Spectroscopic study of BixEu1−xVO4 and BiyGd1−yVO4 mixed oxides

The mixed oxides Bi_xEu_1−xVO₄ and Bi_yGd_1−yVO₄ crystallize in a zircon-type structure, for 0 <x < 0.6 and 0 < y < 0.64, and in a fergusonite-type structure, for 0.94 < x < 1 and 0.93 < y < 1. A process of competition between the dominant and the constrained effects of the lone-pair 6s² of Bi³⁺ is discussed. The diffuse reflectance spectroscopic studies of these mixed oxides are presented. The observed broad bands are attributed to charge transfer processes and the sharp peaks in the Bi_xEu_1−xVO₄ spectra are ascribed to intra-configurational 4f – 4ftransitions of the Eu³⁺ ion. The broad absorption shift in BiLnVO₄ (Ln : Eu and Gd) compounds to the longer wavelengths range, when Bi is introduced in the LnVO₄ lattice, is ascribed to charge transfer processes in a Bi-VO₄ center and are interpreted assuming a Jahn-Teller effect in the excited state of Bi³⁺. The concept of an internal pressure of Bi³⁺ ions is also used to explain the broad A-band shifts.     

On Certain Perturbations of the Erdös–Renyi Random Graph

We study perturbations of the Erdös–Renyi model for which the statistical weight of a graph depends on the abundance of certain geometrical patterns. Using the formal correspondance with an exactly solvable effective model, we show the existence of a percolation transition in the thermodynamical limit and derive perturbatively the expression of the threshold. The free energy and the moments of the degree distribution are also computed perturbatively in that limit and the percolation criterion is compared with the Molloy–Reed criterion.     

Towards the synthesis of MAX-phase functional coatings by pulsed laser deposition

Pulsed laser deposition with a Nd:YAG laser was used to grow thin films from a pre-synthesized Ti₃SiC₂ MAX-phase formulated ablation target on oxidized Si(1 0 0) and MgO(1 0 0) substrates. The depositions were carried out in a substrate temperature range from 300 to 900 K, and the pressure in the deposition chamber ranged from vacuum (10⁻⁵ Pa) to 0.05 Pa Argon background pressure. The properties of the films have been investigated by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry for film thickness and stoichiometric composition and X-ray diffraction for the crystallinity of the films. The silicon content of the films varied with the energy density of the laser beam. To suppress especially the silicon re-sputtering from the substrate, the energy of the incoming particles must be below a threshold of 20 eV. Therefore, the energy density of the laser beam must not be too high. At constant deposition energy density the film thickness depends strongly on the background pressure. The X-ray diffraction measurements show patterns that are typical of amorphous films, i.e. no Ti₃SiC₂ related reflections were found. Only a very weak TiC(2 0 0) reflection was seen, indicating the presence of a small amount of crystalline TiC.     

Sound propagation above a porous road surface with extended reaction by boundary element method

Acoustic impedance of an absorbing interface is easily introduced in boundary element codes provided that a local reaction is assumed. But this assumption is not valid in the case of porous road surface. A two-domain approach was developed for the prediction of sound propagation above a porous layer that takes into account the sound propagation inside the porous material. The porous material is modeled by a homogeneous dissipative fluid medium. An alternative to this time consuming two-domain approach is proposed by using the grazing incidence approximate impedance in the traditional single-domain boundary element method (BEM). It can be checked that this value is numerically consistent with the surface impedance calculated at the interface from the pressure and surface velocity solutions of the two-domain approach. The single-domain BEM introducing this grazing incidence impedance is compared in terms of sound attenuation with analytical solutions and two-domain BEM. The comparison is also performed with the single-domain BEM using the normal incidence impedance, and reveals a much better accuracy for the prediction of sound propagation above a porous interface.     

Anti de Sitter Quantum Field Theory and a New Class of Hypergeometric Identities

We use Anti-de Sitter quantum field theory to prove a new class of identities between hypergeometric functions related to the Källén-Lehmann representation of products of two Anti-de Sitter two-point functions. A rich mathematical structure emerges. We apply our results to study the decay of unstable Anti-de Sitter particles. The total amplitude is in this case finite and Anti-de Sitter invariant.     

Antiferromagnetic ordering in REM cobaltite GdCoO<Subscript>3</Subscript>

Temperature and magnetic-field dependences of the static magnetization of polycrystalline cobaltite GdCoO₃ have been measured. The magnetic properties of the GdCoO₃ sample have been studied in the paramagnetic and antiferromagnetic states. The magnetic phase diagram has been constructed. The exchange field between the Gd-Gd sublattices and the anisotropy field have been estimated.     

Dielectric and NMR Studies of the superionic conductor AgI embedded in mesoporous silicate matrices

This paper reports on the results of studies of small particles of the superionic conductor AgI embedded in MCM-41 and SBA-15 molecular sieves with different sizes of pores (channels). The studies are performed by the dielectric and nuclear magnetic resonance techniques. The temperature of the superionic phase transition is shown to increase monotonically with decreasing pore size. The enthalpy of activation of the ion motion in β-AgI in restricted geometry is determined. It is shown that introduction of AgI into pores does not noticeably affect its structure.     

Investigation of Terra Cotta artefacts with terahertz

Terahertz Time Domain Imaging has been used in the last few years for the investigation of cultural heritage. In this article, the authors demonstrate the possibility to apply it for the investigation of clay artifacts. Tomographic images were obtained of a model in reflection, and an Egyptian vessel in transmission.     

Linearly polarized, 3.35 W narrow-linewidth, 1150 nm fiber master oscillator power amplifier for frequency doubling to the yellow

A high-power linearly polarized Yb-doped silica fiber master oscillator power amplifier at 1150 nm is reported. It produced 3.35 W cw and 2.33 W of average power in 1 micros pulses at a 100 kHz repetition rate, both with 8 pm linewidth. This is the first report, to the best of our knowledge, of a high-power Yb-doped fiber amplifier at a wavelength longer than 1135 nm. The pulsed output was frequency doubled in a bulk periodically poled near-stoichiometric LiTaO(3) chip to generate 976 mW of average power at 575 nm with an overall system optical-to-optical efficiency of 9.8% with respect to launched pump power.