Subpicosecond photon echoes by using nanosecond laser pulses

Subpicosecond time resolutions have been obtained in photon echoes when a sample was excited by two nanosecond dye laser pulses with a smooth and broad spectrum. The dye laser was pumped by second harmonics of a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser, and the pulse width was 10 ns. The sample was 3% Nd³⁺-doped silicate glass, and the center frequency of the dye laser was tuned at 5910 Å on resonance with the ⁴I_{$\text{9}\text{2}$} ? ²G_{$\text{7}\text{2}$}, ⁴G_{$\text{5}\text{2}$} transition of Nd³⁺. The homogeneous transverse relaxation time T₂ was measured to be 91 ps at 10 K in agreement with the previous measurements by picosecond pulses.     

Observation of increase in Raman intensity of surface phonon polaritons on rough surfaces of ZnTe

An increase in Raman intensity of surface phonon polaritons has been observed in free-standing thin slabs (thickness ～ 7 μm) of single- crystal ZnTe with rough surfaces by a conventional Raman-scattering technique at room temperature. The samples with various root-mean- square roughness heights have been prepared by making use of final polishing powders with different mean-grit sizes, and the surface roughness has been confirmed by measuring the intensities of the diffuse scattering of the laser light. The increase of the Raman intensity is proportional to the mean-square height of the surface roughness, and the shift of the dispersion relation is also proportional to it. The frequency shift is explained by a perturbation theory of the surface-roughness-induced scattering.     

Studies on pyrazines. 31 Alkylation of chloropyrazine N-oxides by nickel-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction with dialkylzincs

3-Chloro-2,5-dimethylpyrazine 1-oxide underwent cross-coupling with dialkylzinc reagents forming 3-alkyl-2,5-dimethylpyrazine 1-oxides. The reaction was realized by catalytic 1,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)-propane nickel(II) chloride and the optimum results were examined.     

Observation of a soft phonon in linear chain compound (NbSe4)3I by Raman scattering

The phase transition of the linear chain compound (NbSe₄)₃I was studied by Raman scattering. At 78 K three new peaks were observed at 73 cm^?1, 205 cm^?1 and 261 cm^?1. The totally symmetric Raman peak at 73 cm^?1 shows anomalous temperature dependence. The frequency decreases with increasing temperature, and at high temperatures an anticrossing occurs with another peak observed at about 58 cm^?1. The Raman intensity decreases and the linewidth broadens remarkably as the temperature increases. These properties allow us to assign this peak to a soft phonon. This fact indicates clearly the existence of a structural phase transition of a displacive type below room temperature.     

Total synthesis of gliotoxin,dehydrogliotoxin and hyalodendrin

Two general methods, Method A and Method B in Scheme 19, to synthesize epidithiapiperazinediones, are described. A total synthesis of racemic and optically active gliotoxin (1) and of racemic dehydrogliotoxin (53) was achieved by using Method A, whereas a total synthesis of racemic hyalodendrin (52) was completed by using Method B.     

Crystal structure, phase transition and anisotropic thermal expansion of barium zirconium diorthophosphate, BaZr(PO4)2

The crystal structure of BaZr(PO₄)₂ at 298 K was determined from conventional X-ray powder diffraction data using direct methods, and it was further refined by the Rietveld method. The structure was monoclinic (space group C2/m, Z=2) with , , , β=93.086(1)° and . Final reliability indices were R_wp=8.21%, R_p=5.64% and R_B=2.92%. The atom arrangement is similar to that of yavapaiite (KFe(SO₄)₂), however, these crystal structures differ distinctly in the coordination numbers of barium and potassium atoms; the former is tenfold coordinated, whereas the latter is sixfold coordinated. The powder specimens were also examined by high-temperature XRD and DTA to reveal the occurrence of a phase transition from monoclinic to orthorhombic at 732 K during heating. Upon cooling the reverse transition occurred at 710 K. The monoclinic crystal expanded almost one-dimensionally along [503] during the heating process. The orthorhombic phase also showed a tendency to expand one-dimensionally along the c-axis above 732 K.     

Feeding attractants for the muricid gastropod Drupella cornus, a coral predator

The muricid gastropods genus Drupella are known to be voracious coral predator. Outbreaks of them have accelerated significant destruction on coral reefs, but its precise mechanism is poorly understood. Here, we describe the identification of montiporic acids C (1) and A (2) isolated from sea water extracts of the coral Montipora sp., which showed potent feeding-attractant activity toward D. cornus.     

Biferrocene-M(mnt)2 charge-transfer complexes (M = Ni, Co; mnt = maleonitriledithiolate). structure, valence states, and magnetic properties

Charge-transfer salts of branched-alkyl biferrocenes, (1',1' '-R2-1,1' '-biferrocene)[Ni(mnt)2] (1a, R = isopropyl; 2a, R = dineopentyl) and (1',1' '-R2-1,1' '-biferrocene)2[Co(mnt)2]2 (1b, R = isopropyl; 2b, R = dineopentyl), were prepared. Their valence states were investigated using X-ray crystallography and M?ssbauer spectroscopy. Complexes 1a and 1b show segregated-stack crystal structures that contain columns of acceptors, whereas structures of 2a and 2b, which contain bulky donors, are rather discrete. All of the complexes contain mixed-valent biferrocenium monocations. A two-step valence transition was found in complex 1a. The crystal contains two crystallographically independent cations: one undergoes valence localization below room temperature; the other undergoes valence localization below ca. 130 K. The former transition is derived from asymmetry of the crystal environment around the cation, whereas the latter one is caused by symmetry lowering coupled with a spin-Peierls transition (T(C) = 133.2 K) associated with the dimerization of the acceptors. This compound was found to exhibit a dielectric response based on valence tautomerization. Other complexes (1b, 2a, and 2b) show a valence-trapped state. In all complexes, charge localization was found to occur through local electrostatic interactions between the donor's cationic moiety and the acceptor's electronegative moieties.     

Effects of substrate microstructure on the magnetic anisotropy of sputtered cobalt alloy film

The magnetic properties and crystalline structure of Co alloy film deposited on a regularly corrugated substrate have been studied. Microscopic grooves are lithographically fabricated on InP substrates. In-plane anisotropy energy is 4–5×10⁴J/m³. The magnetic anisotropy is affected by the crystallographic orientation and the microscopic shape of the corrugated Co alloy film.