Microstructure parameters and optical properties of cadmium ferrite thin films of variable thickness

CdFe₂O₄ thin films of different thicknesses were deposited onto glass substrates by the thermal evaporation technique. Their structural characteristics were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The microstructure parameters, crystallite size, and microstrain were calculated. It is observed that both the crystallite size increases and microstrain increase with increasing with the film thickness. The fundamental optical parameters like absorption coefficient and optical band gap are calculated in the strong absorption region of transmittance and reflectance spectrum. The refractive indices have been evaluated in terms of the envelope method, which has been suggested by Swanepoel in the transparent region. The refractive index can be extrapolated by the Cauchy dispersion relationship over the whole spectra range, which extended from 400 to 2500 nm. The refractive index, n, increases on increasing the film thickness up to 733 nm and the variation of n with higher thickness lies within the experimental errors.     

Influence of exciton decay on the polariton luminescence spectra of CdTe crystal

The polariton luminescence spectra of CdTe crystals have been numerically calculated with allowance for the decay of mechanical excitons and compared with the known experimental low-temperature photoluminescence spectra of these crystals. The mechanism of formation of polariton luminescence in dependence of the optical parameters of crystal for the exciton resonance A _n=1 is discussed.     

Dependence of the refractive index on crystal thickness due to a Pekar extra light wave

Transmission spectra of CdS crystals of different thickness are calculated in the region of A _n =1 exciton using the Pekar theory taking into account an extra light wave. It is shown that the dependence of the refractive index variance on the thickness of superthin crystals at low temperatures, which has been observed earlier, is associated with interference of the extra light wave, to which the crystal is opaque, with the fundamental wave transmitted by the crystal.     

Optical properties of BiSBr and BiSeBr crystals

Optical properties of BiSBr and BiSeBr crystals were investigated by the full potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method with density-functional theory (DFT). The complex dielectric function and optical constants, such as optical absorption coefficient, refractive index, extinction coefficient, energy-loss spectrum and reflectivity, were calculated and compared in the energy range of 0–30 eV. Origin of anisotropic behavior of optical spectra was also discussed. The plasmon energy ?ω_p was estimated to be 18 eV for BiSeBr and 20 eV for BiSBr crystal.     

Electronic excitations and luminescence of SrMgF4 single crystals

The electronic and crystal structures of SrMgF₄ single crystals grown by the Bridgman method have been investigated. The undoped SrMgF₄ single crystals have been studied using low-temperature (T = 10 K) time-resolved fluorescence optical and vacuum ultraviolet spectroscopy under selective excitation by synchrotron radiation (3.7–36.0 eV). Based on the measured reflectivity spectra and calculated spectra of the optical constants, the following parameters of the electronic structure have been determined for the first time: the minimum energy of interband transitions E _g = 12.55 eV, the position of the first exciton peak E _n = 1 = 11.37 eV, the position of the maximum of the “exciton” luminescence excitation band at 10.7 eV, and the position of the fundamental absorption edge at 10.3 eV. It has been found that photoluminescence excitation occurs predominantly in the region of the low-energy fundamental absorption edge of the crystal and that, at energies above E _g , the energy transfer from the matrix to luminescence centers is inefficient. The exciton migration is the main excitation channel of photoluminescence bands at 2.6–3.3 and 3.3–4.2 eV. The direct photoexcitation is characteristic of photoluminescence from defects at 1.8–2.6 and 4.2–5.5 eV.     

Third order nonlinear optical properties of potassium dichromate single crystals by Z-scan technique

Single crystal of potassium dichromate (KDC) has been grown from aqueous solution by slow evaporation technique. The lattice parameters of the grown crystal were determined by X-ray diffraction analysis. The optical absorption studies reveal that the crystal has UV cut-off wavelength around 240 nm. Thermo gravimetric and differential thermal (TGA/DTA) studies revealed that the crystal thermally stable up to 397.1 °C. The mechanical strength of the grown crystal was carried out by Vickers micro hardness test. The crystal perfection was confirmed by etching studies. Third order nonlinear optical studies was performed using by single beam Z-scan technique using continuous Nd:YAG laser. Closed aperture Z-scan studies reveal the negative nonlinearity in the crystals and open aperture Z-scan reveals the saturation absorption. Also various parameters such as nonlinear refractive index n₂, absorption co-efficient β and nonlinear optical susceptibility χ⁽³⁾ were calculated for the grown crystal.     

Optical polarized properties related to the oxygen vacancy in the CaMoO4 crystal

The electronic structures, dielectric functions and absorption spectra for the CaMoO₄ (CMO) crystal with and without oxygen vacancy V_O²⁺ have been calculated using the CASTEP code with the lattice structure optimized. The calculated results indicate that the optical properties of the CMO crystal show anisotropy and its optical symmetry coincides with the lattice structure geometry of the CMO crystal. The calculated absorption spectra indicate that the perfect CMO crystal does not display absorption band in the visible and near-ultraviolet range. However, in this range, the absorption spectra of the CMO crystal containing V_O²⁺ exhibit one peak at about 1.84 eV (673 nm). It predicates that the 680 nm absorption band is related to the existence of V_O²⁺ in the CMO crystal.     

Composition-tuned refractive index and oscillator parameters in TlGaxIn1−xS2 layered mixed crystals (0≤x≤1)

The optical properties of TlGa_xIn_1?xS₂ mixed crystals have been studied through transmission and reflection measurements in the wavelength range 400–1100 nm. These measurements allowed determination of the spectral dependence of the refractive index for all compositions of the mixed crystals studied. The dispersion of the refractive index is discussed in terms of the Wemple–DiDomenico single-effective-oscillator model. The compositional dependences of the refractive index dispersion parameters (oscillator energy, dispersion energy and zero-frequency refractive index) were revealed.     

Optical studies of (NH4)2SO4 single crystal in the paraelectric phase

Transmittance and absorbance spectra of (NH₄)₂SO₄ single crystals along [010] direction were measured at different temperatures (296, 308, 318, 328 and 348 K) in the paraelectric phase. The absorption coefficient was computed and the analysis of the data revealed the existence of two optical transitions in (NH₄)₂SO₄ single crystals. The direct and indirect band gaps were shifted towards the longer wavelength with increasing temperature. The data on the allowed indirect transition was analyzed and interpreted in terms of two valence bands originated by spin orbit interaction and crystal field splitting. The momenta E_p were calculated as the difference between E_g1, the first valence to conduction band, and E_g2 for the second valence band at different temperatures. The results of extinction coefficient (k), the refractive index (n), and dielectric constants (ε) were also discussed and calculated as a function of wave length (λ). The heat treatment of the crystals proved that the variations of these optical parameters can be consequence of the internal microstructure changes caused by annealing.     

LiNH4SO4: A new crystal with an isotropic point

Spectral dependences of the refractive and birefringence indices of ??-LiNH₄SO₄ crystals have been investigated. Curves n _i (??) are found to intersect, which indicates the existence of an isotropic point (??n _y = 0) for this crystal; at room temperature, this point corresponds to wavelength ??₀ ?? 683 nm. The isotropic point is blue-shifted upon heating. Temperature measurements of the angle between the optical axes indicate that the optical-axis plane changes orientation when passing through the isotropic state. The results obtained give grounds to consider LiNH₄SO₄ as a new crystal with an isotropic point.     

Analysis of the refractive indices of lithium niobate at high temperatures

The temperature dependence of the refractive indices of lithium niobate crystals of stoichiometric composition is analyzed. It is shown that, in the region of the ferroelectric phase, the electronic dipole polarizability of oxygen ions significantly depends on the crystal temperature. The difference in the refractive indices Δn = n _e ? n _o in the paraelectric phase at λ = 1200 nm is determined to be 0.036 ± 0.003.     

New method for determining refractive index and thickness of fluorescent thin films

The optical parameters of homogeneous, isotropic, and fluorescent thin films are determined by comparing measured with calculated angular intensity distributions of the s- and p-polarized light emitted into the substrate. The method also yields information about the multipole nature of the emitted radiation. The theory is presented for electric and magnetic dipole transitions. For extremely thin layers of optical thickness n₀d₀ ? λ/8 (where λ is the emission wavelength) analytic expressions for the angular intensity distributions are given. For between 25–30 nm thick evaporated layers of an europium-benzoyltrifluoro-acetone- chelate the refractive index was determined to be n₀ = 1.57 at λ = 612 nm. The fluorescent light emitted by these layers in an about 6 nm wide band centered at λ = 612 nm is emitted by randomly oriented electric dipoles.     

Simulation of elasto optical properties of K2SO4 crystals

The electronic optical spectra of the mechanically free and stressed crystals of potassium sulfate, K₂SO₄, in the orthorhombic phase Pnma have been calculated by the Cambridge Serial Total Energy Package (CASTEP) code. On the basis of these calculations, the components of stress elasto optical tensors based on the changes of refractive index n (π_im) and birefringence Δn () (i, k, m=1, 2, …, 6) have been obtained for the indices i, k ,m=1, 2, 3. Absolute magnitudes of the calculated tensor π_im are probably underestimated because the magnitudes of the calculated elastic stiffness tensor c_rm are found to be overestimated about two times. Features of the spectral dependences n(E) and k(E) of refractive and absorption indices of the mechanically free and stressed potassium sulfate crystals have been analyzed.     

Permittivity of liquid crystals of the alkylcyanobiphenyl group in a decimeter wavelength range

The high-frequency dielectric spectra of liquid crystals of the alkylcyanobiphenyl group with various length of the mobile alkyl chain C_nH_2n+1 (n=5–8) are experimentally studied. It is established that a resonance feature is observed in the frequency range of 300 MHz for all the crystals on the high-frequency branch of the orientational part of dielectric spectra. It is shown that the position of the dielectric resonance is virtually independent of the temperature and the degree of crystal dilution by benzene, but its intensity essentially depends on both factors. The nature of the dielectric resonance found is probably caused by the intramolecular motion of methylene fragments, which are strongly bound with a rigid core of molecules.     

Growth,linear and nonlinear optical studies on guanidinium 4-nitrobenzoate (GuNB): An organic NLO material

Single crystals of guanidinium 4-nitrobenzoate (GuNB) were grown using solvent evaporation technique by mixing aqueous solutions of guanidine carbonate and 4-nitrobenzoic acid at ambient temperature. X-ray diffraction analysis characterized the unit cell parameters of the grown crystal and the crystal belongs to monoclinic system. The optical properties of the grown crystal have been studied by means of transmission measurements in the wavelength region between 200 and 1200 nm. The optical constants such as refractive index (n) and extinction coefficient (k) have been determined from the transmittance data. The optical band gap (E_g), the real and imaginary parts of the dielectric constant of the grown crystal was determined. Second harmonic generation (SHG) efficiency of the grown crystal has been studied using Nd:YAG laser and was measured as 3.2 times that of KDP. The low dielectric constant suggests the suitability of this compound material for NLO applications.     

Nonlinear refraction in photo-induced anisotropic states of azo-dye containing materials

The optical anisotropic states in the azo-dye Disperse Red 13 doped poly(methyl methacrylate) polymeric film are induced by polarized light and the nonlinear refractive index in these states are studied by the Z-scan technique. It is found that the n₂ of the sample can be controlled by changing both the polarization direction and the intensity of the 514 nm light. Photo-induced isomerization and reorientation of azo chromophores in polymer matrices are used to explain the results.     

An optical study of vacuum evaporated amorphous Ge<Subscript>20</Subscript>Te<Subscript>80−<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>Bi<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript> thin films using transmission and reflection spectra

The present paper reports the effect of Bi addition on the optical behavior (optical band gap and refractive index) of Ge₂₀Te_80?x Bi _x (where x=0, 1.5, 2.5, 5.0) glassy alloys by analyzing the transmission and reflection spectra of their thin films in the 900–2400 nm range. Films are deposited on glass substrate using a thermal evaporation technique under vacuum. Various optical parameters viz. refractive index, extinction coefficient, absorption coefficient, optical band gap, etc. are determined and the effect of Bi incorporation on these parameters is studied. The refractive index has been found to increase with increasing Bi content over the entire spectral range and this behavior is due to the increased polarizability of the larger Bi atomic radius (1.46 Å) compared to Te atomic radius (1.36 Å). Dispersion energy, E _d , average energy gap, E ₀ and static refractive index, n ₀ is calculated using Wemple–DiDomenico model. Optical band gap is estimated using Tauc’s extrapolation and is found to decrease from 0.86 to 0.73 eV with the Bi addition. This behavior of the optical band gap is interpreted in terms of the electronegativity difference of the atoms involved and the cohesive energy of the system.     

Measurement of refractive index of biaxial potassium titanyl phosphate crystal plate using reflection spectroscopic ellipsometry technique

The paper reports the measurement of refractive indices and anisotropic absorption coefficients of biaxial potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP) crystal in the form of thin plate using reflection ellipsometry technique. This experiment is designed in the Graduate Optics Laboratory of the Addis Ababa University and He-Ne laser (λ = 632.8 nm), diode laser (λ = 670.0 nm) and temperature-tuned diode laser (λ = 804.4 and 808.4 nm), respectively have been employed as source. The experimental data for n _x , n _y are fitted to the Marquardt-Levenberg theoretical model of curve fitting. The obtained experimental data of refractive indices are compared with different existing theoretical and experimental values of KTP crystals and found to be in good agreement with them.     

The effect of impurity on temperature variations in the refractive indices and thickness of TGS crystals

Temperature dependences of optical path difference δΔ_? and the relative changes in thickness δl_?/l of TGS crystals doped with L-valine are studied. Temperature dependences of the relative changes in refractive indices δn_?/(n–1) are calculated. The anisotropy coefficients of refractive indices А_n–1(Т) and linear expansion Аα(Т) are calculated, and a characteristic minimum of these dependences is found near the phase transition temperature.     

Determination of optical constants and nonlinear optical coefficients of Violet 1-doped polyvinyl alcohol thin film

The optical properties of Violet 1-doped polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) have been investigated using Wemble and Didomenico (WD) method. The optical constants such as refractive index n, the dispersion energy E _d, the oscillation energy E ₀, the lattice dielectric constant \(\varepsilon _{\infty } \), light frequency dielectric constant ε ₀ and the ratio of carrier concentration to the effective mass N/m* have been determined using reflection spectra in the wavelength range 300–900 nm. The single- beam Z-scan technique was used to determine the nonlinear optical properties of Violet 1:polyvinylalcohol (PVA) thin film. The experiments were performed using continuous wave (cw) laser with a wavelength of 635 nm. The calculated nonlinear refractive index of the film, n ₂ = ?2.79×10^?7 cm²/W and nonlinear absorption coefficient, β = 6.31×10^?3 cm /W. Optical limiting characteristics of the dye-doped polymer film was studied. The result reveals that Violet 1 can be a promising material for optical limiting applications.