Vibrational spectroscopy of SiC thin films deposited by excimer laser ablation

A large number of thin SiC films, prepared at different conditions by KrF excimer laser ablation of solid SiC targets and deposition onto Si substrates (some onto quartz glass (QG) and yttrium-stabilized zirconia (YSZ)) were characterized by infrared and Raman spectroscopy. The films consisted of nano- and microcrystalline SiC and contained nanocrystalline carbon in the case of QG or YSZ substrates. Raman spectra of nanocrystalline SiC (grains <30 nm) reflect the phonon density-of-state function of SiC by broad scattering effects at 220–600 and 650–950 cm⁻¹. Medium-size crystallites are represented by a relatively narrow asymmetric band at 790 cm⁻¹ and crystallites >200 nm by an additional asymmetric band at 960 cm⁻¹. Small satellite bands at 760 and 940 cm⁻¹, attributed to SiC surface layers, were resolved in some well-ordered samples. Optical modelling was needed to interpret the IR spectra. SiC films could be represented by an effective medium model containing a SiC host phase and embedded particles with free charge carriers. The crystalline order of SiC films can be estimated from the parameters of the SiC oscillators. Received: 5 October 1998 / Accepted: 8 January 1999 / Published online: 5 May 1999     

A Raman and dielectric study of ferroelectric ceramics

Dielectric and Raman scattering experiments were performed on various ceramics with composition Ba(Ti_1-xZr_x)O₃. Such lead-free, environmental-friendly materials were shown, from dielectric measurements, to exhibit behaviours extending from conventional to relaxor ferroelectrics on increasing the zirconium concentration. The evolution of the Raman spectra was studied as a function of temperature for various compositions, and the spectroscopic signature of the corresponding phases was determined. In the relaxor state, the variation of the integrated intensity of the Raman lines with temperature showed a plateau at low temperature. This anomaly was also detected as a peak in depolarization current measurements, and attributed to ergodicity breaking which characterizes usual relaxor systems. Raman results hint at locally rhombohedral polar nanoregions resulting from the random fields associated with Zr ions. Received 25 September 1998     

Lie Symmetrical Perturbation and Adiabatic Invariants of Generalized Hojman Type for Disturbed Nonholonomic Systems

For a nonholonomic mechanics system with the action of small disturbance, the Lie symmetrical perturbation and adiabatic invariants of generalized Hojman type are studied under general infinitesimal transformations of groups in which the generalized coordinates and time are variable. On the basis of the invariance of disturbed nonholonomic dynamical equations under general infinitesimal transformations, the determining equations, the constrained restriction equations and the additional restriction equations of Lie symmetries of the system are constructed, which only depend on the variables t, qs and q^.s. Based on the definition of higher-order adiabatic invariants of a mechanical system, the perturbation of Lie symmetries for a nonholonomic system with the action of small disturbance is investigated, and the Lie symmetrical adiabatic invariants, the weakly Lie symmetrical adiabatic invariants and the strongly Lie symmetrical adiabatic invariants of generalized Hojman type of disturbed nonholonomic systems are obtained. An example is given to illustrate applications of the results.     

Relativistic NJL model with light and heavy quarks

We study the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model with light and heavy quarks in a relativistic approach. We emphasize relevant regularization issues as well as the transition from light to heavy quarks. The approach of the electromagnetic meson form factor to the Isgur-Wise function in the heavy-quark limit is also discussed.     

Structural Evolution of Compressing Amorphous Ice

Molecular dynamics simulation is employed to study structural evolution during compressing low density amorphous ice from one atmosphere to 2.5 GPa. The calculated results show that high density amorphous ice is formed under intermediate pressure of about 1.0GPa and O-O-O angle ranges from about 83°to 113° and O-H…O is bent from 112° to 160°The very high density amorphous ice is also formed under the pressure larger than 1.4 GPa and interstitial molecules are found in 0.3-0.4 A just beyond the nearest O-O distance. Low angle O-H… O disappears and it is believed that these hydrogen bonds are broken or re-bonded under high pressures.     

Appropriate Gate Time for Single Molecular Photon Detection Based on Optimal Signal-to-Noise Ratio Analyses

Signal-to-noise ratio of fluorescence detection from a single molecule ＆ analysed by using time-gated techniques. It is found that the optimal signal-to-noise ratio can be obtained by choosing an appropriate gate time with a certain optical background. The dependences of molecular fluorescence lifetime and the optimal signal-to-noise ratio on the appropriate gate time are respectively discussed with two kinds of background sources~ chaotic state with uniform distribution and coherent state with exponential distribution in time domain. For chaotic state background we find that a certain range for appropriate gate time can be obtained with a definite fluorescence lifetime, larger fluorescence lifetime would lower the value of optimal signal-to-noise ratios. For coherent state background we find that there is also a narrow range of appropriate gate time when lifetime of single molecule is less than that of background photons.     

Lie Symmetries and Conserved Quantities for Super-Long Elastic Slender Rod

DNA is a nucleic acid molecule with double-helical structures that are special symmetrical structures attracting great attention of numerous researchers. The super-long elastic slender rod, an important structural model of DNA and other long-train molecules, is a useful tool in analysing the symmetrical properties and the stabilities of DNA. We study the Lie symmetries of a super-long elastic slender rod by using the methods of infinitesimal transformation. Based on Kirchhoff＇s analogue, generalized Hamilton canonical equations are analysed. The infinitesimal transformations with respect to the radian coordinate, the generalized coordinate, and the quasimomentum of the model are introduced. The Lie symmetries and conserved quantities of the model are presented.     

High-pressure Raman spectroscopy of antimony: As-type, incommensurate host-guest, and bcc phases

The vibrational dynamics of elemental solids that form incommensurate host-guest structures are of fundamental interest. High-pressure Raman scattering has been used to examine the vibrational spectrum of the group-V element Sb up to 33 GPa. A_1g and E_g phonons of the ambient pressure rhombohedral A7 phase display a marked decrease with pressure, i.e., prior to the transition to the tetragonal host-guest Sb-II phase at 8.6 GPa, via the monoclinic host-guest Sb-IV phase. The Raman spectrum of the incommensurate host-guest Sb-II phase, has five bands between 80 cm⁻¹ and 200 cm⁻¹ that increase with pressure. For the bcc structure stable above 28 GPa, we observe one weak disorder-induced band that increases with pressure.     

Infrared reflectivity of Cox(SiO2)1−x (x∼0.85, 0.55, 0.38) granular films on SiO2 glass substrates

We report the infrared specular reflectivity of Co_x(SiO₂)_1−x (x∼0.85, 0.55, 0.38) films on SiO₂ glass spanning from a metal-like to insulating behavior. While films for x∼0.85 show carrier metallic shielding and hopping conductivity, for x∼0.65 and lower concentrations, the nanoparticles’ number and size promote a localization edge near the highest longitudinal optical frequency. Such an edge is associated with a reflectivity minimum and a higher frequency band connoting strong electron-phonon interactions, carrier phonon assisted hopping, and polaron formation. Optical conductivity fits with current polaron models provide grounds toward a microscopic understanding of transport properties in these as-prepared granular films.     

Luminescence decays with underlying distributions: General properties and analysis with mathematical functions

In this work, an analysis of the general properties of the luminescence decay law is carried out. The conditions that a luminescence decay law must satisfy in order to correspond to a probability density function of rate constants are established. From an analysis of the general form of the luminescence decay law, it is concluded that the decay must be either exponential or sub-exponential for all times, in order to be represented by a distribution of rate constants H(k). Sub-exponentiality is nevertheless not a sufficient condition. Only decays that are completely monotonic have a probability density function of rate constants. The construction of the decay function from cumulant and moment expansions is studied, as well as the corresponding calculation of H(k) from a cumulant expansion. The asymptotic behavior of the decay laws is considered in detail, and the relation between this behavior and the form of H(k) for small k is explored. Several generalizations of the exponential decay function, namely the Kohlrausch, Becquerel, Mittag-Leffler and Heaviside decay functions, as well as the Weibull and truncated Gaussian rate constant distributions are discussed.