Transverse or off-axis localization of electromagnetic waves in random one- and two-dimensional dielectric systems which are periodic on average

We study the transverse or off-axis localization of electromagnetic waves for several different random dielectric systems which are periodic on average. Unlike previous scalar wave treatments of transverse localization, in the present work we present results based on a full vector treatment of the electromagnetic fields based on Maxwell's equations. In a first system, we consider a random semi-infinite array of slabs with plane waves or finite beams of electromagnetic waves obliquely incident on the slab surfaces. The localization of the fields in a region near the surface of illumination is studied as a function of the oblique angle of incidence. In a second system, an array of semi-infinite slabs with random thickness is considered with an incident finite beam of electromagnetic waves initially directed parallel to the slab surfaces. The spreading of the beam width is computed as it propagates through the array of semi-infinite slabs. In a final system, we consider a semi-infinite array of random dielectric rods (2D system) with obliquely incident plane waves. The localization length of the plane-wave fields is computed as a function of the oblique angle of incidence and as a function of the strength of the disorder of the dielectric medium. All the random media we consider, when averaged over their randomness, are periodic on average. The above systems are studied for both p- and s-polarizations of incident electromagnetic waves, and the difference in the transverse localization of the electromagnetic field for these two polarizations is determined.     

Processing effects of nanometric rare earth-doped tin oxides on the synthesis of methyl vinyl ketone

Nanoparticle catalysts based on SnO₂ were processed by two different methods, víz.the polymeric precursor and high-energy mechanical milling. The sample morphology and catalytic performance in the aldol condensation between methanol and acetone were modified by the processing and rare earth doping. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Ferroelectric and dielectric behaviour of Bi0.92La0.08FeO3 multiferroic thin films prepared by soft chemistry route

Bi_0.92La_0.08FeO₃ (BLFO) thin films were grown on platine substrates by the soft chemical route. Ferroelectric and dielectric behaviors of BLFO films deposited by spin-coating technique and annealed at 773 K for 2 h in air atmosphere were explained. BLFO thin films obtained presents a rhombohedral structure. The BLFO films present dielectric and ferroelectric behaviors with dielectric permittivity and dielectric loss of approximately 81 and 0.0144 at 1 kHz. The Au/BLFO/Pt capacitor shows a hysteresis loop with remnant polarization of 20.6 μC/cm² and coercive field of 53.88 kV/cm. The polarization switching and the fatigue behavior of the BLFO films were significantly enhanced.     

Analysis of t-butylphenol acetylene condensed resin with methyl-methine linkages in vulcanized rubber by pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

Methyl-methine linkages of Novolac, a commercially available t-butylphenol acetylene condensed (TBPA) resin, have been identified by recognition of pyrolysis pathways using pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/mS) in vulcanized rubber. The diagnostic mass spectrum of t-butylphenol with methyl-methine linkages between phenolic rings was observed at m/z 192, corresponding to 4-t-butyl-2-ethyl-6-methylphenol. Other molecular ions were observed at m/z 178, 164, and 150 in the characteristic pyrolyzates. The ion at m/z 192 in the TBPA resin was observed to be characteristic for methyl-methine linkages between the phenolic groups, and the analytical pyrolysis-GC/mS method was thus able to identify the resin at low levels in vulcanized rubber. Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Drag reduction in aqueous cationic soap solutions

The pipe flow drag-reducing properties of mixtures of alkyltrimethylammonium halides with 1-naphthol in aqueous solution have been investigated. The effects of solution concentration, soap-naphthol ratio, soap molecular weight and solution temperature upon drag reduction and swirl decay time are reported. The critical wall shear stresses above which the drag-reducing properties cease correlate well with swirl decay time. At low soap concentrations greater than equimolar proportions of 1-naphthol with the soap are required for maximum drag reduction. The drag-reducing properties of these solutions are greatest at and around the Krafft point of the pure soap. A phenomenon similar to onset for polymer solution drag reduction is reported for these soap solutions.     

The damping rate of plasma waves in condensed matter

It is the purpose of this paper to give an analytical expression for the damping rate of a long-wavelength plasma wave in terms of the optical constants of the medium which supports the wave. This expression is a generalization of that given in the literature for a free electron gas. The expression is derived by two different methods below.     

Synthesis, Characterization and Photophysical Properties of Eu3+ Doped in BaMoO4

In this work Ba_0.99Eu_0.01MoO₄ (BEMO) powders were prepared by the first time by the Complex Polymerization Method. The structural and optical properties of the BEMO powders were characterized by Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Raman Spectra, High-Resolution Scanning Electron Microscopy (HR-SEM) and Photoluminescent Measurements. XRD show a crystalline scheelite-type phase after the heat treatment at temperatures greater than 400 °C. The ionic radius of Eu³⁺ (0.109 nm) is lower than the Ba²⁺ (0.149 nm) one. This difference is responsible for the decrease in the lattice parameters of the BEMO compared to the pure BaMoO₄ matrix. This little difference in the lattice parameters show that Eu³⁺ is expected to occupy the Ba²⁺ site at different temperatures, stayed the tetragonal (S₄) symmetry characteristic of scheelite-type crystalline structures of BaMoO₄. The emission spectra of the samples, when excited at 394 nm, presented the ⁵D₁→⁷F_{0, 1 and 2} and ⁵D₀→⁷F_{0, 1, 2, 3 and 4} Eu³⁺ transitions at 523, 533, 554, 578, 589, 614, 652 and 699 nm, respectively. The emission spectra of the powders heat-treated at 800 and 900 °C showed a marked increase in its intensities compared to the materials heat-treated from 400 to 700 °C. The decay times for the sample were evaluated and all of them presented the average value of 0.61 ms. Eu³⁺ luminescence decay time follows one exponential curve indicating the presence of only one type of Eu³⁺ symmetry site.     

Whole-field five-dimensional fluorescence microscopy combining lifetime and spectral resolution with optical sectioning

We report a novel whole-field three-dimensional fluorescence lifetime imaging microscope that incoporates multispectral imaging to provide five-dimensional (5-D) fluorescence microscopy. This instrument, which can acquire a 5-D data set in less than a minute, is based on potentially compact and inexpensive diode-pumped solid-state laser technology. We demonstrate that spectral discrimination as well as optical sectioning minimize artifacts in lifetime determination and illustrate how spectral discrimination improves the lifetime contrast of biological tissue.     

A theoretical study of water adsorption on (10-10) and (0001) ZnO surfaces: molecular cluster, basis set and effective core potential dependence

The adsorption of water molecule and hydroxyl ions on the (10-10) and (0001) ZnO surfaces has been studied for (ZnO)₄, (ZnO)₅ and (ZnO)₆ cluster models. Different representations for the atomic basis sets and the effective core potential (ECP) approximations have been employed and the effects of cluster size, conformation and basis sets are analyzed and discussed.     

Oriented attachment: an effective mechanism in the formation of anisotropic nanocrystals

In this article, we report the formation of dispersed anisotropic nanostructures by the oriented attachment mechanism, under hydrothermal conditions and in a system that all other growth processes are improbable. The comparison of dilute and agglomerated experimental conditions indicate that oriented attachment is an effective mechanism for the formation of anisotropic nanocrystals, and the conclusions can be extended to other nanometric systems.