metal nanostructure arrays. In addition, thin-film alumina templates on silicon have the potential for nanostructure integration with silicon electronics. Formation of thin-film alumina templates on silicon substrates was investigated under different fabrication conditions, and the dependence of pore morphology and pore formation rate on process parameters was evaluated. In addition, process conditions for improved pore size distribution and periodicity were determined. The template/silicon interface, important for nanostructure integration on silicon, was investigated using capacitance-voltage measurements and electron microscopy, and was found to be of good device quality. Formation of thin-film alumina templates on nonsilicon substrates such as glass, indium-tin-oxide-coated glass, and silicon carbide was also investigated

Epistemología de la comunicación en India: Una aproximación histórica más allá del “desarrollo”

This paper attempts to outline various recent contributions that can illustrate in developing an epistemological understanding of Communication in India, which is a country that could be considered as a continent due to its demography and territorial extension; but more importantly, due to its multiculturality, multilingualism, and strong cultural roots that transcend beyond colonising and neocolonising processes. It is assumed that conventional contemporary understanding of Communication is oriented toward the conquest of modernity and Western development from principles of Eurocentric rationality. Certain divergences and contradictions are observed here by drawing evidences from the indigenous cultures of the Indian society. The recent writings and contributions provide enormous intellectual resources to formulate a knowledge perspective that emerges from the critique of the conventional utilitarian understanding of communication and helps to formulate a critical epistemological perspective of communication in India. In this paper, we describe various contributions to the communication research in India, and the influence that development as an economic concept had on culture, resulting from the influence exerted by communication. Additionally, this article documents participatory approaches that are also original in the search for holistic and endogenous solutions in communication in India, and that follow a critical cultural perspective of their own.En este trabajo se intentan esbozar diversas contribuciones recientes que pueden ilustrar en el desarrollo de una comprensión epistemológica de la Comunicación en India, un país que en sí mismo es un continente por demografía y extensión territorial, pero sobre todo por su multiculturalidad, multilingüismo y sus fuertes raíces culturales que trascienden más allá de los procesos colonizadores y neocolonizadores. Entendiendo que la comprensión convencional contemporánea de la comunicación está orientada a la conquista de la modernidad y el desarrollo occidental desde principios de racionalidad eurocéntrica, observamos divergencias y contradicciones evidenciadas desde la cultura autóctona de la sociedad india. Los escritos y contribuciones recientes proporcionan enormes recursos intelectuales para formular una perspectiva del conocimiento desde la crítica de la comprensión utilitarista de la comunicación y a formular una perspectiva crítica epistemológica de la Comunicación en India. En este artículo se describen las contribuciones de la investigación en comunicación en India y la influencia que el desarrollo como concepto económico tuvo en la cultura desde la influencia ejercida por la comunicación. A partir de ahí se documentan enfoques participativos originales en la búsqueda de soluciones holísticas y endógenas en la comunicación en India desde una perspectiva cultural crítica y propia

Lower order and higher order entanglement in 87Rb87Rb 5S−5P−5D5S-5P-5D hyperfine manifold modeled as a four-wave mixing process

Possibilities of generation of lower order and higher order intermodal entanglement in 87Rb 5S-5P-5D hyperfine manifold are rigorously investigated using Sen-Mandal perturbative technique by showing the equivalence of the system with the four-wave mixing (FWM) process. The investigation has revealed that for a set of experimentally realizable/relevant parameters we can observe lower order and higher order intermodal entanglement between pump and signal modes, signal and idler modes, and idler and pump modes in a FWM process associated with the 87Rb 5S-5P-5D hyperfine manifold. In addition, trimodal entanglement involving pump, signal and idler modes is also reported.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figure

An Ultrahigh Vacuum Complementary Metal Oxide Silicon Compatible nonlithographic System to Fabricate nanoparticle-based Devices

Nanoparticles of metals and semiconductors are promising for the implementation of a variety of photonic and electronic devices with superior performances and new functionalities. However, their successful implementation has been limited due to the lack of appropriate fabrication processes that are suitable for volume manufacturing. The current techniques for the fabrication of nanoparticles either are solution based, thus requiring complex surface passivation, or have severe constraints over the choice of particle size and material. We have developed an ultrahigh vacuum system for the implementation of a complex nanosystem that is flexible and compatible with the silicon integrated circuit process, thus making it suitable for volume manufacturing. The system also allows the fabrication of Ohmic contacts and isolation dielectrics in an integrated manner, which is a requirement for most electronic and photonic devices. We have demonstrated the power and the flexibility of this new system for the manufacturing of nanoscale devices by implementing a variety of structures incorporating nanoparticles. Descriptions of this new fabrication system together with experimental results are presented in this article. The system explains the method of size-selected deposition of nanoparticles of any metallic, semiconducting, and (or) insulating materials on any substrate, which is very important in fabricating useful nanoparticle-baseddevices. It has also been shown that at elevated substrate temperature, a selective deposition of the nanoparticles is observed near the grain-boundary regions. However, in these natural systems, there will always be low and favorable energy states present away from the grain-boundary regions, leading to the undesirable deposition of nanoparticles in the far-grain-boundary regions, too