Ray-tracing simulation of parabolic compound refractive lenses

X-ray compound refractive lenses (CRL) are becoming a widespread tool for the generation of microfocus spot sizes at synchrotron beamlines. The calculation of their performance by means of ray-tracing is useful for a rapid estimation of flux, resolution and focusing properties achievable in a beamline, when other optics are present, or simply to study the lens acceptance and focusing in the presence of a particular bending magnet, wiggler or undulator X-ray source. The ray-tracing method presented in this paper has been used to calculate the efficiency of beryllium CRL's using, for the instrument layout, realistic source size and divergence, and usual optics like perfect crystal monochromators. It is shown that the intensity transmitted by the lens, the effective aperture and the gain are in good agreement with analytical formulas. Additional information provided when running the program are the precise shape of beam at the focus, and at any position along the optical axis. For instance the intensity distribution at the CRL entrance and exit planes allows a comparison between the effective and the geometrical apertures. Finally, the method provides a precise value for the lens focal distance, which depends on the CRL length.     

Formation of iron fine particles in a crystal lattice by the computer simulation

The growing up of the fine particles in a sapphire crystal was simulated with a computer and the expected Mössbauer spectra were calculated by considering the influence of the nearest neighbors and next-nearest neighbors to the magnetic hyperfine field of the iron atoms. The simulated spectra were compared with the Mössbauer spectra observed with a Fe-implanted sapphire and the agreement between them was satisfactory on the whole. It is also revealed that an iron atom implanted into a sapphire crystal may interact, before coming to rest, with the iron fine particles situated within 2–3 nm in the crystal.     

X-ray resonant Raman scattering on Ni employing polarized and unpolarized exciting radiation

The X-ray resonant Raman scattering effect on nickel was studied by means of monochromatic polarized and unpolarized exciting radiation, respectively. Experiments involving polarized exciting radiation were carried out at the four crystal monochromator beamline of the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt for synchrotron radiation from 4 to 10 keV at the electron storage ring BESSY II. Resonant Raman spectra of thin Ni foils were recorded at the Cu-K_α (8041 eV) exciting beam energy. In the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the N.C.S.R. Demokritos, the resonant Raman spectrum of a thick nickel target was also recorded for an unpolarized Cu-K_α (8041 eV) exciting beam produced after the ionization of a thick Cu target by 1.7 MeV protons in a triaxial, orthogonal geometry.In the present work, the individual spectral characteristics and the methodological approaches adopted for the extraction of the Ni-RRS cross sections, with respect to each mode of excitation, are presented, compared and discussed. An excellent agreement was found between the Ni KL-RRS cross sections determined for polarized and unpolarized exciting radiation confirming the theoretical predictions within the experimental uncertainties achieved.     

Studies on Crystal Orientation of ZnO Film on Sapphire Using High-throughout X-ray Diffraction

IntroductionIt is well known that ZnO, a wide band-gap semi-conductor, is a promising material because of its wideband gap of 3.37 eV at room temperature(RT) and itslarge excitonic binding energy of about60 meV; it canbe used to prepare high-efficiency ul…     

Crystal plane dependent growth of aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes on sapphire

On single-crystal substrates, such as sapphire (alpha-Al 2O 3) and quartz (SiO 2), single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) align along specific crystallographic axes of the crystal, indicating that the SWNT growth is influenced by the crystal surface. Here, we show that not only the orientation, but also the diameter and chirality of SWNTs are affected by the crystal plane of the sapphire substrate. The aligned SWNTs grown on the A- and R-planes of sapphire have narrower diameter distributions than randomly oriented tubes produced on the C-plane sapphire and amorphous SiO 2. Photoluminescence measurements reveal a striking difference between the aligned SWNTs: near-zigzag tubes are observed on the A-plane and near-armchair tubes on the R-plane. This study shows the route for the diameter and chirality control of SWNTs by surface atomic arrangements of a single-crystal substrate.     

Dislocation Analysis for Large-sized Sapphire Single Crystal Grown by SAPMAC Method

In this paper,large-sized sapphire (230×210 mm,27.5 kg) was grown by SAPMAC method (sapphire growth technique with micro-pulling and shoulder-expanding at the cooled center). Dislocation peculiarity in large sapphire boule (0001) basal plane was investigated by chemical etching,scanning electron microscopy and X-ray topography method. The triangular dislocation etch pit measured is 7.6×101～8.0×102 cm-2,in which relative high-density dislocations were generated at both initial and final stages of crystal growth. The analysis of single-crystal X-ray topography shows that there are no apparent sub-grain boundaries; the dislocation lines are isolated and straight. Finally,the origins of low-density dislocation in sapphire crystal are discussed by numerical analysis method.     

Performance of an optical stabilization system at NSLS beamline U12IR

A low-cost optical feedback system using dynamic mirrors has been developed at the NSLS for stabilizing the position and direction of an infrared synchrotron beam against thermal drift and mechanical noise. The system design has some unique features that potentially simplify installation into an existing infrared beamline. We describe the system and its features along with some performance results.     

The new cold neutron depth profiling instrument at NIST

The Cold Neutron Depth Profiling (CNDP) instrument at the NIST Cold Neutron Research Facility (CNRF) is now operational. The neutron beam originates from a 16 liter D₂O-ice cold source and passes through a filter of 13.5 cm of single crystal sapphire. The neutron energy spectrum may be described by a 65 K Maxwellian distribution. The sample chamber configuration allows for remote controlled scanning of 15 cm×15 cm samples and varying of both sample and detector angle. The improved sensitivity over the current thermal depth profiling instrument has permitted the first nondestructive measurements of¹⁷O profiles. Results of some of the first sample measurements are presented.     

Quantitative comparison between two geometrical layouts for diffraction enhanced imaging

Diffraction enhanced imaging (DEI) with two crystals has been performed at the 4W1A beamline at Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility (BSRF). Two different crystal geometrical layouts were used to collect images, in the first layout the rotation axis of the crystal has been set perpendicular to the orbital plane while in the second the axis is parallel to the orbital plane. Performance comparison between the two layouts is discussed in terms of thermal expansion of the crystal induced by the heat load, imaging homogeneity, spatial resolution and angular resolution. From both experimental and theoretical data we show that the best images may be obtained with the optical layout in which the rotation axis of the crystals is perpendicular to the orbital plane.     

The modified experimental X-ray powder diffraction station on the SR beamline no. 2 of VEPP-3 storage ring

Modernization of the experimental station mounted on the beamline No. 2 of VEPP-3 synchrotron radiation electron storage ring at Siberian Synchrotron and Terahertz Radiation Center and intended for X-ray diffraction studies of the structure and phase composition of functional materials with high angular resolution and the possibility of using the effect of resonance scattering has been done. In operating mode the diffractometer of the beamline is equipped with a perfect flat analyzer crystal Ge(111), located in front of the detector. XRD patterns can be obtained in the range of photon energies from 7 keV to 18 keV (or wavelength range ~0.18÷0.07 nm). The angular range of the X-ray registration is limited to 2θ = 140°. The work was performed using a complex VEPP-3/VEPP-4.     

Nitridation of niobium films by rapid thermal processing: different behaviour of films on oxydized silicon and monocrystalline sapphire substrates

By electron beam evaporation and RF magnetron sputtering 500 nm thick niobium films were deposited on thermally oxidized Si-(100)-wafers and by RF magnetron sputtering on monocrystalline sapphire-(1-102)-wafers. Investigations by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed differences of the film morphology depending on the substrate used: films deposited on SiO₂ exhibited an even surface with small crystallites, films on sapphire showed parallel surface structures with relatively large and well-shaped crystallites pointing at regular crystal growth influenced by the substrate. These differences in film morphology were also reflected in different reflection intensities of the films in XRD patterns, indicating that the films deposited on sapphire were strongly textured. In a first set of experiments nitridation in molecular nitrogen and ammonia was investigated. In a second set of experiments, it was tried to form oxynitrides of niobium by annealing the nitrided films in molecular oxygen. Particularly by X-ray-diffraction the formation of different nitride and oxide phases in dependence of the reaction temperature was examined. Further, elemental depth profiles were recorded by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) to track the position of the phases formed in the film. The different substrates led to disparate film reactivities, resulting in different nitridation grades of the films at similar reaction temperatures. In general, larger crystallite sizes resulted in less chemical reactivity of the films: even after nitridation at 1000 °C metallic niobium was still present in films deposited on sapphire. However, no evidence was obtained for the formation of oxynitrides by the process sequence observed.     

Stress dependence of sapphire cathodoluminescence from optically active oxygen defects as a function of crystallographic orientation

The cathodoluminescence (CL) spectrum of the synthetic sapphire single crystal has been studied with respect to the different crystallographic planes of the crystal in order to describe the tensorial stress dependence of the band related to oxygen defects. Experiments provide the link between CL spectral shift and stress, which is referred to as the piezo-spectroscopic (PS) relationship. Using the biaxial stress field developed at the tip of cracks generated from the corners of a Vickers indentation, we clearly detected stress dependence for the cumulative band arising from the F+-center transition of optically active oxygen vacancies. The matrix of PS coefficients along different crystallographic axes of single-crystal sapphire could be precisely determined. The shallow nature of the electron probe may enable the characterization of surface stress fields with a spatial resolution that may not be easily available by conventional laser probes. The PS calibration results collected on oxygen-defect bands allow the direct determination of unknown surface residual stress fields stored in sapphire substrates for electronics applications.     

Atomic Force Microscopy Studies of SnO2 Thin Film Microstruc tures Deposited by Atomic Layer Epitaxy

 ALE-grown, rutile-type SnO₂ thin films and gas sensor structures based thereupon were studied by AFM with main emphasis on cross-sectional investigations (X-AFM). On glass substrates the polycrystalline films showed a preferred orientation which depended on the film thickness and growth temperature while on single crystal sapphire () the growth was heteroepitaxial. For the X-AFM studies various sample preparation techniques were investigated but only ion beam etching gave satisfactory results and revealed substructures in the sensor structure consisting of Pt and SnO₂ layers on a silicon substrate.     

蓝宝石衬底上化学气相沉积法生长石墨烯

化学气相沉积(CVD)法是制备大面积、高质量石墨烯材料的主要方法之一,但存在衬底转移和碳固溶等问题,本文选用蓝宝石衬底弥补了传统CVD法的不足。利用CVD法在蓝宝石衬底上生长石墨烯材料,研究生长温度对石墨烯表面形貌和晶体质量的影响。原子力显微镜(AFM)、光学显微镜(OM)、拉曼光谱和霍尔测试表明,低温生长有利于保持材料表面的平整度,高温生长有利于提高材料的晶体质量。研究氢气和碳源对蓝宝石衬底表面刻蚀作用机理,发现氢气对蓝宝石衬底有刻蚀作用,而单纯的碳源不能对衬底产生刻蚀效果。在1200 ℃下,直径为50 mm的晶圆级衬底上获得平整度和质量相对较好的石墨烯材料,室温下载流子迁移超过1000 cm²·V^-1·s^-1。     

Transient tertiary structure formation within the ribosome exit port

The exit tunnel of the ribosome is commonly considered to be sufficiently narrow that co-translational folding can begin only when specific segments of nascent chains are fully extruded from the tunnel. Here we show, on the basis of molecular simulations and comparison with experiment, that the long-range contacts essential for initiating protein folding can form within a nascent chain when it reaches the last 20 ? of the exit tunnel. We further show that, in this "exit port", a significant proportion of native and non-native tertiary structure can form without steric overlap with the ribosome itself, and provide a library of structural elements that our simulations predict can form in the exit tunnel and is amenable to experimental testing. Our results show that these elements of folded tertiary structure form only transiently and are at their midpoints of stability at the boundary region between the inside and the outside of the tunnel. These findings provide a framework for interpreting a range of recent experimental studies of ribosome nascent chain complexes and for understanding key aspects of the nature of co-translational folding.     

Interface influenced phase transitions of alkylcyanobiphenyl liquid crystals A calorimetric study

Abstract

Using an AC-calorimetry technique, we report measurements of the heat capacity and the phase shift between the applied heating power and the resulting thermal oscillations on the thermotropic liquid crystal series of alkylcyanobiphenyl (nCB) above the tricritical point. Specifically, we studied the first order phase transition smectic A to isotropic as a function of substrate, under atmospheric pressure. Different combinations of sapphire, Kapton type 200H polyimide film and air, are used to vary systematically the interfaces encountered by a liquid crystal. The calorimeter uses a sapphire disk, 10 mm in diameter and 0·13 mm thick, above which the samples are placed. A second sapphire disk, or a disk-shaped Kapton film, are used to sandwich the liquid crystal. Air interface samples are droplets allowed to spread naturally on the chosen substrate. The chosen geometry is such that interface effects appear to be maximized. Striking features found in the heat capacity and the phase shift studies with 10CB and 12CB will be presented for the different interfaces.     

Self-assembly of a lacunary alpha-Keggin undecatungstophosphate into a three-dimensional network linked by s-block cations

The crystal structure of [(CH3)4N]4Na2H[alpha-PW11O39].8H2O has been determined by using the Weissenberg camera at the BL04B2 beamline of SPring-8, revealing that it contains a disorder-free lacunary [alpha-PW11O39]7- anion with one sodium cation embedded into its lacuna that links the oxometalate building blocks into a one-dimensional chain, which is then woven into a three dimensional latticework by another Na+.     

Design calculation of a horizontal thermal neutronic beam for neutron radiography at the Syrian MNSR

The computer code MCNP4C and the ENDF/B-V cross-section library were used to design calculation of a horizontal thermal beam for neutron radiography (NR) at Syrian MNSR and to evaluate the safety of the reactor after installation of the NR facility (NRF). Thermal, epithermal and fast neutron energy ranges were selected as <0.30 eV, 0.30 eV–10.0 keV and >10.0 keV, respectively. To produce a good neutron beam in terms of intensity and quality, bismuth (Bi) and silicon (Si) were used as photon and neutron filters, respectively. The ratio of L/D of the NRF ranges between 90 and 125. The thermal neutron flux at the beam exit plane can be varied from 1.836 × 10⁵ to 3.057 × 10⁵ n/cm² s. If such thermal neutron beam would be built into the Syrian MNSR, many scientific applications of the NR would be available.     

Radial crystalline texture in a lyocell fibre revealed by synchrotron nanofocus wide-angle X-ray scattering

Within-fibre variability of the degree of preferred orientation of cellulose crystals and crystallinity was studied in lyocell. Wide-angle X-ray scattering experiments were performed with whole single fibres and thin axial fibre sections at the synchrotron nanofocus beamline at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility. Experimental evidence demonstrates that skin–core differences in the degree of preferred orientation of crystals in lyocell are more pronounced than experiments with whole single fibres are capable of revealing. Similar differences in crystallinity are detected in thin sections whereas they remain obscured in whole single fibres due to averaging. Finally, substantial evidence for a radial crystal texture in lyocell is provided.     

Construction of highly oriented crystalline surface coordination polymers composed of copper dithiooxamide complexes

Layer-by-layer bottom-up crystal engineering of metal-organic crystals at the surface of sapphire or glass from organic (rubeanic acid and derivatives) and inorganic (Cu(2+)) components which when mixed in solution form instantly an amorphous solid with high proton conduction.