Design of Grazing-Incidence Broad-Band Multilayers for Hard X-Ray Reflectors

A new method of designing x-ray supermirrors with broad angular or energy response for use as coatings in x-ray optics is presented. The design is based on an analytical method with oversimplified analytical and semi-empirical formulae, and an extensive numerical method is used in the optimization design. A better initial multilayer is obtained with the former method and optimized with the latter method. In the optimization, a good design is achieved with much less computing time. In addition, the saturation effect due to the interfacial roughness in multilayer also emerges in the design of x-ray supermirrors with definite performances. The reflectivity of C/W x-ray supermirrors as a function of photon energy at the fixed grazing incident angle 0.5°is presented.     

Design, Fabrication and Measurement of Ni/Ti Multilayer Used for Neutron Monochromator

Ni/Ti multilayers, which can be used for neutron monochromators, are designed, fabricated and measured. Firstly, their reflectivities are simulated based on the Nevot-Croce model. Reflectivities of two Ni/Ti multilayer mirrors with periods d = 10.3 nm （M1） and d = 7.8 nm （M2） are calculated. In the calculation, the reflectivity of the Ni/Ti multilayer is taken as a function of the gazing angle with different roughness factors δ =1.0 nm and = 1.5 nm. Secondly, these two multilayers are fabricated by the direct current magnetron sputtering technology. Thirdly their structures are characterized by small-angle x-ray diffraction. The roughness factors are fitted to be 0.68 nm and 1.16nm for M1 and M2, respectively. Finally their reflective performances are measured on the V14 neutron beam line at the Berlin Neutron Scattering Centre （BENSC）, Germany. The experimental data show that the grazing angle of the reflected neutron intensity peak increases, but the reflected neutron intensity decreases, with the decreasing periods of the multilayers.     

Determination of Tungsten Layer Profiles in Bilayer Structures Using X-Ray Reflectivity Method

An effectual method is presented to determine the profiles of a tungsten （W） layer, such as the density, the thickness and the roughness in the multilayer structures, using the x-ray reflectivity technique. To avoid oxidation effects of tungsten, a B4 C capping layer is deposited onto to the W layer. To observe the profiles of the tungsten layer with different thicknesses, three groups of W/B4 C bilayers with different thicknesses are prepared by using ultra high vacuum dc magnetron sputtering and measured by an x-ray diffractometer. A type of genetic algorithm called the differential evolution is used to simulate the measurement data so as to obtain the parameters of bilayers. According to the simulation, it is shown that the W layer density varies from 95.26% to 97.51% compared to the bulk. In our experiment, the deposition rate is 0.044 nm/s, and the thickness is varied in the range of 9.8-19.4 nm.     

Investigation of a Tabletop Confocal Micro X-Ray Fluorescence Setup

A new tabletop confocal micro x-ray fluorescence setup with an MCBM 50-0.6B x-ray tube is assembled. The confocal micro x-ray fluorescence setup includes two lenses, a polycapillary full lens in the excitation channel and a polycapillary half lens in the detection channel. A Ni-Cr wire in diameter 25μm is used to investigate the FWHM of three-dimensional confocal volume. A basso-relievo capital letter of a 1-jiao RMB coin of 2005 version is studied with this confocal micro x-ray fluorescence setup.     

Spectroscopic Ellipsometry Study on Surface Roughness and Optical Property of AZO Films Prepared by Direct-Current Magnetron Reactive Sputtering Method

All as-deposited AZO films by direct current magnetron reactive sputtering （DC-MS） exhibit ZnO characteristic （002） and （103） diffraction peaks. Especially, AZO films prepared at 200℃ show a strongest （002） c-axis pref- erential orientation due to the minimum stress along the （002） orientation. The results show that larger stress easily induces a rougher surface. The film real and imaginary parts of dielectric constants show a sharp changes near the optical absorption edge due to the interband direct transition. The film blue and red shifts of the optical absorption edge can be explained in terms of the change of Free-electron concentration in as-deposited AZO films.     

A Spectroscopic Ellipsometry Study of TiO2 Thin Films Prepared by dc Reactive Magnetron Sputtering： Annealing Temperature Effect

TiO2 thin films are obtained by dc reactive magnetron sputtering. A target of titanium （99.995%） and a mixture of argon and oxygen gases are used to deposit TiO2 films on to silicon wafers （100）. The crystalline structure of deposited and annealed film are deduced by variable-angle spectroscopic ellipsometry （VASE） and supported by x-ray diffractometry. The optical properties of the films are examined by VASE. Measurements of ellipsometry are performed in the spectral range O. 72-3.55 e V at incident angle 75^o. Several SE models, categorized by physical and optical models, are proposed based on the ＇simpler better＇ rule and curve-fits, which are generated and compared to the experimental data using the regression analysis. It has been found that the triple-layer physical model together with the Cody-Lorentz dispersion model offer the most convincing result. The as-deposited films are found to be inhomogeneous and amorphous, whereas the annealed films present the phase transition to anatase and rutile structures. The refractive index of TiO2 thin films increases with annealing temperature. A more detailed analysis further reveals that thickness of the top sub-layer increases, whereas the region of the bottom amorphous sub-layer shrinks when the films are annealed at 300℃.     

Refraction effect of scattered X-ray fluorescence at surface

The angular distribution of X-ray fluorescence shows anisotropic radiation. We proved that the origin of the anisotropic radiation is X-ray refraction by using a scattered X-ray fluorescence model. Utilizing the refraction effect of X-ray fluorescence, we can obtain much information: for example, surface density, chemical condition, surface roughness, and particle diameter of element, as a new tool of studying surfaces and interfaces. We introduce a new X-ray dispersive system utilizing X-ray refraction.     

Photoinduced refractive index changes and photoluminescence in semiconductor-doped glasses

Transient refractive index changes of Cd(S, Se)-glasses induced by 10 ns laser pulses at 532 nm are determined from time-resolved transmission measurements of a Fabry-Perot interferometer containing samples of the semiconductor glass. Comparison of the transient index measurements with time-resolved photoluminescence supports an electron-hole-plasma model and suggests that the relaxation mechanism is Auger recombination of the electrons and the holes.     

Investigation of electrooptic modulation from organic-inorganic crystals

Received: 28 September 1998     

Enhancement of the far-field output power and the properties of the very-small-aperture lasers

We report on a VSAL structure fabricated by a 650 nm edge emitting laser diode with an Au-coated facet and an aperture size of 250 × 500 nm. The far field output power can maintain at 1 mW and the power density is 7.5 mW/μm². Some properties of the VSAL including the threshold current change, the red-shift of the spectral position, and the strong relative-intensity-noise are presented. The physical mechanisms responsible for these phenomena are also discussed, which may contribute to the understanding and application of the potential device for near-field optics.     

Optical properties of p-type ZnO doped by lithium and nitrogen

A lithium and nitrogen doped p-type ZnO (denoted as ZnO: (Li, N)) film was prepared by RF-magnetron sputtering and post annealing techniques with c-Al₂O₃ as substrate. Its transmittance was measured to be above 95%. Three dominant emission bands were observed at 3.311, 3.219 and 3.346 eV, respectively, in the 80 K photoluminescence (PL) spectrum of the p-type ZnO:(Li, N), and are attributed to radiative electron transition from conduction band to a Li_Zn-N complex acceptor level (eFA), radiative recombination of a donor-acceptor pair and recombination of the Li_Zn-N complex acceptor bound exciton, respectively, based on temperature-dependent and excitation intensity-dependent PL measurement results. The Li_Zn-N complex acceptor level was estimated to be about 126 meV above the valence band by fitting the eFA data obtained in the temperature-dependent PL spectra.     

A study of the luminescence properties of Eu -doped borate crystal and glass

Eu³⁺-doped La₂O₃-3B₂O₃ crystal and glass were prepared by solid state reaction under different calcination temperature. The emission spectrum, phonon sideband (PSB), charge transfer band (C.T.B.) and lifetime of the Eu³⁺ ion in the two materials, with the same composition but with different phase, were investigated. With excitation at 394 nm light, the glass presented intense 618 nm red luminescence; however, the crystal gave 696 nm red luminescence. This difference is ascribed to the discrepancy of the local structure around the Eu³⁺ ion in the crystal and glass. To clarify the discrepancy, the coordination of Eu³⁺ in the borate glass and crystal was investigated. The results show that Eu³⁺ ions formed a complex Eu³⁺-O²⁻-B³⁺ bond in glass; however, in the crystal, it formed a complex Eu³⁺-O²⁻-La³⁺ bond. The lifetime of Eu³⁺ ions in the crystal and the glass is 3.08 ms and 1.98 ms, respectively. This indicates that the discrepancy in the local structure around the Eu³⁺ ions between the crystal and the glass leads to different fluorescence properties.     

Microstructural and optical properties of multiple closely stacked InAs/GaAs self-assembled quantum dot arrays

The microstructural and the optical properties of multiple closely stacked InAs/GaAs quantum dot (QD) arrays were investigated by using atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and photoluminescence (PL) measurements. The AFM and the TEM images showed that high-quality vertically stacked InAs QD self-assembled arrays were embedded in the GaAs barriers. The PL peak position corresponding to the interband transitions from the ground electronic subband to the ground heavy-hole band (E₁-HH₁) of the InAs/GaAs QDs shifted to higher energy with increasing GaAs spacer thickness. The activation energy of the electrons confined in the InAs QDs increased with decreasing with GaAs spacer thickness due to the coupling effect. The present results can help to improve the understanding of the microstructural and the optical in multiple closely stafcked InAs/GaAs QD arrays.     

Flux-enhanced monochromator by ultrasound excitation of annealed Czochralski-grown silicon crystals

The neutron flux from monochromator crystals can be increased by ultrasound excitation or by strain fields. Rocking curves of both a perfect float-zone silicon crystal and an annealed Czochralski silicon crystal with oxygen precipitates were measured at various levels of ultrasound excitation on a cold-neutron backscattering spectrometer. We find that the effects of the dynamic strain field from the ultrasound and the static strain field from the defects are not additive. Rocking curves were also taken at different ultrasound frequencies near resonance of the crystal/ultrasound-transducer system with a time resolution of 1 min. Pronounced effects of crystal heating are observed, which render the conditions for maximum neutron reflectivity delicate. Received: 19 October 2001 / Accepted: 7 March 2002 / Published online: 29 January 2003 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. E-mail: andreas.magerl@krist.uni-erlangen.de     

Spectroscopic properties of Tm -doped Ba3Gd2(BO3)4 crystal

crystal with the size up to Φ 13 mm×44 mm was grown successfully by the Czochralski technique and its optical properties were presented. The absorption cross-section and emission cross-section were presented. Also, the potential laser gain near 1.9 μm was investigated. In the framework of the Judd-Ofelt (J-O) theory, the intensity parameters were calculated to be: Ω₂=11.375×10⁻²⁰ cm², Ω₄=5.077×10⁻²⁰ cm² and Ω₆=6.524×10⁻²⁰ cm². The spectroscopic parameters of this crystal such as the oscillator strengths, radiative transition probabilities, radiative lifetime as well as the branching ratios were calculated, too. This crystal is promising as a tunable infrared laser crystal.     

Investigation of thermal annealing effects on microstructural and optical properties of HfO2 thin films

In the present paper, we investigate the effect of thermal annealing on optical and microstructural properties of HfO₂ thin films (from 20 to 190 nm) obtained by plasma ion assisted deposition (PIAD). After deposition, the HfO₂ films were annealed in N₂ ambient for 3 h at 300, 350, 450, 500 and 750 °C. Several characterisation techniques including X-ray reflectometry (XRR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE), UV Raman and FTIR were used for the physical characterisation of the as-deposited and annealed HfO₂ thin films. The results indicate that as-deposited PIAD HfO₂ films are mainly amorphous and a transition to a crystalline phase occurs at a temperature higher than 450 °C depending on the layer thickness. The crystalline grains consist of cubic and monoclinic phases already classified in literature but this work provides the first evidence of amorphous-cubic phase transition at a temperature as low as 500 °C. According to SE, XRR and FTIR results, an increase in the interfacial layer thickness can be observed only for high temperature annealing. The SE results show that the amorphous phase of HfO₂ (in 20 nm thick samples) has an optical bandgap of 5.51 eV. Following its transition to a crystalline phase upon annealing at 750 °C, the optical bandgap increases to 5.85 eV.     

Comparison of the influence of the fictive and the annealing temperature on the UV-transmission properties of synthetic fused silica

′ and NBOH). Samples with high OH content exhibit gradual recovery from the absorption band within several minutes after exposure to the KrF laser radiation. The formation of the KrF laser-induced 210 nm absorption band depends on the fictive temperature and on the OH content. Low fictive temperature, as a measure for the number of intrinsic defects, retards E^′ generation at the beginning of intense KrF excimer laser irradiation when the majority of defects are generated from precursor defects. However, for longer irradiation periods with pulse numbers of the order of 10⁵ pulses, a high OH content is the beneficial parameter. The accompanying atomic hydrogen is essential for the suppression of the 210 nm absorption band. This happens by transformation of the E^′ centers into Si-H defects. In contrast to a generally held view, annealing (decreasing of the fictive temperature) of fused silica does not always reduce UV induced defect generation. For example, annealing of the samples in an argon atmosphere causes a significantly higher 210 nm absorption increase during KrF excimer laser irradiation (240000 pulses) compared to nonannealed samples. Two spectroscopic methods to determine the OH content of fused silica were applied: Raman and infrared spectroscopy, which in this work lead to differing results. The energetics of the 210 nm absorption band generation and bleaching is summarized by a diagram explaining the interaction of the 248 nm laser radiation with fused silica. Received: 2 June 1997/Accepted: 13 June 1997     

Magnetic properties of the Pr1−xGdxCo4B compounds

In this work, we have investigated the effect of the substitution of Gd for Pr on the crystal structure and magnetic properties of the Pr_1−xGd_xCo₄B compounds for 0?x?1 using X-ray powder diffraction, magnetic measurements, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). These compounds have hexagonal CeCo₄B-type structure with the space group P6/mmm. The substitution of Gd for Pr leads to a decrease of the unit-cell parameters a and the unit-cell volume V, while the unit-cell parameter c increases slightly. Magnetic measurements indicate that all samples are ordered magnetically below room temperature. The Curie temperatures determined by DSC technique increase as Pr is substituted by Gd. The saturation magnetization at 5 K decreases upon Gd substitution up to x=0.6, and then increases again.     

Investigation of Ag2O Thermal Decomposition by Terahertz Time-Domain Spectroscopy

Application of terahertz time-domain spectroscopy is demonstrated to study the process of Ag2O thermal decomposition. In the process of decomposition, the time-resolved signals are characterized by broad oscillations and decreased intensity, and Tttz pulse essentially contains two broad spectral components： one centered at around 0.35 THz and a band with a maximum at around 0.81 THz shift to 0.71 THz. Optical absorption spectra of different specimens are studied in the frequency range 0.3-1.4 THz and the data are analyzed by the relevant theory of the effective medium approach combined with the Drude-Lorentz model. The analysis suggests that optical properties stem from the Drude term for the metallic phase and the Lorentz term for the insulator phase in the complex system.