A new photopyroelectric scheme suitable for phase-transition investigations: The front configuration with semitransparent sensor

The theory of the front configuration with semitransparent sensor for a five layer photopyroelectric cell is presented. The particular cases suitable for phase-transition investigations are derived. An application to the study of the first-order phase transition of lauric fatty acid supports the validity of the theoretical model.     

The influence of the coupling fluids and of the pyroelectric transducer on low-temperature photopyroelectric studies

Thermal diffusivity of various compounds used as coupling fluids in photopyroelectric experiments have been measured at room temperature and at 80 K. Measurements on high vacuum silicone grease have also been performed as a function of temperature and an increase in the thermal diffusivity values with decreasing temperature has been found. Two phase transitions in the LiTaO₃ pyroelectric transducer have been observed at 200 and 225 K.     

电极构形对形成大面积放电均匀性影响

 设计并制作了空心阴极、钮扣阴极、针阴极和条形阴极，利用CCD照相，在5cm×5cm口径范围内，分别对四种阴极放电的空间均匀性进行了研究。实验表明，在预电离电压800V，主放电电压3kV和气体气压约30Pa的条件下，利用空心阴极放电，能够获得空间较为均匀的放电等离子体。放电等离子体可以用作普克尔盒电光开关的等离子体电极。     

电极构形对形成大面积放电均匀性影响

设计并制作了空心阴极、钮扣阴极、针阴极和条形阴极,利用CCD照相,在5cm×5cm口径范围内,分别对四种阴极放电的空间均匀性进行了研究。实验表明,在预电离电压800V,主放电电压3kV和气体气压约30Pa的条件下,利用空心阴极放电,能够获得空间较为均匀的放电等离子体。放电等离子体可以用作普克尔盒电光开关的等离子体电极。     

Thermal analysis of Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal under electric field using photopyroelectric technique

In this paper the first measurement of effective thermal parameters (thermal diffusivity, effusivity, conductivity and heat capacity) of Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal (PDLC) composites using the photopyroelectric (PPE) calorimetry is reported. The PPE technique is used in the standard “back” configuration and the cell has been designed for allowing the application of an electric field to the sample. Results show a dependence of the thermal parameters on the applied electric field which is explained by the reorientation of the liquid crystal molecules inside the droplets.     

二极管泵浦准三能级板条固体激光器的优化设计

基于最大激光增益条件，分析和优化了二极管泵浦准三能级Yb∶YAG固体板条激光器的激光增益、板条的最佳光学长度和最佳宽度参数。结果表明：在低功率侧面泵浦条件下，板条增益介质的掺杂浓度和板条宽度满足一定的关系，这为研究该类激光器提供了一条有效途径，其结果可应用于其他准三能级固体激光器设计。     

Blind estimation of number of motion multi-human targets in wireless pyroelectric infrared sensor networks

Due to the features of low energy consumption and flexible networking, nowadays the pyroelectric sensor has been applied widely in areas such as network instruction detection or human body target tracking recognition. Moreover, accurate estimation and judgment about the number of human targets moving in the networks is the foundation of tracking and recognition. This paper, under the condition of being lack of relevant prior knowledge, presents a novel method which selects the maximum likelihood function of the Bayesian network models as the independent criterion. In addition, the objective function is optimally solved by the Laplace estimation. The results of numerous experiments on both simulation and hardware experimental platforms are shown that this method has capability to blindly estimate the number of motion multiple human targets in wireless pyroelectric infrared sensor networks.     

Electroreflectance spectra of emersed metal electrodes

The reflectance spectra of Au and Ag electrodes were measured in the VIS-UV range after removal from aqueous electrolyte under potentiostatic control. It is shown, that the relative change, $\text{ΔR}\text{R}$, in the reflectance spectrum of the electrode, obtained by emersion at two different electrode potentials, is virtually the same as an in situ electroreflectance spectrum for the corresponding potential modulation. This demonstrates that the surface charge of the metal electrode induced by the electrode potential, is quantitatively retained during and after removal from the electrolyte, and it confirms the observation that the electric double layer of an electrode remains intact during and after emersion. The electroreflectance spectra of removed Au and Ag electrodes are shown and discussed. Emphasis is placed on the implications of these procedures for far UV electroreflectance measurements on metal surfaces utilizing synchrotron radiation.     

Simultaneous determination of specific heat,thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity at low temperature via the photopyroelectric technique

The photopyroelectric effect has been used to measure simultaneously specific heat (c), thermal conductivity (k) and thermal diffusivity () at low temperatures. A calibration procedure which allows the use of a pyroelectric transducer at low temperatures is described. Simultaneous measurements of c, k, and over a high T _c superconducting phase transition are reported.     

Optimized matrix inversion technique for the T-matrix method

We suggest a new approach to calculate the inverse matrix in scattering calculations using the T-matrix method. Instead of inversion of the full matrix, we suggest the inversion of two matrices, each of which contains half the number of rows. This approach allows significant time savings and a noticeable increase of the precision of scattering calculations due to fewer arithmetical operations. An iterative method can be applied to matrices whose dimension is also divisible by factors of 2, which can further increase the time savings and accuracy.     

Flexoelectric polarization in nematic liquid crystals measured by a field on-off pyroelectric technique

A novel technique based on the pyroelectric effect is developed for making direct measurements of the flexoelectric polarization P _f in hybrid aligned nematic cells. The pyroelectric response is measured first in the field-off regime and then with the bias field applied. The latter allows a direct comparison of P _f with the field-induced polarization over the whole range of the nematic phase of the standard compound 5CB. The sum of the flexoelectric coefficients (e ₁+e ₃) is shown to be negative, and its dependence on the nematic order parameter does not follow a simple law (linear or quadratic), as has been predicted theoretically. The dynamics of P _f is discussed in terms of the order parameter fluctuations. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 69, No. 3, 220–225 (10 February 1999) Published in English in the original Russian journal. Edited by Steve Torstveit.     

Application of the electrostatic mean value theorem to electrostatic sensor electrodes

We present a method for approximating the potential of conducting objects due to a known electrostatic source. The method involves averaging the incident potential over the conductor surface or volume region, which is known to give the exact value for a perfectly conducting sphere. The method is extended to spheroidal geometries, both prolate and oblate, to study the error incurred for deviations from the spherical case. Exact values for the spheroid potentials are derived and compared with those obtained by the mean value approximations. The result for the oblate spheroid is extended to the case of a two-dimensional electrostatic disk. The approximations are proposed as a method for predicting the potential of conducting electrodes used with electrostatic sensors for the measurement of electrostatic field disturbances. In this regard, the mean value approximation is applied to determine the source to electrode mutual capacitance, which is implemented in the model for the sensor system. Electrostatic disk electrodes are used with an electrostatic disturbance sensor to experimentally validate the application of the mean value approximation.     

Investigation of passive metal electrodes using modulation spectroscopy

There are many uncertainties left about the structure of semiconducting passive layers on metal electrodes. In this report an optic-electric method is described which makes it possible to determine the change of the layer structure in relation to the electrode potential. By modulating the electrode potential this method results in changing the oxidation degree in connection with the optical properties of the surface layer. Measuring the modulated reflectance of a passive nickel electrode yields new information about the structure of the layer in the potential region between the first and the second passivity. Further investigations of iron and titanium electrodes are described.     

Comparison of ferroelectric domain delineation in triglycine sulphate by the etching technique and the pyroelectric laser technique. Application to the study of polarization reversal

It is shown that the well-known etch technique and the newly developed pyroelectric laser technique can reveal similar domains. However the latter technique is so fast that it appears as the best one to study problems such as nucleation and domain wall motion.

In the case of an alanine doped TGS crystal it is shown that domain wall motions started at a given nucleation field E₁ stop at some characteristic boundary lines in the crystal. To carry on the polarization reversal, we have to increase the electric field up to some higher value E₂ which is the minimum value of the nucleation field in the next area. Then a new domain is growing very rapidly by wall motions until the characteristic boundary lines of this area are reached. These lines are probably dislocation lines. It is shown that a direct side observation of domains is possible. Conical and cylindrical domains are clearly visible.     

Switching of the pyroelectric current in TGS crystals

The experimental temperature dependence of the total pyroelectric current, being a sum of the linear and nonlinear terms which are caused by a temperature gradient, is given. It was shown that in the vicinity of the transition point of TGS crystals, the total pyroelectric current changes its phase by 180°, which confirms the theoretical prediction given in Infrared Phys.28, 263 (1988).     

Bridging the nanogap electrodes with gold nanoparticles using dielectrophoresis technique

We report the assembling of 20 nm gold nanoparticles into the nanogap electrodes by dielectrophoresis (DEP) technique. DEP was performed on electrodes with different gap size values. While the frequency and the applied peak to peak voltage were maintained at 1 MHz and 3 V, respectively, DEP time was varied in accordance with electrodes gap size. Interestingly, some novel assembling was observed during the dielectrophoresis process and the nanogaps were bridged by nanoparticles either forming ring shaped bridges or linear bridges. The assembling of nanoparticles in different form is attributed to the positive DEP effect. This effect is seen to be influenced significantly by the time parameter during which DEP was performed. Results show the promise of dielectrophoresis in controlled engineering of nanoparticles assembly.     

Thermal wave photopyroelectric characterization of advanced materials: State of the art

This article reviews the history, background, theoretical basis, development, attempts to optimize, and experimental performance of the photopyroelectric technique for the optothermal characterization of advanced materials such as semiconductors, superconductors, pure metals and alloys, quantum wells, liquid crystals, paramagnetic and ferromagnetic materials, as well as solar cells. The state of the art in the experimental processes in this field is also reviewed. This new photothermal technique can be used after a careful optimization, as a highly sensitive method for photopyroelectric spectroscopy and general thermal wave measurements. It has been shown to be a highly sensitive spectroscopic method for the nondestructive evaluation of advanced materials. This review presents the main photopyroelectric theoretical models that have been used for the extraction of some important optoelectronic properties such as the optical absorption coefficient and the nonradiative quantum efficiency spectra, as well as some thermal properties such as the thermal diffusivity, thermal conductivity, and specific heat. The applicability of the general basic theoretical model with its many special cases is also described in detail. This review demonstrates how photopyroelectric spectroscopy can be complementary to the conventional spectroscopic methods. The different experimental modes of the technique are also discussed. Moreover, some ideas concerning future perspectives of applying the technique to other scientific fields are outlined. This article does not aspire to an in-depth analysis of the experimental results in the field; rather, it focuses on the technique itself.     

On the heating modulation frequency dependence of the photopyroelectric signal in experiments for liquid thermal characterization

A pyroelectric sensor can be seen as a layered system consisted on a pyroelectric material sandwiched between two thin metal layers acting as electrical contacts for measurements of the voltage drop that can be induced by heating. This kind of sensor can be used as a detector of electromagnetic radiation but also for thermal characterization of materials using the photopyroelectric technique. In this work we perform a theoretical analysis based in the so-called thermal wave approach to show that, when this sensor is heated periodically by the absorption of intensity modulated light by one of the metalized surfaces, while the other metal surface is in contact with a liquid sample, the resulting pyroelectric voltage signal amplitude enhances respecting the one resulting from the bare sensor, for certain values of the modulation frequency. This contradicts the intuitively expectation based in the assumption that the sample provides a new channel for heat conduction, thereby decreasing the pyroelectric temperature. We will show that the back and forth propagation and the superposition of thermal waves through the metal coatings must be taken into account in order to explain the observed behavior. The proposed model was experimentally tested for water and glycerin samples, and using a polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) polymer film, with Ni–Cu metal electrodes, as a pyroelectric sensor.