Thermoluminescence of x-irradiated CaSO4:Dy phosphors and role of Na2SO4 as a charge compensator

The thermoluminescence of x-irradiated CaSO₄: Dy phosphors has been studied for diverse activator concentrations. The concentration-dependence of these phosphors on the increase of glow peak intensities has been found to be remarkable. For higher concentration of dysprosium the concentration quenching effect has been observed. This has been attributed to the resonant transfer of energy from one activator atom to another, bringing the possible migration of energy in a solid, which is likely to get dissipated without luminescence, at the quenching site itself. The effect of irradiation time on the glow peak intensities reveals the initial linearity and a subsequent decrease indicating the possible radiation damage. The role of Na₂SO₄ as a charge compensator has been studied in detail. An attempt has been made to unravel the type of kinetics involved in the process, by calculating the activation energies by different methods. It has been concluded that the type of kinetics involved in the process is bimolecular.     

Topotaxy in the oxidation of valentinite,Sb2O3, to cervantite,Sb2O4

The oxidation of orthorhombic Sb₂O₃, valentinite, to orthorhombic Sb₂O₄, cervantite, has been shown by single crystal x-ray diffraction techniques to be a topotactic reaction. The orientation relationships between the two lattices have been determined by making use of a hybrid crystal. It has been found that the individual axes in the two oxides are parallel. The two crystal structures have been compared in the appropriate orientation and their close similarity has been established. The shifts of the individual atoms in valentinite during the process of oxidation have been calculated to be not more than 0·6 Å. It has been established that the reduction of cervantite to valentinite also takes place topotactically.     

Neutron diffraction and computer simulation study of liquid CS2 and CSe2

The structure factor of liquid CS₂ has been measured at ambient temperature by the 7C2 diffractometer at the Laboratoire Leon Brillouin?, Saclay, France. The result has been modelled by the reverse Monte Carlo (RMC) method. The only reported neutron diffraction measurement on liquid CSe₂ has also been investigated in detail. In both cases initial configurations for the RMC runs have been obtained by molecular dynamics simulation using a simple soft sphere potential. It has been found that the main features of experimental results have been reproduced even by this choice suggesting that the structure of these systems is almost entirely described by the excluded volume. Examination of model size dependence of results has also been carried out revealing the importance of using large simulation boxes.     

Aliphatic polyester-grafted starch composites by in situ ring opening polymerization

Catalyzed Ring-Opening Polymerization (ROP) of lactones, such as ε-caprolactone and δ-valerolactone, has been investigated for preparing aliphatic polyester-grafted corn starch compositions. The polymerization has been carried out either in bulk (without solvent) or in 10 wt% granular starch in toluene suspension, after adequate activation of the starch surface amylose/amylopectin hydroxyl groups into aluminum alkoxides. This activation has been done by in situ reaction with triethylaluminum and has proved to be very effective in promoting fast ROP and also covalent grafting of the polyester chains onto the starch surface. Drying of the starch granules constitutes a key-step of the proposed process. The actual fixation of the initiator onto the starch surface has been checked by XPS analysis whereas good adhesion between the two components has been evidenced by SEM observations. Growth of the polyester chains on the starch granules has been followed by the increase of the mean diameter of the 'encapsulated' granules as attested by laser scattering granulometry.     

ITON Schottky contacts for GaN based UV photodetectors

Lateral Schottky ultraviolet detectors were fabricated in GaN using indium-tin-oxynitride (ITON) as a contact metal. The GaN semiconductor material was grown on 2 in. sapphire substrate by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The Schottky contact has been realized using ITON that has been deposited using sputter techniques. I-V characteristics have been measured with and without UV illumination. The device shows photo-to-dark current ratios of 10³ at −1 V bias. The spectral responsivity of the UV detectors has been determined. The high spectral responsivity of more than 30 A/W at 240 nm is explained by a high internal gain caused by generation-recombination centers at the ITON/GaN interface. Persistent photocurrent effect has been observed in UV light (on-off) switching operation, time constant and electron capture coefficient of the transition has been determined.     

Comparison of the Kerr effect and X-ray pole figure methods for determining crystallographic texture in PrFeB magnets

In this study, magnetic domains in Pr₁₆Fe₇₆B₈ sintered magnets have been observed by Kerr effect and a histogram of the angular distribution of domain orientations has been used to determine the magnetic texture (cos Φ). The degree of easy-axis alignment of Pr₂Fe₁₄B matrix grains in these magnets has been also determined by X-ray pole figure analysis using the (0 0 4) reflection. The (0 0 4) pole figure measurements were carried out by the Schultz's reflection method. The (0 0 4) normalized intensity data has been fitted for a Gaussian distribution and the degree of crystal alignment, cos Θ, has been calculated using the Stoner–Wohlfarth model. Comparison of these methods has been carried out. It has been shown that in magnets with medium and high degrees of crystallographic alignment, the pole figure values are higher than that obtained by the Kerr effect method. Conversely, in magnets with low degrees of alignment, cos Θ is lower than cos Φ.     

Characterization of blend polymer PVA-PVP complexed with ammonium thiocyanate

Thin films of blend polymer electrolytes comprising poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) complexed with ammonium thiocyanate (NH₄SCN) salt in different compositions have been prepared by solution casting technique using distilled water as solvent. The prepared films have been investigated by different experimental techniques. The complexation of these films has been studied by FTIR spectroscopy. The increase in amorphousness of the films with increase in NH₄SCN content has been confirmed by XRD analysis. The addition of ammonium thiocyanate salt to PVA-PVP polymer blend shows a shift in T_g of the blend. The effect of salt concentration and temperature on the ionic conductivity of the polymer blend films has been analyzed using AC impedance spectroscopy. The maximum conductivity of 6.85 × 10^?4 S cm^?1 at room temperature has been observed for the blend with 50 mol% PVA-50 mol% PVP complexed with 40 mol% NH₄SCN. The activation energy has been found to be minimum (0.24 eV) for this sample. Wagner’s polarization technique shows that the charge transport in these blend films is predominantly due to ions. Using the highest conductivity blend polymer electrolyte, a proton battery has been fabricated and its discharge characteristics have been studied.     

Sulphur conductive solid electrolytes in MeS–Ln2S3 systems

The principal possibility of sulphide transfer in phases based on BaZrS₃ and MLn₂S₄ has been considered. The regions of solid solutions based on tertiary compounds have been defined. The systematic study of these phases by methods of conductometry, EMF in chemical concentration chains with and without transfer, potentiostatic chronoamperometry has been performed. A possible defect forming mechanism at consecutive alloying of the tertiary sulphides by the binary ones has been suggested.     

Sphaleron Transition Rate in Lattice Gluodynamics

The sphaleron transition rate in gluodynamics at the temperature T /T_c = 1.24 has been calculated by lattice simulation. The calculations involve the Kubo formula, which relates the sphaleron transition rate to the correlation function of the topological charge density. The gradient flow method has been used to calculate the correlation function of the topological charge density. The Kubo formula has been inverted by the Backus–Gilbert method. The results have been compared to those obtained by other methods.     

Study of dielectric anisotropy and other related parametersof a liquid crystal compound 7OAOB

Temperature-dependent dielectric anisotropy has been measured for the compound 4,4′-di-n-heptyloxy-azoxy benzene (7OAOB) by using a digital LCR bridge (HIOKI 3532-50 LCR HiTESTER). The compound 7OAOB is found to exhibit negative dielectric anisotropy in the nematic and smectic-C phase. Frequency-dependent electrical conductivity has been measured for this compound. The dc conductivity has also been obtained from frequency-dependent total conductivity studies by using universal power law equation. The activation energy of the dc conduction process and relaxation time has been determined in different mesophases. The behavior of splay elastic constant (K₁₁) with temperature has been examined for this compound. From the studies of UV-visible spectra, the values of energy band gap have been evaluated.     

High Pressure Spectroscopy of Ce Doped Yag Crystal

Electronic structure and optical properties of the Ce^3? in YAG has been investigated by standard spectroscopy (photoluminescence, absorption and excitation spectra) and high pressure spectroscopy. The bandshape of the emission spectrum for different pressures has been analyzed and influence of pressure on energy of the 5d¹ states and the electron-lattice coupling have been determined. The significant red shift of the peak of the emission band (the respective pressure coefficient has been equal to—12cm^?1/kbar) has been obtained. The shift has been understood by taking into account pressure induced increase of the 5d¹ level splitting and increase of the electron-lattice coupling strength.     

Analysis of UV-Laser induced oxidation of implanted silicon by optical reflectivity measurements

The oxidation of ion implanted silicon induced by a repetitive excimer laser working in liquid phase regime has been monitored by a simple in situ technique. It consists to follow the optical reflectivity at the wavelength 633 nm of the silicon samples under irradiation. The influence of implantation and laser irradiation conditions on the oxidation process has been investigated by this technique. The results obtained have been compared using infrared absorption data. The role of the Si/SiO₂ interface roughness on the oxide film quality has been studied.     

Tamarind seed polysaccharide (TSP)-based Li-ion conducting membranes

Polysaccharide-based biopolymers have gained much attention in electrochemical devices recently. Tamarind seed polysaccharide (TSP) is a biopolymer obtained from the extract of tamarind seed. It is used as thickening and gelling agent in food and textile industries. There are no works in polymer electrolytes based on TSP in lithium-ion conducting membranes. A pure TSP membrane has been prepared by dissolving 1 g of TSP in distilled water by using solution-casting technique. The prepared biopolymer membranes are subjected to Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and AC-impedance techniques. FTIR analysis has been conducted to observe the possible interaction between the polymer and lithium salt based upon the changes in wave numbers of the peaks. The nature of the membrane (crystalline or amorphous) has been revealed by XRD. The electrical properties of the membranes have been analyzed by AC-impedance spectroscopy. The maximum ionic conductivity for the salt-doped membrane 1 g TSP:0.4 g lithium bromide (LiBr) has been found to be 4.83 × 10^?4 S cm^?1. The primary lithium-ion battery has been constructed using the best conductivity membrane, and the open circuit voltage (OCV) has been observed as 1.63 V.     

Nanocrystal and interface defects related photoluminescence in silicon-rich Al2O3 films

In this study, silicon nanocrystal-rich Al₂O₃ film has been prepared by co-sputtering a silicon and alumina composite target and subsequent annealing in N₂ atmosphere. The microstructure of the film has been characterized by infrared (IR) absorption, Raman spectra and UV-absorption spectra. Typical nanocrystal and interface defects related photoluminescence with the photon energy of 1.54 (IR band) and 1.69 eV (R band) has been observed by PL spectrum analysis. A post-annealing process in oxygen atmosphere has been carried out to clarify the emission mechanism. Despite the red shift of the spectra, enhanced emission of the 1.69 eV band together with the weak emission phenomenon of the 1.54 eV band has been found after the post-annealing. The R band is discussed to originate from silicon nanocrystal interface defects. The IR band is concluded to be a coupling effect between electronic and vibrational emissions.     

Study of edge magnetoplasma excitations in two-dimensional electron systems with various edge depletion profiles

Resonant microwave absorption by two-dimensional electrons has been measured using coplanar and strip methods. The influence of the edge of a two-dimensional system on the dispersion of edge magnetoplasmons has been studied. It has been found that the edge width can be varied within wide limits (by almost two orders of magnitude) by changing the etching depth of the crystal. It has been shown that the edge of the electron system in the case of etching through the quantum well has a width of about 0.2 μm, whereas the edge in the case of shallow etching (e.g., down to the donor layer) is smooth and can be as wide as 12 μm. The influence of a logarithmic factor, depending on the edge width of the electron system, on edge magnetoplasma excitations dispersion has been studied.     

Simulation of a stress-strain state in thin structured gallium nitride films on sapphire substrates

The stress-strain state in thin structured gallium nitride films on sapphire substrates containing open pores has been simulated. The results have been obtained by the finite element method in the commercial program complex. The stress intensity factor K _I has been calculated for the model considering a crack at the GaN/sapphire interface near an open pore. Based on the calculations of elastic fields, the redistribution of stresses by a structure with an ordered array of open pores in gallium nitride films has been estimated.     

Calculation of the IR Spectrum of Ethyl Chlorophyllide a by the Method of Density Functional

The structure, frequencies of normal vibrations, and the absolute IR intensities of ethyl chlorophyllide a have been calculated by the DFT/B3LYP/6-31G(d) density functional method. The force constants have been scaled by the Pulay method. The force field of ethyl chlorophyllide a has been obtained in independent and dependent natural coordinates. The vibrational IR spectrum of ethyl chlorophyllide a has been modeled. The experimental IR spectrum of chlorophyll a has been interpreted on the basis of the calculation performed.     

Analysis and design of ring-resonator integrated hemi-elliptical lens antenna at terahertz frequency

In this paper, a novel lens integrated ring-resonator microstrip antenna is analyzed and simulated at 600 GHz. A mathematical model to compute the directivity of this kind of the antenna has been developed and the directivity of the antenna has been computed which is 18 dBi. The proposed model has been simulated by using CST Microwave Studio a commercially available simulator based on finite integral technique and similar result has been obtained. Further, the directivity of the antenna has also been computed by using the techniques reported in the literature and in this case also we have obtained the similar result. Later, a probe-fed patch integrated lens antenna has also been investigated to validate the correctness of the numerical method. To find the potential advantages of this kind of the structure, the ? 10 dB impedance bandwidth of the antenna has been compared to a lens-integrated probe-fed microstrip patch antenna and a significant enhancement in the bandwidth has been observed.     

Acoustic analog of monolayer graphene and edge states

Acoustic analog of monolayer graphene has been designed by using silicone rubber spheres of honeycomb lattices embedded in water. The dispersion of the structure has been studied theoretically using the rigorous multiple-scattering method. The energy spectra with the Dirac point have been verified and zigzag edge states have been found in ribbons of the structure, which are analogous to the electronic ones in graphene nanoribbons. The guided modes along the zigzag edge excited by a point source have been numerically demonstrated. The open cavity and “Z” type edge waveguide with 60° corners have also been realized by using such edge states.