Synchronized picosecond pulse generation with a synchronously pumped dye laser and a compressed Nd: YAG laser for non-degenerate transient grating experiments

We have set up a laser system which simultaneously provides synchronized picosecond pulses in the visible and at a wavelength of 1.06 m with a repetition rate of 76 MHz. The set-up consists of a dye laser synchronously pumped by the second harmonic of a cw mode-locked Nd:YAG laser and a fiber-grating compressor for the fundamental wavelength of the Nd;YAG laser. Crosscorrelation measurments reveal the time jitter between the two pulse trains to be less than 10 ps. As a first application we have performed non-degenerate transient grating experiments in semiconductors. The non-degenerate technique allows to use excitation energies well above the bandgap energy and to separate non-linear refractive index effects from photoinduced absorption or transmission changes.     

Magnetism in very thin films of permalloy measured by spin polarized cascade electrons

The spin polarizationP of the low energy cascade electrons excited with a primary unpolarized electron beam is measured with ultrathin films of permalloy (Ni₈₀Fe₂₀) as a function of film thickness, external magnetic field, and temperatureT. Surface adsorbates of small concentrations of less than 10% of a monolayer can change the Curie point and the saturation value ofP ₀(T0) by as much as 30%. The Ta-substrate induces a magnetically dead region in permalloy. Conventional spin wave theory cannot account for the observed smallT-dependence of the magnetizationM. Films on a nonmagnetic substrate are compared to similar films coupled to bulk permalloy over an interface of Ta. TheT-dependence ofM with the coupled films can be explained by spin wave theory. At lowT, the films coupled to the bulk exhibit a faster decrease ofM than the uncoupled films. We propose that this thermal stabilization of the magnetization in very thin ferromagnetic films is due to quenching of the long wavelength spin modes.     

The electronic structure of Rhodium: Angle-resolved studies of photoelectron and secondary electron emission

We report electron spectroscopic studies of the Rh(111) surface, with the aim to obtain bulk band-structure information. We have measured normal photoemision using tunable synchrotron radiation in the range of photon energies between 11 eV and 55 eV, and angle-dependent photoemission along the LUX and LKL azimuths using the He resonance lines (=21.2 eV, 40.8 eV). To complement these data, we studied angleresolved secondary electron emission after excitation with electrons and photons. We derive parts of the one-electron energy dispersionE(k) along L, and determine the energies of several bulk critical points (in eV):E(> ₇₊/₈₊)=–2.75±0.10,E(> ₈₊=–0.85±0.10,E(> _7–=16.1±0.5,E(> _6–/> _8–)=20.5±0.5,E(X ₇₊)=–5.0±0.1,E(L ₆₊)=–5.6±0.5,E(L ₆₊/L ₄₊₊₅₊)=–2.65±0.10,E(L ₆₊)=9.0±0.5 eV. Our results are compared to several available band structure calculations.     

Dispersive anisotropic ballistic phonon propagation in [100] GaAs

We report experimental observations of the phonon focusing pattern in [100] GaAs using low temperature electron beam scanning for phonon generation. The typical dispersive effects for high-frequency phonons expected from the calculations by Tamura have clearly been observed using PbIn tunnel junctions for phonon detection. The quantitative comparison of our experimental results with the frequency dependent calculations by Tamura allowed to determine the dominant phonon frequencies contributing to the detector signal in our different experiments. Above the temperature of the -point the dominant phonon frequencies appear to be shifted considerably to lower values, which could be explained by a heating effect in the liquid-He layer adjacent to the tunnel junction detector. By comparing the observed magnitude of the detector signal with different theoretical treatments of the detector response, we have found satisfactory agreement for a model where the perturbation due to the high-frequency phonons is restricted to the base electrode of the detector reached first by the phonons following their passage through the crystal.     

Accurate determination of wavenumbers for iodine molecular lines in the red spectral region

The hyperfine structure of various absorption lines of molecular iodine with wavenumbers between 12980 and 13890 cm^–1 has been resolved using Doppler-free polarization spectroscopy. The wavenumbers of theo-component of 17 rovibrational lines of I₂ due to the transitionB ³ _ou ⁺ –X¹ _g ⁺ with even rotational quantum numbers have been determined with an accuracy of 0.001 cm^–1. A comparison of the centers of gravity of these 17 lines with the values of the iodine atlas of Gerstenkorn et al. yields a difference of thus corroborating the data of the iodine atlas in the red region within limits of error.     

Laser-induced chemical etching of silicon in NF3 atmosphere

Chemical etching of single-crystal Si in an NF₃ atmosphere is performed by continuous irradiation with an Ar⁺ laser at 514.5 nm. The etching process proves to be a thermally stimulated chemical reaction between solid Si and NF₃ gas. The experimental results show how the depth and width of the etched grooves depend on laser power, scan speed, and gas pressure. The etch rates observed may exceed 25 m/s.     

Positron-electron annihilation in the field of a fixed electric dipole

Positron annihilation from a dipole Ps state caused by simultaneous localization of the positron and electron in the field of a fixed electrical dipole is considered. The angular correlation curve of annihilation -quanta is calculated. For a fixed value of dipole moment the half width of the correlation curve decreases with decrease in dipole charge. With increase in dipole moment the correlation curve narrows. In a number of cases the given annihilation mechanism may be responsible for the appearance of the characteristic narrow component in the angular correlation spectrum. This component is usually ascribed to decay of a positronium atom. It is stressed that in interpreting the narrow component one must be careful in choosing the corresponding annihilation mechanism. Experimental results are analyzed.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 8, pp. 74–78, August, 1989.     

Landau levels and electron radiation in planar channeling in monocrystals

The influence of a magnetic field on the motion and radiation of an electron is considered for planar channeling in a monocrystal. It is shown that discrete levels analogous to Landau levels appear in the super-barrier domain of transverse energies instead of a continuous spectrum. The spectral composition and intensity of anomalous and normal waves are computed. The possibilities are discussed of the observation of electron radiation with Landau levels.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 8, pp. 88–93, August, 1989.     

Magnetooptical effects in bismuth-containing ferrite-garnet films

We present results of magnetooptical investigations of bismuth-containing ferrite-garnet films with the easy axis of magnetization parallel to the specimen surface. Measurements were conducted for incident light with energies in the range 1.5–3.2 eV for transverse [equatorial Kerr effect (EKE)] and for longitudinal [meridional intensity effect (MIE)] magnetizations of thin-layer specimens. It is shown that the EKE differs from zero when the films are opaque, and it is established that the EKE peak in the region 2.8 eV increases with increasing bismuth concentration. For longitudinal magnetization, conditions for observing magnetooptical interference were realized. The experimental curves agree well with the theoretical ones.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 11, pp. 10–14, November, 1989.     

Mechanism of breakdown development in a gas in a subthreshold HF field

The development of a breakdown wave in subthreshold HF fields is considered for the condition that the field energy density exceed the plasma energy density E²/4 > nT. It is shown that the breakdown wave propagation mechanism is controlled by HF diffusion with a coefficient _iE²/4en. A model of breakdown development along the direction of the linear field polarization is constructed on the basis of this mechanism.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 8, pp. 55–60, August, 1989.