A diode-pumped passively Q-switched Nd:GdVO4 laser with a GaAs saturable absorption

We have demonstrated a passively Q-switched operation of Nd:GdVO₄ laser in which a GaAs crystal is used as the saturable absorber for the first time as far as we know. A maximum average output power of 1.64 W was obtained at an incident pump power of 12 W, the corresponding optical conversion efficiency and peak power were 13.7% and 116.8 W, respectively. The maximum peak energy obtained in the experiment by 50% transmission couple was 19 μJ.     

Quadratic Integrals of Motion for the Systems of Identical Particles

The dynamical systems of identical particles admitting quadratic integrals of motion are classified. The relevant integrals are explicitly constructed and their relation to separation of variables in Hamilton-Jacobi equation is clarified.     

Hydrogen indium vacancy complex VInH4 in n-type InP studied by positron-lifetime

Positron-lifetime experiments have been carried out on two undoped n-type liquid encapsulated Czochralski (LEC)-grown InP samples with different stoichiometric compositions in the temperature range 10-300 K. For temperatures below 120 K for P-rich InP and 100 K for In-rich InP, the positron average lifetime began to increase rapidly and then leveled off, which was associated with the charge state change of hydrogen indium vacancy complexes from (V_InH₄)⁺ to (V_InH₄)⁰. This phenomenon was more obvious in P-rich samples that have a higher concentration of V_InH₄. The transformation temperature of approximately 120 K suggests that the complex V_InH₄ is a donor defect and that the ionization energy is about 0.01 eV. The ionization of neutral V_InH₄ accounted for the decrease of the positron average lifetime when the sample was illuminated with a photon energy of 1.32 eV at 70 K. These results provide evidence for hydrogen complex defects in undoped LEC InP.     

Microstructure and high-temperature wear resistance of a laser surface alloyed γ-TiAl with carbon

TiC reinforced composite coating on γ-TiAl alloy was successfully fabricated by laser surface alloying with carbon. The fine TiC reinforcing phase had a gradient distribution in the coating, and its growth morphology of TiC in laser surface alloyed coating was in unique faceted platelet-like. The composite coating exhibited high hardness and excellent high-temperature sliding wear resistance.     

InAs/GaAs (1 1 1)A heteroepitaxial systems

We studied the structural, electrical, and mechanical properties of an InAs thin film grown on GaAs (1 1 1)A substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. In contrast to conventionally used (0 0 1) surfaces, where Stranski–Krastanov growth dominates the highly mismatched heteroepitaxy, layer-by-layer growth of InAs can be established. One of the largest advantages of this unique heteroepitaxial system is that it provides a two-dimensional electron gas system in the near-surface region without the problem of electron depletion. We review the fundamental properties and applications of this unique heteroepitaxial system.     

Tunable narrow-band infrared emitters from hexagonal lattices

In this work, we present both the theoretical basis as well as supporting experimental measurements for development of a novel mid-infrared thermally stimulated narrow band emitter with a spectral bandwidth of less than 10%. To achieve this, we utilize a metallized-surface 2D photonic crystal of air voids in a silicon background with hexagonal structure symmetry. Our results are based on the generation of discrete surface plasmon (SP) modes in the thin metallized layer residing on the top surface. This yields a series of adequately spaced discrete peaks in the reflection spectrum, dominated by a single sharp feature corresponding to the lowest plasmon order, in an otherwise uniform highly reflective spectrum (>90%) over most of the IR spectrum. This, in turn, gives rise to a sharp absorption feature with a correspondingly narrow thermal emission peak in the emission spectrum. Transfer matrix calculations simulate well both the position and strengths of the absorption peaks. By altering the period of the surface photonic lattice, the SP peak and emissive band can be tuned to the desired wavelength. These devices promise a new class of tunable infrared emitters with high power in a narrow spectral bandwidth. Such narrow band sources are critical to achieving high efficiency gas sensors.     

Liminf results on the increments of an (N,d)-Gaussian process

We establish some liminf theorems on the increments of a (N,d)-Gaussian process with the usual Euclidean norm, via estimating upper bounds of large deviation probabilities on the suprema of the (N,d)-Gaussian process. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Study of period number effect in the superlattice infrared photodetector

Superlattices have been demonstrated previously by our group in the design of the multicolor infrared photodetector. In general, the period number of the superlattice may be up to several dozens. In this paper, we have investigated the performance of the infrared photodetectors especially with 3, 5 and 15 periods. The detector structure contains a thick blocking barrier embedded between two superlattices with different period numbers but with the same well and barrier widths. This double-superlattice structure shows switchable spectral responses between two spectral regions by the voltage polarities. The photoresponse in each spectral region is also tunable by the magnitude of the applied voltage. The voltage-dependent behavior reveals the photoelectron relaxation and transport mechanism in the superlattice miniband. Superlattice with few periods has high electron group velocity, less relaxation effect and less collection efficiency. Therefore the superlattice with few periods may have better responsivity and narrower photoresponse range than the one with many periods. Based on the experimental results of our devices, it is observed that the superlattice with fewer periods has better detectivity, responsivity, wider range of the operational temperature, and more flexible miniband engineering than the conventional multiple quantum well infrared photodetector.     

Stage-specific and age-dependent profiles of zinc, copper, manganese, and selenium in rat seminiferous tubules

Stage-specific and age-dependent profiles of zinc, copper, manganese, and selenium in testis were examined in Wistar rats by both inductively coupled argon plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) with a microdissection technique and in situ elemental imaging of micro-PIXE analysis. The young adult animals (10 weeks old) contained higher levels of zinc and manganese in the seminiferous tubules at stages VII-VIII than stages XI through VI and IX-X and the levels were higher than those of the immature and old animals. Copper and selenium levels at stages VII-VIII of the young adult animals were also higher than those of the immature and old animals. In stages VII and VIII, zinc was higher in the central area of the seminiferous epithelium, where spermatozoa were localized, demonstrating a cell-specific property. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Brightness and decay time of Zn2SiO4:Mn phosphor particles with spherical shape and fine size

Green-light-emitting Zn₂SiO₄:Mn phosphor particles were synthesized by modified large-scale spray pyrolysis using a colloidal solution containing fumed silica particles. The particles had a fine size, filled morphology, spherical shape and non-aggregation characteristics even after post-treatment at 1150 °C. The luminescence characteristics of Zn₂SiO₄:Mn phosphor particles having spherical shape, such as brightness and decay time under VUV excitation light, were investigated as a function of Mn content. The luminescence intensity exhibits a maximum at 5 mol% Mn-doped powder. The decay time increases consistently with decreasing Mn content and more saturated color coordinates are obtained with the composition having 12 mol% Mn. As a consequence, the 10 mol% Mn-doped powder proved to provide a good combination of favorable luminance and acceptable decay time. The influence of post-treatment temperature on the decay time and photoluminescence characteristics of Zn₂SiO₄:Mn particles was also investigated. Particles post-treated at 1155 °C had the maximum photoluminescence intensity, which was identical to 113% that of the commercial product, and a comparable decay time of 5.8 ms. PACS 81.20.Rg; 78. 55.Hx; 78.40.Ha; 81.05.Hd; 81.40.Tv