Photoluminescence and excitation spectroscopy of the 1.5 μm Er-related band in MBE-grown GaN layers

The infrared photoluminescence at 1.5 m due to the ⁴I_13/2→⁴I_15/2 transition of Er³⁺ ions has been investigated for GaN:Er³⁺ layers grown by MBE. Low temperature high resolution measurements performed under continuous illumination at the wavelength  nm, resonant to one of the intra-4f-shell transitions, revealed that the 1.5 μm band consists of up to eight individual spectral components. In excitation spectroscopy, a temperature dependence splitting of resonant bands was observed. On the basis of these experimental results, a possible multiplicity of optically active centers formed by Er doping in GaN layers is discussed.     

Efficient generation of FIR radiation by optical pumping of D2 18O

In this paper we show that D₂ ¹⁸O vapour, optically pumped with a continuously tunable high pressure CO₂ laser, is an excellent source for far infrared radiation. Both high photon conversion coefficients and broad Raman gain regions were found for a large number of new laser transitions spread over the frequency range from 25 cm^–1 to 240 cm^–1. We demonstrate that these Raman gain regions can be used to generate far infrared laser pulses with high intensity and durations of about 100 ps.     

Influence of high hydrostatic pressure on Eu-luminescence in KMgF3:Eu crystal

Spectroscopic investigations are presented of KMgF₃:Eu²⁺ crystal under high hydrostatic pressure from ambient to 310 kbar. The sample was excited by 30 ps pulses generated by optical parametric generator (OPG) system with wavelength controlled between 210 and 325 nm. The Grüneisen parameters of individual phonons are obtained from the pressure shift of the Eu²⁺ emission related to the ⁶P_7/2→⁸S_7/2 transition accompanied by phonon sideband. The luminescence decays exponentially for the pressure below 135 kbar with lifetime of 3.30 ms and slightly nonexponential above 135 kbar, while the average decay time is nearly independent of the pressure. The results obtained for KMgF₃:Eu²⁺ are compared with those for LiBaF₃:Eu²⁺ in which the ⁶P_7/2→⁸S_7/2 emission is replaced by the broadband emission of the 4f⁶5d¹→4f⁷ transition at high hydrostatic pressure.     

Fourier transform emission spectroscopy of some new bands of ReN

The emission spectrum of ReN has been reinvestigated in the visible region using a Fourier transform spectrometer. Two new bands have been identified with band origins near 22 110 and 22 224 cm⁻¹. These bands have a common lower state and have been assigned as the 0⁺–A1 and 0⁻–A1 transitions. After rotational analysis it was noted that the new 0⁺–A1 transition also has its upper state in common with the upper state of the [24.7]0⁺–X0⁺ transition reported previously [W.J. Balfour, J. Cao, C.X.W. Qian, S.J. Rixon, J. Mol. Spectrosc. 183 (1997) 113–118.]. This observation provides T₀₀ = 2616.26 cm⁻¹ for the A1 state. It is likely that the A1 and X0⁺ states are two spin components of the ³Σ⁻ ground state.     

Infrared high-pass filter with high contrast

A high-pass transmission filter is described which has very small transmission (e.g. 10^–10) on the low-frequency side. It consists of a perforated metal foil. The perforations act as cutoff waveguides for the low-frequency radiation.A very steep filter slope (e.g. 1000 db/octave) paired with good transmission at high frequencies suggests use of this filter e.g. for purifying infrared laser beams from (even closely spaced) low-frequency components.     

Photoelectric properties of Pb1−x−y Sn x Ge y Te:In epitaxial films

Pb_1–x–y Sn _x Ge _y Te:In epitaxial films are examined in a wide temperature interval and at various background fluxes. These films have high sensitivity to infrared radiation in the spectral range <20m. The lifetime depends exponentially on temperature and varies from several seconds at T=10 K to 10^–2 s at T=20 K. The two-electron model of Jahn-Teller centers is proposed to explain the results. Multielement photoresistors based on these films are fabricated and D*=1.7×10¹³ cm Hz^1/2 W^–1 at T=25 K is achieved. Noise of the photoresistors is independent of background flux when it varies from 10¹² cm^–2 s^–1 to 10¹⁸ cm^–2 s^–1. As compared with Si:Ga and Ge:Hg photoresistors, the responsitivity is several orders larger at the operating temperature 25–30 K.     

New far-infrared laser lines from CH3Cl and CH3Br optically pumped with a continuously tunable high pressure CO2 laser

In this paper we report on the detection of new far-infrared laser lines from CH₃Cl and CH₃Br optically pumped with a continuously tunable high pressure CO₂ laser. We found 80 new lines for CH₃Cl and 9 new lines for CH₃Br in the frequency region between 16 cm^–1 and 41 cm^–1, all due to stimulated Raman scattering. For the Raman gain regions bandwidths up to about 700 MHz were found. We also observed high intensity short far-infrared laser pulses of durations in the nanosecond regime.Permanent address: Physics Department, State Pedagogical University, SU-119435 Moscow, USSR     

Mathematical simulation of high-power laser systems

The energetic, spectral, and time characteristics of a high pressure CO₂ laser at high pumping level are studied. It is shown that in the free generation regime high power radiation pulses R~ 10^–8 sec in duration with a multifrequency spectrum can be obtained. Laser output characteristics are presented as functions of gas pressure, pumping energy, and resonator parameters.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 6, pp. 15–20, June, 1981.     

Scaling and performance of CO2 lasers at supra-atmospheric pressure

The performance of a compact uv photo-preionized TE laser is studied in the pressure range 1–5 bar. As the pressure is increased, the laser pulse shape is little altered, but both the peak power and the total output pulse energy increase significantly with pressure, even for constant input electrical energy. For various gas mixtures and excitation source capacitors the measurements suggest approximate output energy scaling with the product of the source charge per unit electrode area [C.m^–2] and the molecular partial pressure [CO₂+N₂+CO]. This is explained in terms of the pressure-dependent discharge impedance. An input-energy-related discharge instability limits the optimum laser pressure to 1.5–2.5 bar, and we show that, at constant input energy, the instability boundary depends on the molecular partial pressure alone. The pre-ionization photo-electron yield varies negligibly with pressure, but the discharge tolerance to added oxygen decreases asp ^–3 top ^–4, dependent on gas mixture. Nevertheless sealed operation for >10⁵ shots has been obtained with a 5% CO₂5% CO3% N₂2% H₂85% He gas mixture at a total pressure of 5 bar.     

Elementary reactions of formyl (HCO) radical studied by laser photolysis—transient absorption spectroscopy

Several elementary reactions of formyl radical of combustion importance were studied using pulsed laser photolysis coupled to transient UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy: HCO → H + CO (1), HCO + HCO → products (2), and HCO + CH₃ → products (3). One-pass UV absorption, multi-pass UV absorption as well as cavity ring-down spectroscopy in the red spectral region were used to monitor temporal profiles of HCO radical. Reaction (1) was studied over the buffer gas (He) pressure range 0.8–100 bar and the temperature range 498–769 K. Reactions (2a), (2b), (2c), (3a) and (3b) as well as the UV absorption spectrum of HCO, were studied at 298 and 588 K, and the buffer gas (He) pressure of 1 bar. Pulsed laser photolysis (308, 320, and 193 nm) of acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, and acetone was used to prepare mixtures of free radicals. The second-order rate constant of reaction (1) obtained from the data at 1 bar is: k₁(He) = (0.8 ± 0.4) × 10⁻¹⁰exp(−(66.0 ± 3.4) kJ mol⁻¹/RT) cm³ molecule⁻¹ s⁻¹. The HCO dissociation rate constants measured in this work are lower than those reported in the previous direct work. The difference is a factor of 2.2 at the highest temperature of the experiments and a factor of 3.5 at the low end. The experimental data indicate pressure dependence of the rate constant of dissociation of formyl radical 1, which was attributed to the early pressure fall-off expected based on the theory of isolated resonances. The UV absorption spectrum of HCO was revised. The maximum absorption cross-section of HCO is (7.3 ± 1.2) × 10⁻¹⁸ cm² molecule⁻¹ at 230 nm (temperature independent within the experimental error). The measured rate constants for reactions (2a), (2b), (2c), (3a) and (3b) are: k₂ = (3.6 ± 0.8) × 10⁻¹¹ cm³ molecule⁻¹ s⁻¹ (298 K); k₃ = (9.3 ± 2.3) × 10⁻¹¹ cm³ molecule⁻¹ s⁻¹(298 and 588 K).     

Pressure dependence of the electric field gradient in Sb and Sb1−x M x (M=ln,Zn, Ge,Pb, Cd,Sn) at the site of111Cd

Using the¹¹¹Cd-TDPAC (time differential perturbated angular correlation) method, the pressure dependence of the electric field gradient (EFG) in Sb and Sb_1–x M _x (M=ln, Zn, Ge, Pb, Cd, Sn) was investigated. The application of a phenomenological ansatz for the parametrisation of the pressure and temperature dependence of the EFG made it possible to combine temperature data gained in former studies [1], [2] with the pressure dependent data presented in this paper. The resulting pressure dependence of –2±0.2 MHz/kbar is shown to be independent of concentration and element of admixture. Results for the volume and explicit temperature dependence agree with existing information on the mixed system Sb_1–x M _x (M=ln, Zn, Ge, Pb, Cd, Sn); the investigation of the EFG in Sb_1–x–y M _x Pb _y showed that the resulting EFG may be interpreted as the weighted sum of the individual contributions of the two metals.This paper is dedicated to Prof. Dr. W. Kreische on the occasion of his 60th aniversary on 02.02.1995     

Significance of single and multi-voxel 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy in the quantification of myocellular lipid in young non-obese Asian Indian males

To prospectively assess intramyocellular lipids (IMCL) and extramyocellular lipids (EMCL) using single voxel spectroscopy (SVS) and multi voxel magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MVS) in soleus muscle and correlate results with metabolic variables in non-obese (BMI < 23 kg/m²) Asian Indian males. Thirty one patients with diabetes (cases) and twelve normoglycaemic subjects (controls) underwent point resolved spectroscopy sequence (PRESS) of soleus muscle using SVS and MVS in a 3 T MRI scanner. Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) were measured from MRI images and body composition was measured from dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). The mean IMCL from SVS and MVS were 1.6% and 2.6% in cases and 2.3% and 3.4% in controls respectively. The mean EMCL from SVS and MVS were 1.8% and 3% in cases and 1.5% and 3% respectively in controls. A significant correlation between IMCL and total fat mass (rho = 0.42, p < 0.01) and total body fat (rho = 0.46; p < 0.01) were observed in cases while using the SVS technique and no correlations were found in the MVS technique. The SVS showed significant correlations between total myocellular lipids with VAT and SAT in cases alone. Total myocellular lipids acquired using both techniques showed a significant correlation with BMI, waist circumference, total fat mass, total body fat and truncal fat in cases alone. Quantification of IMCL of soleus muscle using the SVS technique is useful in studying the relationship with metabolic markers in non-obese Asian Indians with diabetes.     

Influence of the deposition pressure on the properties of transparent conducting zirconium-doped zinc oxide films prepared by RF magnetron sputtering

Transparent and conducting zirconium-doped zinc oxide films with high transparency and relatively low resistivity have been successfully prepared by RF magnetron sputtering at room temperature. The deposition pressure was varied from 0.6 to 2.5 Pa. A transformation from a relatively compact structure to individual grains was observed with the increase of deposition pressure. As the deposition pressure increases, the resistivity increases sharply due to both, the decrease of hall mobility and carrier concentration. The lowest resistivity achieved was 2.07 × 10⁻³ Ω cm at a deposition pressure of 0.6 Pa with a hall mobility of 16 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹ and a carrier concentration of 1.95 × 10²⁰ cm⁻³. The films are polycrystalline with a hexagonal structure and a preferred orientation along the c-axis. All the films present a high transmittance of above 90% in the visible range. The optical band gap decreases from 3.35 to 3.20 eV as the deposition pressure increases from 0.6 to 2.5 Pa.     

Influence of oxygen growth pressure on laser ablated Cr-doped In2O3 thin films

We present a systematic investigation of the effects of oxygen growth pressure on the structural, optical, and electrical properties of In₂O₃:Cr thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition. X-ray diffraction analysis showed increases in lattice constant from 10.103 Å to 10.337 Å, and in particle size from 13.9 nm to 35.5 nm as the oxygen growth pressure increased from 7.5 × 10⁻⁶ Torr to 7.5 × 10⁻³ Torr, respectively. The observed shift in the X-ray diffraction peaks to lower angles was assumed to be caused by the reduction in the lattice defect density, precisely oxygen vacancies. The optical transparency increased with partial oxygen pressure (P_O2), and an average transmittance of 85% was obtained at 7.5 × 10⁻³ Torr. The films are highly conducting with resistivity as low as 2 × 10⁻⁴ Ω cm and mobility as high as 133 cm/V s. Temperature dependent resistivity measurements in the 45 < T < 300 K temperature range reveal that films grown at 7.5×10⁻⁶≤P_O2≤7.5×10⁻⁴ Torr exhibit negative temperature coefficient of resistivity (TCR) below approximately T = 60 K, T = 120 K, T = 160 K; then positive TCR in the temperature intervals 60 < T < 300 K, 120 < T < 300 K, and 160 < T < 300 K, respectively. This suggests that two disparate mechanisms govern electrical dc transport in the two temperature regions. Film grown at P_O2 of 7.5 × 10⁻³ Torr displayed typical semiconducting behavior with negative TCR in the whole temperature region.     

Hydrostatic pressure dependence of negative-donor-ion singlet and singlet-like bound magnetoplasmon transitions in doped GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells

Applied hydrostatic pressure modifies the Coulomb bound states of a quasi-two-dimensional electron gas in quantum wells by increasing the effective mass and by tuning the free electron density. Here, we explore these mechanisms by measuring the effects of pressure on the cyclotron resonance, the D⁰ 1s → 2p⁺ transition, and the D⁻-singlet and singlet-like transitions in low-and high-density, modulation-doped GaAs quantum wells. For low doping density, detailed calculations employing a pressure-dependent electron mass agree well with the observed magnetic field and pressure dependencies. For high doping density and low fields, the blue-shift of the D⁻-singlet-like transition at fields below 8 T decreases with applied pressure as anticipated, due to loss of free electrons via the Γ–X crossover. However, near 7.5 T, this singlet-like transition exhibits an anomalous branching for pressures above 4 kbar, which indicates the presence of a resonant level and obscures the blue-shift at high fields.     

Terahertz BWO-Spectrosopy

Modern Terahertz-subTerahertz (THz-subTHz) spectrometers, based on continuously frequency-tunable coherent sources of radiation, the backward-wave oscillators (BWOs), are described which cover the frequencies v = 1 cm⁻¹ − 50 cm⁻¹ (0.03 − 1.5 THz) and allow for measurements at temperatures 2 − 1000 K, also in magnetic fields. They allow for direct determination of spectra of any optical parameter of a material at millimeter-submillimeter wavelengths, the domain where infrared or microwave spectrometers encounter serious methodological difficulties. We report on new technical abilities of the quasioptical BWO-spectrometers and discuss their main components. We demonstrate abilities of the THz-subTHz BWO-spectroscopy by presenting some latest results on measurements of dielectric, conducting, superconducting and magnetic materials.     

Research status in thin-film crystalline Si solar cells

Recent research status and future subjects for the development of thin-film crystalline Si solar cells were reviewed. Optimum design of cell configuration and polycrystalline silicon growth by atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD) were demonstrated. In order to configure high efficiency thin-film poly-Si solar cells, a novel method of quasi-three-dimensional simulation using a cylindrical coordinate system was carried out. Interface recombination velocity at grain boundaries should be less than 10³ cm/s based on the simulation results. Even at a relatively short diffusion length of L_n=50 μm, high efficiency larger than 16% will be expected at a thickness of 5–20 μm. Poly-Si films with columnar structures whose diameter was around 5 μm were successfully deposited on foreign substrates with APCVD at a high growth rate of 0.8 μm/min. Up-to-date status of reported cell performances were discussed in addition to future prospects.     

Laser magnetic resonance of the O2 molecule at 699 μm

A new highly sensitive far infrared optically pumped laser magnetic resonance (LMR) spectrometer has facilitated the observation of 21 transitions in O₂ at 699 μm (428.6285 GHz). All of these transitions involve N = 3 ← 1 of the oxygen molecule in its electronic ground state, X³Σ_g⁻. Of these 21 lines, 10 are due to the ¹⁶O₂, v = 0; 5 are due to the ¹⁶O₂, v = 1; 5 are due to the ¹⁶O¹⁸O, v = 0; and 1 set of 6 hyperfine components is due to the ¹⁶O¹⁷O, v = 0. From the intensity of the observed lines the sensitivity limit of this LMR spectrometer is found to be about 10⁻⁹ cm⁻¹ at this frequency with a 1-sec time constant.     

Luminescence of rare gas crystals at high excitation densities for VUV laser applications

Exciton densities of the order of 10¹⁸ cm^–3 are generated in 0.1–0.3 mm thick surface layers in an area of 10×20 mm² of optically clear rare gas crystals. The quantum efficiencies at 126 nm (Ar), 145 nm (Kr), and 172 nm (Xe) remain near 0.5 even for the highest excitation densities. The corresponding gain coefficients of 2.6 cm^–1 (Ar) to 18 cm^–1 (Xe) exceed those of high pressure gas lasers by a factor of 20. Stimulated emission is inferred by observing the line narrowing, the dependence of intensities and time courses on excitation density and amplification measurements. The net gain coefficient is reduced however to 0.5–1 cm^–1 by transient absorption of excited centers and scattering by irradiation induced defects. The results are analysed by a system of rate equations for the excitation, relaxation, quenching, and amplification processes. A peculiar temperature dependence of the quantum efficiencies and time courses is attributed to electron trapping at grain boundaries.     

Ambient-pressure superconductivity at 8 K in the organic conductor β-(BEDT-TTF)2I3

We report that the superconductivity with the onset temperature as high as 8 K in the organic conductor of β-(BEDT-TTF)₂I₃, which was achieved by an application of a soft pressure, i.e. 1.3 kb, remains stable with even higher transition temperature after a subsequent release of pressure to the ambient pressure. Correspondingly, higher values of the upper critical field, H_c2, are observed. (H_c2 > 20 k0e at 2 K along the c¹-axis.)