Prandtl-Meyer solutions of viscoplasticity equations with negative strain rate sensitivity

We present a further study of a viscoplasticity model with nonmonotonic strain rate dependence ensuring the complete integrability of the two-dimensional equilibrium and consistency equations. The considered nonlinear equations change their type from hyperbolic to elliptic at a certain critical value of the strain rate intensity; the type change is accompanied by the formation of an interphase in the solid. This model is of interest for describing spatial autowave processes in active continua, and the integrability of equations allows one to construct efficient methods for the numerical solution of boundary value problems and ensures the existence of closed-form solutions. The present paper shows that the considered material function satisfies a criterion for the separation of the system of these equations into two noninteracting subsystems. We derive kinematic equations on the characteristics. We obtain and analyze centered self-similar solutions (Prandtl-Meyer solutions) in the domain of hyperbolicity of the equations, which describe flows in convergent and divergent channels.     

Single-shot kilohertz characterization of ultrashort pulses by spectral phase interferometry for direct electric-field reconstruction

We describe a method of characterizing ultrashort optical pulses that is based on the technique of spectral phase interferometry for direct electric-field reconstruction and is capable of simultaneously measuring the amplitude and the phase of the electric field of a sub-10-fs pulse at kilohertz acquisition rates on a single-shot basis. Use of this technique results in a dramatic increase (>50x) in acquisition rate compared with that of existing diagnostics for full E-field characterization and opens the door to a range of new experiments in which shot-to-shot phase and amplitude fluctuations are studied at kilohertz rates.     

Polarized neutron channeling as a tool for the investigations of weakly magnetic thin films

We present and apply a new method to measure directly weak magnetization in thin films. The polarization of a neutron beam channeling through a thin film structure is measured after exiting the structure edge as a microbeam. We have applied the method to a three-layer thin film structure acting as a planar waveguide for polarized neutrons. The middle guiding layer is a rare earth based ferrimagnetic material TbCo₅ with a low magnetization of about 20 mT. We demonstrate that the channeling method is more sensitive than the specular neutron reflection method.     

The v(1)+v(3) Bands of the (16)O(17)O(16)O and (16)O(16)O(17)O Isotopomers of Ozone

Using 0.002 cm(-1) resolution Fourier transform absorption spectra of an (17)O enriched ozone sample, an extensive analysis of the v(1)+v(3) bands of the (16)O(17)O(16)O and (16)O(16)O(17)O isotopomers of ozone has been performed for the first time. The experimental rotational levels of the (101) vibrational states were satisfactorily reproduced using a Hamiltonian matrix that takes into account the observed rovibrational resonances. More precisely, for (16)O(17)O(16)O, as for the other C(2v)-type ozone isotopomers, it was necessary to account for the Coriolis type resonances linking the (101) rotational levels with the levels of the (200) and (002) vibrational states and the Darling-Dennison interaction coupling the levels of (200) with those of (002). For the C(s)-type isotopomer, namely (16)O(16)O(17)O, as for (16)O(16)O(18)O and (16)O(18)O(18)O, it proved necessary to also account for an additional DeltaK(a)&equals+/-2 resonance involving the rotational levels from (101) and (002) (J.-M. Flaud and R. Bacis, Spectrochimica Acta Part A 54, 3-16 (1998)). Using a Hamiltonian matrix which takes these resonances explicitly into account, precise vibrational energies and rotational and coupling constants were deduced, leading to the following band centers: v(0)(v(1)+v(3))=2078.3496 cm(-1) for (16)O(17)O(16)O and v(0)(v(1)+v(3))=2098.8631 cm(-1) for (16)O(16)O(17)O. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.     

1.1-W cw Cr:LiSAF laser pumped by a 1-cm diode array

We demonstrate 1.1-W cw output power from a diode-laser array-pumped Cr:LiSAF laser based on a concept that allows for pumping low-gain solid-state lasers at reduced temperature rise. We discuss scaling to higher powers as a function of diode power and define a figure of merit for evaluating given diode lasers as pump sources for low-gain solid-state lasers.     

Mid-infrared difference-frequency generation of ultrashort pulses tunable between 3.2 and 4.8 microm from a compact fiber source

We report single-pass difference-frequency generation of mid-infrared femtosecond pulses tunable in the 3.2-4.8 microm range from a two-branch mode-locked erbium-doped fiber source. Average power levels of up to 1.1 mW at a repetition rate of 82 MHz are obtained in the mid infrared. This is achieved via nonlinear mixing of 170 mW, 65 fs pump pulses at a fixed wavelength of 1.58 microm, with 11.5 mW, 40 fs pulses tunable in the near-infrared range between 1.05 and 1.18 microm. These values indicate that the tunable near-infrared input component is downconverted with a quantum efficiency that exceeds 30%.     

Growth of the magnetic semiconductor Fe2? x Ti x O3± δ thin films by pulsed laser deposition

The understanding and control of the ilmenite–hematite solid solutions (Fe_2−x Ti _x O_3±δ or IH) thin film structure and properties are crucial for spintronics applications. Good quality films of Fe_2−x Ti _x O_3±δ on Al₂O₃(0001) substrates were obtained by pulsed laser deposition. For the studied compositions (x=1, 0.7, 0.5) in a wide oxygen pressure range all the films were epitaxial, with flat interfaces, and without secondary phases. Unconventional lattice strain relaxation with the increase of in-plane lattice parameter above its relaxed bulk value was observed for different film compositions, oxygen pressures, substrate temperatures, and film growth rates. This phenomenon is most likely explained by the buckling of a few first film monolayers because of a significant compressive stress induced on the film by the sapphire substrate. The IH thin films with x=0.7 and 0.5 exhibited the properties of a room temperature magnetic semiconductor. The resistivity changed over three orders of magnitude in the studied pressure range, thus clearly demonstrating the important role of oxygen stoichiometry in the creation of carriers.     

Design and fabrication of double-chirped mirrors

We present an analytic design method for the reproducible fabrication of double-chirped mirrors to achieve simultaneously a high reflectivity and dispersion compensation over an extended bandwidth compared with those of standard quarter-wave Bragg mirrors. The mirrors are fabricated by ion beam sputtering. Use of these mirrors in a Ti:sapphire laser leads to 6.5-fs pulses directly out of the laser. The method can also be applied to the design of chirped-fiber gratings and general optical filters.     

Integrability of the equilibrium and compatibility equations for a viscoplastic medium with negative strain rate sensitivity

The equilibrium and compatibility equations for viscoplastic medium with an arbitrary material function relating the stress intensity to the strain rate intensity is considered. A general form of the function ensuring complete integrability of two-dimensional equations has been found. The obtained function has an N-shaped (spinodal) graph and in particular cases corresponds to a linearly viscous liquid and perfectly plastic solid. A change of the strain rate sensitivity sign corresponds to a change in the type of the system and passing over the discontinuity line in a solid. The obtained function provides decoupling of the operator in a pair of two-dimensional subspaces where the equations are exactly linearized. The results of this study allows us to extend the class of integrable problems to so-called “active materials” (or “materials with internal dynamics”), which have aroused considerable interest.