Optical transitions of holes in uniaxially compressed germanium

Spontaneous emission and photoconductivity of germanium with gallium impurity are studied for determining the energy spectrum of hole states in this material in which radiation can be induced as a result of transitions of holes between these states. Holes were excited by electric field pulses with a strength up to 12 kV/cm at T = 4.2 K under uniaxial compression of samples up to 12 kbar. It has been found that hole emission spectra for transitions between resonant and local states of the impurity have a structure identical to the photoconductivity and absorption spectra. Transitions from resonance states, which are associated with the heavy hole subband, have not been detected. It has been found that in an electric field lower than 100 V/cm, a compressed crystal emits as a result of transitions of heavy holes. In a strong electric field (1–3 kV/cm), emission is observed in the energy range up to 140 meV, and transitions with emission of TA and LO phonons appear in such a field. The emission spectra under pressures of 0 and 12 kbar differ insignificantly. Hence, it follows that the contributions from heavy and light holes in a strong electric field are indistinguishable.     

Valence band and core level X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of lead sulfide nanoparticle-polymer composites

Valence band and core level X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to probe lead sulfide (PbS) nanoparticle-polymer nanocomposites. Composite materials were prepared by trapping commercially available monodisperse 3 and 10 nm PbS nanoparticles in two polymers, the non-conducting polymer, polystyrene, and the conjugated polymer, poly(2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethyl-hexyloxy)-p-phenylene vinylene (referred to below as MEH-PPV). The nanocomposites prepared from commercial nanoparticles underwent oxidation, mainly to form lead sulfate. However, the narrow size distributions of the commercial nanoparticles allowed observation of distinct changes in the valence band from the 3 to 10 nm nanoparticles. Nanocomposites of 2-5 and 4-7 nm PbS nanoparticles were synthesized by growing the particles in poly(vinyl alcohol) (referred to below as PVA) and MEH-PPV, respectively. These composites both indicated the formation of lead sulfide nanoparticles. Furthermore, the XP spectra for the PVA/PbS composite displayed bonding between the PbS nanoparticles and the polymer while MEH-PPV showed no PbS-polymer bonding. The nanoparticles synthesized in MEH-PPV did not undergo oxidation. The particle size distributions of the synthesized nanoparticles were too broad to display size-dependent changes in the valence band.     

Effect of Restricted Geometry on the Structure and Phase Transitions in Potassium Nitrate Nanoparticles

The effect of restricted geometry and thermal prehistory of sample preparation on phase transitions in nanocomposites on base of porous glasses with average pore diameters 7 and 46 nm filled by potassium nitrate have been studied by X-rays and neutron diffraction. The nanoparticle sizes have been determined and phase diagrams (on cooling) for these nanoparticles have been described. It is shown that there is a critical nanoparticle size in the interval from 30 till 20 nm, at which in nanocomposite the ferroelectric phase is realized only regardless of preparation method.     

毫米级栅型电场分布FEP薄膜驻极体的制备及其电荷存储性能研究

采用电晕注极和热注极技术, 在厚度为25 μm的氟化乙丙烯共聚物(FEP)表面制备了宽度为2 mm和3 mm的具有栅型电场分布的驻极体, 研究了注极温度和电极宽度对其电荷存储性能的影响. 样品注极后经150天的存储, 栅型电场分布变得清晰而有规律, 覆盖铝电极区电位已衰减至接近零, 未覆盖铝电极区仍保持高电位; 对电极宽度为2 mm和3 mm的样品, 覆盖铝电极区与未覆盖铝电极区的表面电位差分别为110 V和130 V(电场强度差分别为44 kV/cm和52 kV/cm). 表面电位跟踪测试结果表明: 电晕注极样品初始表面电位高于热注极样品; 在相同的注极方法下, 注极温度越高初始表面电位越高, 电极宽度越小初始表面电位越低. 依据电晕注极和热注极原理对实验结果的分析表明, FEP和金属铝在电荷存储性能上的差异是FEP表面蒸镀铝电极后能获得栅型电场分布的原因所在.     

Size controlled synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles via electric field assisted continuous spray pyrolysis (EACoSP) reactor

ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized by the continuous spray pyrolysis technique (CoSP) and the effect of applied voltage across the spray nozzle and an annular ground electrode during spray has been studied. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy studies showed that the product has (hexagonal) wurtzite structure with the average particle size decreasing from 18.5?nm to 12.9?nm in the presence of a high DC voltage (1?kV). The higher value of the absorption peak for the nanoparticles synthesized without voltage is supportive of this behavior. The films deposited by spin coating using these nanoparticles can be used for a variety of applications, particularly as photoelectrodes for dye-sensitized solar cells.     

Investigation of halloysite nanotubes with deposited silver nanoparticles by methods of optical spectroscopy

Halloysite nanotube composites covered by silver nanoparticles with the average diameters of 5 nm and 9 nm have been studied by methods of optical spectroscopy of reflectance/transmittance and Raman spectroscopy. It has been established that silver significantly increases the light absorption by nanocomposites in the range of 300 to 700 nm with a maximum near 400 nm, especially for the samples with the nanoparticle size of 9 nm, which is explained by plasmonic effects. The optical absorption increases also in the long-wavelength spectral range, which seems to be due to the localized electronic states in an alumosilicate halloysite matrix after deposition of nanoparticles. Raman spectra of nanocomposites reveal intense scattering peaks at the local phonons, whose intensities are maxima for the samples with the silver nanoparticle sizes of 9 nm, which can be caused by plasmonic enhancement of the light scattering efficiency. The results show the ability to use halloysite nanotube nanocomposites in photonics and biomedicine.     

Water after-etching of n-type porous silicon in an electric field

Water after-etching of porous silicon in an external electric field is studied. The application of the electric field, irrespective of its strength and orientation, is shown to decrease the etch rate. When the field vector is directed from the porous layer inward to the sample, the electrode potential in the silicon-electrolyte system sharply changes; for E>6 kV/cm, the changes become periodic. Experimental data suggest the presence of a circulating current in the single-crystal silicon-electrolyte-quantum wire system.     

Structure and optical properties of the silver/polyacrylonitrile nanocomposites

Small-angle X-ray scattering is used to prove the formation of silver nanoparticles with sizes of 5–11 nm in siver/polyacrylonitrile nanocomposites synthesized via photopolymerization of a mixture containing silver, acrylonitrile, and photoinitiator. Optical spectra of nanocomposites obtained under different conditions are studied. The absorption spectra exhibit maxima at wavelengths of 420–450 nm related to the surface plasmon resonance of silver nanoparticles. IR spectra of the nanocomposites prove the formation of polyacrylonitrile in the course of the photopolymerization of monomer. The formation of metal nanoimpurities in polymer matrix leads to an increase in the intensity of photoluminescence and Raman scattering of polyacrylonitrile.     

Improved dielectric and electrical properties of (Ba,Sr)TiO3 thin films using Pt/LaNiO3 as the top-electrode material

(Ba,Sr)TiO₃ (BST) capacitors grown on a LaNiO₃ (LNO) bottom electrode, with Pt (80 nm), LNO (100 nm), and double-layer Pt/LNO (80/10 nm) top electrodes have been investigated. It was found that the dielectric behavior is improved by a decrease of the electrical properties for the BST capacitor using double-layer Pt/LNO top electrodes. The dielectric constant of 100 nm-thick BST films with a Pt electrode was only 165 at 100 kHz, while that with a double-layer electrode was about 242. Correspondingly, the tunability was greatly improved from 26% to 41% with an electric field of 600 kV/cm. These have been attributed to increased interfacial capacitance density, which resulted from an improved interface, between the films and the top electrode. The dielectric loss was also reduced by using a double-layer electrode. Furthermore, the leakage current of a capacitor with a double-layer Pt/LNO electrode was one order of magnitude lower than that with a single LNO electrode. It can be explained by the fact that the weak chemical interaction between LNO (10 nm) and BST causes a high potential barrier at the interface. PACS 81.15.-z; 81.15.Cd; 77.55.+f; 77.84.Dy; 77.22.-d     

ZnO–CuO core–shell nanorods and CuO-nanoparticle–ZnO-nanorod integrated structures

ZnO–CuO core–shell nanorods and CuO-nanoparticle–ZnO-nanorod integrated structures were synthesized for the first time by a two-stage solution process. Scanning electron microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy show that the diameter and the length of the nanorods are around 60 and 800 nm, respectively. The morphologies of outer CuO could be varied from nanoparticles to nanoshells by adjusting the solvent and dipping processes of copper (II) nitrate solution. The CuO nanoparticles are single-crystalline or highly textured structures with size of around 30 nm. The CuO shell with thickness of around 10 nm is constructed of nanocrystals with sizes in the range of 3–10 nm embedded in an amorphous matrix. Room-temperature cathodoluminescence measurements of the CuO–ZnO nanocomposites exhibit relatively sharp ultraviolet emissions at 380 nm as well as broad green and yellow emissions at 500 and 585 nm. The p-CuO/n-ZnO one-dimensional nanocomposites are promising for optoelectronic nanodevice applications.     

Oscillatory behaviour in the energy and nonlinear optical rectification spectra of elliptic quantum rings under electric field: influence of impurity and eccentricity

We have theoretically investigated the electronic properties and nonlinear optical rectification spectra of GaAs/AlGaAs anisotropic quantum ring, modelled by an outer ellipsis and an inner circle, in connection to the presence of a donor off-centre impurity, structural distortions and in-plane electric field. The one-electron energy spectrum and wave functions are found using the adiabatic approximation and the finite element method within the effective-mass model. The energy spectrum of concentric ring reveals an anomalous oscillatory behaviour in the region of relatively small values of the electric field (< 12?kV/cm) followed by linear Stark effect at higher field values. We showed that this unusual behaviour is strongly affected by the ratio of the outer/inner ring radii, the displacement of the inner circle (eccentricity) along the x or y axis and the impurity presence. The related nonlinear optical rectification spectra present maxima whose positions mirror this oscillatory behaviour and consequently can be used as an excellent tool to distinguish the presence of an impurity or the direction of the eccentricity.     

“Anomalous” spectral photoresistive field effect in CdS crystals caused by the screening of the electron-hole interaction

The changes observed in low-temperature (T = 77 K) near-band-edge photoconductivity spectra of CdS crystals in response to an external transverse electric field applied to the sample surface have been investigated. An analysis of the “anomalous” character of these changes for a number of crystals has revealed a significant role of the near-surface effects of screening of the electron-hole interaction in the formation of near-band-edge photoconductivity spectra of CdS crystals with a technological excess of cadmium near the surface. It has been shown that the depletion (enrichment) transverse electric field leads to a weakening (enhancement) of screening effects in the photoconductivity spectra of the CdS crystals.     

Copper-carbon nanocomposites prepared by sold-phase pyrolysis of copper phthalocyanine

By using solid-phase pyrolysis of copper phthalocyanine we have prepared copper nanoparticles in carbon matrices. The elemental composition, structure, and morphology of nanocomposites were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis, and X-ray diffraction. Depending on the temperature and time of pyrolysis, the sizes of copper nanoparticles can be varied from 10 nm to 400 nm. The structure of carbon matrices also strongly depends on the pyrolysis conditions, which allows us to synthesize nanocomposites with given properties.     

Near‐field optical enhancement by lead‐sulfide quantum dots and metallic nanoparticles for SERS

There is a growing interest in using quantum dots (QDs) and metallic nanoparticles (NPs), both for luminescence enhancement and surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Here, we study the electromagnetic‐field enhancement that can be generated by lead‐sulfide (PbS) QDs using three‐dimensional finite‐element simulations. We investigate the field enhancement associated with combinations of PbS QDs with metallic NPs and substrates. The results show that high field enhancement can be achieved by combining PbS QDs with metallic NPs of larger sizes. The ideal size for Ag NPs is 25 nm, providing a SERS enhancement factor of ~5*10⁸ for light polarization parallel to the NP dimer axis and a gap of 0.6 nm. For Au NPs, the bigger the size, the higher is the field for the studied diameters, up to 50 nm. The near‐field values for PbS QDs above metallic substrates were found to be lower compared to the case of PbS QD‐metal NP dimers. This study provides the understanding for the design and application of QDs for the enhancement of near‐field phenomena. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Control of nanoparticle size and agglomeration through electric-field-enhanced flame synthesis

The isolated study of electrophoretic transport of nanoparticles (that are innately charged through thermionic emission), with no ionic wind, has been conducted under uniform electric fields. Titania nanoparticles are produced using a burner-supported low-pressure premixed flame in a stagnation-point geometry from corresponding organometallic vapor precursor. The material processing flow field is probed in-situ using laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) to map OH-radical concentrations and gas-phase temperatures. The experimental results of particle growth under different applied electric fields are compared with computations using monodisperse and sectional models. The results show that such electric field application can decrease aggregate particle size (e.g. from 40 to 18 nm), maintain metastable phases and particle crystallinity, and non-monotonically affect primary particle size (e.g. from 6 to 5 nm) and powder surface area. A specific surface area (SSA) for anatase titania nanopowder of 310 m²/g, when synthesized under an applied electric field of 125 V/cm, is reported. Results are also given for the synthesis of alumina nanoparticles.     

Study of terahertz radiation generated by optical rectification on thin gold films

Emission of terahertz (THz) radiation as a result of optical rectification of intense femtosecond laser pulses on thin gold films has been studied by time-domain THz spectroscopy. The THz amplitude was measured as a function of film thickness and incidence angle. The experiments reveal that the emitted THz field is suppressed for a thickness below 100 nm, which gives evidence of the nonlocal character of the response. The variation of incidence angle allows us to estimate the components of susceptibility tensor chi2ijk. For thicker films and near grazing incidence, the emitted THz field attains a peak value of 4 kV/cm.     

Polypyrrole–silica core–shell nanocomposites: a new route towards active materials in dielectrophoretic displays

A direct route to polypyrrole–silica core–shell nanoparticles with diameters in the 150–300 nm range is described to design new nanocomposites, in which the conducting part is wrapped by an external silica shell in order to obtain finally neutral conductive nanoparticles. The nanocomposites are characterized by SEM, FTIR, electrochemistry and thermal gravimetric analysis, demonstrating that the external silica shell actually insulates the conjugated polymer from the outer medium. In a second step, the nanocomposites are coated with an additional PDMS layer. The electrorheological properties of the ink made by dispersion of these final nanoparticles in a low dielectric constant fluid are checked in a dielectrophoretic device, in which the motion of the particles induced by an external electric field can be used to monitor a switch of the light transmission properties with a low voltage threshold.     

Probe Measurements of Parameters of Streamers of Nanosecond Frequency Crown Discharge

Investigations of the parameters of single streamers of nanosecond frequency corona discharge, creating a voluminous low-temperature plasma in extended coaxial electrode systems, are performed. Measurements of the parameters of streamers were made by an isolated probe situated on the outer grounded electrode. Streamers were generated under the action of voltage pulses with a front of 50–300 ns, duration of 100–600 ns, and amplitude up to 100 kV at the frequency of 50–1000 Hz. The pulse voltage, the total current of the corona, current per probe, and glow in the discharge gap were recorded in the experiments. It was established that, at these parameters of pulse voltage, streamers propagate at an average strength of the electric field of 4–10 kV/cm. Increasing the pulse amplitude leads to an increase in the number of streamers hitting the probe, an increase in the average charge of the head of a streamer, and, as a consequence, an increase in the total streamer current and the energy introduced into the gas. In the intervals up to 3 cm, streamer breakdown at an average field strength of 5–10 kV/cm is possible. In longer intervals, during the buildup of voltage after generation of the main pulse, RF breakdown is observed at Е_av ≈ 4 kV/cm.     

Potential and restriction of high resolution,high energy photoemission in 400–8,000 eV for studying strongly correlated electron systems

InSe and InSe:Er single crystals were grown by using the Bridgman–Stockbarger method. The absorption measurements were carried out for voltage U=0 and U=30 V states of InSe and InSe:Er samples in the temperature range of 10–320 K with a step of 10 K. The absorption edge shifted towards longer wavelengths and the intensity of the absorption spectra decreased under a 5.90 kV/cm electric field. The same binding energy values for InSe and InSe:Er were calculated as 22.2 and 14.2 meV at U=0 and U=30 V, respectively. The steepness parameters and Urbach energies for InSe and InSe:Er samples increased with increasing sample temperature in the range of 10–320 K. An applied electric field caused a shift and a decrease of the intensity of the absorption spectra and an increase in the Urbach energy and steepness parameters. The shift of the absorption edge can be explained on the basis of the Franz–Keldysh effect or thermal heating of the sample under the electric field. PACS 71.20.Nr     

Synthesis of amorphous carbon nanoparticles and carbon encapsulated metal nanoparticles in liquid benzene by an electric plasma discharge in ultrasonic cavitation field

A newly-developed method permits an electric plasma discharge to occur with relatively low electric power in insulating organic solutions due to the presence of an ultrasonic cavitation. A stable electric plasma could be generated in an ultrasonic cavitation field containing a thousand tiny activated bubbles, in which the electric conductivity could be improved due to formed radicals and free electrons, using copper electrodes and a titanium ultrasonic horn. This method allowed us to synthesize pyrolytic amorphous carbon nanoparticles smaller than about 30 nm in diameter from benzene liquid. In addition, we synthesized TiC nanoparticles about 50-150 nm in size, and copper nanoparticles smaller than 10 nm, which were encapsulated in multilayered graphite cages. Finally, we used GC-MS and MALDI-TOF-MS to observe and analyze the polymerized compounds and the degree of polymerization of the benzene liquid after the plasma treatment.