Kinetics of polarization reversal in irradiated thin PZT films

The effect of irradiation with electrons and neutrons and of exposure to synchrotron radiation on cyclic switching of polarization in thin films of lead zirconate titanate Pb(Zr,Ti)O₃ (PZT) was studied. It is shown that variations in the shape of switching currents are due to the generation of a spatially nonuniform bound internal field with account for an increase in the rate of bulk screening caused by irradiation. A correlation between structural variations and the evolution of the switching current measured during and after irradiation is established.     

An improved, free surface, topographic technique

Current techniques of water wave visualization such as shadowgraphy and stereo photography are widely used but are deficient in many aspects. Refraction based visualization observes the bending of light as it traverses across a liquid-air interface. This work describes the continued development of techniques to measure the surface height of a liquid free surface. The method, Reference Image Topography, utilizes refraction of light at the free surface as a function of the local angle of that surface. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) software is used to evaluate apparent dislocations of the target image viewed through the free surface, which are approximately proportional to the surface angle. High-resolution images are presented of the dynamic surface topography for a point source and the shallow water flow around a vertical cylinder.     

A detailed analysis of the photoemission spectra of basic thioaromatic monolayers on noble metal substrates

Analysis of photoemission spectra of complex thioaromatic self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) requires the knowledge and understanding of such spectra for the basic systems. Keeping this goal in mind, synchrotron-based high-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to characterize SAMs formed from the simplest thioaromatic compounds, namely thiophenol, 1,1′-biphenyl-4-thiol and 1,1′;4′,1″-terphenyl-4-thiol on evaporated Au(1 1 1) and Ag(1 1 1) substrates. The acquired S 2p and C 1s spectra were analyzed in terms of fine structure and initial and final state effects in the photoemission process. The assignment of the individual spectral features was considered in detail. Conclusions on quality and chemical and structural homogeneity of the investigated SAMs were derived.     

Modification of single molecule fluorescence by a scanning probe

We examine the optical near-field interaction between different types of scanning tips and single oriented fluorescent molecules. We demonstrate the influence of a tip on the excitation intensity as well as on the integrated fluorescence signal, the excited state lifetime, and the angular emission of single molecules. By using a standard model describing the radiation of an oscillating dipole close to a nanosphere or a flat interface, we interpret our observations and describe some central criteria for obtaining fluorescence enhancement or quenching. PACS 33.80.-b; 07.79.Fc; 78.90.+t     

Optical properties of in situ doped and undoped titania nanocatalysts and doped titania sol-gel nanofilms

In this paper we present spectroscopic properties of doped and undoped titanium dioxide (TiO₂) as nanofilms prepared by the sol-gel process with rhodamine 6G doping and studied by photoacoustic absorption, excitation and emission spectroscopy. The absorption spectra of TiO₂ thin films doped with rhodamine 6G at very low concentration during their preparation show two absorption bands, one at 2.3 eV attributed to molecular dimmer formation, which is responsible for the fluorescence quenching of the sample and the other at 3.0 eV attributed to TiO₂ absorption, which subsequently yields a strong emission band at 600 nm. The electronic band structure and optical properties of the rutile phase of TiO₂ are calculated employing a fully relativistic, full-potential, linearized, augmented plane-wave (FPLAPW) method within the local density approximation (LDA). Comparison of this calculation with experimental data for TiO₂ films prepared for undoped sol-gels and by sputtering is performed.     

High temperature annealing effect on structural and magnetic properties of Ti/Ni multilayers

High temperature annealing effect on structural and magnetic properties of Ti/Ni multilayer (ML) up to 600 °C have been studied and reported in this paper. Ti/Ni multilayer samples having constant layer thicknesses of 50 Å each are deposited on float glass and Si(1 1 1) substrates using electron-beam evaporation technique under ultra-high vacuum (UHV) conditions at room temperatures. The micro-structural parameters and their evolution with temperature for as-deposited as well as annealed multilayer samples up to 600 °C in a step of 100 °C for 1 h are determined by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and grazing incidence X-ray reflectivity techniques. The X-ray diffraction pattern recorded at 300 °C annealed multilayer sample shows interesting structural transformation (from crystalline to amorphous) because of the solid-state reaction (SSR) and subsequent re-crystallization at higher temperatures of annealing, particularly at ≥400 °C due to the formation of TiNi₃ and Ti₂Ni alloy phases. Sample quality and surface morphology are examined by using atomic force microscopy (AFM) technique for both as-deposited as well as annealed multilayer samples. In addition to this, a temperature dependent dc resistivity measurement is also used to study the structural transformation and subsequent alloy phase formation due to annealing treatment. The corresponding magnetization behavior of multilayer samples after each stage of annealing has been investigated by using Magneto-Optical Kerr Effect (MOKE) technique and results are interpreted in terms of observed micro-structural changes.     

Hadroproduction experiments for precise neutrino beam calculations

The discovery of the neutrino oscillation pattern with solar and atmospheric neutrinos has stimulated systematic studies with long-baseline accelerator experiments. Precise neutrino beamline calculations have demonstrated the importance and paucity of existing hadroproduction data needed to shape the primary meson production in targets and tune available Monte Carlo codes for hadronic shower simulation. After a brief introduction to the physics of neutrino beams, available hadron production data will be reviewed with regards to their parametrization. Fast simulations based on such parameterizations and full Monte Carlo simulations of neutrino beamlines will then be illustrated. The prospective impact of new hadroproduction experiments, such as HARP at CERN and MIPP at Fermilab, will be shown together with some neutrino beamline simulations.