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Purpose: Investigate changes in optical properties of contact lenses materials (transmittance and reflectance) and lens care solutions (absorption and fluorescence) resulting from its interaction. Methods: From an experimental study, triplicate measurements of transmittance and reflectance of five contact lenses (Senofilcon A, Lotrafilcon B, Balafilcon A, Comfilcon A, and Omafilcon A), as well as UV-vis absorption and fluorescence of four lens care solutions (LCS) (ReNu MultiPlus, Biotrue, OPTI-FREE PureMoist, and AOSept Plus), were evaluated before and after 8 h, one day and one week in storage. The outcomes were provided by Shimadzu UV3101-PC UV-vis-NIR spectrophotometer equipped with an integrating sphere, between 200-700 nm, and SPEX-Fluorolog 2 FL3-22 spectrofluorometer. Results: All variables exhibited statistically significant differences over time. Comfilcon A showed the lowest ultraviolet radiation (UVR) A & B attenuation. Balafilcon A and Lotrafilcon B displayed a slight suppression of UVR. Senofilcon A was effective in UVR protection and showed less effect on the fluorescence of lens care solutions. Overall, the reflectance decreased after storage (p < 0.05). AOSept Plus absorbance and fluorescence demonstrated lower interactions than multipurpose solutions (MPS), and Lotrafilcon B induced more remarkable changes in optical properties of LCS than the other materials. Conclusion: The findings suggest that optical variables of lens care solutions and contact lenses changed mutually after storage, probably associated with biochemical and biophysical interactions between components and the release of some polymer compounds. These findings can provide additional information about the interaction of CL materials and LCS in clinical behavior., This work was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT-Portugal) in the framework of the Strategic Funding of CF-UM-UP (UIDB/04650/2020) .

The realization of optoelectronic devices on paper has been an outstanding challenge due to the large surface roughness and incompatible nature of paper with optical materials. Here, we demonstrate a new class of optoelectronic devices on a piece of printing paper using graphene as an electrically reconfigurable optical medium. Our approach relies on electro-modulation of optical properties of multilayer graphene on paper via blocking the interband electronic transitions. The paper based devices yield high optical contrast in the visible spectrum with fast response speed. Pattering graphene into multiple pixels, folding paper into 3-dimensional shapes or printing coloured ink on paper substrates enable us to demonstrate novel optoelectronic devices which cannot be realized with wafer-based techniques., Work has been published in ACS Photonics. For supplementary information please follow the link http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acsphotonics.6b00017

Dust clouds resulting from nuclear explosions are complex phenomena, and knowledge on how they form is lacking. Noting the similarities between supernovae and nuclear explosions led to the concept of modeling a nuclear dust cloud using a supernova simulation. MOCASSIN uses a Monte Carlo approach to model photons traveling through a dust cloud, allowing the cloud's characteristics to be discovered by comparing an observed spectrum to a calculated one and then changing input values to make the spectra match. Data files describing two nuclear fireballs of varying yields were created and analyzed using MOCASSIN, but yielded zero energy spectra. After varying the parameters of the tests, analyzing the resulting spectra, and comparing them to data, it was found that the differences between the nuclear explosion and supernova were too significant for MOCASSIN to accurately model both. Insufficient input data for nuclear materials, and low ionization levels and high densities in the fireball were insurmountable issues. Ultimately, it was concluded that MOCASSIN is not a viable method for analyzing nuclear explosions.

The [557] - X2Σ+(v = 0, 1, 2, 3) and the [561] - X2Σ+ (v = 2) visible electronic transitions of YbF have been recorded at a near-natural linewidth spectral resolution using both supersonically cooled and buffer-gas cooled beams. The 174YbF isotopologue spectral features were analyzed to produce a new set of spectroscopic parameters for the X2Σ+(v = 2), X2Σ+(v = 3), [557], and [561] states. This study will facilitate ongoing work to produce ultracold YbF molecules by laser cooling in order to improve measurements of the electron’s electric dipole moment.

Colloidal quantum dots (QDs) offer advantageous properties as an optical gain media for lasers. Optical gain in the QDs has been shown in the whole visible spectrum, yet it has been intrinsically challenging to realize efficient amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) and lasing in the blue region of the visible spectrum. Here, we synthesize large-sized core/gradient shell CdZnS/ZnS QDs as an efficient optical gain media in the blue spectral range. In this Letter, we demonstrate for the first time that two-photon-absorption-pumped ASE from the blue-emitting QD is achievable with a threshold as low as 6 mJ/cm 2. Utilizing these QDs, we also report one-photon-absorption-pumped ASE at an ultralow threshold of ∼60 μJ/cm2, which is comparable to the state-of-the-art red-emitting QD-based gain media. This one-photon-pumped ASE threshold is an order of magnitude better than that of the previously reported best blue-emitting QD-based gain media. © 2014 American Chemical Society.

In this chapter, we summarize the recent progress on graphene based optical modulators. Ability to control density of high mobility electrons on large area graphene surface enables realization of new type of electrooptical modulators in optoelectronics. Due to the low electronic density of states, accumulation of charges on graphene significantly shifts the Fermi energy up to 1 eV giving rise to profound optical effects in the infrared and visible spectra. On the other hand, graphene operates as a tunable Drude metal in long wavelengths such as THz and microwave. This unique broadband activity of graphene has stimulated a great deal of interest in graphene community due to its potential use in new optoelectronic devices. After discussing the electrically tunable optical properties of graphene, we highlight the key achievements in the field.

We report active electrical tuning of plasmon resonance of silver nanoprisms (Ag NPs) in the visible spectrum. Ag NPs are placed in close proximity to graphene which leads to additional tunable loss for the plasmon resonance. The ionic gating of graphene modifies its Fermi level from 0.2 to 1 eV, which then affects the absorption of graphene due to Pauli blocking. Plasmon resonance frequency and linewidth of Ag NPs can be reversibly shifted by 20 and 35 meV, respectively. The coupled graphene-Ag NPs system can be classically described by a damped harmonic oscillator model. Atomic layer deposition allows for controlling the graphene-Ag NP separation with atomic-level precision to optimize coupling between them. (C) 2016 Optical Society of America

We have investigated the doping mechanism of pentacene with iodine and its impact on the structure and on the electronic properties of single crystals, powders, and thin films in a large range of iodine concentration up to six iodine per pentacene (PEN) molecule (I/PEN = 6). Three regimes of doping have been identified. In the low doping regime I/PEN < 0.05, the pristine pentacene structure of single crystals is maintained. Electron spin resonance (ESR) evidences a Pauli susceptibility, that is, the characteristic fingerprint of delocalized holes in the valence band of pentacene. In the intermediate doping regime (0.1 < I/PEN + cations and related species, for example, cation dimers (PEN+)2 and typical Raman signatures of the I3- and I5- species. Spin pairing of pentacene cation radicals is further supported by the observation of a thermally activated behavior of the ESR spin susceptibility. In the heavy doping regime (2 < I/PEN

In this paper a combined experimental and quantum chemical study of the geometry and opto-electronic properties of unsubstituted and dialkoxy-sustituted phenylene–vinylene oligomers (PV’s) is presented. The optical absorption spectra for PV cations with different chain lengths and substitution patterns were measured using pulse radiolysis with time-resolved spectrophotometric detection from 1380 to 500 nm (0.9 to 2.5 eV). The geometries of the PV’s studied were optimized using density functional theory (DFT) for both the neutral and singly charged molecule. The spectra for the PV radical cations were then calculated using singly excited configuration interaction with an intermediate neglect of differential overlap reference wave function method together with the DFT geometry. The agreement between experimental and theoretical absorption energies is excellent; most of the calculated radical cation absorption energies are within 0.15 eV of the experimental values. The pattern of dialkoxy-substitution is found to have a large effect on the optical absorption spectrum of the cation. Using the calculated charge distribution it is shown that the degree of delocalization of the charge correlates with the energy of the lowest absorption band. If alkoxy side chains are present on some of the rings the positive charge tends to localize at those sites.

[EN] Weed mapping in early season requires of very high spatial resolution images (pixels, [ES] La discriminación de malas hierbas en fase temprana con técnicas de teledetección requiere imágenes re-motas de muy elevada resolución espacial (píxeles, Este trabajo fue financiado por el proyecto Recupera 2020 (Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad y Fondos FEDER de la Unión Europea). La investigación de Jorge Torres Sánchez fue financiada por el programa FPI (CSIC y fondos FEDER).

Date of Conference: 8-12 Sept. 2013 We fabricated an ZnO based thin-film photo-transistor with electrically tunable photo-responsivity operating in the UV and visible spectra and designed plasmonic structures enhancing the device performance up to 6 folds below the band-gap of ZnO. © 2013 IEEE.

We studied the structural transformations of a-SiO thin films caused by swift heavy ion irradiation at room temperature. Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy, nuclear reaction analysis, transmission electron microscopy and infrared absorption spectrometry have been used in combination to investigate the changes induced by ion irradiation. We show that the homogeneous monoxide is transformed according to the macroscopic reaction: 2SiO → Si + SiO 2 . Each ion perturbs a large area (approximately 10–30 nm diameter). 2–3 nm diameter Si clusters are formed inside the track core. A broad photoluminescence at ∼ 600 nm is also detected in the irradiated films. This visible light emission is associated with the formation of the perturbed zone.

Med Phys

Date of Conference: 21-26 January 2012 We present polarization dependent multispectral and broadband plasmonic absorbers in the visible spectrum. The spectral characteristics of these structures are tunable over a broad spectrum. Experimental results are verified with the FDTD and RCWA analysis methods. These structures are used as surface enhanced raman spectroscopy(SERS) substrates. Designed structures have resonances that span the Raman Stokes and excitation wavelength. Such structures can be used for energy, LED and other spectroscopy applications. © 2012 Copyright Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE).

The transmission of transparent colored ceramics based on Al(2)O(3) doped with light transition metals is measured in the visible and infrared range. To clarify the role of the dopands we perform ab initio calculations. We discuss the electronic structure and present optical spectra obtained in the independent particle approximation. We argue that the gross spectral features of Co- and Ni-doped Al(2)O(3) samples are described by our model, while the validity of the approach is limited for Cr-doped Al(2)O(3).

Vibrational energy relaxation (VER) of the Fermi polyads in the CH stretching vibration of the benzene dimer (Bz(2)) and trimer (Bz(3)) has been investigated by picosecond (ps) time-resolved IR-UV pump-probe spectroscopy in a supersonic beam. The vibrational bands in the 3000-3100 cm(-1) region were excited by a ps IR pulse and the time evolutions at the pumped and redistributed (bath) levels were probed by resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization with a ps UV pulse. For Bz(2), a site-selective excitation in the T-shaped structure was achieved by using the isotope-substituted heterodimer hd, where h = C(6)H(6) and d = C(6)D(6), and its result was compared with that of hh homodimer. In the hd heterodimer, the two isomers, h(stem)d(top) and h(top)d(stem), show remarkable site-dependence of the lifetime of intracluster vibrational energy redistribution (IVR); the lifetime of the Stem site [h(stem)d(top), 140-170 ps] is ~2.5 times shorter than that of the Top site [h(top)d(stem), 370-400 ps]. In the transient UV spectra, a broad electronic transition due to the bath modes emerges and gradually decays with a nanosecond time scale. The broad transition shows different time profile depending on UV frequency monitored. These time profiles are described by a three-step VER model involving IVR and vibrational predissociation: initial → bath1(intramolecular) → bath2(intermolecular) → fragments. This model also describes well the observed time profile of the Bz fragment. The hh homodimer shows the stepwise VER process with time constants similar to those of the hd dimer, suggesting that the excitation-exchange coupling of the vibrations between the two sites is very weak. Bz(3) also exhibited the stepwise VER process, though each step is faster than Bz(2).

A setup for pump/supercontinuum-probe spectroscopy is described which (i) is optimized to cancel fluctuations of the probe light by single-shot referencing, and (ii) extends the probe range into the near-uv (1000–270 nm). Reflective optics allow 50 μm spot size in the sample and upon entry into two separate spectrographs. The correlation γsame between sample and reference readings of probe light level at every pixel exceeds 0.99, compared to γconsec

The optical spectra of sandwich clusters formed by transition metal atoms (titanium, vanadium, and chromium) intercalated between parallel benzene molecules have been studied by time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) and many-body perturbation theory. Sandwiches with different number of layers, including infinite chains, are considered. The lowest excitation energy peaks in the spectra are characteristic of the robust bonding in these complexes. The excitation energies vary in a systematic way with the metal atoms and with the cluster size, and so these materials could be used to tune the optical properties according to specific functionality targets. The differences in the spectra could be used to identify relative abundances of isomers with different spins in experimental studies. As a salient feature, this theoretical spectroscopic analysis predicts the metallization of the infinite (TiBz)(infinity) chain, which is not the case of (CrBz)(infinity).

Date du colloque: 12/2009; International audience; We have investigated electrical, charge transport and optical properties of functionalised DNA:PEDT-PSS thin films. Current-voltage dependencies of the samples were linear and symmetrical down to 77 K temperature. Material conductivity at room temperature was about (1-5)×10-10 ¿-1 cm-1. The thermal activation energy of the conductivity measured in the dark was about 0.033 eV near the room temperature independently on the applied bias. The weakly expressed carrier trapping was identified by the thermally stimulated current method, evidencing the fast recombination of light-generated carriers. Though, at constant light excitation a "bistable" photoconduction below the room temperature was identified. I.e., upon excitation by light from the spectral region 500 800 nm a notable increase of the photocurrent could be observed below 140 160 K by cooling the samples. Meanwhile by heating the photosensitivity remained increased up to 230 240 K. Most probably such phenomenon could be attributed to the light-induced morphology changes of the samples.

International audience; We report anisotropic collision-induced Raman scattering intensities by the Kr–Xe atomic pair recorded in a gas mixture of Kr and Xe at room temperature. We compare them to quantum-mechanical calculations on the basis of modern incremental polarizability models of either ab initio post-Hartree–Fock or density functional theory methods.

International audience; We present here the results of time-resolved absorption and emission experiments for 4-(dimethylamino)benzonitrile in solution, which suggest that the fluorescent intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) state may differ from the twisted ICT (TICT) state observed in transient absorption.

Purpose: To evaluate the influence of wear of silicone-hydrogel contact lenses on lens ultraviolet and visible spectrum transmittance by studying several contact lenses before and after wear. Methods: To investigate the ability of contact lenses to maintain their transmittance characteristics, we measured 104 different contact lenses in the ultraviolet (UV) and visible range from 200 to 700 nm, with a Shimadzu UV3101-PC UV-vis-NIR spectrophotometer equipped with an integrating sphere. The lenses used in this study were Acuvue Advance (Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.), Air Optix Night & Day (CIBA Vision), Air Optix (CIBA Vision), and PureVision (Bausch & Lomb). A conventional hydrogel contact lens was also tested, Acuvue (Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Inc.). Results: Our study indicates that lenses that do not have UV absorbers incorporated into the polymer transmitted most of the UV radiation (UVR) before and after wear. The results of the statistical analysis show that for the UVC portion of the spectrum significant difference exists within the measurements obtained before and after wear for all the lenses, with the exception of PureVision. Acuvue Advance is the only material in which significant transmittance differences were observed in the visible spectral range. Conclusions: Transmittance is modified after contact lenses wear, probably due to the formation of biofilms on the contact lens surface, being more noticeable in the UVR region of the spectrum (200–400 nm). Silicone-hydrogel and conventional hydrogel contact lens materials that provide UVR protection (UV-blocker) maintain this property even after being worn. The changes observed in the visible spectrum seem not to have any implications in visual performance of silicone-hydrogel contact lenses., Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT)

The influence of a water solvent on the optical absorption properties of alizarin is investigated using time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT). The solvent is modeled at two different levels of theory: a structureless dielectric medium, using a polarizable continuum model, and the explicit inclusion of water molecules which are treated at the same level of theory as the solute. Thermal effects on the photoabsorption spectra are included by combining TDDFT with first principle molecular dynamics. The effect of molecular distortions on the excitation energies and oscillator strengths is analyzed, and a strong correlation between particular structural and optical properties is found. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4758877]

Cataloged from PDF version of article. We present a proof-of-concept photodetector which is sensitive in the visible spectrum. Silicon nanocrystals (Si-NCs) obtained by laser ablation are used as the active absorption region. Si-NC films are formed from a polymeric dispersion. The films are sandwiched between thin insulating films to reduce the electrical leakage current. Furthermore, Ag nanoparticles are integrated with the photodetector to enhance the visible response using plasmonic effects. The measured photocurrent is resonantly enhanced, which is explained in terms of enhanced local fields caused by localized plasmons. The UV-vis spectrum of Ag nanoparticles is also measured to verify the resonance. © 2012 IOP Publishing Ltd.

We have prepared a three-dimensional magnetophotonic crystal and observed modulated Faraday rotation around its photonic band gap. The magnetophotonic crystal was prepared by the self-assembly of highly monodispersed silica spheres, which were heavily impregnated with maghemite (γ−Fe2O3) nanoparticles. The slab sample with a thickness of 10 μm shows a clear photonic band gap centered at λ = 620 nm in optical transmittance. Faraday rotation is notably modified inside the photonic band gap.

Eleven very weak electric quadrupole transitions Q(2), Q(1), S(0)-S(8) of the first overtone band of D(2) have been measured by very high sensitivity CW-cavity ring down spectroscopy (CRDS) between 5850 and 6720 cm(-1). The noise equivalent absorption of the recordings is on the order of α(min) ≈ 3 × 10(-11) cm(-1). By averaging a high number of spectra, the noise level was lowered to α(min) ≈ 4 × 10(-12) cm(-1) in order to detect the S(8) transition which is among the weakest transitions ever detected in laboratory experiments (line intensity on the order of 1.8 × 10(-31) cm/molecule at 296 K). A Galatry profile was used to reproduce the measured line shape and derive the line strengths. The pressure shift and position at zero pressure limit were determined from recordings with pressures ranging between 10 and 750 Torr. A highly accurate theoretical line list was constructed for pure D(2) at 296 K. The intensity threshold was fixed to a value of 1 × 10(-34) cm/molecule at 296 K. The obtained line list is provided as supplementary material. It extends up to 24,000 cm(-1) and includes 201 transitions belonging to ten v-0 cold bands (v = 0-9) and three v-1 hot bands (v = 1-3). The energy levels include the relativistic and quantum electrodynamic corrections as well as the effects of the finite nuclear mass. The quadrupole transition moments are calculated using highly accurate adiabatic wave functions. The CRDS line positions and intensities of the first overtone band are compared to the corresponding calculated values and to previous measurements of the S(0)-S(3) lines. The agreement between the CRDS and theoretical results is found within the claimed experimental uncertainties (on the order of 1 × 10(-3) cm(-1) and 2% for the positions and intensities, respectively) while the previous S(0)-S(3) measurements showed important deviations for the line intensities.

Electric field effects on absorption and photoluminescence (PL) spectra of organometallic phosphorescent emitter Ir(ppy)3, {tris[2-phenylpyridinato-C2,N] iridium (III)} doped in a film of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) have been confirmed at temperatures in the range of 40-295 K. Field-induced quenching of PL observed for Ir(ppy)3 is attributed to the decrease both of emitting state population and of the lifetime of PL. The quenching is independent of excitation energy as well as temperature. Field-assisted charge separation or dissociation of electron-hole (e-h) pair produced by photoexcitation may decrease the population of the emitting state. The Stark shifts on absorption and PL spectra have also been analyzed.

International audience; The nanoscale crystals (NCs) of ZnO were embedded into polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) polymeric matrix and nanocomposite films were prepared by modified spin coating method. The surface of the ZnO/PMMA nanocomposite films has been investigated using atomic force and scanning electron microscopy. The prepared films are highly transparent, the ultraviolet-visible spectra show their high optical quality. The second and third harmonic generation (SHG and THG) studies of ZnO/PMMA nanocomposite films with different concentrations of ZnO NCs were carried out at λ=1.064 μm and the effective values of the second and third order nonlinear susceptibilities were estimated to be higher than that of ZnO bulk for the films at low concentration of ZnO NCs. This could indicate that surface effects in ZnO/PMMA nanocomposite films have a dominant role over bulk effects for the SHG and THG processes.

A microscopic theory for the optical absorption and gain spectra of InN quantum-dot systems is used to study the combined influence of material properties and interaction-induced effects. Atomistic tight-binding calculations for the single-particle properties of the self-assembled quantum-dot and wetting-layer system are used in conjunction with a many-body description of Coulomb interaction and carrier phonon interaction. We analyze the carrier-density and temperature dependence of strong excitation-induced energy shifts of the dipole-allowed quantum-dot transitions.(C) 2009 American Institute of Physics. (10.1063/1.3213543)

The photoluminescence properties of as-deposited and 90 MeV Si ion irradiated fullerene films are reported. The irradiation of fullerene films leads to some enhancement or quenching in molecular transition intensities (photoluminescence intensities) depending on the ion fluence. These effects are explained in terms of lowering in the energy level symmetry resulting from induced chemical disordering. The structural modifications occurring upon irradiation were investigated using Fourier transform infrared and UV-vis spectroscopies.

A light source on the surface of a slab of 2+1-dimensional photonic crystal has been prepared by the Langmuir-Blodgett deposition of a colloidal crystal on top of a thin film containing CdTe nanocrystals. The directional enhancement of the light emission intensity in the spectral range of the photonic bandgap has been revealed through the comparative examination of the angle-resolved transmission, diffraction, and photoluminescence spectra of the prepared structures. Changes in the emission spectrum have been tentatively explained in terms of the acceleration of the radiative recombination due to the increase in the local field strength at photonic bandgap resonance and changes in the emission diagram-as arising from the wavelength dependence of the topology of the local field pattern.

Color control of the white photoluminescence(PL) from carbon-incorporated silicon oxide is demonstrated. The carbon-incorporated silicon oxide was fabricated by carbonization of porous silicon in acetylene flow (at 650 and 850 °C) followed by wet oxidation (at 650 and 800 °C). It was shown that PL color can be controlled in the range of blue-white and yellow-white by selecting the porosity of starting porous silicon as well as the carbonization and oxidation temperatures. Low-temperature oxidation resulted in bluish light emission in lower porosity series, while high-temperature oxidation promoted yellow-white light emission. The maximal integral intensity of PL was observed after oxidation at 800 °C. It was shown that white PL from carbon-incorporated silicon oxide has blue and yellow-white PL bands originating from different light-emitting centers. The origin of blue PL is attributed to defects in silicon dioxide. Some trap levels at the interface of the carbon clusters and silicon oxide are suggested to be the origin of the yellow-white light emission.

International audience; The collision-induced hyper-Rayleigh (CIHR) spectra of the gaseous H 2 – Ar mixture are discussed in the binary regime on the basis of our ab initio computed H 2 – Ar collision-induced (CI) first dipole hyperpolarizability tensor Δ β ( R ) . A method for the computation of the spherical, rotationally adapted components Δ β λ L ( s , K ) ( R ) of Δ β ( R ) needed for spectroscopic line shape analysis is proposed. Both the vector and the septor parts of the H 2 – Ar CIHR spectrum are evaluated at room ( T = 295 K ) temperature. The spectra are calculated assuming the full quantum computations based on the Schrödinger equation of the relative translational motion of H 2 – Ar as well as semiclassical methods (classical trajectory approach and Birnbaum–Cohen model translational profiles). The H 2 – Ar pair CIHR septor spectrum has been found stronger than the vector one.

The phosphors Ba3Gd(BO3)3:Ce3+ were prepared by a solid-state reaction technique at high temperature. The vacuum ultraviolet-ultraviolet and visible spectroscopic properties of the phosphors together with decay time curves are investigated and discussed. The spectroscopic properties are explained by occupancy of Ce3+ at two different Gd sites in the host lattice. The x-ray excited emission spectra of Ba3Gd(BO3)3:Ce3+ were studied and the number of photons emitted per unit of absorbed x-ray energy was calculated. The yield is rather poor and Ba3Gd(BO3)3:Ce3+ appears not a suitable x-ray phosphor.

Thin silica films containing Au nanoparticles were prepared by cosputtering. The kinetics of the growth of nanoparticles under 90 MeV Ni ion irradiation was studied by in situ x-ray diffraction. The growth of nanoparticles from 4 (for pristine) to 9 nm at a fluence of 1×1014 ions/cm2 was observed, in accordance with the observations made by transmission electron microscopy analyses. The present study shows that the ion irradiation is an effective tool for tailoring the size of nanoparticles. The results are discussed in the framework of thermal spike model.

Corrosion protection performance of a completely soluble polyaniline-dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid salt (PANI-DBSA) on C45 steel has been studied with electrochemical impedance and potentiodynamic measurements. Chloroform is the most suitable solvent to process the pristine PANI-DBSA because of negligible interaction of the solvent with the polyaniline (PANI) backbone. An anodic shift in the corrosion potential (E=~70mV), a decrease in the corrosion current and a significant increase in the charge transfer resistance indicate a significant anti-corrosion performance of the soluble PANI deposited on the protected steel surface. Corrosion protection follows the mechanism of formation of a passive oxide layer on the surface of C45 steel. In situ UV-Vis spectroscopy was used to investigate the differences in permeability of aqueous anions into PANI-DBSA. Preliminary results of electron diffraction studies show that PANI-DBSA possesses an orthorhombic type of crystal structure. An increase in the feed ratio of DBSA to aniline increases the tendency of aggregation of spherical particles of PANI obvious in transmission electron microscopy. PANI-DBSA slowly loses its electrochemical activity in acid free electrolyte without undergoing degradation.

The authors demonstrate optimal control of the propagation of ultrashort, ultraintense (multiterawatt) laser pulses in air over distances up to 36m in a closed-loop scheme. They optimized three spectral ranges within the white-light continuum as well as the ionization efficiency. Optimization results in signal enhancements by typical factors of 2 and 1.4 for the target parameters. The optimization results in shorter pulses by reducing their chirp in the case of white-light continuum generation, while they correct the pulse from its defects and set the filamentation onset near the detector as far as air ionization is concerned.

Light reflectance in three-dimensional metallo-dielectric photonic crystals of polyelectrolyte-coated latex spheres infiltrated with gold nanoparticles has been studied. Broad directional reflectance bands associated with the surface plasmon resonance in the lattice of the gold nanoparticle shells are observed in a wavelength range well separated from the diffraction resonance of the opal lattice. Dependence of surface plasmon resonance spectra on the Au nanoparticle distribution has been demonstrated.

Ce nouveau spectromètre comprend un monochromateur à réseau et un étalon Fabry-Pérot balayé en pression. Le contrôle du déplacement de la fonction d'appareil du Fabry-Pérot est rigoureusement assuré par un comptage de franges d'un interféromètre de Michelson associé. Notre appareil peut être utilisé pour l'étude de spectres d'absorption, d'émission ou de diffusion Raman. Il peut analyser automatiquement, successivement, des domaines spectraux distants les uns des autres de plusieurs milliers de cm- 1 avec une précision globale meilleure que 0,05 cm-1. Il présente de plus, par rapport aux meilleurs appareils à deux ou trois réseaux existant actuellement un gain de luminosité de plusieurs dizaines.

The metal concentration and matrix conditions which favor the dimerization of vanadium atoms to divanadium molecules are quantitatively assessed using optical spectroscopy. A simple kinetic theory is presented which enables small metal clusters to be identified in the presence of atomic species. This approach makes use of the fact that a metal atom being deposited is capable of diffusing either on the matrix surface or within a narrow region (the reaction zone) near the matrix surface before its kinetic energy is dissipated sufficiently to immobilize it. The surface diffusion pathway is found to predominate over the statistical generation of dimers. The kinetic result, which suggests that V2 is formed on the matrix surface rather than in the gas phase, is also borne out by the intriguing observation that for a given metal deposition rate the dimer-to-monomer ratio decreases as one increases the atomic weight of the noble gas used to isolate them, with Ar giving the most V2 and Xe the least. Careful concentration experiments in Ar, Kr, and Xe matrices permit the uv–visible transitions of V2 to be identified and the extinction coefficient ratio epsilonV/epsilonV2 to be determined. A qualitative molecular orbital description of V2 is presented in the light of iterative extended Hückel calculations. These computations suggest that high spin divanadium has a strong metal–metal bond which is mainly 4s in character with only small contributions from the degenerate dxz,yz pi-bonding set. Visible absorptions observed in the 600–450 nm region are tentatively assigned to electronic transitions localized mainly between the V–V sigma-bond and the d-orbital manifold. The Journal of Chemical Physics is copyrighted by The American Institute of Physics.

The current-potential relations with and without illumination, quantum efficiency-wavelength relations at several potentials, the flatband potentials, the transient behavior, and the stability of seven p-type semiconductors, i.e., ZnTe, CdTe, GaAs, InP, GaP, SiC, and Si, have been measured in 1N NaOH and 1N H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/. The position of the photocurrent-potential relations are related to the flatband potential and the energy gap of the semiconductor. The existence of the maximum in quantum efficiency-wavelength relation is analyzed by considering surface recombination. The stability and the transient behavior are analyzed.

Gallium sulfide single crystals have been irradiated with different thermal neutron doses. Defects introduced by neutron irradiation turn out to be optically active, giving rise to absorption bands with energies ranging from 1.2 to 3.2 eV. Bands lying in the band-gap exhibit Gaussian shape. Their energies and widths are independent of the irradiation dose, but their intensities are proportional to it. Thermal annealing is completed in two stages, ending at around 500 and 720 K, respectively. Centers responsible for the absorption bands are proposed to be gallium-vacancy-galliuminterstitial complexes in which the distance between the vacancy (acceptor) and the interstitial (donor) determines the energy and intensity of the absorption band, as well as the annealing temperature. Francisco.Manjon@uv.es

We present a joint theoretical and experimental investigation of the absorption spectra of silver clusters Ag(n) (4

The mapping of nearshore bathymetry based on spaceborne radiometers is commonly used for QC ocean colour products in littoral waters. However, the accuracy of these estimates is relatively poor with respect to those derived from Lidar systems due in part to the large uncertainties of bottom depth retrievals caused by changes on bottom reflectivity. Here, we present a method based on mini unmanned aerial vehicles (UAS) images for discriminating bottom-reflected and water radiance components by taking advantage of shadows created by different structures sitting on the bottom boundary. Aerial surveys were done with a drone Draganfly X4P during October 1 2013 in optically shallow waters of the Saint Lawrence Estuary, and during low tide. Colour images with a spatial resolution of 3 mm were obtained with an Olympus EPM-1 camera at 10 m height. Preliminary results showed an increase of the relative difference between bright and dark pixels (dP) toward the red wavelengths of the camera's receiver. This is suggesting that dP values can be potentially used as a quantitative proxy of bottom reflectivity after removing artefacts related to Fresnel reflection and bottom adjacency effects.

In this work, the performances of new red emitting phenyl- substituted polysiloxane based scintillators are described. Three dyes were dispersed in a phenyl-polysiloxane matrix in order to shift the scintillation wavelength towards the red part of the visible spectrum. PPO, Lumogen Violet (BASF) and Lumogen Red (BASF) were mixed to the starting resins with different wt. % and the analysis of the different samples was performed by means of fluorescence measurements. The scintillation yield to alpha particles at the different dye ratios was monitored by detecting either the full spectrum or the red part of the emitted light. Finally, thin red scintillators with selected compositions were coupled to Avalanche Photodiode sensors, which are usually characterized by higher efficiency in the red part of the spectrum. An increased light output of about 17% has been obtained comparing the red scintillators to standard blue emitting systems. Preliminary results on the detection of fast neutrons with the APD-red scintillator system are also presented.