Effects of Nb2O5 on thermal stability and optical properties of Er3+-doped tellurite glasses

Er³⁺-doped tellurite glasses with molar compositions of xNb₂O₅-(14.7-x)Na₂O--10ZnO--5K₂O--10GeO₂-- 60TeO₂--0.3Er₂O₃ (x=0, 3, 5, 7 and 9) have been investigated for developing 1.5~μm fibre and planar amplifiers. The effects of Nb₂O₅ on the thermal stability and optical properties of Er³⁺-doped tellurite glasses have been discussed. It is noted that the incorporation of Nb₂O₅ (x=5) increases the thermal stability of tellurite glasses significantly. Er³⁺-doped niobium tellurite glasses exhibit a large stimulated emission cross-section (7.2\times 10^-21- 10.7×10^-21~cm² and the gain bandwidth, FWHM×\sigma_e^{\rm peak} (274\times 10^-28 - 480×10^-28~cm³), which are significantly higher than that of silicate and phosphate glasses. In addition, the intensity of upconversion luminescence of the Er³⁺-doped niobium tellurite glasses decreases rapidly with increasing Nb₂O₅ content. As a result, Er³⁺-doped niobium tellurite glasses might be a potential candidate for developing laser or optical amplifier devices.     

Nanoparticulate materials and regulatory policy in Europe: An analysis of stakeholder perspectives

The novel properties of nanoparticulate materials (NPM) and the rapid development of NPM based products have raised many unanswered questions and concerns by different stakeholders over its consequences for the environment and human health. These concerns have led to an increasing discussion in both the US and Europe about possible regulatory policies for NPM. In this article a comparative study of stakeholders’ perceptions on regulatory policy issues with NPM in Europe is presented. It was found that industry wants to regulate this area if the scientific evidence demonstrates that NPM are harmful, but also that the regulatory bodies do not find it necessary at this point of time to regulate until scientific evidence demonstrates that NPM are harmful. This research therefore shows that there will most likely not be any regulatory interventions until there is an established and convincing scientific knowledge base demonstrating that NPM can be hazardous. It is furthermore discussed in this article the different roles and responsibilities of the stakeholders in financing the research required to establish the necessary level of fundamental scientific evidence. It was also found that the activity of the regulatory bodies on this issue differ between the European countries.     

Synthesis of Al–Cr decagonal quasicrystal nanoparticles and their temperature of phase transformation to stable crystal phase

The synthesis of Al–Cr single quasicrystal (QC) nanoparticles of the decagonal phase was achieved by introducing an advanced gas flow evaporation method. By obtaining successive electron diffraction patterns for single-QC nanoparticles, the phase transformation temperature of a single-QC nanoparticle was determined to be 700 °C. It was also determined that part of the QC nanoparticle decomposed into hex-Al₈Cr₅ and Al during the phase transformation. Since the grain growth did not occur during the phase transformation in the present experiment, the inherent phase transformation temperature could be measured.     

二维电子气等离激元太赫兹波器件

固态等离激元太赫兹波器件正成为微波毫米波电子器件技术和半导体激光器技术向太赫兹波段发展和融合的重要方向之一。本综述介绍AlGaN/GaN异质结高浓度和高迁移率二维电子气中的等离激元调控、激发及其在太赫兹波探测器、调制器和光源中应用的近期研究进展。通过光栅和太赫兹天线实现自由空间太赫兹波与二维电子气等离激元的耦合,通过太赫兹法布里-珀罗谐振腔进一步调制太赫兹波模式,增强太赫兹波与等离激元的耦合强度。在光栅-谐振腔耦合的二维电子气中验证了场效应栅控的等离激元色散关系,实现了等离激元模式与太赫兹波腔模强耦合产生的等离极化激元模式,演示了太赫兹波的调制和发射。在太赫兹天线耦合二维电子气中实现了等离激元共振与非共振的太赫兹波探测,建立了太赫兹场效应混频探测的物理模型,指导了室温高灵敏度自混频探测器的设计与优化。研究表明,基于非共振等离激元激发可发展形成室温高速高灵敏度的太赫兹探测器及其焦平面阵列技术。然而,固态等离激元的高损耗特性仍是制约基于等离激元共振的高效太赫兹光源和调制器的主要瓶颈。未来的研究重点将围绕高品质因子等离激元谐振腔的构筑,包括固态等离激元物理、等离激元谐振腔边界的调控、新型室温高迁移率二维电子材料的运用和高品质太赫兹谐振腔与等离激元器件的集成等。     

~(87)Rb玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚体的快速实验制备

采用二维磁光阱产生了-个快速~(87)Rb原子流,并在高真空的三维磁光阱中实现了~(87)Rb原子的快速俘获,进一步采用射频蒸发冷却技术实现了原子云的预冷却,然后将原子转移到远失谐的光学偶极阱中蒸发得到了玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚体.实验上可以在25 s内完成三维磁光阱的装载(约1.0×10~(10)个~(87)Rb原子),然后经过16 s的冷却过程最终在光学偶极阱中获得5.0×10~5个原子的玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚体.实验重点研究了二维磁光阱的优化设计和采用蓝失谐大功率光束对四极磁阱零点的堵塞,抑制四极磁阱中原子的马约拉纳损耗,更加有效地对原子云进行预冷却.     

二维原子晶体的低电压扫描透射电子显微学研究

二维原子晶体材料,如石墨烯和过渡金属硫族化合物等,具有不同于其块体的独特性能,有望在二维半导体器件中得到广泛应用.晶体中的结构缺陷对材料的物理化学性能有直接的影响,因此研究结构缺陷和局域物性之间的关联是当前二维原子晶体研究中的重要内容,需要高空间分辨率的结构研究手段.由于绝大部分二维原子晶体在高能量高剂量的电子束辐照下容易发生结构损伤,利用电子显微方法对二维原子晶体缺陷的研究面临诸多挑战.低电压球差校正扫描透射电子显微(STEM)技术的发展,一个主要目标就是希望在不损伤结构的前提下对二维原子晶体的本征结构缺陷进行研究.在STEM下,多种不同的信号能够被同步采集,包括原子序数衬度高分辨像和电子能量损失谱等,是表征二维原子晶体缺陷的有力工具,不但能对材料的本征结构进行单原子尺度的成像和能谱分析,还能记录材料结构的动态变化.通过调节电子束加速电压和电子辐照剂量,扫描透射电子显微镜也可以作为电子刻蚀二维原子晶体材料的平台,用于加工新型纳米结构以及探索新型二维原子晶体的原位制备.本综述主要以本课题组在石墨烯和二维过渡金属硫族化合物体系的研究为例,介绍低电压扫描透射电子显微学在二维原子晶体材料研究中的实际应用.     

Thickness-dependent electrical and optical properties of Ge8Sb2Te11 thin films

The amorphous Ge₈Sb₂Te₁₁thin films with varying thickness are thermally deposited on well-cleaned glass substrate from its polycrystalline bulk. Absence of any sharp peak confirms the amorphous nature of deposited films. Thickness-dependent electrical and optical properties including dc-activation energy, sheet resistivity, optical band gap, band tailing parameter, etc. of Ge₈Sb₂Te₁₁thin films have been studied. The optical parameters have been calculated from transmission, reflection and absorbance data in the spectral range of 200–1100 nm. It has been found that optical band gap and band tailing parameter decreases with the increase in Ge₈Sb₂Te₁₁thin films thickness. The dc-activation energy and sheet resistivity decreases while the crystallization temperature of the amorphous Ge₈Sb₂Te₁₁ films increases with the increase in thickness of the films. The decrease of the sheet resistivity has been substantiated quantitatively using the classical size-effect theory. These results have been explained on the basis of rearrangements of defects and disorders in the amorphous chalcogenide system.     

Extremely low surface recombination in 1 Ω cm n‐type monocrystalline silicon

A key requirement in the recent development of highly efficient silicon solar cells is the outstanding passivation of their surfaces. In this work, plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition of a triple layer dielectric consisting of amorphous silicon, silicon oxide and silicon nitride, charged extrinsically using corona, has been used to demonstrate extremely low surface recombination. Assuming Richter's parametrisation for bulk lifetime, an effective surface recombination velocity S_eff = 0.1 cm/s at Δn = 10¹⁵ cm^–3 has been obtained for planar, float zone, n ‐type, 1 Ω cm silicon. This equates to a saturation current density J_0s = 0.3 fA/cm², and a 1‐sun implied open‐circuit voltage of 738 mV. These surface recombination parameters are among the lowest reported for 1 Ω cm c‐Si. A combination of impedance spectroscopy and corona‐lifetime measurements shows that the outstanding chemical passivation is due to the small hole capture cross section for states at the interface between the Si and a‐Si layer which are hydrogenated during nitride deposition. (© 2016 The Authors. Phys. Status Solidi RRL published by WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

量子点场效应单光子探测器二维电子气载流子浓度研究

设计了一种基于场效应晶体管的量子点场效应单光子探测器(quantum dot field effect transistor,QDFET),建立了二维电子气(two-dimensional electron gas,2DEG)的薛定谔方程和泊松方程,通过对薛定谔方程和泊松方程的自洽求解,对2DEG的载流子浓度进行了模拟。模拟结果显示,AlGaAs的Al组分、δ掺杂层的掺杂浓度以及隔离层的厚度对于2DEG的载流子浓度均有影响。为了使2DEG具有较高的载流子浓度,AlGaAs的Al组分应为0.2~0.4,δ掺杂浓度应为6~8×10~(13)/cm~2,隔离层厚度应在50nm以下。通过对2DEG的载流子浓度进行研究,可以掌握2DEG载流子浓度的影响因素,从而通过优化QDFET结构,可提高2DEG的载流子浓度。这对于高灵敏度QDFET的制备具有重要的意义和应用价值。