The Hyperfine Transition for the Definition of the Second

The unit of time of the International System of Units (SI), the “atomic second” was defined through a constant of physics in 1967. It is derived from the frequency of the hyperfine transition of the atom of cesium 133. From the astronomical definition of the second until today, the accuracy of the realization of the second has improved by eight orders of magnitude, with a rate that has increased since the development of the cesium frequency standards, to reach parts in 10¹⁶ for the best clocks today. In 2018, when the new SI was adopted, the time metrology community proved that a new generation of frequency standards operating in optical wavelengths has uncertainties at the level of 10^–18, and challenge the implementation of high accurate frequency and time comparison techniques to decide on a revision of the definition of the second. Herein, the progress in the definition and realization of the second from astronomy until today is reviewed, an inventory of the present resources is assembled and a brief view for the future given.     

Effect of balanced and unbalanced magnetron sputtering processes on the properties of SnO2 thin films

A comparative study has been carried on the role of balanced magnetron (BM) and unbalanced magnetron (UBM) sputtering processes on the properties of SnO₂ thin films. The oxygen partial pressure, substrate temperature and deposition pressure were kept 20%, 700 °C and 30 mTorr, respectively and the applied RF power varied in the range of 150–250 W. It is observed that the UBM deposition causes significant effect on the structural, electrical and optical properties of SnO₂ thin films than BM as evidenced by X-ray diffraction, C-V, Spectroscopic Ellipsometer and Photoluminescence measurements. The value of band gap (E_g) of the films deposited at 150 W in UBM is found as E_g = 3.83 eV which is much higher than the value of E_g = 3.69 eV as observed in BM sputtering indicating that UBM sputtering results in good crystalline quality. Further, the C-V measurements of SnO₂ thin films deposited using UBM at high power 250 W show hysteresis with large flat band shift indicating that these thin films can be used for the fabrication of memory device. The observed results have been attributed to different mechanisms which exist simultaneously under unbalanced magnetron sputtering due to ion bombardment of growing SnO₂ thin film by energetic Ar+ ions.     

Characteristics of a dual‐radio‐frequency cylindrical inductively coupled plasma

The plasma parameters such as electron density, effective electron temperature, plasma potential, and uniformity are investigated in a new dual‐frequency cylindrical inductively coupled plasma (ICP) source operating at two frequencies (2 and 13.56 MHz) and two antennas (a two‐turn high‐frequency antenna and a six‐turn low‐frequency (LF) antenna). It is found that the electron density increases with 2 MHz power, whereas the electron temperature and plasma potential decrease with 2 MHz power at a fixed 13.56 MHz power. Moreover, the plasma uniformity can be improved by adjusting the LF power. These results indicate that a dual‐frequency synergistic discharge in a cylindrical ICP can produce a high‐density, low‐potential, low‐effective‐electron‐temperature, and uniform plasma.     

兴城地区岩石光谱特征与物性参数、金属元素间响应关系研究

岩石物性参数、元素含量和光谱特征三者之间的相互关系并非独立存在, 研究三者之间的相互关系,对于探索通过遥感信息进行岩石矿物成分、物性参数的定量反演方法奠定基础。采集了兴城地区590块岩样本,分析其物性参数（密度、介电常数、电阻率、磁化率）、金属成分含量（Fe, Ti, V, Mn, Zr, Co, Zn, Nb, Bi, Pb）以及岩石光谱之间的关系。将各物化参数与原始光谱、光谱吸收深度、光谱小波包分解后的高低频做相关性分析,找出各物化参数影响光谱吸收和反射的特征波段,探究关系密切的参数。该研究为岩石岩性分类、某种金属元素和物理特性的反演以及用某种参数来预测关系密切的参数奠定了基础,取得如下结论：（1）获得了火成岩中Fe,Ti,Mn,V,Zn,Bi和Pb等元素的特征谱带,其中Fe元素含量更高,与光谱的相关性更显著。在0.4和0.54 μm波段附近存在Fe的特征反射波段,1.0~1.5 μm波段范围内存在Fe元素的特征吸收波段;在0.4~0.55和0.6~0.65 μm波段范围内,Ti元素与光谱的相关性更显著,在2.28 μm波段附近存在Ti的特征吸收波段;在0.41 μm波段附近存在Mn的特征反射波段;火成岩、沉积岩V元素与光谱相关性差异性较大,在0.76,0.81,0.89,0.95 μm波段附近可能存在火成岩的特征吸收波段和沉积岩的特征反射波段;沉积岩的Zn元素含量与光谱的相关性比火成岩要显著,在0.41,1.36,1.59 μm波段附近可能存在火成岩Zn的特征反射波段,在2.34 μm波段附近可能存在沉积岩Zn的特征波段;2.14 μm波段附近,Bi元素对沉积岩光谱的吸收有一定的作用;Pb的特征谱带可能存在于0.45,0.54,2.29 μm附近;（2）在岩石各物理特性和光谱的关系研究中,在0.57~0.85 μm波段范围内,密度对光谱有很好的吸收反射特征,在0.53 μm波段附近,磁化率使光谱有较强的反射,在1.08 μm波段附近,磁化率使光谱产生较强的吸收;电阻率和光谱的相关关系与密度和光谱的相关关系极为相似;（3）在岩石各物性参数间的关系中发现,密度和电阻率呈显著正相关的关系;（4）在岩石各物性参数与金属元素的关系中研究发现,密度与各金属元素相关性较弱;磁化率与Fe和Ti元素呈显著的正相关关系;电阻率与各金属元素间的相关关系较弱;介电常数与各金属元素含量呈正相关关系,其中与V,Zn,Bi元素的相关关系最显著;（5）在金属元素间,Fe与Ti有较显著的正相关关系,Ti与Fe,V元素间有较强的正相关关系,Zn和Pb存在较强的正相关。     

Robust pulses for high fidelity non-adiabatic geometric gate operations in an off-resonant three-level system

We propose a method to design pulses in a resonant three-level system to enhance the robustness of non-adiabatic geometric gate operations. By optimizing the shape of the pulse envelope, we show that the gate operations are more robust against frequency detuning than they are with Gaussian and square pulses. Our method provides a way to design pulses that can be employed in a system where robustness against frequency variations or inhomogeneous broadening is required, and may be extended to ensure robustness against other physical imperfections such as intensity fluctuations and random noises.     

超高速光纤耦合声光调制器的设计及其应用

为实现小于10 ns光脉冲上升时间的超高速声光调制,该文提出一种光纤耦合声光调制器光脉冲时域响应的理论设计仿真方法。利用该方法对1064 nm和1550 nm工作波长光纤耦合声光调制器进行了仿真,结果预测器件的光脉冲上升时间分别为9.4 ns和9.1 ns;通过器件制作和测试验证,两个波长的器件实测光脉冲上升时间分别为9.74 ns和9.22 ns,实测与理论仿真结果偏差较小。文章最后对器件在超快光纤激光器种子源光脉冲选单、光纤水听阵列时分复用及潜在的宽带移频应用进行了介绍。     

退火温度和溅射时间对磁控溅射法制备Mg2Si薄膜的影响

采用磁控溅射法和原位退火工艺在钠钙玻璃衬底上制备 Mg2Si 薄膜。首先在钠钙玻璃衬底上交替溅射沉积两层Si、Mg 薄膜,冷却至室温后原位退火4 h,制备出一系列 Mg2Si 薄膜样品。通过 X 射线衍射仪(XRD) 、 扫描电子显微镜(SEM)对所得薄膜样品的晶体结构和表面形貌进行表征, 讨论了退火温度和溅射Si/Mg/Si/Mg 时间对制备 Mg2Si 薄膜的影响。结果表明,采用磁控溅射法在钠钙玻璃衬底上交替溅射两层Si、Mg 薄膜, 通过原位退火方式成功制备出单一相的 Mg2Si 薄膜,溅射Si/Mg/Si/Mg 的时间为12.5/9/12.5/9 min,退火温度为550 ℃ 时,制备的 Mg2Si 薄膜结晶度最好,连续性和致密性最强。这对后续 Mg2Si 薄膜器件的设计与制备提供了重要的参考。 积两层Si、Mg 薄膜, 冷却至室温后原位退火4 h, 制备出一系列 Mg2Si 薄膜样品. 通过 X 射线衍射仪(XRD) 、 扫描 电子显微镜(SEM)对所得薄膜样品的晶体结构和表面形貌进行表征, 讨论了退火温度和溅射Si/Mg/Si/Mg 时间 对制备 Mg2Si 薄膜的影响. 结果表明, 采用磁控溅射法在钠钙玻璃衬底上交替溅射两层Si、Mg 薄膜, 通过原位退火 方式成功制备出单一相的 Mg2Si 薄膜, 溅射Si/Mg/Si/Mg 的时间为12.5/9/12.5/9 min, 退火温度为550 ℃ 时, 制 备的 Mg2Si 薄膜结晶度最好, 连续性和致密性最强. 这对后续 Mg2Si 薄膜器件的设计与制备提供了重要的参考.     

基于声学超材料的低频可调吸收器

在当今社会,噪声污染已经成为人类健康的一大威胁,如何有效地控制和消除噪声污染一直是科研领域的一个重要话题.本文以开口环嵌套结构为模型,设计并制备了一种声学超材料.通过理论分析、数值模拟和实验测试,发现由于模型内部空腔的强烈耦合共振效应,该超材料可以在低频区域实现接近完美的吸声效应.此外,通过简单地绕轴旋转其内腔开口方向,即可改变该超材料的相对阻抗值,进而在较宽的频带范围内实现对吸收峰位置的可调控制.由于该超材料具有深亚波长的尺寸,因此非常有利于低频吸声器件的小型化和集成化,同时该模型也为宽带吸收器的设计奠定了基础.     

A hybrid numerical–asymptotic boundary element method for high frequency scattering by penetrable convex polygons

We present a novel hybrid numerical–asymptotic boundary element method for high frequency acoustic and electromagnetic scattering by penetrable (dielectric) convex polygons. Our method is based on a standard reformulation of the associated transmission boundary value problem as a direct boundary integral equation for the unknown Cauchy data, but with a nonstandard numerical discretization which efficiently captures the high frequency oscillatory behaviour. The Cauchy data is represented as a sum of the classical geometrical optics approximation, computed by a beam tracing algorithm, plus a contribution due to diffraction, computed by a Galerkin boundary element method using oscillatory basis functions chosen according to the principles of the Geometrical Theory of Diffraction. We demonstrate with a range of numerical experiments that our boundary element method can achieve a fixed accuracy of approximation using only a relatively small, frequency-independent number of degrees of freedom. Moreover, for the scattering scenarios we consider, the inclusion of the diffraction term provides an order of magnitude improvement in accuracy over the geometrical optics approximation alone.