High Accuracy and High Sensitivity Measurements of the Electrooptic Effect in Undoped and MgO-Doped LiNbO3 Crystals

Accurate measurements of the composite electrooptic (EO) coefficients r_c consisting of the EO coefficients r₁₃, r₃₃, and the piezoelectric constant d₃₁ in undoped and MgO-doped LiNbO₃ (LN) were made by extracting the fundamental and third harmonic components from photo-detection signals of the parallel Nicol optics including the LN crystal driven by minimal sinusoidal voltage. The analysis of relationship between multiple-reflection rays in the EO crystal and the accuracy of measurement indicates that anti-reflection films must be coated on the end faces of the crystal for highly accurate measurements. Measured values of r_c of undoped and MgO-doped LN crystals at a wavelength of 632.8 nm were 19.8 ± 0.1 pm/V and 19.2 ± 0.1 pm/V, respectively.     

High-frequency response and wavelength dispersion of the linear electro-optic effect in PZN-PT (88/12) single crystal

We have characterized the wavelength dispersion of the high- and low-frequency values of the linear electro-optic coefficient r _c = r ₃₃–(n _o/n _e)³ r ₁₃ of poled 0.88 Pb(Zn_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃–0.12 PbTiO₃ single crystal. The measurements have been investigated as a function of the laser wavelength from 0.465 to 1.32 m. Clamped r ^S and unclamped r ^T values of the electro-optic coefficient as well as the acoustic contribution r ^a have been established. We obtained a ratio of r ^S/r ^T = 30%, which is independent of the wavelength of the light beam. The value of r ^S _c at the wavelength of 633 nm was found to be equal to 50±5 pm/V, which is a rather high value.This revised version was published online in March 2005. In the previous version, the published online date was missing     

Di-urethanesil hybrid electrolytes doped with Mg(CF3SO3)2

Two siloxane-based di-urethanesil frameworks incorporating poly(oxyethylene) (POE) chains have been synthesized by the sol–gel process and doped with magnesium triflate (Mg(CF₃SO₃)₂) with the goal of developing electrolytes for the fabrication of solid-state rechargeable magnesium batteries. In these matrices, short POE chains are covalently bonded to the siloxane network via urethane linkages. The xerogels have been represented by the notation d-Ut(Y) _n Mg(CF₃SO₃)₂, where Y?=?300 and 600 represents the average molecular weight of the POE chains and n stands for salt composition (molar ratio of OCH₂CH₂ units per Mg²⁺). Xerogels with compositions ranging from 2?≤?n?<?∞ were prepared. A crystalline POE/Mg(CF₃SO₃)₂ complex of unknown stoichiometry is formed in the d-Ut(300) _n Mg(CF₃SO₃)₂ materials with n?≤?6 and in the d-Ut(600) _n Mg(CF₃SO₃)₂ materials with n?≤?5. The organically modified silicate electrolytes with the highest conductivity of the d-Ut(300) _n Mg(CF₃SO₃)₂ and d-Ut(600) _n Mg(CF₃SO₃)₂ series are the samples with n?=?6 (3.9?×?10^?8 S cm^?1 at 26 °C and 8.7?×?10^?5 S cm^?1 at 97 °C) and n?=?100 (2.63?×?10^?7 S cm^?1 at 20 °C and 1.4?×?10^?5 S cm^?1 at 85 °C), respectively. Since the electrolytes for Mg batteries that have been proposed up to now have many intrinsic problems and although the room temperature conductivity values exhibited by the systems developed in the present study are still low in view of practical application, this work opens new directions for the development of solid-state Mg ion electrolytes.     

Ferroelectric (Na1/2Bi1/2)TiO3 thin films showing photoluminescence properties

Polycrystalline lead-free (Na_1/2Bi_1/2)TiO₃ (NBT) ferroelectric thin films doped with 1 mol% of rare earth (RE) elements are processed on Pt-terminated silicon substrates using a solution deposition method. The thin films that exhibit single-phase perovskite structure show photoluminescence properties with highest intensities in the wavelength range between 700 and 850 nm, depending on RE element. The ferroelectric properties of the pure NBT film (P _r: 20.5 µC cm^?2, E _c: 150 kV cm^?1) are somewhat decreased for the doped films, which is ascribed to decreasing of the number of Bi lone pairs through the substitution of Bi with RE elements in the perovskite lattice.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Nonlinear Optical Polymers Containing Carbazole and Disperse Red Dye

Dye‐containing nonlinear optical (NLO) polymers were synthesized: (1) poly(3‐(2‐(3‐(2‐isocyanatopropan‐2‐yl)phenyl)‐2‐methylpropyl)‐4‐methyl‐1‐phenylpyrrolidine‐2,5‐dione), P[(DR1,Cz)MSt‐PMI], and (2) poly(9‐vinyl‐9H‐carbazole‐co‐disperse red 1), PAV[DR1‐Cz]. The synthesized NLO polymers were characterized by ¹H‐NMR, IR, and UV–VIS spectroscopy; differential scanning calorimetry (DSC); and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The electro‐optic (EO) coefficients (r₃₃) and their NLO properties were evaluated by simple reflection and the Maker fringe method. The EO coefficients of P[(DR1,Cz)MSt‐PMI] and PAV[DR1‐Cz] were measured at 632.8 nm to be 106 and 46.6 pm/V, respectively. The second harmonic generation (SHG) coefficient (d₃₃) of P[(DR1,Cz)MSt‐PMI] was measured to be 71.25 pm/V.     

Infrared optical properties of Mn1.56Co0.96Ni0.48O4 thin films prepared by chemical solution deposition

～2 μm thick Mn_1.56Co_0.96Ni_0.48O₄ (MCN) films have been prepared on a Al₂O₃ substrate by the chemical solution deposition method. X-ray diffraction and microstructure analyses show good crystallization and the thickness of the films is 2.12 μm. Mid-infrared optical properties of MCN films have been investigated using transmission spectra and infrared spectroscopic ellipsometry. The optical band gap of the MCN film has been derived to be 0.64 eV by assuming a direct transition between valence and conduction bands. The optical constants and thickness of the thin films have been obtained by fitting the measured ellipsometric parameter data with the classical infrared model. The refractive index n of the MCN films decreases as the wavelength increases, but the extinction coefficient k monotonously increases in the wavelength range of 2–7 μm. The maximal n value is 2.63, and the maximal k value is only 0.024. The above results are instructive for the applications of MCN films in infrared detecting.     

The size of the proton

The root-mean-square (rms) charge radius r _p of the proton has so far been known only with a surprisingly low precision of about 1% from both electron scattering and precision spectroscopy of hydrogen. We have recently determined r _p by means of laser spectroscopy of the Lamb shift in the exotic “muonic hydrogen” atom. Here, the muon, which is the 200 times heavier cousin of the electron, orbits the proton with a 200 times smaller Bohr radius. This enhances the sensitivity to the proton’s finite size tremendously. Our new value r _p?=?0.84184 (67) fm is ten times more precise than the generally accepted CODATA-value, but it differs by 5 standard deviations from it. A lively discussion about possible solutions to the “proton size puzzle” has started. Our measurement, together with precise measurements of the 1S–2S transition in regular hydrogen and deuterium, also yields improved values of the Rydberg constant, R _?∞??=?10,973,731.568160 (16) m^???1.     

Pionic x-rays and the neutron radius of 44Ca

Differences between strong interaction level shifts and widths for 2p states in pionic atoms of ^44,40Ca have been measured. Analysis in terms of an effective pion-nucleus potential leads to a difference in neutron rms radii of r_n(44)?r_n(40) = 0.05 ± 0.05 fm.     

1H NMR Study of Zeolite Water Structure and Broensted Acid Centers in Chabazite

The disordered structure of absorbed water in a highly porous zeolite chabazite Ca₂[Al₄Si₈O₂₄]·nH₂O (2 ≤ n ≤ 12.8) is studied from motionally narrowed ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance spectra at room temperature. Concentration phase transitions were observed at n ≈ 8.3 and n ≈ 10.2. The transitions are accompanied by displacement of Ca²⁺ ions and variation of the Broensted acid centers at inner surface of zeolite pores.     

Nonlinear refractive index of multicomponent glasses designed for fabrication of photonic crystal fibers

The second order nonlinear refractive index n ₂ of various multicomponent glasses was measured at the wavelength of 1240 nm close to the 1.3-μm fiber transmission window. With the refractive index covering the range from 1.45 to 2.3, a comparatively broad range of n ₂ with values from 1.1×10^?20 m²/W for boro-silicate based glass NC21 to 4.3×10^?19 m²/W for lead–bismuth-gallate based glass PBG08 was measured using the Z-scan method. Considering the broad infrared transmission range of multicomponent glasses, these materials pose a great potential for future applications as photonic crystal fiber sources of infrared supercontinuum.     

Highly transparent and conductive indium tin oxide thin films for solar cells grown by reactive thermal evaporation at low temperature

Transparent conductive tin-doped indium oxide (In₂O₃:Sn, ITO) thin films with various Sn-doping concentrations have been prepared using the low cost reactive thermal evaporation (RTE) technique at a low growth temperature of ~160 °C. The structural characteristics, optical and electrical properties of the ITO thin films were investigated. These polycrystalline ITO films exhibited preferential orientation along (222) plane and possessed low resistivities ranging from 3.51 to 5.71 × 10^?4 Ω cm. The decreased mobility was attributed to the scattering by ionized and neutral impurities at high doping concentrations. The optimized ITO thin film deposited with 6.0 wt% Sn-doping concentration exhibited a high average transparency of 87 % in the wavelength range of 380–900 nm and a low resistivity of 3.74 × 10^?4 Ω cm with a high Hall mobility of 47 cm² V^?1s^?1. A hydrogenated amorphous silicon and silicon–germanium (a-Si:H/a-SiGe:H) double-junction solar cell fabricated with the RTE-grown ITO electrodes presented a conversion efficiency of 10.51 %.     

The upconversion luminescence and magnetism in Yb<Superscript>3+</Superscript>/Ho<Superscript>3+</Superscript> co-doped LaF<Subscript>3</Subscript> nanocrystals for potential bimodal imaging

Biocompatible upconversion nanoparticles with multifunctional properties can serve as potential nanoprobes for multimodal imaging. Herein, we report an upconversion nanocrystal based on lanthanum fluoride which is developed to address the imaging modalities, upconversion luminescence imaging and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Lanthanide ions (Yb³⁺ and Ho³⁺) doped LaF₃ nanocrystals (LaF₃ Yb³⁺/Ho³⁺) are fabricated through a rapid microwave-assisted synthesis. The hexagonal phase LaF₃ nanocrystals exhibit nearly spherical morphology with average diameter of 9.8 nm. The inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis estimated the doping concentration of Yb³⁺ and Ho³⁺ as 3.99 and 0.41%, respectively. The nanocrystals show upconversion luminescence when irradiated with near-infrared (NIR) photons of wavelength 980 nm. The emission spectrum consists of bands centred at 542, 645 and 658 nm. The stronger green emission at 542 nm and the weak red emissions at 645 and 658 nm are assigned to ⁵S₂ → ⁵I₈ and ⁵F₅ → ⁵I₈ transitions of Ho³⁺, respectively. The pump power dependence of luminescence intensity confirmed the two-photon upconversion process. The nanocrystals exhibit paramagnetism due to the presence of lanthanide ion dopant Ho³⁺ and the magnetization is 19.81 emu/g at room temperature. The nanocrystals exhibit a longitudinal relaxivity (r ₁) of 0.12 s^?1 mM^?1 and transverse relaxivity (r ₂) of 28.18 s^?1 mM^?1, which makes the system suitable for developing T2 MRI contrast agents based on holmium. The LaF₃ Yb³⁺/Ho³⁺ nanocrystals are surface modified by PEGylation to improve biocompatibility and enhance further functionalisation. The PEGylated nanocrystals are found to be non-toxic up to 50 μg/mL for 48 h of incubation, which is confirmed by the MTT assay as well as morphological studies in HeLa cells. The upconversion luminescence and magnetism together with biocompatibility enables the adaptability of the present system as a nanoprobe for potential bimodal imaging.     

Electrical properties of proton conducting solid biopolymer electrolytes based on starch–chitosan blend

Two systems (salted and plasticized) of starch–chitosan blend-based electrolytes incorporated with ammonium chloride (NH₄Cl) are prepared via solution cast technique. The incorporation of 25 wt% NH₄Cl has maximized the room temperature conductivity of the electrolyte to (6.47?±?1.30)?×?10^?7 S cm^?1. Conductivity is enhanced to (5.11?±?1.60)?×?10^?4 S cm^?1 on addition of 35 wt% glycerol. The temperature dependence of conductivity for all electrolytes is Arrhenian, and the value of activation energy (E _a ) decreases with increasing conductivity. Conductivity is found to be influenced by the number density (n) and mobility (μ) of ions. The complexation between the electrolytes components is proven by Fourier transform infrared analysis. The relaxation time (t _r ) for selected electrolytes is found to decrease with increasing conductivity and temperature. Conduction mechanism for the highest conducting electrolyte in salted and plasticized systems is determined by employing Jonscher’s universal power law.     

Spectrophotometric and 27‐Al NMR Characterization of Aluminum(III) Complexes with l‐Histidine

Abstract

The complex formation between l‐histidine (HHis) and aluminum(III) ion in water solutions was studied by UV spectrophotometric and 27‐Al NMR measurements at 298 K. UV spectra were measured on solutions in which the total concentration of histidine was from 15.0 to 50.0 mmol/dm³ and the concentration ratio of histidine to aluminum was varied from 3∶1 to 10∶1 in the pH range between 4.2 and 6.0. The spectra were taken in the wavelength interval 240–340 nm. Nonlinear least‐squares treatment of the spectrophotometric data indicates the formation of the complexes Al(HHis)³⁺, Al(His)²⁺, Al(HHis)His²⁺, and Al₂(OH)His⁴⁺ with the overall formation constants β_p,q,r: log β_1,1,1=11.90±0.04, log β_1,1,0=7.25±0.08, log β_1,2,1=20.1±0.1, and log β_2,1,1=5.92±0.12 (p, q, r are stoichiometric indices for metal, ligand, and proton, respectively). ²⁷Al‐NMR spectra were taken on solutions with the concentration of aluminum 50 mmol/dm³ and that of histidine 250 mmol/dm³. In the pH interval 5.0–6.1, two resonances at 9.5 ppm and 12.0 ppm were assigned to Al(HHis)²⁺ and Al(HHis)(His)²⁺ (or Al(OH)(HHis)₂ ²⁺), respectively.     

Using a DS-DBR laser for widely tunable near-infrared cavity ring-down spectroscopy

Studies into the suitability of a novel, widely tunable telecom L-band (1,563–1,613 nm) digital supermode distributed Bragg reflector (DS-DBR) laser for cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) are presented. The spectrometer comprised of a 36.6?cm long linear cavity with ring-down times varying between 19–26 μs across the 50 nm DS-DBR wavelength range due to changes in the cavity mirror reflectivities with wavelength. The potential of such a broadband, high-resolution CRD spectrometer was illustrated by investigating several transitions of CO₂ in air, a 5 % calibrated mixture and breath samples. Allan variance measurements at a single wavelength indicated an optimal minimum detectable absorption coefficient (α _min) of 3 × 10^?10 cm^?1 over 20 s.     

Bay Functionalized Perylenediimide with Pyridine Positional Isomers: NIR Absorption and Selective Colorimetric/Fluorescent Sensing of Fe<Superscript>3+</Superscript> and Al<Superscript>3+</Superscript> Ions

Bay functionalized perylene diimide substituted with pyridine isomers, (2-pyridine (2HMP-PDI), 3-pyridine (3-HMP-PDI) and 4-pyridine (4-HMP-PDI)) have been synthesized and explored for selective coloro/fluorimetric sensing of heavy transition metal ions. HMP-PDIs showed strong NIR absorption (760–765 nm) in DMF. The absorption and fluorescence of HMP-PDIs have been tuned by make use of pyridine isomers. Reddish-orange color was observed for 2-HMP-PDI (λ_max = 437, 551, 765 nm) whereas 4-HMP-PDI exhibited light green (λ_max = 432, 522, 765 nm). 3-HMP-PDI showed orange-yellow (λ_max = 431, 524, 762 nm). The fluorescence spectra of 2-, 3- and 4-HMP-PDI showed λ_max at 585, 538, 546 nm, respectively. Interestingly, HMP-PDI dyes showed selective color change (intense pink color) and fluorescence quenching for Fe³⁺ and Al³⁺ metal ions in DMF. Absorbance spectra revealed complete disappearance of NIR absorption and intensification/appearance of new peak at lower wavelength. The concentration dependent studies suggest that 4-HMP-PDI can detect up to 36.52 ppb of Fe³⁺ and 43.12 ppb of Al³⁺ colorimetrically. The interference studies in presence of other metal ions confirmed the good selectivity for Fe³⁺ and Al³⁺. The mechanistic studies indicate that Lewis acidic character of Fe³⁺ and Al³⁺ ions were responsible for selective color change and fluorescence quenching.     

Ion dynamics in methylcellulose–LiBOB solid polymer electrolytes

A polymer electrolyte system comprising methylcellulose (MC) as the host polymer and lithium bis(oxalato) borate (LiBOB) as the lithium ion source has been prepared via the solution cast technique. The electrolyte with the highest conductivity of 2.79 μS cm^?1 has a composition of 75 wt% MC–25 wt% LiBOB. The mobile ion concentration (n) in this sample was estimated to be 5.70?×?10²⁰ cm^?3. A good correlation between ionic conductivity, dielectric constant, and free ion concentration has been observed. The ratio of mobile ion number density (n) at a particular temperature to the concentration n ₀ of free ions at T?=?∞ (n/n ₀) and the power law exponents (s) exhibit opposite trends when varied with salt concentration.     

Analysis of birefringence property of three different nematic liquid crystals dispersed with TiO2 nanoparticles

In the present work TiO₂ nanoparticles (NPs) have been dispersed into three different nematic liquid crystals (2020, 1823A and 1550C) in different concentration. The value of the birefringence (Δn) has been calculated by the transmitted intensity method at a 632.8 nm wavelength. NLC 2020 used in the present study is a high birefringent material (Δn = 0.44), NLC 1550C is a low birefringent material (Δn = 0.067) and NLC 1823A is a mid birefringent material (Δn = 0.14). An increased value of birefringence has been found after dispersion of TiO₂ NPs in all three NLCs but this increment depends upon the concentration of the dopant material, temperature range and chemical character of the mixtures. It is suggested that this LC materials can be applicable in making of phase shifters, compensators and many more photonic devices.     

Symmetry-adapted linear combinations for the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of reciprocal graphs

ABSTRACT

Three classes of reciprocal graphs, viz. monocycle (G^C_n), linear chain (G^L_n) and star (G^K_n) with reciprocal pairs of eigenvalues (λ, 1/λ), are well known. Reciprocal graphs of monocycle (G^C_n) and linear chain (G^L_n) are obtained by putting a pendant vertex to each vertex of simple monocycle (C_n) and simple linear chain (L_n), respectively. A star graph of such kind is obtained by attaching a pendant vertex to the central vertex and to each of the (n ? 1) peripheral vertices of the star graph (K_{1, (n?1)}). An n-fold rotational axis of symmetry for G^C_n and (n ? 1)-fold rotational axis of symmetry for G^K_n have been exploited for obtaining their respective condensed graphs. The condensed graph for G^L_n has been generated from that of G^C_n incorporating proper boundary conditions. Condensed graphs are lower dimensional graphs and are capable of keeping all eigeninformation in condensed form. Thus the eigensolutions (i.e. the eigenvalues and the eigenvectors) in analytical forms for such graphs are obtained by solving 2 × 2 or 4 × 4 determinants that in turn result in the charge densities and bond orders of the corresponding molecules in analytical forms. Some mathematical properties of the eigenvalues of such graphs have also been explored.     

Optical modulator using metal-oxide-semiconductor type Si ring resonator

Electric-field drive optical modulators using a Si ring resonator were fabricated on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers. The fabricated resonators consisted of Si waveguides with width and thickness of 1.0 and 0.3 μm, respectively. In order to induce the linear electro-optic (EO) effect in the Si core layer, the strain was applied by covering the layer with Si₃N₄ film (0.26 μm thick) deposited by low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) at 750 °C. The vertical electric-field was applied to the Si waveguide through the top and bottom cladding layers, and the optical output from the drop port at the resonance wavelength was measured. At a wavelength of 1501.6 nm, the optical modulation of 33% was obtained at 200V (electric-field at the silicon surface ∼3 × 10⁵ V/cm, nearly the breakdown field). The resonance wavelength was shifted toward the short wavelength side by applying both positive and negative voltages, this shift was explained by carrier concentration modulation. The linear EO effect in the Si core layer was not observed, presumably because the strain in the Si core layer was too small.