Xenon clusters in intense VUV laser fields

A simple model is developed that quantitatively describes intense interactions of a vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) laser pulse with a xenon cluster. We find good agreement with a recent experiment [Nature (London) 420, 482 (2002)]]. In particular, the large number of VUV photons absorbed per atom, at intensities significantly below 10(16) W/cm(2), is now understood.     

Generation of femtosecond pulses at 1350 nm by Cerenkov radiation in higher-order-mode fiber

We demonstrate a method of generating short pulses at 1350 nm by exciting Cerenkov radiation in a higher-order-mode fiber with a 1064 nm femtosecond fiber laser. We measure a 106 fs, 0.66 nJ output pulse. Cerenkov radiation in fibers allows for energy transfer between a soliton and a dispersive wave, providing an effective and engineerable platform to shift the wavelength of a femtosecond source. With appropriate design of the higher-order-mode fiber, this method of generating short pulses at 1350 nm can be extended to other wavelengths and to higher pulse energies.     

Visions: The coming revolutions in particle physics

We study the branching ratio, CP-violating asymmetry, forward-backward asymmetry and the CP-violating asymmetry in the forward-backward asymmetry for the exclusive decay B → Kτ⁺τ⁻ in the two Higgs doublet model with tree level flavor changing neutral currents (model III). We analyse the dependencies of these quantities on the neutral Higgs boson contributions and the CP parameter sinθ in the model III. We observe that to determine the neutral Higgs boson effects, the measurements of the forward-backward asymmetry and the CP-violating asymmetry in the forward-backward asymmetry for the decay B → Kτ⁺τ⁻ are promising.     

Multispectrum analysis of CH4 in the ν4 spectral region: II. Self-broadened half widths, pressure-induced shifts, temperature dependences and line mixing

Accurate values for line positions, absolute line intensities, self-broadened half width and self-pressure-induced shift coefficients have been measured for over 400 allowed and forbidden transitions in the ν₄ band of methane (¹²CH₄). Temperature dependences of half width and pressure-induced shift coefficients were also determined for many of these transitions. The spectra used in this study were recorded at temperatures between 210 and 314 K using the National Solar Observatory's 1 m Fourier transform spectrometer at the McMath-Pierce solar telescope. The complete data set included 60 high-resolution (0.006-0.01 cm⁻¹) absorption spectra of pure methane and methane mixed with dry air. The analysis was performed using a multispectrum nonlinear least squares curve fitting technique where a number of spectra (20 or more) were fit simultaneously in spectral intervals 5-15 cm⁻¹ wide. In addition to the line broadening and shift parameters, line mixing coefficients (using the off-diagonal relaxation matrix element formalism) were determined for more than 50 A-, E-, and F-species transition pairs in J manifolds of the P- and R-branches. The measured self-broadened half width and self-shift coefficients, their temperature dependences and the line mixing parameters are compared to self-broadening results available in the literature and to air-broadened parameters determined for these transitions from the same set of spectra.     

Sources of electrical conductivity in SnO2

SnO2 is widely used as a transparent conductor and sensor material. Better understanding and control of its conductivity would enhance its performance in existing applications and enable new ones, such as in light emitters. Using density functional theory, we show that the conventional attribution of n-type conductivity to intrinsic point defects is incorrect. Unintentional incorporation of hydrogen provides a consistent explanation of experimental observations. Most importantly, we find that SnO2 offers excellent prospects for p-type doping by incorporation of acceptors on the Sn site. Specific strategies for optimizing acceptor incorporation are presented.