Mechanical and thermodynamic properties of the monoclinic and orthorhombic phases of SiC_2N_4 under high pressure from first principles

First principles calculations are preformed to systematically investigate the electronic structures, elastic and thermodynamic properties of the monoclinic and orthorhombic phases of Si C2N4 under pressure. The calculated structural parameters and elastic moduli are in good agreement with the available theoretical values at zero pressure. The elastic constants of the two phases under pressure are calculated by stress–strain method. It is found that both phases satisfy the mechanical stability criteria within 60 GPa. With the increase of pressure, the degree of the anisotropy decreases rapidly in the monoclinic phase, whereas it remains almost constant in the orthorhombic phase. Furthermore, using the hybrid density-functional theory, the monoclinic and orthorhombic phases are found to be wide band-gap semiconductors with band gaps of about 2.85 e V and 3.21 e V, respectively. The elastic moduli, ductile or brittle behaviors, compressional and shear wave velocities as well as Debye temperatures as a function of pressure in both phases are also investigated in detail.     

The electronic structures,Born effective charge tensors,and phonon properties of cubic,tetragonal,orthorhombic,and rhombohedral K0.5Na0.5NbO3： A first-principles comparative study

The electronic structures, Born effective charges（BECs）, and full phonon dispersions of cubic, tetragonal, orthorhombic, and rhombohedral K0.5Na0.5Nb O3 are investigated by the first principles method based on density functional theory.The hybridized states of Nb 4d and O 2p states are observed in the valence band, showing the formation of a strong Nb–O covalent bond which should be responsible for the displacement of Nb and O atoms. The abnormally large BECs of Nb and O indicate the possibility of phase instability induced by the off-center displacement of Nb and O atoms. The phonon dispersions reveal that the ferroelectric instability of K0.5Na0.5Nb O3 is dominated by Nb and O displacements with significant Na characteristics. In addition to the ferroelectric instability, there is also rotational instability coming from the oxygen octahedra rotation around one axis. Moreover, the Γ phonon properties of orthorhombic KNb O3, Na Nb O3, and K0.5Na0.5Nb O3 are also studied in detail.     

Calculation and analysis of the number of return photons from sodium laser beacon excited by the long pulse laser with circular polarization

The number of return photons from sodium laser beacon（SLB） greatly suffers down-pumping, recoil, and geomagnetic field when the long pulse laser with circular polarization interacts with sodium atoms in the mesosphere. Considering recoil and down-pumping effects on the number of return photons from SLB, the spontaneous radiation rates are obtained by numerical computations and fittings. Furthermore, combining with the geomagnetic field effects, a new expression is achieved for calculating the number of return photons. By using this expression and considering the stochastic distribution of laser intensity in the mesosphere under different turbulence models for atmosphere, the number of return photons excited by the narrow-band single mode laser and that by the narrow-band three-mode laser are respectively calculated. The results show that the narrow-band three-mode laser with a specific spectrum structure has a higher spontaneous radiation rate and more return photons than a narrow-band single mode laser. Of note, the effect of the atmospheric turbulence on the number of return photons is remarkable. Calculation results indicate that the number of return photons under the HV5/7 model for atmospheric turbulence is much higher than that under the Greenwood and Mod HV models.     

Effects of N doping on photoelectric properties of along different directions of ZnO bulk and nanotube

The electronic structures and optical properties of N-doped Zn O bulks and nanotubes are investigated using the firstprinciples density functional method. The calculated results show that the main optical parameters of Zn O bulks are isotropic（especially in the high frequency region）, while Zn O nanotubes exhibit anisotropic optical properties. N doping results show that Zn O bulks and nanotubes present more obvious anisotropies in the low-frequency region. Thereinto, the optical parameters of N-doped Zn O bulks along the [100] direction are greater than those along the [001] direction, while for N-doped nanotubes, the variable quantities of optical parameters along the [100] direction are less than those along the[001] direction. In addition, refractive indexes, electrical conductivities, dielectric constants, and absorption coefficients of Zn O bulks and nanotubes each contain an obvious spectral band in the deep ultraviolet（UV）（100 nm～ 300 nm）. For each of N-doped Zn O bulks and nanotubes, a spectral peak appears in the UV and visible light region, showing that N doping can broaden the application scope of the optical properties of Zn O.     

Effect of electromagnetic disturbance on the practical QKD system in the smart grid

To improve the security of the smart grid, quantum key distribution（QKD） is an excellent choice. The rapid fluctuations on the power aerial optical cable and electromagnetic disturbance in substations are two main challenges for implementation of QKD. Due to insensitivity to birefringence of the channel, the stable phase-coding Faraday–Michelson QKD system is very practical in the smart grid. However, the electromagnetic disturbance in substations on this practical QKD system should be considered. The disturbance might change the rotation angle of the Faraday mirror, and would introduce an additional quantum bit error rate（QBER）. We derive the new fringe visibility of the system and the additional QBER from the electromagnetic disturbance. In the worst case, the average additional QBER only increases about 0.17% due to the disturbance, which is relatively small to normal QBER values. We also find the way to degrade the electromagnetic disturbance on the QKD system.     

Relativistic effect of pseudospin symmetry and tensor coupling on the Mie-type potential via Laplace transformation method

A relativistic Mie-type potential for spin-1/2 particles is studied. The Dirac Hamiltonian contains a scalar S（r） and a vector V（r） Mie-type potential in the radial coordinates, as well as a tensor potential U（r） in the form of Coulomb potential. In the pseudospin（p-spin） symmetry setting Σ = Cps and Δ = V（r）, an analytical solution for exact bound states of the corresponding Dirac equation is found. The eigenenergies and normalized wave functions are presented and particular cases are discussed with any arbitrary spin–orbit coupling number κ. Special attention is devoted to the caseΣ = 0 for which p-spin symmetry is exact. The Laplace transform approach（LTA） is used in our calculations. Some numerical results are obtained and compared with those of other methods.     

A New Type of Conserved Quantity Deduced from Mei Symmetry for Relativistic Mechanical System in Phase Space

In this paper, a new type of conserved quantity indirectly deduced from the Mei symmetry for relativistic mechanical system in phase space is studied. The definition and the criterion of the Mei symmetry for the system are given. The condition for existence and the form of the new conserved quantity are obtained. Finally, an example is given to illustrate the application of the results.     

A spherical higher-order finite-difference time-domain algorithm with perfectly matched layer

A higher-order finite-difference time-domain（HO-FDTD） in the spherical coordinate is presented in this paper. The stability and dispersion properties of the proposed scheme are investigated and an air-filled spherical resonator is modeled in order to demonstrate the advantage of this scheme over the finite-difference time-domain（FDTD） and the multiresolution time-domain（MRTD） schemes with respect to memory requirements and CPU time. Moreover, the Berenger＇s perfectly matched layer（PML） is derived for the spherical HO-FDTD grids, and the numerical results validate the efficiency of the PML.     

Exact Solutions and Invariant Sets to General Reaction-Diffusion Equation

In this paper, we introduce new invariant sets, and the invariant sets and exact solutions to general reactiondiffusion equation are discussed. It is shown that there exist a class of exact solutions to the equations that belong to the invariant sets.     

Phase field modeling of the ring-banded spherulites of crystalline polymers: The role of thermal diffusion

The ring-banded spherulite is a special morphology of polymer crystals and has attracted considerable attention over recent decades. In this study, a new phase field model with polymer characteristics is established to investigate the emergence and formation mechanism of the ring-banded spherulites of crystalline polymers. The model consists of a nonconserved phase field representing the phase transition and a temperature field describing the diffusion of the released latent heat. The corresponding model parameters can be obtained from experimentally accessible material parameters.Two-dimensional calculations are carried out for the ring-banded spherulitic growth of polyethylene film under a series of crystallization temperatures. The results of these calculations demonstrate that the formation of ring-banded spherulites can be triggered by the self-generated thermal field. Moreover, some temperature-dependent characteristics of the ring-banded spherulites observed in experiments are reproduced by simulations, which may help to study the effects of crystallization temperature on the ring-banded structures.     

Pump-induced carrier envelope offset frequency dynamics and stabilization of an Yb-doped fiber frequency comb

In this paper, we demonstrate a carrier envelope phase-stabilized Yb-doped fiber frequency comb seeding by a nonlinear-polarization-evolution（NPE） mode-locked laser at a repetition rate of 60 MHz with a pulse duration of 191 fs.The pump-induced carrier envelope offset frequency（ f0） nonlinear tuning is discussed and further explained by the spectrum shift of the laser pulse. Through the environmental noise suppression, the drift of the free-running f0 is reduced down to less than 3 MHz within an hour. By feedback control on the pump power with a self-made phase-lock loop（PLL）electronics the carrier envelope offset frequency is well phase-locked with a frequency jitter of 85 m Hz within an hour.     

The effect of cellular aging on the dynamics of spiral waves

Cellular aging can result in deterioration of electrical coupling, the extension of the action potential duration, and lower excitability of the cell. Those factors are introduced into the Greenberg–Hastings cellular automaton model and the effects of the cellular aging on the dynamics of spiral waves are studied. The numerical results show that a 50% reduction of the coupling strength of aging cells has a little influence on spiral waves. If the coupling strength of aging cells equals zero, the ability for the medium to maintain spiral waves will be reduced by approximately 50% when the aging cell ratio increases from 0 to 0.5, where the reduction of cell excitability plays a major role in inducing disappearance of spiral waves. When the relevant parameters are properly chosen, the cellular aging can lead to the meandering of spiral waves,the emergence of the binary spiral waves, and even the disappearance of spiral waves via the stopping rotation or shrinkage of wave. Physical mechanisms of the above phenomena are analyzed briefly.     

Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy of a simulated pore structure to probe particle size and porosity of porous rock

The particle sizes and porosities of simulated pore structures are probed by terahertz time-domain spectroscopy.A double-peak time-domain spectrum phenomenon is observed when the terahertz（THz） pulses illuminated a pore and a particle. The amplitudes of the two peaks depend strongly and monotonically on the particle size and porosity. A model is used to study the phenomenon, and the computational results agreed with the experimental measurements. These measurements indicate the terahertz spectroscopic behaviors of pores and particles, suggesting that terahertz spectroscopy can be used as a noncontact probe of porosity.     

Radio-frequency compressed electron pulse-width characterization by cross-correlation between electron bunches and laser-induced plasma

A method is proposed to determine the temporal width of high-brightness radio-frequency compressed electron pulses based on cross-correlation technique involving electron bunches and laser-induced plasma. The temporal evolution of 2-dimensional transverse profile of ultrafast electron bunches repelled by the formed transient electric field of laser-induced plasma on a silver needle is investigated, and the pulse-width can be obtained by analyzing these time-dependent images.This approach can characterize radio-frequency compressed ultrafast electron bunches with picosecond or sub-picosecond timescale and up to 105 electron numbers.     

Afterpulsing characteristics of InGaAs/InP single photon avalanche diodes

In Ga As/In P single photon avalanche diodes（SPADs） are more and more available in many research fields. They are affected by afterpulsing which leads to a poor single photon detection probability. We present an In Ga As/In P avalanche photodiode with an active quenching circuit on an application specific integrated circuit（ASIC）. It can quench the avalanche rapidly and then reduce the afterpulse rate. Also this quenching circuit can operate in both free-running and gated modes.Furthermore, a new technique is introduced to characterize the influence of the higher order of afterpulses, which uses a program running on a field programmable gate array（FPGA） integrated circuit.     

Defect characterization and magnetic properties in un-doped ZnO thin film annealed in a strong magnetic field

Highly c-axis oriented un-doped zinc oxide（Zn O） thin films, each with a thickness of ～ 100 nm, are deposited on Si（001） substrates by pulsed electron beam deposition at a temperature of ～ 320℃, followed by annealing at 650℃ in argon in a strong magnetic field. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy（XPS）, positron annihilation analysis（PAS）, and electron paramagnetic resonance（EPR） characterizations suggest that the major defects generated in these Zn O films are oxygen vacancies. Photoluminescence（PL） and magnetic property measurements indicate that the room-temperature ferromagnetism in the un-doped Zn O film originates from the singly ionized oxygen vacancies whose number depends on the strength of the magnetic field applied in the thermal annealing process. The effects of the magnetic field on the defect generation in the Zn O films are also discussed.     

Research and application of regular phenomenon between periodic signals

The phase change between periodic signals is regular. Research on the regular phenomenon between periodic signals is helpful to improve the precision of some measurements and develop some new measurement methods. So it is necessary to analyze the characteristics of the greatest common factor frequency and the least common multiple period universally existing in periodic signals. The regulation of the quantitative phase shift resolution between periodic signals is presented.The cause of difference in phase characteristics between periodic signals is explained well. In this paper we propose different application prospects based on the regular phenomenon between periodic signals, with focusing on the methods for high precision frequency measurement and transient stability measurement. The experimental results are satisfactory.     

Gate-modulated generation–recombination current in n-type metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor

Gate-modulated generation–recombination（GMGR） current IGMGRinduced by the interface traps in an n-type metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor（n MOSFET） is investigated. The generation current is found to expand rightwards with increasing the reversed drain PN junction bias, and the recombination current is enhanced as the forward drain bias increases. The variations of IGMGRcurves are ascribed to the changes of the electron density and hole density at the interface, NSand PS, under the different drain bias voltages. Based on an analysis of the physical mechanism, the IGMGR model is set up by introducing two coefficients（m and t）. The coefficients m and t can modulate the curves widths and peak values. The simulated results under reverse mode and forward mode are obviously in agreement with the experimental results. This proves that this model can be applicable for generation current and recombination current and that the theory behind the model is reasonable. The details of the relevant mechanism are given in the paper.     

Charging and absorption characteristics of small particulates under alternative and electrostatic voltages in an electrostatic precipitator

The charge quantity of small particulates such as PM2.5 plays a key role in the collection efficiency of an electrostatic precipitator（ESP）. Under a single electrostatic voltage, it is difficult to charge and absorb small particulates. A new method of superimposing an alternative voltage on the electrostatic voltage is provided in this paper. Characteristics of small particulates are analyzed under alternative and electrostatic voltages. It is demonstrated that an alternative voltage can significantly improve the collection efficiency in three aspects： preventing anti-corona, increasing the charge quantity of small particulates, and increasing the median particulate size by electric agglomeration. In addition, practical usage with the superposition of alternative voltage is provided, and the results are in agreement with the theoretical analysis.     

Enhanced light emission from InGaN/GaN quantum wells by using surface plasmonic resonances of silver nanoparticle array

The effect of silver nanostructures prepared by nanosphere lithography on the photoluminescence（PL） properties of blue-emitting In Ga N/Ga N quantum wells（QWs） is studied. Arrays of silver nanoparticles are fabricated to yield a collective surface plasmonic resonance（SPR） near to the QWs emission wavelength. A large enhancement in peak PL intensity is observed, when the induced SPR wavelength of the nanoparticles on the QWs sample matches the QWs emission wavelength. The study proves that the SPRs could enhance the light emission efficiency of semiconductor material.