Influence of porosity on laser damage threshold of sol–gel ZrO2 and SiO2 monolayer films

Monolayer ZrO₂ sol–gel and physical vapor deposition (PVD) films were prepared by spin method and electron beam evaporation method, respectively. Monolayer sol–gel SiO₂ films were prepared with the dip-coating method from acid and base catalyzed SiO₂ sols, respectively. Some of the SiO₂ base films were subsequently treated in saturated ammonia gas for 20 h. The laser induced damage threshold (LIDT) of each film was measured. Properties of the films were analyzed by using Stanford photo-thermal solutions (SPTSs), ellipsometer, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and optical microscopy. The experimental results showed that porous ratio is an essential factor to decide the LIDT for sol–gel films, which benefits the pressure exerted on the film or substrate by the moving particle to dissipate. The films with lower thermal absorption and higher porous ratio have higher LIDT.     

Laser-induced damage threshold in n-on-1 regime of Ta_2O_5 films at 532,800,and 1064 nm

Ta_2O5 films were prepared with conventional electron beam evaporation and annealed in O_2 at 673 K for 12h.Laser-induced damage thresholds(LIDTs)of the films were performed at 532 and 1064 nm in 1-on-1 regime firstly,and then were performed at 532,800,and 1064 nm in n-on-1 regime,respectively- The results showed that the LIDTs in n-on-1 regime were higher than that in 1-on-1 regime at 532 and 1064 nm.In addition,in n-on-1 regime,the LIDT increased with the increase of wavelength.Furthermore, both the optical property and LIDT of Ta_2O_5 films were influenced by annealing in O_2.     

Optical properties of $$\hbox {TlGa}(\hbox {S}_{{x}}\hbox {Se}_{1-x})_{2}$$ layered mixed crystals $$(0 \le x \le 1)$$(0≤x≤1): Absorption edge and photoluminescence study at $$T = 10\hbox { K}$$T=10K

Industrial demand for neutrons constrains careful energy measurements. Elastic scattering of monoenergetic \(\alpha \)-particles from neutron collision enables neutron energy measurement by calculating the amount of deviation from the position where collision takes place. The neutron numbers with specific energy is obtained by counting the number of \(\alpha \)-particles in the corresponding location on the charged particle detector. Monte Carlo simulation and COMSOL Multiphysics5.2 are used to account for one-to-one collision of neutrons with \(\alpha \)-particles.     

Study on absorbance and laser damage threshold of HfO_2 films prepared by ion-assisted reaction deposition

Using a new kind of EH1000 ion source, hafnium dioxide (HfO2) films are deposited with different deposition techniques and different conditions. The absorbance and the laser damage threshold of these films have been measured and studied. By comparing these characteristics, one can conclude that under right conditions, such as high partial pressure of oxygen and right kind of ion source, the ion-assisted reaction deposition can prepare HfO2 films with higher laser induced damage threshold.     

Fabrication of compositionally graded thin films by gravity-assisted pulsed laser ablation

A compositionally graded thin film of FeSi₂ was fabricated by a gravity-assisted pulsed laser ablation (GAPLA) system. By this method, a compositionally graded structure was successfully produced under a gravity field of 5400 G. We demonstrate that the atomic fraction of Fe, the heavier component of the thin film measured by scanning electron microscope/energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX), showed increasing spatial distribution with the direction of gravity. We found that optimal laser fluence exists to give a thin film having the largest possible spatial compositional gradient. We found that surface energy density on the substrate surface is the key parameter to control the composition distribution. Furthermore, the ratio of Fe/Si of the film did not match that of the target. This result shows that the Si component is selectively etched during the film-forming process. Relatively high laser fluence as well as a very narrow space between the target and the substrate are essential to etch the film once it is deposited, in order to re-ionize and etch Si selectively while gravity accelerates both Fe and Si particles to the direction of gravity. We hypothesize that this process accounts for both the change in the stoichiometry and the formation of composition distribution.     

Optical and structural characterization of iron oxide and cobalt oxide thin films at 800 nm

We report on optical and structural properties of α-Fe₂O₃ and Co₃O₄ thin films, grown by direct oxidation of pure metal films deposited on soda-lime glass. Structural characteristics and morphology of the films were investigated by X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. Linear optical absorption, and linear refraction as well as nonlinear optical properties were investigated. The third-order optical susceptibilities were measured applying the Thermally managed Z-scan technique using a Ti: sapphire laser (150 fs; 800 nm). The results obtained for the Co₃O₄ film were \( \text{Re} \chi^{\left( 3 \right)} \) = ?(5.7 ± 2.4) ×10^?9 esu and \( \text{Im} \chi^{(3)} \) = ?(1.8 ± 0.2) ×10^?8 esu while for the α-Fe₂O₃ film we determined \( \text{Re} \chi^{(3)} \) = +(6.6 ± 2.4) ×10^?10 esu and \( \text{Im} \chi^{(3)} \) = +(2.2 ± 0.4) ×10^?10 esu.     

Luminescence and damage thresholds of cerium-doped LaF3 for ns-pulsed laser excitation at 248 nm

3 following excitation with 248 nm/14 ns laser pulses at room temperature for the two Ce concentrations 0.03 and [%mol]1. The relative intensities of the 5d-4f bands emitted from Ce³⁺ at regular and at perturbed lattice sites were found to vary linearly with time for the higher concentration and quadratically for the lower one. This can be explained by radiative energy transfer between the two sites and generation of new perturbed sites at a rate that only shows up for the low Ce concentration. Lifetimes of the respective emission bands were determined to be about 18 ns and 41 ns. Despite resonant absorption of the 5 eV photons, surprisingly high ablation thresholds – 16 J/cm² for 0.03% Ce, and 10 J/cm² for 1% Ce – were observed by the probe-beam deflection technique. The reason is the strong energy loss due to intense fluorescence and deposition of the nonradiative energy fraction in the bulk rather than at the surface. The depth of energy deposition was revealed by scanning electron microscopy in the form of distinctly different ablation morphologies for the two Ce concentrations. Received: 30 July 1998     

Design of segmented cladding fiber for femtosecond laser pulse delivery at 1550 and 1064 nm wavelengths

Segmented cladding fiber (SCF) is capable of single mode operation over an extended range of wavelengths while maintaining large mode area. In this paper we report the design of an SCF with mode area as large as 1,825  $\upmu \hbox {m}^{2}$ , suitable for delivery of high peak power femtosecond laser pulses at 1550 and 1064 nm wavelengths. An SCF with such a large-mode area is a few-moded fiber and its design requires careful choice of design parameters to have robustness against mode-coupling effects and bend loss. In this paper we address these issues and report a design of an SCF showing near distortion-free propagation of 100-fs, 53-kW peak power pulses at 1550-nm wavelength with 1,825- $\upmu \hbox {m}^{2}$ mode area through fundamental mode. The same fiber can also deliver 250-fs, 15-kW peak power pulses at 1064-nm wavelength with 1,793- $\upmu \hbox {m}^{2}$ mode area. The fiber has been analyzed by using the radial effective-index method in conjunction with transfer matrix method and the pulse propagation has been studied by solving the nonlinear Schroedinger equation by split-step Fourier method. Such a fiber would find applications in multiphoton microscopy and in biomedical engineering.     

Growth evolution of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ thin films deposited by infrared (1064 nm) pulsed laser deposition

Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O_8+δ (Bi-2212) thin films were grown on MgO (1 0 0) using 1064 nm infrared pulsed laser deposition with post heat treatment. The material arrives at the substrate surface with characteristic spheroidal morphology. Smooth, homogeneous and highly c-axis oriented films were obtained after heat treatment. Using infrared laser as excitation, the stoichiometry of the target is preserved on the film. However, the films were apparently under-doped.     

Deuteron and antideuteron measurements in Au + Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=200~\mbox{GeV}$ at RHIC-PHENIX

In Run-7 of RHIC operations PHENIX has recorded over 5.4 billion minimum bias events, facilitating a detailed study of deuteron and antideuteron production as a function of centrality and up to transverse momentum of p _T =5 GeV/c. We present transverse momentum p _T and transverse mass m _T spectra, mean transverse momentum 〈p _T 〉, source parameters, particle ratios, and nuclear modification factor R _CP . Deuteron and antideuteron spectra are compared to those of other identified particles and to hydrodynamical predictions.     

\hbox {FeF}_{3} catalyzed cascade C–C and C–N bond formation: synthesis of differentially substituted triheterocyclic benzothiazole functionalities under solvent-free condition

A series of diverse polyfunctionalized triheterocyclic benzothiazoles were easily prepared in excellent yields via the Biginelli reaction of 2-aminobenzothiazole with substituted benzaldehydes and $\upalpha $ -methylene ketones using $\hbox {FeF}_{3}$ as an expeditious catalyst under solvent-free conditions. The protocol provides a practical and straightforward approach toward highly functionalized triheterocyclic benzothiazole derivatives in excellent yields. The reaction was conveniently promoted by $\hbox {FeF}_{3}$ and the catalyst could be recovered easily after the reaction and reused without any loss of its catalytic activity. The advantageous features of this methodology are high atom economy, operational simplicity, shorter reaction time, convergence, and facile automation.     

The structures and properties of FeSin/FeSi\hbox{$_{\mathsf{n}}^{+}$}+n/FeSi\hbox{$_{\mathsf{n}}^{-}$}−n (n = 1 ~ 8) clusters

The geometry, stability, and electronic properties of iron-doped silicon clusters FeSi _n /FeSi\hbox{$_{n}^{+}$}+n/FeSi\hbox{$_{n}^{-}$}?n (n = 1 ~ 8) have been systematically investigated using the density functional theory (DFT) approach at the B3LYP/6-311+G* level. Our results show that the ground state structures of FeSi _n /FeSi\hbox{$_{n}^{+}$}+n/FeSi\hbox{$_{n}^{-}$}?n change from planar to three-dimensional for n > 3. Bipyramidal structures, or their face-capped isomers, are favored for the larger clusters. For neutral FeSi _n clusters, their ground state structures are the trigonal, tetragonal, capped tetragonal, capped pentagonal, and combined tetragonal bipyramids for n = 4 ~ 8, respectively. The lowest-energy structures of the anionic FeSi\hbox{$_{n}^{-}$}?n clusters essentially retain similar frameworks to their neutral counterparts, while those of the cationic FeSi\hbox{$_{n}^{+}$}+n clusters are significantly deformed; this is confirmed by their calculated ionization potential and electronic affinity values. For most of the stable structures, the spin electronic configurations are s = 1 or 2 for neutral FeSi _n , s = 3/2 or 5/2 for ionic FeSi\hbox{$_{n}^{+}$}+n/FeSi\hbox{$_{n}^{-}$}?n. The average binding energy values generally increase with increasing cluster size, indicating the clusters can continue to gain energy during the growth process. Fragmentation and second-order energy peaks (maxima) are found at n = 2, 5, and 7 for FeSi _n /FeSi\hbox{$_{n}^{-}$}?n, n = 4 and 6 for FeSi\hbox{$_{n}^{+}$}+n, suggesting that these clusters possess higher relative stability. Furthermore, the HOMO-LUMO gap values show that anionic FeSi\hbox{$_{n}^{-}$}?n have greater chemical reactivity than cationic FeSi\hbox{$_{n}^{+}$}+n and neutral FeSi _n , except when n = 7.     

Reevaluation of the hadronic contributions to the muon g−2 and to \alpha (M^{2}_{Z})

We reevaluate the hadronic contributions to the muon magnetic anomaly, and to the running of the electromagnetic coupling constant at the Z-boson mass. We include new π ⁺ π ^? cross-section data from KLOE, all available multi-hadron data from BABAR, a reestimation of missing low-energy contributions using results on cross sections and process dynamics from BABAR, a reevaluation of all experimental contributions using the software package HVPTools together with a reanalysis of inter-experiment and inter-channel correlations, and a reevaluation of the continuum contributions from perturbative QCD at four loops. These improvements lead to a decrease in the hadronic contributions with respect to earlier evaluations. For the muon g?2 we find lowest-order hadronic contributions of (692.3±4.2)?10^?10 and (701.5±4.7)?10^?10 for the e ⁺ e ^?-based and τ-based analyses, respectively, and full Standard Model predictions that differ by 3.6σ and 2.4σ from the experimental value. For the e ⁺ e ^?-based five-quark hadronic contribution to $\alpha(M_{Z}^{2})$ we find $\varDelta \alpha_{\mathrm{had}}^{(5)}(M_{Z}^{2}) =(274.9\pm1.0)\cdot10^{-4}$ . The reduced electromagnetic coupling strength at M _Z leads to an increase by 12 GeV in the central value of the Higgs boson mass obtained by the standard Gfitter fit to electroweak precision data.     

Cool white light emission on Ca3−(l+n)MgSi2O8:\mathrm{Ce}_{\mathrm{l}}^{3+}, \mathrm{Eu}_{n}^{2+} phosphors and analysis of energy transfer mechanism

Rare earth ions (Ce³⁺, Eu²⁺) activated Ca₃MgSi₂O₈ (CMSO) phosphors have been synthesized using solid-state reaction method in 95%N₂+5%H₂ reduction atmosphere at elevated temperatures by varying Eu²⁺ concentration from 0.0075 to 0.0300 at the fixed Ce_0.03 concentration to study their photoluminescence (PL) properties. An energy transfer occurs from Ce³⁺ to Eu²⁺ through a significant overlap of Eu²⁺ excitation spectrum with Ce³⁺ emission spectrum in CMSO, together with the systematic relative decrease and increase in emission bands of Ce³⁺ and Eu²⁺, respectively, have been observed. To support the phenomenon, diffuse reflectance spectra show various absorption levels corresponding to Ce³⁺, Eu²⁺, and/or mixture of both rare earth ions. An optimum emission was realized at 0.0150 of Eu²⁺ via. energy transfer from Ce³⁺ ion. By utilizing the principle of energy transfer, the critical distance (R _c ) between activator ions was found to be 18.64 Å. The CIE chromaticity coordinates measured on the Ca₃MgSi₂O₈:Ce³⁺, Eu²⁺ phosphors excited under ultraviolet (365 nm) source shows the values lie in cool white light region could be applied to solid state lighting.