arXiv subjects

Pooja Sharma

Publications and source records attributed to Pooja Sharma.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Comparative analysis of the lubrication performance of functionalized copolymers interacting with silicon, cobalt, and silver doped diamond-like carbon

This study examines the tribological behavior of diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings doped with silicon (Si), cobalt (Co), or silver (Ag) in the presence of an amine-functionalized block copolymer lubricant. Under boundary lubrication, Si-doped DLC (Si-DLC) exhibited the lowest coefficient of friction ($\approx$0.045) and nearly 45% lower wear than undoped DLC. Co-DLC showed moderate improvement, while Ag-DLC provided no significant benefit. Cross-sectional FIB-TEM revealed thin tribofilms, 12-17 nm in thickness, on Si- and Co-doped surfaces. As reported for Si-DLC, these films incorporate copolymer-derived fragments, suggesting a similar composition for Co-DLC. These results indicate that dopant-polymer interactions are key to the development of self-organized boundary layers. To gain atomic-level insight, first-principles calculations were carried out on the adsorption of the dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) unit, the copolymer's functional group. The calculated adsorption energies were $-$2.27 to $-$0.57 eV for Si-DLC, $-$1.73 to $-$1.49 eV for Co(0001), and $-$1.21 to $-$1.08 eV for Ag(111). The order of stability (Si $>$ Co $>$ Ag) was consistent with the experimental tribological ranking. Chemical bonding dominated for Si-DLC, while Ag showed mainly weak physisorption. Simulated pull-off forces further reflected this hierarchy, with N-Si bonds requiring about twice the force of N-Co and nearly five times that of N-Ag. The correspondence between adsorption strength and tribological response highlights the decisive role of dopant species in tribofilm formation. These findings provide guidance for designing durable low-friction surfaces in applications such as electric drivetrains and precision mechanical systems.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Nanoparticles and Quantum Dots as Emerging Optical Sensing Platforms for $\mathrm{Ni}^{2+}$ Detection: Recent Approaches and Perspectives

Over the preceding years, nickel (Ni) and its compounds have been increasingly employed in various aspects of human social life, metallurgical/industrial manufactures, healthcare, and chemical processes. Although Ni is considered an essential trace element in biological systems, excessive intake or metabolic deficiency of $\mathrm{Ni}^{2+}$ ions may cause detrimental health effects to living organisms. Therefore, a facile and accurate detection of $\mathrm{Ni}^{2+}$, especially in environmental and biological settings, is of huge significance. As an efficient detection method, assaying $\mathrm{Ni}^{2+}$ using optical (colorimetric and/or fluorogenic) sensors has experienced quite a vigorous growth period, with a large number of excellent research contributions. Nanomaterial-based optical sensors, including metal nanoparticles (MNPs), quantum dots (QDs), and carbon dots (CDs), offer distinct advantages over conventional small-molecule organic and inorganic sensors. This study mainly provides an overview of the recent advancements and challenges related to the design strategies of various optical nanosensors to selectively detect the $\mathrm{Ni}^{2+}$ ion. Emphasis has also been placed on comparing the sensing performance of various nanosensors, along with exploring future perspectives.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2024

Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory sensitivity to heavy Galactic Cosmic Rays and the shape of particle spectrum

The origin of Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCRs) and the potential role of Supernova Remnants (SNRs) as cosmic-ray (CR) accelerators remain subjects of ongoing debate. To shed more light on this topic, we have studied the spectral shape of two SNRs, RX J1713.7-3946 and HAWC J2227+610, performing simulations for the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO). The previous multi-wavelength (MWL) analysis on these two sources showed an important hadronic contribution at high energies. The interaction of the GCRs accelerated by the SNRs with the medium around the accelerator leads to a process of pion decay (PD) that produces gamma-rays ($\gamma$-rays). These emissions, detectable by CTAO, offer an indirect means of pinpointing the CR source. Two scenarios have been considered: the contribution of heavy CRs and different cut-off sharpnesses ($\beta$) of the particle spectra. The simulations were performed by using different CR composition distributions (protons, CNO, Fe) and different sharpness values ranging from $\beta$=0.5 to $\beta$=1.5. The results show that, in the cases studied here, CTAO will increase the sensitivity to the spectral shape of $\gamma$-rays. This allows us to distinguish protons from heavy CRs and obtain information on $\beta$ values and therefore on different acceleration scenarios.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2024

Electric field management in $\beta$-$Ga_2O_3$ vertical Schottky diodes using high-k bismuth zinc niobium oxide

In this work, we have integrated bismuth zinc niobium oxide (BZN), a high-k dielectric material, in metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) and field-plated metal-semiconductor (FP-MS) Schottky barrier diodes on $\beta$-$Ga_2O_3$. This increases the breakdown voltage ($V_{BR}$) from 300 V to 600 V by redistributing the electric fields, leveraging the high permittivity of BZN (k ~210). Enhancement in Schottky barrier height, by approximately 0.14 eV for MIS and 0.28 eV for FP-MS devices, also contributes to the improved $V_{BR}$. BZN inclusion has minimal impact on specific on-resistance ($R_{on,sp}$). Additionally, the devices display excellent current-voltage characteristics with ideality factors close to unity and an on/off current ratio greater than 1010. This work presents the most significant $V_{BR}$ enhancement reported-to-date for MIS devices on $\beta$-$Ga_2O_3$ without compromising turn-on voltage and $R_{on,sp}$. A comparison of FP-MS and MIS devices shows that FP-MS outperforms MIS in terms of lower $R_{on,sp}$, higher Schottky barrier height, and improved VBR.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2024

Monolithic beta-Ga2O3 Bidirectional MOSFET

We report a monolithic bidirectional dual-gate metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) fabricated on epitaxially grown beta-Ga2O3, demonstrating efficient two-way conduction and blocking. It features two independently controlled gates and operates in four distinct modes, offering flexibility in managing current and voltage in the first and third quadrants. This versatility makes it ideal for various power conversion system applications. The device operates at a low negative threshold voltage (~-2.4 V for both gates) with a zero turn-on drain voltage and an on-resistance of approximately 500 ohm-mm. It exhibits a high on/off current ratio of 1e7 in all three conducting modes. In the blocking mode, the device breakdown was measured to be more than +-350 V with a current compliance of 0.5 mA/mm. The estimated breakdown field and power figure of merit for the device are 0.35 MV/cm and 1.6 MW/cm2 respectively.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2023

Electrically Controlled Reversible Strain Modulation in MoS$_2$ Field-effect Transistors via an Electro-mechanically Coupled Piezoelectric Thin Film

Strain can efficiently modulate the bandgap and carrier mobilities in two-dimensional (2D) materials. Conventional mechanical strain-application methodologies that rely on flexible, patterned or nano-indented substrates are severely limited by low thermal tolerance, lack of tunability and/or poor scalability. Here, we leverage the converse piezoelectric effect to electrically generate and control strain transfer from a piezoelectric thin film to electro-mechanically coupled ultra-thin 2D MoS$_2$. Electrical bias polarity change across the piezoelectric film tunes the nature of strain transferred to MoS$_2$ from compressive $\sim$0.23% to tensile $\sim$0.14% as verified through peak shifts in Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopies and substantiated by density functional theory calculations. The device architecture, built on a silicon substrate, uniquely integrates an MoS$_2$ field-effect transistor on top of a metal-piezoelectric-metal stack enabling strain modulation of transistor drain current 130$\times$, on/off current ratio 150$\times$, and mobility 1.19$\times$ with high precision, reversibility and resolution. Large, tunable tensile (1056) and compressive (-1498) strain gauge factors, easy electrical strain modulation, high thermal tolerance and substrate compatibility make this technique promising for integration with silicon-based CMOS and micro-electro-mechanical systems.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2023

Multiwavelength Analysis of Galactic Supernova Remnants

The origin of Galactic Cosmic Rays (CRs) and the possibility of Supernova Remnants (SNRs) being potential CR accelerators is still an open debate. The charged CRs can be detected indirectly by the γ-ray observatories through the {π^0} production and consequent decay, leading to the generation of high-energy γ-rays. The goal of the study is to identify qualitative and quantitative trends in favour of hadronic scenario and search for SNRs which could be potential accelerators up to PeV energies (PeVatrons). We have performed a Multiwavelength (MWL) study using different radiative models to evaluate the hadronic contribution. The spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of selected SNRs are modeled using the Naima [1] package. Two different radiative scenarios are considered, pure leptonic and lepto-hadronic scenarios, and different methods are used to evaluate their importance. This study shows that the lepto-hadronic scenario is favored for most SNRs. Two particular indicators of hadronic contribution come from the data around the {π^0} production threshold and the data above a few TeV. The hard rise at the {π^0} production threshold cannot be explained by leptonic processes. More data in this region would be valuable for these studies. For some SNRs, an important hadronic contribution is observed up to a few TeV, thus making them promising PeVatron candidates. In this high-energy region where the leptonic processes are expected to be suppressed, more data is required to help distinguish between the leptonic and hadronic origin of γ-ray emission. In the future, we intend to use the obtained model parameters to simulate data for CTA and assess its capability to identify PeVatrons.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2021

A single photo-electron calibration system for theNectarCAM camera of the Cherenkov Telescope ArrayMedium-Sized Telescopes

This contribution aims to introduce the single photo-electron system designed to calibrate the camera of the Medium-Sized Telescopes of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). This system will allow us to measure accurately the gain of the camera's photodetection chain and to constrain the systematic uncertainties on the energy reconstruction of gamma rays detected by CTA. The system consists of a white painted screen, a fishtail light guide, a flasher and an XY motorization to allow movement. The flashes guided by the fishtail mimic the Cherenkov radiation and illuminate the focal plane under the screen homogeneously. Then, through the XY motorisation, the screen is moved across the entire focal plane of the NectarCAM camera, which consists of 1855 photo-multiplier tubes. In this contribution, we present the calibration system and the study on its optimum scan positions required to cover the full camera effectively. Finally, we illustrate the results of the calibration data analysis and discuss the performance of the system.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2018

Heteroatomic jet fuel components: Lichen substances as fuel component and potential additives

This article presents chemical analysis of jet fuel (Jet A-1) heteroatomic fuel components with identification of an antioxidant lichen substance in methanol extracted fuel samples. Thermal stressing of jet fuel produces soluble macromolecular oxidatively reactive species (SMORS) and heteroatomic deposits. SMORS are deposit precursors and elementary heteroatomic units containing unsaturated and aromatic hydrocarbons. Fuel additives such as antioxidants can inhibit SMORS and deposit formation within limited heating residence time and temperature range. Jet A-1 was thermally stressed in the autoxidation regime (150 to 300 0C) followed by spectroscopic analysis. Thermally stressed jet fuel static tests electrospray ionization mass spectra (ESI-MS) show higher molecular weight compounds in the mass range 300-1000 Da compared with unstressed fuel samples supporting deposition. Jet A-1 samples were analyzed by electrospray ion source mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. FTIR bands for oxygen containing species reveal the presence of alcohol, phenol and ether groups. 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) standard and distorsionless enhancement polarization transfer (DEPT 135) spectra recorded heteroatomic alkoxy species in both unstressed and thermally stressed fuel samples. Natural products polyphenols and lichen derived oxygenated compounds are excellent antioxidants. A new perspective of using lichen substances as fuel additives emerged in this study. Exploring further, natural products extraction methods optimization remains a key challenge and advantages of polyphenolic lichen acids as potential fuel and chemical additives are discussed.

physics.chem-ph↗

arXiv2004

Synthesis of Nanocrystals of Long Persisting Phosphor by Modified Combustion Technique

Synthesis and characterization of Nanocrystalline long persistent SrAl2O4:Eu2+, Dy3+ phosphor via a modified combustion process has been presented in the paper. In this synthesis process, a mixture of respective metal nitrates, flux and combustible agent (urea/camphor) were thermally treated with slight modification at 400-600oC for about 5 minutes. It resulted in low-density voluminous mass in contrast to a solid lump by conventional solid-state method. The present work reports the changes made in the combustion process to achieve the homogenous incorporation of dopants and large-scale production of the nanophosphor in a short interval of time. The samples have been characterized for nanophase, structural and luminescent properties. PACS Code: 33.50.-j, 33.50.Dq, 78.55.-m, 68.37.Hk

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗