Design concept of cryogenic accelerating structures of a copper accelerator

The surface resistance of copper is studied in the region of classical and anomalous skin effect. The surface resistance gain (equal to the ratio of the surface resistances of copper at room and helium temperatures) is determined as a function of the electromagnetic field frequency. It is shown that the gain has an inverse power dependence on frequency. The frequencies at which the gain for copper is equal to 10 are determined. It is found that high-frequency power losses in the walls of the accelerating structure of the accelerator, which is prepared from nonsuperconducting metals at T ≥ 4.2 K, can be reduced by more than an order of magnitude as compared to an accelerating structure operating at room temperature. This confirms the possibility of developing a high-efficiency accelerator.     

Effects of nanostructure-covered femtosecond laser-induced periodic surface structures on optical absorptance of metals

In this paper, we find, for the first time, that optical absorptance of metals can be significantly enhanced by a new type of surface structures following femtosecond laser ablation, namely nanostructure-covered periodic surface structures. Especially, the effect of the nanostructure-covered periodic structures on optical absorptance of metals has a clear polarization dependence that suggests a more controllable way to modify material optical properties with femtosecond laser processing. PACS 81.40.Wx; 78.20.Ci; 81.07.-b; 61.80.-x     

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy of carbon nanostructures

Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of diamond nanocrystals and fullerene was investigated. Ag and Au films were used as SERS-active agent. In the first series of experiments SERS were prepared with sputtered island metals on the nanoparticles surfaces. In the second one the nanoparticles were positioned on silver surface using laser acceleration method. SERS is a powerful method to analyze the light accelerated nanoparticles patterning for their spatial distribution and structure. The enhancement in Raman spectral intensity of graphite-like phases and blinking effect are observed. Additional bands due to selective enhancement from cluster surface with different arrangement are generated. For SERS of diamond crystal phase as well as for fullerenes the characteristic shift and asymmetry of Raman bands are also observed. The investigation can be of interest both for the understanding of carbon nanostructures’ physics and for their applications, especially for bio-detection, as well as for the studying of SERS mechanism.     

Study of Raman spectrum of uranium using a surface‐enhanced Raman scattering technique

Raman spectroscopic investigation on weak scatterers such as metals is a challenging scientific problem. Technologically important actinide metals such as uranium and plutonium have not been investigated using Raman spectroscopy possibly due to poor signal intensities. We report the first Raman spectrum of uranium metal using a surface‐enhanced Raman scattering‐like geometry where a thin gold overlayer is deposited on uranium. Raman spectra are detected from the pits and scratches on the sample and not from the smooth polished surface. The 514.5‐ and 785‐nm laser excitations resulted in the Raman spectra of uranium metal whereas 325‐nm excitation did not give rise to such spectra. Temperature dependence of the B_3g mode at 126 cm⁻¹ is also investigated. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Electromagnetic effects in the Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering from a molecule at a liquid Hg surface

In a previous publication the image enhancement effect and the enhanced radiation due to near field excitation of surface roughness were calculated for a finite-size molecule above a metal described by a nonlocal dielectric relation [Phys. Rev. Letters 44 (1980) 1774]. When applied to a roughened Ag surface these calculations led to a predicted Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) gain of ~ 10³ due to each effect, yielding an overall gain ~ 10⁶, in agreement with experiment. Here these calculations are extended to the case of a liquid Hg surface, the roughness corresponding to thermally excited ripplons. The SERS gain due to image enhancement is reduced to ~ 10, due primarily to the ~ 24 times greater electron scattering rate in Hg over that in Ag. The roughness gain is reduced to ~ 2 at room temperature, due to the difference between the ripplon spectrum and that of the boss-like surface structures assumed for the solid surface. The predicted overall SERS gain for Hg is ~ 20, far less than reported in recent observations [R. Naanan et al., J. Phys. Chem. 84 (1980) 2692]. The discrepancy raises serious questions about the electromagnetic explanations of SERS.     

共享孔径人工电磁媒质设计及其在高增益低雷达散射截面天线中的应用

提出了一种具有部分反射特性和吸波特性的共享孔径人工电磁媒质(shared aperture metamaterial, SA-MTM).该媒质由上层斜十字金属图案加载集总电阻的吸波表面、下层开条带缝隙金属面的部分反射表面以及中间介质层构成, 吸波表面和部分反射表面在垂直维度上共享了一个物理孔径使该媒质同时实现了吸波特性和部分反射特性.将SA-MTM与天线一体化设计, 利用SA-MTM的部分反射表面和天线表面构成的法布里-珀罗(Fabry-Perot, F-P)谐振腔提升天线的增益, 利用SA-MTM的吸波表面吸收入射电磁波实现低雷达散射截面(radar section cross, RCS)天线的设计.仿真和实验结果表明, SA-MTM 的加载使天线的前向增益在5.57–5.94 GHz 的工作带宽范围内都提升了3 dB以上, 且天线的后向RCS在2–9 GHz范围内都有明显的减缩.该研究成果克服了天线辐射性能和散射性能无法兼顾的矛盾, 对高增益低RCS天线的设计具有重要的指导意义.     

Comparative analysis of the possibility of applying low-melting metals with the capillary-porous system in tokamak conditions

The use of capillary-porous systems (CPSs) with liquid Li, Ga, and Sn is considered as an alternative for solving the problem of creating plasma-facing elements (PFEs) of the fusion neutron source (FNS) and the DEMO-type reactor. The main advantages of CPSs with liquid metal compared with hard materials are their stability with respect to the degradation of properties in tokamak conditions and capability of surface self-restoration. The evaluation of applicability of liquid metals is performed on the basis of the analysis of their physical and chemical properties, the interaction with the tokamak plasma, and constructive and process features of in-vessel elements with CPSs implementing the application of these metals in a tokamak. It is shown that the upper limit of the PFE working temperature for all low-melting metals under consideration lies in the range of 550–600°С. The decisive factor for PFEs with Li is the limitation on the admissible atomic flux into plasma, while for those with Ga and Sn it is the corrosion resistance of construction materials. The upper limit of thermal loads in the steady-state operating mode for the considered promising PFE design with the use of Li, Ga, and Sn is close to 18–20 MW/m². It is seen from the analysis that the use of metals with a low equilibrium vapor pressure of (Ga, Sn) gives no gain in extension of the region of admissible working temperatures of PFEs. However, with respect to the totality of properties, the possibility of implementing the self-restoration and stabilization effect of the liquid surface, the influence on the plasma discharge parameters, and the ability to protect the PFE surface in conditions of plasma perturbations and disruption, lithium is the most attractive liquid metal to create CPS-based PFEs for the tokamak.     

Phase-controlled preparation of iron (oxyhydr)oxide nanocrystallines for heavy metal removal

Obtaining cost-effective iron (oxyhydr)oxide nanocrystallines is the essential prerequisite for their future extensive applications in environmental remediation, such as the removal of heavy metals from contaminated waters. Here, various phases of iron (oxyhydr)oxide nanocrystallines were simply synthesized from the phase-controlled transformation of amorphous hydrous ferric- or ferrous-oxide in thermal solution with a certain ethanol/water ratio and with the presence of oleic acid. According to this method, goethite nanorods in diameter of 3–4 nm, hematite nanocubes sized 20–30 nm, and magnetite nanoparticles in diameter of 6–7 nm were successfully obtained. The final products of this transformation can be conveniently controlled by adjusting the reaction parameters, such as pH, temperature, and ethanol/water ratio. Due to the enhanced specific surface area and probably the modifications of the surface structure of nanocrystallines, the as-synthesized goethite nanorods and magnetite nanoparticles demonstrated extremely strong As(III) affinity, with 5.8 and 54 times of As(III) adsorption, respectively, higher than the micron-sized relatives. The cost-effective feature of as-synthesized nanocrystallines and their remarkably enhanced affinity toward arsenic made them potentially applicable for the removal of arsenic and such like heavy metals from the contaminated environment.     

Compressive surface stress in magnetic transition metals

Because of the increased electron density within the surface layer, metal surfaces are generally expected to have tensile surface stress. Here, using first-principles density functional calculations, we demonstrate that in magnetic 3d metals surface magnetism can alter this commonly accepted picture. We find that the thermodynamically stable surfaces of chromium and manganese possess compressive surface stress. The revealed negative surface stress is shown to be ascribed to the enhanced magnetic moments within the surface layer relative to the bulk values.     

复合法布里-珀罗共振声学结构实现亚波长超声聚焦的研究

提出一种多通道的声学结构,实现超声平面波的亚波长聚焦。该声学结构由整数倍长度的亚波长孔径组成,所有的通道同时产生法布里一珀罗共振,含有亚波长信息的倏逝波与结构中的透射共振模式耦合放大,实现亚波长聚焦;进一步在结构表面添加凹槽,延拓结构表面的周期性,可提高特定频率处的透射增益和亚波长聚焦分辨率。研究结果表明该结构能够在宽频带实现亚波长聚焦,增加传输增益。该结构在医学超声成像以及治疗具有潜在的应用价值。     

Recent Progress on the Dispersion and the Strengthening Effect of Carbon Nanotubes and Graphene-Reinforced Metal Nanocomposites: A Review

This article reviews the available literature published to date on the reinforcement of metals with carbon-nanofillers (CNTs and graphene), and also offers a specific focus on issues related to the mechanical and tribological properties of nanocomposites. Carbon-nanofillers (later denoted by C-nanofillers) are known to have extraordinary mechanical properties and multifaceted characteristics and are ideal candidates for the reinforcement of metals for numerous applications. However, their incorporation for practical applications has been challenging researchers for decades. The most important issue is uniform dispersion due to sizeable surface differences between carbon-nanofillers and metals. Other concerns are structural integrity, wetting with metals, and interfacial connections. Nanocomposite applications can only be effective when these challenges are properly addressed and overcome.

Section 1 assesses the importance of C-nanofillers and expressly highlights current research efforts to optimize dispersion in different metals along with processing techniques in section 2. The authors give special attention on C-nanofillers reinforcement contribution to enhanced mechanical strength of metals presented in section 3. C-nanofillers dispersion evaluation tools are highlighted in section 4. Authors also focuses on C-nanofillers role and factors directly associated with metal nanocomposite strength, as reported in the literature. Particular consideration is also given to knowledge sharing of attendant strengthening mechanisms along with contribution reported for empirically derived models used to predict strength. Section 6 solely dedicated to the tribological aspects of C-nanofillers reinforced metallic nanocomposites. Lastly, future recommendations and works need attention is summarized.     

Preparation,characterization and photocatalytic performance of noble metals (Ag,Pd, Pt,Rh) deposited on sponge-like ZnO microcuboids

Novel sponge-like ZnO microcuboids with a hierarchical structure were fabricated via an alcoholic thermal process. Then a series of noble metals (Ag, Pd, Pt, Rh) was loaded onto the microcuboids. The samples obtained were characterized by nitrogen physical adsorption, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results show that the ZnO microcuboids have a high surface area and a sponge-like hierarchical structure. Activity tests for the degradation of acid orange II dye showed that the noble metals enhanced the activity of ZnO to different extents. For loading of 0.5 wt.%, the activity enhancement decreased in the order Pd>Ag>Pt>Rh. Co-loading of Pd and Ag had a detrimental effect on activity compared to single loading. The enhanced photocatalytic performance can be attributed to an increase in the rate of separation of photogenerated e^–/h⁺ pairs induced by the noble metals.     

Oxygen adsorption on an alkali metal-covered Ni(100) surface

The oxygen chemisorption on an alkali (Na, K, Cs) covered Ni(100) surface and its initial oxidation were studied by Auger and electron energy loss spectroscopy (ELS). It was found that in the presence of an alkali metal, the sticking coefficient S remains unity up to a given oxygen coverage of θ_O^cwhose value depends on the alkali overlayer concentration and the ionicity of the Ni-alkali metal bond. At a given oxygen coverage, the line shapes of Auger and loss spectra are almost the same for alkali-covered and clean Ni(100), which suggests that alkali metals cause no change in the character of the Ni-O bond. The effect of alkali metals is associated with increasing electron charge in the surface region, which facilitates oxygen chemisorption. The enhanced surface oxygen concentration in the presence of an alkali metal results in the formation of an oxide phase at lower oxygen exposures than is the case of clean Ni surfaces.     

Emission processes accompanying deformation and fracture of metals

Present-day physical methods of investigation reveal that the fracture and plastic deformation of metals is accompanied by emission processes, in particular, by luminescence and emission of electrons. All the metals studied thus far exhibit a capability of luminescence. The intensity, duration, and spectrum of mechanoluminescence are different for different metals. The intensity is determined by the mechanical and thermal characteristics. For a given metal, the intensity depends on dislocation density in the structure and the sample loading rate. The spectrum of noble metals is governed by the electronic structure of surface states. The dynamics of mechanoluminescence and electron emission (exoemission) depends on the rate of stress variation in the sample under study. This permits one to consider the mechanoluminescence and exoemission not only as physical characteristics but also as a potential tool for probing surface states in metals and the kinetics of emergence of mobile dislocations on the surface with a high time resolution. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 41, 841–843 (May 1999)     

一种性能稳定的新型频率选择表面及其微带天线应用

设计了一种基于分形树结构的高性能频率选择表面(frequency selective surface,FSS),并将其作为微带天线的空间滤波器,同时改善天线的辐射与散射性能.该FSS单元是由两层金属及其中间介质组成,上、下层金属采用金属柱连结,整体构成树枝状分形结构.通过优化参数,得到了一种宽带、极化无关、宽入射角、小型化的超薄FSS,厚度只有约0.017λ.将该FSS应用于微带天线后,天线的相对带宽拓展到40%,工作频段内的增益得到改善,9.6 GHz时,天线的增益提高了6.7 dB,同时,天线工作频带内的雷达散射截面(radar cross section,RCS)也得到了明显减缩,最大减缩为12.7 dB.实验结果与仿真结果符合得较好,证实了该空间滤波器具有提高宽带天线增益、增强天线定向性、改善天线带宽与降低天线带内RCS的效果,可以应用于宽带天线带内辐射与散射性能的同时改善.     

Surface cleaning of metals by pulsed-laser irradiation in air

The surface-cleaning effect of metals was investigated using KrF-excimer-laser irradiation of metal surfaces in air. The laser-induced cleaning of copper, stainless steel and aluminum surfaces was studied. It is found that laser cleaning is an effective cleaning process for metals even if the metal surfaces are heavily contaminated. It is also found that short wavelength and pulse duration are necessary for laser surface-cleaning. The energy density of the laser pulse is an important parameter in the cleaning process. Low energy density results in a cleaner surface but a larger pulse number is required, whereas high energy density can achieve higher cleaning efficiency but the temperature rise can cause surface oxidation and secondary contamination. In contrast to the KrF-excimer-laser, the pulsed CO₂ laser is not effective in surface-cleaning. The mechanisms of laser cleaning may include laser photodecomposition, laser ablation and surface vibration due to the impact of the laser pulse. Laser cleaning provides a new dry process to clean different substrate surfaces and can replace the conventional wet cleaning processes such as ultrasonic cleaning with CFC and other organic solvents.     

Electrochemical modulation spectroscopy

Applications of modulation spectroscopy techniques in electrochemical kinetic studies are reviewed. These methods permit direct in situ detection and identification of reaction intermediates and the measurement of kinetic rate constants approaching the diffusional limit. The results of spectral studies of adsorbed monolayers on metal surfaces are discussed with particular reference to surface roughness effects and photon-assisted charge-transfer transitions between the metal-adatom complex (considered to be a virtual bound state) and the conduction band of the substrate. Recent developments in the theory of the electroreflectance (ER) of metals are presented. The primary features are shown to arise from free-electron effects. At high positive biases, field-modulated interband transitions are enhanced owing to the reduced shielding of surface d orbitals. Surface plasmon generation in metals is also readily detected by ER measurements because of the ease with which interfacial optical parameters can be varied.     

Study of optical and nanostructural metal-induced changes in erythrocyte membranes by scattering and atomic force microscopy

The surface topography of erythrocyte membranes is studied by atomic force microscopy. Differences in fine structure of membranes are found. The structure of profiles of erythrocyte membranes modified by metals is smoother compared to unmodified erythrocytes. The autocorrelation function of irregularity pro-files of erythrocyte membranes and its parameter (the correlation length) are informative parameters of the action of toxic metals on the erythrocyte membrane surface. The content of metal in an erythrocyte membrane is determined from optical investigations of a suspension of membranes subjected to the action of lead and zinc ions. It is revealed that the luminescence of erythrocyte membranes is enhanced compared to reference data. The absorption spectra of erythrocyte membranes in the range 325–740 nm are calculated from the diffuse transmission and reflection coefficients of samples taking into account their luminescence. The possibility of determining the content of metals in erythrocyte membranes from optical measurements is demonstrated.     

Recent progress on photoluminescence from plasmonic nanostructures: Phenomenon,mechanism, and application

Photoluminescence(PL) from bulk noble metals arises from the interband transition of bound electrons. Plasmonic nanostructures can greatly enhance the quantum yield of noble metals through the localized surface plasmon. In this work,we briefly review recent progress on the phenomenon, mechanism, and application of one-photon PL from plasmonic nanostructures. Particularly, our recent efforts in the study of the PL peak position, partial depolarization, and mode selection from plasmonic nanostructures can bring about a relatively complete and deep understanding of the physical mechanism of one-photon PL from plasmonic nanostructures, paving the way for future applications in plasmonic imaging,plasmonic nanolasing, and surface enhanced fluorescence spectra.     

一种兼具宽带增益改善和宽带、宽角度低雷达散射截面的微带天线

设计并制备了一种兼具高增益和低雷达散射截面(radar cross section, RCS)的微带天线, 通过给原始微带天线加载双屏频率选择表面(frequency selective surface, FSS)覆层, 使其具有宽带的3 dB增益带宽和宽带、宽角度的低RCS特性. 该FSS单元的上层是四个开口处都焊有电阻的金属环结构, 下层是中间和四边都开缝的金属贴片结构. 上层加载的电阻主要用于吸收雷达入射波, 减缩天线RCS; 下层的贴片和天线地板构成Fabry-Perot谐振腔, 提高天线增益. 在5.75–11.37 GHz频带内, S₂₂<-10 dB, S₁₂<-10 dB; 在11.21–11.54 GHz频带内, S₁₁反射系数相位曲线斜率为正, 幅度模值均在0.86以上. 实验结果表明: 与原始天线相比, 在谐振频点11.73 GHz处, 天线增益提高3.4 dB, E, H面的半功率波束宽度分别减小16°和50°; 天线的3 dB增益带宽为10.00–12.40 GHz, 完全覆盖阻抗带宽. 在4.10–11.30 GHz 频带内, 天线法向RCS均有3 dB以上的减缩, 最大减缩23.08 dB; 4.95 GHz处的单站RCS在-20°–20°的角域、双站RCS 在-37°–37°的角域均有3 dB以上的减缩. 实验结果证实了该FSS覆层可用于同时改善天线的辐射和散射 性能. 关键词： 频率选择表面 低雷达散射截面 高增益 宽带