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A novel method was developed for studying the ink-paper interface and the structural variations of a deposited layer of ink. Combining high-resolution x-ray tomography with laser ablation, the depth profile of ink (toner), i.e., its varying thickness, could be determined in a paper substrate. X-ray tomography was used to produce the 3D structure of paper with about 1 μm spatial resolution. Laser ablation combined with optical imaging was used to produce the 3D structure of the printed layer of ink on top of that paper with about 70 nm depth resolution. Ablation depth was calibrated with an optical profilometer. It can be concluded that a toner layer on a light-weight-coated paper substrate was strongly perturbed by protruding fibers of the base paper. Such fibers together with the surface topography of the base paper seem to be the major factors that control the leveling of toner and its penetration into a thinly coated paper substrate.

A rotating ball display was tested with a thin monolayer sheet. An oil cavity was formed in the shape of a spheroid in a thin elastomer sheet. The rotation of a bichromal ball was investigated from the point of rotation time from one color to the other color. Bichromal balls were under friction during rotation. The friction caused an abnormal change in the rotation time. The rotation time of the elastomer sheet was compared with that of a microcup rotating ball display. The friction explained the difference of rotation time variation between the elastomer sheet display and the microcup display.

Two scanning techniques are now being used to determine the vibrational patterns and far‐field sound radiation of complex vibratory systems. One technique is a near‐field scanning apparatus which scans the vibrator and gives a three‐dimensional display on graph paper of the nodal patterns. The other scanning technique uses the principles of holography to locate far‐field sound sources on the vibrator. These two methods, coupled together, have demonstrated a unique capability to locate acoustic sources and hot spots on vibratory systems.

Using the transfer matrix method, the absorption, reflection, and nonreciprocity of the cylindrical photonic crystals (CPCs) consisting of graphene and two layers of ordinary medium cascaded by a periodic sequence and a Rudin–Shapiro quasiperiodic sequence are investigated under a large incidence angle of electromagnetic wave. By comparing the cascade of two periodic structures and the case of a single periodic structure, it is concluded that the structure proposed in this paper has better nonreciprocal phenomena and wider relative absorption bandwidth at a large incidence angle, reaching 162.2%, which is also much higher than the general planar photonic crystals. The absorption performance of this structure in TE and TM modes is compared at different angles and it is found that TM mode has a wider absorption bandwidth and has an ideal bandwidth in a large range of incident angle from 20° to 80°. Meanwhile, the optimum parameters of chemical potential and medium thickness are discussed, which can meet the requirements of large absorption bandwidth and significant nonreciprocity at a large incident angle. The CPCs embedded in graphene adopted in this paper are structures that have never been studied before. The electrical conductivity of graphene can be adjusted by the chemical potential, which can more conveniently realize many optical phenomena and provide reference and application values for optical sensing, optical filtering, and optical detection.

In this paper, a gradient-index lens is designed to implement an acoustic Bessel beam. Here, the wave from the point source is reshaped to the Bessel beam with the energy concentrated near the axial direction and almost no divergence. The two-dimensional distribution of the gradient refractive index is obtained based on the analysis of the impedance matching theory. The interface reflection is reduced significantly due to the impedance matching with air. The effect of the acoustic Bessel lens is found to work in a broadband with the use of the subwavelength unit cell and the finite-element simulations. Our results may provide the potential applications for medical ultrasound imaging and signal detection.In this paper, a gradient-index lens is designed to implement an acoustic Bessel beam. Here, the wave from the point source is reshaped to the Bessel beam with the energy concentrated near the axial direction and almost no divergence. The two-dimensional distribution of the gradient refractive index is obtained based on the analysis of the impedance matching theory. The interface reflection is reduced significantly due to the impedance matching with air. The effect of the acoustic Bessel lens is found to work in a broadband with the use of the subwavelength unit cell and the finite-element simulations. Our results may provide the potential applications for medical ultrasound imaging and signal detection.

Mechanical resonators are excellent transducers for ultrasensitive detection applications. Recent advances such as vectorial force sensing and ultrahigh-resolution mass spectra rely on the identification of two flexural vibrational modes of a resonator. The orientations of the flexural modes with respect to the incident optical axis are crucial parameters for a cantilevered resonator. Previous methods have adopted complex experimental setups using quadrant photodetectors or have required simultaneous detection of two flexural modes of the cantilever. In this paper, we propose a method for determination of the orientations of the flexural vibrations of a cantilever using a microlens optical fiber interferometer that takes both the light interference and the lateral light scattering of the cantilever into account. We demonstrated the method by experimentally determining the orientation of the first three flexural vibrational modes of a thermally driven microwire. Our method can be used to characterize individual flexural modes with arbitrary orientations and thus provides a new tool for detecting vectorial forces.Mechanical resonators are excellent transducers for ultrasensitive detection applications. Recent advances such as vectorial force sensing and ultrahigh-resolution mass spectra rely on the identification of two flexural vibrational modes of a resonator. The orientations of the flexural modes with respect to the incident optical axis are crucial parameters for a cantilevered resonator. Previous methods have adopted complex experimental setups using quadrant photodetectors or have required simultaneous detection of two flexural modes of the cantilever. In this paper, we propose a method for determination of the orientations of the flexural vibrations of a cantilever using a microlens optical fiber interferometer that takes both the light interference and the lateral light scattering of the cantilever into account. We demonstrated the method by experimentally determining the orientation of the first three flexural vibrational modes of a thermally driven microwire. Our method can be used to characterize indiv...

Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBGs) are gaining acceptance as velocity/pressure gauges in the fields of detonation and shock physics on account of their sensitivity, small size, flexibility, electromagnetic immunity, and wavelength-encoded feature. Chirped FBGs (CFBGs) are investigated as wavelength-to-position discriminators with the purpose of monitoring pressure/velocity profiles over a distance range of typically 100 mm. The use of CFBGs simplifies both sensor deployment and data retrieval and finally improves the accuracy due to the increased number of measurement data. In this paper, the metrological performance of CFBGs used as in situ distributed shock pressure/velocity gauges is investigated both theoretically and experimentally in a planar shock loading configuration with an aluminum-based flyer and target. In the intermediate range for shock stress, i.e., less than the Hugoniot Elastic Limit (HEL) of silica, CFBGs provide simultaneous measurements of both shockwave velocity and stress within the target material. A Bragg wavelength-to-stress model is proposed that takes into account (i) the state-of-stress within the target material, (ii) the stress coupling coefficient due to imperfect impedance matching between the target material and the silica fiber, (iii) the conversion of the state-of-stress into a state-of-strain within the silica fiber, and (iv) the conversion of strain data into observable Bragg wavelength shifts. Finally, the model also takes into account the pressure dependence of constitutive parameters for silica and aluminum. Experiments were performed in planar shock loading using CFBGs as stress gauges, bonded along the target axis with Araldite glue. 6061-T6 aluminum flyers were launched at several velocities by a gas gun onto targets of the same material. A free-space Czerny-Turner (CT) spectrometer and an integrated-optics Arrayed-Waveguide Grating (AWG) were both used as dynamic spectrum analyzers. Experimental Bragg wavelength shifts agree well with theoretical predictions for both elastic and hydrodynamic planar shock loading of 6061-T6 aluminum, opening up large perspectives for shock physics experiments.Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBGs) are gaining acceptance as velocity/pressure gauges in the fields of detonation and shock physics on account of their sensitivity, small size, flexibility, electromagnetic immunity, and wavelength-encoded feature. Chirped FBGs (CFBGs) are investigated as wavelength-to-position discriminators with the purpose of monitoring pressure/velocity profiles over a distance range of typically 100 mm. The use of CFBGs simplifies both sensor deployment and data retrieval and finally improves the accuracy due to the increased number of measurement data. In this paper, the metrological performance of CFBGs used as in situ distributed shock pressure/velocity gauges is investigated both theoretically and experimentally in a planar shock loading configuration with an aluminum-based flyer and target. In the intermediate range for shock stress, i.e., less than the Hugoniot Elastic Limit (HEL) of silica, CFBGs provide simultaneous measurements of both shockwave velocity and stress within the target...

In this paper, we propose a demodulation method for refractive index (RI) sensing with tilted fiber Bragg gratings (TFBGs). It operates by monitoring the TFBG cladding mode resonance “cut-off wavelengths.” The idea of a “cut-off wavelength” and its determination method are introduced. The RI sensitivities of TFBGs are significantly enhanced in certain RI ranges by using our demodulation method. The temperature-induced cross sensitivity is eliminated. We also demonstrate a parallel-double-angle TFBG (PDTFBG), in which two individual TFBGs are inscribed in the fiber core in parallel using a femtosecond laser and a phase mask. The RI sensing range of the PDTFBG is significantly broader than that of a conventional single-angle TFBG. In addition, its RI sensitivity can reach 1023.1 nm/refractive index unit in the 1.4401–1.4570 RI range when our proposed demodulation method is used.In this paper, we propose a demodulation method for refractive index (RI) sensing with tilted fiber Bragg gratings (TFBGs). It operates by monitoring the TFBG cladding mode resonance “cut-off wavelengths.” The idea of a “cut-off wavelength” and its determination method are introduced. The RI sensitivities of TFBGs are significantly enhanced in certain RI ranges by using our demodulation method. The temperature-induced cross sensitivity is eliminated. We also demonstrate a parallel-double-angle TFBG (PDTFBG), in which two individual TFBGs are inscribed in the fiber core in parallel using a femtosecond laser and a phase mask. The RI sensing range of the PDTFBG is significantly broader than that of a conventional single-angle TFBG. In addition, its RI sensitivity can reach 1023.1 nm/refractive index unit in the 1.4401–1.4570 RI range when our proposed demodulation method is used.

In this paper, we report on the wave transmission characteristics of a hybrid one dimensional (1D) medium. The hybrid characteristic is the result of the coupling between a 1D mechanical waveguide in the form of an elastic beam, supporting the propagation of transverse waves and a discrete electrical transmission line, consisting of a series of inductors connected to ground through capacitors. The capacitors correspond to a periodic array of piezoelectric patches that are bonded to the beam and that couple the two waveguides. The coupling leads to a hybrid medium that is characterized by a coincidence condition for the frequency/wavenumber value corresponding to the intersection of the branches of the two waveguides. In the frequency range centered at coincidence, the hybrid medium features strong attenuation of wave motion as a result of the energy transfer towards the electrical transmission line. This energy transfer, and the ensuing attenuation of wave motion, is alike the one obtained through internal resonating units of the kind commonly used in metamaterials. However, the distinct shape of the dispersion curves suggests how this energy transfer is not the result of a resonance and is therefore fundamentally different. This paper presents the numerical investigation of the wave propagation in the considered media, it illustrates experimental evidence of wave transmission characteristics and compares the performance of the considered configuration with that of internal resonating metamaterials. In addition, the ability to conveniently tune the dispersion properties of the electrical transmission line is exploited to adapt the periodicity of the domain and to investigate diatomic periodic configurations that are characterized by a richer dispersion spectrum and broader bandwidth of wave attenuation at coincidence. The medium consisting of mechanical, piezoelectric, and analog electronic elements can be easily interfaced to digital devices to offer a novel approach to smart materials.

Although Fowler and Nordheim developed the basics of field emission nearly one century ago with their introduction of the Fowler-Nordheim equation (FNE), the topic continues to attract research interest particularly with the development of new materials that have been proposed as field emitters. The first order analysis of experiments typically relies upon the FNE for at minimum a basic understand of the physical emission process and its parameters of emission. The three key parameters in the FNE are the work function, emission area, and field enhancement factor, all of which can be difficult to determine under experimental conditions. This paper focuses in particular, on the field enhancement factor β. It is generally understood that β provides an indication of the surface roughness or sharpness of a field emitter cathode. However, in this paper, we experimentally and computationally demonstrate that cathodes with highly similar surface morphologies can manifest quite different field enhancements solely through having different emission regions. This fact can cause one to re-interpret results in which a single sharp emitter is proposed to dominate the emission from a field emitting cathode.

Microwave interferometry appears to be a promising method for the study of wave and mass velocity in shocked dielectric materials. This paper discusses the mathematics concerning the frequencies and amplitudes in the microwave reflections from the shock wave and from an impacting piston which drives the shock into a nonreacting porous solid. Methods for the determination of the state variables in the compressed region between the shock wave and the piston are given. In this paper, these methods have been confirmed by experimental measurements in nonenergetic materials in which there is no ionization from chemical reaction. The microwave reflection from the shock wave traveling through an inert media is shown to result from a dielectric discontinuity at the wave front. Studies on energetic materials (explosives and propellants) are considered in a companion paper where ionization associated with the chemical reactions is required to explain the increased reflection from the shock front.

Three papers published recently [P. M. Young, C. H. Grein, H. Ehrenreich, and R. H. Miles, J. Appl. Phys. 74, 4774 (1993); G. M. Williams, J. Appl. Phys. 77, 4153 (1995); C. H. Grein, M. E. Flatte, H. Ehrenreich, and R. H. Miles, J. Appl. Phys. 77, 4156 (1995)] concerning the comparison of theoretically predicted performance of HgCdTe photodiodes with InAs/InGaSb superlattice photovoltaic detectors are obscure with respect to optimal selection of HgCdTe photodiode structures. Both Comments [G. M. Williams, J. Appl. Phys. 77, 4153 (1995); C. H. Grein, M. E. Flatte, H. Ehrenreich, and R. H. Miles, J. Appl. Phys. 77, 4156 (1995)] have not noticed the important results of papers published by Humpreys [Infrared Phys. 23, 171 (1983); Infrared Phys. 26, 337 (1986)], who critically reexamined the role of a radiative mechanism in the detection of infrared radiation. To explain our point of view on competition between InAs/InGaSb SLs and ‘‘bulk’’ HgCdTe detectors, we present a generalized model of an infrared photo...

This paper analyzes some features of systems intended to remotely detect concealed radioactive materials by using a focused THz radiation. This concept is based on possibility to focus high-power THz radiation in a small spot where the wave field exceeds the breakdown threshold. However, in the absence of any sources of ionization, the probability to have in this breakdown-prone volume any seed electrons is very low. Thus, high breakdown rate in a series of THz pulses will indicate the presence of concealed radioactive materials in the vicinity of a focused wave beam. The goal of the present paper is to determine by using the statistical theory THz pulse duration required for reliable initiation of the discharge. Then, the detectable mass of the radioactive material is determined as the function of distance and of the THz wave power and pulse duration. Lastly, possible benefits from using pulse compressors, which shorten the pulse duration but increase the wave power and, hence, the breakdown-prone volume, are analyzed. It is shown that the use of pulse compressors can significantly improve the sensitivity of THz gyrotron based systems for remote detection of concealed radioactive materials.

The enhancement of the efficiency in free-electron lasers (FELs) through the use of a tapered wiggler is well known. The physics of the tapered wiggler interaction has been studied in theory and simulation, and large efficiency enhancements have been observed in the laboratory in oscillators and seeded amplifiers. In this paper, we study the differences in the tapered wiggler interaction between seeded amplifiers and in FELs that start up from noise and grow to saturation in a single pass through the wiggler. This configuration is commonly referred to as self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE). In comparison with seeded amplifiers, SASE FELs exhibit shot-to-shot fluctuations due to random phase noise in the electron bunches, and our purpose in this paper is to determine the effect of this phase noise on the tapered wiggler interaction. To this end, we study the interaction numerically using the MEDUSA simulation code for seeded and SASE FELs operating in the infrared regime. The results of the simulati...

In this paper, we have made a systematic study of the electronic and optical properties of InGaN based quantum dot light emitters. The valence force field model and 6×6k⋅p method have been applied to study the band structures in InGaN or InN quantum dot devices. Piezoelectric and spontaneous polarization effects are included. A comparison with InGaN quantum wells shows that InGaN quantum dots can provide better electron-hole overlap and reduce radiative lifetime. We also find that variation in dot sizes can lead to emission spectrum that can cover the whole visible light range. For high carrier density injection conditions, a self-consistent method for solving quantum dot devices is applied for better estimation of device performance. Consequences of variations in dot sizes, shapes, and composition have been studied in this paper. The results suggest that InGaN quantum dots would have superior performance in white light emitters.

In the present paper, a comprehensive self-consistent three-dimensional model is used to analyze physical aspects of the operation of oxide-confined vertical-cavity surface-emitting diode lasers (VCSELs) and to optimize their structures. The impact of the built-in radial confining mechanisms created by oxide apertures, i.e., the influence of their diameters and localizations on radial confinements of both the current injection into VCSEL active regions and electromagnetic fields of successive cavity modes, has been investigated. Basically, there are two extreme cases: the index-guided (IG) VCSELs with the aperture localized at the antinode position of the optical standing wave, characterized by a very low lasing threshold but exhibiting rather poor mode selectivity, and the gain-guided (GG) VCSELs with the aperture shifted to the node position, ensuring usually the single-fundamental-mode operation, but at the expense of much higher lasing threshold. In the present paper, the separate-confinement-oxidatio...

The paper presents the analysis of the three-dimensional polymer network distribution inside the polymer-stabilized ferroelectric liquid-crystal layer based on the laser scanning fluorescence confocal microscopy and a fluorescent dye tagging of the polymer. The studies of polymer-stabilized ferroelectric liquid-crystal structures described in this paper are focused on the comparison of the influence of polymer network in case that the polymerization is initiated in the chevron as well as in the quasibookshelf liquid-crystal molecular orientation. In the case of the chevron structure the regular distribution of the polymer network within the layer leads to the monostability of the chevron state. On the other hand the specific distribution of the polymer in the polymer-stabilized quasibookshelf stripe textures leads to the perfect bistability, improved multiplex driving, and analog gray scale capability.

Table-top neutron/x-ray sources are of great interest for uses in neutron activation analyses, in neutron/x-ray radiography, and also in medical applications. Inertial electrostatic confinement fusion (IECF) is a multiple neutron source that can emit neutrons, protons, x rays, etc., as basic products when operated in both continuous and pulsed modes. In this work, D-D neutrons are produced in the steady-state mode using a cylindrical IECF device. The neutron production rate has been optimized by using cathodes having different dimensions and geometrical transparencies. The maximum neutron production rate is found to be approaching 107n/s, using a cathode having eight grid wires and a diameter of 3 cm. The neutrons are successfully used for neutron activation analysis of materials containing explosive elements. X-ray spectrum having a wide range of photon energies (30–70 keV) has been detected from this device while operated in the continuous mode. X-ray radiography of high density objects has also been performed and reported for the first time using the cylindrical IECF source with negative polarity of the central grid in this paper.

As the grating-based phase contrast imaging has drawn much attention in various scientific fields, there is an increasing demand for a compact imaging system with high efficiency in practical applications. In this paper, a compact imaging configuration by replacing the source grating in a conventional imaging system with a robust, easily-fabricated, and cost-effective x-ray polycapillary lens is proposed and its feasibility is examined using a full-scale Monte Carlo simulation. A typical x-ray spectrum for diagnostic mammography is adopted in the simulation. Under this spectrum, a new polycapillary lens is designed and optimized to meet the requirement of the imaging system. The phantom consists of polyethylene, cortical bone, and adipose tissue spheres of different sizes. An accurate phase image of the phantom is successfully reconstructed using an eight-step phase-stepping method. Excellent agreement of the phase shift and attenuation of the phantom is obtained between the simulation and the theoretical prediction. Compared with a conventional imaging system using a source grating at the same parameters, the imaging efficiency of our proposed system is improved 1.7 times, while its background visibility is reduced from 44.4 % to 12.4 %. Our results suggest the possibility of developing such a bench-top system for flexible phase contrast imaging applications.

Vortex electromagnetic waves carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) have been widely discussed for potential applications in wireless communications. Belonging to the Laguerre–Gaussian beams family, such type of waves present a hollow conical shape and divergence characteristics along with a directional radiation. In this paper, an innovative method to produce omnidirectional OAM beams based on spatial transformation is proposed at microwave frequencies. As a proof-of-concept demonstration, a lens with omnidirectional radiation in the horizontal plane is designed and simulated with an incident vortex beam carrying the OAM mode l = +2. The designed lens can be potentially implemented with an all-dielectric medium showing a gradient permittivity distribution. Furthermore, the proposed lens presents good performances over a wide operational bandwidth spanning from 8 to 17 GHz. By converting the directional beam to an omnidirectional one, the proposed method opens the door to the potential development of microwave vortex antenna systems.

A Thomson scattering light source can produce polarization-controllable x rays with quasi-monochromaticity and high brightness, making it an excellent probe for x-ray imaging and nuclear physics research. In this paper, a clear physical picture of the polarization transfer process from a laser to x rays is given based on a dipole radiation model. For arbitrary interaction geometries between a laser and relativistic electrons, the electric field relation between the scattered x rays and the laser is derived analytically. The result shows that the polarization characteristics of the laser can be completely transferred into x rays, regardless of the interaction geometry. Meanwhile, the polarization of scattered x rays is dependent on the collecting angle. As the collecting angle increases, both the degree of polarization (DOP) and the bandwidth of scattered x rays will be degraded. A collecting angle confining scattered x rays of 5 % rms bandwidth can guarantee a DOP higher than 97 % for both linear and circular polarizations. A method for any polarization control of scattered x rays is demonstrated by using wave plates for the laser. Both the rotation of linear polarization and the switch of polarization state from linear polarization to circular polarization and from left-handed polarization to right-handed polarization can be easily realized.

With the rapid development of the x-ray polycapillary optics, there is an increasing demand for an effective simulation tool, considering the real physical process and geometry model, to optimize their performance. In this paper, a Geant4-based Monte Carlo code for X-ray Polycapillary Simulation (GXPS) is developed. Based on the classical electromagnetic theory, an x-ray boundary process is developed using the dielectric model, including total external reflection, Fresnel reflection, and Fresnel refraction. The surface roughness of x-ray polycapillary is taken into account using a classical Gaussian slope distribution model. A new geometry solid for x-ray polycapillary modeling is constructed using a cubic function whose coefficients can be derived based on the parameters of a practical lens. To validate the effectiveness of this code, a point-to-parallel x-ray polycapillary lens is simulated with an x-ray energy of 8.04 keV (Cu K α) and the simulation result is compared with the experiment. Well agreement between the simulation and the experimental result is verified considering the transmission efficiency, the output beam profile, and the divergence angle of the lens. The focusing characteristics of the lens are also demonstrated using this code. The simulation result of the focal spot size agrees well with the predicted value calculated using the empirical relation.

Asymmetric Transmission (AT) allows direction-sensitive control of electromagnetic waves that is highly desirable in optical and microwave communication applications. In this paper, an angle-induced chirality enhancement approach is proposed through the introduction of angled splits in a split ring resonator based unit cell. This design approach, which enhances electromagnetic cross coupling, has been analytically and experimentally validated, yielding efficient and broadband AT operation with 27.1% fractional bandwidth from 14.8 GHz to 19.4 GHz. The AT magnitude of greater than 80% and transmission efficiency of 90% are achieved across the 4.6 GHz bandwidth. These results when compared with recently published designs depict that the presented metasurface exhibits the most broadband AT in a bi-layered configuration with the thinnest reported form factor of 0.78 mm in the microwave regime. The underlying physics of AT operation has been illustrated through analysis of surface currents and electric field distributions. More importantly, new insights into the effects of optical activity on the AT magnitude are presented. The proposed ultra-thin metasurface, operating in K and Ku bands, finds its application as a polarization-control device for modern radar and satellite communication systems.

Rotational near-field photolithography exposes photoresists by exciting surface plasmon polaritons to realize nanopatterns with ultrahigh-resolution beyond the diffraction limit. This feature enables broad application prospects in the micro-nanomanufacturing field. The lithography flight head, carrying a plasmonic lens (PL), with an approximately 10 nm spacer from the substrate, is the core of the system for effective etching. This paper investigates the flight state of a PL-loaded lithography head on the air film, based on computational fluid dynamics analysis. We found that the influence of the PL on the flight height produces an edge effect. This means that a PL fabricated on the edge region can significantly affect the flight height of the head. By processing the PL at a distance of 10 μm from the edge of the slider tail block, a steady 37 nm linewidth depth pattern was finally realized, using a rotational near-field photolithography system.

This paper gives an analysis and discussion of gain suppression in injection lasers which have an undoped active region and an index guiding structure. In previous papers, we used a semiclassical density‐matrix analysis to show that an injection laser with an updoped active region has a nearly, but not perfectly, homogeneous (or uniform) gain property under operating conditions due to the mode coupling effects by phase synchronization of electrons to the lasing field. The gain of adjacent modes is well suppressed by the oscillating mode, and single‐longitudinal‐mode operation is obtained in undoped injection lasers. However, such suppression depends closely on the spacial distribution of the resonating field and injected carrier density. In this paper, the suppression effect is examined theoretically considering electronic intraband relaxation, effects from the standing wave of the lasing field, spatial diffusion of carriers, etc. When the relaxation time is larger than 3×10−13 sec, the gain shows ’’hole burning,’’ namely, strong nonuniformity across the spectral or energy distributions, and, at the same time, the gain of some resonating modes is increased. Single‐longitudinal‐mode operation is not obtained in such a strongly inhomogeneous laser. When the relaxation time is smaller than 2×10−13 sec, the gain can be seen to be nearly homogeneous, and the gain of nonoscillating modes is sufficiently suppressed, that is, lower than that at threshold, because of the strong‐mode‐coupling effect. The relaxation time of GaAs is expected to be approximately 1×10−13 sec, implying 0.1% of excess suppression. The spatial distribution of the resonating field and induced ’’spatial hole burning’’ of carriers tends to increase the gain of higher transverse modes, but only weakly affects the fundamental transverse modes when the oscillating mode is the fundamental mode. It is then necessary to design the laser so that such higher transverse modes are cut off. The results of this analysis explain the experimental data of well‐designed lasers which have an undoped active region and an index guiding structure. Such a gain suppression effect is crucial for the operation of injection lasers in a single‐longitudinal mode.

Several articles have been written on the subject of scanning acoustic microscopy. Nevertheless, apart from some specific papers dealing with reflection microscopy, little has been said about the various contrast mechanisms involved in the process of image formation, and the effects of parameters such as acoustic antireflection coatings on the lens surface and absorption in the water on the quality of the recorded image. This paper is devoted to an analysis of these problems. It is shown that in the amplitude mode of operation, the acoustic microscope acts as a phase contrast microscope and is sensitive to the local phase gradients in the object. Furthermore, it is shown that the effect of an acoustic antireflection coating on the lens surface is to substantially reduce the side lobe amplitude of the focal distribution at the expense of a slight increase in the width of the main lobe. Experimental observations agree with theory.

Many different nonsilica‐based fiber materials are presently being examined as possible candidates for use in extremely low loss fibers for infrared communications. One useful figure of merit in estimating fiber potential for low absorption is the total intrinsic scattering loss at the minimum dispersion wavelength. In this paper formulae for these losses, which include Rayleigh, Brillouin, and Raman mechanisms, are derived solely in terms of parameters which are either already known, or which can be reliably estimated, for essentially all of the materials in question. The basic techniques for calculating power losses due to intrinsic thermodynamic fluctuations are well established in principle. This paper first extends them for use with arbitrarily complex multicomponent mixtures and for the specific inclusion of Raman loss and then, via the use of the concept of bond polarizabililty, relates the various components (due respectively to density, composition, and lattice vibrational modulations of dielectr...

The paper deals with the utilization of electron mirror microscopy for pictorial representation of the distribution of electrical conductivity. Previously described conductivity pictures obtained by this novel kind of electron microscopy have been of the normal two‐dimensional type; this paper reports three‐dimensional display of conductivity distributions. It discusses the concept of ``stereo‐micrographs of conductivity.'' It is shown that a three‐dimensional display of the conductivity distribution of thin films is possible by combining two electron mirror micrographs to a stereo‐pair. The two micrographs are distinguished solely by the amount of current passing through the specimen. As experimental evidence of the feasibility of three‐dimensional ``conductivity pictures'' a stereo‐micrograph of a test sample with artificially prepared areas of different conductivities is shown. Limitations and precautions to be observed are briefly discussed.

From experiments dealing with electrical breakdown phenomena in vacuum, it is clear that at voltages below that level actually required to produce breakdown, there occurs a low‐level electron emission from highly localized regions of the cathode surface. This paper illustrates a technique for measuring the dependence of current upon voltage from one such region, utilizing variations in brightness of a phosphor screen. The technique avoids the possible confusion of a total current measurement which can result from the presence of simultaneously emitting areas or which can result from emission from regions of the electrode structure whose contribution to total current is unsuspected. This paper further demonstrates a method for the detailed location of particular emitting areas on the electrode surface. The procedure involves as a first step, the determination of the approximate location of the emitting region of interest using a phosphor screen. Following this, the electrode under study is used as a cathod...

In this paper the applicability of non‐radiating surface waves for transmission lines is investigated. Two types of waves are considered. The first one, originally studied by A. Sommerfeld, is guided by a cylindrical conductor of finite conductivity. Although this wave type has (under comparable conditions) much lower attenuation than the waves in coaxial cables or rigid wave guides, its practical application is restricted by the fact that the extension of the field is very large. Efficient excitation and undisturbed propagation of this wave mode are feasible only for very high frequencies. The other wave type considered in this paper has not been treated in the literature. It is guided by a conductor which is coated with a dielectric layer or the surface of which is otherwise modified; for example, by being threaded. The field of this wave type has a structure similar to that of Sommerfeld's wave, but the extension of the field can be controlled by the surface modification. Thus low loss transmission lines on the basis of this wave type become feasible for frequencies above 100 megacycles. The information necessary for the design of such lines is given and the agreement between the theoretically expected transmission losses and the measured transmission losses is checked.

With the recent rapid development of x-ray imaging using Thomson scattering x-ray sources, there is an increasing demand for knowledge of the focal spot characteristics of this type of light source. This is because imaging quality is closely related to focal spot characteristics. In this paper, an analytical expression of the focal spot size and beam parameters at arbitrary interaction angles is derived. Based on this, the focal spot can be optimized in a straightforward manner by adjusting the laser and electron focusing at a fixed interaction geometry. As the beam focusing increases, a smaller focal spot and a higher photon yield are obtained, while the bandwidth of scattered x rays deteriorates, leading to a compromise of the above three physical parameters. Considering the beam position and time fluctuations, the focal spot will be broadened and the photon yield will be reduced. Using typical beam parameters at the Tsinghua Thomson scattering x-ray source, it is shown that a micrometer-sized focal spot can be easily achieved. The results will help one to develop the x-ray imaging field, especially in micro-computed tomography applications based on Thomson light sources.

In this paper, we propose the design of a hybrid surface with a low radar cross section (RCS) at lower frequencies and a transmission window at higher frequencies. The hybrid surface comprises two parts: a frequency selective surface (FSS) on the bottom and a checkerboard metasurface on the top. The FSS exhibits low-stop and high-pass properties, which reflects waves at lower frequencies and allows transmission of waves at higher frequencies. The checkerboard metasurface, with a reflective substrate, can reduce RCS at lower frequencies by means of scattering cancellation. Due to the low-stop property of the FSS, the hybrid surface can achieve broadband RCS reduction at low frequencies since the FSS acts as the reflective substrate. Simultaneously, the transmission window at higher frequencies of the FSS can be kept. Simulation results show that the RCS can be reduced by more than 10 dB in 4.1–7.7 GHz and the insertion loss in the transmission window is lower than 1.0 dB in 11.3–13.3 GHz. A prototype was fabricated and measured. The experimental results agree well with the simulation results. This work provides an effective alternative to the design of functional devices such as stealthy radomes, etc.

A centimeter-scale field of view for transmission X-ray radiography from a sub-millimeter-focused synchrotron X-ray beam is achieved by placing a strongly scattering material upstream of the sample. Combining the scattered beam with a detector system synchronized and gated to acquire images from single X-ray pulses provides the capability for time-resolved observations of transient phenomena in samples larger than the native X-ray beam. Furthermore, switching between this scatter-beam imaging (SBI) and scattering modes is trivial compared to switching between unfocused white beam imaging and scattering using a focused pink beam. As a result, SBI additionally provides a straightforward method to precisely align samples relative to the focused X-ray beam for subsequent small-angle X-ray scattering measurements. This paper describes the use of glassy carbon for SBI to observe phenomena during detonation of small-scale high explosive charges and compares the technique to conventional white beam imaging. SBI i...

The extension of Sommerfield's problem to a moving semi‐infinite lossless medium is considered in this paper. The analysis is limited to the determination of the space wave in the far zone. This is the geometrical optics solution of the problem and is carried out simply by utilizing the results of the plane‐wave reflection—refraction problem obtained in a previous paper. The study includes both the vertical and the horizontal dipoles. As expected, the motion of the medium does not significantly affect the radiation pattern unless the velocity is comparable with that of light.

The feasibility of a beam‐addressable memory using EuO as a storage medium and GaAs laser as a transducer has been discussed in a previous paper. In this paper we shall present the results of a series of high‐speed, dynamic read/write experiments and discuss the system implications of these experiments. A mechanical scanner was constructed to carry out the dynamic read/write experiment and a refrigeration system was used to provide both the cooling of the GaAs laser and the storage medium. Writing was accomplished by pulsing the laser as the light spot scanned across the film surface. The energy density required to write a 5 μ spot is below 10−2 erg. This is within the capability of GaAs lasers, hence writing time in tens of nanoseconds was easily achieved. Reading is achieved by scanning a cw GaAs laser beam across the film surface and detecting the magneto‐optic signal through a cross polarizer by a PMT. Due to the large magneto‐optic effect, very high‐speed readout is achieved. The high‐speed read/writ...

When a short laser pulse is focused at the interface between a transparent and an absorbing material, an expansion source is created that generates mainly longitudinal acoustic pulses in the absorbing material. However, the interaction of these waves with the interface favours the excitation of shear acoustic pulses. In this paper, we present an analytical prediction of the directivity of shear waves launched in a semi-infinite absorbing medium, and we introduce corrections in order to account for detection in an absorbing layer. Experiments were performed with a picosecond ultrasonic set-up focusing femtosecond laser pulses to a micron spot size along the interface between sapphire and titanium. In this configuration, acoustic wave-fronts were reflected at the free surface of the micron titanium layer, and then optically detected at the interface. We also present an approach to filter and enhance the shear waves by processing measured wave-fronts recorded at multiple locations along the interface. In the...

In this paper, we report a simple and effective design of a polarization independent and wide incident angle plasmonic metamaterial based unified broadband absorber and thermal emitter consisting of hexagonally packed tungsten doughnuts (hexa-rings) for thermophotovoltaic system. The proposed design shows more than 85% of absorption over 0.3 to 2.18 μm, that is, over the broad spectral range from the ultraviolet to the near infrared (NIR), and 100% absorption and thermal emission at 2.18 μm. Further, the NIR plasmonic absorption and thermal emission peak is tuned from the spectral range 2.18 to 3 μm for different low bandgap photovoltaic materials by varying the design parameters such as inner and outer ring radius, instead of varying any other design parameters in the proposed design. The possibility of the realization of hexa-doughnut structures through a single-step phase engineered interference lithography technique is also demonstrated through the realization of micro/nanostructure samples over large...

Out-of-band long wavelength emission measurements from high power, high-repetition-rate extreme-ultra-violet lithography (EUVL) laser plasma sources are imperative to estimating heat deposition in EUV mirrors, and the impact of short wavelength light transported through the imaging system to the wafer surface. This paper reports a series of experiments conducted to measure the absolute spectral irradiances of laser-plasmas produced from planar tin targets over the wavelength region of 124 to 164 nm by 1.06 μm wavelength, 10 ns full-width-at-half-maximum Gaussian laser pulses. The use of spherical targets is relevant to the EUVL source scenario. Although plasmas produced from planar surfaces evolve differently, there is a close similarity to the evolution of current from 10.6 μm CO2 laser EUVL sources, which use a pre-pulse from a lower energy solid-state laser to melt and reform an initial spherical droplet into a thin planar disc target. The maximum of radiation conversion efficiency in the 124–164 nm wa...

High Energy Lasers (HELs) used for defense applications require operational distances ranging from few hundred meters to several kilometers. As the distance increases, the incident beam properties and, consequently, the anticipated effect delivered to the sample become less predictable. Therefore, the direct observation of the event induced by the laser can become an asset. In this paper, we propose a novel spectroscopic method that analyses in real time the spectral components present in the flames produced during the interaction of a HEL with a metallic piece at a long distance. This method was used on aluminum and carbon steel samples placed 200 m away from the laser system. It was discovered that the aluminum and iron oxides created as a by-product of the HEL reaction with the samples emitted clear fingerprint signatures that could be detected remotely using a spectroscopic receiver placed beside the HEL beam director. The real-time assessment of the laser-induced effect can be achieved by monitoring ...

The measurement of MOKE (Magneto-Optical Kerr Effect) magnetization loops in a wide-field Kerr microscope offers the advantage that the relevant domain images along the loop can be readily recorded. As the microscope's objective lens is exposed to the magnetic field, the loops are usually strongly distorted by non-linear Faraday rotations of the polarized light that occur in the objective lens and that are superimposed to the MOKE signal. In this paper, an experimental method, based on a motorized analyzer, is introduced which allows to compensate the Faraday contributions, thus leading to pure MOKE loops. A wide field Kerr microscope, equipped with this technology, works well as a laser-based MOKE magnetometer, additionally offering domain images and thus providing the basis for loop interpretation.

A spoof surface plasmon polaritons (SSPPs) waveguide structure with periodic T-grooves is proposed and investigated in this paper. Compared to the conventional plasmonic waveguide with periodic rectangular-grooves, the proposed waveguide support the guided SSPPs wave with enhanced propagation confinement. Moreover, the waveguide with T-grooves can achieve 39.4% decrease in length compared with the rectangular-grooves waveguide. The propagation properties of the SSPPs with enhanced confinement are able to improve by adjusting the shape dimensions of T-grooves. The effects of bend radius of 90° T-grooves waveguide on propagation performance are analyzed, and the good transmission characteristics of waveguides with small bend radius are verified. The experimental verifications of the T-grooves plasmonic waveguide filter and 3 dB power divider in microwave region are realized, S21-parameter of waveguide filter is very close to 0 dB from 0 GHz to 5.6 GHz. And 3 dB power divider achieves very good power equipartition from 0 GHz to 5.5 GHz.

In this paper, a polarization-insensitive wideband tunable metamaterial absorber is designed and fabricated. The equivalent circuit model for the absorber has been proposed to describe its absorption phenomenon. The proposed absorber is constructed by a periodic array of unit, which contains four split semi-circle ring resonators with 90° rotated. The symmetric structure of the unit gives rise to polarization-insensitivity. Furthermore, the field distribution and the circuit model of the absorber are studied to demonstrate its absorption mechanism. Measurement results show that the proposed metamaterial absorber obtains a reflectivity of less than −10 dB covering 2.1–2.5 GHz and 3.1–6.8 GHz with the total thickness of 8.8 mm, and the reflectivity performance covering the spectrum from 3.1 GHz to 6.8 GHz could be adjusted by tuning the bias voltage on the PIN diodes.

In this paper, we study the efficiency of several types of all-dielectric, non-resonant, antireflection, and light-trapping coatings for the enhancement of photovoltaic absorption in thin-film silicon solar cells. We compare the enhancement of the photovoltaic absorption offered by a square array of nano-pillar shaped voids in the dielectric covering of the cell with that granted by a flat blooming layer, and a densely packed array of dielectric nanospheres. We optimize these coatings and show that the newly proposed nanostructure allows a significant increase of the photovoltaic absorption. The dependence of antireflection and light-trapping properties on the angle of incidence is numerically investigated, and it is shown that the array of voids keeps optimal also after averaging over the incidence angles.

Parallel nanostructuring of substrate surface with particle-mask is a promising technology that may significantly improve the patterning speed under single laser pulse irradiation. In this paper, the influence of the incidence wave angle on the pattern structures is investigated. Polystyrene spherical particles were deposited on the surface in a monolayer form by self-assembly. The sample was then irradiated with 248nm KrF laser at different incidence angles α. It is found that nanostructures can be formed at different positions with different incidence angles. Both round-shape and comet-shape nanostructures can be produced. By varying the incidence angles, the depth of the nanostructures can also be controlled. To explain the different nanostructures produced at different angles, the intensity field distributions under the particle were calculated according to an exact model for light scattering by a sphere on the substrate (P. A. Bobbert and J. Vlieger, Physica A 137A, 209 1986). The main equation in th...

The presence of ions in a liquid crystal (LC) influences the transmission characteristics of LC displays. These ions follow the electric field perpendicular to the electrodes and move back and forth under the influence of the ac field. Because of their charge, they can distort the electric field, which leads to transmission changes. Recently it was discovered that due to the LC anisotropy, ion motion parallel with the plane of the electrodes (perpendicular to the electric field) is also possible, even without lateral fields. After driving a pixel for a long time, the ions will accumulate at one pixel edge, which leads to unwanted image artifacts. In this paper, we investigate the frequency dependence of the lateral ion transport in twisted nematic liquid crystal displays at high and low ion concentrations, different ion mobilities, and LC rotational viscosities, for a fixed voltage just above the LC threshold.

In this paper, we demonstrate a technique for suppressing the intensity noise of the erbium doped fiber lasers. We show that by introducing negative feedback into the system through the use of a self-biased intracavity loss modulator, the relaxation oscillation noise of the fiber laser could be suppressed by as much as 20 dB. To explain the observed noise reduction phenomenon, a simple theory based on teh linearized rate equation has been developed and also been supported by experimental measurements. We also derive a formula for estimating the maximum achievalbe intesity noise suppression ratio.

This paper investigates the influence of laterally inhomogeneous cell parameters on solar cell efficiency. A universal procedure is proposed which allows the reduction of a frequency distribution of an arbitrary cell parameter to just one single value for one-dimensional (1D) device modeling. This procedure is in detail investigated for the case of lifetime and diffusion length distributions showing that the frequency distribution of local minority carrier densities ( Delta n) is the appropriate parameter for solar cell modeling. The actual position of high and low lifetime areas on the cell is found to be of minor influence if Delta n is used as an input parameter. Therefore, using the lifetime frequency distribution allows us to include the effect of spatial inhomogeneities in recombination activity in 1D solar cell modeling. Both simulated and experimental examples for the modeling procedure and the quantitative influence of spatial inhomogeneities on solar cell performance are discussed. This article presents a possibility to include laterally resolved measurements of material and process quality data in routine predictive modeling of solar cell performance.

A theory is presented together with simulation results that describe three-dimensional position detection of a sphere located in a highly focused beam by back-focal plane interferometry. This technique exploits the interference of scattered and unscattered light, which is projected on a quadrant photodiode placed in the back-focal plane of a condenser lens. Due to the Gouy-phase shift inherent in focused beams, it is not only possible to determine the lateral but also the axial position of a spherical particle with nanometer accuracy. In this paper we describe the calculation of arbitrary focused electromagnetic fields, the Gouy phase shift, Mie scattering by focused beams and the resulting position signals using the angular momentum representation. The accuracy and the sensitivity of the detection system are investigated theoretically for various sphere parameters. Both accuracy and sensitivity depend on the incident light distribution as well as on the particle’s properties and position. It is further shown that the maximum capture angle of the detection lens influences the detector’s sensitivity in a nonlinear manner. Additionally, for optical trapping applications the influence of the laser power is taken into account and is considered through a noise analysis. For all investigated trapping conditions the reconstructed position deviates on average

We report on a simple way to operate plasma-electrode pockel’s cells (PEPC), which are used as large-aperture optical switches in laser drivers for inertial-confinement fusion facilities. In the basic operation of a PEPC, one needs to produce a plasma in each of two gas-filled cells placed on opposite sides of an appropriate crystal plate. Between the resulting highly conductive electrodes, a high-voltage pulse is applied to produce a uniform electric field in the crystal, which then undergoes the Pockel’s effect. We have developed a simple PEPC design in which the high-voltage pulse can be directly applied between the gascells without prior ionization of the gas (by a high-current plasma discharge). With reasonable operating parameters, this regime meets the PEPC optical switching requirements for the laser megajoules. In this paper, we present experimental results of this simple regime that strongly simplifies the PEPC concept and improves its reliability.

The space and time variations of the light emission in a macroscopic plasma display panel (PDP) discharge cell have been studied with an image-intensified charge-coupled device. The discharge cell is similar to a real PDP cell with a coplanar electrode configuration. The cell dimensions are on the order of 100 times larger than those of a real PDP cell and the operating pressure is about 100 times smaller. Different xenon–neon gas mixtures have been investigated. Optical filters have been used to measure infrared emission from xenon excited states 823.1 and 828.0 nm, and visible emission from neon at 640.2 nm. The measurements show that the neon visible emission occurs only above the cathode while xenon infrared emission occurs above both cathode and anode. Standing striations can be observed above the anode. The strong xenon emission above anode indicates that this region is more efficient than the cathode region in terms of ultraviolet production. The measurements are in excellent qualitative agreement with similar measurements performed in real PDP cells. However the velocity of plasma spreading above the cathode in the macrocell is significantly larger than in a real PDP cell. The interpretation of this discrepancy is given in a companion paper (part II) [J. Appl. Phys. 91, 1000 (2002)] where the experimental results are compared with results from a fluid model of the plasma.