Influence of the composition of the polymer matrix on the electrooptical properties of films with a dispersed liquid crystal

Polymer films with a dispersed liquid crystal were prepared by photopolymerization of (meth)acrylic monomers. The electrooptical properties of these films were studied. The influence exerted by the composition of the monomer mixture, cross-linking agents, and chain-transfer agent on the liquid crystal drop size and on the transmission of the polymer-liquid crystal films was examined.     

Effect of the polyoxoanion of phosphotungstic acid on the photoconversion efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells based on titanium dioxide

A method for fabricating form composite photoanodes based on titanium dioxide and phosphotungstic acid has been developed. The introduction of the polyoxometalate into a porous titanium dioxide layer increases the photoconversion efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells and affects characteristics such as open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current.     

The structure and properties of the Si nanostructures on an HOPG surface

The morphology, electronic structure, and optical properties of self-assembled silicon nanostructures grown on the surface of Highly Oriented Pyrolytic Graphite (HOPG) by molecular beam epitaxy were studied by ultra high vacuum (UHV) scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) in situ, and by Raman spectroscopy ex situ. At coverages of less than 1 monolayer (ML), the formation of monolayered silicon nanoislands with an atomic structure similar to that of graphene was observed.     

Synthesis and properties of As<Subscript>x</Subscript>Te<Subscript>100−x</Subscript> films prepared by plasma deposition via elemental As and Te

As_xTe_100?x chalcogenide films (where x = 30–80 at.%) were synthesized via direct interaction of arsenic and tellurium vapors into low-temperature non-equilibrium RF (40 MHz) plasma discharge at reduced pressure. Phase and structural evolution of As_xTe_100?x films were implemented by gradual changing of the ratio of the initial substances in the gas phase. The dependence of the films structure, surface morphology and optical properties on phase and chemical content has been studied.     

Fabrication of PDLC films based on acrylic monomers and study of the electric field effect on the alignment structure of liquid crystal droplets in PDLC films

Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal (PDLC) films are prepared by the polymerization induced method of phase separation. Initial configurations of the director of liquid crystal droplets inside the films are found using a polarized microscope. The effect of an electric field on the alignment structure of droplets is studied. Two mechanisms of droplet orientation by the electric field are determined as smooth and spontaneous. The processes observed are compared with the results of electro-optical studies.     

Structural Modification of PECVD As50S50 Chalcogenide-Glass Films by Femtosecond Laser Radiation

A thin film of As₅₀S₅₀ chalcogenide glass modified by femtosecond laser radiation at a wavelength of 800 nm has been studied. The character of the modification has been analyzed by interferometry, atomic-force microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. The relationship between a change in the refractive index upon the sample modification and structural changes in the glass network is determined.

     

A new reverse mode light shutter from silica-dispersed liquid crystals

Nanoparticle dispersions in liquid crystalline materials at low concentrations allow both investigating the formation of defects in liquid crystal (LC) and enhancing the light-scattering properties of LC optical devices. Reverse mode LC dispersions are LC devices, which look like transparent in their OFF state, when no electric field is applied, and opaque in their ON state. In this paper, a new reverse mode device, formed by a dispersion of a LC mixture in a silica nanoparticle crosslinked network, is presented. The morphology and the electro-optical properties of these silica nanoparticle/LC composites were investigated for two different LC mixtures with a negative dielectric anisotropy. The observed transmittances and relaxation times were found to depend strongly on the silica amount and chemical–physical properties of LC used in the sample preparation.     

Preparation of Silicon Thin Films of Different Phase Composition from Monochlorosilane as a Precursor by RF Capacitive Plasma Discharge

Monochlorosilane/argon/hydrogen (SiH₃Cl-Ar-H₂) mixture of different ratios was investigated from the point of PECVD application. RF capacitive plasma discharge of 40.68 MHz frequency was used. The process of deposition was studied by optical emission spectroscopy. The silicon thin films of different phase composition were obtained. The thin films were characterized by Raman-spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and secondary ion mass spectrometry. The exhaust gas mixture was analyzed by IR-spectroscopy in outlet of the reactor during PECVD process. The chemical mechanism for the deposition process was also proposed.     

Structure and optical properties of the silver/polyacrylonitrile nanocomposites

Small-angle X-ray scattering is used to prove the formation of silver nanoparticles with sizes of 5–11 nm in siver/polyacrylonitrile nanocomposites synthesized via photopolymerization of a mixture containing silver, acrylonitrile, and photoinitiator. Optical spectra of nanocomposites obtained under different conditions are studied. The absorption spectra exhibit maxima at wavelengths of 420–450 nm related to the surface plasmon resonance of silver nanoparticles. IR spectra of the nanocomposites prove the formation of polyacrylonitrile in the course of the photopolymerization of monomer. The formation of metal nanoimpurities in polymer matrix leads to an increase in the intensity of photoluminescence and Raman scattering of polyacrylonitrile.     

Peculiarities of the formation and properties of light-emitting structures based on ion-synthesized silicon nanocrystals in SiO2 and Al2O3 matrices

Physics of the Solid State - A comprehensive comparative study of SiO2 and Al2O3 oxide layers with Si nanocrystals formed by Si+ ion implantation and high-temperature annealing has been performed....