2017-2018 Assessment of the Army Research Laboratory (2019) / Chapter Skim
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2 Materials Research
2 Materials Research
Pages 20-55
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From page 20... ...
The impact of advances utilizing optical equivalents, efficiencies realized through new radio frequency (RF) waveform and encoding strategies, and efficiencies for directed-energy applications are envisioned as being significant and important targets.
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From page 21... ...
These centers benefit from critical inputs from ARL both in facilities and in unique cutting-edge Army technology challenges, and are expected to become valuable elements of the Open Campus Initiative. Circuit Design This is an exciting program with aggressive and bold goals squarely focused on critical soldier needs.
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From page 22... ...
remains too high for the Army platforms. ARL has begun a program to develop a single double-clad crystalline core/crystalline clad fiber to replace the 58 glass fiber lasers at 1 kW each that Lockheed Martin Corporation utilized in a recent 58 kW laser demonstration.
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From page 23... ...
Modeling the Modulation Transfer Function in Infrared Focal Plane Arrays This work is a direct example of the modeling strengths resident in ARL's new Center for Semiconductor Modeling (CSM) -- here applied to capture the impact of lateral carrier diffusion on the modulation transfer of HgCdTe and nBn focal plane arrays.
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From page 24... ...
However, upon questioning, most presenters were able to address relevant applications issues and customer value proposition well. In relatively few cases, the ARL work was neither fundamentally state of the art nor strongly application focused, reducing potential for high impact.
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From page 25... ...
Diamond Power Radio Frequency Electronics Wide-bandgap (WBG) semiconductors have been important for both high-power and high-frequency applications from radar to power electronics.
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From page 26... ...
Metallocene Membranes The team is investigating metallocene-based polymer membrane systems with suggested Army applications including coatings, thin-film electronics, sensors, and self-healing structures. The specific scientific or technological objectives for this project are rather unclear, and the poster did not articulate why metallocene membranes will offer advantages over other membrane systems.
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From page 27... ...
, with focus on unburdening the soldier by making power lightweight, providing power on-site, and diminishing power needs, all essential enabling factors in supporting soldier welfare and effectiveness. Accomplishments and Advancements The MS&PP portfolio presented for review included a large emphasis on electrical energy storage and conversion -- for example, with batteries, fuel cells and capacitors, pyroelectric and radioisotope power sources, and others.
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From page 28... ...
Aqueous Batteries and Beyond The aqueous battery research on Li-ion batteries at ARL is of very high scientific quality, and is receiving international recognition for its highly innovative discoveries, carried out by a very small group. This is an "especially promising project" that merits strong internal support and that will attract strong external recognition.
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From page 29... ...
The lead on this project appears to have a clear vision of where this project is going, and it has potential paths forward for future efforts. Phase-Change Materials for Electronics Thermal Management This project examines metal-based phase-change materials for transient thermal management in power semiconductor devices, to avoid overheating and possibly to include thermal signature reduction.
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From page 30... ...
Because of the complexity of the device physics, the mix of simulation and experimentation is suitable and expected. Additive Manufacturing for High-Temperature, High-Voltage Power Packaging This work is exploratory in developing new thermal structures that can be created by additive manufacturing (AM)
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From page 31... ...
There is a good match of experimental work with computational work based on molecular orbital theory to explore electrolyte stability. Patents are emerging for the sulfone electrolyte chemistry.
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From page 32... ...
The team is knowledgeable and demonstrates deep understanding. The project appears to be adequately resourced, although facilities were not seen and some, possibly much, of the experimental work was done off site.
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From page 33... ...
The team's niche may be the bipolar membrane approach, and if this is the case, they could work toward demonstrating clear advantages of that configuration relative to conventional PEM or AEM approaches, especially for Army applications. Doing so would establish ARL as a significant player in this field.
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From page 34... ...
The Army has a need for highvoltage devices for directed energy and advanced sensing. Additive Manufacturing for High-Temperature, High-Voltage Power Packaging A key technology development with new materials and processes is AM.
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From page 35... ...
Li-Ion Hybrid Capacitors for Embedded Power Work on improved lifetime is a clear focus for future work. Understanding of the role of additives at the carbon-electrolyte interface in the activated carbon electrode is clearly warranted, although that represents a difficult experimental challenge owing to the hidden, difficult-to-access nature of the interface.
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From page 36... ...
It is perhaps time to reconsider where this effort is going. QUANTUM SCIENCES Quantum sciences is a new program area of high scientific quality and is well aligned with the long-term goals of ARL's mission to provide the Army of the future with clear tactical advantage.
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From page 37... ...
The researchers are also well coupled into the theoretical effort in identifying quantum states with better external perturbations and coupled interactions in the excitation in an ensemble system with disorder. Entanglement Swapping of Two Arbitrarily Degraded Entangled States The goal of this effort is to characterize the reach, rates, and entanglement quality of entanglement distribution networks in order to design optimal quantum networks for different functionalities.
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From page 38... ...
The ARL team has made a significant effort on different approaches for a "quantum repeater" to extend the range over which secure communications can be assured. The quantum sciences team is also working on the full range of required components -- quantum memories and single- and entangled-photon sources and detectors, with a balanced approach looking at both ensemble and single-atom phenomena, and within each of these, well-studied neutral atom and trapped ions to enable investigation of new, Army-specific applications; and in parallel, the investigation of new materials that could provide far more easily field deployable communications and sensor systems that are well beyond basic scientific knowledge and laboratory demonstrations to enable their incorporation into Army applications.
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From page 39... ...
The theoretical modeling of entangled quantum oscillators over greater distances will be required to achieve useful sensors based upon entangled states. Divacancy Modeling in Silicon Carbide This is an exciting new system that could be far more scalable and field deployable than other solidstate quantum systems, but it is highly dependent upon the energy difference of ground and excited states and their immunity from outside perturbations and access for writing and reading entangled states.
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From page 40... ...
Under the soldier augmentation thrust, three significant accomplishments are noted: progress in the development of the third arm prototypes, demonstration and characterization of rate-activated tether (RAT) prototype materials based on shear-thickening fluids, and the initiative to develop complex actuator fibers through a combination of printing and drawing.
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From page 41... ...
Size Effects on the Apparent Thermal Conductivity of Metal and Amorphous Metal Oxide Thin Films The objectives of this work are to develop next generation of smaller and lighter long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) detectors by gaining insight into thermal properties of metal and amorphous thin films.
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From page 42... ...
Adaptive and responsive materials for soldier augmentation has been largely focused on the biomechanical aspects of the wearable devices. The effort is challenged by the fact that less time has been spent on targeting unique materials that need to be developed to enable the applications.
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From page 43... ...
Connections to experimental work were not apparent from the poster, which would have been strengthened by more fully presenting this connection. Soldier Augmentation 3D Hybrid Electronics Programs The technical challenges associated with this project include the lithographic deposition of conducting metal lines on AM 3D-printed support structures for specialized applications involving high-g environments.
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From page 44... ...
The work focusing on novel feed stocks from reclaimed materials for additive manufacturing of polymers and the reclaimed metals and indigenous materials for manufacturing at the point-of-need are examples. This is expected to dramatically reduce the logistic tail and mitigate uncertainties for expeditionary maneuver.
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From page 45... ...
. This also drives demand for intelligent design that involves materials and manufacturing processes and an understanding of the morphologies and chemistries that will work with the different additive manufacturing processes that can be theater-deployed.
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From page 46... ...
The ARL's materials selection and analysis tool (MSAT) currently under development seems the right place for consolidating materials databases, manufacturing process parameters, and component pedigree in order to capture and retrieve valuable research data across projects for all ARL research areas.
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From page 47... ...
Four broad areas under the high-rate materials and mechanisms effort were reviewed: ceramics for soldier protection: high-rate modeling and materials development, lightweight metallic materials for ground vehicle applications, computer-aided design and fabrication of cross-linked polymer networks, and simulation-based fabrication of composites for advanced soldier head protection Accomplishments and Advancements ARL has made significant advances in developing manufacturing capabilities for different materials, in meeting design requirements for resistance against ballistic impact (e.g., in ceramics and metals) , and in synthesizing new formulations based on insights obtained through modeling by correlating structural changes during newly developed test methods (e.g., in polymers and composites)
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From page 48... ...
Current efforts under way at ARL combining hydrogen sintering and heat treatment processes are enabling fabrication of Ti-6Al-4V with reduced porosity, refined microstructure, and minimized anisotropy. The path forward combining low-cost additive manufacturing employing a non-laser-based approach with the novel sintering treatments needs to continue.
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From page 49... ...
In-depth studies targeting the influence of the glass transition temperature and segmental relaxations on the ballistic performance have allowed synthesis of new resins for epoxies, as well as novel polymers exhibiting improved ballistic performance. The V50 and KE50 tests remain as a standard for determining the ballistic performance of armor materials.
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From page 50... ...
Achieving significant progress to meet this challenge depends on many factors: understanding at a fundamental level the mechanisms that govern dynamic, high-rate failure and how the various deformation processes relate to material composition and microstructure; developing computational capabilities for inverse design of microstructure and composite structure; discovering how rationally designed microstructures can be controlled and produced via novel processing methods; harnessing and analyzing manufacturing, microstructure characterization, and property data obtained from time-resolved measurements to identify critical correlations in the processing-structure-propertiesperformance paradigm; and inspiring innovative approaches to armor design and development. Ceramics research activities related to the MEDE program are providing important understanding of the influence of microstructure -- in particular, the role of grain boundaries -- on high-rate performance.
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From page 51... ...
Project investigators were generally clear in presenting the linkage of their research to Army needs along with connections to relevant research communities both within and outside the DoD community. Quantum sciences is a new program area of high scientific quality and well aligned with the longterm goals of ARL's mission to provide the Army of the future with clear tactical advantage.
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From page 52... ...
Overall, the Open Campus Initiative is having positive impact on collaborations and is helpful in recruiting, both from the point of view of outreach and visibility and in the working culture of the laboratory. ARL has demonstrated the ability to rapidly ramp new project areas (batteries and quantum sciences as examples)
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From page 53... ...
Quantum Sciences Quantum sciences is a new program area of high scientific quality and well aligned with the longterm goals of ARL's mission to provide the Army of the future with clear tactical advantage. It is anticipated that quantum sciences will provide game-changing capabilities for C4ISR for the Army of the future.
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From page 54... ...
ARL has made significant investments in multiscale modeling efforts, particularly via the MEDE program. The combined computational and experimental work for evaluating the mechanical response of individual grain boundaries enabling grain boundary engineering for improved ballistic performance of ceramics, and similar examples with other material forms, are the types of effort needed for discovery of next-generation ceramics, metals, polymers, and composites for soldier protection.
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From page 55... ...
However, the in-house armor development program has not yet vigorously embraced the opportunities afforded by data analytics, machine learning, and advanced statistical models. Integrated efforts in fully instrumented processing, quantitative microstructure characterization, and instrumented time-resolved testing, along with advanced data management and data informatics approaches, can yield important insight into critical correlations governing ballistic performance.
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