Spallation ultracold neutron source of superfluid helium below 1 K

For the production of high-density ultracold neutrons (UCNs), we placed 0.8 K superfluid helium in a cold neutron moderator. We resolved previous heat-load problems in the spallation neutron source that were particularly serious below 1 K. With a proton-beam power of 400 MeV×1 μA, a UCN production rate of 4 UCN cm(-3) s(-1) at the maximum UCN energy of E(c)=210 neV and a storage lifetime of 81 s were obtained. A cryogenic test showed that the production rate can be increased by a factor of 10 with the same storage lifetime by increasing the proton-beam power as well as (3)He pumping speed.     

Synthesis,characterisation, luminescence and defect centres in solution combustion synthesised CaZrO3:Tb3+ phosphor

Tb³⁺ doped CaZrO₃ has been prepared by an easy solution combustion synthesis method. The combustion derived powder was investigated by X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry and scanning electron microscopy techniques. A room temperature photoluminescence study showed that the phosphors can be efficiently excited by 251 nm light with a weak emission in the blue and orange region and a strong emission in green light region. CaZrO₃:Tb³⁺ exhibits three thermoluminescence (TL) glow peaks at 126 °C, 200 °C and 480 °C. Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) studies were carried out to study the defect centres induced in the phosphor by gamma irradiation and also to identify the centres responsible for the TL peaks. The room temperature ESR spectrum of irradiated phosphor appears to be a superposition of two distinct centres. One of the centres (centre I) with principal g-value 2.0233 is identified as an O^? ion. Centre II with an axial symmetric g-tensor with principal values g_=1.9986 and g_?=2.0023 is assigned to an F⁺ centre (singly ionised oxygen vacancy). An additional defect centre is observed during thermal annealing experiments and this centre (assigned to F⁺ centre) seems to originate from an F centre (oxygen vacancy with two electrons). The F centre and also the F⁺ centre appear to correlate with the observed high temperature TL peak in CaZrO₃:Tb³⁺ phosphor.     

Permeability enhancement of stratified metal dielectric metamaterial in optical regime

Magnetic response of stratified metal dielectric metamaterial (SMDM) is demonstrated numerically and experimentally. One unit cell of SMDM has a sandwich unit cell consisting of alumina (60 nm)/silver (30 nm)/alumina (60 nm). A Mach–Zehnder interferometer is used to obtain phase information of transmittance and reflectance from which effective permeability is determined. The maximum permeability amounts to 20 and 17 for calculation and experiment, respectively. This huge resonance occurs when the magnetic field is concentrated at the metal layer, while the electric field has a node at the center.     

Neutron electric dipole moment measurement with a buffer gas comagnetometer

A neutron EDM measurement with a comagnetometer is discussed. For magnetometry, polarized xenon atoms are injected into a cylindrical cell where a cylindrically symmetric magnetic field and an electric field are applied for the EDM measurement. The geometric phase effect (GPE), which originates from particle motion in a magnetic field gradient, is analyzed in terms of the Dyson series. The motion of the xenon atom is largely suppressed because of a small mean free path. The field gradient is controlled by means of NMR measurements, where the false effect of Earth?s rotation is removed. As a result, the GPE is reduced below 10⁻²⁸e cm${10}^{-28}e\text{cm}$.     

Observation of increase in Raman intensity of surface phonon polaritons on rough surfaces of ZnTe

An increase in Raman intensity of surface phonon polaritons has been observed in free-standing thin slabs (thickness ～ 7 μm) of single- crystal ZnTe with rough surfaces by a conventional Raman-scattering technique at room temperature. The samples with various root-mean- square roughness heights have been prepared by making use of final polishing powders with different mean-grit sizes, and the surface roughness has been confirmed by measuring the intensities of the diffuse scattering of the laser light. The increase of the Raman intensity is proportional to the mean-square height of the surface roughness, and the shift of the dispersion relation is also proportional to it. The frequency shift is explained by a perturbation theory of the surface-roughness-induced scattering.     

Electron beam-induced decomposition of graphite fluoride

Irradiation of graphite fluoride with electron beams has been carried out on a electron probe microanalyzer. Radiation-induced decomposition took place predominantly instead of thermal decomposition. The decomposition tended to occur in the following order: powdery (CF)_n, white flaky (CF)_n, and (CF₂F)_n. The kinetics of the decomposition reaction induced by electron beams was evaluated by the ZAF correction of the measured intensities of F K- and C K-emission bands. It was found that the kinetic of the decomposition of graphite fluoride was of Avrami-Erofejev type; the rate equations were $\text{-}\text{ln}\text{(1?α)=kt}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}$ for (CF)_n and -ln(1?α)=kt² for (C₂F)_n. An application to the electron microbeam processing of graphite fluoride was suggested in relation to its unique physicochemical properties.     

Tunable, visible phase conjugator with a saturable-amplifier polymer laser dye

We present the first report to the best of our knowledge of highly efficient phase conjugation in a laser-pumped polymer-dye saturable amplifier. Phase-conjugate reflectivity of as much as 210% at 560 nm has been obtained. Moreover, efficient reflectivity has been obtained in the broad wavelength region from 556 to 567 nm.     

Light emission from Si nanocrystals embedded in CaF2 epilayers on Si(1 1 1): Effect of rapid thermal annealing

Visible photoluminescence (PL) of nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si) embedded in single crystal CaF₂ formed on Si(1 1 1) has been studied and the influence of ex situ rapid thermal annealing (RTA) on the surface morphology and PL spectra has been studied. It has been found that the PL intensity and uniformity was improved by RTA with appropriate temperature and short annealing time.     

Full-parallax three-dimensional display based on light field reproduction

Optical Review - Light field displays can display three-dimensional (3D) images with smooth motion parallax without the use of special glasses, by reproducing light ray information from objects....     

Nonlinear processes in UV optical materials at 248 nm

Nonlinear processes in UV optical materials were investigated by using 280-fs, 248-nm pulses. Nonlinear absorption in CaF₂ was confirmed to be a two-photon process by using the luminescence of self-trapped excitons, which was also used for the single shot pulse width measurement. The absorption bands due to F centers were identified in CaF₂, MgF₂, and LiF after several hundred shots at 100 GW/cm². Absorption at 248 nm was considerable especially in MgF₂ and LiF. Self-focusing and self-phase modulation were observed in CaF₂.