On the observation of electron–hole liquid luminescence under low excitation in Al2O3‐passivated c‐Si wafers

We report on low‐temperature photoluminescence (PL) from aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃)‐passivated c‐Si wafers, which surprisingly exhibits clear signature of the formation of the so‐called electron–hole liquid (EHL), despite the use of excitation powers for which the condensed phase is not usually observed in bulk Si. The elevated incident photon densities achieved with our micro‐PL setup together with the relatively long exciton lifetimes associated with a good quality, indirect band‐gap semiconductor such as our float‐zone c‐Si, are considered the key aspects promoting photogenerated carrier densities above threshold. Interestingly, we observe a good correlation between the intensity of the EHL feature in PL spectra and the passivation performance of the Al₂O₃ layer annealed at different temperatures. The change in the extension of the sub‐surface space‐charge region that results from the balance between the induced fixed charge in the Al₂O₃ and the defect states at the alumina/Si interface is at the origin of the observed correlation. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Complete maximal surfaces in static Robertson–Walker 3-spaces

We construct a large family of complete maximal surfaces in the static Robertson–Walker 3-spaces with negative base curvature. These examples provide a wide variety of non-standard foliations of such spaces by entire maximal graphs.     

Scalar-Particle Self-Energy Amplitudes and Confinement in Minkowski Space

We analyze the analytic structure of the Covariant Spectator Theory (CST) contribution to the self-energy amplitude for a scalar particle in a ${\phi^2\chi}$ theory. To this end we derive dispersion relations in 1+1 and in 3+1 dimensional Minkowski space. The divergent loop integrals in 3+1 dimensions are regularized using dimensional regularization. We find that the CST dispersion relations exhibit, in addition to the usual right-hand branch cut, also a left-hand cut. The origin of this “spectator” left-hand cut can be understood in the context of scattering for a scalar ${\phi^2\chi^2}$ -type theory. If the interaction kernel contains a linear confining component, its contribution to the self-energy vanishes exactly.     

A mathematical and computational review of Hartree–Fock SCF methods in quantum chemistry

We present a review of the fundamental topics of Hartree–Fock theory in quantum chemistry. From the molecular Hamiltonian, using and discussing the Born–Oppenheimer approximation, we arrive at the Hartree and Hartree–Fock equations for the electronic problem. Special emphasis is placed on the most relevant mathematical aspects of the theoretical derivation of the final equations, and on the results regarding the existence and uniqueness of their solutions. All Hartree–Fock versions with different spin restrictions are systematically extracted from the general case, thus providing a unifying framework. The discretization of the one-electron orbital space is then reviewed and the Roothaan–Hall formalism introduced. This leads to an exposition of the basic underlying concepts related to the construction and selection of Gaussian basis sets, focusing on algorithmic efficiency issues. Finally, we close the review with a section in which the most relevant modern developments (especially those related to the design of linear-scaling methods) are commented on and linked to the issues discussed. The paper is intentionally introductory and rather self-contained, and may be useful for non-experts intending to use quantum chemical methods in interdisciplinary applications. Moreover, much material that can be found scattered in the literature has been put together to facilitate comprehension and to serve as a handy reference.     

The equation of state of the hard-disc fluid revisited

Some points about the search for analytical expressions for the equation of state of the hard-disc fluid are discussed in the light of the most recent advances in the field. New and accurate equations of state for this fluid are proposed.     

XANES speciation of mercury in three mining districts – Almadén,Asturias (Spain), Idria (Slovenia)

The mobility, bioavailability and toxicity of mercury in the environment strongly depend on the chemical species in which it is present in soil, sediments, water or air. In mining districts, differences in mobility and bioavailability of mercury mainly arise from the different type of mineralization and ore processing. In this work, synchrotron‐based X‐ray absorption near‐edge spectroscopy (XANES) has been taken advantage of to study the speciation of mercury in geological samples from three of the largest European mercury mining districts: Almadén (Spain), Idria (Slovenia) and Asturias (Spain). XANES has been complemented with a single extraction protocol for the determination of Hg mobility. Ore, calcines, dump material, soil, sediment and suspended particles from the three sites have been considered in the study. In the three sites, rather insoluble sulfide compounds (cinnabar and metacinnabar) were found to predominate. Minor amounts of more soluble mercury compounds (chlorides and sulfates) were also identified in some samples. Single extraction procedures have put forward a strong dependence of the mobility with the concentration of chlorides and sulfates. Differences in efficiency of roasting furnaces from the three sites have been found.     

Spin Label Studies of the Hemoglobin–Membrane Interaction During Sickle Hemoglobin Polymerization

An enhanced hemoglobin–membrane association has been previously documented in sickle cell anemia. However, it is not known how this interaction is modified during the hemoglobin S polymerization process. In this work, we use a model of reconstituted erythrocytes from ghost membranes whose cytoskeleton proteins had been previously labeled with the 4-maleimido Tempo spin label, and that were subsequently resealed with hemoglobin S or A solutions. Using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, we studied the time dependence of the spectral W/S parameter, indicative of the conformational state of cytoskeleton proteins (mainly spectrin) under spontaneous deoxygenation, with the aim of detecting the eventual effects due to hemoglobin S polymerization. The differences observed in the temporal behavior of W/S in erythrocytes reconstituted with both hemoglobins were considered as experimental evidence of an increment in hemoglobin S–membrane interaction as a result of the polymerization process of hemoglobin S under spontaneous deoxygenation.     

High sensitivity conductivity-temperature-depth sensing based on an optical microfiber coupler combined fiber loop

In order to meet the practical needs of all-fiber conductivity-temperature-depth sensors with high sensitivity,compact structure,and easy packaging,this Letter uses a microfiber coupler combined with fiber loop(MCFL)reflective photonic device to conduct salinity,temperature,and deep sensing experiments.These MCFLs’dynamic range and resolution of salinity,temperature,and depth can meet the requirements of actual marine environment monitoring.This structure opens up a new design idea for the practical research of microfiber coupler-based marine environmental parameter sensors.     

Limits of the paraxial approximation in laser beams

The validity of the paraxial approximation for laser beams in free space is studied via an integral criterion based on the propagation invariants of Helmholtz and paraxial wave equations. This approach allows one to determine the paraxial limit for beams with nondefined spot size and for beams described by more parameters in addition to typical longitudinal wavelength and transverse waist. As examples, the paraxiality of higher-order Hermite, Laguerre, and Bessel-Gaussian beams was completely determined. This method could be extended to nonlinear optics and Bose condensates.