Ion beam exposure of resists

Problems caused by the statistical variation of the number of exposing ions in ionbeam lithography are discussed. Using Poisson statistics, the minimum dose required for exposure as a function of resist sensitivity and minimum feature size is calculated. It is found that, although ion-beam resists show a very high sensitivity of 10¹¹ to 10¹³,cm^–2, it would be possible to use still more sensitive resists and obtain submicron linewidth resolution.     

Influence of resists on reactive ion etching

In the course of plasma etching we can observe a loading effect, i.e. the etch rate depends on the size of the etched surface exposed to the plasma. This phenomenon was explained according to Mogab by the plasma active etch species depletion via a rapid etch reaction. But there exist more coomplicated systems, for example SiO₂-photoresist SCR17-CHF₃, where the SiO₂ surface can be etched and a polymer layer can grow on the photoresist surface. The etching of SiO₂ is also influenced by different resists in the case of differences in their chemical structure. The degree of electrode coating with a resist influences both the etch rate of the masking layer. This may be used for the control of the etching selectivity in the SiO₂-resist system independently of other process parameters.The author is grateful to Mr. Z. Pokorný for his help in preparing the SiO₂ layers used in all experiments.     

Charged condensation

We consider Bose–Einstein condensation of massive electrically charged scalars in a uniform background of charged fermions. We focus on the case when the scalar condensate screens the background charge, while the net charge of the system resides on its boundary surface. A distinctive signature of this substance is that the photon acquires a Lorentz-violating mass in the bulk of the condensate. Due to this mass, the transverse and longitudinal gauge modes propagate with different group velocities. We give qualitative arguments that at high enough densities and low temperatures a charged system of electrons and helium-4 nuclei, if held together by laboratory devices or by force of gravity, can form such a substance. We briefly discuss possible manifestations of the charged condensate in compact astrophysical objects.     

DNA condensation and size effects of DNA condensation agent

Based on the model of the strong correlation of counterions condensed on DNA molecule, by tailoring interaction potential, interduplex spacing and correlation spacing between condensed counterions on DNA molecule and interduplex spacing fluctuation strength, toroidal configuration, rod-like configuration and two-hole configurations are possible. The size effects of counterion structure on the toroidal structure can be detected by this model. The autocorrelation function of the tangent vectors is found as an effective way to detect the structure of toroidal conformations and the generic pathway of the process of DNA condensation. The generic pathway of all of the configurations involves an initial nucleation loop, and the next part of the DNA chain is folded on the top of the initial nucleation loop with different manners, in agreement with the recent experimental results.     

Manning-Oosawa counterion condensation

Counterion condensation is a basic feature of 2D electrostatics exhibited by highly charged rodlike polymers such as DNA. In the framework of the Poisson Boltzmann equation with salt, we show that such a polymer of radius a attracts a condensate of thickness RM=A(axi)1/2 where xi is the Debye length and A depends weakly on the polymer charge density q0. To leading order in 1/ln(xi/a), we derive the condensate structure and show that free ions follow universal density profiles independent of a and q0. Generalizing this approach we calculate ion profiles for finite concentration solutions.     

Interaction-driven real-space condensation

We study real-space condensation in a broad class of stochastic mass transport models. We show that the steady state of such models has a pair-factorized form which generalizes the standard factorized steady states. The condensation in this class of models is driven by interactions which give rise to a spatially extended condensate that differs fundamentally from the previously studied examples. We present numerical results as well as a theoretical analysis of the condensation transition and show that the criterion for condensation is related to the binding-unbinding transition of solid-on-solid interfaces.     

Photon condensation: A new paradigm for Bose–Einstein condensation

Bose–Einstein condensation is a state of matter known to be responsible for peculiar properties exhibited by superfluid Helium-4 and superconductors. Bose–Einstein condensate (BEC) in its pure form is realizable with alkali atoms under ultra-cold temperatures. In this paper, we review the experimental scheme that demonstrates the atomic Bose–Einstein condensate. We also elaborate on the theoretical framework for atomic Bose–Einstein condensation, which includes statistical mechanics and the Gross–Pitaevskii equation. As an extension, we discuss Bose–Einstein condensation of photons realized in a fluorescent dye filled optical microcavity. We analyze this phenomenon based on the generalized Planck’s law in statistical mechanics. Further, a comparison is made between photon condensate and laser. We describe how photon condensate may be a possible alternative for lasers since it does not require an energy consuming population inversion process.     

On the choice of the condensation pressure in the condensation approximation

The choice of the condensation pressure in the condensation approximation is a rather ambiguous step, and only fortuitously the methods of choice proposed by Harris and by Cerofolini give the same results when applied to the Fowler-Guggenheim isotherm. In fact, the two methods lead to different condensation pressures when considering the Hill-De Boer isotherm. This article is due to the necessity of clarifying what method may be opportunely used: the conclusions of our discussion show that if the condensation approximation is a good approximation, then the obtained distribution function does not depend markedly on the assumed condensation pressure.     

Alpha-particle condensation in nuclei

A round-up of the present status of the conjecture that nα nuclei form an α-particle condensate in excited states close to the nα threshold is given. Experiments which could demonstrate the condensate character are proposed. Possible lines of further theoretical developments are discussed.     

Bose condensation in biosystems

A microscopic approach to Fröhlich's theory of Bose condensation in biological systems is discussed. The conclusions from this microscopic analysis offer further support for Fröhlich's hypothesis.     

Bose-Einstein condensation at finite momentum and magnon condensation in thin film ferromagnets

We use the Gross-Pitaevskii equation to determine the spatial structure of the condensate density of interacting bosons whose energy dispersion ϵ _k has two degenerate minima at finite wave-vectors ± q. We show that in general the Fourier transform of the condensate density has finite amplitudes for all integer multiples of q. If the interaction is such that many Fourier components contribute, the Bose condensate is localized at the sites of a one-dimensional lattice with spacing 2 π/|q|; in this case Bose-Einstein condensation resembles the transition from a liquid to a crystalline solid. We use our results to investigate the spatial structure of the Bose condensate formed by magnons in thin films of ferromagnets with dipole-dipole interactions.     

Comment on pion condensation

A criterion for pion condensation in nucleon matter can be concisely formulated when the pion Green function is given by the sum of poles, and is simply that two poles on the opposite side of the real axis come together. This criterion gives identical instability conditions as found by Sawyer using a different method.     

Bose-Einstein condensation of chromium

We report on the generation of a Bose-Einstein condensate in a gas of chromium atoms, which have an exceptionally large magnetic dipole moment and therefore underlie anisotropic long-range interactions. The preparation of the chromium condensate requires novel cooling strategies that are adapted to its special electronic and magnetic properties. The final step to reach quantum degeneracy is forced evaporative cooling of 52Cr atoms within a crossed optical dipole trap. At a critical temperature of T(c) approximately 700 nK, we observe Bose-Einstein condensation by the appearance of a two-component velocity distribution. We are able to produce almost pure condensates with more than 50,000 condensed 52Cr atoms.     

Top condensation without fine-tuning

Quadratic divergencies which lead to the usual fine-tuning or hierarchy problem are discussed in top condensation models. As in the Standard Model a cancellation of quadratic divergencies is not possible without the boson contributions in the radiative corrections which are absent in lowest order of an 1/N_c-expansion. To deal with the cancellation of quadratic divergencies we propose therefore an expansion in the flavor degrees of freedom. In leading order we find the remarkable result that quadratic divergencies automatically disappear.     

Gluon condensation and QCD

We apply a suitably modified form of Migdals' recently proposed scheme of gluon condensation in QCD to the case of two static colour point sources. Estimates for the condensate energy are self-consistently determined.