Absorption of electromagnetic radiation by an inhomogeneous spherical particle

The cross section of absorption of electromagnetic radiation by an inhomogeneous spherical particle is calculated. The general case of an arbitrary value of the ratio of the particle radius to the radius of the dielectric core is considered. The condition of diffuse reflection of electrons from the inner and outer surfaces of the metal layer of the particle is taken as the boundary condition of the problem. The limiting cases are considered and the results obtained are discussed.     

Computer processing of electronic absorption spectra of rare-earth elements in inorganic laser media

Algorithms and program modules are developed for calculation of the Judd-Ofelt parameters on modern computers. These programs can be used to perform numerical analysis of the energy absorption by rareearth ions in laser media.     

Optical amplification of photoinduced polarizability gratings in phosphate glasses

It is experimentally demonstrated that second-order polarizability gratings preliminarily recorded using bichromatic light in a phosphate glass can be amplified under the action of monochromatic radiation. The amplification effect takes place irrespective of the polarization and direction of propagation of the amplifying radiation and is achieved at various wavelengths. The phenomenon is related to the asymmetry of optical transitions between local centers in an isotropic medium in the presence of electric field. It is theoretically shown that this system may feature the formation of alternating electric field domains with dimensions depending on the grating amplitude.     

High accuracy description of radiative return production of low-mass muon and pion pairs at <Emphasis Type="Italic">e</Emphasis><Superscript>+</Superscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">e</Emphasis><Superscript>−</Superscript> colliders

The process of muon (pion) pair production with small invariant mass in electron-positron high-energy annihilation, accompanied by emission of a hard photon at large angles, is considered. We find that the Drell-Yan picture for the differential cross section is valid in the charge-even experimental setup. Radiative corrections both for the electron block and for the final-state block are taken into account.     

Optical third-harmonic generation in coupled microcavities based on porous silicon

The resonance features of the third-harmonic generation have been observed in 1D coupled microcavities consisting of three Bragg reflectors and two identical half-wave layers of mesoporous silicon. The third-harmonic intensity increases by a factor of about 10³ in the resonance of fundamental radiation with each of the modes of coupled microcavities. It has been shown that the resonance positions in the angular spectra of the third-harmonic intensity depend on the coupling between microcavities that is determined by the transmission of the intermediate Bragg reflector. In the framework of the transfer-matrix method with nonlinear sources, it has been shown that the basic mechanism of the enhancement of the third-harmonic generation in coupled microcavities based on porous silicon is the constructive interference of the partial third-harmonic waves that are generated by near-surface layers.     

Probing structural relaxation in complex fluids by critical fluctuations

Complex fluids, such as polymer solutions and blends, colloids, and gels, are of growing interest in fundamental and applied soft-condensed-matter science. A common feature of all such systems is the presence of a mesoscopic structural length scale intermediate between the atomic and macroscopic scales. This mesoscopic structure of complex fluids is often fragile and sensitive to external perturbations. Complex fluids are frequently viscoelastic (showing a combination of viscous and elastic behavior), with their dynamic response depending on the time and length scales. Recently, noninvasive methods to infer the rheological response of complex fluids have gained popularity through the technique of microrheology, where the diffusion of probe spheres in a viscoelastic fluid is monitored with the aid of light scattering or microscopy. Here, we propose an alternative to traditional microrheology that does not require doping of probe particles in the fluid (which can sometimes drastically alter the molecular environment). Instead, our proposed method makes use of the phenomenon of “avoided crossing” between modes associated with the structural relaxation and critical fluctuations that are spontaneously generated in the system.     

A stable static universe?

Starting from the assumption that general relativity might be an emergent phenomenon showing up at low energies from an underlying microscopic structure, we reanalyze the stability of a static closed universe filled with radiation. In this scenario, it is sensible to consider the effective general-relativistic configuration as in a thermal contact with an “environment” (the role of the environment can be played, for example, by a higher-dimensional bulk or by the trans-Planckian degrees of freedom). We calculate the free energy at a fixed temperature of this radiation-filled static configuration. Then, by looking at the free energy, we show that the static Einstein configuration is stable under the stated condition.     

On the sigma-model structure of type IIA supergravity action in doubled field approach

In this letter, we describe how to string together the doubled field approach by Cremmer, Julia, Lü, and Pope with the Pasti-Sorokin-Tonin technique to construct the sigma-model-like action for type IIA supergravity. The relation of the results with those obtained in the context of searching for superstring/M-theory hidden symmetry group is discussed.     

Terahertz spectroscopy with a Josephson oscillator and a SINIS bolometer

The voltage response of a thin-film normal-metal hot-electron bolometer based on a SINIS (superconductor-insulator-normal metal-insulator-superconductor) structure to the radiation of a high-temperature Josephson junction in the terahertz frequency region was measured. Bolometers were integrated with planar log-periodic and double-dipole antennas, and Josephson junctions were integrated with log-periodic antennas. Measurements showed that the Josephson junction at a temperature of 260 mK was overheated by the transport current, so that its electron temperature exceeded 3 K at a bias voltage of 1 mV. The maximum response of a bolometer with a double-dipole antenna was observed at a frequency of 300 GHz, which agreed well with the calculated value. The Josephson radiation was observed at frequencies up to 1.7 THz. The voltage response of a bolometer reached 4×10⁸ V/W, and the total noise-equivalent power reached 1.5×10^?17 W/Hz^1/2.