Entangled atomic state generation via adiabatic evolution of dark eigenstates in cavity QED

We propose a scheme for generating a two-atom entangled state and an N-atom W state using adiabatic evolution of dark eigenstates in cavity QED. The time required to complete the process does not need precise control. Since the cavity modes are never excited during the operations by engineering adiabatic evolution and controlling the atom–cavity couplings, the decoherence of the cavity decay can be suppressed.     

CO2 laser beam modulating for surface texturing machining

Laser texturing is a novel technique that may be used to texture a cold roller in the process of manufacturing high quality steel sheets. With the aim of improving the quality of the textured roller by using a CO₂ laser, a new laser beam modulating device is proposed. An optical beam expander with a fast rotating chopper system is designed. The laser pulse is split into two parts by the chopper blades; one is the preheating pulse that is reflected onto optical loop mirrors; the other is the directly transmitted pulse that creates the craters at the preheated spots. The preheating beam focus spot size and position can be adjusted. The focusing characteristics and optical parameter compensation for the flying optics are investigated. The heat transfer and melt process of laser texturing are numerically simulated. The effects of the double pulses on the texturing are analyzed. The effect of preheating the sample ahead of the laser texturing pulse is examined. The surface profile and bump hardness show improvements by using this approach.     

Optical transmission resonances tuned by external static magnetic field in an n-doped semiconductor grating with subwavelength slits

Transmission behavior of light through a grating consisting of n-doped semiconductor with subwavelength slits under the application of external static magnetic fields is investigated. As dielectric constant of n-doped semiconductor can be substantially altered by applied magnetic field, in the Voigt configuration and for TM-polarized illumination, two transmission resonance peaks associated with localized waveguide modes of slits are significantly shifted toward the lower frequency regime with the increase of the applied magnetic field. These characteristics can be assigned to a reduction of effective plasma frequency of n-doped semiconductor under the applied magnetic field. Our findings may provide possibility for achieving tunable transmission resonance spectrum.     

Effects of laser power density on the microstructure and microhardness of Ni–Al alloyed layer by pulsed laser irradiation

Laser alloying of Ni–P electroless deposited layer with aluminum substrate was carried out by Nd–YAG pulsed laser. The phase composition and microstructure of the alloyed layers produced by different laser power densities were identified by X-ray diffractionary (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) accompanied by energy dispersion X-ray analysis (EDS) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Furthermore, the surface roughness of the alloyed layers was characterised by confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM). The results showed that the characteristic dendritic or lamellar microstructures were observed in the alloyed layers. The phase constituents of the alloyed zones were intermetallic compounds of nickel–aluminum NiAl, Al₃Ni and Al₃Ni₂, as well as some non-equilibrium phases and amorphous phases depending on the employed laser power density. As a result, the microhardness of the alloyed layer with Ni–P amorphous phases formed at laser power density 5.36×10⁹ W/m² reached to HV_0.1 390.     

Trapping of helium atom by vacancy in tungsten: a density functional theory study

The interaction between helium (He) atom and vacancy defect in tungsten (W) has been investigated by using first-principles simulations. We have obtained that the most stable site for He in tungsten is the substitutional position because He can keep its own electronic structure at this position. In the studied tungsten system, vacancy can act as a trapping center for surrounding He atom with negative trapping energy. The migration behaviors of He atom at tetrahedral interstitial site in W, which can be trapped by vacancy but the final position is almost unchanged comparing with its initial position through structural relaxation, have been predicted and discussed. It is also found that single He atom prefers to go through an octahedral site rather than through a direct path to the vacancy, and the stronger the interaction between He atom and vacancy is, the lower the migration barrier will be.     

Characteristics of cobalt-based alloy coating on tool steel prepared by powder feeding laser cladding

Co-based alloy coating was deposited on tool steel by powder feeding laser cladding. Sections of such coatings were examined to reveal their microstructures and phases using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffractometer (XRD). The results showed that the prime phase (γ-Co dendrite) and other phases, including Cr₂₃C₆, Co₇W₆, and CrNi existed in the coatings. Some different solidification morphologies, such as planar (at the interface), cellular and dendrite formed, varying from the interface to the surface. Fine microstructures of γ-Co dendrite and lamellar eutectic in dendritical regions strengthened the coatings. Besides, the effects of aged treatment on the microstructure and microhardness of the surface coating were studied. Aged treatment led to the precipitations of some carbide particles (Cr₇C₃ and Co₃C) and boride particles (Co₄B) from the cladded coating, causing an increase in microhardness in the laser-cladded coating.     

Simultaneous detection of resolved glutamate, glutamine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid at 4 T

A new approach is introduced to simultaneously detect resolved glutamate (Glu), glutamine (Gln), and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) using a standard STEAM localization pulse sequence with the optimized sequence timing parameters. This approach exploits the dependence of the STEAM spectra of the strongly coupled spin systems of Glu, Gln, and GABA on the echo time TE and the mixing time TM at 4 T to find an optimized sequence parameter set, i.e., {TE, TM}, where the outer-wings of the Glu C4 multiplet resonances around 2.35 ppm, the Gln C4 multiplet resonances around 2.45 ppm, and the GABA C2 multiplet resonance around 2.28 ppm are significantly suppressed and the three resonances become virtual singlets simultaneously and thus resolved. Spectral simulation and optimization were conducted to find the optimized sequence parameters, and phantom and in vivo experiments (on normal human brains, one patient with traumatic brain injury, and one patient with brain tumor) were carried out for verification. The results have demonstrated that the Gln, Glu, and GABA signals at 2.2-2.5 ppm can be well resolved using a standard STEAM sequence with the optimized sequence timing parameters around {82 ms,48 ms} at 4 T, while the other main metabolites, such as N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), choline (tCho), and creatine (tCr), are still preserved in the same spectrum. The technique can be easily implemented and should prove to be a useful tool for the basic and clinical studies associated with metabolism of Glu, Gln, and/or GABA.     

Coaxial ZnO/SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanocables fabricated by thermal evaporation/oxidation

ZnO/SiO₂ coaxial nanocables have been synthesized on silicon substrates by simply evaporating zinc powder under an argon and argon/oxygen mixed atmosphere sequentially. The diameters of these nanocables vary from 50 to 100 nm and the lengths up to several millimeters. Electron microscopy and chemical composition investigations reveal that the nanocable consists of a crystalline ZnO core surrounded by an amorphous silica sheath. The electron diffraction pattern proves that the long-axis direction of ZnO cores grows along the [0001] direction. Silica nanotubes with wall structures have been obtained by the selective dissolution of the cores with hydrochloric acid. PACS 81.10.Bk; 81.05.Hd     

Characterization of Er3+-doped Na2O-WO3-TeO2 glass for ion-exchanged waveguide amplifiers and lasers

Er3+-doped Na2O-WO3-TeO2 glass consistent with standard ion-exchange technology has been fabricated and characterized. The measured absorption and emission spectra of the glass were analyzed by the JuddOfelt and McCumber theories. The intensity parameters are Ω2 = 7.01 × 10-20 cm2, Ω4 = 1.80 × 10-20 cm2, Ω6 = 1.03 × 10-20 cm2. The maximum emission cross-section is 0.91 × 10-20 cm2 at 1.533 μm, and a broad 1.5-μm emission spectrum of 65-nm full width at half-maximum (FWHM) is demonstrated. Glass transition temperature, crystallization onset temperature, density, refractive index are also reported for reference in the design and modelling of the ion-exchange process.     

Analysis of ferroelectric switching in sodium nitrite:poly(vinyl alcohol) nanocomposite films

The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra and switching current response in sodium nitrite:poly(vinyl alcohol) nanocomposite films have been studied as a function of composition of NaNO₂. The switching current data fitted well to infinite-grain model (IGM) in the region t<t _s and to finite-grain model (FGM) in the region t≥t _s . The microscopic parameters like the dimensionality, the domain wall velocity, and the nucleation rate have been evaluated which provide more physical insight of the switching phenomena in the composite films. The polarization current and nucleation rate are optimum in 50 wt.% composite film and have been discussed in terms of grain size and strain variations with the composition. The effect of applied field and pulse width variation on the switching behavior of 50 wt.% composition has also been studied. The exponential field dependence of the domain wall velocity and the nucleation rate indicate that nucleation mechanism is responsible for switching phenomena in the composite films. The writing pulse width affects significantly on the switching behavior of the composite films.