Phase formation and control of morphology in sputtered Cu-In alloy layers

The dependence of structural properties and surface morphology of Cu-In alloy layers on the composition and sputtering deposition sequence were investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The properties of the co-sputtered alloy layers changed abruptly around the composition boundary when the Cu/In ratio reached 1/2. This can be explained by the effective heat of formation (EHF) model, which has been used to predict the sequence of phase formation for metal diffusion couples. The use of a co-sputtered alloy layer with a high In concentration was not suitable for fabricating solar cells, because the film had a very rough morphology due to large In islands formed on the CuIn₂ phase. However, it was possible to minimize this phase by In sputtering followed by co-sputtering with a Cu/In ratio of 1 (Cu-In/In/Glass). This permitted the fabrication of a homogeneous Cu-In alloy layer, which was not possible through the simple co-sputtering.     

Neutron diffraction study of crystal structure and antiferromagnetic ordering in the heavy fermion compound CePd2Al3

Nuclear and magnetic structures of an annealed polycrystalline sample of the heavy-fermion compound CePd₂Al₃ prepared by arc-melting were investigated by neutron powder diffraction. The chemical structure corresponds well to the ordered hexagonal PrNi₂Al₃-type structure. The antiferromagnetic structure of CePd₂Al₃ with an ordered magnetic moment _Ce=0.47(2) _B at saturation is remarkably similar to that in the heavy fermion superconductor UPd₂Al₃. The additional incommensurate magnetic structures reported previously both for UPd₂Al₃ and CePd₂Al₃ are not observed in the present sample of CePd₂Al₃. At 1.4 K the magnetoresistivity of CePd₂Al₃ measured up to 14 T indicates only one field-induced phase transition at 3.0 T.     

Gain dynamics of the 4.3 μm CO2 laser

A detailed study of the gain dynamics of the pulsed, optically pumped 4.3 m CO₂ laser is described. Small-signal gain coefficients as high as 14%/cm are measured in a 4.3 m amplifier using low-power pulses from a 4.3 m probe laser. The measurements are compared with a rate-equation model and good quantitative agreement is obtained. The model, which uses no adjustable parameters, is described in detail. Gain is studied as a function of optical pumping power, gas mixture, gas pressure and discharge excitation of the 4.3 m amplifier. Optimization of the gain is discussed.     

Study of a carbon dioxide ring laser gyroscope

We have experimentally investigated a basic ring laser gyroscope (RLG) with carbon dioxide gain, and studied the prospects of developing a practical CO₂ RLG. Rotation sensing was demonstrated on a number of transitions in the 9.4 m and 10.4 m vibration-rotation bands. Gyro response is discussed with regard to lock-in, bias, homogeneous broadening effects, and high power operation. We show that such a system may offer important advantages over standard helium-neon RLGs, including reduced quantum limit and backscattering. The prospects and possible approaches for developing a practical high power CO₂ RLG are discussed, and a method of eliminating cross-saturation at high pressure is proposed and analyzed.     

Roles of quarks and gluons in the spin structure of nucleons

The spin structure of protons will be discussed by using MIT-bag model and considering constituent quarks to be combined from current quarks and gluons. It will be shown that the gluonic degrees of freedom play an important role in prediction of the recent EMC results.     

Efficient second-harmonic generation in Tl3AsSe3 using focussed CO2 laser radiation

The nonlinear material Tl₃AsSe₃ was used to convert pulsed 10.6 m laser radiation into the second harmonic. The laser beam was tightly focussed, and an energy conversion efficiency of 57% was obtained, which is the highest reported to date in the mid-IR.     

Electron momentum density in Cu<Subscript>0.9</Subscript>Al<Subscript>0.1</Subscript>

A reconstruction technique based on the solution of the Radon transform in terms of Jacobi polynomials is used to obtain the 3D electron momentum density, ϱ(p), from nine high-resolution Compton profiles (CPs) for a Cu_0.9Al_0.1 disordered alloy single crystal. The method was also applied to theoretical CPs computed within the Korringa–Kohn–Rostoker coherent potential approximation (KKR-CPA) first-principles scheme for the same nine orientations of the crystal. The experimental ϱ(p) is in satisfactory agreement with the theoretical ϱ(p), shows most details of the Fermi surface (FS) and exhibits electron correlation effects. We comment on the map of the FS obtained by folding the reconstructed ϱ(p) into the first Brillouin zone, which yields the occupation number density, ϱ(k). A test of the validity of data via a consistency condition (within our reconstruction algorithm) as well as the propagation of experimental noise in the reconstruction of both ϱ(p) and ϱ(k) are investigated. Received: 24 October 2001 / Accepted: 20 January 2002 / Published online: 3 June 2002 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +48-71/344-10-29, E-mail: samsel@int.pan.wroc.pl     

Cosmological implications of Károlyházy uncertainty relation

Károlyházy uncertainty relation, which can be viewed also as a relation between UV and IR scales in the framework of an effective quantum field theory satisfying a black hole entropy bound, strongly favors the existence of dark energy with its observed value. Here we estimate the dynamics of dark energy predicted by the Károlyházy relation during the cosmological evolution of the universe.     

Boolean delay equations: A simple way of looking at complex systems

Boolean Delay Equations (BDEs) are semi-discrete dynamical models with Boolean-valued variables that evolve in continuous time. Systems of BDEs can be classified into conservative or dissipative, in a manner that parallels the classification of ordinary or partial differential equations. Solutions to certain conservative BDEs exhibit growth of complexity in time; such BDEs can be seen therefore as metaphors for biological evolution or human history. Dissipative BDEs are structurally stable and exhibit multiple equilibria and limit cycles, as well as more complex, fractal solution sets, such as Devil’s staircases and “fractal sunbursts.” All known solutions of dissipative BDEs have stationary variance. BDE systems of this type, both free and forced, have been used as highly idealized models of climate change on interannual, interdecadal and paleoclimatic time scales. BDEs are also being used as flexible, highly efficient models of colliding cascades of loading and failure in earthquake modeling and prediction, as well as in genetics. In this paper we review the theory of systems of BDEs and illustrate their applications to climatic and solid-earth problems. The former have used small systems of BDEs, while the latter have used large hierarchical networks of BDEs. We moreover introduce BDEs with an infinite number of variables distributed in space (“partial BDEs”) and discuss connections with other types of discrete dynamical systems, including cellular automata and Boolean networks. This research-and-review paper concludes with a set of open questions.     

High-frequency nanostructured magnetic materials for integrated inductors

Electroplating is compatible with the deposition of relatively thick layers i.e. several μm to 10s- of μm. However eddy current losses mean that thick layers will have an inferior frequency response. We have used a low content phosphorous bath together with pulse reverse plating to generate Co-rich and Co-deficient multi-nanolayers of CoP having improved saturation magnetisation and a better frequency response. The plating parameters have been optimised in order to produce a material with low loss, and a high permeability of around 700 retained up to 103 MHz for a sample with a thickness of 1.7 μm and a resistivity of 136 μΩ cm.