Performance analysis of coherent optical scatterometry

Scatterometry is a well established technique currently utilized in research, as well as in industrial applications, to retrieve the properties of a given scatterer (the target) by looking at how the light coming from a certain source is diffracted in the far field. Currently the light source is often a discharge lamp that, after wavelength filtering, can be thought as a quasi-monochromatic, but spatially incoherent, source. In the present work, benefits of using a focused spot from a spatially coherent light source, as that emitted by a laser, are investigated on a theoretical viewpoint. The focused spot is scanned over the object of interest and, for each scan position, a far-field diffraction pattern is recorded. Our results show that spatially coherent light can sensibly increase the accuracy of the technique with respect to the target’s geometrical profile.     

MCNP Dose Calculations in a CT Phantom for Therapeutic External Photon Beam

In this paper, we have addressed the problem of the radiation transport with the Monte Carlo N particle(MCNP) code. This is a general purpose Monte Carlo tool designed to transport neutron, photon and electron in three dimensional geometries. To examine the performance of MCNP5 code in the field of external radiotherapy, we performed the modeling of an Electron Density phantom (EDP) irradiated by photons from 60Co source. The model was used to calculate the Percent Depth Dose (PDD) at different depths in an EDP. One field size for PDD has been examined. A 60Co photons source placed at 80 cm source to surface distance (SSD). The results of calculations were compared to TPS data obtained at National Institute of Oncology of Rabat.     

High resolution analysis of the rotational levels of the (0 0 0), (0 1 0), (1 0 0), (0 0 1), (0 2 0), (1 1 0) and (0 1 1) vibrational states of SO2

A high resolution (0.0018 cm⁻¹) Fourier transform instrument has been used to record the spectrum of an enriched ³⁴S (95.3%) sample of sulfur dioxide. A thorough analysis of the ν₂, 2ν₂ − ν₂, ν₁, ν₁ + ν₂ − ν₂, ν₃, ν₂ + ν₃ − ν₂, ν₁ + ν₂ and ν₂ + ν₃ bands has been carried out leading to a large set of assigned lines. From these lines ground state combination differences were obtained and fit together with the existing microwave, millimeter, and terahertz rotational lines. An improved set of ground state rotational constants were obtained. Next, the upper state rotational levels were fit. For the (0 1 0), (1 1 0) and (0 1 1) states, a simple Watson-type Hamiltonian sufficed. However, it was necessary to include explicitly interacting terms in the Hamiltonian matrix in order to fit the rotational levels of the (0 2 0), (1 0 0) and (1 0 1) states to within their experimental accuracy. More explicitly, it was necessary to use a ΔK = 2 term to model the Fermi interaction between the (0 2 0) and (1 0 0) levels and a ΔK = 3 term to model the Coriolis interaction between the (1 0 0) and (0 0 1) levels. Precise Hamiltonian constants were derived for the (0 0 0), (0 1 0), (1 0 0), (0 0 1), (0 2 0), (1 1 0) and (0 1 1) vibrational states.     

New measurements of high-momentum nucleons and short-range structures in nuclei

We present new measurements of electron scattering from high-momentum nucleons in nuclei. These data allow an improved determination of the strength of two-nucleon correlations for several nuclei, including light nuclei where clustering effects can, for the first time, be examined. The data also include the kinematic region where three-nucleon correlations are expected to dominate.     

Near‐forward/high‐pressure‐backward Raman study of Zn1 − xBexSe (x ~ 0.5) – evidence for percolation behavior of the long (Zn―Se) bond

The apparently universal 1‐bond → 2‐mode percolation behavior in the Raman spectra of zincblende semiconductor alloys is generally observed for the short bond only, and not for the long one. In this work we perform a combined high‐pressure‐backward/near‐forward Raman study of the leading percolation‐type (Zn,Be)Se alloy (~50 at.% Be), which exhibits a distinct percolation doublet in the spectral range of its short Be―Se bond, in search of a Zn―Se analogue. The high‐pressure‐backward insight is not conclusive per se, but clarifies the perspective behind the near‐forward Raman study. The latter reveals an unique Zn―Se phonon–polariton. Its fair contour modeling depending on the scattering angle is achieved within the linear dielectric approach, based on ellipsometry measurement of the ZnBeSe refractive index. Somewhat surprisingly this reveals that the phonon–polariton in question is a ‘fractional’ one in that it carries only half of the available Zn―Se oscillator strength, as ideally expected in case of a BeSe‐like bimodal Raman behavior of the long Zn―Se bond. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Electron Energy Distribution Function Extraction Using Integrated Step Function Response and Regularization Methods

Recently, electron energy distribution function (EEDF) extraction techniques have been evaluated using regularized solutions to the integral problem. These techniques do not assume any mathematical representation of the EEDF and solve the integral problem for any function that best represents the EEDF. Also, unlike the more widely used point-by-point extraction of the second-derivative relationship, the integrated relationship between electron current and the EEDF is used, instead of a relatively small fraction of the integrated data in the point-by-point method. In this paper, the electron current for an arbitrary distribution function is derived, assuming that the distribution is a sum of step functions representing such a function. This technique for EEDF extraction is validated by adding noise to numerically generated data and using a regularized least squares (RLS) method to calculate the original function by solving for the individual step function contribution to the total electron current. Comparisons are then made between the expected and the reconstructed solution to evaluate its accuracy with respect to EEDF reconstruction and integrated normalization of the electron density.      

Quantum Discord for Information Transmission Using Coherent States

We suggest theoretically the possibility to transmit information through a decohering quantum channel employing Glauber’s coherent states. In fact, we study the dynamics of quantum correlations of two-mode entangled bipartite coherent states in the presence of the amplitude damping effect. In addition, we examine the quantum correlations based on quantum discord, which is a powerful key source in quantum information processing.     

Theoretical diagnostic and prediction of physical properties of quaternary InGaAsP compound using artificial neural networks optimized by the Levenberg Maquardt algorithm

The quaternaries \(In_{1 - x} Ga_{x} As_{y} P_{1 - y}\) are the main promising elements for the fabrication of optoelectronic devices. The adjustment of their physical parameters is assumed by the change of the molar fraction \(x\) and \(y\). These parameters can be affected by the variation of temperature and pressure. To make the theoretical diagnosis of these materials, it is fundamental to know the energy gap ‘\(\varvec{E}_{\varvec{g}}\)’ and the lattice parameter ‘\(a\)’, over a wide range of chemical compositions \(0 \le x \le 0.47\) and \(0 \le y \le 1\), at different temperatures and pressures. We show that by using the Artificial Neural Network method optimized by the Levenberg Maquardt algorithm ANN-LM, it is possible to obtain results very close to the experiment. The scatter plot and error calculation show that the ANN-LM model provides more accurate values of the lattice parameter than those calculated by Vegard’s law. On the other hand, the energy gap values \(Eg (x, y, T)\) estimated, using the ANN-LM model, proved to be close to the experimental values that those calculated by the empirical equations. In addition, the ANN-LM method allowed us to estimate with great accuracy the values of the energy gap at different temperatures and pressures \(Eg (P, T)\). Our work provides crucial information on the physical properties of the quaternary without the use of approximations, and without taking into account the hypothesis of a perfect agreement between \(InGaAsP\) and \(InP\) substrate.     

Thermodynamic analysis of Si doping in GaN

Equilibrium calculations of Si-doping in GaN are investigated using the Gemini code. The method of the calculation is based on the minimisation of the Gibbs free energy. Experimental growth conditions are used for the calculation. The variables are the amount of the dopant and the temperature. The results show the formation of a solid Si₃N₄ compound with a certain quantity of the input SiH₄, that is the silicon precursor in our MOVPE system. Si₃N₄ formation can explain the limitation of Si incorporation and the surface roughening as revealed by MOVPE Si doped layers.     

The effect of increasing the excitation level of the sodium atom on the structure of the NaArn polyatomic exciplexes

In this work, the geometrical structures, the formation energies, and electronic states of the Na(ms)Ar_n polyatomic exciplexes with m = 3-6 and n = 2-5 are studied by using a quantum-classical method. The interaction potential between an electronically excited sodium atom and argon atoms are calculated by using a one-electron model involving electron-Ar and electron-Na⁺ pseudopotentials, in which the Hamiltonian is diagonalized at every optimization step in the Basin Hopping algorithm. The relationship between the position of the electronically excited levels and the cluster geometry is investigated as a function of the excitation level and of the spatial extension of the excited electron orbital. We show that the equilibrium structures of the ground state Na(3s)Ar_n and those of the electronically excited states Na(4s)Ar_n, Na(5s)Ar_n, and Na(6s)Ar_n are significantly different. As a result of the detailed examination of the relationships between the geometrical structure and density distribution of the Na valence electron of the Na^∗Ar_n with n = 2-5 polyatomic exciplexes, we can see that for the Na(4s)Ar_n polyatomic exciplexes, the two extreme geometries, neutral Na(3s)Ar_n and ionic Na⁺Ar_n compete. It appears that none of them is the actual one. For Na(5s)Ar_n and Na(6s)Ar_n the valence electron is very weakly bound to the ionic core and described by a more diffused orbital so that the geometry and the formation energies of this excited state called Rydberg states converge towards those of the ionic cores.