Temperature dependence of luminescence time-resolved spectra from quartz

Pulsed optical stimulation of luminescence has been used to study the thermal dependence of luminescence lifetimes in quartz over the temperature range 20–200°C. Time-resolved spectra for lifetime analysis were recorded from samples of quartz over a dynamic range of 64 μs following stimulation of luminescence by pulsed 525 nm green light emitting diodes (LEDs) using an 11 μs pulse and 12% duty cycle. It has been demonstrated that an increase in measurement temperature generally leads to a decrease in lifetimes from about 30 μs at 20°C to about 7 μs at 200°C. The form of the decrease is influenced by the initial optical or thermal pre-treatment of samples.     

Time-resolved luminescence from annealed synthetic quartz under 525 nm pulsed green light stimulation

The influence of annealing on lifetimes has been studied in synthetic quartz annealed at temperatures up to 800°C using time-resolved optical stimulation in the range 20–200°C. Luminescence was stimulated using pulsed 525 nm light-emitting-diodes. There is an increase with annealing temperature in the lifetime measured at 20°C for samples annealed beyond 500°C. Further, lifetimes decrease with measurement temperature in a manner consistent with the thermal quenching of luminescence.     

On the dielectric loss and thermal bleaching of calcite irradiated by X-rays

The changes produced by X-ray irradiation in the dielectric and optical properties of calcite crystals are reported. At ordinary temperatures, the dielectric constant as well as the dielectric loss of the uncoloured crystal remains practically unchanged in the frequency region of 10 kc/s-15 Mc/s. It has been found that the temperature variation of its dielectric loss can be represented by an equation tan where A and B are constants; this is attributed to the movement of vacancies in the crystal.

On irradiation by X-rays, calcite exhibits pronounced optical absorption in the ultraviolet region beyond 400 mμ; the dielectric loss of calcite also increases considerably on colouration. The thermoluminescence shows a very strong glow peak at 85°C with minor ones at higher temperatures. During thermal bleaching, the dielectric loss of the coloured crystal shows a prominent maximum in the temperature range 70–120°C and beyond 230°C, it varies in the same way as in the case of the uncoloured crystal. The correspondence between the change in dielectric loss and the first glow peak is possibly due to thermal release of trapped electrons. The optical absorption disappears when the crystal is heated to 350°C and on cooling to room temperature, its dielectric loss returns to its original value before colouration.     

Synthesis and physical behaviour of In2S3 films

In₂S₃ layers have been grown by close-spaced evaporation of pre-synthesized In₂S₃ powder from its constituent elements. The layers were deposited on glass substrates at temperatures in the range, 200–350 °C. The effect of substrate temperature on composition, structure, morphology, electrical and optical properties of the as-grown indium sulfide films has been studied. The synthesized powder exhibited cubic structure with a grain size of 63.92 nm and S/In ratio of 1.01. The films grown at 200 °C were amorphous in nature while its crystallinity increased with the increase of substrate temperature to 300 °C. The films exhibited pure tetragonal β-In₂S₃ phase at the substrate temperature of 350 °C. The surface morphological analysis revealed that the films grown at 300 °C had an average roughness of 1.43 nm. These films showed a S/In ratio of 0.98 and a lower electrical resistivity of 1.28 × 10³ Ω cm. The optical band gap was found to be direct and the layers grown at 300 °C showed a higher optical transmittance of 78% and an energy band gap of 2.49 eV.     

New plastic optical fiber using polycarbonate core and fluorescence-doped fiber for high temperature use

This article describes the development of a plastic optical fiber composed of a polycarbonate core with a glass transition temperature of 150°C, and a cladding of newly developed poly-4-methyl penten-1, which softens at 173°C. This cladding is suitable for use at temperatures up to 130°C. The minimum optical attenuation is 0.8 dB/m at 765 nm in the near-infrared region. The cause of the attenuation of the PC-core fiber was analyzed and the intrinsic loss limit was estimated to be 0.4 dB/m at 765 nm. The fiber has excellent characteristics, including thermal stability up to 125°C, high flexibility, high strength, and self-extinguishing properties.

The polycarbonate core fiber, doped organic fluorescing materials, has also been developed for automotive uses such as light guide and illuminator. Light can be transmitted through this fiber with incident optical beam perpendicular to the fiber as well as the beam parallel to the fiber.     

Optical properties of a high-efficiency glass ceramic X-ray storage phosphor

The turbidity, photoluminescence, and photo-stimulated luminescence (PSL) of fluorozirconate glass containing barium chloride nano- and micro-crystals have been measured for samples prepared by isochronal (70 min) annealing over a temperature range of 220–283°C, and correlated with the microstructure as determined by X-ray diffraction measurements. Crystallization of hexagonal phase barium chloride commences at around 220°C, but until 275°C the material retains excellent transparency although it displays negligible PSL. Between 275°C and 277°C, the hexagonal phase converts to the orthorhombic phase, the transparency abruptly decreases, and the PSL rises to a value of around 13% of that found for the commercial storage phosphor BaFBr:Eu. For a slightly higher temperature of 280°C, new phases appear which correspond to the onset of bulk crystallization, and at 283°C the relative PSL rises to 33%, while the transparency falls further. The trade-off between optical transparency and PSL over this narrow temperature window for X-ray imaging plate applications is briefly discussed.     

Hydrogen related effects in a-Si:H studied by photothermal deflection spectroscopy

A study of thermal annealing of a-Si:H samples between 300 and 600°C has been carried out. At increasing annealing temperatures, the sub-gap absorption measured by PDS increases showing two inflections, centered at 375 and 550°C. The hydrogen content measured by thermal desorption spectroscopy evolves in the same temperature range, whereas the evolution of the hydrogen content deduced from the IR transmission spectra differs, decreasing sooner and vanishing already at about 450°C.     

Silver ionic conductivity enhancement by network former mixed in oxide-based glasses

Glasses in the binary system xAg₂P₂O₆ − (1 − x)Ag₂Te₂O₅ have been prepared for 0 x 1. For each composition only one glass transition temperature is observed in the temperature range of 180–220 °C. All glasses appear homogeneous considering their optical and electrical properties. Nevertheless, in SEM observations, some glass compositions appear to be heterogeneous after decoration following short nitric acid etching. For each composition, conductivity data obtained in the temperature range of 25–200 °C using impedance techniques obey an Arrhenius relationship with a composition independent pre-exponential term. Variation of the conductivity activation energy with x induces correlative variations of isothermal conductivity curves leading to an increase of the ionic conductivity of about one order of magnitude compared with linearity at 25 °C. This behaviour is discussed with respect to the thermodynamic properties of the glassy solutions.     

Demonstration of high extinction ratio modal interference in a two-mode fiber and its applications for all-fiber comb filter and high-temperature sensor

We show that high extinction ratio (>20 dB) modal interference in a two-mode dispersion compensating fiber can be utilized to build a compact, easy-to-fabricate tunable all-fiber optical comb filter. Wavelength tunability over the full free spectral range of the comb filter is demonstrated with an electrical power of 115mW using an on-fiber thin film micro-heater deposited directly on the fiber. In another configuration, the comb filter is used as a temperature sensor with dynamic range of >300 °C and sensitivity of <0.1 °C. The temperature sensor is capable of measuring a temperature as high as 500 °C.     

Comparative study of the oxidation of thin porous silicon layers studied by reflectometry, spectroscopic ellipsometry and secondary ion mass spectroscopy

We present a systematic study on ultrathin porous silicon (PS) layers (40–120 nm) of different porosities, formed by electrochemical etching and followed by thermal oxidation treatment (300°C and 600°C) and by electrochemical oxidation. The oxidised and non-oxidised PS layers have been analysed by spectroscopic reflectometry (SR), spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS). The SR and SE spectra were fitted by a multiparameter fit program and the composition and the thickness of the PS layers were evaluated by different optical models. PS layers, formed electrochemically in the outermost layer of a p/n⁺ monocrystalline silicon junction were successfully evaluated using a gradient porosity optical model. The non-oxidised PS, formed in p-type silicon, can be well described by a simple optical model (one-layer of two-components, silicon and voids). The spectra of the oxidised PS layers can be fitted better using an optical model with three interdependent components (crystalline-silicon, silicon-dioxide, voids). The SIMS results give a strong support for the optical model used for SR and SE.     

Study of the 110°C TL peak sensitivity in optical dating of quartz

As the 110°C TL emission in quartz uses the same luminescence centers as the OSL emission, the 110°C TL signal from a test dose may be used to monitor the OSL sensitivity change. It is thus important to study the relationship between the 110°C TL peak and the OSL sensitivity in studies related to optical dating from quartz. We have conducted a series of experiments using sedimentary quartz, where the annealing temperatures were varied between 260 and 1000°C before the measurement of OSL and 110°C TL sensitivities. Another series of experiments on two sedimentary quartz samples investigated the 110°C TL peak and OSL dose-dependent sensitivity change after different annealing temperatures. In these experiments, the 110°C TL and OSL signals from the test dose are shown to have similar sensitization characteristics: the 110°C TL sensitivity change is proportional to the OSL sensitivity change if the annealing temperature is lower than 500°C. It is concluded that the 110°C TL signal can be used to correct the OSL sensitivity change in the single-aliquot additive-dose protocol.     

Photoluminescence and X-ray characterisation of Si/Si1−xGex multiple quantum wells

We present an experimental approach to correlate optical and structural properties of Si/Si_1−xGe_x multiple quantum wells as determined by photoluminescence (PL) and X-ray diffraction, respectively. The optical properties of the quantum wells were characterised by studying the dependence of luminescence on temperature and excitation density. An enhanced PL yield and an increased quenching temperature were observed for a sample grown at 650°C as compared to one grown at 600°C. Pronounced interdiffusion across the multiple quantum well interfaces as well as significant lattice distortions within the SiGe layers have been observed.     

Ruggedized multimode star coupler for military applications

The development of a high-performance, ruggedized multimode star coupler intended for use in fiber optic data transmission networks aboard naval surface ships is reported. The coupler was designed to exhibit superior optical performance in terms of both low loss and highly uniform coupling. It was also designed to survive a range of severe environmental and mechanical tests, including impact from a 400-lb hammer dropped from a 5 foot height, and a temperature range of - 62°C to 125°C. The coupler sizes produced ranged from 8 × 8 to 64 × 64 port devices. Essential features of the design along with sample performance data are presented.     

Dielectric, thermal and optical study of an unusually shaped liquid crystal

Dielectric measurements have been carried out for the determination of real and imaginary parts of the permittivity of a newly synthesized, unusually shaped liquid crystal. The sample has been investigated in the frequency range from 100 Hz to 10 MHz within a temperature range 80-130 °C. The dielectric measurements in the smectic A phase indicate a Cole-Cole type of dispersion, and the activation energy was found to be 5.5 meV by using the Arrhenius plot of relaxation time. In addition to this, thermal and optical transmittance studies have also been conducted in the above mentioned temperature range, and the temperature dependence of these parameters has been discussed in detail. The phase transition temperature obtained from a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) study matches within 2 °C that was obtained from an optical transmittance study. The dielectric and optical behavior of the unusually shaped liquid crystal has been explained on the basis of a proposed theoretical model in which a sample possesses two different conformers having induced polarizations in opposite directions.     

The temperature dependence of the short wavelength transmittance limit of vacuum ultraviolet window materials—I. Experiment

The short wavelength transmittance limit or cut-off wavelength, λ_co, of LiF, MgF₂, CaF₂, LaF₃, BaF₂, sapphire, synthetic crystal quartz and fused quartz has been measured from about 100°C to about 10°K. λ_co is not a well denned quantity, so for the purpose of this experiment it has been arbitrarily taken as the wavelength where transmittance could just be measured, usually 0.1-0.5 per cent. With one exception λ_co shifted to shorter wavelengths as the sample was cooled; the shift varied from about 40 to 80 Å over the temperature range from 100°C to 10°K, depending on the material, with the largest shift occurring in BaF₂;. The exception was LaF₃ which showed no measurable change in λ_co wth temperature. Over the temperature range from 20° to 100°C the slope of λ_co, with temperature for all materials was fairly constant, but below 20°C it decreased, approaching zero as the temperature approached 20°-10°K. In the case of synthetic crystal quartz, for example, the slope changed from about 0.28 Å/°K at room temperature to about 0.055 Å/°K at 80°K.     

Influence of preheating treatment on the luminescence properties of adularia feldspar (KAlSi3O8)

During the firing of ceramics that contain alkali feldspar grains (up to 900°C in bricks and 1200°C in porcelains) the metastable equilibrium of these natural materials is altered (refractory minerals, neo-formed minerals and new glassy components). Hence, potassium rich feldspar lattices, which are being used in some routines of archaeological dating and retrospective dosimetry, suffer minor modifications by preheating and irradiation treatments (K-self-diffusion, stretching, etc.). In this paper, some pre-heatings of a K-feldspar (adularia) from Saint Gothard (Switzerland) attempted to simulate the temperatures and conditions undergone in brick manufacturing processes (1000°C for 24 h and 1200°C for 240 h). Some changes in the behavior of the TL and RL spectral curves were detected after combinations of thermal pretreatments (at 400°C for 48 h; 500°C for 72 h; 600°C for 96 h and 700°C for 144 h) and irradiations. Comparisons between high temperature annealed (1000 and 1200°C) and non-annealed adularias show spectacular changes in the shape of the TL glow curves: natural-irradiated adularia displays a single large peak at 100°C, whereas annealed adularias show a very complex structure. The observed modifications, probably due to thermal alkali self-diffusion through the lattice interfaces, tilting of the Al–Si crankshafts and phase exsolutions, have been detected by X-ray diffraction.     

Studies of ionic conductivity and structural phase transitions of Na3H(SO4)2 crystal

The complex electrical impedance of Na₃H(SO₄)₂ along the b_m-axis has been measured from 25°C to 316°C in the frequency range 4 kHz–40 MHz. The temperature dependence of the electrical conductivity shows remarkable changes in the temperature range 160°C–260°C. The sample crystal becomes a fast ionic conductor above 260°C. The conduction mechanisms of proton and sodium ions in the different phases are analyzed in detail with respect to the structural features of the sample crystal.     

Hydrogen enhanced oxygen diffusion

The diffusion of oxygen impurities in Cz silicon is thought to occur by a single process over the temperature range 350–1250°C. Enhanced oxygen diffusion has been reported for samples which have been subjected to high temperature pre-anneals, deliberate metallic contamination or irradiation by high energy electrons. Recently, enhanced oxygen diffusion has also been observed for samples annealed in a hydrogen plasma and there are correlated enhancements in the rate of production of thermal donors. It seems likely that hydrogen is also responsible for the enhanced rates of oxygen diffusion previously observed and these findings may have important consequences for plasma processing.     

Ln1−xSrxCoO3(Ln = Sm, Dy) for the electrode of solid oxide fuel cells

The perovskite-type oxides were synthesized in the series of Ln_1−xSr_xCoO₃(Ln = Sm, Dy). The formation of solid solutions in Dy_{1 − x}Sr_xCoO₃ was limited, compared with that in Sm_{1 − x}Sr_xCoO₃. The electrical conductivities of the sintered samples were measured as a function of x in the temperature range 30 to 1000 °C. The highest conductivity of around 500 S/cm at 1000 °C was found in Sm_0.7Sr_0.3CoO₃. The reactivity of all the samples with YSZ was examined at 800–1000 °C for 96 h. The Sr-doped perovskite oxides were more reactive with YSZ and produced SrZrO₃ at 900 °C after 96 h. However, no reaction product between SmCoO₃ and YSZ was observed at 1000 °C for 96 h. The cathodic polarization of the oxide electrodes, sputtered on yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ), was studied at 800–1000 °C in air. SmCoO₃ shows no degradation of the electrode performance at higher temperatures. The thermal expansion measurements on the sintered samples were carried out from room temperature to 1000 °C. Large thermal expansion coefficients were found in these samples.     

High and low thermal nitridation of SiO2 thin films

Thin thermal SiO₂ films on crystalline silicon substrate were nitrided at low ammonia pressures (10^-6P_NH310^-1 mbar) for times varying from 1 to 10 h, by means of two techniques. (i) Surface nitridation has been achieved by thermal activation at high temperature (HT), in the range 800–1100°C. (ii) A new process at low temperature (LT), was employed at T ≈ 30°C, under electron-beam irradiation; the nitridation-reaction rate depends on the electron energy (reaching a maximum within the energy range 1 to 2 keV), and on the electron flux. Conduction and electron trapping on the nitrided oxide films depends on the chemical compositions and on the amount of nitrogen incorporated into the bulk of the films and/or at the SiO₂-Si interface.