Half-metallic ferromagnetism in rocksalt and zinc-blende MS (M=Li, Na and K): A first-principles study

First-principles full-potential linearized augmented plane-wave method is used to investigate the electronic structure and magnetic properties of hypothetical zinc-blende and rocksalt LiS, NaS and KS. We find that all the compounds except rocksalt LiS exhibit half-metallic ferromagnetism with an integer magnetic moment of 1.00 μ_B per formula unit. The ferromagnetism results from the spin-polarization of p states of anion S. Total energies calculations indicate the rocksalt phase is lower in energy than the zinc-blende one. The total energy differences are about 0.38, 0.36 and 0.32 eV per formula unit for LiS, NaS and KS, respectively. Meanwhile, it is shown that rocksalt NaS and KS have the half-metallic gaps of 0.22 and 0.41 eV, respectively, and the half-metallic gaps are 0.03, 0.46 and 0.65 eV for zinc-blende LiS, NaS and KS, respectively. We also find the half-metallicity is robust against the lattice contraction up to 7% and 13% for rocksalt NaS and KS, respectively. Although rocksalt LiS is nonmagnetic and metallic at the equilibrium lattice constant, it shows half-metallic ferromagnetism when the lattice constant is larger than 5.40 Å.     

A triple function linear fiber laser with passive mode-locking and continuous-wave single-wavelength and multiwavelength lasing

We propose a fiber laser that can operate with passive mode-locking pulse output, continuous single-wavelength emission, and continuous multiwavelength emission. It consists of a nonlinear optical loop mirror (NOLM) in a linear cavity. The NOLM is used to induce different kinds of intensity-dependent feedback, which determine the operation mode of the laser. We have experimentally demonstrated that the fiber laser can easily be switched between the operation modes. The results may find useful applications in optical communication and fiber sensing.     

High-efficiency resonantly pumped room temperature Ho:YVO4 laser

An efficient 2 μm room temperature Ho:YVO(4) laser resonantly pumped by a 1.94 μm Tm:YAP laser is demonstrated, for the first time to our knowledge, in this Letter. Up to 8.58 W of laser output at 2053 nm is obtained with the optical-to-optical conversion efficiency as much as 41.2%. The output beam had quality of M² factor with Mx(2) of 3.58 and My(2) of 1.76 at 8 W output level. In addition, we also obtained 4.18 W laser output at 2066 nm and 7.04 W at 2040 nm from the Ho:YVO(4) laser with conversion efficiency of 27.8% and 33.8%, respectively.     

Accurate method for measuring the thermal coefficient of group birefringence of polarization-maintaining fibers

We present a method to accurately measure the group birefringence variation with temperature in high-birefringence polarization-maintaining (PM) fibers using a distributed polarization analyzer. By analyzing polarization cross-talk peaks purposely induced at both ends of a PM fiber, the temperature coefficient of group birefringence can be accurately obtained. We confirm the theoretical prediction that the group birefringence of PANDA and TIGER PM fibers decrease linearly with temperature from -40 °C to 80 °C, and find that the temperature coefficients are -5.93 × 10(-7) °C(-1) and -5.29 × 10(-7) °C(-1) for two types of PANDA fibers, and -5.36 × 10(-7) °C(-1) for a TIGER fiber.     

Terahertz-wave parametric oscillator with a misalignment-resistant tuning cavity

We demonstrate a terahertz-wave parametric oscillator (TPO) with a corner-cube resonator consisting of a corner-cube prism (CCP) and a flat mirror. By using the cavity configuration proposed in this Letter, the generation of tunable monochromatic terahertz (THz) waves can be achieved just by rotating the flat mirror instead of rotating the TPO cavity relative to the pump beam. The THz-wave output intensity and pulse width can be controlled periodically by rotating the CCP around the cavity axis. The TPO stability against cavity misalignment is significantly improved by at least 1 to 2 orders of magnitude compared with the conventional plane-parallel resonator configuration.     

载能团簇离子诱发的非线性二次离子发射

载能团簇离子进入固体时, 由于集体相互作用,在入射路径上产生非常高的能量沉积密度。 实验发现, 载能团簇离子的作用结果并不等于团簇中各原子独立作用的总和, 而是具有非线性效应。 就二次离子发射而言, 这种非线性通常与团簇的能量、 团簇的大小、 离子的电荷态以及靶物质的结构有关。 通过研究二次离子发射有助于理解载能团簇离子与物质相互作用过程中的能量沉积与释放机制。 Using energetic cluster as projectile is a unique way to produce simultaneous impacts of several atoms and deposit extremely high energy density in a very small area. The cluster impingement on solids has exhibited some non linear effects not presented in collisions of individual atoms with those solids. The study of the secondary ion emissions can give insight into the energy deposition and relaxation steps of the cluster solid interaction. The dependence of the yields of secondary ion emission induced by clusters on the energy of clusters,cluster sizes,charge states and material structures of the targets was reviewed in this paper.     

A simple pathway to ordered silica nanopattern from self-assembling of block copolymer containing organic silicon block

Self-assembly of block copolymer is an effective strategy to prepare periodic structures at nanoscale. In this paper an unique and very simple method to prepare inorganic silica nanopattern is demonstrated from self-assembling of poly(styrene-block-dimethylsiloxane) (PS-b-PDMS) on the surface of silicon wafer. To simplify the patterning process, at first we obtain highly ordered PDMS microdomains, which are covered with PS layer by controlling solvent vapor annealing conditions. Following exposure to UV/O₃ irradiation, nanopatterned surface consisting of silicon oxide is fabricated directly via selectively etching PS phase and converting PDMS phase into silicon oxide. As tuning the composition of the block copolymer, hexagonally packing dot and straight stripe pattern can be obtained. Finally, the time evolution from spheres morphology to aligned long cylinders is discussed. These results hold promise for nanolithography and the fabrication of nanodevices.     

Room temperature operation of 2-μm microchip Tm,Ho:Lu2SiO5 laser

Room temperature operation of a c-cut microchip Tm,Ho:Lu₂SiO₅ laser end-pumping by a fibercoupled laser-diode is reported. A 4.03 W incident pump power is used to generate a maximum laser output of 98 mW, representing 2.43% optical-to-optical conversion efficiency and a 4.38% slope efficiency corresponding to incident power. In the experiment, the oscillating wavelengths shifting from 2.084 to 2.089 μm has been observed and approximately 10 mW single 2.087 μm wavelength oscillation has been obtained by changing the pump power to 1.43 W and the position of the pump focus.     

A pigment (CuS) identified by micro‐Raman spectroscopy on a Chinese funerary lacquer ware of West Han Dynasty

A blue pigment was identified by micro‐Raman spectroscopy, X‐ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), scanning electron microscopy (SEM)/energy dispersive X‐ray (EDX) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD). The test sample, a funerary lacquer tray, belongs to West Han Dynasty (206 BC–AD 8) of China and was decorated with faint blue patterns. The result from Raman spectroscopy showed that the faint blue is covellite (CuS) due to the presence of a characteristic peak at 474.5 cm⁻¹, which further was confirmed by XRF, SEM–EDX and XRD. This research indicated that CuS had been used as a blue pigment to decorate lacquer wares from the West Han Dynasty in China. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Transverse wave band gaps and longitudinal wave band gaps in solid phononic crystals

Based on the properties of transverse (divergenceless) waves and longitudinal (irrotational) waves, we divided the transverse wave modes and longitudinal wave modes from the mixed eigen modes in solid phononic crystals. By investigating the transverse wave and longitudinal wave band structures at low frequency, we found that transverse bands and longitudinal bands exhibit different behaviors in solid systems including spherical scatterers. Phononic crystal with a large density ratio of solid spheres to the background can guarantee both the large longitudinal and large transverse band gap, but solid spheres with a small ratio of longitudinal wave velocity to transverse wave velocity can only help to enlarge the longitudinal band gap, and do not help to enlarge the transverse band gap.