Low-cost set-up for Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy in diamond anvil cell from 4000 to 400 cm−1

An experimental set-up for Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) studies at high pressure in the mid-IR region (400–4000 cm^?1) is constructed using a compact TEO-400 FTIR interferometer module and an external microscopic optical bench with cassegrain focusing objectives. Cassegrain-type reflective objectives act as an excellent beam condenser that facilitates the interfacing between FTIR spectrometer and diamond anvil cell. This set-up is capable of recording transmission and reflection infrared spectra at high pressure. Preliminary results are reported both in the reflection (pressure dependence of polar phonons in CuWO₄) and transmission configuration (polarized light absorption of polar phonons across the wurtzite-to-rocksalt transition in ZnO).     

Quark mixing in the discrete dark matter model

We consider a model in which dark matter is stable as it is charged under a Z₂ symmetry that is residual after an A₄ flavour symmetry is broken. We consider the possibility to generate the quark masses by charging the quarks appropriately under A₄. We find that it is possible to generate the CKM mixing matrix by an interplay of renormalisable and dimension-six operators. In this set-up, we predict the third neutrino mixing angle to be large and the dark matter relic density to be in the correct range. Low energy observables - in particular meson-antimeson oscillations - are hard to facilitate. We find that only in a situation where there is a strong cancellation between the Standard Model contribution and the contribution of the new Higgs fields, B meson oscillations are under control.     

α-Ti2Zr高压物性的第一性原理计算研究

基于密度泛函理论的第一性原理计算获得了α-Ti₂Zr的晶体结构、弹性常数、德拜温度和电子分布情况, 研究了它们与压力的关系. 计算得到的晶体结构参数与实验值一致. 运用有限应变方法计算得到了α-Ti₂Zr的体积模量B、剪切模量G、杨氏模量E和泊松比σ. B和E的零压值分别为101.2和35.6 GPa. G/B的值较小, 并且随着压力的增加而减小, 表明α-Ti₂Zr具有优异的延展性. 基于弹性常数得到平均声速, 从而获得了德拜温度Θ=321.7 K. 通过解Christoffel方程获得的压缩波和剪切波数据揭示α-Ti₂Zr具有较强的各向异性. 此外, 压力诱导电子从s轨道到d轨道的转移说明在一定压力下α-Ti₂Zr将转变为β相. 关键词： 第一性原理 α-Ti₂Zr')" href="#">α-Ti₂Zr 物性 高压     

Multiphoton excitation of molecules by single mode CW lasers

An intracavity laser interaction zone with molecules expanded in a molecular beam set-up permits multiphoton excitation under collision-free conditions by narrow band radiation. Two- and three-laser experiments are performed to study rapid adiabatic passage processes, stimulated de-excitation and hole burning effects. The detection of excitation occurs by means of a sensitive bolometric molecular beam detector. The essential information obtained for SF₆ concerns the vibrational bottleneck, the conservation of excited eigenstate characteristics for at least 1 ms, the ease with which about 15 photons can be deposited in the molecules with the help of two cw CO₂ lasers and the influence of simultaneous two-frequency radiation, yielding a significant extra-excitation. Other molecules where multiphoton excitation is observed utilizing the same set-up are CF₃I and CF₃Br.     

Photoreflectance spectroscopy of semiconductor structures at hydrostatic pressure: A comparison of GaInAs/GaAs and GaInNAs/GaAs single quantum wells

The pressure dependence of optical transitions in Ga_0.64In_0.36As/GaAs and Ga_0.64In_0.36N_0.01As_0.99/GaAs single quantum well (SQW) structures were studied in photoreflectance (PR) spectroscopy. In order to apply high hydrostatic pressure, up to ∼11 kbar, the liquid-filled clamp-pressure cell with a sapphire window for optical access has been adopted in the PR set-up with the so called ‘bright configuration’. It has been found that the linear hydrostatic pressure coefficient for the ground state transition are equal to 8.6 and 7.3 meV/kbar for the GaInAs/GaAs and GaInNAs/GaAs SQWs, respectively. This result shows that the incorporation of only 1% of N atoms into GaInAs/GaAs leads to ∼15% decrease in the pressure coefficient. In addition, a non-linearity in the pressure dependence of the ground state transition has been resolved for the GaInNAs/GaAs SQW.     

低温高压下的Na5Eu(WO4)4的发光和晶体场参数

用低温金刚石对顶砧高压显微光谱系统在20—300K低温和0—10GPa高压范围内研究了白钨矿型化学计量的基质发光晶体四钨酸铕钠Na₅Eu(WO₄)₄中Eu³⁺的发光.确定了Eu³⁺荧光谱线和能级在低温下的压力移动率.它随温度变化,表明温度和压力对Eu³⁺谱线作用不是独立无关的.按晶体场理论简化方法推导了能级的晶体场参数表达式,并按实验数据拟合出在不同低温下晶体场参数随压力的移     

Structural and elastic properties of Ce2O3 under pressure from LDA+U method

We investigate the structural and elastic properties of hexagonal Ce₂O₃ under pressure using LDA+U scheme in the frame of density functional theory (DFT). The obtained lattice constants and bulk modulus agree well with the available experimental and other theoretical data. The pressure dependences of normalized lattice parameters a/a ₀ and c/c ₀, ratio c/a, and normalized primitive volume V/V ₀ of Ce₂O₃ are obtained. Moreover, the pressure dependences of elastic properties and three anisotropies of elastic waves of Ce₂O₃ are investigated for the first time. We find that the negative value of C ₄₄ is indicative of the structural instability of the hexagonal structure Ce₂O₃ at zero temperature and 30 GPa. Finally, the density of states (DOS) of Ce₂O₃ under pressure is investigated.     

外加热型金刚石对顶压砧高压装置及高温下的压力测量

 本文报导了一种外加热型金刚石对顶压砧装置的高温高压技术，装置的压力可达20 GPa，温度可达350 ℃。采用本装置对六角结构的α-LiIO₃进行了高温高压X射线衍射实验，获得的四方结构高压相与用淬火卸压所得的ε相结构一致；建立了高温下的红宝石测试技术。发现可以根据由此法测定的Δγ_p-T曲线初步判别样品是否存在伴随有体积变化的结构相变，并可估计出该相变的压力、温度范围及相变造成的压力下降值。     

Measurement of nonlinear refractive index of Ag and Au nano-particles using moiré technique

In this paper we have measured second order nonlinear refractive index of Ag and Au nano-particles using the moiré deflectometry with a CW He-Ne laser at wavelength of 632.8 nm. The main advantages of this technique are its extreme experimental simplicity and low sensitivity to external distribution in comparison with other interfrometric methods that need very stable experimental set-up. Because of self-focusing (or self-defocusing) that is due to intensity dependent refractive index, presence of sample in the moiré deflectometry set-up lead to rotation of moiré fringes. By moving the sample in set-up we have measured these rotation angles in different displacements from focus point of lens used in this set-up and then we have calculated the nonlinear refractive index of Ag and Au nano-particles using their values. Also we have obtained the sign of n₂ regard to the direction of rotations. Consequently by using the Mathematica software we have exhibited the suitable fitness of theoretical curve with experimental results.     

Ba原子6s6p1P1←6s6s1S0跃迁的光腔衰荡光谱

建立了一套光腔衰荡原子束吸收光谱测量装置,并对Ba原子的6s6p¹P₁←6s6s¹S₀吸收谱线用光腔衰荡光谱方法进行了测量,得到了Ba原子在553.548nm不同温度下的吸收谱线线型.实验结果表明,该装置测量吸收灵敏度达到6×10^-7. 关键词： 光腔衰荡 吸收光谱 Ba原子     

Novel neon-hydrate of cubic ice structure

The stability of ice I cubic (ice I_c) whose voids are occupied by neon particles is investigated using a hybrid type of isobaric grand-canonical Monte Carlo simulation. We show that the resulting neon hydrate is stable under high pressure and temperature where ice I_c alone is unstable, suggesting the existence of a novel neon hydrate of ice I_c. We also show through chemical potential calculation that the neon hydrate of the ice I_c structure is more favorable than the neon hydrate of the ice II structure, whose existence was proven from experiment under high pressure condition.     

First-principles study of the pressure-induced phase transition in CaTiO3

An investigation into the phase stabilities of CaTiO₃ under high pressure was conducted using first-principles calculations based on density functional theory. We have identified three candidate structures of CaTiO₃, Pbnm, Pm3m and Cmcm, respectively. Our results demonstrate that a phase transition from orthorhombic (Pbnm) to cubic (Pm3m) is impossible for CaTiO₃ under high pressure at ambient temperature, and further predict that Pbnm-CaTiO₃ will transform to post-perovskite phase (Cmcm) at enough temperature and pressure.     

Prediction of the phase transition from ferromagnetic perovskite to non-magnetic post-perovskite in SrRuO3 : A first-principles study

The phase transition in the perovskite (Pv) SrRuO₃ under pressure has been studied by using first-principles calculations based on density functional theory. The post-perovskite (Ppv) phase transition of SrRuO₃ will take place under hydrostatic pressure of about 40 GPa. The stability of Ppv- SrRuO₃ is justified by the enthalpy calculations, and this phase transition accompanies volume disconnection and magnetic moment collapses. The crystallographic data and the electronic structure of Ppv- SrRuO₃ are also predicted. The crystal structure of Ppv- SrRuO₃ is similar to that of Ppv- CaRuO₃. A non-magnetic ground state is found in Ppv- SrRuO₃. The strong hybridization of Ru and O is evident in the electronic structures of both phases. We expect that these results will help further understanding of SrRuO₃ under high pressure.     

Elastic properties and phonon dispersions of rhenium in hexagonal-close-packed structure under pressure from first principles

The elastic properties of the hexagonal-close-packed (hcp) structure rhenium (Re) and their behavior under pressure are investigated using the local density approximation (LDA) and the generalized gradient approximation (GGA). The obtained high pressure elastic constants are well consistent with previous theoretical date, while large discrepancies are found between theory and the high pressure experiments. The calculated isothermal bulk modulus B₀ (376 GPa for GGA and 389 GPa for LDA) and its initial pressure derivative (4.52 for LDA and 4.58 for GGA) compare favorably with the experimental values. Moreover, it is found that the value of c/a, B/G, Poisson's ratio, and B_c/B_a are virtually independent of pressure. We also performed calculation for phonon dispersions at high pressure. GGA in our calculation exhibits a same trend as the high pressure experimental curve.     

Near infrared cw-CRDS coupled to laser photolysis: Spectroscopy and kinetics of the HO2 radical

We present in this work a new experimental set-up for sensitive detection of reactive species: continuous wave cavity ring-down spectroscopy (cw-CRDS) as a detection method in laser photolysis reactor. HO₂ radicals were generated by using a 248 nm photolysis of SOCl₂/CH₃OH/O₂ mixtures and were detected in the first vibrational overtone of the OH stretch around 6625 cm^-1, using a DFB diode laser. In order to perform the spectroscopic and kinetic measurements of the HO₂ radical, two different timing schemes have been used. The absorption line strength of the transition at 6625.784 cm^-1 has been extracted from kinetic measurement to (5.2±1.0)×10^-21 cm² molecule^-1cm^-1. The detection limit for the actual set-up is 2×10¹² molecules cm^-3. PACS 42.62.Fi; 82.33.Tb; 82.20.W     

Remarks on “Piezonuclear neutrons from fracturing of inert solids”

Carpinteri et al. [F. Cardone, A. Carpinteri, G. Lacidogna, Physics Letters A 373 (2009) 4158] reported that by the sudden fracture of granite blocks under pressure P?94.4 MPa ejects a stream of neutrons catch by a ³He detector and displayed by a “BD” dosimeter. As claimed, these neutrons come from the fission reaction being the compound Fe₂O₃ present at 3% in granite. We would like to point out the inconsistency of this endothermic nuclear reactions. No gamma rays measurements associated with any nuclear reactions and no radioactive isotopes in fractured granite blocks are reported. It is claimed strictly radiation-less reactions (except for the neutrons). Our remarks are related to the incompleteness of experimental set-up and data speculation. Mistake in the analysis of neutron detection due to intense acoustic signal or charged particle emitted in fractoemission phenomena is suggested.     

First-order transition switch-off of superconductivity in UGe2

The ac magnetic susceptibility, the thermal expansion and the magnetostriction were measured using a single crystalline sample of UGe₂ under pressure. We find that as the field exceeds a transition field, where the system transforms from a high pressure phase (P>P_X) into a low pressure phase (P<P_X), the superconductivity steeply collapses within a transient region arising from the pressure inhomogeneity. We also estimate an accurate value of P_X in zero temperature limit and a pressure distribution around it. Using thus estimated quantity, we argue that the superconductivity (in zero magnetic field) below the critical pressure is not intrinsic but extrinsic due to the pressure inhomogeneity.     

Thermoelectric properties of tin clathrates under hydrostatic pressure

We report the temperature dependence of electrical resistance (R) and thermopower (S) of clathrate Cs₈Sn₄₄ under high pressure up to 1.2 GPa. We observe a reversible gap widening, prominent relaxation effect of R, irreversible increase of |S| under high pressure. We also find that the power factor S²σ (σ: electrical conductivity) reaches a maximum at pressure of 0.3 GPa. Comparison of the experimental results with band structure calculations suggests that the intrinsic vacancy in the clathrate structure of Cs₈Sn₄₄ plays an important role in transport properties under high pressure. Measurements on Cs₈Zn₄Sn₄₂, a clathrate which has defects other than vacancies, are compared with Cs₈Sn₄₄. The results indicate that replacing Sn by Zn has similar effect as the intrinsic vacancy on S.     

Structural and electronic properties of type-I and type-VIII Ba8Ga16Sn30 clathrates under compression

The total energy and electronic structures for type-I (β phase) and type-VIII (α phase) Ba₈Ga₁₆Sn₃₀ clathrates under hydrostatic pressure have been investigated using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. It was found that the type-VIII phase is more stable than the type-I one at ambient conditions and that β→α phase transition can not occur under hydrostatic pressure. The band structures show that the type-I and type-VIII Ba₈Ga₁₆Sn₃₀ are indirect semiconductors with band gaps of 0.24 eV and 0.19 eV, respectively. The results suggested that type-I clathrate Ba₈Ga₁₆Sn₃₀ has a larger value of the thermoelectric (TE) power than that of type-VIII clathrate. We found that pressure tuning changes the k-point of conduction band minimum (CBM) in the Brillouin zone for β-phase, but it is not the case for α-phase. Furthermore, the results show that the pressure can change the interaction between guest atoms and the host lattice, and consequently results in the decrease of the band gap of β-phase and the increase of the band gap of α-phase, indicating that the pressure effect can play an important role in the magnitude of the TE power.