Optical control of the anisotropy of the orientation of molecules in a liquid

The control of the anisotropy of the orientation of molecules in pure 1,2-dichlorobenzene, C₆H₄Cl₂ at room temperature is demonstrated experimentally. To accomplish the optical control, the medium is exposed to non-resonant excitation with two successive linearly polarized laser pulses with a duration of 60 fs. The state of transient anisotropy is probed with the third pulse by detecting the ultrafast optical Kerr effect via optical heterodyne detection and synchronous demodulation. It is shown that variations in the two parameters, the delay time between two pump pulses, and the angle between the polarization directions of the pump pulses ensure the control of the anisotropy of the orientation of molecules in the subpicosecond region.     

Electronic structure of the intermetallic compounds Ce2Fe17 and Ce2Fe15.3M1.7 (M = Al, Si): Experiment and theory

The electronic structure of the intermetallic compounds Ce₂Fe₁₇ and Ce₂Fe_15.3 M _1.7 (M = Al, Si) is theoretically calculated in the local-spin-density approximation. It is shown that a considerable increase in the Curie temperature upon introduction of Al and Si impurities is accompanied by a proportional increase in the exchange interaction parameters J _ij within the Heisenberg model for iron ions in the 6c crystallographic positions. The experimental optical conductivities of the compounds under investigation are interpreted in terms of the calculated electronic structure. The experimental valences obtained for the cerium ions from an analysis of the Ce L ₃ x-ray absorption spectra indicate that cerium in these intermetallic compounds is in intermediate valence states. Original Russian Text ? A.V. Lukoyanov, A.S. Shkvarin, Yu.V. Knyazev, Yu.I. Kuz’min, A.G. Kuchin, N.N. Efremova, L.D. Finkel’shteĭn, I.A. Nekrasov, V.I. Anisimov, 2007, published in Fizika Tverdogo Tela, 2007, Vol. 49, No. 1, pp. 95–101.     

Optical study of the electronic structure and magnetic ordering in a weak ferromagnet FeBO3

Spectral dependences of the relative permittivity ɛ = ɛ₁ − iɛ₂ of a uniaxial weak ferromagnet FeBO₃ are measured for two principal polarizations in the energy range 0.6–5.6 eV. The positions have been determined for the charge-transfer transitions that make the main contribution to absorption above the bandgap and determine the refractive-index dispersion below the bandgap. The isotropic magnetic contribution to the refractive index has been detected by studying the temperature dependence of the refractive index in the range 100–700 K; its value (≈2 × 10⁻²) is found to be record high for magnetic dielectrics. The energy shift of the effective oscillator, which characterizes the shift of the positions of the charge-transfer transitions due to magnetic ordering, is determined from these data within the framework of a single-oscillator model. The value of the exchange striction in FeBO₃ is determined from optical measurements. Original Russian Text ? P.A. Markovin, A.M. Kalashnikova, R.V. Pisarev, Th. Rasing, 2007, published in Pis’ma v Zhurnal éksperimental’noĭ i Teoreticheskoĭ Fiziki, 2007, Vol. 86, No. 11, pp. 822–827.     

On the possibility of the nondegenerate parametric amplification of optical waves at low-frequency pumping

It is shown that parametric amplification at low-frequency pumping can be implemented in coupled nonlinear optical interactions in aperiodic nonlinear photonic crystals created by the method of the superposition of the modulation of the second-order susceptibility. In this process, the intensities of waves with frequencies higher than the pump frequency increase monotonically with the interaction length as in the case of the traditional process of parametric amplification at high-frequency pumping. The dependence of the gain factor on the coupling constants of interacting waves is obtained. The process under consideration makes it possible to ensure the tuning of the generated frequency in the ultraviolet range upon pumping in the visible range. Analysis of the process is performed on the example of aperiodic nonlinear photonic crystals of lithium niobate. Original Russian Text ? A.S. Chirkin, I.V. Shutov, 2007, published in Pis’ma v Zhurnal éksperimental’noĭ i Teoreticheskoĭ Fiziki, 2007, Vol. 86, No. 11, pp. 803–807.     

Charge ordering in crystals of Pr1? x Sr x MnO3 ( x = 0.22, 0.24) ferromagnetic manganites

The structural and magnetic states of Pr_1−x Sr _x MnO₃ (x = 0.22, 0.24) manganite crystals were studied over a wide temperature range. Measurements of the magnetic susceptibility and electrical resistivity demonstrated that these manganites belong to the class of ferromagnetic semiconductors. Thermal neutron elastic scattering patterns revealed that, in the temperature range 4.2–350 K, the manganites have an orthorhombic structure (space group Pnma) with a well-pronounced cooperative Jahn-Teller effect. Major emphasis was placed on the nuclear magnetic superstructure with a wave vector q = (2π/2a, 0, 2π/2c). It was shown that this superstructure suggests 1/4-type charge ordering in the manganites under investigation. Original Russian Text ? S.F. Dubinin, S.G. Teploukhov, V.E. Arkhipov, V.D. Parkhomenko, é.A. Neĭfel’d, A.V. Korolev, N.A. Ugryumova, Ya.M. Mukovskiĭ, 2007, published in Fizika Tverdogo Tela, 2007, Vol. 49, No. 4, pp. 704–710.     

Measurement of the e+e? → π+π? cross section with the CMD-2 detector in the 370–520-MeV energy range

The results of the experiment on the measurement of the e ⁺ e ⁻ → π⁺π⁻ cross section in a cm energy range of 370–520 MeV are presented. The systematic measurement error is equal to 0.7%. In the vector dominance model, the pion electromagnetic radius is calculated using all the CMD-2 data on the pion form factor. The cross section for the production of a muon pair is measured in the energy range of the experiment. Original Russian Text ? V.M. Aul’chenko, R.R. Akhmetshin, V.Sh. Banzarov, L.M. Barkov, N.S. Bashtovoĭ, D.V. Bondarev, A.E. Bondar’, A.V. Bragin, N.I. Gabyshev, D.A. Gorbachev, A.A. Grebenyuk, D.N. Grigor’ev, S.K. Dhawan, D.A. Epifanov, A.S. Zaĭtsev, S.G. Zverev, F.V. Ignatov, V.F. Kazanin, S.V. Karpov, I.A. Koop, P.P. Krokovny, A.S. Kuz’min, I.B. Logashenko, P.A. Lukin, A.P. Lysenko, A.I. Mil’shteĭn, K.Yu. Mikhaĭlov, I.N. Nesterenko, M.A. Nikulin, A.V. Otboev, V.S. Okhapkin, E.A. Perevedentsev, A.S. Popov, S.I. Redin, B.L. Roberts, N.I. Root, A.A. Ruban, N.M. Ryskulov, A.L. Sibidanov, V.A. Sidorov, A.N. Skrinsky, V.P. Smakhtin, I.G. Snopkov, E.P. Solodov, J.A. Thompson, G.V. Fedotovich, B.I. Khazin, V.W. Hughes, A.G. Shamov, Yu.M. Shatunov, B.A. Shvarts, S.I. éĭdel’man, Yu.V. Yudin, 2006, published in Pis’ma v Zhurnal éksperimental’noĭ i Teoreticheskoĭ Fiziki, 2006, Vol. 84, No. 8, pp. 491–495.     

High-frequency acoustic noise of Lake Baikal

High-frequency noise of Lake Baikal is investigated using a submersible self-contained instrument to determine the noise background for the acoustic detection of superhigh-energy neutrinos. It is found that, under stationary and uniform meteorological conditions, the integral noise power in the frequency band 1–50 kHz is virtually independent of depth and is 10–200 mPa or more, depending on the specific conditions. The noise itself contains multiple short pulses of different amplitudes and shapes. Original Russian Text ? V.M. Aĭnutdinov, V.A. Balkanov, I.A. Belolaptikov, L.B. Bezrukov, N.M. Budnev, R.V. Vasil’ev, R. Wischnewski, O.N. Gaponenko, R.Yu. Gnatovskiĭ, O.A. Gress, T.I. Gress, O.G. Grishin, I.A. Danil’chenko, Zh.-A.M. Dzhilkibaev, A.A. Doroshenko, A.N. Dyachok, G.V. Domogatskiĭ, V.A. Zhukov, A.M. Klabukov, A.I. Klimov, S.I. Klimushin, K.V. Konishchev, A.A. Kochanov, A.P. Koshechkin, V.F. Kulepov, L.A. Kuz’michev, B.K. Lubsandorzhiev, T. Mikolajskiĭ, M.B. Milenin, R.R. Mirgazov, S.P. Mikheev, é.A. Osipova, A.I. Panfilov, A.A. Pavlov, G.L. Pan’kov, L.V. Pan’kov, E.N. Pliskovskiĭ, V.A. Poleshchuk, E.G. Popova, P.G. Pokhil, V.V. Prosin, M.I. Rozanov, V.Yu. Rubtsov, B.A. Tarashchanskiĭ, S.V. Fialkovskiĭ, A.G. Chenskiĭ, B.A. Shaĭbonov, Ch. Spiering, O. Streicher, I.V. Yashin, 2006, published in Akusticheskiĭ Zhurnal, 2006, Vol. 52, No. 5, pp. 581–591.     

Anomalous hall effect in HoB12

Within a wide temperature range of 1.8–300 K, the Hall effect in holmium dodecaboride is investigated. The measurements of the angular dependences of the Hall resistance ρ_H(φ, T, H) for HoB₁₂ performed in a high magnetic field up to 80 kOe at helium and intermediate temperatures made it possible to separate the normal and anomalous contributions to the Hall effect. Analysis of the anomalous component behavior in the paramagnetic and Néel phases suggests the appearance of the 5d-state magnetic polarization (the spin polaron effect) and makes it possible to compare the revealed features of the Hall coefficient R _H(T, H) with the H-T magnetic phase diagram of HoB₁₂. Original Russian Text ? N.E. Sluchanko, D.N. Sluchanko, V.V. Glushkov, S.V. Demishev, N.A. Samarin, N.Yu. Shitsevalova, 2007, published in Pis’ma v Zhurnal éksperimental’noĭ i Teoreticheskoĭ Fiziki, 2007, Vol. 86, No. 9, pp. 691–694.     

Effect of high pressure and chemical substitution on the crystal structure and magnetic state of R2Fe17 ? x Six (R = Lu or Y; x = 0 or 1.7)

The effect of high pressure on the crystal structure of the intermetallic compounds R₂Fe_{17 − x} Si_x (R = Lu or Y; x = 0 or 1.7) was studied using neutron diffraction. A correlation between changes in structural parameters and magnetic properties under the action of high pressure, as well as under chemical substitution of Si for Fe atoms, was analyzed in terms of localized moment and spin fluctuation models. The spin fluctuation model was found to describe more adequately the experimentally observed increase in the Curie temperature upon chemical substitution and the decrease in this temperature under the action of high pressure. Possible reasons for the suppression of a collinear ferromagnetic state and the occurrence of a noncollinear antiferromagnetic state in R₂Fe_17−x Si_x under pressure are discussed based on estimated differences between the total energy minima of these states. Original Russian Text ? D.P. Kozlenko, V.I. Voronin, V.P. Glazkov, B.N. Savenko, 2007, published in Pis’ma v Zhurnal éksperimental’noĭ i Teoreticheskoĭ Fiziki, 2007, Vol. 86, No. 9, pp. 675–680.     

Polarization transformations of multimode light fields

The concept of P-quasispin is used as a framework for developing a formalism for polarization transformation by means of lossless polarization-changing optical elements for both classical and quantum multimode light fields. As an example, a classification of transformations of this kind is presented for two-mode biphoton fields that implement the information-theoretic concepts of qutrit and ququart (quantum systems in three-and four-dimensional Hilbert states, respectively). Original Russian Text ? V.P. Karassiov, S.P. Kulik, 2007, published in Zhurnal éksperimental’noĭ i Teoreticheskoĭ Fiziki, 2007, Vol. 131, No. 1, pp. 37–53.     

Phase transitions in solid solutions (1 ? x)BaTiO3-xBaMg1/3B2/3O3 (B = Nb, Ta)

The dielectric properties of ceramic samples of (1 − x)BaTiO₃-xBaMg_1/3Nb_2/3O₃ and (1 − x)BaTio₃-xBaMg_1/3Ta_2/3O₃ solid solutions (x = 0–0.25) are investigated in the frequency range from 10 Hz to 100 kHz at temperatures of 77–450 K. It is shown that the (x−T) phase diagrams of these solid solutions at x = 0.05 have a multiphase point at which the lines of all three phase transitions of BaTiO₃ converge. Original Russian Text ? V.G. Zalesskiĭ, V.V. Lemanov, E.P. Smirnova, A.V. Sotnikov, N. V. Zaĭtseva, 2007, published in Fizika Tverdogo Tela, 2007, Vol. 49, No. 1, pp. 108–112.     

Observation of spontaneous spin reorientation in Nd1 ? xDyxFe3(BO3)4 ferroborates with a competitive R-Fe exchange

The magnetic, magnetoelectric, and magnetoelastic properties of DyFe₃(BO₃)₄ single crystals and the Nd_0.75Dy_0.25Fe₃(BO₃)₄ substituted compound with the competitive Nd-Fe and Dy-Fe exchange interactions have been investigated in magnetic fields up to 210 kOe. It has been shown that the antiferromagnetic state in Nd_0.75Dy_0.25Fe₃(BO₃)₄ below the Néel temperature is easy-plane and a spontaneous spin-reorientation transition to a uniaxial state occurs near 25 K. Anomalies are observed in various physical characteristics in a spin-flop transition induced by the magnetic field along the trigonal axis. The H-T phase diagrams are constructed; they are in good agreement with a simple model taking into account the anisotropy of the exchange splitting and g factors of the ground doublets of the Dy³⁺ and Nd³⁺ ions. The features of the magnetoelectric effect in various magnetic phases have been studied. Spontaneous electric polarization has been revealed in the region of the existence of an easy-plane antiferromagnetic state in the substituted compound. A qualitative theoretical justification of the possibility of the appearance of the spontaneous spin-reorientation transition in the Nd_0.75Dy_0.25Fe₃(BO₃)₄ substituted compound is given. Original Russian Text ? Yu.F. Popov, A.M. Kadomtseva, G.P. Vorob’ev, A.A. Mukhin, V.Yu. Ivanov, A.M. Kuz’menko, A.S. Prokhorov, L.N. Bezmaternykh, V.L. Temerov, 2009, published in Pis’ma v Zhurnal éksperimental’noĭ i Teoreticheskoĭ Fiziki, 2009, Vol. 89, No. 7, pp. 405–411.     

Microwave photoresistance in a two-dimensional electron system with anisotropic mobility

The effect of microwave radiation on magnetotransport in single GaAs quantum wells with anisotropic mobility, whose maximum corresponds to the direction and minimum to the [110] direction, is investigated using the Van der Pauw method. In samples shaped as squares with sides oriented along the and [110] directions, giant oscillations of magnetoresistance arise under the effect of a microwave field for the both and [110] orientations of the measuring current I _ac. In the anisotropic two-dimensional system under study, the relative amplitude of microwave photoresistance oscillations in a magnetic field weakly depends on the orientation of I _ac. At a temperature of 4.2 K and a microwave frequency of 130 GHz, magnetic field intervals characterized by close-to-zero resistance manifest themselves only for the case of the [110] orientation of I _ac. The aforementioned experimental results are qualitatively explained by a quasi-one-dimensional potential modulation of the two-dimensional electron gas in the [110] direction. Original Russian Text ? A.A. Bykov, D.R. Islamov, A.V. Goran, A.K. Bakarov, 2007, published in Pis’ma v Zhurnal éksperimental’noĭ i Teoreticheskoĭ Fiziki, 2007, Vol. 86, No. 12, pp. 891–895.     

Monoclinic superstructure V14O6 of the tetragonal solid solution of oxygen in vanadium

The monoclinic (space group C2/m) superstructure of V₁₄O₆, which is formed in the atom-vacancy ordering of the tetragonal solid solution of oxygen in vanadium, is studied by the methods of x-ray diffraction and symmetry analysis. It has been found that the channel of the order-disorder phase transition attributed to the formation of the monoclinic suboxide V₁₄O₆ includes six superstructure vectors belonging to three non-Lifshitz stars {k ₁₋₁}, {k ₁₋₂}, and {k _1–3} of one type {k ₁}. The distribution function of the O atoms in the V₁₄O₆ monoclinic superstructure has been calculated. It has been shown that the displacements of V atoms distort the body-centered tetragonal metal sublattice, thus preparing the formation of the fcc sublattice and the transition from the suboxide V₁₄O₆ to the cubic vanadium monoxide with the B1 structure. Original Russian Text ? A.I. Gusev, D.A. Davydov, 2007, published in Pis’ma v Zhurnal éksperimental’noĭ i Teoreticheskoĭ Fiziki, 2007, Vol. 86, No. 10, pp. 746–751.     

Proton and light-ion acceleration to relativistic GeV energies by the superstrong laser radiation interacting with a structured plasma target

A new scheme is proposed for proton and light-ion acceleration to relativistic energies by superstrong laser radiation interacting with a structured plasma target. The proposal consists in the use of two-component targets consisting of heavy and light ions, where an ambipolar field is formed under the action of the ponderomotive force of incident radiation, and, in contrast to the traditional schemes, acceleration starts from the front boundary of the layer. It is shown that, for the optimized target parameters, monoenergetic GeV ion beams can be produced for radiation pulse intensities on the order of 10²¹−10²² W/cm². Original Russian Text ? A.V. Korzhimanov, A.A. Gonoskov, A.V. Kim, A.M. Sergeev, 2007, published in Pis’ma v Zhurnal éksperimental’noĭ i Teoreticheskoĭ Fiziki, 2007, Vol. 86, No. 9, pp. 662–669.     

Cosmic ray spectrum obtained from the energy scattered by the particles of extensive air showers in the atmosphere and the galactic model

The differential energy spectrum of cosmic rays that is obtained on the basis of the measurements of Cherenkov radiation from extensive air showers in an energy range of 10¹⁵–10²⁰ eV is compared with the model of the propagation of primary particles in the interstellar medium with fractal properties. It is found that the shape of the experimental spectrum is in good agreement with the shape of the calculated spectrum of “all particles” at 10¹⁵–10¹⁸ eV. The average mass composition of cosmic rays that is calculated on the basis of five components does not contradict the average mass composition obtained from the experimental data for several parameters in this energy range. Original Russian Text ? S.P. Knurenko, A.A. Ivanov, A.V. Saburov, 2007, published in Pis’ma v Zhurnal éksperimental’noĭ i Teoreticheskoĭ Fiziki, 2007, Vol. 86, No. 10, pp. 709–712.     

Use of electromagnetically induced transparency for measurement of superhyperfine splitting of the levels of rare-earth metals doped in optical crystals

The results of experimental and theoretical investigations of the electromagnetically induced transparency regime on the ⁴ I _9/2-⁴ G _5/2 transition in Nd³⁺ ions doped in LaF₃ are presented. The superhyperfine splitting of the upper and lower working levels has been determined on the basis of the results obtained. A theoretical model adequately describing the parameters of the resonances of electromagnetically induced transparency has been developed by analyzing the experimental data. Original Russian Text ? R.A. Akhmedzhanov, A.A. Bondartsev, L.A. Gushchin, N.A. Zharova, 2007, published in Pis’ma v Zhurnal éksperimental’noĭ i Teoreticheskoĭ Fiziki, 2007, Vol. 86, No. 9, pp. 646–650.     

Absolute negative resistance in a nonequilibrium two-dimensional electron system in a strong magnetic field

The effect of microwave electromagnetic radiation on the resistance of the 2D electron gas in a GaAs/AlAs heterostructure in a strong magnetic field is investigated. It is shown that, under the nonequilibrium conditions caused by microwave radiation, the aforementioned 2D system exhibits giant oscillations of its resistance with varying magnetic field. When the measuring current density is small, an increase in the microwave power leads to the appearance of an absolute negative resistance at the main minimum of these oscillations, which lies near the cyclotron resonance. The experimental data are found to be in qualitative agreement with the theory of multiphoton photoinduced impurity scattering [J. Inarrea and G. Platero, Appl. Phys. Lett. 89, 052109 (2006)]. Original Russian Text ? A.A. Bykov, D.R. Islamov, D.V. Nomokonov, A.K. Bakarov, 2007, published in Pis’ma v Zhurnal éksperimental’noĭ i Teoreticheskoĭ Fiziki, 2007, Vol. 86, No. 9, pp. 695–698.     

Temperature sensitivity and noise of an HTSC Josephson detector on a sapphire bicrystal substrate at 77 K

In YBa₂Cu₃O_{7 − x} films grown on sapphire bicrystal substrates, the Josephson junctions are prepared based on artificial grain boundaries formed by the turn of the crystal lattices about the [100] axis. The films are deposited by the laser ablation method on the buffer CeO₂ layer. The critical film temperature reaches 88.5 K with a transition width of 1.5 K. Junctions from 2 to 3-μ m wide are integrated into the planar log-periodic antennas and their characteristics are measured at 77 K. The characteristic voltage I _c R _n reaches 570 μV. With exposure to external radiation at a frequency of 113 GHz, the Shapiro steps were observed on the current-voltage characteristic. The temperature sensitivity of this detector placed in a quasi-optical receiving unit is measured. At the modulation of the input radiation temperature 77 K/300 K, a response of more than 200 nV is observed at the detector output. At the modulation frequency, intrinsic noise is about 1 nV/Hz^1/2, which corresponds to a temperature resolution of 1 K. Original Russian Text ? M. Tarasov, E. Stepantsov, A. Kalabukhov, M. Kupriyanov, D. Winkler, 2007, published in Pis’ma v Zhurnal éksperimental’noĭ i Teoreticheskoĭ Fiziki, 2007, Vol. 86, No. 11, pp. 828–831.