Fabrication of anode supported thick film ceria electrolytes for IT-SOFCs

Anode supported thick film ceria electrolyte unit cells were fabricated using a colloidal dip coating method for IT-SOFCs. Pre-sintering temperature of the anode substrate and the final sintering temperature were found to be the primary parameters determining the density of the film. With Ni-Ce_0.89Gd_0.11 O_2–δ cermet anode, La_0.6Sr_0.4Co_0.2Fe_0.8O₃ cathode and 15 μm Ce_0.89Gd_0.11 O_2–δ electrolyte, the cells were tested in a fuel cell configuration with air at the cathode and moist H₂ at the anode. At 650 °C, the cell indicated a maximum power density of ∼0.27 W/cm² at a current density of 0.62 A/cm². Cell performance was compared with oxygen at the cathode and the cell indicated a maximum power density of ∼0.50 W/cm² at 1.14 A/cm², 650 °C. Activation energy for the area specific resistance (ASR) of the cell suggests that with air at cathode, the cell performance was limited by gaseous diffusion at cathode and with oxygen at cathode, by oxygen ion transport across the electrolyte.     

RAMAN SCATTERING OF α-ET3(ReO4)2 CHARGE-TRANSFER SALT

We describe the results of Haman studies on C=C stretch modes in α-ET₃(ReO₄)₂ charge-transfer salt with the incident laser beam polarised perpendicular and parallel to the large flat face of plate-like crystal. We have assigned central C=C stretch mode at 1454 cm^-1 and ring C=C stretch mode at 1470cm^-1. The change in ring C=C stretch vibration was observed at the metal-insulator transition of α-ET₃(ReO₄)₂ on warming due to the distortion of the ET molecules.     

TWO-WAVE COUPLING IN PHOTOREFRACTIVE TRANSITION METAL DOPED POTASSIUM SODIUM BARIUM STRONTIUM NIOBATE CRYSTALS

Large values of the exponential gain coefficient are obtained (Γ= 8-20cm^-1) in photorefractive potassium sodium barium strontium niobate crystals doped with transition metal elements: Co, Gu, Fe, Cr and Ni by using two-wave coupling experiments with argon ion laser (λ = 488nm). The response time is measured to be 60-1000ms at an intensity of 5W/cm² for various samples. We find that in all the crystals electrons are the dominant photorefractive charge carriers, and the typical density of carriers is 10¹⁶-10¹⁷ cm^-3.     

Improving the field-emission properties of carbon nanotubes by magnetically controlled nickel-electroplating treatment

A novel magnetically controlled Ni-plating method has been developed to improve the field-emission properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The effect of the magnetic field and Ni-electroplating on CNT field-emission properties was investigated, and the results are demonstrated using scanning electron microscopy, J-E and the duration test. After treatment, the turn-on electric field declines from 1.55 to 0.91 V/μm at an emission current density of 100 μA/cm², and the emission current density increases from 0.011 to 0.34 mA/cm² at an electric field of 1.0 V/μm. Both the brightness and uniformity of the CNT emission performance are improved after treatment.     

Third harmonic generation of CO2 laser radiation in AgGaSe2 crystal

Generation of third harmonic of CO₂ laser radiation has been obtained in a type-II, ϑ=57° cut 9 mm thick AgGaSe₂ crystal for the first time by sum-frequency-mixing of the fundamental with its second harmonic, the latter being obtained using another type-I, ϑ=55° cut 11 mm thick AgGaSe₂ crystal. The energy conversion efficiencies obtained for second harmonic and third harmonic generations are 6.3% and 2.4% respectively with the input fundamental pump power density of 5.9 MW/cm² only. The wavelength of the fundamental CO₂ laser radiation used for the generation of harmonics is 10.6 μm, P(20) line. A compact TEA CO₂ laser source has been built in the laboratory.     

Optimized operation of optically pumped NH3 laser emission at 12.08 μm and 12.81 μm

Based on the semi-classical density matrix equations, optimized operation of optically pumped NH₃ MIR laser emission at 12.08μm and 12.81μm was studied theoretically and experimentally. The effect of pump power, gas pressure and buffer gas N₂ on MIR output power were discussed in detail. Supported by theNatural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, P.R. China.     

Efficient Long Wave IR Laser from Ho：YAG 2 μm Pumped ZnGeP2 Optical Parametric Oscillator

An efficient high power long wave infrared laser based on ZnGeP2 optical parametric oscillator pumped by a 2.09μm Tm：YLF/Ho：YAG laser at 10KHz pulse repetition rate is reported. The pump to idler conversion efficiency is 8% at 15.6W Ho pump power level and a quantum efficiency of 31% when the 1idler wavelength is tuned at 8.08μm. The wavelength tuning range from 8-9.1μm is also achieved by rotating the ZGP crystal.     

RAMAN STUDIES ON THE PHASE TRANSITIONS OF (NH4)2SnBr6 CRYSTALS

We report here the structural phase transitions of the crystal (NH₄)₂SnBr₆ investigated by Raman scattering at temperatures ranging from 10K to room temperature. Two phase transitions occurring at 150 and ll0K are found. Based on the group theory, it is proposed that the crystal undergoes a second-order phase transition at 150 K, resulting from a ferro-distortion with symmetry Γ⁴⁺. The change of structure is confirmed to be O⁵_h to C⁵_4h, which is assigned to the rotary of [SnBr₆]^2- ion groups around the axis of <001>. Furthermore the crystal undergoes an order-disorder phase transition at ll0K which is related with the reorientation of the ammonium ion group. It is noticed that the change of the vibrational modes at 77K does not show any phase transition.     

Particular features of the transmission of laser radiation with wavelength 0.438 µm and intensity (3–7)·1014 W/cm2 through an undercritical plasma from polymer aerogels

The velocities of energy transport in an undercritical plasma of polymer aerogel with and without copper nanoparticles were measured. Transmission of the laser light through targets of different thicknesses such as submicron three-dimensional polymer networks with densities below the critical value (0.13–0.52 N _cr) for a wavelength of 0.438 μm and intensity of (3–7)·10¹⁴ W/cm² at a half-height pulse duration of 0.32 ns was studied. The transfer of a heating laser radiation was registered on the rear side of the target. It ranged from a level of ∼0.5% for the thickness of a low-density layer of 400 μm and density of 9 mg/cm³ (mass per unit square of 0.36 mg/cm²) up to 50–60% for a thickness of 100 μm and density of 2.25 mg/cm³ (mass per unit square of 0.02 mg/cm²). The time dependences of the optical emission from the rear side of the targets were measured. They appear to be indicative of the plasma dynamics in two-layer targets (polymer foam on Al foil) and enable the estimation of the absorption depth for the laser light in an undercritical plasma. __________ Translated from Preprint No. 8 of the P. N. Lebedev Physical Institute, Moscow (2007).     

High Power Continuous-Wave Diode-End-Pumped 1.34-μm Nd：GdVO4 Laser

A high power cw all-solid-state 1.34-μm Nd：GdVO4 laser is experimentally demonstrated. With a diode-double-end-pumped configuration and a simple plane-parallel cavity, a maximum output power of 27.9 W is obtained at incident pump power of 96 W, introducing a slope efficiency of 35.4%. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest output power of diode-end-pumped 1.3-μm laser. With the experimental data, the thermal-stress- resistance figure of merit of Nd：GdVO4 crystal with 0.3 at% Nd^3＋ doped level is calculated to be larger than 9.94 W/cm.     

Large third—order optical nonlinearity in Au nanomeytre particle doped BaTiO3 composite films near the resonant frequency

Nanometre-sized gold particles embedded in BaTiO₃ composite thin films (Au/BaTiO₃) were fabricated by the pulsed laser deposition technique. The films were grown on MgO (100) substrates at 700℃. The crystalline property of the films was studied with x-ray diffraction. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to check the Au composition and chemical nature for the deposited films. The absorption peak due to the surface plasmon resonance of Au particles was observed at the wavelength of about 570 nm, which increased as the metal particle size was increased. The nonlinear optical properties of the Au/BaTiO₃ films were determined using the z-scan method at the wavelength of 532 nm, which was close to the resonant frequency. The real and imaginary parts of the third-order nonlinear susceptibility χ⁽³⁾ at an Au concentration of about 6.7 at.% were determined to be 6.62×10^-7 esu and -6.24×10^-8 esu, respectively. The films showed a very large absorption, masking the nonlinear refraction effect at high metal concentrations.     

High power CW and diode-side-pumped Q-switched operation of a Nd：YAG 1319-nm laser

We demonstrated the highly efficient continuous wave （CW） and Q-switched infrared laser from a diode- side-pumped Nd：YAG crystal. A CW output as high as 66 W at 1319 nm was achieved under the pump power of 460 W, corresponding to a coversion efficiency of 14.3%. A maximum average power of 8.9 W of TEM00 mode was obtained in Q-switched operation at the repetition rate of 8 kHz. The performance of the laser considering the thermal lens effect induced by pump power was also analyzed.     

Spatial-temporal measurements of magnetic fields in laser-produced plasmas

The results of an investigation of the electromagnetic wave polarization, probing high-temperature laser plasma, as well as spatial-temporal structure of the magnetic fields, electron density, current density, and electron drift velocity are presented. To create the plasma, plane massive Al targets were irradiated with the second harmonic of a phoenix Nd laser at intensities up to 5·10¹⁴ W/cm². It was shown that the magnetooptical Faraday effect is the main mechanism responsible for the changing polarization of the probing wave. Magnetic fields up to 0.4 MG with electron densities ∼10²⁰ cm⁻³ were measured. Analysis of the magnetic field spatial distribution showed that the current density achieved the value ∼90 MA/cm² on the laser axis. The radial structure of the magnetic field testified to the availability of the reversed current in the laser plasma. The spatial and temporal resolutions in these experiments were equaled to ∼5 μsec and ∼50 psec, respectively. Translated from Preprint No. 35 of the Lebedev Physics Institute, Moscow, 1993.     

Eu3+离子对Li2O-Na2O-B2O3物理和光学特性的影响

The lithium sodium borate glasses doped with Eu³⁺ ion are prepared using melt quenching technique, their structural and optical properties have been evaluated. The density of prepared glasses exhibits an inverse behavior to the molar volume ranging from 2.26 g/cm³ to 2.43 g/cm³ and 26.95 cm³ /mol to 26.20 cm³ /mol, respectively. The absence of sharp peaks in XRD patterns confirms the amorphous nature of the prepared glasses. The absorption spectra yield four transitions centered at 391 nm (⁷F₀→⁵L₆), 463 nm (⁷F₀→⁵D₂), 531 nm (⁷F₀→⁵D₁), and 582 nm (⁷F₀→⁵D₀). The most intense red luminescence is observed at 612 nm corresponding to ⁵D₀→⁷F₂ transition under 390 nm laser excitations.     

High-Power Nd：GdVO4 Innoslab Continuous-Wave Laser under Direct 880 nm Pumping

A high-power cw end-pumped laser device is demonstrated with a slab crystal of Nd：GdVO4 operating at 1063nm. Diode laser stacks at 880nm are used to pump Nd：GdVO4 into emitting level 4^F3/2. The 149 W output power is presented when the absorbed pump power is 390 W and the optical-to-optieal conversion efficiency is 38.2%. When the output power is 120 W, the M^2 factors are 2.3 in both directions. Additionally, mode overlap inside the resonator is analyzed to explain the beam quality deterioration.     

HIGH-RESOLUTION ANALYSIS OF THE ν2+2ν3 BAND OF HDO

The Fourier transform spectrum of the ν₂+2ν₃ band of the HDO molecule was recorded with a resolution of 0.02 cm^-1. The spectrum was rotational analysed and the spectroscopic parameters of the (0,1,2) state were estimated in terms of Watson's effective rotational Hamiltonian model and also the model in the Padé-Borel approximation form. They reproduce the upper energy levels with an accuracy close to the experimental uncertainty of 0.001 cm^-1.     

ANALYSIS OF LASING PERFORMANCES OF Yb3+-DOPED YAG, FAP, KYW CRYSTALS

The Yb³⁺ laser emitting at a 1.03μm wavelength has been evoking strong interest recently due to its advantages of long fluorescence lifetime, broad absorption band and the fact that it never shows concentration quenching. On the other hand, as a laser of three-level system it has, in general, a relatively high threshold power, which makes it important to seek some suitable host crystals to reduce this. Here, we present a comparison of the lasing performances of Yb³⁺-doped YAG [Y₃Al₅O₁₂], FAP [Ca₅(PO₄)₃F] and KYW [KY(WO₄)₂] crystals, including threshold power and slope efficiency, with those of the Nd:YAG laser based on the threshold formula of three-and four-level systems deduced by the authors. The results show that the Yb³⁺ laser can output a power larger than the Nd:YAG laser does in the case of comparably higher pumping power, if the length of the lasing rod and the concentration of the active ions satisfy some conditions. The theoretical results are also close to the experimental results reported.     

Dynamics of high-temperature plasma formation during laser irradiation of three-dimensionally structured,low-density matter

Results are presented from an experimental investigation of the properties of the plasma produced by the action of a radiation pulse at the second harmonic of a Nd laser, with average intensity ~5·10¹⁴ W/cm² in the focal spot, on flat targets consisting of porous polypropylene (CH)_x with an average density of 0.02 g/cm³ (close to the critical plasma density) and with ~50 μm pores. The properties of the laser plasma obtained with porous and continuous targets are substantially different. The main differences are volume absorption of the laser radiation in the porous material and much larger spatial scales of energy transfer. The experimentally measured longitudinal ablation velocity in the porous material was equal to (1.5–3)·10⁷ cm/s, which corresponds to a mass velocity of (3–6)·10⁵ g/cm²· s, and the transverse (with respect to the direction of the laser beam) propagation velocity of the thermal wave was equal to ~(1–2) ·10⁷ cm/s. The spatial dimensions of the plasma plume were ~20–30μm. The plasma was localized in a 200–400μm region inside the target. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 64, No. 7, 462–467 (10 October 1996)     

Excitation and dissociation of polyatomic molecules under the action of femtosecond infrared laser pulses

The effect of high-intensity femtosecond laser pulses (100–200 fs) in the near (0.8–1.8 μm) and medium (4.6–5.8 μm) IR ranges on the CF₂HCl, CF₃H, (CF₃)₂C=C=O, and C₄F₉COI molecules is examined. Irradiation of CF₂HCl and CF₃H molecules by 0.8-to 1.8-μm laser pulses with intensities of >40 TW/cm² (>4 × 10¹³ W/cm²) makes them dissociate to yield CF₃H and CF₄, respectively. The key mechanism of the dissociation of these molecules is field ionization and fragmentation. The excitation of the stretching vibrations of the C=O bond in the (CF₃)₂C=C=O and C₄F₉COI molecules by 4.5-to 5.8-μm femtosecond pulses produced no detectable dissociation up to a fluence of ∼0.5 J/cm² (or a intensity of ∼2.5 TW/cm²). Probable explanations of this observation are discussed. Original Russian Text ? V.M. Apatin, V.O. Kompanets, V.B. Laptev, Yu.A. Matveets, E.A. Ryabov, S.V. Chekalin, V.S. Letokhov, 2007, published in Khimicheskaya Fizika, 2007, Vol. 26, No. 4, pp. 18–25.