Ferroelectric properties of strontium barium niobate crystals doped with rare-earth metals

The influence of doping of the Sr_xBa_1?x Nb₂O₆ (x=0.61) crystals (SBN-0.61) by rare-earth element (RE) dopants has been investigated. Taking into account the data available in the literature, it is demonstrated that the introduction of all rare-earth metals is accompanied by a substantial decrease in the temperature of the phase transition T _p and an increase in its smearing. The shift in the T _p temperature for certain rare-earth metals ranges up to 20 K per atomic percent of dopant in the crystal. It is experimentally established that, in the SBN-0.61: Yb, SBN-0.61: Ce, SBN-0.61: Tm, SBN-0.61: La, and SBN-0.61: (Ce + La) crystals, a decrease in T _p brings about a considerable increase in the permittivity and the piezoelectric and electrooptical coefficients. The conclusion is drawn that the doping by rare-earth metals provides a means of optimizing the properties of strontium barium niobates. The pulse switching of the SBN-0.61 and SBN-0.61: RE crystals is studied for the first time. It is found that the switching is characterized by a number of features, the most important of which is a decrease in the switched charge after the application of external fields. This effect associated with the specific features of the switching in the relaxor ferroelectric is assumed to be responsible for the instability of the parameters for strontium barium niobate material.     

Dielectric and Ferroelectric Properties of Thin Heteroepitaxial Films of SBN-50

Physics of the Solid State - The phase transformations and ferroelectric characteristics of thin films of barium-strontium niobate SBN-50 grown by RF-cathode sputtering in an oxygen atmosphere are...     

Structural characteristics of a single-crystalline Sr<Subscript>0.75</Subscript>Ba<Subscript>0.25</Subscript>NbO<Subscript>3</Subscript> electro-optic material

Sr_0.75Ba_0.25NbO₃ (SBN-75) has the tungsten-bronze structure with a tetragonal unit cell and exhibits electro-optic properties that are important for sensors. Due to its quaternary nature, its structural uniformity, integrity, and homogeneity become important for these applications. In this paper, we present high-resolution X-ray diffraction studies of the crystalline quality and lattice parameter variation across the surface of single crystals of SBN-75. Using rocking curves, topographs, and point-wise measurements of lattice parameters, we show that these crystals have a high degree of crystalline quality and microscopic homogeneity for any electro-optic application.     

Effect of illumination on a dielectric nonlinearity in Cr-doped SBN-75 single crystal

The dielectric nonlinearity in an SBN-75 single crystal doped with 0.01 at % Cr was investigated in the vicinity of a diffuse phase transition by studying the reverse dielectric dependences ε′(E ₌). The influence of illumination and exposure (aging) on the behavior of ε′(E ₌) was demonstrated. A reduction in the dielectric memory effect after sample illumination was detected.     

Creation of microdomains in an atomic force microscope in strontium-barium niobate ferroelectric crystals

Microdomains in SBN-0.61 polydomain crystals have been recorded by the atomic force microscopy method with the application of a dc voltage of 1–10 V applied to a probe. The domain areas have been obtained as functions of the voltage and exposition time. The kinetics of the decay of the domains after the shutdown of the field have been determined. The nonclassical characteristics observed in the dynamics of domain walls are attributed to the nonuniform spatial distribution of the atomic force microscope field. The kinetics of the decay of the microdomains are in qualitative agreement with the kinetics of the depolarization of the strontium-barium niobate solutions, which is observed by macroscopic methods.     

Effect of gamma irradiation on the dielectric response of a Sr0.75Ba0.25Nb2O6 relaxor single crystal

The effect of gamma irradiation from a ⁶⁰Co source at a dose D = 4.75 × 10⁴ R on the dielectric properties of a Sr_0.75Ba_0.25Nb₂O₆ (SBN-75) single crystal with a smeared phase transition is investigated in the low-and infralow-frequency ranges. The behavior of the dielectric response is compared with the behavior of the depolarization currents induced in unirradiated and irradiated samples of the Sr_0.75Ba_0.25Nb₂O₆ compound. The observed changes in the electrical properties of the Sr_0.75Ba_0.25Nb₂O₆ single crystal in the temperature range of the smeared phase transition are associated with the stabilization of the ferroelectric phase of the material in an internal bias field generated by radiation-induced defects.     

Classical Dynamical r-Matrices,Poisson Homogeneous Spaces,and Lagrangian Subalgebras

Lu has shown that any dynamical r-matrix for the pair ( , ) naturally induces a Poisson homogeneous structure on G/U. She also proved that if is complex simple, is its Cartan subalgebra and r is quasitriangular, then this correspondence is in fact one-to-one. In this Letter we find some general conditions under which the Lu correspondence is one-to-one. Then we apply this result to describe all triangular Poisson homogeneous structures on G/U for a simple complex group G and its reductive subgroup U containing a Cartan subgroup.     

The second law and chemically-induced,steady-state pressure gradients: controversy,corroboration and caveats

Experimental results are reported supporting key aspects of a recently proposed chemical pressure gradient (D.P. Sheehan, Phys. Rev. E 57 (1998) 6660). This pressure gradient has been invoked in a paradox involving the second law of thermodynamics (T.L. Duncan, Phys. Rev. E 61 (2000) 4661).     

Particle masses,force constants,and Spin(8)

From a number of qualitative conjectures, the constantsm _e ,c, , and a spin(8) gauge field theory, I derive the following particle masses (quark masses are constituent masses) and force constants: up quark mass=312.7542 MeV; down quark mass=312.7542 MeV; proton mass=938.2626 MeV; neutrino masses (all types)=0; muon mass=104.76 MeV; strange quark mass=523 MeV; charmed quark mass=1989 MeV; tauon mass=1877 MeV; bottom quark mass=5631 MeV; top quark mass=129.5 GeV;W ⁺ mass=80.87 GeV;W ^– mass=80.87 GeV;W ₀ mass=99.04 GeV; fine structure constant= 1/137.036082; weak constant times the proton mass squared M _p ² =0.97×10^–5; color constant=0.6286. From the pion mass in addition, I derive the Planck mass (1–1.6)×10¹⁹ GeV, so that the gravitational constant times the proton mass squared GM _p ² (3.6–8.8)×10^–39.     

Investigation of ferroelectric properties of strontium barium niobate crystals by second harmonic generation technique

The ferroelectric properties of Sr _x Ba_{1 − x} Nb₂O₆ (SBN-x) crystals have been investigated using noncollinear (diffuse) second harmonic generation of IR radiation converted by a disordered domain structure. The switching characteristics have been determined from the dependences of the second harmonic intensity I _2ω(t) and I _2ω(E) for the SBN-0.75 crystals. These characteristics are in good agreement with the results of measurements by traditional methods and exhibit a number of specific features (long polarization relaxation times, irreproducibility of the shape of hysteresis loops, low-frequency dependence of the quantity E _c ) associated with the relaxor nature of SBN solid solutions. The kinetics of the diffuse second harmonic generation can be described in the framework of the phenomenological approach to polarization relaxation processes in relaxor ferroelectrics. The intensity of the diffuse second harmonic in switching is determined by the parameters (duration, amplitude) of the switching field pulse.     

In-beam conversion electrons from 141Pr, 143Pm, 144Pm and 145Pm excited by (α, xn) and (p,n) reactions

Electromagnetic transitions between low-lying states in the odd proton nuclei ₅₉¹⁴¹Pr₈₂, ₆₁¹⁴³Pm₈₂, ₆₁¹⁴⁴Pm₈₃ and ₆₁¹⁴⁵Pm₈₄ with neutron numbers N ≈ 82 were studied by means of in-beam electron-gamma spectroscopy. The triple-focusing electron spectrum selector (TESS) was used to measure in-beam conversion electrons. The TESS, giving very good electron line spectra with small background, was found to be very powerful for in-beam spectroscopy. Accurate values for the internal conversion coefficients (ICC) were obtained by measuring simultaneously both conversion electrons and γ-rays. M2, E3 and some other multipolarities were uniquely assigned from the ICC for the γ-transitions between low-lying states. Properties of these transitions and energy levels are discussed. Analyses of the M2 and E3 transition rates gave, respectively, an isospin-spin (magnetic) core polarization effect and an octupole core polarization effect. The l-forbidden M1 transitions were analyzed in terms of the tensor terms.     

Conformal embeddings,rank-level duality and exceptional modular invariants

We compute the branching rules of the conformal embeddingsSO(4nk)₁Sp(2n) _k Sp(2k) _n andSO(rq) ₁SO(r) _q SO(q) _r forrq even. Using this we prove that the affine algebrasSp(2n) _k andSp(2k) _n have the sameS matrix and modular invariants. As a second application, we show how the triality ofSO(8) leads to an exceptional modular invariant forSU(2) at level 16 and for allSO(q4) at level 8.chargé de recherches du FNRS     

Design,fabrication and characterization of high-speed asymmetric Fabry-Perot modulators for optical interconnect applications

Free-space smart-pixel optical interconnect architectures promise to relieve the interconnect bottleneck in high-speed parallel computers and switching systems. One of the most promising output devices that has been advanced for use in these systems is the asymmetric Fabry-Perot modulator, or AFPM, which offers high on-off contrast, low insertion loss, and low operating voltage swing, among other advantages. In this paper we summarize our work on optimizing the AFPM for high-speed operation, including analysis of the material structure design considerations, fabrication of small (16×20 m) devices, and high-speed electrical and optical characterization of the finished modulators. We conclude that at relatively high incident optical intensities the modulators' speed appears to be limited by transit effects to about 18 GHz, but that at lower optical intensities their frequency response outstrips that of our 20 GHz measurement apparatus — that is, these AFPMs are still capable of large signal modulation (20 dB contrast, 1.5 dB insertion loss) at low AC voltage swings (±3 V) for operating frequencies up to 20 GHz. We presume that further investigation will prove them to be RC-limited in this low-intensity regime to speeds of about 35 GHz.     

Glottal closure, transglottal airflow, and voice quality in healthy middle-aged women

Seventeen healthy women, 45 to 61 years old, were examined using videofiberstroboscopy during phonation at three loudness levels. Two phoniatricians evaluated glottal closure using category and ratio scales. Transglottal airflow was studied by inverse filtering of the oral airflow signal recorded in a flow mask (Glottal Enterprises System) during the spoken phrase /ba:pa:pa:pa:p/ at three loudness levels. Subglottal pressure was estimated from the intraoral pressure during p occlusion. Running speech and the repeated /pa:/ syllables were perceptually evaluated by three speech pathologists regarding breathiness, hypo-, and hyperfunction, using continuous scales. Incomplete glottal closure was found in 35 of 46 phonations (76%). The degree of glottal closure increased significantly with raised loudness. Half of the women closed the glottis completely during loud phonation. Posterior glottal chink (PGC) was the most common gap configuration and was found in 28 of 46 phonations (61%). One third of the PGCs were in the cartilaginous glottis (PGCc) only. Two thirds extended into the membranous portion (PGCm); most of these occurred during soft phonation. Peak flow, peak-to-peak (AC) flow, and the maximum rate of change for the flow in the closing phase increased significantly with raised loudness. Minimum flow decreased significantly from normal to loud voice. Breathiness decreased with increased loudness. The results suggest that the incomplete closure patterns PGCc and PGCm during soft phonation ought primarily to be regarded as normal for Swedish women in this age group.     

Cross-section measurement for Ni(n,x)58(m+g)Co,Ni(n,x)60mCo,Ni(n,x)61Co and Ni(n,x)62mCo reactions induced by neutrons around 14MeV

The cross sections of Ni(n,x)58(m+g)CO,Ni(n,x)80mCo,Ni(n,x)61Co and Ni(n,x)62mCo reactions induced by neutrons around [14]MeV were measured in this work and calculated by a previously developed formula in this work.The neutron flux was determined using the monitor reaction 27Al(n,α)24Na and the neutron energies were measured with the method of cross-section ratios for 89Zr(n,2n)89Zr to 93Nb(n,2n)92mNbreactions.     

Effect of Ni doping on ferroelectric and dielectric properties of strontium barium niobate crystals

The influence of Ni doping on the ferroelectric and dielectric properties have been examined in Sr_0.61Ba_0.39Nb₂O₆ (SBN:61) relaxor crystals. The dopants introduced into SBN:61 crystals promote the switching process by reducing the value of threshold nucleation field, and thus coercive field. We present real-time studies of domain nucleation and growth processes in doped SBN:61 by the nematic liquid crystal (NLC) decoration technique. The broad phase transition and low-frequency dielectric dispersion that are exhibited by doped SBN:61 samples have a strong link to the configuration of the ferroelectrics microdomains, which in turn is strongly determined by Ni ions concentration.     

Superposition, Entropy and Schmidt Decomposition of States

Superposition and entropy are compared using the language of the logic of quantum mechanics. It is pointed out that a finite value of the relative quantum entropy of states implies a superposition relation between the states themselves. The superposition relation is then studied by comparing the pure state of the compound system with the product of the reduced states and an intermediate Schmidt state. All the corresponding relative quantum entropies are evaluated in terms of the Schmidt coefficients of the global pure state. Some of the results are extended in case the compound system is in a state represented by a general density operator.     

61单元分立式压电变形反射镜的研制

 由于61单元自适应光学系统(AO)对分立式压电变形反射镜单元数(61单元)和变形量的要求超过以往研制的变形镜,从理论分析到工艺研究采取措施,研制成功了用于系统实验的变形镜,顺利地完成了AO与跟瞄系统(ATP)的对接,提高了ATP的跟瞄精度。