Optical properties of a stack of layers of a cholesteric liquid crystal and an isotropic medium

Optical properties of a stack consisting of layers of a cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) and an isotropic medium are investigated. The problem is solved using the modified Ambartsumyan layer-summation method. Particular features of reflectance spectra of this system are studied. It is shown that, in contrast to a single CLC layer, this system exhibits multiple photonic band gaps. There are two types of photonic band gaps: selective and nonselective with respect to polarization of the incident light. It is shown that eigenpolarizations in the system generally coincide with quasi-orthogonal quasi-circular polarizations, except for regions that are selective with respect to polarization of the diffractive reflection. It is shown that, for an even number of layers, the system under consideration is nonreciprocal and can function as an optical diode. The influence of thickness of CLC sublayers, angle of incidence, local dielectric anisotropy of CLC layers, refractive indices and thicknesses of layers of an isotropic media on reflectance spectra and other optical characteristics of the system is investigated.     

Two‐level preconditioners for serendipity finite element matrices

In this paper an approach to construct algebraic multilevel preconditioners for serendipity finite element matrices is presented. Two‐level preconditioners constructed in the paper allow to obtain multilevel preconditioners in serendipity case using multilevel preconditioners for linear finite element matrices. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Optical transitions in spherical quantized layer under the presence of radial electrical field

Single electronic states and direct optical transitions in the quantized spherical layer under the presence of static radial electric field are considered. In dipole approximation, the electrooptical absorption coefficient for interband and inband–intersubband direct transitions are calculated. The selection rules and explicit dependence of absorption coefficient from the field factor and geometrical sizes of the model are revealed.     

Synthesis and some transformations of 3-(2,2-dimethyloxan-4-yl)-4-methylpentanenitrile

2,2-Dimethyloxane-4-carbaldehyde reacted with ethyl cyanoacetate to give ethyl 2-cyano-3-(2,2-dimethyloxan-4-yl)prop-2-enoate whose reaction with isopropylmagnesium bromide afforded ethyl 2-cyano-3-(2,2-dimethyloxan-4-yl)-4-methylpentanoate. Elimination of the ester group from the latter led to the formation of 3-(2,2-dimethyloxan-4-yl)-4-methylpentanenitrile.     

Synthesis of tetracyclic thienotriazolopyridines based on hydrazine derivatives of fused pyridinethiones

A method for the synthesis of hydrazine derivatives of fused pyridinethiones based on alicyclic and heterocyclic ketones has been developed. Successive heterocyclization of these hydrazine derivatives was carried out in order to obtain new derivatives of tricyclic triazolo[4,3-a]pyridines, tetracyclic thieno[3,2-e][1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]pyridines, as well as a new heterocyclic system of thieno[2,3-c][1,2,4]triazolo[3,4-a]-2,7-naphthyridine.

     

Mid-infrared photodetectors based on quaternary InAsSbP nanostructures

Quaternary InAsSbP quantum dots (QD) with the surface concentration of (3–5)×10⁹ cm⁻² have been grown on the InAs(100) substrate by the modified version of liquid-phase epitaxy. Morphology and distribution of densities of QDs were studied by means of atomic-force microscope. Diameter distribution of QDs was revealed to be Gaussian. The mean value of QD diameter is 23.1 nm with the variance of 6.9 nm. Two types of infrared photodetectors (IRPD) on the basis of InAs(100), with and without InAsSbP-QDs on the substrate surface, were fabricated and studied. Spectra of photoresponse of both types of IRPD at room temperature were measured and analyzed and a red shift was revealed for structures with QDs. Capacitance characteristics of IRPD and relative change in their surface resistance after irradiation with cw He-Ne laser have been studied.     

Nitro-substituted Hoveyda-Grubbs ruthenium carbenes: enhancement of catalyst activity through electronic activation

The design, synthesis, stability, and catalytic activity of nitro-substituted Hoveyda-Grubbs metathesis catalysts are described. The highly active and stable meta- and para-substituted complexes are attractive from a practical point of view. These catalysts operate in very mild conditions and can be successfully applied in various types of metathesis [ring-closing metathesis, cross-metathesis (CM), and enyne metathesis]. Although the presence of a NO(2) group leads to catalysts that are dramatically more active than both the second-generation Grubbs's catalyst and the phosphine-free Hoveyda's carbene, enhancement of reactivity is somewhat lower than that observed for a sterically activated Hoveyda-Grubbs catalyst. Attempts to combine two modes of activation, steric and electronic, result in severely decreasing a catalyst's stability. The present findings illustrate that different Ru catalysts turned out to be optimal for different applications. Whereas phosphine-free carbenes are catalysts of choice for CM of various electron-deficient substrates, they exhibit lower reactivity in the formation of tetrasubstituted double bonds. This demonstrates that no single catalyst outperforms all others in all possible applications.     

Deposition and investigation of lanthanum-cerium hexaboride thin films

Thin films of lanthanum-cerium hexaboride, the promising thermoelectric material for low-temperature applications, are deposited on various substrates by the electron-beam evaporation, pulsed laser deposition and magnetron sputtering. The influence of the deposition conditions on the films X-ray characteristics, composition, microstructure and physical properties, such as the resistivity and Seebeck coefficient, is studied. The preferred (100) orientation of all films is obtained from XRD traces. In the range of 780-800 °C deposition temperature the highest intensity of diffractions peaks and the highest degree of the preferred orientation are observed. The temperature dependence of the resistivity and the Seebeck coefficient of films are investigated in the temperature range of 4-300 K. The features appropriate to Kondo effect in the dependences ρ(T) and S(T) are detected at temperatures below 20 K. Interplay between the value of the Seebeck coefficient, metallic parameters and Kondo scattering of investigated films is discussed.     

Low-Temperature Transport Properties of Lanthanum Hexaboride La<Subscript>1–<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>Ce<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>B<Subscript>6</Subscript> Single Crystals

Resistivity (ρ), thermal conductivity (k) and Seebeck coefficient (S) of La_1–xCe_xB₆ single crystals with various concentrations of cerium Ce ions was measured in a wide temperature range 3?300 K. The obtained data were analyzed in the framework of the Coqblin–Shrieffer model. The contributions of scattering of carriers on magnetic ions Ce for all transport parameters ρ(T), k(T), S(T) are revealed. Strong dependence of the magnetic scattering on concentration of the cerium ions are identified. The anomalous behavior of the transport parameters ρ(T), k(T), S(T) in the region near 30 K is attributed to the Δ ~ 30 K splitting of Г₈ level.     

Accurate Treatment of Tunnel Ionization,Induced by a Constant Electric Field,From a Power-Law Singular Potential

The tunnel ionization, induced by a weak electrostatic field, of a particle bound in an attractive one-dimensional power-law singular potential is analysed. An accurate approximation applicable for the general case of non-fractional power exponent is suggested.