IR,Raman and SERS spectra of 3,5‐dinitrosalicylic acid

IR, Raman and surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra of 3,5‐dinitrosalicylic acid (DNSA) were recorded and analysed. The vibrational wavenumbers were computed by the ab initio method using RHF/6–21G* basis and they were found to be in good agreement with the experimental values. The effect of the concentration dependence on the SERS intensity of the molecule was studied. The molecular plane assumes a tilted orientation with respect to the silver surface. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fluorescence quantum yield of rhodamine 6G using pulsed photoacoustic technique

Experimental method for measuring photoacoustic(PA) signals generated by a pulsed laser beam in liquids is described. The pulsed PA technique is found to be a convenient and accurate method for determination of quantum yield in fluorescent dye solutions. Concentration dependence of quantum yield of rhodamine 6G in water is studied using the above method. The results indicate that the quantum yield decreases with increase in concentration in the quenching region in agreement with the existing reports based on radiometric measurements.     

Frequency-mixing scheme for the production of tunable narrowband XUV radiation (91–95 nm): application to precision spectroscopy and predissociation in diatomic molecules

Tunable narrowband extreme ultraviolet radiation in the range 91–95 nm is produced by sum-frequency mixing of the outputs of a visible pulsed dye amplifier (seeded by a ring dye laser) and of a seeded second-harmonic Nd:YAG laser and subsequent frequency tripling in a gas jet of xenon. The capability of this scheme to provide tunable narrowband extreme ultraviolet radiation is demonstrated in several spectroscopic studies. The bandwidth of this system (0.01 cm^-1) is deduced from a recording of absorption spectra of the 4p⁵(²P_1/2)6d, J=1 line in krypton. The applicability of the system for gas-phase molecular spectroscopic studies is demonstrated in recordings of the Werner bands (4,0) in H₂ and (5,0) in D₂ at unprecedented absolute accuracy. Line-broadening studies are performed on the b¹_u⁺,v=5 valence state in N₂, yielding a lifetime of 210±25 ps. A singlet–triplet perturbation, giving rise to an accidental predissociation in an excited ¹ Rydberg state in carbon monoxide at an excitation energy of 107680 cm^-1, is analyzed in high resolution. PACS 42.65.Ky; 32.80.Rm; 33.20.Ni; 33.80.Gj; 42.60.By     

Consequence for Wavefunction Collapse Model of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory Experiment

It is shown that data on the dissociation rate of deuterium obtained in an experiment at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory provides evidence that the Continuous Spontaneous Localization wavefunction collapse model should have mass–proportional coupling to be viable.     

Energy band-gap engineering of graphene nanoribbons

We investigate electronic transport in lithographically patterned graphene ribbon structures where the lateral confinement of charge carriers creates an energy gap near the charge neutrality point. Individual graphene layers are contacted with metal electrodes and patterned into ribbons of varying widths and different crystallographic orientations. The temperature dependent conductance measurements show larger energy gaps opening for narrower ribbons. The sizes of these energy gaps are investigated by measuring the conductance in the nonlinear response regime at low temperatures. We find that the energy gap scales inversely with the ribbon width, thus demonstrating the ability to engineer the band gap of graphene nanostructures by lithographic processes.     

Observation of anomalous phonon softening in bilayer graphene

The interaction of electron-hole pairs with lattice vibrations exhibits a wealth of intriguing physical phenomena such as the renowned Kohn anomaly. Here we report the observation in bilayer graphene of an unusual phonon softening that provides the first experimental proof for another type of phonon anomaly. Similar to the Kohn anomaly, which is a logarithmic singularity in the phonon group velocity [W. Kohn, Phys. Rev. Lett. 2, 393 (1959)], the observed phonon anomaly exhibits a logarithmic singularity in the optical-phonon energy. Arising from a resonant electron-phonon coupling effect, the anomaly was also expected, albeit not observed, in monolayer graphene. We propose an explanation for why it is easier to observe in bilayer samples.     

The oxidation of Fe(111)

The oxidation of Fe(111) was studied using Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), low energy electron diffraction (LEED), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ion scattering spectroscopy (ISS) and scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM). Oxidation of the crystal was found to be a very fast process, even at 200 K, and the Auger O signal saturation level is reached within ~ 50 × 10^? 6 mbar s. Annealing the oxidised surface at 773 K causes a significant decline in apparent surface oxygen concentration and produces a clear (6 × 6) LEED pattern, whereas after oxidation at ambient temperature no pattern was observed. STM results indicate that the oxygen signal was reduced due to the nucleation of large, but sparsely distributed oxide islands, leaving mainly the smooth (6 × 6) structure between the islands. The reactivity of the (6 × 6) layer towards methanol was investigated using temperature programmed desorption (TPD), which showed mainly decomposition to CO and CO₂, due to the production of formate intermediates on the surface. Interestingly, this removes the (6 × 6) structure by reduction, but it can be reformed from the sink of oxygen present in the large oxide islands simply by annealing at 773 K for a few minutes. The (6 × 6) appears to be a relatively stable, pseudo-oxide phase, that may be useful as a model oxide surface.     

Optical properties of citrate-stabilized CdS nanoparticles

Citrate-stabilized CdS nanoparticles of size 4 nm are obtained by varying the sulfide:citrate ion concentration in a simple aqueous synthesis method. The optical absorption and photoluminescence properties of the nanoparticles are studied. The size of the crystallites is found to be less affected by sulfide:citrate ratio. At lower concentrations of S²⁻, trap state emission is favoured and at higher concentrations excitonic transition is predominant as shown by optical absorption and photoluminescence spectra. Effective surface capping and optimum concentration of S²⁻ leads to the quenching of surface-defect-related emission. Increase in citrate ion concentration is found to increase the intensity of photoluminescence band arising from trap state emission revealing the role of sulfide:citrate ratio on surface modification of CdS nanocrystals. The nanoparticles are hexagonal as shown by the X-ray diffraction and selected area electron diffraction pattern.     

Out of the blue: semiconductor laser pumped visible rare‐earth doped lasers

The rise of semiconductor‐based pump sources such as In_xGa_1‐xN‐laser diodes or frequency‐doubled optically pumped semiconductor lasers with emission wavelengths in the blue encourages a revisitation of the rare‐earth ions Pr³⁺, Sm³⁺, Tb³⁺, Dy³⁺, Ho³⁺ and Er³⁺ with respect to their properties as active ions in crystalline solid‐state laser materials with direct emission in the visible spectral range. Nowadays, some of these blue‐pumped visible lasers compete with Nd³⁺‐lasers in terms of efficiency and direct lasing at various colors from the cyan‐blue to the deep red can be addressed in very simple and compact laser setups. This paper highlights the spectroscopic properties of suitable rare‐earth ions for visible lasing and reviews the latest progress in the field of blue‐pumped visible rare‐earth doped solid‐state lasers.

     

Double transverse-spin asymmetries in Drell–Yan processes with antiprotons

We present next-to-leading order predictions for double transverse-spin asymmetries in Drell–Yan dilepton production initiated by proton–antiproton scattering. The kinematic region of the proposed PAX experiment at GSI: 30?s?200 GeV²$30?s?200{\text{GeV}}^2$ and 2?M?7 GeV$2?M?7\text{GeV}$ is examined. The Drell–Yan asymmetries turn out to be large, in the range 20–40%. Measuring these asymmetries would provide the cleanest determination of the quark transversity distributions.