Supercontinuum generation in single crystal sapphire fibers

In this paper, we report supercontinuum generation by launching ultra-short femtosecond laser pulses into single crystal sapphire fibers. The major advantages of using sapphire fiber for supercontinuum generation are: (1) high transparency up to 5 μm, (2) low material dispersion in the 0.8-5 μm spectral range, and (3) a higher laser damage threshold (500 times higher than that of silica). Thus, a very high power, super broadband [from visible to middle IR (up to 5 μm)], supercontinuum source can be realized by employing sapphire fiber for supercontinuum generation. Our experimental results also confirm that sapphire fiber can offer a broader supercontinuum spectrum than that of bulk sapphire counterpart under the same exciting conditions. This work opens the door to new opportunities in generating high power supercontinuum radiation (in particular, at the middle-IR regime), and will have a great impact on many applications, including sensing and broadband multi-spectrum free space communications.     

Be扩散处理、热处理和天然双色昌乐蓝宝石的宝石学特征与鉴别

对中国山东昌乐Be扩散处理、热处理和未处理双色蓝宝石(黄色和蓝色)进行了宝石学常规测试、紫外可见光谱、红外光谱、电子探针和激光剥蚀电感耦合等离子体质谱(LA-ICP-MS)测试,以获得它们的谱学特征,提出其鉴别方法。研究发现Be扩散处理双色蓝宝石仅出现Fe3+—Fe3+形成的紫外可见吸收峰,而且377nm吸收峰的强度异常高。红外光谱中,热处理和未处理的双色蓝宝石存在明显的3 310cm-1羟基吸收峰,而该吸收峰在Be扩散处理双色蓝宝石中消失。因此,紫外可见光谱和红外光谱可用于鉴别Be扩散处理、热处理和未处理双色蓝宝石。另外,二碘甲烷浸油实验也可识别Be扩散处理双色蓝宝石。     

蓝宝石表面处理对氮化镓薄膜的影响

采用化学方法腐蚀c-面蓝宝石衬底,以形成一定的图案;利用LP-MOCVD在经过不同腐蚀时间的蓝宝石衬底上外延生长GaN薄膜。采用高分辨率双晶X射线衍射（DCXRD）、三维视频光学显微镜（OM）、扫描电子显微镜（SEM）和原子力显微镜（AFM）进行分析。结果表明,对蓝宝石衬底腐蚀50min情况下,外延生长的GaN薄膜晶体质量最优,其（0002）面上的XRD 半峰全宽为202.68arcsec,（10-12）面上的XRD 半峰全宽为300.24arcsec;其均方根粗糙度（RMS）为0.184nm。     

Examination of Bragg backscattering from crystalline quartz

The backscattering silicon single crystals normally used for hard X-ray inelastic scattering experiments suffer from parasitic reflections and gaps in photon energy where no backscattering reflection exists. Sapphire has been proposed as a possible alternative, but quartz may have advantages over sapphire at low photon energies (5-12.5 keV). Calculations of energy widths of backscattering reflections up to 30 keV for silicon, sapphire, and quartz are compared. The quartz (11 6 0) reflection is examined at 0.03° from backscattering with 0.8 meV bandwidth beam, and its energy width is measured. Finally, the thermal expansions of quartz and silicon are compared.     

Phase-locked, low-noise, frequency agile titanium:sapphire lasers for simultaneous atom interferometers

We demonstrate a laser system consisting of a >1.6 W titanium:sapphire laser that is phase locked to another free-running titanium:sapphire laser at a wavelength of 852 nm with a phase noise of -138 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz from the carrier, using an intracavity electro-optic phase modulator. The residual phase variance is 2.5 x 10(-8) rad2 integrated from 1 Hz to 10 kHz. This system can phase-continuously change the offset frequency within 200 ns with frequency steps up to 4 MHz. Simultaneous atom interferometers can make full use of this ultralow phase noise in differential measurements, where influences from the vibration of optics are greatly suppressed in common mode.     

In-Situ Intrinsic Interface Strength Measurement at Elevated Temperatures and its Relationship to Interfacial Structure

A previously developed laser spallation technique has been modified to measure the tensile strength of thin film interfaces in-situ at temperatures up to 1100°C. Tensile strengths of Nb/A-plane sapphire, FeCrAl/A-plane sapphire and FeCrAlY/A-plane sapphire were measured up to 950°C. The measured strengths at high temperatures were substantially lower compared with their corresponding strengths at ambient temperature. For example, at 850°C, the interface tensile strength for the Nb/sapphire (151 ± 17 MPa), FeCrAl/sapphire (62 ± 8 MPa) and FeCrAlY/sapphire (82 ± 11 MPa) interface systems were lower by factors of approximately, 3, 5, and 8, respectively, over their corresponding ambient values. These results underscore the importance of using such in-situ measured values under operating conditions as the failure criterion in any life prediction or reliability models of such coated systems where local interface temperature excursions are expected. The results on alloy film interfaces also demonstrate that the presence of Y increases the strength of FeCrAl/Al₂O₃ interfaces.     

Optical properties of highly C-oriented Bi3TiNbO9 thin films grown on fused silica substrates by PLD

Highly aluminium-doped zinc oxide (ZnO) films have been grown on differently oriented sapphire substrates by magnetron sputtering from an oxidic target. Rocking curve measurements, Rutherford backscattering analysis and transmission electron microscopy show that the films exhibit a disturbed film growth. However, despite the large nominal lattice mismatch between ZnO and sapphire (-31%), the films grow epitaxially on every sapphire orientation, even at room temperature. This was proven by pole figure analysis. The reason that epitaxial growth can be observed is an incommensurate lattice fitting between ZnO and sapphire by a mutual rotational alignment of their lattices. Films of the best crystallographic quality have been grown on (110)-oriented sapphire, which is also reflected by the highest Hall mobility in these layers. PACS 68.55.ln; 73.50.Gr; 81.05.Dz; 81.15.Cd     

100 GPa以上冲击压力区蓝宝石的近红外发光

采用三层夹心靶结构,利用铜箔与抛光蓝宝石之间良好的接触条件,使用辐射式高温计观测到c取向蓝宝石在130～172 GPa冲击高压下的红外辐射。实验信号显示,位于近红外波段的蓝宝石冲击辐射随着压力的增加而变强;强度对比显示,蓝宝石的近红外发射强于界面发射。基于冲击作用下滑移带的温度高于冲击平衡温度的概念,将蓝宝石体内滑移带温度作为蓝宝石发射温度代入线性吸收公式,从而将蓝宝石发光强度的增加和界面冷却引起的发光强度下降相结合;将得到的界面一蓝宝石发射强度数值模拟结果与实验结果相比较,发现二者能够重合。由实验信号的上升趋势得到三个压力下0.85μm近红外波长处蓝宝石的冲击吸收系数数值。     

一种外延生长高质量GaN薄膜的新方法

采用化学方法腐蚀c-面蓝宝石衬底，以形成一定的图案；利用LP-MOCVD在经过表面处理的蓝宝石衬底上以及常规c-面蓝宝石衬底上外延生长GaN薄膜.采用高分辨率双晶X射线衍射(DCXRD)、三维视频光学显微镜(OM)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)和原子力显微镜(AFM)进行分析，结果表明，在经过表面处理形成一定图案的蓝宝石衬底上外延生长的GaN薄膜明显优于在常规蓝宝石衬底上外延生长的GaN薄膜，其(0002)面上的XRD FWHM为208.80弧秒，(1012)面上的为320.76弧秒.同时，此方法也克服了传统 关键词： 表面处理 MOCVD 横向外延生长 GaN薄膜     

Two-Photon Optical Properties of Novel Branched Conjugated Derivatives Carrying Benzophenone Moiety with Various Electron Donor-Acceptor Substituent Groups

This paper presents a range of novel new branched conjugated dyes containing benzophenone moiety. As compared with those of 4-(p-benzoyl-styrene)yl-4'-(styrene)yl-triphenylamine (C1) and 4-(p-benzoyl-styrene)yl-4'-3,4,5-trimethoxyl-styrene)yl-triphenylamine (C2), the maximal linear absorption and emission wavelength of 4-(p-benzoyl-styrene)yl-4'-(p'-nitro-styrene)yl-triphenylamine (C3) displays red-shifted remarkably, While the fluorescence quantum yields of C3 are lower than those of C1 and C2 in various solvents. The fluorescence lifetimes of the derivatives were measured, and radiative and non-radiative transition constants of the derivatives were calculated. Two-photon absorption (TPA) optical data of the derivatives were measured by Ti:sapphire femtosecond laser tuning from 720 to 880 nm at intervals of 20 nm. TPA induced fluorescence emission of C3 is red-shifted with respected to that of C1 and C2. TPA cross sections of C3 are larger than those of C1 and C2 in various excited laser frequencies. TPA cross section of C2 and C3 are much larger than those of 3,4,5-(trimethoxylstyrene)yl-triphenylamine (C4) and 4-(p-nitrostyrene)yl-triphenylamine (C5) respectively under various near-IR Ti:sapphire femtosecond laser wavelength. C1 and C2 show similar one- and two- photon optical nature. Geometry optimization with ab initio method confirms that C3 has different electron density distribution, the energy levels in frontier orbitals, the dipole moment changes, the absorption and emission spectroscopy from those of C1 and C2. The cyclic voltammograms of the derivatives were detected in methylene chloride at various scan rates, and the energy of frontier orbials were estimated further from the redox potentials.     

Si(100)和蓝宝石(0001)衬底上3C-SiC的Raman研究

单晶Si和蓝宝石(0001)是两种重要的3C-SiC异质外延衬底材料，然而，由于Si及蓝宝石和3C-SiC之间大的晶格失配度和热膨胀系数失配度，在3C-SiC中会产生很大的内应力，直接影响3C-SiC的电学特性。Raman散射测试是一个功能很强的测试方法，其强度、宽度、Raman位移等有关Raman参数可以给出有关SiC晶体质量的信息，其中包括内应力。利用背散射几何构置的Raman方法研究了Si(100)和蓝宝石(0001)村底上LPCVD方法生长的SiC外延薄膜，在生长的所有样品中均观察到了典型的3C-SiC的TO和LO声子峰，在3C-SiC／Si材料中，这两个声子峰分别位于970．3cm-l和796．0cm-1，在3C-SiC／蓝宝石材料中，分别位于965．1cm^-1和801．2cm-1，这一结果表明这两种外延材料均为3C-SiC晶型。利用一个3C-SiC自由膜作为无应力标准样品,并根据3C-SiC／Si和3C-SiC／蓝宝石的TO和LO声子峰Raman位移相对于自由膜的移动量，得到3C-SiC中的内应力约分别为1GPa和4GPa。实验发现在这两种材料的TO声子峰的Raman位移移动方向相反，通过比较3C-SiC、Si和蓝宝石的热膨胀系数，预期Si衬底上的3C-SiC外延膜受到的应力为张应力，而蓝宝石衬底上3C-SiC受到的应力则为压应力。     

Modified porous silica antireflective coatings with laser damage resistance for Ti:sapphire

Porous SiO2 antireflective (AR) coatings are prepared from the colloidal silica solution modified with methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) based on the sol-gel route. The viscosity of modified silica suspensions changes but their stability keeps when MTES is introduced. The refractive indices of modified coatings vary little after bake treatment from 100 to 150 ℃. The modified silica coatings on Ti:sapphire crystal,owning good homogeneity, display prominent antireflective effect within the laser output waveband (750-850 nm) of Ti:sapphire lasers, with average transmission above 98.6%, and own laser induced damage thresholds (LIDTs) of more than 2.2 J/cm2 at 800 nm with the pulse duration of 300 ps.     

Photoluminescence of ZnO films prepared by r.f. sputtering on different substrates

Polycrystalline ZnO films with good orientation were deposited on sapphire, quartz, Si and 7059 glass substrates by r.f. magnetron sputtering. A strong UV photoluminescence (PL) peak (located at 356 nm) and a weak blue emission peak (located at 446 nm) were observed at room temperature (RT) for the films deposited on sapphire, quartz and Si substrates when excited with 270 nm light. For the films prepared on Corning 7059 glass, only a strong 446 nm blue emission peak was found, and the PL intensity decreased with increasing oxygen pressure during films deposition. The intensity of the UV emission increased 7 and 14 times, respectively, for the films on sapphire and quartz substrates after high temperature annealing in vacuum. The UV emission originates from the inter-band transition of electrons and the blue emission is due to transition of electrons from the shallow donor level of the oxygen vacancies to the valence band.     

Megahertz optical parametric amplifier pumped by a femtosecond oscillator

We demonstrate, for the first time to our knowledge, an optical parametric amplifier directly pumped by a femtosecond oscillator. Wavelength-tunable pulses in the ranges 0.65-0.85 microm (signal) and 1.4-2.5 microm (idler) are generated at a repetition frequency of 1 MHz. For pumping the beta-barium borate crystal we use a microjoule Yb:KY(WO4)2 femtosecond oscillator with cavity dumping. Pulses with 30 nJ of energy and a duration of 16 fs are achieved from a supercontinuum seed generated in a sapphire plate.     

High power all-solid-state quasi-continuous-wave tunable Ti: sapphire laser system

This paper reports a high power, all-solid-state, quasi-continuous-wave tunable Ti:sapphire laser system pumped by laser diode (LD) pumped frequency-doubled Nd:YAG laser. The maximum tuned output power of 4.2 W (797 nm) and tuned average power of 3.7 W were achieved when fixing the Ti:sapphire broadband output power at 5.0 W and applying 750-850 nm broadband coated mirror.     

Sapphire hard X‐ray Fabry–Perot resonators for synchrotron experiments

Hard X‐ray Fabry–Perot resonators (FPRs) made from sapphire crystals were constructed and characterized. The FPRs consisted of two crystal plates, part of a monolithic crystal structure of Al₂O₃, acting as a pair of mirrors, for the backward reflection (0 0 0 30) of hard X‐rays at 14.3147 keV. The dimensional accuracy during manufacturing and the defect density in the crystal in relation to the resonance efficiency of sapphire FPRs were analyzed from a theoretical standpoint based on X‐ray cavity resonance and measurements using scanning electron microscopic and X‐ray topographic techniques for crystal defects. Well defined resonance spectra of sapphire FPRs were successfully obtained, and were comparable with the theoretical predictions.     

Room temperature weak ferromagnetism and magnetoconductance in functional CuO film

The granular CuO films are deposited on n-Si (1 0 0) and sapphire substrates using sol-gel route. Small microstrain leads to ∼5 times larger grain sizes (200-300 nm) and ∼2.5 times larger film thickness (∼0.57 μm) for sapphire than n-Si substrate, which are confirmed by X-ray diffraction and Atomic Force Microscopy. A diode-like current-voltage characteristics are observed for film deposited on n-Si substrate, which is absent for sapphire substrate. Typical manifestation of ferromagnetic character is observed for CuO films, which are strongly influenced by the substrates. Magnetic anisotropy is larger for sapphire substrate than n-Si substrate. At room temperature considerably large magnetoconductance ∼21% and soft ferromagnetic character of CuO film on n-Si substrate are attractive for functional applications.     

Improved stabilization of a 1.3 microm femtosecond optical frequency comb by use of a spectrally tailored continuum from a nonlinear fiber grating

We report significant enhancement (+24 dB) of the optical beat note between a 657 nm cw laser and the second-harmonic generation of the tailored continuum at 1314 nm generated with a femtosecond Cr:forsterite laser and a nonlinear fiber Bragg grating. The same continuum is used to stabilize the carrier-envelope offset frequency of the Cr:forsterite femtosecond laser and permits improved optical stabilization of the frequency comb from 1.0 to 2.2 microm. Using a common optical reference at 657 nm, a relative fractional frequency instability of 2.0 x 10(-15) is achieved between the repetition rates of Cr:forsterite and Ti:sapphire laser systems in 10 s averaging time. The fractional frequency offset between the optically stabilized frequency combs of the Cr:forsterite and Ti:sapphire lasers is +/-(0.024 +/- 6.1) x 10(-17).     

Radiation-induced electronic and ionic charge storage and release in sapphire

Radiation-induced thermally stimulated relaxation (TSR) processes in the reduced f -Al 2 O 3 (sapphire) crystal were investigated at 290-650 v K by means of the TS current (TSC), ionic depolarisation current (TSDC) and electron emission (TSEE) techniques. After thermal (ionic) polarisation of sapphire wide (～75 v K) and asymmetric ionic dipolar TSDC peak at T max , 590 v K (disorientation of the anion vacancy-related dipoles) was detected. This peak correlates with the wide TSEE peak at T max , 615 v K, the radiation-induced electrical degradation (RIED) yield rise above 550 v K ( T max , 745 v K) and the chromium emission line broadening in ruby. Above 450-500 v K the anion vacancy hopping (migration) starts. This can lead to lattice dynamic disordering and anion vacancy diffusion-controlled processes in sapphire (especially in vacuo near the sample surface, grain boundaries, dislocations) in various TSR (TSC, TSDC, TS heat release and bleaching) and RIED phenomena. Surface structure and impurity content, surrounding atmosphere (vacuum or air) and electric fields determine these phenomena.     

Optical and crystal improvements of semipolar (11-22) GaN/m-sapphire by in-situ thermal etching process

We investigated the optical and crystal qualities of semipolar (11-22) GaN grown on m-plane sapphire using three-step growth technique which consisted of seed GaN growth, in-situ thermal etching process (I-STEP), and lateral growth step. By introducing three-step growth, we achieved high optical and crystal qualities of semipolar (11-22) GaN films compared with those grown by conventional one-step growth. In particular, as the positions of I-STEP were decreased from 1.0 to 0.25 μm toward sapphire substrate, the full width at half maximum of the X-ray rocking curve was effectively decreased from 1083 to 828 arcsec, respectively. Furthermore, photoluminescence results showed that the bandedge emission intensity of semipolar (11-22) GaN with I-STEP was 56% higher than that with conventional growth technique. Based on these results, we suggested that the three-step growth would be effective to improve the crystal and optical qualities of semipolar (11-22) GaN/m-sapphire.