Optical properties of large germanium monocrystals

Optical characteristics of germanium monocrystals with a diameter of 150 and 200 mm grown by the Czochralski and directional crystallization methods were studied. We measured spectral transmittance of the monocrystals in the wavelength range of 2.3–25.0 μm, directional transmission and light scattering in the 2.4–3.0 μm range, and noninhomogeneity of the refractive index of monocrystals by the interference technique at 3.39 μm. The measurements were performed on antimony-doped germanium monocrystals with a diameter of 200 mm and thickness of 15 mm (grown by the directional crystallization method) and 18 mm thick (grown by the Czochralski method). Measurements were also performed on a germanium monocrystal with a diameter of 150 mm and thickness of 15 mm grown by the Czochralski method without adding a ligand. The measurement results revealed different optical quality of monocrystals, expressed in the nature and amount of refractive index inhomogeneity, which imposes restrictions on the use of blanks.     

Examination of the upper measurement limit in displacement measurement using fringe compensation in digital holography

Digital holography is a widely used method for displacement measurement in coherent optical metrology. An obvious limit of the method is that too large displacements result in dense fringes, so the fringes are practically invisible. The maximum number of contour fringes in displacement measurement is limited, because the cameras are discrete devices and sampling theory plays an important role. Because of the limited measurement range, compensation methods are promising tools for practical measurements. It can be shown that the practical measurement range can be extended above the Nyquist sampling limit. Compensation methods can be digital, because digital holographic interferometry operates with images recorded with a digital camera. In our research work the upper measurement range of fringe compensation method was examined. Our goal was to perform automatic compensation even if the displacement is higher than the measurement range of the basic method. The operation of the automatic fringe compensation method was based on the combination of two types of out-of-plane displacement measurements with different sensitivities.     

Cold atom clocks and their applications in precision measurements

Cold atom clocks have made remarkable progresses in the last two decades and played critical roles in precision measurements. Primary Cs fountain frequency standards have achieved a total uncertainty of a few parts in 1016, and the best optical clock has reached a type B uncertainty below 10-18. Besides applications in the metrology, navigation, etc.,ultra-stable and ultra-accurate atomic clocks have also become powerful tools in the basic scientific investigations. In this paper, we focus on the recent developments in the high-performance cold atomic clocks which can be used as frequency standards to calibrate atomic time scales. The basic principles, performances, and limitations of fountain clocks and optical clocks based on signal trapped ion or neutral atoms are summarized. Their applications in metrology and other areas are briefly introduced.     

Application of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy in carbon sequestration research and development

The success of carbon capture and storage (CCS) programme relies on the long-term isolation of CO₂ from the atmosphere. Therefore, technologies concomitant to physical storage of CO₂ such as reliable measurement, monitoring, and verification (MMV) techniques are needed to ensure that the integrity of the storage site is maintained. We propose the use of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) analytical technique to detect carbon dioxide leaks to aid in the successful application of CCS. LIBS has a real-time monitoring capability and can be reliably used for the elemental and isotopic analysis of solid, liquid, and gas samples. The flexibility of probe design and use of fibre optics make it a suitable technique for real time measurements in harsh conditions and at hard-to-reach places. Proposed monitoring with LIBS includes terrestrial soil samples, water samples from monitoring wells or from different formations, air samples from monitoring wells or suspected leakage areas. This work details the laboratory scale experiments to measure carbon contents in rock, soil, aqueous, and air samples. The potential of the technology for measurements in high pressure high-temperature conditions will also be discussed.     

Establishment of Illuminance Scale at UME with an Accurately Calibrated Radiometer

Traceability in illuminance measurements at the National Metrology Institute of Turkey (TüBITAK-UME) was established in 2003 with a detector-based realization. The new measurement technique was developed for the determination of illuminance responsivity and upgrating of the illuminance scale. The unit of the illuminance responsivity, in A/lx, was measured with an expanded uncertainty of 0.2% (k = 2) by supplying using the developed scanning technique for the calculation of color correction factor. The surface of a radiometer was scanned using a double-monochromator facility upgraded with an x-y scanning system. The illuminance responsivity as a function of bandpass and temperature were also investigated in this study. To use a radiometer in the photometric applications of metrology, a light-sensitive device, a so-called trap detector, was characterized by measuring the absolute responsivity, the non-linearity, and spatial non-uniformity.     

Absolute metrology by phase and frequency modulation for multiwavelength interferometry

A fiber interferometer for absolute distance measurements is presented whereby wavelength variation is achieved via a sinusoidal strain modulation of a fiber Bragg grating to generate a series of beat wavelengths. The interferometer employs fiber laser sources where the design is based on the use of narrow-bandwidth fiber Bragg gratings. The accuracy of the beat wavelengths is improved compared to the use of multiple wavelengths measured with conventional optical spectrum analyzers or available wavemeters. Initial measurements are presented for beat wavelengths of 254.74 mm and 27.4 m over an optical path difference of 200 mm and 3.8 m, respectively. Combined with a two (or three) wavelength interferometer, this technique has the potential for ultrahigh dynamic range metrology ranging over several meters while preserving subfringe resolution and a low system complexity.     

Self-organization of germanium nanoislands obtained in silicon by molecular-beam epitaxy

Nanometer germanium islands in epitaxial layers of silicon are obtained by molecular-beam epitaxy. The dimensions and shapes of the islands are determined in an atomic-force microscope. The photoluminescence spectra are found to contain lines that can be interpreted as quasidirect optical transitions in the islands. It is concluded on the basis of optical and microprobe measurements and theoretical calculations of the energies of electronic states that silicon is dissolved in the germanium islands. Values of the germanium and silicon contents in the solid solution are presented. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 67, No. 1, 46–50 (10 January 1998)     

Directing photophysics and structure in semiconductor nanowires with erbium and germanium

Recent efforts from our labs have focused on the fundamental properties of erbium incorporated into Ge nanowires (Ge NWs) and a diverse number of radial core/shell platforms containing these two elements. In this review we focus on two beneficial outcomes that can be exploited from such structures to even broader families of nanostructures: (a) the useful chemical and photophysical utility of providing wide bandgap oxide shells onto germanium nanowire cores containing rare earth ions such as erbium; (b) the unique combination of germanium and tin in an erbium doped oxide nanowire to engage in a spontaneous oxidation–reduction reaction that enhances the erbium near infrared photoluminescence (PL). A broad range of spectroscopic (PL, PL excitation) and structural (high resolution transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray analysis) tools are employed for this evaluation.     

Chemical characterisation by WD‐XRF and XRD of silicon carbide‐based grinding tools

This paper addresses the chemical characterisation of silicon carbide‐based grinding tools. These are among the most widely used grinding tools in the ceramic sector, and instruments are required that enable the grinding tool quality to be controlled, despite the considerable complexity involved in determining grinding tool chemical composition. They contain components of quite different nature, ranging from the silicon carbide abrasive to the resin binder. To develop the analysis method, grinding tools containing silicon carbide with different grain sizes were selected from different tile polishing stages. To develop the grinding tool characterisation method, the different measurement process steps were studied, from sample preparation, in which different milling methods (each appropriate for the relevant type of test) were used, to the optimisation of the determination of grinding tool components by spectroscopic and elemental analyses. For each technique, different particle sizes were used according to their needs. For elemental analysis, a sample below 150 µm was used, while for the rest of the determinations a sample below 60 µm was used. After milling, the crystalline phases were characterised by X‐ray powder diffraction and quantified using the Rietvel method. The different forms of carbon (organic carbon from the resin, inorganic carbon from the carbonates and carbon from the silicon carbide) were analysed using a series of elemental analyses. The other elements (Si, Al, Fe, Ca, Mg, Na, K, Ti, Mn, P and Cl) were determined by wavelength‐dispersive X‐ray fluorescence spectrometry, preparing the sample in the form of pressed pellets and fused beads. The chemical characterisation method developed was validated with mixtures of reference materials, as there are no reference materials of grinding tools available. This method can be used for quality control of silicon carbide‐based grinding tools. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Covalency and compression effects on the isomer shift of substitutional119Sn impurities in group IV semiconductors

Since substitutional tin is an isovalent impurity in group IV semiconductors, it represents an almost ideal probe for the study of the variation of the chemical bond in these materials using the isomer shift measurements. To obtain a realistic formula for the isomer shifts in this case, the impurity problem has been formulated in such a way as to include both the band structure and compression effects on the¹¹⁹Sn impurity. The increase of the isomer shift values measured on the impurity¹¹⁹Sn when going from diamond to silicon and germanium host crystals, is interpreted in terms of increasing dehybridization of the homopolar bond in these materials. The lattice relaxation around the tin impurity, due to its large size, seems to be relatively small, if any, in silicon and germanium, while a shift of the neighbouring carbon atoms outwards by 18% of the nearest neighbour distance has to be assumed to explain the experimental value of the isomer shift of substitutional tin in diamond.     

Validation of isotope dilution surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (IDSERS) as a higher order reference method for clinical measurands employing international comparison schemes

Isotope dilution surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (IDSERS) was established as a higher order reference measurement method for clinical measurands in international comparison schemes and in direct comparison with established mass spectrometric methods. IDSERS represents the most accurate and precise quantitative Raman technique and is capable of providing SI‐traceable amount‐of‐substance measurements. IDSERS has now been validated by participation in two international ring trials organized within the framework of the Metre Convention on the determination of biomarkers in human serum. The concentration of creatinine has been measured in two human serum samples supplied by the study organizer. The results obtained by IDSERS agree excellently with the data reported by participating national metrology institutes using mass spectrometry, and the associated uncertainties are within the claimed limits of equivalence. The performance and applicability of IDSERS were thereby convincingly demonstrated. This has led to the approval of the method as a higher order reference measurement procedure, which is now listed in a publicly accessible database maintained by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM). Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

硅、锗中氧的低温红外吸收

在6—300K下,利用红外傅里叶光谱仪研究了400—4000cm^-1间的硅、锗中氧的红外吸收。采用高分辨条件时,分辨率可达0.5cm^-1。研究了在低温下利用硅的1106cm^-1吸收峰和锗的855cm^-1吸收峰探测硅和锗氧含量的探测限和误差。若样品厚度为2cm,估计在20K下,硅中氧含量探测限～9.6×10¹⁴氧原子·cm^-3,锗中氧含量探测限～3.0×10¹⁴氧原子·cm^-3。同时,对不同生长条件下直拉锗单晶的氧含量进行了研究,并与用锂沉淀法所求得的锗中氧含量加以比较。对不同氧含量的硅样品的1106cm^-1吸收峰在6—300K的变化进行了观察和讨论。 关键词：     

Amorphous Si critical dimension structures with direct Si lattice calibration

Developing highly accurate critical dimension standards is a significant task for nanoscale metrology. In this paper, we put forward an alternative approach to fabricate amorphous Si critical dimension structures with direct Si lattice calibration in the same frame scanning transmission electron microscopy image. Based on the traceable measurement analysis, the optimized method can provide the same calibration accuracy and increase the fabrication throughput and lower the cost simultaneously, which benefits the application needs in atomic force microscopy(AFM) tip geometry characterization,benchmarking measurement tools, and conducting comparison measurements between different approaches.     

Measurement of spatial gain distribution for a neonlike germanium 19.6-nm laser

We measure the transverse spatial distribution of the gain region for the 19.6-nm neonlike germanium laser line by use of a short amplifier, which is backlit by a longer laser, both of which are created by illumination of a germanium slab target with a series of short 100-ps pulses from the Nova laser. The backlighting technique enables us to reduce greatly the refraction effects that dominated previous imaging experiments and made direct gain measurements impossible. Measurements are made with a two-dimensional high-resolution spatial-imaging diagnostic, and simulations of the gain are compared with experiments.     

Investigation of Ge and C layer deposition on a Si substrate using SIMS profiling

Structures grown using the technique of molecular-beam epitaxy during deposition of carbon and/or germanium atoms on an Si(111) surface were investigated experimentally and theoretically. Experimental profiles of in-depth component distribution were obtained using SIMS-profiling, whereas a complex technique of computer simulation taking into account diffusion and ballistic processes was applied for the calculated profiles.     

Shortcut-to-Adiabaticity-Like Techniques for Parameter Estimation in Quantum Metrology

Quantum metrology makes use of quantum mechanics to improve precision measurements and measurement sensitivities. It is usually formulated for time-independent Hamiltonians, but time-dependent Hamiltonians may offer advantages, such as a T4 time dependence of the Fisher information which cannot be reached with a time-independent Hamiltonian. In Optimal adaptive control for quantum metrology with time-dependent Hamiltonians (Nature Communications 8, 2017), Shengshi Pang and Andrew N. Jordan put forward a Shortcut-to-adiabaticity (STA)-like method, specifically an approach formally similar to the “counterdiabatic approach”, adding a control term to the original Hamiltonian to reach the upper bound of the Fisher information. We revisit this work from the point of view of STA to set the relations and differences between STA-like methods in metrology and ordinary STA. This analysis paves the way for the application of other STA-like techniques in parameter estimation. In particular we explore the use of physical unitary transformations to propose alternative time-dependent Hamiltonians which may be easier to implement in the laboratory.     

Consistent empirical physical formula construction for recoil energy distribution in HPGe detectors by using artificial neural networks

The gamma-ray tracking technique is a highly efficient detection method in experimental nuclear structure physics. On the basis of this method, two gamma-ray tracking arrays, AGATA in Europe and GRETA in the USA, are currently being tested. The interactions of neutrons in these detectors lead to an unwanted background in the gamma-ray spectra. Thus, the interaction points of neutrons in these detectors have to be determined in the gamma-ray tracking process in order to improve photo-peak efficiencies and peak-to-total ratios of the gamma-ray peaks. In this paper, the recoil energy distributions of germanium nuclei due to inelastic scatterings of 1–5 MeV neutrons were first obtained by simulation experiments. Secondly, as a novel approach, for these highly nonlinear detector responses of recoiling germanium nuclei, consistent empirical physical formulas (EPFs) were constructed by appropriate feedforward neural networks (LFNNs). The LFNN-EPFs are of explicit mathematical functional form. Therefore, the LFNN-EPFs can be used to derive further physical functions which could be potentially relevant for the determination of neutron interactions in gamma-ray tracking process.     

A PTIS study of quenched-in acceptors in germanium

The shallow acceptors produced in germanium crystals by quenching from 820–925 C have been studied for the first time using Photo-Thermal Ionization Spectroscopy (PTIS). We have found two acceptor-continua, which correspond to the E_v + 8.4 meV and E_v + 12 meV levels observed in earlier Hall measurements. With the lower energy continuum there are associated two previously unobserved hydrogenic acceptors. They are shallower than any known acceptor in germanium: their ionization energies are 8.69 ±0.01 meV and 9.48 ±0.01 meV. We attribute the acceptors to two different defects because of differences in their creation and annealing behaviour. No discrete lines were found to be associated with the higher energy continuum. We estimate the acceptor ionization energy to be about 14 meV. Finally, we have observed a number of as yet unexplained negative lines superimposed on both acceptor-continua.