Anomalous polarization dependence of the photon drag and optical rectification fields inn-type gallium phosphide

The photon drag and optical rectification response fromn-type gallium phosphide containing 2.4×10¹⁶ electrons cm^–3 has been studied using laser sources at 10.61 and 2.83m. By using different contact configurations, the existence of an additional electric field term in the propagation direction has been deduced. This field is shown to arise from the spatial derivatives of the photon drag and optical rectification field components caused by absorption of the radiation. The importance of this effect in detector design is considered.     

Infrared free electron laser measurement of the photon drag effect in P-silicon

We report the use of FELIX (free electron laser for infrared experiments) to study photon drag in p-silicon over the wavelength range 25–80m. Previous spot measurements using a pulsed water vapour laser had indicated high response at 28 and 33m associated with transitions within the valence band. These earlier results have been confirmed and the main futures of the extended photon drag spectrum are also explainable by reference to the valence band structure. A practical outcome of the experiment is the design of a subnanosecond response time detector to observe the 1GHz frequency micropulse output from FELIX.     

Soft photon problem in leptonic B-decays

We point out at the peculiarity of B→μν_μ decay, namely the enhancement of the soft photon events which originate from the structure dependent part of the B→μν_μγ amplitude. This may be a dominant source of systematic uncertainty and compromise the projected experimental uncertainty on Γ(B→μν_μ). We show that the effect of these soft photons can be controlled if the experimental cut on identification of soft photons is lowered and especially if the better resolution in identifying the momentum of muon emerging from B→μν_μ is made. A lattice QCD computation of the relevant form factors would be highly helpful for a better numerical control over the structure dependent soft photon emission.     

UP-conversion of terahertz radiation induced by photon drag effect

An all-optical approach to convert terahertz radiation (THz, wavelength λ₁) into infrared (IR, peak wavelength λ₂) is presented. We show that this up-conversion process is due to the photon drag effect induced by the THz radiation in intrinsic narrow-gap semiconductors followed by spatial redistribution of current carriers and band-to-band radiative recombination. The process results in non-selective high-speed (ns range rise/fall times) IR imaging of positive (conventional luminescence) and/or negative (negative luminescence) contrasts. Estimates made for an InSb pixelless converter at 300 K and moderate THz intensity (kW/cm²) show that this up-conversion process (with λ₁/λ₂>10²) can be observed with a conventional thermal imaging camera.     

Intercomparison of the response of different photon and neutron detectors around a spent fuel cask

An intercomparison of the response of different photon and neutron detectors was performed in several measurement positions around a spent fuel cask (type TN 12/2B) filled with 4 MOX and 8 UO₂ 15 × 15 PWR fuel assemblies at the nuclear power plant Gösgen (KKG) in Switzerland. The instruments used in the study were both active and passive, photon and neutron detectors calibrated either for ambient or personal dose equivalent.The aim of the measurement campaign was to compare the responses of the radiation instruments to routinely used detectors.It has been shown that especially the indications of the neutron detectors are strongly dependent on the neutron spectra around the cask due to their different energy responses. However, routinely used active photon and neutron detectors were shown to be reliable instruments.     

A DFG spectrometer at 3 μm for high resolution molecular spectroscopy and trace gas detection

We report the realization and characterization of a spectrometer based on difference frequency generation using a periodically poled lithium niobate crystal. As signal and pump lasers we used a diode-pumped Nd–YAG laser (λ=1.064 μm) and an extended cavity semiconductor diode laser (λ=0.785 μm), respectively. The mid-infrared coherent radiation was produced at 3 μm with a maximum power of about 160 nW obtained with 340 mW of signal and only 3.4 mW of pump. That corresponds to an efficiency of 0.01%/Wcm, which is in good agreement with other data available in literature. The generated radiation around 3 μm has allowed us to study fundamental absorption bands of molecules of great atmospheric and physical interest such as water vapor and the hydroxyl free radical. In this work we report preliminary spectroscopic results concerning the ν₁ 5₄₁→6₅₂ H₂O line at 2.968 μm. In particular, for this line we provide the first experimental estimation of self-, N₂- and O₂-broadening coefficients.     

Evaluating the influence of experimental conditions on the photon energy response of Al2O3:C optically stimulated luminescence detectors

This work presents a determination of the photon energy response of Al₂O₃:C optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) detectors (single crystals and Luxel^® detectors) to photons with mean energies from 10 keV to 1225 keV. Irradiations were performed free-in-air using standard X-ray fields (narrow-spectrum series) specified by the International Organization for Standardization. The OSL readouts were conducted under different conditions (e.g., different optical filters; continuous or pulsed stimulation) and the analyses were performed using the initial OSL intensity or total OSL area. The measured photon energy response of the OSL signal was compared to the ratio between the mass–energy absorption coefficient for Al₂O₃:C and air. The results demonstrate that the photon energy response of Al₂O₃:C is not only dependent on the energy deposited, but also on the experimental conditions. This is attributed to the effect of ionization density on the OSL properties of Al₂O₃:C, which affects the shape of the OSL curve and the relative intensity of the OSL emission bands. The results highlight the importance of maintaining similar OSL readout conditions and using similar types of detectors when determining and applying photon energy correction factors.     

Enhancement of field emission of SnO2 nanowires film by exposure of hydrogen gas

The effect of hydrogen (H₂) gas exposure on the field emission properties of tin oxide (SnO₂) nanowires films synthesized by the carbon thermal reduction vapor transport method was investigated. The exposure of H₂ gas results in the reduction of the turn-on voltage for driving a current of 10 nA from 7.6 V/μm to 5.5 V/μm and the increase of the field current based on 10 V/μm from 0.47 μA to 2.1 μA. The Fowler–Nordheim plot obtained from the current–voltage data supports that the field emission enhancement of SNW film is attributed to the reduction of the work function by the H₂ exposure.     

Development of a fast temperature sensor for combustion gases using a single tunable diode laser

The 12 best NIR water transition line pairs for temperature measurements with a single DFB laser in flames are determined by systematic analysis of the HITRAN simulation of the water spectra in the 1–2 μm spectral region. A specific line pair near 1.4 μm was targeted for non-intrusive measurements of gas temperature in combustion systems using a scanned-wavelength technique with wavelength modulation and 2f detection. This sensor uses a single diode laser (distributed-feedback), operating near 1.4 μm and is wavelength scanned over a pair of H₂O absorption transitions (7154.354 cm^-1 & 7153.748 cm^-1) at a 2 kHz repetition rate. The wavelength is modulated (f=500 kHz) with modulation amplitude a=0.056 cm^-1. Gas temperature is inferred from the ratio of the second harmonic signals of the two selected H₂O transitions. The fiber-coupled-single-laser design makes the system compact, rugged, low cost and simple to assemble. As part of the sensor development effort, design rules were applied to optimize the line selection, and fundamental spectroscopic parameters of the selected transitions were determined via laboratory measurements including the temperature-dependent line strength, self-broadening coefficients, and air-broadening coefficients. The new sensor design includes considerations of hardware and software to enable fast data acquisition and analysis; a temperature readout rate of 2 kHz was demonstrated for measurements in a laboratory flame at atmospheric pressure. The combination of scanned-wavelength and wavelength-modulation minimizes interference from emission and beam steering, resulting in a robust temperature sensor that is promising for combustion control applications.PACS 42.62.Fi; 42.55.Px; 42.60.Fc; 39.30+w     

Proton conductivity and phase relationship in solid KOH between 248 and 406°C

Existing evidence indicates that between 248°C and the melting point at 406°C, KOH is a rotator phase. We have shown that, as might be expected, this results in enhanced proton conductivity, and a value of 2×10⁻³ ohms⁻¹ cm⁻¹ was found at 350°C, which is the highest reported for proton conducting solid electrolytes in this temperature range. Excess protons are provided by water molecules residing on the normal OH^- sites, and charge compensation is provided by CO²⁻₃ ions in the solid solution of KOH(≈ 1 m/o K₂CO₃, 1.3m/o H₂O). The activation energy for proton hopping between adjacent H₂O and OH⁻ species probably accounts for most of the observed activation energy of 53±3 kJ mol⁻¹. From TGA studies the isobars at 0.05 and 10 Torr were established for KOH-rich compositions in the KOH---H₂O system, and it was shown that the rotator phase of KOH is stable between these vapour pressures.     

Vibrational Spectra and Structure of Potassium Alum Kal(SO4)2·12[(H2O) x (D2O)1−x ]

The IR spectra and polarization Raman spectra of Kal(SO₄)₂·12(H₂O) and Kal(SO₄)₂·12[H₂O)_0.3(D₂O)_0.7] crystals at 93 K and room temperature have been obtained experimentally. The vibrational spectra of structural elements of potassium alum — the complexes [Al(H₂O)₆ ³⁺ and [Al(D₂O)₆]³⁺ — have been calculated. The vibrational spectra have been interpreted based on the calculation and factor-group analysis data. The spectral data obtained point to the fact that, in the crystals considered, the sulfate ions are partially disordered and there exist two crystallographically different types of water molecules.     

Compositionally asymmetrical multiquantum wells: “Pseudo-molecules” for giant optical nonlinearities in the infrared (9–11 μm)

Intersubband transitions in quantum well have extremely large oscillator strengths and induce strong nonlinear effects in structures where inversion symmetry is broken, realized by growing AlGaAs quantum wells with asymmetrical A1 gradients. These compositionally asymmetrical multiquantum wells may thus be viewed as giant “quasimolecules” optimized for optimal nonlinearities in the mid infrared. Optical rectification as well as second harmonic generation have been measured in those structures using a continuous CO₂ laser. At 10.6 μm the nonlinear coefficients are more than 3 orders of magnitude higher in these samples than for bulk GaAs (i.e. χ₀⁽²⁾ = 5.3 × 10⁻⁶m/V, χ_2ω⁽²⁾ = 7.2 × 10⁻⁷ m/V) and are in good agreement with theoretical predictions. We present more complex “pseudo-molecules” involving weakly coupled quantum wells. The optical rectification effects in these devices are so large χ₀⁽²⁾ = 1.6 × 10⁻³ m/V) that application to infrared detection may be envisioned.     

Far infrared emission spectra from stratospheric hydrogen peroxide

Synthetic emission spectra from two stratospheric altitude observations have been analyzed for the presence of H₂O₂ in the far infrared region. The calculations are made with a high spectral resolution (10^–3 cm^–1 or 10^–4 cm^–1) greater than those in experimental measurements which are in the region of 3.10^–3 cm^–1. Spectra cover a spectral interval between 40 and 120 cm^–1 showing the best features of H₂O₂ susceptible to observation in a stratospheric spectrum. The optimum conditions for identification have been considered. Using the variations in H₂O₂ abundance in the measurement data and photochemical models, the H₂O₂ features detection limits have been studied.     

Polarization operator of a photon in a magnetic field

The polarization operator of a photon in a static uniform magnetic field has been studied at photon energies both above and below the threshold of electron–positron pair production by a photon. In the first order of the fine-structure constant α, expressions for the refractive index of a photon with a certain polarization in both low and high fields as compared to the critical field H₀ = 4.41 × 10¹³ G have been obtained. Both the purely quantum range of photon energies, where the particles of a pair are produced at the lowest Landau levels, and the region of applicability of the semiclassical approximation in the case of the population of high energy levels have been considered. A general spectral integral formula has been obtained with divergent threshold terms separated in an explicit form.     

Molecular beam epitaxy growth of HgCdTe for high performance infrared photon detectors

Significant progresses have been made in the molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) growth of HgCdTe for high performance infrared photon detectors with the aid of in situ and ex situ characterization techniques. Superlattice interfacial layers compensate in part for the influence of non-ideal CdZnTe substrates and hence improved the material quality as well as yield. They result in photoconductive carrier recombination lifetimes approaching theoretical limits set by the intrinsic radiative and Auger recombination mechanisms for 8–14 μm long-wavelength infrared HgCdTe. Very high composition and thickness uniformities have also been achieved. However, the Urbach tail energy, which is associated with structural disorder, was found to be non-uniform for both large wafer (up to 20 × 20 mm²) and very small area (down to 200 × 200 μm²). After several years of improvements in MBE HgCdTe growth techniques, substrates once again have become a bottleneck to further improvements.     

Far infrared studies of the formation of potassium fluoride dihydrate in and its interaction with low molecular weight polytetrafluorethylene

The process of preparing low molecular weight polytetrafluorethylene by high temperature oxidation with potassium nitrate has been shown to lead to the formation of potassium fluoride in the polymer. This is found to absorb water vapour from the atmosphere forming its dihydrate KF.2H₂O, a crystalline substance which shows a complex many line spectrum in the far infrared. The observed spectrum of KF.2H₂O in the matrix differs in one major respect (the absence of a band at 73 cm^–1) from that of pure KF.2H₂O showing that there is some specific interaction between the dihydrate and its polymeric host.     

Line intensities of C2H2 in the 7.7 μm spectral region

Absolute intensities of 414 lines are measured in eight bands of the 7.7 μm spectral region of the ¹²C₂H₂ molecule, with an average accuracy of 5%. Vibrational transition dipole moment squared values and empirical Herman–Wallis coefficients are obtained in order to model the rotational dependence of the transition dipole moment squared, except for some forbidden bands for which smoothed values are given. These data are used to calculate a line list for atmospheric or astrophysical applications.     

Uncooled infrared photodetectors in Poland

The history and present status of the middle and long wavelength Hg_1-xCd_xTe infrared detectors in Poland are reviewed. Research and development efforts in Poland were concentrated mostly on uncooled market niche. Technology of the infrared photodetectors has been developed by several research groups. The devices are based on mercury-based variable band gap semiconductor alloys. Modified isothermal vapour phase epitaxy (ISOVPE) has been used for many years for research and commercial fabrication of photoconductive, photoelectromagnetic and other devices. Bulk growth and liquid phase epitaxy was also used. At present, the fabrication of IR devices relies on low temperature epitaxial technique, namely metalorganic vapour phase deposition (MOCVD), frequently in combination with the ISOVPE. Photoconductive and photoelectromagnetic detectors are still in production. The devices are gradually replaced with photovoltaic devices which offer inherent advantages of no electric or magnetic bias, no heat load and no flicker noise. Potentially, the PV devices could offer high performance and very fast response. At present, the uncooled long wavelength devices of conventional design suffer from two issues; namely low quantum efficiency and very low junction resistance. It makes them useless for practical applications. The problems have been solved with advanced 3D band gap engineered architecture, multiple cell heterojunction devices connected in series, monolithic integration of the detectors with microoptics and other improvements. Present fabrication program includes devices which are optimized for operation at any wavelength within a wide spectral range 1–15 μm and 200–300 K temperature range. Special solutions have been applied to improve speed of response. Some devices show picoseconds range response time. The devices have found numerous civilian and military applications. The paper presented there appears in Infrared Photoelectronics, edited by Antoni Rogalski, Eustace L. Dereniak, Fiodor F. Sizov, Proc. SPIE Vol. 5957, 59570K (2005).     

Line Parameters for Ozone Hot Bands in the 3.3-μm Spectral Region

Line positions, intensities, and lower state energies have been calculated for eight hot bands of ¹⁶O₃ in the 3.3-μm spectral region. The results are based on spectroscopic parameters deduced in recent high-resolution laboratory studies and improved rotational energy levels of the (103), (004), and (310) vibrational states derived by refitting earlier data and experimental (004) energy levels from measurements of the 4ν₃ - ν₃ hot band. The good quality of the new parameters has been verified through comparisons of line-by-line simulations with high-resolution laboratory spectra. The present work and the results of our analyses of the main bands at 3.6 μm [Smith et al., J. Mol. Spectrosc.139, 171-181 (1990)] and 3.3 μm [Camy-Peyret et al., J. Mol. Spectrosc.141, 134-144 (1990)] provide a complete set of ozone spectroscopic line parameters covering the 3-μm region.     

Laser schlieren measurement of vibrational relaxation times for N2O in mixtures containing CO,N2, and Ar behind a shock wave

The laser schlieren method has been used behind shock waves where the temperatures are 410–2400°K to measure the vibrational relaxation times for N₂O and also for mixtures of N₂O with CO, N₂, and Ar. The vibrational relaxational times of N₂O have been measured for collisions with these partners, and it has been found that the effectiveness of N₂ in relaxation is close to that of N₂O, whereas CO results in accelerated vibrational relaxation of N₂O. A comparison is made with the available published data.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 11, pp. 3–8, November, 1984.We are indebted to V. V. Savkin for performing the mass spectral analyses.