Photoemission study of the modification of the electronic structure of transition-metal overlayers on TiO2 surfaces II. Cr on TiO2(0 0 1)

The electronic states of the Cr overlayers on TiO₂(0 0 1) surfaces have been investigated using angle-resolved and resonant photoemission spectroscopy with synchrotron radiation. At lower coverages, Cr deposition on TiO₂(0 0 1) creates two well separated in-gap emissions due to the formation of surface Ti³⁺ (3d¹) ions and Cr³⁺ (3d³) ions. At higher coverages, the in-gap emission is developed into the 2-peak-structure emission of Cr 3d character. The corresponding state is considered to be of metallic nature from the viewpoint of the high ability of oxygen adsorption, but has no Fermi edge, indicating a possibility of forming small Cr clusters on TiO₂(0 0 1) at this stage.     

Reduction of dislocation density and improvement of optical quality in ZnO layers by MgO-buffer annealing

Optical properties of ZnO thin films with/without MgO-buffer annealing were investigated by low and room temperature photoluminescence measurements. The ZnO films were grown on c-sapphire substrates by plasma-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy employing a thin MgO-buffer layer. Dislocation density of ZnO layer was reduced from 5.3 × 10⁹ to 1.9 × 10⁹ cm⁻² by annealing MgO-buffer prior to the growth of ZnO. The intensity of free exciton emission from the sample with MgO-buffer annealing was almost twice of that from the sample without annealing, while the deep level emission from the sample with MgO-buffer annealing was about 1/3 of that without annealing. The MgO-buffer annealing improves optical quality of overgrown ZnO films.     

Measurement of the vector A y and tensor A yy , A xx , A xz analyzing powers for the dd → 3H p reaction at 200 MeV

The data on the vector A _y and tensor A _yy , A _xx , A _xz analyzing powers for the d → ³H p reaction have been obtained at the energy of the initial deuteron of 200MeV in the angular range of 0–95 degrees in the c.m.s. The calculations performed within one-nucleon exchange model with the use of the standard three-nucleon bound state wave functions fail to reproduce the data on the tensor analyzing powers.     

Study of Si(0 0 1)4 × 2-Ga structure by scanning tunneling microscopy and ab initio calculation

We have studied Si(0 0 1)-Ga surface structures formed at Ga coverages of slightly above 0.50 monolayer (ML) at 250 °C by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). 4 × 2-, 5 × 2-, and 6 × 2-Ga structures were observed in a local area on the surface. The 4 × 2-Ga structure consists of three protrusions, as observed in filled- and empty-state STM images. The characters of these structures are clearly different from those of other Si(0 0 1)-Ga structures. We also performed an ab initio calculation of the energetics for several possible models for the 4 × 2-Ga structure, and clarified that the three-orthogonal-Ga-dimer model is the most stable. Also, the results of comparing the simulated STM images and observation images at various bias voltages indicate that this structural model is the most favorable.     

Demonstration of laser-frequency upshift by electron-density modulations in a plasma wakefield

In a plasma wake wave generated by a high power laser, modulations of the electron density take the shape of paraboloidal dense shells, moving almost at the speed of light. A counterpropagating laser pulse is partially reflected from the shells, acting as relativistic flying mirrors, producing a time-compressed frequency-multiplied pulse due to the double Doppler effect. The counterpropagating laser pulse reflection from the plasma wake wave accompanied by its frequency multiplication (with a factor from 50 to 114) was detected in our experiment.     

Bleaching effect of a 405-nm diode laser irradiation used with titanium dioxide and 3.5% hydrogen peroxide

A 405-nm diode laser has recently been developed for soft tissue problems in dentistry. A new in-office bleaching agent consisting of a titanium dioxide photocatalyst and 3.5% hydrogen peroxide has proven to react well with light irradiated at a wavelength of around 400 nm. In this study, we evaluated the bleaching efficacy of a newly developed 405-nm diode laser on bovine teeth treated with a bleaching agent composed of titanium dioxide and 3.5% hydrogen peroxide. Sixteen bovine incisors were randomly divided into two groups: Group A, irradiated by the 405-nm diode laser at 200 mW; Group B, irradiated by the 405-nm diode laser at 400 mW. The bleaching agent with titanium dioxide and 3.5% hydrogen peroxide was applied to bovine enamel and irradiated for 1 min. The specimens were then washed and dried, and the same procedure was repeated nine more times. After irradiation, we assessed the effects of bleaching on the enamel by measuring the color of the specimens with a spectrophotometer and examining the enamel surfaces with a scanning electron microscope. L* rose to a high score, reaching a significantly higher post-treatment level in comparison to pretreatment. In a comparison of the color difference (ΔE) between Group A and Group B, the specimens in Group B showed significantly higher values after 10 min of irradiation for the post-treatment. No remarkable differences in the enamel surface morphology were found between the unbleached and bleached enamel. The use of a 405-nm diode laser in combination with a bleaching agent of titanium dioxide and 3.5% hydrogen peroxide may be an effective method for bleaching teeth without the risk of tooth damage.     

Optimization of the surface texture for silicon carbide sliding in water

Surface texturing has been recognized as an effective means to improve the tribological performances of sliding surfaces. Usually, generation additional hydrodynamic pressure to increase the load carrying capacity is regarded as the most significant effect of surface texture. In the case of silicon carbide sliding against identical material in water, the experimental results indicate that surface texture is also helpful to improve the running-in progress to smooth the contact surfaces, showing another reason to result in low friction. Based on the consideration of enhancing the generation of hydrodynamic pressure and improving running-in progress, a surface texture pattern, which was combined with large (circle, 350 μm in diameter) and small (rectangular, 40 μm in length) dimples, was designed to maximize the texture effect on the load carrying capacity of SiC surfaces sliding in water. The friction coefficient of such textured surface was evaluated and compared with that of untextured and those only with large or small dimples only. The friction reduction mechanisms of the patterns with different dimples in size are discussed.