Preparation and characterization of graphitic carbon nitride through pyrolysis of melamine

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) has been synthesized via a two-step pyrolysis of melamine (C₃H₆N₆) at 800°C for 2 h under vacuum conditions. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns strongly indicate that the synthesized sample is g-C₃N₄. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) morphologies indicate that the product is mainly composed of graphitic carbon nitride. The stoichiometric ratio of C:N is determined to be 0.72 by elemental analysis (EA). Chemical bonding of the sample has been investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) verifies the bonding state between carbon and nitrogen atoms. Optical properties of the g-C₃N₄ were investigated by PL (photoluminescence) measurements and UV–Vis (ultraviolet–visible) absorption spectra. We suppose its luminescent properties may have potential application as component of optical nanoscale devices. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermal analysis (DTA) were also performed.     

The effect of pre-annealing of sputtered ZnO seed layers on growth of ZnO nanorods through a hydrothermal method

Oriented ZnO nanorods were grown on ion-beam-sputtered ZnO seed layers through a hydrothermal approach without any metal catalyst. The sputtered ZnO seed layers were pre-annealed at different temperatures before the growth of ZnO nanorods. The effects of pre-annealing of the ZnO seed layers on the growth rate, crystallinity and optical properties of ZnO nanorods thereon were studied. The obtained ZnO nanorods had a wurtzite structure and grew along the preferential [0001] orientation with a normal direction to the substrates. Results show that the growth rate and density of the ZnO nanorods strongly depend on the pre-treatment conditions of the ZnO seed layer. With higher pre-treatment temperature, the crystallinity and surface characteristics of the ZnO seed layer were improved and thereafter the growth rate of ZnO nanorods thereon increased. Photoluminescence spectroscopy results show that the UV emission also becomes stronger and sharper with increasing annealing temperature of the ZnO seed layer.     

Determination of the helium-4 mass in a Penning trap

The determination of the rotational quadrupole alignment of diatomic molecules via REMPI detection is investigated. In this process a high focal intensity usually increases the detection probability. At high intensities the AC Stark effect may cause a splitting of the normally degenerate m_J sublevels of a rotational state J beyond the spectral width of the exciting radiation. This leads to a selective detection of only certain m_J states with the consequence that deduced alignment factors can be misleading. From the theoretical considerations line profiles are explicitly calculated for dynamic polarizabilities which represent the B ¹Σ⁺ _u←X ¹Σ⁺ _g transition of H₂, in order to fit an experimental (3+1) REMPI spectrum and to predict (1+1') line shapes as a function of laser intensity. It is further shown that the deduced quadrupole alignment factor A ₀ ⁽²⁾ is significantly changed by the second order AC Stark effect when the intensities are chosen high enough to observe asymmetric broadened line profiles. Different combinations of relative linear polarizations of the exciting and ionizing laser beams are discussed. Received 1st August 2000 and Received in final form 2 May 2001     

Atom diffraction from magnetic gratings in the thin phase-grating approximation

The problem of atom diffraction from a reflecting magnetic diffraction grating is solved in the thin phase-grating approximation. The general problem for scalar diffraction is modelled using a semi-classical method in which the grating potential is separated into a reflecting term and a diffracting term. The trajectory of the atom in the reflecting potential is solved classically and the atom wave function in the diffracting potential found by integrating the phase change along the classical trajectory. The diffraction orders are obtained after Fourier transforming the result. This can be done independently of the grating potential resulting in a general formula for the diffraction efficiencies. The general result is applied to the problem of atom diffraction from a magnetic grating. Several approximations are required to reduce the problem to a form amenable to analytic solution. The results are compared with an accurate numerical method. Received 1st February 2001 and Received in final form 8 March 2001     

Unprecedented Bonding Situation in Viable E2(NHBMe)2 (E=Be,Mg; NHBMe=(HCNMe)2B) Complexes: Neutral E2 Forms a Single E−E Covalent Bond

Is it possible to facilitate the formation of a genuine Be?Be or Mg?Mg single bond for the E₂ species while it is in its neutral state? So far, (NHC^R)Be?Be(NHC^R) (R=H, Me, Ph) have been reported where Be₂ is in ¹Δ_g excited state imposing a formal Be?Be bond order of two. Herein, we present the formation of a single E?E (E=Be, Mg) covalent bond in E₂(NHB^Me)₂ (E=Be, Mg; NHB^Me=(HCN^Me)₂B) complexes where E₂ is in ³∑_u⁺ excited state having (nσ_g⁺)²(nσ_u⁺)¹((n+1)σ_g⁺)¹ (n=2 for Be and n=4 for Mg) valence electron configuration and it forms electron‐shared bonding with two NHB^Me radicals. The effects of bonding with nσ_u⁺ and (n+1)σ_g⁺ orbitals will cancel each other, providing the former E?E bond order as one. Be₂(NHB^Me)₂ complex is thermochemically stable with respect to possible dissociation channels at room temperature, whereas the two exergonic channels, Mg₂(NHB^Me)₂ → Mg + Mg(NHB^Me)₂ and Mg₂(NHB^Me)₂ → Mg₂ + (NHB^Me)₂, are kinetically inhibited by a free energy barrier of 15.7 and 18.7 kcal mol^?1, respectively, which would likely to be further enhanced in cases of bulkier substituents attached to the NHB ligands. Therefore, the title complexes are first viable systems which feature a neutral E₂ moiety with a single E?E covalent bond.     

Manipulation of cold atoms by an adaptable magnetic reflector

Adaptive optics for cold atoms has been experimentally realized by applying a bias magnetic field to a static magnetic mirror. The mirror consist of a 12-mm-diameter piece of commercial videotape, having a sine wave of wavelength 25.4 μm recorded in a single track across its width, curved to form a concave reflector with radius of curvature R=54 mm. We have studied the performance of the mirror by monitoring the evolution of a 24 μK cloud of ⁸⁵Rb atoms bouncing on it. A uniform static external magnetic field was added to the mirror field causing a corrugated potential from which the atoms bounce with increased angular spread. The characteristic angular distribution of the surface normal is mapped at the peak of the bounce for atoms dropped from a height of R/2 and at the peak of the second bounce for a drop height of R/4. In a second experiment a time-dependent magnetic field was applied and the angular distribution of the cloud was measured as a function of field frequency. In this scheme we demonstrate a corrugated potential whose time-dependent magnitude behaves like a diffraction grating of variable depth. Finally a rotating field was added to generate a corrugated potential that moves with a velocity given by the product of the external field rotation frequency and the videotape wavelength. This travelling grating provides a new method of manipulation as cold atoms are transported across the surface by surfing along the moving wave. Two theoretical methods have been developed to predict the behaviour of atoms reflecting from these stationary, variable magnitude and moving corrugated potentials. A simple analytic theory provides excellent agreement for reflection from a stationary corrugated potential and gives good agreement when extended to the case of a travelling grating. A Monte Carlo simulation was also performed by brute force numeric integration of the equations of motion for atoms reflecting from all three corrugated potential cases. Received: 1 December 1999 / Revised version: 3 February 2000 / Published online: 5 April 2000     

Analysis of the local conformation of proteins with two-dimensional fluorescence techniques

Two 2D fluorescence techniques are described which allow the study of conformational changes in proteins in their native form in μM solutions using aromatic amino acids (tryptophan, tyrosine) as intrinsic fluorescence markers. Simultaneous time- and wavelength-resolved fluorescence spectra are measured using a 80 ps laser source in conjunction with streak detection in the exit plane of an astigmatism-corrected spectrometer. This approach allows identification of different photophysical processes by their associated lifetime and spectral intensity distribution; errors due to the more common integration over a wider spectral range are avoided. Time-resolved spectra are sensitive to changes in the collisional environment (dynamic quenching) and can thus be used to monitor local conformation changes close to the respective fluorophors. This is demonstrated for the Ras protein which undergoes a drastic conformation change while binding to different nucleotides. Excitation-emission spectra are two-dimensional fluorescence images with one axis corresponding to the excitation and the other to the emission wavelength. Thus, they contain all conventional excitation and fluorescence spectra of a given substance. The 2D structure facilitates the interpretation of these spectra and allows the direct identification of resonance effects, scattering and the isolation of the contribution of different fluorophors to the complete spectrum. This is demonstrated for mixtures of tyrosine and tryptophan. In this case, both wavelength-resolved spectra and temporal decays are affected by energy transfer processes between the two amino acids. In a last example, both static and time-resolved spectral methods are combined to determine the respective contribution of static and dynamic quenching in calsequestrin. Evaluation of the fluorescence data is in good agreement with a recent crystallographic analysis which shows that all tryptophans are located in a conserved domain of the protein. Addition of Ca²⁺ ions leads to a more compact form of calsequestrin and to polymers. This information would not be obtainable from either of the two techniques alone. Received: 10 February 2000 / Published online: 13 September 2000     

GaN blue diode lasers: a spectroscopist’s view

We have characterized the spectroscopic properties of one of the first samples of blue-emitting diode lasers based on GaN. With such a laser diode operated inside a standard extended cavity arrangement we find a mode-hop free tuning range of more than 20 GHz and a linewidth of 10 MHz. Doppler-free spectroscopy on an indium atomic beam reveals the isotope shift between the two major indium isotopes as well as efficient optical pumping. Received: 8 November 1999 / Revised version: 31 January 2000 / Published online: 8 March 2000     

Cold atomic beam from a rubidium funnel

We report an experimental demonstration of a continuous, slow and cold beam of rubidium atoms from a two-dimensional magneto-optic trap or atomic funnel. Typically 7.3(7)×10⁸ atoms/s are ejected from the funnel with a variable velocity in the range 2–8 m/s and a temperature of 45–55 μK in the moving frame. This represents the first demonstration of sub-Doppler laser cooling in an atomic beam and temperatures as low as ≈25 μK have been observed. Received: 30 September 1999 / Published online: 5 April 2000     

Optical manipulation of group III atoms

We present details for the laser manipulation of group III atoms, specifically aluminum, gallium, and indium. The practical considerations of accomplishing this manipulation are discussed and alternative schemes are presented for each species. The possibility of using such an optical technique for composition modulation during semiconductor growth for the fabrication of quantum wire and quantum dot structures is also discussed. Received: 29 September 1999 / Published online: 5 April 2000