The improvement of corrosion resistance of Ce conversion films on aluminum alloy by phosphate post-treatment

A phosphate post-treatment process for Ce conversion film on aluminum was studied. SEM (scanning electronic microscope), XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) and electrochemical measurements were used to characterize the properties of the films. After the post-treatment the micro-cracks on the film surface obviously diminished, and corrosion resistance of the conversion film in NaCl solution increased. The conversion film, without post-treatment, was mainly composed of hydrated cerium oxides, and the dehydration of the film may cause cracking of the films. After phosphate treatment, stable cerium phosphate CePO₄ was formed on the surface, and the content of crystal water decreased greatly, leading to improvement of the film performance with less micro-cracks.     

Quantitative analysis of optical power budget of bismuth oxide-based erbium-doped fiber

We investigated optical power budget of Bi₂O₃-based erbium-doped fiber (BIEDF). Lateral spontaneous emissions and scattering laser powers in the BIEDF were measured quantitatively by using an integrating sphere. Compared with the power of amplified spontaneous emission and signal detected at the output fiber end, it was found that considerable powers were consumed by the laterally emitting lights. As an optically undetected loss limits power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the fiber amplifier, the effect of nonradiative decay from the termination level of pump excited state absorption (pump ESA) was estimated from decay rate analyses of the relevant levels. The nonradiative loss was comparable to amplified signal power in the BIEDF when pumped with a 980-nm LD. Nonradiative decay following cooperative upconversion (CUP) process is also discussed using rate equations analysis.     

Space-Selective Precipitation of Ba2TiSi2O8 Crystals in Sm3^＋-Doped BaO-TiO2-SiO2 Glass by Femtosecond Laser Irradiation

The ferroelectric crystal Ba2TiSi2O8 with high second-order optical nonlinearity is precipitated in Sm^3＋-doped BaO-TiO2-SiO2 glass by a focused 800hm, 250 kHz and 150fs femtosecond laser irradiation. No apparent blue and red emissions are observed at the beginning, while strong blue emission due to second harmonic generation and red emission due to the f-f transitions of Sm^3＋ are observed near the focal point of the laser beam after irradiation for 25s. Micro-Raman spectra confirm that Ba2 TiSi2O8 crystalline dots and lines are formed after laser irradiation. The mechanism of the phenomenon is discussed.     

Density and Symmetric Potential Dependences of Isoscaling Behaviour in the Lattice Gas Model

Isoscaling behaviour of the statistical emission fragments from the equilibrated sources with Z=30 and N=30, 33, 36 and 39 is investigated in the framework of the isospin-dependent lattice gas model. The dependences of isoscaling parameters α on source isospin asymmetry, temperature andfreeze-out density are studied, and the `symmetry energy' is deduced from isoscaling parameters. The results show that symmetry energy C_sym is insensitive to the change of temperature but follows the power-law dependence on the freeze-out density ρ. The effect of strength of asymmetry of nucleon--nucleon interaction potential on the density dependence of the symmetry energy is discussed.     

The chemical potential for the inhomogeneous electron liquid in terms of its kinetic and potential parts with special consideration of the surface potential step and BCS-BEC crossover

The chemical potential μ of a many-body system is valuable since it carries fingerprints of phase changes. Here, we summarize results for μ for a three-dimensional electron liquid in terms of average kinetic and potential energies per particle. The difference between μ and the energy per particle is found to be exactly the electrostatic potential step at the surface. We also present calculations for an integrable one-dimensional many-body system with delta function interactions, exhibiting a BCS-BEC crossover. It is shown that in the BCS regime the chemical potential can be expressed solely in terms of the ground-state energy per particle. A brief discussion is also included of the strong coupling BEC limit.     

The microscopic interaction parameters for Er/Ho energy transfer in tellurite glasses

We investigate the energy transfer between Er³⁺/Ho³⁺ in tellurite glasses. The main channels of energy transfer between Er³⁺/Ho³⁺ are analyzed in detail. The microscopic interaction parameters of resonant and non-resonant (phonon-assisted) energy transfer parameters via Er³⁺→Ho³⁺ are calculated. The result shows that the resonant energy transfers Er³⁺(²H_11/2(⁴S_3/2))→Ho³⁺(⁵F₄(⁵S₂)) and Er³⁺(⁴F_9/2)→Ho³⁺(⁵F₅) are very efficient and non-resonant energy transfers Er³⁺(⁴I_13/2)→Ho³⁺(⁵I₇) and Er³⁺(⁴I_11/2)→Ho³⁺(⁵I₆), which are a phonon-assisted energy transfer process because of energy mismatch are also existed and cannot be neglected.     

Nanosized structural transformation and nonlinear optical properties of lithium niobium germanate glasses

Glass formation in Li₂O-Nb₂O₅-GeO₂ (LNG) system, the structure and crystallization behavior of glasses that have compositions near the ratio Li₂O/Nb₂O₅ ∼ 1 corresponding to stoichiometry of ferroelectric phase LiNbO₃ were examined by differential thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction, small-angle neutron scattering and second harmonic generation (SHG). LNG glasses were subjected to heat treatments at temperatures in the range between T_g and temperature of the first exothermic peak in order to initiate nonlinear optical activity by nanoheterogeneity formation. Transparent nanostructured glasses with second-order optical nonlinearity were obtained for compositions characterized by the Li₂O/Nb₂O₅ molar ratio ranging from 0.83 to 1.2 and GeO₂ 40-45 mol%. As prolonged heat treatments of nanostructured glasses result in crystallization of ferroelectric LiNbO₃ the origin of SHG in transparent LNG glasses is supposed to be connected predominantly with polarity of nanoheterogeneities formed at the initial stage of phase separation.     

Generation and annealing of defects in virgin fused silica (type III) upon ArF laser irradiation: Transmission measurements and kinetic model

The transmission of ArF laser pulses in virgin fused silica (type III) samples changes during N = 10⁶ pulses at an incoming fluence H_in = 5 mJ cm⁻² pulse⁻¹. The related absorption is determined by the pulse energy absorption coefficient α(N, H_in) using a modified Beer’s law, yielding initial values α_ini around 0.005 cm⁻¹, a maximum α_max ? 0.02 cm⁻¹ at N = 10³-10⁴ and stationary values 0.0045 cm⁻¹ ? α_end ? 0.0094 cm⁻¹ after N ≈ 6 × 10⁵ pulses. The development α(N, H_in = const.) is simulated by a rate equation model assuming a pulse number dependent E′ center density E′(N). E′(N) is determined by a dynamic equilibrium between E′ center generation and annealing. Generation occurs photolytically from the precursors ODC II and unstable SiH structures upon single photon absorption and from strained SiO bonds via two-photon excitation. Annealing in the dark periods between the laser pulses is dominated by the reaction of E′ with H₂ present in the SiO₂ network. The development α(N, H_in = const.) is observed for the very first sample irradiation only (virgin state). The values α_end are not accessible by simple spectrophotometer measurements.     

Microstructure selection map for rapidly solidified Al-rich Al–Ce alloys

The effect of rapid solidification on the microstructure of Al–8 Ce, Al–20 Ce and Al–36.6 Ce (wt%) alloys has been investigated using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. A microstructure selection map has been established for the rapidly solidified Al-rich Al–Ce alloys. Rapid solidification has no effect on the phase constitution but has a marked effect on the microstructure of the Al–8 Ce and Al–20 Ce alloys. For the Al–36.6 Ce alloy, however, rapid solidification has a significant effect on both the microstructure and the phase constitution.