The dynamics of accumulation of electrically active radiation defects on implantation of graded-band-gap HgCdTe films grown by MBE

The dynamics of accumulation of electrically active radiation defects under ion doping of epitaxial Cd _x Hg _1−x Te films is studied for various distributions of film composition in the implantation region. The epitaxial films were irradiated by boron ions at room temperature in the continuous regime, with the dose ranging within 10¹¹−3·10¹⁵ cm⁻², energy — 20–150 keV, and ion current density — j = 0.001–0.2 μA·cm⁻². It is found that the natural logarithm of the introduction rate of electrically active radiation defects linearly depends on the epitaxial-film composition in the range of mean projected path of implanted ions. An analysis of the experimental data shows that the dynamics of accumulation of electrically active radiation defects is determined by the epitaxial-film composition in the implantation region. __________ Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 9, pp. 25–28, September, 2006.     

Magnetic and electrical properties of Mg1−x CuxO solid solutions and magnetic shielding in Cu-Mg1−x CuxO structures

Mg_1−x Cu_xO solid solutions having an NaCl structure with 0⩽x⩽0.20 are synthesized and Cu-Mg_1−x Cu_xO structures are prepared for superconductivity studies. The magnetic susceptibility χ, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and electrical conductivity of the solid solutions are studied at temperatures of 5–550 K. It is shown that χ ⁻¹(T) obeys the Curie-Weiss law with a paramagnetic Curie temperature Θ close to zero and an effective magnetic moment μ _eff=1.9 μ _B, close to the 1.73 μ _B of a Cu²⁺ ion with spin S=1/2. The width ΔH of the EPR line depends weakly on temperature and increases as x is raised. The volume narrowing of the EPR linewidth ΔH is used to estimate the exchange interaction parameter, 3×10⁻⁴ eV. The g-factor is close to 2 and is temperature independent. The electrical conductivity of Mg_1−x Cu_xO at T=300 K is ≈10⁻¹¹–10⁻¹² Ω⁻¹ cm⁻¹ for x=0 and increases to 10⁻⁵–10⁻⁶ Ω⁻¹ cm⁻¹ for x=0.15–0.20. The conductivity is p-type. Magnetic shielding is observed in Cu-Mg_1−x Cu_xO structures with x=0.15 and 0.20. The possible connection of this phenomenon with interference superconductivity in the contact layer of the structure is discussed. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 41, 293–296 (February 1999)     

Neutron events in the underground monitor of the Tien Shan high-altitude station

The neutron multiplicity M spectrum was measured at the neutron monitor installed in the underground room of the Tien Shan high-altitude station (3340 m above sea level) of the Lebedev Physical Institute under a ground layer 20 m of water equivalent thick. To a first approximation, the differential multiplicity spectrum is power-law: dN/dM = 0.3 · M^−3.7m⁻²s⁻¹. The spectrum intensity is lower than the intensity of events in the ground-based NM64 supermonitor by a factor of 350–450. The spectrum slope exponent γ + 1 = 3.7 ± 0.1 is identical to the exponent of the energy spectrum of bremsstrahlung gamma-rays of energetic muons (above 1 TeV) generated in a lead absorber of the monitor. In this case, the experimental intensity is hundred times higher than the expected intensity of events from muon bremsstrahlung. The spatial distribution of neutrons in the monitor suggests that they are produced by single particles. The temporal distribution of neutrons in the monitor is exponential with lifetime constant τ = 360 − 390 μs. Difficulties are indicated in the interpretation of the multiplicity spectrum by electromagnetic and nuclear interactions of muons in the monitor without involving new penetrating particles. Original Russian Text ? A.P. Chubenko, A.L. Shchepetov, L.I. Vildanova, M.I. Vildanova, P.A. Chubenko, 2007, published in Kratkie Soobshcheniya po Fizike, 2007, Vol. 34, No. 4, pp. 21–31.     

Experimental observation of a two-phase state of expanding nuclear matter at E p=1 GeV

A double-arm time-of-flight spectrometer was used to study the thermal multifragmentation of ²³⁸U, ²³²Th, and ¹⁹⁷Au nuclei that is induced by 1-GeV protons. It is established that the pseudoevaporation channel, where a single heavy fragment of mean mass in the range 80–90 amu is produced in association with approximately ten smaller clusters (〈M〉=7–10 amu) emitted anisotropically at low velocities, is dominant at this energy. The pseudoevaporation cross sections change from 10±5 mb for ¹⁹⁷Au to ¹²⁰±40 μb for ²³⁸U. For ²³⁸U and ²³²Th, it is found that, in the region M<8 amu, the power law is violated, which is explained by the decay of part of small primary clusters in the course nucleon exchange through the “gas” phase within the expanding nucleus. __________ Translated from Yadernaya Fizika, Vol. 64, No. 8, 2001, pp. 1541–1550. Original Russian Text Copyright ? 2001 by Chestnov, Sokolovsky.     

Comparison of optical properties and mechanical/electrical degradation of some low density polyethylene-and polypropylene-based polymer blends

In this study, the optical properties as well as mechanical and electrical degradation of low-density polyethylene (LDPE)/polypropylene fiber (PP fiber) (10–50% PP fiber), polypropylene (PP)/PP fiber (10–50% PP fiber), and LDPE/diamond (0.1–3% diamond) blends, which are prepared by hot pressing method, with changing thicknesses ranging from 30 to 225 μm, are compared. The spectra, in the wavelength range 200–2500 nm, are examined. Based on optical absorption spectra obtained, Tauc graphs are plotted. Determined values of the direct optical energy gap (E _d ^opt ), the indirect optical energy gap (E _i ^opt ), the width of the band (ΔE), and ultraviolet transmittance (T_UV) are listed. The direct E _d ^opt and indirect E _i ^opt values for organic blends are in the range of 3.10–3.17 eV and 1.52–2.99 eV; for inorganic blends they are 1.80–4.13 eV and 1.55–4.7 eV respectively. The electrical strength (ε) and the mechanical tension (σ) have been investigated, and graphs (the dependence of the electrical life time log τ_ε on ε) are given. The experimental results are analyzed from the viewpoint of the validity of the thermofluctuation theory. LDPE and LDPE/0.5% diamond composite parameters consecutively changed: σ from 68 to 82 MPa, ε from 60·10⁶ to 85·10⁶ V/m, mechanical lifetime τ_σ from 10 to 1.5·10⁵ sec, electrical lifetime τ_ε from 2· 10³ to 2·10⁵ sec, and structure-sensitive parameters γ and χ — from 1.48 to 1.18 (J)MPa/mole and from 0.97 to 0.70 (J)Vm⁻¹/mole respectively. The values of mechanical and electrical durability were observed to increase by 20 and 41%, respectively, for LDPE/0.5% diamond composite. Published in Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 74, No. 5, pp. 677–683, September–October, 2007.     

In searches for daemons

A possibility is considered of detecting Planckian particles carrying an electric charge Z≈10 and supposedly forming the dark matter of the Galactic disk, whence they are captured by combined action of the Sun and the Earth into strongly elongated Earth-crossing orbits. The flux of such dark electric matter objects, daemons, at the Earth’s orbit may reach f _⊕≈3×10⁻⁷cm⁻²s⁻¹ at a velocity about 52 km/s. Negatively charged daemons are capable of catalyzing the fusion of light (Z _n<10) nuclei. The rate of capture (and fusion) of nuclei should be particularly high in a metallic phase. A detection system is described that consists of beryllium plates 45 mm thick and 1200 cm² in area coated with a ZnS(Ag) scintillator. It is assumed that the products of the fusion reaction 2⁹Be → ¹⁸O that are ejected in amounts of up to about 10⁴ from the points of daemon entrance and exit would give rise to scintillations with a delay of about 1μs. An exposure of the system for 300 h revealed no event. The reason for the negative result can be (1) too optimistic an estimate of the flux (the inclusion of some factors could lower it by 1.5–3 orders of magnitude) and (2) the poisoning of the catalyst by capture of nuclei with Z _n≥10. The time required for the recovery of the daemon catalytic properties is estimated from the analysis of the energy release in the Sun at no less than 3×10⁻⁷ s. The analysis of the total available data suggests that the daemon flux at the Earth is about 3×10⁻⁸ cm⁻² s⁻¹. The experiments will be continued. From Yadernaya Fizika, Vol. 63, No. 6, 2000, pp. 1112–1117. Original English Text Copyright ? 2000 by Drobyshevski. This article was submitted by the author in English.     

Chemical-potential dependence of the pairing gap in a nuclear-matter slab

The equation for the pairing gap Δ in a slab of nuclear matter governed by the Paris nucleon-nucleon potential is solved for various values of the chemical potential μ in the range from −8 MeV, which corresponds to stable nuclei, to −0.1 MeV, which corresponds to nuclei in the vicinity of the nucleon drip line. The slab is placed in a one-dimensional Woods-Saxon potential whose parameters are set to values typical of nuclei. Two models are considered. In the first, the potential-well depth is fixed at U ₀ = −50 MeV, the density within the slab growing as |μ| is reduced. In the second model, the density is fixed at the center of the slab, |U ₀| decreasing as |μ| is reduced. The behavior of the gap Δ as a function of μ is model-dependent. In the first model, Δ decreases with decreasing |μ|, while, in the second, it increases. At the same time, the effect of the surface enhancement of Δ becomes more pronounced with decreasing |μ| in both models. Original Russian Text ? S.S. Pankratov, E.E. Saperstein, M.V. Zverev, 2006, published in Yadernaya Fizika, 2006, Vol. 69, No. 12, pp. 2052–2063.     

Thermal and Auger processes in p-n junctions based on GaInAs/InAs and InAsSbP/InAs heterostructures

A study is made of the excess-energy relaxation processes and the mechanisms responsible for overheating of the active zone of infrared emitters made from nonisoperiodic structures with stressed InGaAs layers and from nearly isoperiodic InAsSbP structures and emitting in the wavelength range λ=2.5–5.0 μm are investigated. The relationship between the overheat ΔT of the active zone of the structure and Auger processes is established for In_1−x Ga_xAs infrared emitters. It is shown that the efficiency of Auger recombination decreases as x increases in the interval 0–0.09, promoting a sharp reduction in ΔT. At x>0.09 the efficiency of CHHS Auger processes decreases exponentially, but an increase in the density of dislocations due to the appreciable value (∼6.9%) of the lattice mismatch parameter causes ΔT to increase, but slowly. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 67, 68–71 (September 1997) Deceased.     

Semiconducting properties of CoO thin films

This paper reports electrical properties of CoO thin films of different thickness in the range 0.375 – 7.95 μm. Both electrical conductivity and thermopower were measured at elevated temperatures (1223 – 1423 K) and under controlled oxygen partial pressure (5 − 2.1x10⁴ Pa). It was found that at low p(O₂) the electrical conductivity decreases with film thickness. The activation energy of the electrical conductivity (E_a) in air decreases with the oxide thickness from 0.56 eV at 0.375 μm to 0.52 eV for massive CoO while at low p(O₂)=5 Pa the E_a is independent of the thickness (E_a = 0.46 eV). The reciprocal of the p(O₂) exponent of the electrical conductivity (n_δ) in the range 1223 K – 1373 K is close to four for the 7,95 μm film and is about 3.5–3.7 for the 0.375 μm film. The electrical properties of the CoO thin films are considered assuming different defect structures in the bulk phase and the surface layer.     

Mechanical behavior of microcrystalline aluminum-lithium alloy under superplasticity conditions

Aluminum-lithium alloy 1420, which, after equal-channel angular pressing, has a grain size of about 3 μm, is shown to possess superplasticity in a temperature range of T=320–395°C upon tension at a constant relative strain rate of 10⁻²–10⁻³ s⁻¹. The axial deformation at fracture can exceed 1800%. The data processing at such large deformations should be carried out using true strains ɛ_t and stresses σ_t. In the flow curve, a short stage of hardening is followed by a long softening stage. They can be described by the relation with a constant exponent n≈2 and activation energies U≈1 eV for the softening stage and U≈1.4 eV for the hardening stage. The deformation is supposed to be controlled by grain-boundary sliding at the stage of softening and by self-diffusion in the bulk of grains at the hardening stage. __________ Translated from Fizika Tverdogo Tela, Vol. 43, No. 5, 2001, pp. 833–838. Original Russian Text Copyright ? 2001 by Myshlyaev, Prokunin, Shpeizman.     

Viscous flow of magnetic vortices and rapid relaxation of magnetization in YBaCuO ceramics

The viscous flow of magnetic vortices in granular YBaCuO ceramics of various granule sizes is investigated using the microwave absorption method (f=80 MHz) in the range of varying magnetic fields H=±1500 Oe and of temperatures T=77 to 95 K. The conditions for the formation and melting of the vortex lattice, as well as the transition of the high-temperature superconductor (HTSC) state from the irreversibility region to the region of the viscous flow of magnetic vortices, are considered. The rapid magnetic relaxation times in the range τ=72 to 111 ms are determined from the magnetization relaxation in the HTSC materials under investigation depending on the granule size d, which varies from 1 to 30 μm. The experimental results on the variation of the relaxation time τ from 77 to 120 ms in a ceramic exposed to fast neutrons with various fluences (Φ=10¹⁶ to 10¹⁹ cm⁻²) are considered. The depinning process is analyzed; it occurs in the form of a thermally assisted flux flow in the range of low activation energies. __________ Translated from Fizika Tverdogo Tela, Vol. 43, No. 6, 2001, pp. 968–973. Original Russian Text Copyright ? 2001 by Chashchin.     

Luminescence and lasing properties of neodymium- and uranium-activated inorganic laser liquids

An attempt was made to describe and show the possibilities of new inorganic neodynium- and uranium-activated laser liquids: SO₂-GaCl₃-NdCl₄; SO₂Cl₂-GaCl₃-NdCl₃-UO₂Cl₂; POCl₂-MCl_n-NdCl₃-UO₂Cl₂ for development and synthesis of direct nuclear reaction-excited lasers. Luminescence data presented in the work were used to calculate the luminescence parameters of the laser liquids such as oscillator strengths f, probability of spontaneous radiation A, intermultiplet luminescence branching coefficient β, cross-section for induced radiation σ, luminescence decay time τ, quantum yield η, and others. It is shown that the oscillator strengths of the normal absorption bands of Na³⁺, which play the main part in the pumping processes, exceed the oscillator strengths of Na³⁺ for aqueous and many other nonaqueous systems. In the luminescence excitation spectra of the Na³⁺ ion, bands are isolated in the range 400–1000 nm atλ _rec =1.06 μm. With excitation, luminescence occurs through the⁴F_3/2→⁴I_{9/2,11/2.13/2} channels. Luminescence spectral data are related to the lasing parameters. The threshold lasing energy is∼18 J/cm³. For a resonator with mirros h₁=100% and h₂=20, 40, 56, and 80%, the lasing energy is∼20–120 MJ/cm³ in the pumping energy range 18–180 J/cm³. The differential efficiency is ∼0.2% The substantial angular radiation divergence (θ∼4·10⁻² rad) and strong thermostatic distortions that occur in the active element (dn/dT≈−1.9·10⁻⁴K⁻¹) are a disadvantage of laser liquids. It is shown that operation of neodymium- and uranium-activated inorganic liquid lasers is stable under the present conditions. A. I. Gertsen Russian State Pedagogical University, Moika Embankment, 48, St. Petersburg, 191186, Russia. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 64, No. 5, pp. 607–619, September–October, 1997.     

Strain-induced photoreflectance spectra in the vicinity of the E 0 transition in GaAs/Si and InP/Si heterostructures

A study is reported of the structure of photoreflectance (PR) spectra in the vicinity of the E ₀ transition from thin (d=1–5 μm) n-GaAs and n-InP films (n=10¹⁶–10¹⁷ cm⁻³) grown epitaxially on Si(001) substrates. A quantitative analysis of the spectra involving multi-component fitting shows that the electronic optical transition from the {3/2;±1/2} subband provides a dominant contribution to the intermediate-field electromodulation component in both systems. The splitting observed in the GaAS/Si PR spectra near the main peak are accounted for not by the strain-induced valence-band splitting but rather by a spectral superposition of the intermediate-field component due to the {3/2;±1/2} subband with a low-energy excitonic component. The analytically established transition energy E ₀ ^3/2;±1/2 is used to calculate biaxial strains in epitaxial films. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 41, 725–731 (April 1999)     

Mechanooptical investigations of polyimide films exposed to electrons,mechanical loads,and temperatures

Joint effect of high-energy electrons, mechanical loads, and temperature on polyimide films of thicknesses in the range 30–130 μm is investigated. The films were preliminary irradiated by electrons in air using an éLU-6 linear accelerator with energy of 2 MeV and doses D = 1, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 100 MGy and then subjected to uniaxial mechanical tension at temperatures (T) from 293 to 593 K. It is established that at T = 293–450 K and D = 20–40 MGy, the mechanical load causes almost the same deformations (ε_{l max}) of nonirradiated and irradiated samples; at T = 450–550 K, deformations of films sharply increase, and the character of their dependence changes. The ε_{l max} value of the initial sample increases almost linearly with temperature by a factor of 10, whereas the character of changing ε_{l max}(T) of the irradiated films is more complex, and its value increases approximately by a factor of 4. For T > 500 K, the deformation reaches limiting values. Irradiation increases the intensity of IR-spectra by 2–6 times and essentially increases the widths of absorption bands at 720, 1380, and 1775 cm⁻¹, which is caused by the formation of hydrogen bonds and cycles with nitrogen as well as by the formation of nitrogen oxides. External loading applied to film rupture causes an increase in the EPR signal amplitude from 3·10³ to 5·10³, which is connected with an increased concentration of radicals =N-H and-NH ₂. The electron irradiation of the polyimide films with their subsequent mechanical loading causes the spectrum lines to displace from 3475.0 to 3512.5 cm⁻¹ with simultaneous reduction of the signal amplitude from 6·10³ to 4·10³. __________ Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 2, pp. 52–58, February, 2007.     

Frequency dispersion of dielectric coefficients of layered TlGaS<Subscript>2</Subscript> single crystals

Frequency dependence of the dissipation factor tanδ, the permittivity ɛ, and the ac conductivity σ_ac across the layers in the frequency range f=5×10⁴−3×10⁷ Hz was studied in layered TlGaS₂ single crystals. A significant dispersion in tanδ was observed in the frequency range 10⁶−3×10⁷ Hz. In the range of frequencies studied, the permittivity of TlGaS₂ samples varied from 26 to 30. In the frequency range 5×10⁴−10⁶ Hz, the ac conductivity obeyed the f ^0.8 law, whereas for f>10⁶ Hz σ_ac was proportional to f ². It was established that the mechanism of the ac charge transport across the layers in TlGaS₂ single crystals in the frequency range 5×10⁴−10⁶ Hz is hopping over localized states near the Fermi level. Estimations yielded the following values of the parameters: the density of states at the Fermi level N _F=2.1×10¹⁸ eV⁻¹ cm⁻³, the average time of charge carrier hopping between localized states τ=2 μs, and the average hopping distance R=103 ?. __________ Translated from Fizika Tverdogo Tela, Vol. 46, No. 6, 2004, pp. 979–981. Original Russian Text Copyright ? 2004 by Mustafaeva.     

Fine and hyperfine structure of <Emphasis Type="Italic">P</Emphasis>-wave levels in muonic hydrogen

Corrections of order α ⁵ and α ⁶ are calculated for muonic hydrogen in the fine-structure interval ΔE ^fs = E(2P _3/2) − E(2P _1/2) and in the hyperfine structure of the 2P _1/2-and 2P _3/2-wave energy levels. The resulting values of ΔE ^fs = 8352.08 μeV, ΔẼ ^hfs(2P _1/2) = 7819.80 μeV, and ΔẼ ^hfs(2P _3/2) = 3248.03 μeV provide reliable guidelines in performing a comparison with relevant experimental data and in more precisely extracting the experimental value of the (2P–2S) Lamb shift in the muonic-hydrogen atom. Original Russian Text ? A.P. Martynenko, 2008, published in Yadernaya Fizika, 2008, Vol. 71, No. 1, pp. 126–136.     

Generation of coherent tunable deep UV radiation for detection and absorption studies of explosives RDX and TNT

We report a technique for the efficient generation of tunable coherent deep UV radiation and its application in studies of RDX and TNT at the ppm level on the basis of their absorption characteristics. The obtained experimental absorption data are compared with conventional spectrophotometric data. The UV radiation in the range 200–260 nm has been generated by the type-I noncollinear third harmonic of the dye laser radiation (600–700 nm) and also by sum frequency mixing (SFM) of Nd:YAG output (1064 nm) with the second harmonic of the dye laser in β-barium borate (BBO) crystal. The maximum conversion efficiency of the generated signal is estimated to be 57.5% at λ = 218.9 nm wavelength. Apart from measurements of the absorbance of RDX and TNT at different concentrations in their respective solutions, the minimum detection concentrations have also been ascertained. The estimated minimum detectable concentration of RDX is 8.47·10⁻⁹ M, whereas that for TNT is 35.7·10⁻⁹ M. The data were obtained using only ∼100 μJ/pulse of laser energy. Published in Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 74, No. 6, pp. 516–521, July–August, 2007.     

Effects of vacuum polarization and of proton polarizability in the Lamb shift of muonic hydrogen

The contributions to the Lamb shift in muonic hydrogen from hadronic vacuum polarization and from the correction associated with electron vacuum polarization and with the proton polarizability are calculated by using present-day experimental data on the cross section for e ⁺ e ⁻ annihilation into hadrons and on structure functions for deep-inelastic ep scattering. The numerical value of the total contribution to the (2P-2S) shift in muonic hydrogen is found to be 10.95 μeV. __________ Translated from Yadernaya Fizika, Vol. 64, No. 7, 2001, pp. 1358–1363. Original Russian Text Copyright ? 2001 by Martynenko, Faustov.     

Observation of the radiative kaon decay K − → µ−π0γν

Using data collected with the ISTRA+ spectrometer during the 2001 run of the U-70 proton synchrotron in Protvino, the first observation of the radiative kaon decay K ⁻ → μ⁻π⁰γν is reported. The ratio Br(K _μ3γ, 5 < E*_γ < 30 MeV)/Br(K _μ3) is found to be [0.270 ± 0.029(stat.) ± 0.026(syst.)]% and the ratio Br(K _μ3γ, 30 < E*_γ < 60 MeV)/Br(K _μ3) = [0.0448 ± 0.0068(stat.) ± 0.0099(syst.)]%. These ratios are consistent with the theoretical predictions 0.21 and 0.047%, respectively. The measured angular distribution asymmetry for the region 5 < E*_γ < 30 MeV, A(cos ϑ*_μγ) = 0.093 ± 0.141, is two standard deviations away from the theoretical prediction of 0.354. The measured asymmetry in the T-odd variable ξ = p_γ · (p_μ × p_π)/m _K ³ is −0.03 ± 0.13. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Erbium electroluminescence excitation in amorphous hydrogenated silicon under thermally stimulated deep-center tunneling ionization

A study of the electroluminescence of erbium-doped, amorphous hydrogenated silicon, a-Si:H 〈Er〉, is reported. It has been found that the electroluminescence intensity at the wavelength λ=1.54 μm corresponding to the ⁴ I _13/2→⁴ I _15/2 intra-4f shell transition in Er passes through a maximum near room temperature. The unusual temperature and field dependences of the electroluminescence indicate electric-field induced multi-phonon tunneling emission of electrons from deep centers. The electroluminescence of Er³⁺ ions is due to their becoming excited as conduction-band electrons are captured by neutral dangling bonds (D ⁰ centers), which form when erbium is incorporated into the amorphous matrix. This Auger process transforms the center from its neutral state, D ⁰, to a negatively charged state, D ⁻, and the energy released in the capture is transferred by Coulomb interaction into the erbium-ion 4f shell. The steady-state current through the electroluminescent structure is supported by the reverse process of multi-phonon tunneling-electron emission from the D ⁻ center to the conduction band. The proposed theoretical model is in a good agreement with experimental data. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 41, 210–217 (February 1999)