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We present an experimental study of the effect of layer interfaces on the x-ray reflectance in Cr/B4C multilayer interference coatings with layer thicknesses ranging from 0.7 nm to 5.4 nm. The multilayers were deposited by magnetron sputtering and by ion beam sputtering. Grazing incidence x-ray reflectometry, soft x-ray reflectometry, and transmission electron microscopy reveal asymmetric multilayer structures with a larger B4C-on-Cr interface, which we modeled with a 1-1.5 nm thick interfacial layer. Reflectance measurements in the vicinity of the Cr L2,3 absorption edge demonstrate fine structure that is not predicted by simulations using the currently tabulated refractive index (optical constants) values for Cr.

We present procedures to develop and characterise chirped multilayer mirrors for attosecond pulses. The design procedure involves a simulated annealing optimisation algorithm to obtain a multilayer structure with the desired performances. The characterisation step requires the use of well-calibrated attosecond and synchrotron beam lines, allowing one to measure the amplitude and phase response of the mirror. We illustrate these approaches with a set of mirrors designed to have zero or negative dispersion. The remarkable agreement between theoretical and experimental performances validates this overall process, and demonstrates the capability of such mirrors to control the temporal profile of attosecond pulses. These tools and techniques for developing attosecond chirped mirrors will facilitate the generalisation of such components on attosecond experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We report on the study of multilayer mirrors that were designed to compress extreme-ultraviolet pulses below 50 as. The mirrors were optimized in the time domain to obtain the desired pulse shape and duration when combined with a broadband hybrid filter. Moreover, they appeared to be very robust to environmental parameters, ensuring a pulse compression in various conditions. We manufactured the mirrors and characterized them on a synchrotron facility both in amplitude and in phase. A measurement of the latter was carried out using the photocurrent technique, which is the only method that allows one to access the mirrors' absolute spectral phase. This led to a measurement of the offset induced by the mirrors on the carrier-envelope phase of attosecond pulses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Locally reducing the width of a wide photonic crystal (PhC) waveguide generates a constriction which acts as an internal reflector. We have simulated and measured the spectral behavior of a wide PhC waveguide locally constricted to a narrower PhC waveguide and ended by two cleaved facets, thus generating two coupled cavities. Passive structures as well as electrically injected active structures have been investigated. The multimode behavior of wide PhC waveguides is evidenced to play a deciding role. Modal reflection and transmission at the constriction are simulated and measured on passive PhC waveguides, when varying the constrictions' hole size and length. The spectral behavior of full-PhC electrically pumped lasers including such a constriction is measured and analyzed according to the constriction geometry. Design rules are finally proposed to take advantage of this coupled-cavities behavior for high rejection and high external efficiency monomode laser operation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

ZrO2-supported La, Co oxide catalysts with different La, Co loading (2, 6, 8, 12 and 16 wt.% as LaCoO3) were prepared by impregnation of tetragonal ZrO2 with equimolar amounts of La and Co citrate precursors and calcination at 1073 K. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), and BET specific surface area determination. Catalytic CO oxidation was performed at 298–800 K. XRD revealed the presence of tetragonal zirconia with traces of the monoclinic phase. LaCoO3 perovskite was also detected for loading higher than 6%. XAS experiments suggested that at high loading LaCoO3 and Co3O4 were formed, while at low loading, La, Co oxide species interacting with support, and hard to be structurally defined, prevailed. The catalysis study evidenced that the catalytic activity was due to segregated and highly dispersed cobalt oxide species. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Focuses on the use of a developed spin-polarized electron sources with very high polarization for electron spectroscopy. Data on spin-resolved inverse photoemission form Fe(100) films excited by polarized electrons; Photocathode preparation and characterization.

A spin-polarized electron gun for electron spectroscopies is described in detail. The gun consists of an electron source based on a negative electron affinity GaAs photocathode coupled to an appropriate transport electron optics. The gun has been designed with the aid of ray-tracing analysis and then accurately tested. It produces a transversely polarized (P0∼27%) electron beam at variable energy with a small spot size and angular spread (less than 2 mm and 5°, respectively). Such performances are attained up to sample currents as high as 10 μA for the whole beam energy range (8–50 eV). As an application we present data on spin-dependent absorbed current spectroscopy from bcc Fe films epitaxially grown on Ag(100). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A two-dimensional phenomenological approach previously developed for the modeling of out-of-plane losses in low refractive index contrast planar photonic crystals (PPhCs) is used to study the dependence of the different loss terms on the planar waveguide parameters. It is demonstrated that: (i) Losses can be minimized by designing vertical heterostructures optimized for a given technological process and/or for a given hole shape; and (ii) any small reduction of the loss value has a strong impact on the optical performances of PPhC structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]