Electro-optical polarization mode dispersion in PbMg<Subscript>1/3</Subscript>Nb<Subscript>2/3</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> single crystals

The polarization mode dispersion induced by an external ac electric field in PbMg_1/3Nb_2/3O₃ single crystals is studied experimentally at frequencies of 10⁴–10⁷ Hz. It is established that the discovered electro-optical polarization mode dispersion (EPMD) displays anomalous properties related to the orientation of the induced dipole moments in microregions of the crystal. Analytical expressions describing the peculiarities of the physical properties of relaxors giving rise to the EPMD are obtained.     

Electric-field effect in a mixed-valence ion pair Cr3+−Cr2+ in a KZnF3 crystal

The influence of an external axial electric field on the absorption spectrum of a Cr³⁺−Cr²⁺ mixed-valence pair center coupled by the double-exchange mechanism in a KZnF₃ crystal is investigated. It is shown experimentally that the Cr³⁺−Cr²⁺ pair has an electric dipole moment. The migration of an electron is accompanied by local lattice strain. At the minima of the adiabatic potential, the intermediate fluorine atom is displaced from the lattice site. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 68, No. 2, 147–149 (25 July 1998)     

DC-induced generation of the reflected second harmonic in silicon

DC-induced generation of the reflected second harmonic is experimentally observed on the surface of a centrosymmetric silicon single crystal. A direct current with a surface density of j _max ～ 10³ A/cm² violates the symmetry of the electron distribution function and induces the optical second harmonic with an intensity corresponding to the dipole quadratic susceptibility χ^(2)d (j _max) ～ 3 × 10^?15 m/V.     

Structure and dynamics of the He 2 * (a 3Σ u + molecular complex in condensed phases of helium

An investigation is made of the absorption spectra of triplet metastable helium molecules in the a ³Σ _u ⁺ state in liquid ⁴He and ³He at various pressures and in dense ³He gas. An analysis of the spectrum corresponding to the a ³Σ _u ⁺ → c ³Σ _g ⁺ transition confirms the conclusion that there is a microscopic bubble surrounding the molecule in liquid helium. A simple approximation is proposed for the wave function of the valence electron of the molecule and the parameters of the bubble are determined for various experimental conditions. The coefficient of molecular recombination in liquid ³He and ⁴He was determined experimentally at various pressures and in dense cold ³He gas. The results show good agreement with the theory of mutual recombination limited by molecular diffusion under conditions of strong van der Waals interaction. It is shown that in the condensed phases of helium the polarization of the molecules under the action of the magnetic field does not lead to suppression of their mutual recombination, and this is confirmed experimentally.     

Prediction of defect structure in lithiated tin- and titanium-doped α-Fe2O3 using atomistic simulation

The defect structure of lithiated tin- and titanium-doped α-Fe₂O₃ has been assessed using interatomic potential calculations. Of the models considered for lithiation, a model in which Li⁺ occupies an interstitial site balanced by the reduction of Fe³⁺ to Fe²⁺ on an Fe³⁺ site was found to be more favourable than the substitution of Li⁺ on an Fe³⁺ octahedral site balanced by an O²⁻ vacancy. Insertion of lithium into the interstitial site between two adjacent M⁴⁺ ions was particularly favourable. The calculated lattice parameters decrease on lithiation as has been observed experimentally.     

A change in the conductivity of sodium-helium plasma interacting with polarization-modulated laser radiation tuned to sodium D 1 line

A change in the conductivity of a sodium-helium plasma interacting with laser radiation tuned to the sodium 3² S _1/2?3² P _1/2 transition and having sign-changing polarization is experimentally observed. It is shown that this effect is caused by the processes of Penning ionization, spin exchange, and optical orientation of atoms in a gas-discharge plasma.     

Quantum memory in an orthogonal geometry of silenced echo retrieval

We experimentally realize a quantum-memory protocol based on retrieval of silenced echo (ROSE) in Tm³⁺:Y₃Al₅O₁₂ crystal in an orthogonal geometry of the signal and control light fields. The silenced echo signal revival efficiency of ~13% with 36 μs storage time is demonstrated. To achieve that we implemented a high-precision atomic coherence control via amplitude- and phase-modulated laser pulses. We also discuss capabilities of this configuration, ways to increase quantum efficiency and to combine it with a single-mode optical cavity.     

Spontaneous polarization in the RbD3 (SeO3)2 crystal

It has been experimentally shown for the first time that below T_c RbD₃ (SeO₃)₂ possesses spontaneous polarization of the order of 10^?4 μC cm^?2.     

Anomalous luminescence of impurity-bound excitons in lithium borate crystals doped with cerium ions

The spectra and relaxation kinetics of the anomalous (?? < 10 ns) luminescence of Li₆GdB₃O₉:Ce³⁺ crystals have been experimentally detected. The time-resolved vacuum ultraviolet spectroscopy study has shown that optical transitions at 6.2 eV, caused by the transfer of an electron from the 4f ¹ ground state of Ce³⁺ to autoionizing states near the conduction band bottom of a crystal, lead to the formation of an impurity-bound exciton with the hole component localized on the 4f state of Ce³⁺ and the electron localized on states of the conduction band bottom. It has been found that the decay of such an exciton in Li₆GdB₃O₉:Ce³⁺ occurs through radiative recombination, leading to fast luminescence at 4.25 eV. The energy threshold for the formation of the impurity-bound exciton has been determined. The distribution functions of elementary relaxations over the reaction rate constants H(k), which determine the relaxation kinetics and luminescence quenching processes, have been calculated.     

X-ray diffraction study of ion thermal vibrations in R2CuO4 (R=Pr and Gd) crystals

An X-ray diffraction study is reported of the symmetry in the spatial distribution of thermal vibrations of Cu₂₊, Gd³⁺, and Pr³⁺ ions in Gd₂CuO₄ crystals. An analysis of the pattern of the angular thermal-vibration amplitude distribution obtained experimentally at different temperatures allows a conclusion about the character of the local Jahn-Teller effect for the Cu²⁺ ions, structural phase transitions, and the orbital ground state of the Cu²⁺ ions.     

Homogeneous He-He solid solutions in the pre-separation region

Temperature dependences of the pressure P(T) in homogeneous solid ³He-⁴He mixtures have been studied experimentally in the wide range of concentrations (35.0%, 62.0%, 68.3%, 74.1%, 75.0%, and 89.3% ³He) above and below the equilibrium phase separation temperature T_s. An anomalous behaviour of the pressure in the vicinity of T_s is found for all investigated samples. With decreasing temperature, as T_s is approached, the pressure increases instead of expected reduction due to decrease in the phonon contribution (P_ph∼T⁴). Such an increase in pressure continues in the metastable region below T_s until the mixture separates. Theoretical interpretation of the observed effects based on a rigorous thermodynamic approach is proposed. The found experimentally pressure behaviour can be described only with the consistent account for fluctuations in the impurity subsystem which near T_s dominates over phonon contribution into the pressure. The obtained theoretical results are in good quantitative agreement with the experimental data. Density fluctuations in the concentrated mixtures give rise to a spontaneous formation of impuriton nano-clusters containing several hundreds of atoms. The fluctuation can be rigorously interpreted as a nucleus of the second phase in the pre-separated homogeneous solid mixture. The estimated size of the fluctuation nano-clusters agrees with the corresponding value for second phase nuclei obtained from the Lifshits-Slesov phenomenological theory of homogeneous nucleation.     

Ultrasonic amplification semiconductors subjected to deformation

It is shown that in semiconductors with inherent piezo-effect or high relative dielectric permittivity (?_rel ? 10³) which have undergone uniaxial deformation an additional electron-phonon interaction is possible, this being conditioned by the non-linear deformation piezo-effect or electrostriction. The non-linear piezo-module in CdS and the electrostriction constant of the second order in SrTiO₃ have been experimentally investigated.Additional ultrasound amplification conditioned by deformation can exceed the amplification in a non-deformed semiconductor by one order.     

Diffraction of IR radiation by ultrasound in tellurium single crystals

The optic, acoustic, and acousto-optic properties of tellurium single crystals are considered to analyze the possibilities of applying this material in acousto-optic filters to control mid- and far-IR radiation. The results of measuring the optic and acousto-optic parameters of a tellurium crystal are reported. The isotropic and anisotropic light diffraction by ultrasound in the crystal is investigated. The wide-aperture geometry of interaction in tellurium is implemented and an acousto-optic figure of merit M ₂ of a tellurium crystal exceeding 10 × 10^?15 s³ g^?1 is experimentally obtained.     

STUDIES ON THE DYNAMICS OF OPTICAL BISTABILITY SWITCHING IN THE INTERNAL FABRY-PEROT CAVITY WITH A CdSxSe1-x-DOPED GLASS CHANNEL WAVEGUIDE

We report the optical bistability in CdS_xSe_1-x-doped glass channel waveguide with rise and fall times of about 24 and 30ps, respectively, in bistable switching by means of fiber coupling input with a power of about 3mW. The third-order nonlinear susceptibility (x⁽³⁾) of CdS_xSe_1-x-doped glass is estimated experimentally to be 1.8×10^-9 esu. The high speed switching and the value of x⁽¹⁾ show that the optical bistability is caused by an optical nonlinearity which can be attributed to the band-filling effect.     

Spiky structure of coherent emission from optically thick media

The spiky structure of the spontaneous emission from praseodymium ions in the LaF₃ lattice on the ³P₀-³H₆ transition under coherent pulsed excitation of the adjacent ³H₄-³P₀ transition has been studied experimentally and theoretically. The experimental results are in good agreement with the theoretical conclusions based on analysis of the emission dynamics of an excited ensemble of three-level systems in the mean field approximation. The generation of a spiky structure is interpreted as the emission of a cnoidal wave pulse. The recorded random pattern of time intervals between the spikes reflects the sensitivity of the cnoidal wave period to fluctuations in the system. The developed theory has been found to be related to models of deterministic chaotic dynamics.     

Influence of surroundings on photorefractive effect in lithium niobate crystals

In the paper results of the investigation of the influence of electric properties of the environment surrounding LiNbO₃ crystals on photorefractive effect induced in these crystals by Gaussian Ar⁺ laser beam with various intensities are presented. We show spatial and temporal dependences of changes of the refractive index obtained experimentally in LiNbO₃: Fe and LiNbO₃: Fe:Mn samples surrounded by media with different electric conductivities and different permittivities (water, air, water solution of CaCl₂). The space and time dependences of the refractive index changes induced by the Ar⁺ laser beam are observed by means of the Mach–Zehnder interferometer using light from HeNe laser. The experimentally obtained results are in a good agreement with those following from numerical calculations using the manifold mirroring method. The agreement between calculated and experimental results indicates that the polarization charge at the photorefractive crystal/surrounding medium boundary significantly influences the photorefractive process in the crystal. The experimentally observed slow spontaneous decrease of the refractive index change in a sample placed into a slightly conducting medium (air) after switching off the beam also indicates that the polarization charge in the sample's surroundings affects the photorefraction.     

Effect of the pump absorption on generation of infrared stimulated electronic Raman scattering in alkali-metal vapors

The main properties of infrared stimulated electronic Raman scattering (SERS) at the 6² S _1/2-7² S _{1/2, 3/2} transitions in cesium atoms are studied theoretically and experimentally as functions of the atomic concentration, which was varied from 10¹¹ to 10¹⁶ cm^?3. It is found that the efficiency of generation of Stokes radiation strongly depends on one-photon absorption of the pump radiation tuned near frequencies of the 6² S _1/2-7² P _{1/2, 3/2} transitions. By using the equation for the density matrix, which describes the evolution of a three-level system, the theory of resonance excitation of IR radiation upon one-photon absorption at an adjacent transition is developed. The theory describes well the main features of IR SERS in alkali-metal vapors.     

An extended read model for grain boundaries in GaAs

The space charging properties of grain boundaries in GaAs are discussed using an extended Read dislocation model. Model calculations for medium to high angle grain boundaries show: (1) the core-site occupational probability for a dislocation at the grain boundary is at least an order of magnitude lower than would be expected on the basis of simple Read theory; (2) due to the strong core-core interaction of the dislocations, the depletion width W decreases with an increase in tilt angle θ: and (3) W is approximately independent of θ in highly doped (N_D ? 10₁₇/cm³) material. Comparisons between model predictions and experimentally determined depletion widths of grain boundaries in GaAs are presented.     

Lines of Ho<Superscript>3+</Superscript>-Ho<Superscript>3+</Superscript> pair centers in optical spectra of LiYF<Subscript>4</Subscript> and LiLuF<Subscript>4</Subscript> crystals

The high-resolution spectra of LiYF₄ and LiLuF₄ crystals doped with holmium are studied. It is shown that the weak satellites of some principal lines observed in the optical spectra belong to Ho³⁺-Ho³⁺ pair centers. The role played by local crystal-field distortions in the formation of the spectrum of pair centers is verified experimentally.     

Effects of anharmonic lattice distortion on orbital and magnetic orderings in KCuF3

Lattice, magnetic and orbital structures in KCuF3 are self-consistently determined by our cluster self-consistent field approach based on a spin-orbital-lattice Hamiltonian. Two stable structures are obtained and found to be degenerate, which confirms the presence of the coexistent phases observed experimentally. We clearly show that due to the inherent frustration, the ground state of the system only with the superexchange interaction is degenerate; while the Jahn-Teller distortion, especially the anharmonic effect, stabilizes the orbital ordered phase at about 23% in the x2-y2 orbit and at 77% in the 3z2-r2 orbit. Meanwhile the magnetic moment of Cu is considerably reduced to 0.56μB, and magnetic coupling strengths are highly anisotropic, Jz/Jxy ≈ 18. These results are in good agreement with the experiments, implying that the anharmonic Jahn-Teller effect plays an essential role in stabilising the orbital ordered ground state of KCuF3.