Study of period number effect in the superlattice infrared photodetector

Superlattices have been demonstrated previously by our group in the design of the multicolor infrared photodetector. In general, the period number of the superlattice may be up to several dozens. In this paper, we have investigated the performance of the infrared photodetectors especially with 3, 5 and 15 periods. The detector structure contains a thick blocking barrier embedded between two superlattices with different period numbers but with the same well and barrier widths. This double-superlattice structure shows switchable spectral responses between two spectral regions by the voltage polarities. The photoresponse in each spectral region is also tunable by the magnitude of the applied voltage. The voltage-dependent behavior reveals the photoelectron relaxation and transport mechanism in the superlattice miniband. Superlattice with few periods has high electron group velocity, less relaxation effect and less collection efficiency. Therefore the superlattice with few periods may have better responsivity and narrower photoresponse range than the one with many periods. Based on the experimental results of our devices, it is observed that the superlattice with fewer periods has better detectivity, responsivity, wider range of the operational temperature, and more flexible miniband engineering than the conventional multiple quantum well infrared photodetector.     

Formation of p-type ZnO film on InP substrate by phosphor doping

ZnO thin film was initially deposited on InP substrate by radio frequency (rf) magnetron sputtering and the diffusion process was performed using the closed ampoule technique where Zn₃P₂ was used as the dopant source. To verify the junction formation of ZnO thin films, the electrical properties were measured, and the effects of Zn₃P₂ diffusion on ZnO thin films were investigated. It is observed that the electrical property of the film is changed from n-type to p-type by dopant diffusion effect. Based on the results, it is confirmed that ZnO thin films can be a potential candidate for ultraviolet (UV) optical devices.     

The endogenous GABA analogue gamma-hydroxybutyric acid: Tritium labeling at high specific activity

2,3,4-³H] Gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB, 4) was prepared by means of a catalytic tritium reduction of 2(5H)-furanone (2) followed by hydrolysis. It has proven useful as a tool to study the GHB receptor. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Microwave‐improved polymerization of ϵ‐caprolactone initiated by carboxylic acids

The ring‐opening polymerization of ε‐caprolactone (ε‐CL), initiated by carboxylic acids such as benzoic acid and chlorinated acetic acids under microwave irradiation, was investigated; with this method, no metal catalyst was necessary. The product was characterized as poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) by ¹H NMR spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet spectroscopy, and gel permeation chromatography. The polymerization was significantly improved under microwave irradiation. The weight‐average molecular weight (M_w) of PCL reached 44,800 g/mol, with a polydispersity index [weight‐average molecular weight/number‐average molecular weight (M_w/M_n)] of 1.6, when a mixture of ε‐CL and benzoic acid (25/1 molar ratio) was irradiated at 680 W for 240 min, whereas PCL with M_w = 12,100 and M_w/M_n = 4.2 was obtained from the same mixture by a conventional heating method at 210 °C for 240 min. A degradation of the resultant PCL was observed during microwave polymerization with chlorinated acetic acids as initiators, and this induced a decrease in M_w of PCL. However, the degradation was hindered by benzoic acid at low concentrations. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 13–21, 2003     

Crack path instabilities in DCDC experiments in the low speed regime

We studied the low speed fracture regime (10⁻⁴-10⁻⁹ m s⁻¹) in different glassy materials (soda-lime glass, glass ceramics) with variable but controlled length scale of heterogeneity. The chosen mechanical system enabled us to work in pure mode I (tensile) and at a fixed load on double cleavage drilled compression specimen. The internal residual stresses of studied samples were carefully relaxed by appropriate thermal treatment. By means of optical and atomic force microscopy techniques fracture surfaces have been examined. We have shown for the first time that the crack front line underwent an out-of-plane oscillating behavior as a result of a reproducible sequence of instabilities. The wavelength of such a phenomenon is in the micrometer range and its amplitude in the nanometer range. These features were observed for different glassy materials providing that a typical length scale characterizing internal heterogeneities was lower than a threshold limit estimated to few nanometers. This effect is the first clear experimental evidence of crack path instabilities in the low speed regime in a uniaxial loading experiment. This phenomenon has been interpreted by referring to the stability criterion for a straight crack propagation as presented by Adda-Bedia et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 76 (1996) 1497].     

Brightness and decay time of Zn2SiO4:Mn phosphor particles with spherical shape and fine size

Green-light-emitting Zn₂SiO₄:Mn phosphor particles were synthesized by modified large-scale spray pyrolysis using a colloidal solution containing fumed silica particles. The particles had a fine size, filled morphology, spherical shape and non-aggregation characteristics even after post-treatment at 1150 °C. The luminescence characteristics of Zn₂SiO₄:Mn phosphor particles having spherical shape, such as brightness and decay time under VUV excitation light, were investigated as a function of Mn content. The luminescence intensity exhibits a maximum at 5 mol% Mn-doped powder. The decay time increases consistently with decreasing Mn content and more saturated color coordinates are obtained with the composition having 12 mol% Mn. As a consequence, the 10 mol% Mn-doped powder proved to provide a good combination of favorable luminance and acceptable decay time. The influence of post-treatment temperature on the decay time and photoluminescence characteristics of Zn₂SiO₄:Mn particles was also investigated. Particles post-treated at 1155 °C had the maximum photoluminescence intensity, which was identical to 113% that of the commercial product, and a comparable decay time of 5.8 ms. PACS 81.20.Rg; 78. 55.Hx; 78.40.Ha; 81.05.Hd; 81.40.Tv     

The STAIRRS project, work package 1: a cost-effectiveness analysis of railway noise reduction on a European scale

Noise control is a major economic factor for the railways as national and European Union environmental legislation is being enacted. In an effort to determine optimal strategies on a European level, the EU fifth framework programme has co-financed the Strategies and Tools to Assess and Implement noise Reducing measures for Railway Systems (STAIRRS) project. Work package 1 developed the necessary software to undertake large-scale cost-effectiveness analyses. The acoustically relevant geographic, traffic and track data were collected for 11 000 km of lines in seven European countries. Standard cost-benefit methodologies were adapted to fit the requirements of the project. An extrapolation mechanism allowed studies on Europe as a whole and, in an approximate manner, also on individual countries. Major conclusions are that the highest cost-effectiveness can be achieved by combining measures; freight rolling stock has a high cost-effectiveness on its own as well as in combination with other measures, especially when combined with track measures; noise barriers, in particular high ones, have a low cost-effectiveness. The conclusions for Europe as a whole are also true for individual countries. The STAIRRS project co-ordinator is the European Rail Research Institute, the work package leader is the Swiss Federal Railways with the participation of AEAT Technology (NL), German Railways, French Railways, PSI-Akustik (A), the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and the Free University of Brussels.     

Gravitation as Anholonomy

A gravitational field can be seen as the anholonomy of the tetrad fields. This is more explicit in the teleparallel approach, in which the gravitational field-strength is the torsion of the ensuing Weitzenböck connection. In a tetrad frame, that torsion is just the anholonomy of that frame. The infinitely many tetrad fields taking the Lorentz metric into a given Riemannian metric differ by point-dependent Lorentz transformations. Inertial frames constitute a smaller infinity of them, differing by fixed-point Lorentz transformations. Holonomic tetrads take the Lorentz metric into itself, and correspond to Minkowski flat spacetime. An accelerated frame is necessarily anholonomic and sees the electromagnetic field strength with an additional term.     

Differentiation between tracks and damages in SSNTD under the atomic force microscope

We have observed three-dimensional sponge-like structures as well as strips of connecting pits on the surface of the LR 115 detector after etching, which can be confused with the small tracks formed after short etching time. We have employed an atomic force microscope (AFM) to study these “damages” as well as genuine alpha tracks for short etching time. It was found that while the track and damage openings could be similar in size and shape, the depths for the damages were consistently smaller. Therefore, the depth of the pits will serve as a clear criterion to differentiate between tracks and other damages. The ability to discriminate between genuine tracks from other damages is most important for etching for short time intervals.