Transient currents in discharge mode in cellulose acetate: polyvinyl acetate blend films

The transient currents measured in discharge mode with cellulose acetate (CA): polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) blend films (≈ 20μm thick) as a function of charging field [(1.5–4.5)×10⁴ V/cm], temperatures (323–373 K) and polymer weight ratio (90:10 and 75:25) have been found to follow Curie-von Schweidler law, characterized with two slopes in short and long time regions. Isochronals characteristics (i.e. current/temperature plots at constant times) constructed from these data seemed to reveal a broad peak observed at 363 K. Values of activation energy increase with PAVc content and also with time of observation. Space charge due to trapping of injected charge carriers in energetically distributed traps and induced dipoles created because of the piling up of charge carriers at the phase boundary of heterogeneous structure of blend are considered to account for the observed currents.     

The shape of the relaxation curve in diffusion measurements with the aid of photoinduced gratings

It is shown by experimental examples how the postexposure relaxation of a photochemically induced grating used to study the diffusion of a molecular probe by the holographic relaxation method depends on the molecular mechanism of the grating formation, medium inhomogeneity, and relative shift of grating parts, as well as the grating strength. The adequate consideration of the factors influencing the observed behavior of the grating provides for the possibility not only to correctly retrieve information about the diffusion, but also to extend the range of studied phenomena.     

Strong Bragg gratings photoinduced by 633-nm illumination in evaporated As2Se3 thin films

Bragg gratings are used in several photonic devices to reflect, and thus to isolate, specific wavelengths of light. Gratings can be photoinduced in chalcogenide glasses by illumination of bandgap light in an interference pattern. We used holographic interferometry to create Bragg gratings in amorphous As2Se3 thin films with a period of 0.56 microm by illumination with 633-nm light. The quality of the gratings was tested in real time, and refractive-index modulations as high as 0.037 were measured. These gratings were found to be stable over a period of several months if they were kept in the dark.     

Optical amplification of photoinduced polarizability gratings in phosphate glasses

It is experimentally demonstrated that second-order polarizability gratings preliminarily recorded using bichromatic light in a phosphate glass can be amplified under the action of monochromatic radiation. The amplification effect takes place irrespective of the polarization and direction of propagation of the amplifying radiation and is achieved at various wavelengths. The phenomenon is related to the asymmetry of optical transitions between local centers in an isotropic medium in the presence of electric field. It is theoretically shown that this system may feature the formation of alternating electric field domains with dimensions depending on the grating amplitude.     

Activation behavior and dielectric relaxation in polyvinyl alcohol and multiwall carbon nanotube composite films

The dc and ac electrical transport property of Polyvinyl Alcohol-Multiwall Carbon Nanotubes (PVA-MWNT) composites has been investigated within a temperature range and in the frequency range 20Hz-1MHz. The temperature variation of dc conductivity gives the presence of two different activation energies. The dielectric properties of the samples have been explained in terms of electric modulus vector.The dielectric relaxation has been explained in terms of interfacial polarization occurring in between the insulating PVA matrix and MWNT conductive filler. The variation of the relaxation time with temperature also indicates the presence of two different activation energies.     

偶氮类有机材料光致双折射的测量

研究了2种偶氮聚合物薄膜的光致双折射效应,并探讨了泵浦光偏振态和光强对光致双折射的影响.采用远离共振区的He-Ne光(633nm)作为探测光,用Ar+激光(488nm)作为泵浦光,通过测量相关参量得到了样品的光致双折射值.实验结果表明:改变泵浦光的偏振态可以控制光致双折射值和探测光的透过信号强度,在0°～45°范围内,泵浦光光强存在最佳值,此时偶氮薄膜实验样品具有最大的双折射值.     

Bragg gratings photoinduced in ZBLAN fibers by femtosecond pulses at 800 nm

Fiber Bragg gratings were written in thulium-doped and undoped single-mode ZBLAN fibers by focusing femtosecond laser pulses on the fiber core through a phase mask. Maximum index modulation of the order of 1 x 10(-3) was induced in both types of fibers. Measurements of the transverse refractive index changes across the core and cladding regions indicate that the grating formation originates from a negative index change.     

Theory of photoinduced deformation of molecular films

Azobenzene-containing polymers exhibit strong surface-relief features when irradiated with polarized light. Currently proposed theories do not explain all the observed features. Here we propose a theory based on elastic deformation of the polymer due to interaction between dipoles ordered through polarized light irradiation. The effects are due to the presence of a boundary layer. The observation of both wells and humps dependent on the architecture of the polymer can be explained with the present theory. Received: 29 June 2001 / Revised version: 9 November 2001 / Published online: 17 January 2002     

Measurements of photoinduced refractive index changes in bacteriorhodopsin films

We report the pump-probe measurements of nonlinear refractive index changes in photochromic bacteriorhodopsin films. The photoinduced absorption is caused by pump beam at 532 nm and the accompanying refractive index changes are studied using a probe beam at 633 nm. The proposed technique is based on a convenient and accurate determination of optical path difference using digital interferometry-based local fringe shift. The results are presented for the wild-type as well as genetically modified D96N variant of the bacteriorhodopsin.      

Light polarization in iodine-doped polyvinyl alcohol films

¹²⁹I Mössbauer measurements have been performed on unidirectionally stretched iodinedoped polyvinyl alcohol(PVA) films which are widely used as optical polarizers. In the films iodine is observed to be in the form of I^?, I ₃ ^? , and I ₅ ^? and the stretch of the films increases the abundance of the polyiodides, I ₃ ^? and I ₅ ^? . In the stretched PVA films, it has become clear that the linear polyiodides lie parallel to the stretching direction.     

Enhancement of photoinduced polarization rotation in azobenzene polymer films

In this paper we demonstrated enhancement of photoinduced polarization rotation for improved transmission of laser light at low input intensities through a crossed polarized system. It is achieved by utilizing two azobenzene doped polymer thin films in tandem. As the input beam propagates through the films, its polarization rotation induced by each film is additive. We obtained polarization rotation of as much as 24° resulting in enhanced transmission compared to a single-film approach. In addition, this novel design is promising for use as a broadband nonlinear transmission system.     

Spin-lattice relaxation measurements in lithium acetate revisited

The Zeeman spin-lattice relaxation is measured in a single crystal and in powdered samples of lithium acetate (CH₃COOLi·2D₂O). Measurements have also been performed in powdered samples of lithium acetate which contain 50% and 95% of CD₃-groups besides the CH₃-groups. A non-exponential behaviour, i.e. time dependence, of the Zeeman spin-lattice relaxation is clearly observed at temperatures above the T₁-minimum in all samples. The results are explained within the framework of the symmetry-restricted spin-diffusion model of Emid and Wind.     

Transport and photoinduced properties in highly Sr-deficient manganite films

We used the method of finite-difference time domain (FDTD) to study the characteristics of the patch antenna based on a novel periodic structure, and the theory of photonic crystal structure (also photonic band gap [PBG]) structure was introduced. The results obtained show that the surface waves propagating along the substrate surface can be suppressed by the periodic structure due to the influence of its forbidden band, and the energy of the electromagnetic waves is concentrated mainly in the substrate. As a result, the patch antenna based on the periodic structure has a wider bandwidth in comparison with the conventional patch antennae; and a higher gain is reached, so the patch antenna’s performance is improved. Due to such the advantages, the application of patch antennae can be extended in such fields as mobile communication, satellite communication, aviation, etc.     

Lattice thermal conductivity of polyvinyl acetate at low temperatures

The lattice thermal conductivity of a non-crystalline polymer has been studied at low temperatures in the frame of the density fluctuation model by calculating the total lattice thermal conductivity of polyvinyl acetate in the temperature range 0.1–4K as an example and a very good agreement has been reported between the calculated and the experimental values of the lattice thermal conductivity in the entire temperature range of study. It is also found that at low temperatures, the lattice thermal resistivity of a non-crystalline polymer is mainly due to scattering of phonons by empty spaces.     

Contribution of photoinduced densification to refractive-index modulation in Bragg gratings written in Ge-doped silica fibers

We have computed the contribution of UV-light-induced densification to the refractive-index modulation of fiber Bragg gratings. Our results confirm that, for strong gratings written in Ge-doped silica fibers with 248-nm UV light, density changes account for a major part of the photosensitivity effect.     

Review of photoinduced effect in manganite films and their heterostructures

Light–matter interaction plays an important role in the non-equilibrium physics, especially in strongly correlated electron systems with complex phases. Photoinduced effect can cause the variation in the physical properties and produce some emergent phases. As a classical archetype, manganites have received much attention due to their colossal magnetoresistance(CMR) effect and the strong interaction of charge, spin, orbital, and lattice degrees of freedom. In this paper, we give an overview of photoinduced effect in manganites and their heterostructures. In particular, some materials, including ZnO, Si,BiFeO_3(BFO), titanate-based oxides, and 0.7 Pb(Mg_(1/3) Nb_(2/3))O_3-0.3 PbTiO_3(PMN-PT) have been integrated with manganites. Heterostructures composed of these materials display some exciting and intriguing properties. We do hope that this review offers a guiding idea and more meaningful physical phenomena will be discovered in active areas of solid state physics and materials science.