Strong renormalization of phonon frequencies in Mg(1-x)Al(x)B2

The phonon spectrum of Mg(1-x)Al(x)B2 shows a strong dependence on the aluminum content x. This is experimentally demonstrated by both Raman and inelastic neutron scattering and theoretically predicted by first-principles calculations. The observed changes in the phonon spectrum are put into perspective with respect to the superconducting properties within this family of materials.     

Measurement of the nonlinear coefficient of orientation-patterned GaAs and demonstration of highly efficient second-harmonic generation

Quasi-phase-matched (QPM) GaAs structures, 0.5 mm thick, 10 mm long, and with 61-mum grating periods, were grown by a combination of molecular-beam epitaxy and hydride vapor phase epitaxy. These were characterized by use of mid-IR second-harmonic generation (SHG) with a ZnGeP(2) (ZGP) optical parametric oscillator as a pump source. The SHG efficiencies of QPM GaAs and QPM LiNbO(3) were directly compared, and a ratio of nonlinear coefficients d(14)(GaAs)/d(33) (LiNbO(3))=5.01+/-0.3 was found at 4.1-mum fundamental wavelength. For input pulse energies as low as 50muJ and approximately 60-ns pulse duration, an internal SHG conversion efficiency of 33% was measured in QPM GaAs.     

A spectroscopic study of M@C82 metallofullerenes: Raman, far-infrared, and neutron scattering results

82 metallofullerenes have been studied at room temperature by Raman (for M=La, Y, Ce, Gd), far-infrared (FIR) (for M=La, Y, Ce), and inelastic neutron scattering (INS) (for M=La, Y) spectroscopy. Raman and FIR spectra suggest that these metallofullerenes have a common dominant, if not a single, structure of the C₈₂ cage and a similar bonding of the encapsulated metal ion, i.e. the bonding is primarily electrostatic and the metal atoms are in the same oxidation state (+3). The metal ion vibrations are located around 160 and 50 cm^-1. INS reveals no gap between internal vibrational and external vibrational and rotational modes in the range ∼50–200 cm^-1 as is typically observed for other fullerides and also predicted by our model calculations. Presumably this is due to strong intermolecular interactions between M@C₈₂ units in the bulk sample. The studied metallofullerenes are air sensitive, and degradation in air could be followed by changes in the Raman spectra. Received: 24 August 1997/Accepted: 26 September 1997     

Quasi-group-velocity matching using integrated-optic structures

We propose a device to compensate for group-velocity mismatch (GVM) effects that limit the efficiency-bandwidth product in nonlinear frequency-mixing devices. Integrated wavelength-dependent delay lines are introduced periodically in a waveguide containing a series of quasi-phase-matching (QPM) gratings. Appropriate choice of the time delays can compensate for GVM. We have demonstrated a two-stage device in a periodically poled lithium niobate waveguide. Two approximately 150-fs-long pulses generated 6 ps apart by second-harmonic generation in two QPM gratings were resynchronized by a fixed delay line, and their relative phase was fine controlled by temperature tuning. This technique, which can be iterated to more than two segments, permits optical frequency mixers with a higher efficiency-bandwidth product than would be possible in a single grating short enough to avoid GVM effects.     

Nature of amorphous polymorphism of water

We report elastic and inelastic neutron scattering experiments on different amorphous ice modifications. It is shown that an amorphous structure (HDA') indiscernible from the high-density phase (HDA), obtained by compression of crystalline ice, can be formed from the very high-density phase (vHDA) as an intermediate stage of the transition of vHDA into its low-density modification (LDA'). Both HDA and HDA' exhibit comparable small-angle scattering signals characterizing them as structures heterogeneous on a length scale of a few nanometers. The homogeneous structures are the initial and final transition stages vHDA and LDA', respectively. Despite their apparent structural identity on a local scale, HDA and HDA' differ in their transition kinetics explored by in situ experiments. The activation energy of the vHDA-to-LDA' transition is at least 20 kJ/mol higher than the activation energy of the HDA-to-LDA transition.     

Engineering of multicolor spatial solitons with chirped-period quasi-phase-matching gratings in optical parametric amplification

We demonstrate the excitation of solitons in a parametric amplifier with enhanced signal content through the use of a chirped-period quasi-phase-matching grating. This technique affords a low soliton threshold at the input end of a parametric amplifier, and the subsequent transformation to a desired soliton that exists at nonzero wave-vector mismatch through the use of a linearly chirped quasi-phase-matching grating. This approach has an advantage over direct excitation of solitons at nonzero wave-vector mismatch in uniform nonlinear materials and holds potential for improving the efficiency and mode quality of high-gain parametric amplifiers.     

Chemical diffusion of water in the high-temperature proton conductor Ba3Ca1.18Nb1.82O9-δ

Ba₃Ca_1.18Nb_1.82O_9-δ (also referred to as BCN18) is a promising high-temperature proton conductor. In the dry state it contains an abundant amount of vacancies in the oxygen sublattice. Water may enter the compound occupying the vacancies and supplying protons to the lattice. The conductivity of these protons may be used in future applications of high-temperature proton conductors as electrolytes for SOFCs and in sensors. Chemical diffusion of water in this compound is described by the coupled outward flux of Ovacancies and the inward flux of protons (OH^•). The chemical diffusivity is in general a complicated function of the concentrations and the individual diffusivities. In this work, the chemical diffusivity of water is determined by studying the kinetics of a) the weight increase in TG experiments, and b) of dilatometric length changes upon subjecting the samples to humid atmospheres. The chemical diffusivities determined using techniques a) and b) are in good agreement. Likewise, the present data are compatible with those determined in a previous thermal desorption study. The present data, however, only apply to situations where the initial proton concentration is rather low and where the proton content is not changed dramatically in the experiment. Paper presented at the 4th Euroconference on Solid State Ionics, Renvyle, Galway, Ireland, Sept. 13–19, 1997     

Search for parity violation in the 1081 keV gamma transition of F

The weak neutral current results in a parity-violating one-pion-exchange potential in nuclei. A search for this force has been carried out with the 1081 keV γ-radiation of ¹⁸F, which is expected to be circularly polarized. Excited ¹⁸F nuclei were produced with the ¹⁶O(³He, p)¹⁸F reaction and the γ-ray polarization was measured with a multiple transmission polarimeter system. The experimental result P = (− 1.0 ± 1.8) × 10⁻³ is smaller than recent theoretical estimates.     

LEED intensities from clean and hydrogen covered Ni(100) and Pd(111) surfaces

Hydrogen adsorbs on Ni(100) and Pd(111) surfaces without the formation of additional diffraction spots in the LEED patterns. Measurements of LEED intensities revealed that adsorbed hydrogen layers cause considerable changes even in such cases where displacements of surface atoms (“reconstructive adsorption”) may be excluded. After hydrogen adsorption on Ni(100) the intensities of Bragg beams are uniformly lowered whereas the background intensity increases which is attributed to the formation of a disordered adsorbed layer. With Pd(111) adsorbed hydrogen causes a slight decrease of the background intensity and characteristic modifications of the intensity/voltage curve of the (0,0) beam, suggesting the formation of an ordered 1 × 1 structure. In the latter case energy shifts of the primary Bragg maxima were observed and are interpreted as being caused by an expansion of the layer spacing in the surface region by about 2% owing the partial dissolution of the hydrogen.