Topological insulator nanotube device and methods of employing the nanotube device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10987825-B2
Application number	US-201715815600-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2017
Priority date	Nov 16, 2017
Publication date	Apr 27, 2021
Grant date	Apr 27, 2021

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a particle shooter system. The particle shooter system comprises a non-carbon topological insulator nanotube defining a bore extending between first and second ends thereof. A particle shooter is operably coupled with the first end of the non-carbon topological insulator nanotube, and configured to transmit a single particle through the bore of the non-carbon topological insulator nanotube. A positioning mechanism is operably coupled with the non-carbon topological insulator nanotube and configured to aim the non-carbon topological insulator nanotube at a target disposed proximal the second end thereof.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A particle shooter system, comprising:
a non-carbon topological insulator nanotube defining a bore extending between first and second ends thereof;
a particle shooter operably coupled with the first end of the non-carbon topological insulator nanotube, and configured to transmit a single particle through the bore of the non-carbon topological insulator nanotube; and
a positioning mechanism operably coupled with the non-carbon topological insulator nanotube and configured to aim the non-carbon topological insulator nanotube at a target disposed proximal the second end thereof, wherein the positioning mechanism comprises at least one coupling chosen from an electrostatic coupling, an electromagnetic coupling, and a piezoelectric coupling.

2. The particle shooter system of claim 1 , wherein the non-carbon topological insulator nanotube comprises at least one of antimony (Sb), bismuth (Bi), selenium (Se) or tellurium (Te), or combinations thereof.

3. The particle shooter system of claim 1 , wherein the non-carbon topological insulator nanotube comprises at least one of Bi 1-x Sb x (0<x<1), Bi 1-x Te x (0<x<1), Bi 1-x Te x (0<x<1), Sb, Bi 2 Se 3 , Bi 2 Te 3 , Sb 2 Te 3 , Bi 2 Te 2 Se, (Bi,Sb) 2 Te 3 , Bi 2-x Sb x Te 3-y Se y (0≤x≤2; 0≤y≤3), Bi 2-x Sb x Te 3-y Se y (0≤x≤2; 1≤y≤3), Bi 2 Te 1.6 S 1.4 , Bi 1.1 Sb 0.9 Te 2 S, Sb 2 Te 2 Se, Bi 2 (Te,Se) 2 (Se,S), TIBiSe 2 , TIBiTe 2 , TIBi(S 1-x ,Se x ) 2 (0.5≤x≤1), Pb(Bi 1-x Sb x ) 2 Te 4 (0≤x≤1), PbBi 2 Te 4 , PbSb 2 Te 4 , PbBi 4 Te 7 , GeBi 2 Te 4 , GeBi 4-x Sb x Te 7 (0≤x≤4), (PbSe) 5 (Bi 2 Se 3 ) 3 , (PbSe) 5 (Bi 2 Se 3 ) 6 , (Bi 2 )(Bi 2 Se 2.6 S 0.4 ), Bi 4 Se 3 , Bi 4 Se 2.6 S 0.4 , (Bi 2 )(Bi 2 Te 3 ) 2 , SnTe, Pb 1-x Sn x Se (0<x<1), Pb 1-x Sn x Te (0<x<1), Pb 0.77 Sn 0.23 Se, Bi 1.84-x Fe 0.16 Ca x Se 3 (0≤x≤1.84), Cr 0.08 (Bi 0.1 Sb 0.9 ) 1.92 Te 3 , (Dy x Bi 1-x ) 2 Te 3 (0<x<1), Ni x Bi 2-x Se 3 (0<x<2), (Ho x Bi 1-x ) 2 Se 3 (0≤x<1), Ag 2 Te, SmB 6 , Bi 14 Rh 3 I 9 , Bi 2-x Ca x Se 3 (0<x<2), Bi 2-x Mn x Te 3 (0<x<2), Ba 2 BiBrO 6 , Ba 2 BiIO 6 , Ca 2 BiBrO 6 , Ca 2 BiIO 6 , Sr 2 BiBrO 6 or Sr 2 BiIO 6 , or combinations thereof.

4. The particle shooter system of claim 1 , wherein the particle is a photon, an electron, a proton, an atom, an ion, or a molecule.

5. The particle shooter system of claim 1 , wherein the particle shooter includes at least one device chosen from a laser and a particle accelerator.

6. The particle shooter system of claim 5 , wherein the particle shooter comprises a laser, the laser being a pulsed laser, a continuous laser, a semiconductor laser, an LED laser, an adjustable power laser or an adjustable wavelength laser.

7. The particle shooter system of claim 1 , wherein the positioning mechanism comprises at least one coupling chosen from the electrostatic coupling and the electromagnetic coupling.

8. The particle shooter system of claim 1 , wherein the positioning mechanism is the piezoelectric coupling.

9. The particle shooter system of claim 1 , wherein the target comprises one or more materials chosen from graphene, a graphene sheet, a nanotube, a fullerene, a semiconductor, and a topological Insulator.

10. A particle shooter system, comprising:
a non-carbon topological insulator nanotube defining a bore extending between first and second ends thereof;
a particle shooter operably coupled with the first end of the non-carbon topological insulator nanotube, and configured to transmit a single particle through the bore of the non-carbon topological insulator nanotube;
a positioning mechanism operably coupled with the non-carbon topological insulator nanotube and configured to aim the non-carbon topological insulator nanotube at a target disposed proximal the second end thereof; and
one or more detection sensors for sensing a physical phenomenon that occurs when the particle hits the target, the detection sensors comprising at least one sensor chosen from an optical sensor, mechanical sensor, vibrational sensor, electrical sensor, heat-sensing sensor, electro-magnetic energy sensor, and movement sensor.

11. A particle shooter system, comprising:
a non-carbon topological insulator nanotube defining a bore extending between first and second ends thereof;
a particle shooter operably coupled with the first end of the non-carbon topological insulator nanotube, and configured to transmit a single particle through the bore of the non-carbon topological insulator nanotube; and
a positioning mechanism operably coupled with the non-carbon topological insulator nanotube and configured to aim the non-carbon topological insulator nanotube at a target disposed proximal the second end thereof;
wherein the particle shooter is configured to shoot a particle at a first power for positioning the non-carbon topological insulator nanotube, and wherein the particle shooter is configured to shoot one or more particles at a second power for displacing one or more particles in the target, the second power being higher than the first power.

12. A particle shooter system, comprising:
a non-carbon topological insulator nanotube defining a bore extending between first and second ends thereof;
a particle shooter operably coupled with the first end of the non-carbon topological insulator nanotube, and configured to transmit a single particle through the bore of the non-carbon topological insulator nanotube; and
a positioning mechanism operably coupled with the non-carbon topological insulator nanotube and configured to aim the non-carbon topological insulator nanotube at a target disposed proximal the second end thereof;
wherein the particle shooter comprises a first laser configured to shoot a particle at a first power for positioning the non-carbon topological insulator nanotube, and a second laser configured to shoot one or more particles at a second power to displace one or more particles in the target.

13. A method for aiming a particle shooter of a particle shooter system, the method comprising:
positioning a non-carbon topological insulator nanotube toward a target;
shooting a particle from the non-carbon topological insulator nanotube towards the target at a first power;
sensing a location hit by the particle after shooting; and
re-positioning the non-carbon topological insulator nanotube based on the location,
wherein the particle shooter system comprises: the non-carbon topological insulator nanotube, the non-carbon topological insulator nanotube defining a bore extending between first and second ends thereof; a particle shooter operably coupled with the first end of the non-carbon topological insulator nanotube, and configured to transmit a single particle through the bore of the non-carbon topological insulator nanotube; and a positioning mechanism operably coupled with the non-carbon topological insulator nanotube and configured to aim the non-carbon topological insulator nanotube at a target disposed proximal the second end thereof, wherein the positioning mechanism comprises at least one coupling chosen from an electrostatic coupling, an electromagnetic coupling, and a piezoelectric coupling.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the sensing the location hit by the particle includes detecting whether the particle hits a particle that is positioned on the target, travels through a space between particles in the target, or travels through a bond between particles in the target.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the sensing includes computing the location hit by the particle.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the particle is shot from a non-carbon topological insulator nanotube to

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Hunt Jeffrey H
• Li Angela W
• Howe Wayne R
• Coad Dennis L

Classifications

• B33Y70/00

  Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B33Y10/00 Primary

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B29C64/141

  using only solid materials · CPC title

• C04B35/00

  Shaped ceramic products characterised by their composition {(porous ceramic products C04B38/00; ceramic articles characterised by particular shape, see the relevant classes, e.g. linings for casting ladles, tundishes, cups or the like B22D41/02; ceramic substrates for microelectronic semi-conductors H10W70/692)}; Ceramics compositions ({shaping of ceramics B28B;} containing free metal bonded to carbides, diamond, oxides, borides, nitrides, silicides, e.g. cermets, or other metal compounds, e.g. oxynitrides or sulfides other than as macroscopic reinforcing agents C22C); Processing powders of inorganic compounds preparatory to the manufacturing of ceramic products {(infiltration of sintered ceramic preforms with molten metal C04B41/51; chemical preparation of powders of inorganic compounds C01)} · CPC title

• B29C64/209

  Heads; Nozzles · CPC title