Comment on “Impedance spectroscopy study and ground state electronic properties of In(Mg1/2Ti1/2)O3 (Physica B 406 (2011) 1081–1087)” and related works

In this comment, we demonstrated that some reports about synthesis and properties of double In-based perovskites, In(Mg_1/2Ti_1/2)O₃, In(Ni_1/2Zr_1/2)O₃, and In(Co_1/2Ti_1/2)O₃, are incorrect. Mixtures of different known oxides were investigated instead of the claimed new compounds. We also tried to prepare In(Ni_1/2Zr_1/2)O₃, In(Ni_1/2Ti_1/2)O₃, and In(Zn_1/2Mn_1/2)O₃ using a high-pressure method (at 6 GPa and 1580 K) and found that these compounds are not formed. Only in the In₂O₃–NiO–MnO₂ system, a new perovskite phase is formed using the high-pressure preparation method.     

Nonlinear s-polarized surface plasmon polaritons

We have examined the dispersion relations for s-polarized surface plasmon polaritons, guided by (a) the interface between a semi-infinite metal and dielectric medium, and (b) a metal film bounded by semi-infinite dielectric media for situations in which one or more of the dielectric media are characterized by an intensity-dependent refractive index. We found that s-polarized waves satisfy the dispersion relations for very thin metal films bounded by nonlinear dielectric media. These waves exist only for power levels above a threshold that depends on the material parameters. We also comment on the experimental feasibility of observing these waves.     

Enhancement of single‑photon emission from nitrogen‑vacancy centers with TiN/(Al,Sc)N hyperbolic metamaterial

The broadband enhancement of single‑photon emission from nitrogen‐vacancy centers in nanodiamonds coupled to a planar multilayer metamaterial with hyperbolic dispersion is studied experimentally. The metamaterial is fabricated as an epitaxial metal/dielectric superlattice consisting of CMOS‐compatible ceramics: titanium nitride (TiN) and aluminum scandium nitride (Al_xSc_1‐xN). It is demonstrated that employing the metamaterial results in significant enhancement of collected single‑photon emission and reduction of the excited‐state lifetime. Our results could have an impact on future CMOS‐compatible integrated quantum sources.

     

Generation of the line radiation of argon added to DT gas in Iskra-5 experiments

The first experiments measuring the density of a compressed deuterium and tritium mixture in microtargets of indirect irradiation (x-ray targets) were performed at the Iskra-5 facility. The density was determined according to the broadening of the lines of hydrogen-and helium-like argon added to the DT gas as a diagnostics material. A series of three experiments was performed with x-ray targets in which the central capsule filled with a DT + Ar mixture over a range of shell thicknesses. In two of the experiments, argon emission spectra were recorded and the density of the compressed gas was determined. For a microtarget approximately 280 μm in diameter with a wall approximately 7 μm thick, an analysis of the experimental results yielded an estimated density in the compressed gas of ∼1 g/cm³. Gas-dynamic calculations using the SNDA (spectral nonequilibrium diffusion with absorption) program show that argon emission takes place just after reaching maximum temperature, but much sooner than maximum compression. The results of a calculation for an experiment with low relative Ar concentration are in overall agreement with the experimental data. Additional investigations are needed to interpret experiments at a relatively high concentration. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 114, 837–848 (September 1998)     

Direct spectroscopic observation of multiple-charged-ion acceleration by an intense femtosecond-pulse laser

We have observed evidence of the emission of energetic He-and H-like ions of fluorine more than 1 MeV produced via the optical field ionization (OFI) from a solid target irradiated by an intense I=(2-4)x10(18) W/cm(2) (60 fs, lambda=800 nm), obliquely incident p-polarized pulse laser. The measured blue wing of He(alpha), He(beta), and Ly(alpha) lines of fluorine shows a feature of the Doppler-shifted spectrum due to the self-similar ion expansion dominated by superthermal electrons with the temperature T(h) approximately 100 keV. Using a collisional particle-in-cell simulation, which incorporates the nonlocal-thermodynamic-equilibrium ionization including OFI, we have obtained the plasma temperature, line shape, and maximal energy of accelerated ions, which agree well with those determined from the experimental spectra. The red wing of ion spectra gives the temperature of bulk plasma electrons.     

Nuclear shadowing in Glauber–Gribov theory with Q 2-evolution

We consider deep inelastic scattering off nuclei in the Regge limit within the Glauber–Gribov model. Using unitarized parton distribution functions for the proton, we find sizeable shadowing effects on the nuclear total and longitudinal structure functions, $F_{2}^{A}$ and $F_{L}^{A}$ , in the low-x limit. Extending a fan-diagram analysis for the large-mass region of coherent diffraction off nuclei to high Q ², we also find significant shadowing effects in this kinematical regime. Finally, we discuss the shortcomings of our approach and possible extensions of the model to other kinematical regimes.     

Dinuclear Zn(II) catalysts as biomimics of RNA and DNA phosphoryl transfer enzymes: changing the medium from water to alcohol provides enzyme‐like rate enhancements

Phosphodiesters are notoriously hydrolytically inert compounds that are demonstrated to have large accelerations of P‐OR cleavage promoted by transition and lanthanide metal ions in methanol and ethanol media. This review commentary describes recent findings of how a simple mononuclear and a dinuclear Zn(II) complex promote the cleavage of a series of RNA models and DNA models in alcohol media. The discussion centers on the analysis of the mechanisms of cleavage, energetics of the catalytic process, on recent findings of electrophilic assistance of leaving group departure, and the observation of a rapid hydrolytic reaction of a DNA model promoted by the dinuclear Zn(II) complex in ethanol containing less than 2% water. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Angle‐resolved photoemission spectroscopy and imaging with a submicrometre probe at the SPECTROMICROSCOPY‐3.2L beamline of Elettra

The extensive upgrade of the experimental end‐station of the SPECTROMICROSCOPY‐3.2L beamline at Elettra synchrotron light source is reported. After the upgrade, angle‐resolved photoemission spectroscopy from a submicrometre spot and scanning microscopy images monitoring the photoelectron signal inside selected acquisition angle and energy windows can be performed. As a test case, angle‐resolved photoemission spectroscopy from single flakes of highly oriented pyrolitic graphite and imaging of the flakes with image contrast owing to rotation of the band dispersion of different flakes are presented.     

Focused array transducer for two-dimensional optoacoustic tomography

Optoacoustic (OA) imaging utilizes short laser pulses to create acoustic sources in tissue and time resolved detection of generated pressure profiles for image reconstruction. The ultrasonic transients provide information on the distribution of optical absorption coefficient that can be useful for early cancer diagnostics. In this work a new design of wide-band array transducer is developed and tested. The array consists of 32 focused piezo-elements made of PVDF slabs imposed on a cylindrical surface. A single array element response to an OA signal coming from arbitrarily located point source is investigated theoretically and experimentally. The measured signals correspond well to numerically calculated ones. Focal zone maps of the elements with aperture angles 30 degrees and 60 degrees are presented and discussed; the resolution in direction perpendicular to the imaging plane is determined. Point spread function of the whole array is calculated using experimentally obtained signals from the sources located at different distances from the array. Backprojection algorithm is employed for reconstruction of the optoacoustic images. It is shown that the spatial resolution of the images yielded by the proposed array increases significantly compared to previous transducer designs.     

Design of two-dimensional random surfaces with specified scattering properties

A method is proposed for designing a two-dimensional randomly rough Dirichlet surface that, when illuminated at normal incidence, scatters a scalar plane wave with a specified angular distribution of its intensity. The method is validated by computer simulation calculations.