Spatial coherence properties of monochromatic electromagnetic beams and of laser modes

It is shown that, contrary to common belief, monochromatic light beams are, in general, not spatially completely coherent, i.e., they will, in general, not produce fringes of unit visibility in a Young's double pinhole interference experiment. We cite experiments with laser modes which confirm this result.     

Local structure of multiferroic RMn2O5: Important role of the R site

The temperature and magnetic field dependent local structure of RMn₂O₅ systems was examined. While no significant displacements of the Mn ions are observed, it is found that the R-O distribution exhibits changes at low temperature which are possibly related to the changes in the electric polarization. Density functional computations are used to explore the system dynamics and to link the local structural measurements with anomalous changes in the infrared absorption spectra. The anomalous R-O distribution and observed coupling to magnetic fields point to the need to properly treat the 4f electrons on the R sites in these systems.     

Isothermal martensitic transformation in a 12Cr–9Ni–4Mo–2Cu stainless steel in applied magnetic fields

This work concerns an in situ study of the isothermal formation of martensite in a stainless steel under the influence of magnetic fields up to 9 T at three different temperatures (213, 233 and 253 K). It is shown that the presence of a constant applied magnetic field promotes the formation of martensite significantly. The activation energy for the nucleation of martensite has been derived using a semi-empirical kinetic model. The experimental results have been analyzed using the Ghosh and Olson model. While this model describes the time and field dependences of the experimental data well, the thermal frictional energy and the defect size values are much lower than those expected from earlier work.     

Shell correction in Bohr stopping theory

Second-harmonic cross-correlation operates a selection in time-phase among the randomly de-phased contributions to an optical field that propagated through a scattering medium. It can thus be used to selectively detect the weak contribution remaining coherent with the incident field. Received 7 May 1999     

Retrieving the complex degree of spatial coherence of electron beams

The possibility to characterize the coherence properties of an electron source is presented. The method, based on the determination of centered-reduced moments of the beam spot, allows the evaluation of both amplitude and phase of the complex degree of spatial coherence. The experimental results are in agreement with a different approach based on the Fourier analysis and with calculations according to the Van Cittert—Zernike theorem.     

On the origins of decoherence and extinction contrast in phase-contrast imaging

A theoretical formalism describing the formation of images in a linear shift invariant X-ray optical system is derived within the wave-optical theory. It is applicable to a non-crystalline object consisting of two types of features, with the characteristic sizes which are respectively not smaller and much smaller than the resolution of the imaging system. This formalism is then applied to two phase-contrast imaging techniques, the propagation-based and analyser-based imaging. The obtained formulae for the intensity distribution in the image well explain the “decoherence effect” which is observed in the former technique and the “extinction contrast” which is a characteristic of the latter technique. This formalism is shown to be in good agreement with the results of the accurate numerical simulations, using rigorous wave-optical theory, of the propagation-based and analyser-based phase-contrast images of the model objects.     

An in-depth analysis of reflections in MMI couplers using optical low-coherence reflectometry: design optimization and performance evaluation

This paper describes a comprehensive report on the high potential of optical low-coherence reflectometry (OLCR) measurements to assist the design optimization and performance evaluation of symmetric MMI couplers. Using three sets of deep-ridge InGaAsP–InP couplers on InP and by performing OLCR measurements simultaneously in reflection and transmission modes, the nature and origin of all reflections in MMI have first been identified with respect to a deliberately chosen design parameter, namely, the coupler length. In addition, and in total agreement with the self-imaging principle and also the BPM simulations, the back reflections in combiner mode are shown to be prominent even in fully optimized devices. Finally, a simple design artifact has been proposed and demonstrated experimentally for the first time to suppress back reflections. Received: 16 May 2001 / Published online: 2 November 2001     

The optical properties of HgS under high pressures

The DOS (density of states) and the optical properties of HgS under high pressure are studied with the first-principle computations. The change of the imaginary part, ε₂(ω), of the dielectric function shows that HgS tends to metallization with increasing pressure, and this well agrees with the band gap calculations and the conductivities measurement results in the previous work. Under the pressures below 15 GPa, ε₂(ω) is relatively anisotropic and tends to be more anisotropic with increasing pressure; while under the pressures above 15 GPa, the anisotropy decreases and finally becomes almost absolutely isotropic after the phase transition. The behavior of ε₂(ω) is strongly related to the structure change in the cinnabar to rocksalt phase transition process under high pressure.     

Cesium ordering and electron localization-delocalization phenomena in the quasi-one-dimensional diphosphate tungsten bronzes: Cs1‒xP8W8O40

We present a structural investigation of the family of quasi-one-dimensional (quasi-1D) conductors, which exhibit intriguing charge transport properties where, for x small, the conductivity exhibits a crossover from a semiconducting to a metallic like regime when the temperature decreases. In these materials the double zig-zag chains, together with the diphosphate groups, delimit channels which are partially filled with the ions. It is found, from an X-ray diffuse scattering investigation, that at room temperature the ions are locally ordered on a lattice of well-defined sites in the channel direction and not ordered between neighboring channels. These ions form 1D incommensurate concentration waves whose periodicity depends on the stoichiometry. In upon cooling, the intrachannel order increases significantly, and an interchannel order between the 1D concentration waves develops. But, probably because of kinetic effects, no tridimensional (3D) long range order of the ions is achieved at low temperature. The 3D low-temperature local order has been determined and it is found that the phase shift between the concentration waves minimizes their Coulomb repulsions. This local order is increasingly reduced as the Cs concentration diminishes. We interpret the intriguing features of the electrical conductivity in relationship with the thermal evolution of the Cs ordering effects. We suggest that in , for x small, a localization-delocalization transition of the Anderson type occurs due to the thermal variation of the Cs disorder. When x increases, the enhancement of the disorder leads to a localization of the electronic wave function in the whole temperature range measured. Finally, and probably because of the disorder, no charge density wave instability is revealed by our X-ray diffuse scattering investigation. Received: 10 October 1997 / Received in final form: 11 December 1997 / Accepted: 16 December 1997     

Dynamical properties of low-dimensional and spin-Peierls systems

Properties of low-dimensional spin-Peierls systems are described by using a one-dimensional S =1/2 antiferromagnetic Heisenberg chain linearly coupled to a single phonon mode of wave vector (whose contribution is expected to be dominant). By exact diagonalizations of small rings with up to 24 sites supplemented by a finite size scaling analysis, static and dynamical properties are investigated. Numerical evidences are given for a spontaneous discrete symmetry breaking towards a spin gapped phase with a frozen lattice dimerization. Special emphasis is put on the comparative study of the two inorganic spin-Peierls compounds CuGeO₃ and NaV₂O₅ and the model parameters are determined from a fit of the experimental spin gaps. We predict that the spin-phonon coupling is 2 or 3 times larger in NaV₂O₅ than in CuGeO₃. Inelastic neutron scattering spectra are calculated and similar results are found in the single phonon mode approximation and in the model including a static dimerization. In particular, the magnon S =1 branch is clearly separated from the continuum of triplet excitations by a finite gap. Received: 30 July 1997 / Revised: 16 September 1997 / Accepted: 10 October 1997