A study of structural, compositional and optical properties of spray-deposited non-stoichiometric (Zn,Fe)S thin films

Non-stoichiometric ternary chalcogenides (Zn,Fe)S were prepared in the film form by pyrolytic spray deposition technique, using air/nitrogen as the carrier gas. The precursor solution comprised of ZnCl₂, FeCl₂ and thiourea. The depositions were carried out under optimum conditions of experimental parameters viz. carrier gas (air/nitrogen) flow rate, concentration of precursor constituents, nozzle substrate distance and temperature of quartz substrate. The deposited thin films were later sintered in argon at 1073 K for 120 min.The structural, compositional and optical properties of the sintered thin films were studied. X-ray diffraction studies of the thin films indicated the presence of (Zn,Fe)S solid solution with prominent cubic sphalerite phase while surface morphology as determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed a granular structure.The chemical composition of the resulting thin films as analyzed by energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) reflected the composition of the precursor solutions from which the depositions were carried out with Fe at% values ranging from 0.4 up to 33.SEM micrographs of thin films reveal that the grain sizes of the thin films prepared using air as carrier gas and N₂ as carrier gas are in the vicinity of 300 and 150 nm, respectively.The diffuse transmittance measurements for thin films, as a function of wavelength reveal the dependence of direct optical band gap on Fe content and type of phase.     

Study of thermal currents in powder β-spodumene ceramics doped with Cuo, FeO and TiO2

Ternary-phase ceramic system of Li₂O Al₂O₃ 4SiO₂ doped with CuO, FeO and TiO₂ has been prepared and subjected to dc electrical conductivity and thermally stimulated depolarization current (TSDC) measurements as a function of temperature (30-250 °C) and field strength. The electrical conductivity results are explained by assuming both ionic and electronic conduction mechanisms coexist with different contributions over the whole temperature range of experiments. TSDC spectra have been found to be characterized by a broad intense relaxation peak, which can be attributed to an ionic charge polarization. The broad relaxation transitions are apparently a result of the nonuniform nature of this process. Activation energies are calculated for both dc electrical conductivity and TSDC according to Arrhenius equation and initial rise method, respectively.     

Structures and stability of Al<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Bold">7</Emphasis></Subscript>C and Al<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Bold">7</Emphasis></Subscript>N clusters

We report results of the atomic and electronic structures of Al₇C cluster using ab initio molecular dynamics with ultrasoft pseudopotentials and generalized gradient approximation. The lowest energy structure is found to be the one in which carbon atom occupies an interstitial position in Al₇ cluster. The electronic structure shows that the recent observation [Chem. Phys. Lett. 316, 31 (2000)] of magic behavior of Al₇C^- cluster is due to a large highest occupied and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (HOMO-LUMO) gap which makes Al₇C^- chemically inert. These results have further led us to the finding of a new neutral magic cluster Al₇N which has the same number of valence electrons as in Al₇C^- and a large HOMO-LUMO gap of 1.99 eV. Further, calculations have been carried out on (Al₇N)₂ to study interaction between magic clusters. Received 28 July 2001     

Electrical behavior of the Au/MoS2 interface studied by light emission induced by scanning tunneling microscopy

Light emitted in the tunneling junction of a scanning tunneling microscope has been used to establish the electrical characteristics of nanojunctions made of Au islands deposited on flat MoS₂ surfaces. It is shown that these characteristics are those of rectifying contacts when the gold islands are isolated and that they evolve toward those of ohmic contacts when the island density increases. It is observed that the rectifying behavior also evolves over time as on infinite metal/semiconductor contacts. Using the STM tip, single gold islands can be manipulated on the MoS₂ surface so that their electrical behavior can be changed depending on their position with regard to the other islands.     

The measurement of subcritical electroconvection

Under idealized conditions, electroconvection in a nematic liquid crystal sets in at a well-defined threshold of the driving ac voltage. Fluctuating convection rolls of a small amplitude below that threshold have been observed recently. The measurement of the amplitude of these fluctuations is described in detail in this paper. It is based on averaging the light intensity signals using the structure function and a quantitative analysis of the light deflection.     

Linear and nonlinear optical susceptibilities of orthorhombic rare earth molybdates RE2(MoO4)3

The dielectric responses (i.e. the refractive indices and the second order nonlinear susceptibilities) of all orthorhombic rare earth molybdates have been studied on the basis of the relationship between dielectric responses and the average atomic number of constituent atoms of crystals. Both the linear and second order nonlinear optical responses at 1.064 μm decrease with increasing atomic number from La to Lu.     

Polytetrafluoroethylene and metal structure convective-flow CO laser

A convective flow CO laser composed of polytetrafluoroethylene discharge tubes, nickel–chromium steel components, a cupric heat exchanger and other components is described. Operating in liquid nitrogen condition, output power of 60 W has been obtained from a non-selective cavity.     

Interference of probabilities and number field structure of quantum models

We study the probabilistic consequences of the choice of the basic number field in the quantum formalism. We demonstrate that by choosing a number field for a linear space representation of quantum model it is possible to describe various interference phenomena. We analyse interference of probabilistic alternatives induced by real, complex, hyperbolic (Clifford) and p‐adic representations.     

Restrictions of Quadratic Forms to Lagrangian Planes,Quadratic Matrix Equations,and Gyroscopic Stabilization

We discuss the symplectic geometry of linear Hamiltonian systems with nondegenerate Hamiltonians. These systems can be reduced to linear second-order differential equations characteristic of linear oscillation theory. This reduction is related to the problem on the signatures of restrictions of quadratic forms to Lagrangian planes. We study vortex symplectic planes invariant with respect to linear Hamiltonian systems. These planes are determined by the solutions of quadratic matrix equations of a special form. New conditions for gyroscopic stabilization are found.