New scintillators based on barium fluoride crystals and ceramics

Experimental studies on the optical properties of new crystals and ceramics based on CeF₃- and CdF₂-doped barium fluoride were aimed at producing scintillators with a higher light yield level (particularly in the ultra-short wavelength range with a luminescence time of 0.6–0.8 ns) that could be used in the development of fast and low-cost optical sensors for positron emission tomography (PET). Ceramics manufactured on the basis of BaF₂ single crystals with various concentrations of Ce and Cd are transparent in the 300–600 nm wavelength range; this is comparable to BaF₂ single crystals.     

Second order elastic anomalies in barium titanate from cubic to tetragonal phase transition

The anomalies of the second order elastic constants have been derived for barium titanate for the phase transition from cubic to tetragonal. The equilibrium values of the components of the order parameter and the strain variables have been obtained from the stability conditions. The fluctuations in the order parameter have been derived from the Landau-Khalatnikov equations. Expression for the shift in the zero point energy in the tetragonal phase is obtained and is shown to be proportional to (T −T _c)². The anomalies for all the second order elastic constants have been derived and relations among them reported. It is shown that the second order elastic anomalies suffer a discontinuity at the transition temperature.     

Kinetics of electron tunneling transfer in KH<Subscript>2</Subscript>PO<Subscript>4</Subscript> and NH<Subscript>4</Subscript>H<Subscript>2</Subscript>PO<Subscript>4</Subscript> crystals with hydrogen bonds

A model of electron transfer by tunneling between trapped electron and hole centers in crystals with hydrogen bonds under the conditions of thermostimulated mobility of one carrier type in the recombination process has been developed. The proposed model describes all features in the kinetics of induced optical density relaxation observed in nonlinear optical crystals of KH₂PO₄ (KDP) and NH₄H₂PO₄ (ADP) on a wide temporal scale (10⁻⁸–10 s) under pulsed irradiation. The results of model calculations have been compared with experimental data on the photoinduced transient optical absorption (TOA) in KDP and ADP crystals in the visible and UV ranges. The nature of the radiation-induced defects, which account for the TOA, and the dependence of the TOA decay kinetics on the temperature, excitation power, and other experimental conditions have been considered.     

Synthesis, structure, and dielectric properties of KH2PO4 fractal aggregates

Macroscopic fractal aggregates of KH₂PH₄ (KDP) measuring up to 500 μm have been obtained. The fractal structure forms as a result of the precipitation of KDP particles from a supersaturated aqueous solution in the presence of a temperature gradient followed by a diffusioncontrolled mechanism of aggregation. The electron-microscopic analysis performed has shown that the fractals are formed predominantly from crystallites of the tetragonal modification measuring ∼1 μm. The dielectric constant (ɛ) of fractal KH₂PO₄ has been measured in the temperature range 80–300 K. A characteristic anomaly has been discovered on the ɛ(T) curve in the vicinity of 122 K, which attests to a ferroelectric phase transition. The absolute value of ɛ is significantly smaller than the components ɛ ₁₁ and ɛ ₃₃ for KH₂PO₄. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 41, 2059–2061 (November 1999)     

GaS0.4Se0.6: Relevant properties and potential for 1064 nm pumped mid-IR OPOs and OPGs operating above 5 μm

We present measurements of the transparency, refractive index dispersion, nonlinear coefficient, damage threshold, and two-photon absorption of mixed GaS _x Se_{1 − x} crystals and show that GaS_0.4Se_0.6 is a promising nonlinear material for down conversion of pulsed 1064 nm radiation to the mid-IR above 5 μm without significant two-photon absorption.     

MgB2 thick films deposited on stainless steel substrate with Tc higher than 39K

Thick MgB₂ (magnesium diborate) films, ∼10 μm, with T _c (onset) = 39.4 K and T _c (zero) = 39.2 K have been successfully grown on a stainless steel substrate using a technique called hybrid physical-chemical deposition (HPCVD). The deposition rate is high, ∼6.7 nm/s. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicates that it is highly (101) and c-axis oriented. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) images demonstrate that the film grown is in “island-mode”. The uniform superconducting phase in the film is shown by the M-T measurement.     

Magnetic and dielectric properties of orthorhombic and hexagonal multiferroics Tb<Subscript>1 − <Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>Y<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>MnO<Subscript>3</Subscript>

The transition from a stable orthorhombic structure to a hexagonal structure has been revealed in Tb_1−x Y _x MnO₃ multiferroics at x = 0.2–0.4. It has been shown that almost single-phase crystals with an orthorhombic or hexagonal structure can be obtained by choosing the growth conditions. It has been found that the magnetic and dielectric properties of orthorhombic single crystals with x = 0.2–0.3 are similar to the properties of pure TbMnO₃ and are characterized by a strong anisotropy of the magnetic susceptibility at low temperatures and by the presence of a number of magnetic phase transitions, including those to the ferroelectric state. New spontaneous (T ≤ 15 K) and magnetic-field induced (H | C ₆) phase transitions accompanied by the appearance of an uncompensated rare-earth magnetic moment ∼1 μ_B/mole have been observed in hexagonal single crystals with x = 0.3–0.5.     

Parametrical conversion of the frequency of organic lasers into the middle-IR range of the spectrum

The possibility of parametrical conversion of visible radiation of solid-state organic lasers into the middle-IR range of the spectrum in nonlinear GaSe_1–x S _x (x = 0‒0.13) crystals is investigated. Generation at the difference frequency (wavelength λ₃ = 9.43 μm) of induced oxazine-1 (at λ₁ = 740 nm) and rhodamine-800 (λ₂ = 803.4 nm) radiation is excited. The conversion efficiency is estimated, and prospects for its further increase are demonstrated.     

Growth and design of novel nonlinear optical material (NLO) ⿿ Glycine barium nitrate potassium nitrate (GBNPN) crystal

A potentially useful semi organic nonlinear optical (NLO) material ? glycine with barium nitrate and potassium nitrate (GBNPN) has been synthesized by slow evaporation technique. Good transparent GBNPN crystals were obtained in a time span of 3 weeks. The grown crystals were characterized by single crystal/powder XRD, UV?vis?IR absorption, FTIR, thermal analysis and powder SHG measurements have been studied. The grown crystals were thermally stable up to 137.53 °C. The GBNPN crystal exhibits second harmonic generation efficiency of about 1.35 times than that of potassium di hydrogen phosphate (KDP). Mechanical properties such as micro hardness (H_v) and Mayer's index, n, have been carried out by indentation method. The refractive index (μ) has been measured by the Brewster's angle method.     

Changes in the structures and phases of tin-fullerite films during annealing

The patterns of change in the structure and phase composition of tin-fullerite films subjected to thermal annealing in vacuum at different temperatures (430, 450, 470, and 490 K) are studied using scanning electron microscopy, atomic-force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray spectrum microanalysis. It is established that annealing at T = 450 K or higher leads to significant changes in the structures and phases of films; namely, new phases Sn _x C₆₀ are formed in the form of threadlike crystals with lengths of 6 μm containing 98 at % C and 2 at % Sn and ball-shaped isolations with diameters up to 12 μm consisting of 50 at % C and 50 at % Sn.     

Measurement of second-harmonic optical susceptibility using Rayleigh scattering

We report a simple method to measure relative second-harmonic optical susceptibilities of crystals by use of Rayleigh scattering. We use two crystals with fixed alignments: one is a phase-matched crystal with varying degrees of phase matching, which serves as a reference point of the phase relationship and a source for the second-harmonic beam to be incident on the sample crystal, and the other is a sample crystal for measurement. The second-harmonic signals generated from each of the two crystals are superposed in the sample crystal to give Rayleigh scattering at the second-harmonic frequency, the analysis of which can determine the relative values of the second-harmonic optical susceptibilities of the sample crystals. We have applied this method to obtain d ₁₄ (KDP)1.8 d ₃₆ (KDP), d ₃₆ (ADP)1.1 d ₃₆ (KDP), d ₃₁ (KTP)15 d ₃₆ (KDP), d ₃₂ (KTP)13 d ₃₆ (KDP), where d ₃₆ of KDP crystals was taken as a reference.     

Linear and nonlinear optical properties of Ca3(VO4)2

Single crystals of Ca₃ (VO₄)₂ have been grown by the Czochralski method. The refractive indices show that the crystals are phasematchable between 1.72 μm and 2.94 μm with favourable values for acceptance angle and spectral width of the incident laser beam in the entire phasematching range. The nonlinear optical coefficients have been measured by the Maker fringe method at a fundamental wavelength of 1.064 μm. They are comparable to those of KDP. Thus the crystals are potentially useful for frequency conversion of broadband or tunable laser sources as semiconductor and F-center lasers. They may also be installed in high f-number IR image converters.     

Structure and lattice dynamics of heterostructures based on bismuth ferrite and barium strontium titanate on magnesium oxide substrates

Bismuth ferrite films doped with neodymium on MgO single-crystal substrates with an epitaxial barium strontium titanate thin (1–2 nm) sublayer have been prepared by rf sputtering of ceramic targets at an elevated oxygen partial pressure and at temperatures below the ferroelectric and magnetic transition temperatures. It has been revealed using X-ray diffraction and Raman scattering spectroscopy that, in these bismuth ferrite films, a new phase (not observed in bulk samples) is formed. The symmetry of this phase is monoclinic, the unit cell contains two formula units, and the spontaneous polarization vector deviates from the [111]_cub direction and can have different components along the x, y, and z axes.     

ESR in the Earth’s magnetic field as a cause of dislocation motion in NaCl crystals

The resonance displacements of the dislocations, l ∼ 100 μm, in NaCl crystals placed in the crossed Earth’s magnetic field B _Earth and the ac field $ \tilde B $ \tilde B ≈ 3 μT of the variable frequency ν ∼ 10⁶ Hz have been discovered in the absence of any other impact on the crystals. Two peaks of the mean dislocation path l(ν) with the maxima at ν₁ = 1.3 MHz and ν₂ = 3 MHz have been observed for the field $ \tilde B $ \tilde B oriented along the vertical and horizontal components of B _Earth, respectively. The effect is explained by the depinning of the dislocations from the impurity centers after their structural transformation due to the ESR in the dislocation-impurity system in the crossed fields. The subsequent motion of the dislocations proceeds under the action of internal stress in the crystals. A physical model has been proposed to explain the strong anisotropy of the effect with respect to the mutual orientation of the dislocation lines and magnetic fields.     

Thermal hopping ofμ + between “FμF” centres in NaF

Strongly hydrogen-bonded diamagnetic “FμF” centres are formed by theμ ⁺ in a wide variety of fluoride crystals. Hydrogen atoms are expected to form similar “FHF” complexes. Through the “motional narrowing” of the zero-field muon relaxation function in NaF, we have observed an Arrhenius temperature dependence of the dissociation rate of theFμF complex, yielding a binding energy of 1700 (200) K for theμ ⁺ in theFμF centre.     

Saturable absorbers for passive Q-switching of erbium lasers emitting in the region of 3 μm

The phototropic properties of Fe:ZnSe, Co:ZnSe, and Co:ZnS single crystals have been investigated. It is shown that these crystals can be used to advantage as the saturable absorbers in solid-state erbium lasers emitting in the region of the 3-μm range. The absorption cross sections of the ground states of the Co²⁺ ion in the ZnSe (σ_GSA = 11·10⁻²⁰ cm²) and ZnS (σ_GSA = 5.6·10⁻²⁰ cm²) crystals and of the Fe²⁺ ion in the ZnSe (σ_GSA = 50·10⁻²⁰ cm²) crystal at λ = 2.79 μm were determined experimentally. It has been established that the above-indicated crystals in the excited state absorb light weakly. The use of these crystals as passive Q switches made it possible to realize, for the first time, the regime of Q-switching of a Cr,Er:YSGG laser emitting at a wavelength of 2.79 μm. Single pulses with an energy of 60 mJ and a duration of 170 nsec were obtained in the regime of passive Q-switching. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 72, No. 6, pp. 747–751, November–December, 2005.     

Absorption-edge calculations of inorganic nonlinear optical crystals

A theoretical model suitable for calculating absorption edges of inorganic nonlinear optical (NLO) crystals is introduced. This model is proved to be useful to elucidate the relationship between electronic structures of NLO-active groups and macroscopic properties of absorption edges on the UV side of most of the inorganic nonlinear optical crystals. A systematic calculation of absorption edges on the UV side for several important inorganic NLO crystals is carried out by means of DV-SCM-X method and all calculated results are in good agreement with experimental data. These inorganic NLO crystals include LiB₃O₅(LBO), -BaB₂O₄(BBO), KB5, KDP, Na₂SbF₅, Ba₂TiSi₂O₈, iodate and NaNO₂. The calculated energy level structures of LiB₃O₅ and -BaB₂O₄ crystals are compared with the measured XPS spectra. The unusual transparent spectra of KB5 and KDP crystals are partly explained from the microstructure point of view. The effect of lone electron pair in iodate and NaNO₂ crystals on their absorption edges are discussed. All these results show that Anionic Group Theory of Nonlinear Optical Crystals is useful to evaluate the absorption edges of the inorganic nonlinear optical crystal and is a powerful tool in a Molecular Engineering approach to search for new nonlinear optical materials.     

Crystal structure and mechanical strain in polycrystalline ferrite films on polycrystalline sapphire substrates

We have grown films of magnesium, lithium, zinc, and nickel-zinc ferrites, varying in thickness from 0.5 to 8 μm on polycrystalline sapphiresubstrates by coating the surface of the substrate with an aqueous nitric acid solution of salts of the elements which compose the ferrite. The lattice parameter of the ferrite film increases with the film thickness and becomes constant at thicknesses greater than 8 μm. We have determined the ratio of the theoretical strength limit to the macroscopic one in the film based on the change in the interplanar distanced ₂₂₀ and the lattice parameter calculated from it, under the assumption that the changeΔa(h)=a _∞=a(h) results from macroscopic stresses in the film. This ratio shows that whenh=1 μm the microstresses in the film are an order of magnitude smaller than the theoretical strength limit. At larger film thicknesses this macroscopic stress becomes even lower, and at the external surface of thick films it goes completely to zero. Pedagogical Institute, Viteb. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 10, pp. 30–33, October, 1996.     

CW laser performance of Yb and Er,Yb doped tungstates

 Room temperature cw laser action of Yb³⁺-doped KY(WO₄)₂ and KGd(WO₄)₂ crystals at 1.025 μm and Er, Yb : KY(WO₄)₂ at 1.54 μm has been demonstrated under pumping by both Ti-sapphire laser and InGaAs laser diodes. A slope efficiency of Yb-lasers up to 78% has been obtained. Received: 19 June 1996     

Grain size effect on the giant dielectric and nonlinear electrical behaviors of Bi1/2Na1/2Cu3Ti4O12 ceramics

Single phase Bi_1/2Na_1/2Cu₃Ti₄O₁₂ (BNCTO) ceramics with different grain sizes (1.4–4.3 μm) are prepared by a modified Pechini method to investigate their giant dielectric and nonlinear electrical behaviors. The results show that the giant dielectric and nonlinear electrical behaviors are strongly dependent on grain size. With the increment of grain size, the dielectric constant increases monotonically from 14110 (for 1.4 μm sample) to 36183 (for 4.3 μm sample) at 1 kHz, in accompaniment with the breakdown voltage reducing from 112.5 to 43.2 V/mm and the nonlinear coefficient reducing from 4.9 to 3.4. On the basis of the internal barrier layer capacitor (IBLC) model and the IBLC model of Schottky-type potential barrier, an interpretation of the grain size effect on the giant dielectric and nonlinear electrical behaviors is presented.