Synthesis, morphology and random laser action of ZnO nanostructures

Three-dimensional (3-D) ZnO random-wall nanostructures and one-dimensional (1-D) ZnO nanorods were prepared on silicon substrates by a simple solid-vapour phase thermal sublimation technique. Optical pumped random lasing has been observed in the ZnO random-wall arrays with a threshold intensity of 0.38 MW/cm² in the emission wavelength from 380 to 395 nm. The optical gain was attributed to the closed-loop scattering and light amplification of the ZnO random-wall. The experimental result suggests that the morphology of nanostructure is the key factor to effect random lasing.     

A note on the complexity and tractability of the heat equation

We wish to solve the heat equation u_t=Δu-qu in I^d×(0,T), where I is the unit interval and T is a maximum time value, subject to homogeneous Dirichlet boundary conditions and to initial conditions u(·,0)=f over I^d. We show that this problem is intractable if f belongs to standard Sobolev spaces, even if we have complete information about q. However, if f and q belong to a reproducing kernel Hilbert space with finite-order weights, we can show that the problem is tractable, and can actually be strongly tractable.     

Crystalline structure of polyamide 12 as revealed by solid‐state 13C NMR and synchrotron WAXS and SAXS

The crystalline structure of polyamide‐12 (PA12) was studied by solid‐state ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) as well as by synchrotron wide‐ and small‐angle X‐ray scattering (WAXS and SAXS). Isotropic and oriented PA12 showed different NMR spectra ascribed to γ‐ and γ′‐crystalline modifications, respectively. On the basis of the position of the first diffraction peak, the isotropic γ‐form and the oriented γ′‐form were shown to be with hexagonal crystalline lattice at room temperature. When heated, the two PA12 polymorphs demonstrated different behaviors. Above 140 °C, the isotropic γ‐PA12 partially transformed into α‐modification. No such transition was observed with the oriented γ′‐PA12 phase even after annealing at temperatures close to melting. A γ′–γ transition was observed here only after isotropization by melting point. Various structural parameters were extracted from the WAXS and SAXS patterns and analyzed as a function of temperature and orientation: the degree of crystallinity, the d‐spacings, the Bragg's long spacings, the average thicknesses of the crystalline (l_c) and amorphous (l_a) phases, and the linear crystallinity x_cl within the lamellar stacks. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 3720–3733, 2005     

Thickness dependence of free‐standing thin films

Below a critical thickness, of about 60 nm, the glass transition temperature of polystyrene (PS) films decreases with film thickness, as demonstrated using free‐standing films. A geometrical model is developed here describing this phenomenon in the case of ideal (Gaussian) chains. This model, which can be considered as an application of the free volume model, assumes that the decrease of the glass transition temperature from thick to ultrathin films is due to the modification of the interpenetration between neighboring chains. The theoretical curve deduced from the model is in excellent agreement with the PS experimental results, without using any adjustable parameters. From these results, it can be concluded that new chain motions, usually buried in bulk samples, are expressed by the presence of the surface. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 10–17, 2007     

Growth and characterisation of Eu doped GaN thin films

We have studied the optical properties of Eu doped GaN thin films. We have grown high quality Eu doped GaN thin films by using Gas Source Molecular Beam Epitaxy (GSMBE), with 1.4% Eu concentration. The Full Width at Half Maximum (FWHM) of the X-ray diffraction in an omega scan was found to be 288 arcsecs. Low Eu concentration (0.08%) doped GaN thin films were grown, where Eu-related photoluminescence at 622 and 613 nm was detected using above band-gap excitation at 2 K. For high Eu concentration of 30% GaN:Eu crystal photoluminescence (PL) and cathodoluminescence (CL) spectra show strong and intense transitions at 622 and 664 nm, but also at 593 nm for CL spectra, with a similar transition observed from the low Eu concentration sample.     

Acoustooptic cells with nonuniform length of light-sound interaction

Diffraction of light by acoustic waves that are generated in the acoustooptic cells of piezoelectric transducers with complex geometry is studied. The diffraction by acoustic beams with triangular, quadrangular (rhombic), hexagonal, etc., cross sections, when the lengths of light-sound interaction in the cross-sectional area of the light beam are different, is considered in the plane wave approximation. The difference in the length of interaction affects the instrument function of acoustooptic devices and provides the suppression of the side lobes in their transmission function. The advantages of using cells with complex-geometry transducers in tunable acoustooptic filters that are incorporated into fiber-optic communication lines with wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) are discussed.     

Determination of Ascorbic Acid by Electrocatalytic Response of an Electrode Coated with Polyvinylpyridine Film and Palladium-Plated

A procedure was developed for analysis of ascorbic acid with a carbon glass electrode coated with a palladium-modified poly(2-vinylpyridine) film.     

Modelling and optimal control of coupled structural acoustic systems with piezoelectric elements

We construct a model of a shell with piezoelectric elements (patches) that take into account the mutual influence of deformations and electric fields. Coupled problems for the shell with piezoelectric patches and an acoustic field, are studied and results on the existence and the uniqueness are obtained. For this system we consider an optimal control problem on noise attenuation and obtain results on the existence, the uniqueness, necessary and sufficient conditions of optimality. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

MgO films grown on yttria-stabilized zirconia by molecular beam epitaxy

MgO films were grown on (0 0 1) yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The crystalline structures of these films were investigated using X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Growth temperature was varied from 350 to 550 °C, with crystalline quality being improved at higher temperatures. The MgO films had a domain structure: (1 1 1)[1 1 2¯]_MgO(0 0 1)[1 0 0]_YSZ with four twin variants related by a 90° in-plane rotation about the [1 1 1]_MgO axis. The observed epitaxial orientation was compared to previous reports of films grown by pulsed laser deposition and sputtering and explained as resulting in the lowest interface energy.