Investigation of the surface roughness of CdZnTe substrates by different techniques of nanometer accuracy

The results of measurements of the root-mean-square (rms) surface roughness of CdZnTe substrates by confocal microscopy (CM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and X-ray reflectometry (XRR) are compared. It is determined that CM yields the highest rms roughness values, AFM assumes an intermediate position, and XRR measurements produce results that are an order of magnitude lower than those obtained with the use of the other two techniques. It is demonstrated that CM rms roughness values depend to a considerable extent on the type of the microscope objective used in experiments. Probable reasons for the discrepancy between the obtained results are discussed.     

Multiple current states of two phase-coupled superconducting rings

The states of two phase-coupled superconducting rings have been investigated. Multiple current states have been revealed in the dependence of the critical current on the magnetic field. The performed calculations of the critical currents and energy states in a magnetic field have made it possible to interpret the experiment as the measurement of energy states into which the system comes with different probabilities because of the equilibrium and nonequilibrium noises upon the transition from the resistive state to the superconducting state.     

Biphoton light generation in polarization-frequency bell states

Four polarization-frequency Bell states are obtained experimentally for photon pairs (biphotons) emitted during spontaneous parametric scattering from continuous pumping in the collinear frequency-nondegenerate regime. The polarization properties of such states are investigated. It is shown that biphoton light in the singlet Bell state is not polarized in the second or fourth order in the field.     

Interference between spontaneous two-photon radiation from two macroscopic regions

Interference is observed between the spontaneous parametric radiation from two nonlinear crystals separated by a macroscopic air gap and excited in series by a common pump beam. The phase of the interference depends on the phase shifts at three frequencies. A simple quantum model agrees well with the experimental results and makes it possible to interpret the effect in terms of general vacuum fluctuations which give rise to the spontaneous emission of mutually coherent radiation from the two crystals. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 65, No. 1, 20–25 (10 January 1997)     

Little-parks effect in a system of asymmetric superconducting rings

Little-Parks oscillations are observed in a system of 110 series-connected aluminum rings 2 μm in diameter with the use of measuring currents from 10 nA to 1 μA. The measurements show that the amplitude and character of oscillations are independent of the relation between the measuring current and the amplitude of the persistent current. By using asymmetric rings, it is demonstrated that the persistent current has a direction. This means that, in the Little-Parks experiment, the total current in one of the half-rings may be directed against the electric field.