On the pre-dose sensitization of the various components of the LM-OSL signal of annealed quartz; comparison with the case of 110 °C TL peak

Pre-dose sensitization of various components of LM-OSL signal of a Nigerian annealed quartz sample has been investigated along side with that of 110 °C TL peak in this work. Successive cycles of irradiations and TL/OSL readings using different heating rates were employed to attain pre-dose sensitization. The results showed that the pre-dose sensitization factor of 110 °C TL peak depends strongly on the heating rate of thermal activation. The pre-dose sensitization of 110 °C TL and all components of RT LM-OSL yield HR dependence on the sensitization after TA. This dependence was ascribed to the different heating time associated with each HR. Sensitization of LM-OSL measured at 125 °C generally does not show dependence on HR of TA. This was with the exception of components C₁ and C₃. Increasing sensitization pattern with increasing HR suggests a correlation between the TL glow-peak at 110 °C, the component C₄ of RT LM-OSL and the component C₃ of the LM-OSL signal at 125 °C. Extension of the present investigation to diverse quartz kinds from different origins was suggested in order to study the prevalence of the pre-dose sensitization on component C₄ of RT LM-OSL. Finally fast heating is suggested for lower sensitization of fast component while applying OSL dating protocols.     

Defect centre responsible for production of 110 ∘ C TL peak in quartz

110 ^°C thermoluminescence (TL) peak in quartz is well known due to its pre-dose effect, which is used in dating technique. The generally accepted mechanism for the production of this peak is based on Ge impurity contained in quartz. Its role is to substitute for Si in SiO₄ tetrahedron and under irradiation gives rise to [GeO₄/e^?]^? electron centre. Heating for TL read out liberates electron that recombines with hole in [AlO₄/h]^° or [H₃O₄/h]^° centres emitting photon. The investigation, carried out on blue quartz, green quartz, black quartz, pink quartz, red quartz, sulphurous quartz, milky quartz, alpha quartz and synthetic quartz, has shown that the 110 ^°C TL peak in all these varieties of quartz has no correlation with the respective Ge content. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements on any of these varieties of quartz revealed a signal with g₁=2.0004, g₂=1.9986 and g₃=1.974 and this signal does not appear to correspond to any known EPR signals in alpha quartz. Furthermore, isothermal decay measurements are carried out on the above mentioned EPR signal and 110 ^°C TL peak in alpha, blue and green quartz. A close correlation has been observed in the decay behavior. A new mechanism is proposed based on an interstitial O^? centre.     

The TL and room temperature OSL properties of the glow peak at 110 °C in natural milky quartz: A case study

The LM–OSL signal of quartz, while measured at room temperature, is dominated by an intermediate, broad and intense OSL component, so that its contribution and general characteristics are derived very accurately. Through a series of dose–response, bleaching and thermal decay at room temperature experiments, in conjunction with curve fitting studies, a component resolved analysis is carried out studying the correlation between this specific component, termed as LM–OSL component C₂ and the 110 °C TL glow peak in quartz. The dose–response of these two luminescence components behaves exactly similar being linear at low doses and saturating at almost 100 Gy. Both signals decay exponentially under illumination, providing identical optical detrapping cross-section values. Residual of both luminescence signals after thermal decay at room temperature follows an exponential law, yielding similar mean half-lives. All previous luminescence features provide strong evidence for the electron trap being the same for both the 110 °C TL trap and the LM–OSL component C₂. The results of the present work are very promising and clearly support the possibility of extrapolating the TL pre-dose methodology to the OSL pre-dose effect using only the LM–OSL component C₂.     

Gamma ray induced sensitization of 110°C TL peak in quartz separated from sand

We have investigated the gamma ray induced sensitization of the 110°C TL peak in quartz, separated from sand, in the dose range 30–750 Gy. A pre-dose of 100 Gy followed by annealing at 500°C for 1 h yielded an optimum sensitization factor of 14.2 for a test gamma dose of 0.5 Gy; this factor decreases slowly up to the studied pre-gamma dose of 750 Gy. From ESR studies carried out in the temperature range 25–550°C, the formation of E′₁-centres and their subsequent decay (at temperatures >400°C) have been observed. The released charge carriers (electrons) may lead to elimination of competitors (as a result of their filling up). Thus, the radiation-induced sensitization of the 110°C TL peak could be due to elimination of the competing deep traps.     

Correlating the TL response of γ-irradiated natural quartz to aluminum and hydroxyl point defects

This paper investigates the relationship between Al- and OH-related point defects with the thermoluminescent (TL) response of natural quartz sensitized with high doses of γ radiation and heat-treatments. For this, specimens from a single crystal were progressively irradiated with doses of ⁶⁰Co from 2 to 50 kGy. After each step of sensitization, the absorption bands related to [AlO₄]⁰, [AlO₄/H]⁰, [H₄O₄]⁰ and Li-dependent OH point defects were measured by optical absorption and infrared (IR) spectroscopy. The sensitization of the 280 °C TL peak increased up to 15 kGy and then its intensity remained constant. The absorption intensity at 470 nm increased with γ doses suggesting a progressive creation of [AlO₄]⁰ acting as recombination centers for the sensitized peak. At the same time, the TL intensity of the 90 °C peak decreased with the accumulated dose. This effect was not related to the saturation in the number of recombination centers because both [H₄O₄]⁰ and [AlO₄]⁰ bands were increasing after 50 kGy. Compared to the as-received condition, it was found that IR bands associated with [AlO₄/H]⁰ and Li-dependent OH decreased with the effect of heat-treatments. The precursor for [AlO₄]⁰ is [AlO₄/Li]⁰ and the Li species dislodged from [AlO₄/Li]⁰ and Li-dependent OH centers play an important role in the sensitization process.     

Calculation of the optical and electronic properties of the zinc-blende alloy Zn1 − xMgxSe

In order to clarify the electronic and optical properties of wide-energy gap zinc-blende structures ZnSe, MgSe and their alloys (ZnSe)_1 − x(MgSe)_x, a simple pseudo-potential scheme (EPM) within an effective potential, the virtual crystal approximation (VCA) which incorporates compositional disorder as an effective potential, is presented. Various quantities, including the fundamental band gap, the energies of several optical gaps, charge densities, ionicity character, transverse effective charge, and refractive index are obtained for this alloy.     

Theoretical investigation of electronic structure and optical response in relation to the transport properties of Ga1−xInxN (x = 0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75)

The state-of-the-art all-electron FLPAW method and the BoltzTrap software package based on semi-classical theory were adopted to explore the electronic structure and the optical and thermoelectric properties of Ga_1−xIn_xN. Ga_1−xIn_xN is predicted to be a direct band gap material for all values of x. Moreover, the band gap varies between 2.99 eV and 1.95 eV as x changes. Optical parameters such as the dielectric constant, absorption coefficient, reflectivity and refractive index are calculated and discussed in detail. The doping of In plays an important role in the modulation of the optical constants. The static dielectric constant ɛ(0) of Ga_1−xIn_xN was calculated as 3.95, 3.99, 3.99 and 4.03 at x = 0.00, 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75, respectively. The static refractive index is 2.0 for pure Ga_1−xIn_xN at x = 0.00. The thermal properties varied greatly as x fluctuated. The ternary alloy has large values for the Seebeck coefficient and figure of merit at high temperatures and is thus suitable for thermoelectric applications. Pure Ga_1−xIn_xN at x = 0 exhibited ZT = 0.80 at room temperature, and at higher temperatures, the thermal conductivity decreased with increased In doping.     

Crystal structure,thermochemical stability,electrical and magnetic properties of the two-phase composites in the La0.8Sr0.2MnO3 ± δ–CeO2 system

Crystal structure, thermochemical stability, transport and magnetic properties of compositions in the (100-x) La_0.8Sr_0.2MnO_3 ± δ xCeO₂ (LSMC) system were studied. All compositions in the LSMC series containing more than 2 mol% CeO₂ were two phase and consisted of the modified perovskite constituent with rhombohedral structure (R3?c) and ceria as a secondary phase with cubic structure (Fm3?m). The presence of both Ce⁴⁺and Ce³⁺ cations in LSMC compositions was revealed by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). CeO₂ and compositions in the LSMC series showed good thermochemical stability in air and argon. However, in H₂–Ar atmosphere all LSMC compositions underwent reduction followed by decomposition. Transport and magnetic properties change in a non-linear way with the increase in the CeO₂ content. The LSMC2 composition showed enhanced electronic conductivity and magnetic characteristics. Metallic type conductivity was observed for LSMC compositions with x ≤ 36 mol% CeO₂ in a narrow temperature range of 770–900 °C. A small degree of substitution of Ce into LSM was found to change structural, magnetic and electrical properties.     

First-principles calculations of the structural,electronic, optical and thermal properties of the BNxAs1–x alloys

The present paper aims to study the structural, electronic, optical and thermal properties of the boron nitride (BN) and BAs bulk materials as well as the BN_xAs_1–x ternary alloys by employing the full-potential-linearised augmented plane wave method within the density functional theory. The structural properties are determined using the Wu–Cohen generalised gradient approximation that is based on the optimisation of the total energy. For band structure calculations, both the Wu–Cohen generalised gradient approximation and the modified Becke–Johnson of the exchange-correlation energy and potential, respectively, are used. We investigated the effect of composition on the lattice constants, bulk modulus and band gap. Deviations of the lattice constants and the bulk modulus from the Vegard’s law and the linear concentration dependence, respectively, were observed for the alloys where this result allows us to explain some specific behaviours in the electronic properties of the alloys. For the optical properties, the calculated refractive indices and the optical dielectric constants were found to vary nonlinearly with the N composition. Finally, the thermal effect on some of the macroscopic properties was predicted using the quasi-harmonic Debye model in which the lattice vibrations are taken into account.     

Comparison of the thermal stability of the α, β and γ phases in poly(vinylidene fluoride) based on in situ thermal Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

The electroactive β phase of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) is induced due to the aging time of PVDF solutions. The feasibility of the combination of the three crystalline polymorphs (α, β and γ) is demonstrated where their relative proportion within the PVDF film can be tailored by the simple monitoring of the preparation conditions. To identify all these phases, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy is carried out and it is spotlighted that the vibrational bands at 510 and 841 cm^?1 are not sufficient to state the formation of the β phase. The main aim of this work is devoted to develop a better understanding on the thermal stability of these several phases of PVDF, which has a longstanding ambiguity persisting in this area. It has been found that the in situ thermal FT-IR spectroscopy is one of the best alternatives to understand this important issue. It is ascertained that the β phase is the least thermally stable phase among α, β and γ phases, whereas the γ phase is the most thermally stable phase.     

Manifestation of phase transformations in optical spectra of Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3 crystals between 25°C and 350°C

The pseudo dielectric function ?ε? (E) = ?ε ₁? (E) + i?ε ₂? (E) of sodium bismuth titanate Na_0.5Bi_0.5TiO₃, has been obtained in the spectral range of electronic excitations (2–9.5 eV) by spectroscopic ellipsometry using the synchrotron radiation source BESSY II. The spectrum contains a broad absorption band at 4.2–4.5 eV. The temperature dependence in the range of 25–350°C is presented by the related susceptibilities ?χ ₁? (T) and ?χ ₂? (T) at 5 eV. A clear peculiarity in the temperature behavior of ?χ ₁? (T) and ?χ ₂? (T) between 180 and 320°C has been revealed and discussed. In this range an extremum-like temperature dependence of intensity of the light reflected from the sample surface, has been revealed and can be explained by the diffraction of light on the grid of the elastic domain structure of the sample.     

Thermal conductivity of Pb-Mg-Zr alloys and the thermal resistance of the interface between alloys and EP-823 steel in the temperature range of 300–900°C

A technique for measuring the thermal resistance of the liquid metal–structural steel interface is proposed. The results ofmeasurements of the thermal resistance of the interface between Pb-Mg-Zr alloys and EP-823 steel and the thermal conductivity of Pb-Mg-Zr alloys in the temperature range of 350–900 °C are presented.     

The effect of In/N ratio on the optical quality and lasing threshold in GaxIn1 − xAs1 − yNy/GaAs laser structures

We present a review of published work concerning the effect of In and N compositions on the operation wavelength, optical quality and lasing threshold in Ga_xIn_1 − xAs_1 − yN_y/GaAs QW and double heterostructure lasers. We show that the emission wavelength in the range between 1.0 and 1.4 μ m can be obtained for a wide range of In and/or N concentrations. However, in most Fabry–Perot lasers and vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) reported in the literature, the threshold current density plotted as a function of the relative In/N composition (R =  (1  − x) / y) indicate a broad minima for 40  < R <  70, suggesting an optimum relative composition. We also present the results of our studies concerning the optical quality of Ga_xIn_1 − xAs_1 − yN_y/GaAs single quantum wells for R =  15. We show that the optical quality of GaInAsN can be improved while achieving a red shift in the PL spectra. This is unlike the results obtained by rapid thermal annealing or conventional annealing, which are widely employed as post-growth treatment techniques, where any increase in the PL intensity is almost always accompanied by an undesired blue shift.     

Line intensities of 12C2H2 in the 1.3, 1.2, and 1 μm spectral regions

Intensities of about 320 lines of the ¹²C₂H₂ molecule, belonging to 7 parallel bands, are measured in the 1.3, 1.2, and 1 μm spectral regions, with a mean accuracy around 3% or 7% depending on the spectral region. Vibrational transition dipole moment squared values and Herman-Wallis coefficients are obtained for each band, in order to model the rotational dependence of the transition dipole moment squared, except for the ν₁+ν₃+2ν₄⁰ band at 7732.78 cm^?1 that exhibits an unusual rotational dependence because of a strong ?-type resonance. HITRAN format line lists are set up for applications.     

Effect of gamma irradiation on the structural,thermal and optical properties of Makrofol BL 2–4

Makrofol BL 2–4 is an extrusion film based on Makrolon polycarbonate. It comprises excellent die-cutting performance combined with high light transmission and moderate light scattering properties. It is a class of polymeric solid state nuclear track detectors which has many applications in various radiation detection fields. In the present work, Makrofol samples were irradiated using different gamma doses ranging from 10 to 350 kGy. The structural modifications in the gamma-irradiated Makrofol samples have been studied as a function of dose using different characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction, intrinsic viscosity, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, refractive index and color difference studies. The gamma irradiation in the dose range 20–200 kGy led to a more compact structure of Makrofol polymer, which resulted in an improvement in its thermal stability with an enhancement in its structural and optical properties.     

On the role of a weak hydrogen bond OH…O in the formation of the anomalous dielectric response of crystals and polymers near 40°C

In some crystals, polymers, and gels that contain hydrogen bonds OH…O, NH…O of length 2.8–3 Å or water molecules, gigantic anomaly of dielectric permittivity (? ～ 10³–10⁶) is observed in certain circumstances at frequencies of 1–10⁶ Hz, which is accompanied by peculiarities in conductivity σ and dielectric losses tanδ. In crystals this effect appears after a sudden cooling to ?50°C and it is observed at slow heating in the range of 20–40°C. At the return temperature course from 40°C dependences ?(T), σ(T), and tanδ(T) have their usual values. Anomalies in objects that differ by their compositions are unified by their temperatures, which are all close to 40°C. Authors have made an attempt to explain the similarity of these phenomena by the features of hydrogen bonds that are present in the objects.     

The effect of copper concentration on structural,optical and dielectric properties of CuxZn1 − xS thin films

Cu_xZn_1 ? xS (x = 0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1) thin films were deposited on glass substrates using Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction (SILAR) method at room temperature and ambient pressure. The copper concentration (x) effect on the structural, morphological and optical properties of Cu_xZn_1 ? xS thin films was investigated. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies showed that all the films exhibit polycrystalline nature and are covered well with glass substrates. The crystalline and surface properties of the films improved with increasing copper concentration. The energy bandgap values were changed from 2.07 to 3.67 eV depending on the copper concentration. The refractive index (n), optical static and high frequency dielectric constants (ε_o, ε_∞) values were calculated by using the energy bandgap values as a function of the copper concentration.     

Study of Features of the Composition,Magnetic, and Crystal Structure of Barium Hexaferrite BaFe12 – xTixO19

Physics of the Solid State - The features of the composition, crystal, and magnetic structure of Ti-substituted barium hexaferrite BaFe12&nbsp;–&nbsp;xTixO19 (0.25 ≤ x ≤...