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InxGa1−xSe mixed crystals have been successfully grown from an indium flux by the traveling heater method at three growth temperatures. The thickness of the grown InxGa1−xSe mixed crystal perpendicular to (001) was more than 3 mm. The lattice constant, and optical and electrical properties of the InxGa1−xSe mixed crystals and undoped GaSe crystals were investigated and compared. The indium content of the InxGa1−xSe mixed crystals was observed to increase with decreasing growth temperature, while the lattice constant along the c-axis was observed to follow Vegard’s law. It was confirmed that a bandgap of In0.020Ga0.980Se is narrower than that of undoped GaSe according to the photoluminescence (PL) spectra. Compared with undoped GaSe crystal, the carrier concentration p was decreased by the incorporation of indium (In0.020Ga0.980Se, p = 6.4 × 1014 cm−3 at 257 K; In0.037Ga0.963Se, p = 2.6 × 1014 cm−3 at 257 K). In addition, it was suggested that the dominant carrier scattering mechanism of high-indium-content crystals at low temperature is ionized impurity scattering.

Terahertz (THz) waves are transparent with respect to non-polar substances, such as plastics. The refractive index at THz frequencies and the specific spectral features of plastic materials, such as polypropene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl alcohol (PVC) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) can be used to discriminate waste plastics into each material regardless of color. This is important since colored plastic cannot be identified by the present method of near-infrared (NIR) reflection spectroscopy due to absorption of NIR light by the coloring. In addition, the THz refractive index of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) increases in proportion to the content of bromine (Br), which can be used to quantitatively evaluate the presence of halogen additives in waste plastic. We show that the non-contact THz identification of materials and additives in plastics can be an effective method for sorting plastic waste. Safe & efficient waste management is one of the most urgent social requirements for smart city innovation.

Indium selenide compounds are promising materials for energy conversion, spintronic applications, and chemical sensing. However, it is difficult to grow stoichiometric indium selenide crystals due to the high equilibrium selenium vapor pressure and the complicated phase equilibrium system of indium selenide compounds. In this paper, we apply a novel and convenient crystal growth method, in which the saturated solution is grown by the application of a selenium vapor. In this method, selenium vapor at a pressure higher than the saturated vapor pressure is applied to molten indium, such that the selenium continuously dissolves into the indium solution until the solubility at the growth temperature is reached; then a slow cooling process results in crystallization. The selenium dose is matched to its solubility so that indium selenide compounds can be selectively grown just by controlling the temperature without the need to consider the chemical ratio in the solution. The pressure of the vapor is controlled during the whole growth process so that any deviation from a stoichiometric composition in the crystal can be controlled. Both InSe and In2Se3 were successfully grown using this method, and we have investigated the growth mechanism and found the growth window for each compound. This study presents a novel and convenient approach to fabricating transitional metal chalcogenides without deficiencies in the chalcogen element.

The development of theoretical models for crystals has led to the evolution of computational methods with which much more thorough investigations than previously possible can be done, including studies of the nonlinear optical properties. There has recently been a rise in interest in 2-dimensional materials; unfortunately, measurements of the nonlinear susceptibility of these materials in the wavelength range of the order of hundreds of nanometers by traditional methods are difficult. Studies of second-harmonic generation (SHG) from the transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), MoS2 and MoSe2, have been reported; however, SHG from other typical van der Waals crystals such as GaSe and other transition metal monochalcogenides (TMMCs) has rarely been studied under the same conditions. In this study, the 211 (i = 2, j = 1, k = 1) elements in the susceptibility matrices of GaSe, InSe, MoS2 and WS2 were calculated and compared. A tendency for the SHG intensity to weaken as the wavelength increases from 500 nm to 1000 nm was observed for GaSe and InSe, and, apart from some periodic fluctuations, no clear increase could be seen for these two materials in the SHG response curve in the near infrared. By comparison, MoS2 and WS2 have obvious peaks in both the visible and infrared bands. Calculations of the SHG response show peaks at around 500 nm (for GaSe), 570 (for InSe), 660 nm, 980 nm (for MoS2) and 580 nm, 920 nm (for WS2). Moreover, similarities between the SHG curves for GaSe and InSe and for MoS2 and WS2 were revealed, which may be due to the similarities found for these two groups of crystals.

Terahertz (THz) waves at 9.7, 10.1 and 10.6 THz were generated via difference frequency generation in high-quality In

We demonstrate the generation of THz waves (frequency 9.7 THz) using difference frequency generation in an In

Indium selenide (InSe), which is one of the most promising layered III-chalcogenide compounds, is an attractive material for applications in infrared detection, solar energy conversion and high mobility transfer devices etc. In this work, InSe crystals were grown from the liquid phase using the temperature difference method under controlled vapor pressure (TDM-CVP) at a growth temperature of 582 °C, which is lower than that of the melt used in the Bridgman-Stockbarger technique. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy results indicate that the grown crystal was γ-InSe with R3m space group symmetry. Photoluminescence measurements were carried out to determine the optical properties of the grown crystal, from which it was confirmed that the sample had a direct bandgap of 1.32 eV, an indirect bandgap of 1.28 eV and an exciton binding energy of 20 meV.

The interlayer van der Waals bonding force in crystalline InSe was directly measured using a mechanical test equipment. The bulk γ-InSe crystal was grown by the temperature difference method under controlled vapor pressure, a unique liquid phase solution crystal growth method with a low and fixed growth temperature. The measured bonding force in the crystal was 20.8 N/cm2, which is greater than that in 2D crystalline GaSe. We also made theoretical discussion of the van der Waals forces in InSe, based on the fluctuations in the electron cloud distributions around the atoms.The interlayer van der Waals bonding force in crystalline InSe was directly measured using a mechanical test equipment. The bulk γ-InSe crystal was grown by the temperature difference method under controlled vapor pressure, a unique liquid phase solution crystal growth method with a low and fixed growth temperature. The measured bonding force in the crystal was 20.8 N/cm2, which is greater than that in 2D crystalline GaSe. We also made theoretical discussion of the van der Waals forces in InSe, based on the fluctuations in the electron cloud distributions around the atoms.

Concrete is the most widely used for construction materials in the world. Water content of concrete is an important parameter in terms durability of concrete structures. Terahertz (THz) waves, for which concrete is a porous and absorbable material, have been studied in order to establish a new non-contact inspection technology for maintenance of concrete structures. In this study, THz transmittance and reflectance of concrete in drying process were measured with a 60 GHz GUNN diode and absorption coefficient is analyzed for concrete with various water contents. It is shown that quantitative detection below 10% is possible for the water content at surface area of concrete.

The structures of fiber, including the distance between fibers and the arrangement direction of fibers, were quantitatively investigated using coherent terahertz (THz) wave. Composite fibers with periodically arranged 57% silk and 43% nylon are measured, then the specific absorption spectra due to intermolecular vibration and interference effect are observed in THz frequency region. It is shown that, not only the period and direction of woven but also the type of material could be specified by the THz spectroscopy. This study enlightens a novel method for fiber nondestructive inspection beyond microscopy imaging, which has potential to be applied in quality control, infrastructure disaster prevention.

The real capacity of graphene and the lithium-storage process in graphite are two currently perplexing problems in the field of lithium ion batteries. Here we demonstrate a three-dimensional bilayer graphene foam with few defects and a predominant Bernal stacking configuration, and systematically investigate its lithium-storage capacity, process, kinetics, and resistances. We clarify that lithium atoms can be stored only in the graphene interlayer and propose the first ever planar lithium-intercalation model for graphenic carbons. Corroborated by theoretical calculations, various physiochemical characterizations of the staged lithium bilayer graphene products further reveal the regular lithium-intercalation phenomena and thus fully illustrate this elementary lithium storage pattern of two-dimension. These findings not only make the commercial graphite the first electrode with clear lithium-storage process, but also guide the development of graphene materials in lithium ion batteries., The mechanism of lithium storage in graphenic carbon remains a fundamental question to be addressed. Here the authors employ suitable bilayer graphene foam to investigate various physiochemical phenomena of lithium intercalation and propose a storage model.

Terahertz (THz) waves at 9.7, 10.1 and 10.6 THz were generated via difference frequency generation in high-quality InxG1-xaSe mixed crystals with a relatively high indium compositions (x = 0.040, 0.048, 0.074) grown from an indium flux. The phase-matching angle for THz wave generation was measured for each indium content. As a result, it is confirmed that the incident angle of the excitation light satisfying the phase-matching condition is shifted to a higher angle with an increase in the indium content.

The growth rate of crystalline GaSe from solution was increased by using indium as a solvent. The solubility and concentration gradient of Se were measured using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The Se solubility and the temperature coefficient of the solubility were respectively 15 times and 2.2 times greater in crystals grown from an In flux with GaSe at saturation compared with the case of Se dissolved in a Ga flux. In this study, we succeeded in growing InxGa1−xSe ingots from an In flux without the need for a seed crystal, and in increasing the growth rate of GaSe from solution. In addition, we used difference frequency generation to generate THz waves (with a frequency of 9.7 THz) in an InxGa1−xSe mixed crystal and investigated the relationship between the output energy of the THz radiation and the interaction length of the excitation light. The conversion efficiency of THz wave (9.7 THz) from the InxGa1−xSe mixed crystal with thickness of 860 μm was 26 times greater than that of GaSe crystal with thickness 100 μm grown from Ga solvent.

We demonstrate the generation of THz waves (frequency 9.7 THz) using difference frequency generation in an InxGa1-xSe mixed crystal grown from In flux. The amount of indium and the lattice constant of the crystal were evaluated using electron micro probe analysis and X-ray diffraction, respectively. We believe that the Ga sites were substituted by In atoms in the InxGa1-xSe crystal because the In content, estimated according to the Vegard’s law, was similar to that measured by EPMA. The maximum power of the generated THz wave was 39 pJ and the conversion efficiency was 1.7×10−5 J−1. This conversion efficiency was 28 times larger than that reported for undoped GaSe crystal.

International audience; Chocolate is widely enjoyed in many sweets and foods all over the world. In cocoa butter, fatty acids combine together and give cocoa butter 6 different types of crystals: γ, α, β’(III), β’(IV), β(V) and β(VI). In the industry, the β(V) form that is required, is metastable and gives chocolate its marketable properties. The β(VI) form is also stable but not desirable, because of fat bloom. The objective of this study is to characterize these polytypes by terahertz(THz) spectroscopy. THz spectroscopy is expected to be a new tool in food industry, as THz energy corresponds to collective molecular macro-vibrations. Two chocolates from different factories were inspected with optical microscope, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and THz spectroscopy. Optical microscope showed different surface aspects, XRD showed the same species in the two brands and THz spectroscopy showed different features. These differences may be due to fatty acids combination of chocolate.

The terahertz (THz) frequency range corresponds to molecular vibrations or relaxation modes such as those for the hydrogen bond. Most biomolecules are activated only in aqueous solutions, thus, to understand the function and structure of biomolecules, it is necessary to investigate the characteristics of electromagnetic waves in hydrated samples. THz radiation causes little damage to the human body, thus it is expected that it can be applied for noninvasive examinations. However, spectrometry of the transmitted light is difficult, since the absorption of THz radiation in water is extremely high. In this study, we used sub-THz radiation (frequencies near to 0.1 THz), where the absorption is lower than for THz radiation, to measure the reflectance of a glucose water solution. We found that the reflectance decreases in proportion with the glucose concentration. These results suggest that sub-THz radiation can be used in the noninvasive measurement of blood glucose levels.

At present, one of the main inspection methods of electric wires is visual inspection. The development of a novel non-destructive inspection technology is required because of various problems, such as water invasion by the removal of insulators. Since terahertz (THz) waves have high transparency to nonpolar substances such as coatings of conductive wire, electric conductive wires are extremely suitable for THz non-destructive inspection. In this research, in order to investigate the quantitative possibility of detecting the defects on aluminum electric wire, THz wave reflection imaging measurement was performed for artificially disconnected wires. It is shown that quantitative detection is possible for the disconnect status of the aluminum electric wire by using THz waves.

GaSe crystals were grown by liquid phase solution growth, using the temperature difference method under controlled vapor pressure. Temperature-dependent Hall effect measurements were used to show the different thermal activation energies of the acceptor levels of the commercially available Bridgman-grown GaSe crystals and our liquid phase solution-grown crystals. Unintentionally doped GaSe crystals showed p-type conduction; also, the thermal activation energies of the acceptor levels of the Bridgman-grown crystals were 30 meV + E v and 50 meV + E v while that of liquid phase-grown crystals was 15 meV + E v (where E v is the energy of the valence band). We conclude that low temperature growth and stoichiometry control can effectively inhibit native point defect formation.

Terahertz (THz)-wave generation has been conducted based on difference frequency mixing (DFM) process with phonon-polariton excitation of e-GaSe single crystals implemented with liquid-phase solution growth using the temperature difference method under controlled vapour pressure for the first time. The type-eoo phase matching condition for the DFM process at around 10 THz is satisfied by changing the incident angle into the crystal. The maximum conversion efficiency in the present DFG process is about 10-6 J-1 using a 0.1-mm-thick GaSe single crystal with the only e- phase polytype, which can be greater than that of the commercially available Bridgman grown GaSe crystal including both e- and γ-phase polytypes.

GaP terahertz (THz) two-dimensional (2D) photonic crystal (PC) waveguides with line defects were fabricated using inductively-coupled plasma reactive-ion etching (ICP-RIE) in Ar/Cl2 gas chemistries. THz-wave generation from the fabricated PC waveguides was demonstrated under collinear phase-matched difference-frequency generation (DFG), using Cr:Forsterite (Cr:F) lasers as the incident source. We compared the THz-wave output characteristics of the PC waveguides with that of GaP planar waveguides. The collinear phase-matching conditions in the DFG process were satisfied for 300- and 500-μm-wide PC waveguide structures at 0.7 and 0.6 THz, respectively. The additional output peaks that appeared near the edge of the photonic band gap, around 0.5 THz, were attributed to the guiding modes in the PC waveguide; no such peaks appeared in the non-patterned ridge waveguides. These experimental results suggest that the phonon-polariton confinement in THz-PC waveguides based on the GaP crystal could be used to enhance the nonlinear optical effect for THz-wave generation.

Our research group has developed a terahertz light source with high luminance and broadband, and is developing research on non-destructive inspection technology. As a nondestructive inspection technology for hot-dip galvanized steel sheets, we have built a terahertz spectrum database for corrosion products that may exist there. In this research, we aim to newly obtain spectral data of β-FeOOH. Absorption Spectrum is shown in Figure.1. Optical system is shown in Figure.2. The terahertz wave was generated by difference frequency mixing using a GaP crystal which is a nonlinear optical crystal. The standard powder sample was diluted with polyethylene powder and pelletized, and it was measured at room temperature by a permeation method. As a result of spectroscopic measurement, an absorption peak was obtained around 3.06 THz. On the day of the presentation, in addition to discussions on attribution of peaks, report together with ATR-FTIR results. Figure 1

Steel sheet with an insulator to prevent corrosion is used for various purposes including in building and car manufacture. Terahertz waves, for which insulators are highly permeable and metal surfaces are highly reflective, have been studied in order to establish a new inspection technology for these steel plates. In our previous research, spectroscopic measurements in the 1.0-4.0 THz range, generated by a GaP crystal, were carried out in order to collect information on the infrared activity of the metal corrosion products formed on Zn-Al hot-dip galvanized steel sheet. In the previous work, the infrared activity of Fe-based corrosion products was not examined. To examine these products, we conducted THz spectroscopy on goethite (α-FeOOH) in the range from 8.4 to 11.0 THz, generated by a GaSe crystal. The results of Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) FTIR spectral measurements and molecular vibration calculations were analyzed, on the basis of which the natural vibration modes of α-FeOOH in the THz frequency range were assigned.

The terahertz (THz) region, which lies between the microwave and infrared regions, offers a wealth of untapped potential. We generated widely frequency-tunable coherent THz waves from GaP crystal pumped using continuous-wave (CW) semiconductor lasers and compared it with pulse pumping using Q-switched high-power lasers at 1–1.2 μm. THz wave generation was based on difference-frequency generation via the excitation of phonon-polaritons in GaP. CW THz waves were generated from GaP by enhancing the power density of the pumping light from semiconductor lasers. The power and phase-matched condition for THz wave generation are discussed with respect to the pumping method compared to pulse pumping. Semiconductor lasers have light power stability with a narrow linewidth. Therefore, CW THz waves can be used as a light source in high-resolution THz spectroscopy, as well as in multichannel communication.

One of the most important uses of THz spectrometry is to detect defects in molecular structure or in crystals efficiently. We applied GaP Raman THz (GRT) spectrometer to detect and evaluate defects in inorganic and organic materials. High THz-wave absorption due to high defect density of GaSe crystal lowered the efficiency of THz wave generation, when the crystal is used as nonlinear material for DFG (Difference Frequency Generation). Defects in organic molecules could be observed as changes in frequency, intensities of the absorption, and broadenings of the spectra.

Time-gated Raman amplification in the GaP–AlGaP waveguide is investigated using mode-locked Ti–sapphire pump source with 80 ps pulse width. Logarithmic Raman gain linearly increases with increasing the pump power density as long as the gain is less than about 10 dB. However, with further increasing the pump power it becomes nearly proportional to the square root of the pump power density. This is due to the fact that the equivalent linewidth of the pump pulse is comparable to the spectral full width half maximum of the Raman gain coefficient (24 GHz). Another point is that the amplified pulse broadens as the waveguide length exceeds the optical length corresponding to the pump pulse width because Raman amplification occurs mainly due to backward scattering.

Photocapacitance (PHCAP) measurements are applied to liquid-phase epitaxially grown n- Al0.3Ga0.7As crystals at different temperatures. The PHCAP measurements revealed deep levels optically located at 0.5 eV below the conduction band and 1.5 eV above the valence band [Ec−0.5 eV level (Te-related DX center) and Ev+1.5 eV level]. The thermal activation energy of electron capture at the ionized Ec−0.5 eV level was found to be 31 meV. The optical hole emission process from the Ev+1.5 eV level was enhanced with increasing sample temperature. After 1.5 eV monochromatic light preirradiation, the Ec−0.5 eV level was detected in an intentionallly undoped n-Al0.3Ga0.7As sample. From these results, the structure of the Te-related DX center is discussed.

We constructed a two-directional continuous-wave (CW) terahertz (THz) wave generation system with laser diode pumping. The generation method is based on difference frequency generation (DFG) of two near-infrared (NIR) lasers by excitation of phonon polaritons in a GaP crystal. The two NIR lasers for DFG are amplified simultaneously using one ytterbium-doped fiber amplifier (FA). Efficient beam overlapping of the NIR lasers was achieved on the GaP crystal surface. This system consists of a simple optical design with a single FA. Narrow linewidth CW THz waves, which are generated in two directions, can be applied to high-resolution spectroscopy.

Alternate injections of triethylindium (TEI) and tertiarybutylphosphine (TBP) without precracking were used to realize self-limiting growth of an InP layer on a (001) InP substrate in ultrahigh vacuum. Self-limiting growth, in which the growth rate is independent of the injection time and the pressure of TEI and TBP, was achieved at a growth temperature as low as 320 °C. The growth rate of around 0.75 ML per cycle in self-limiting growth was assumed to be due to stable surface reconstruction of (2×4)-β. A specular surface morphology was obtained in the self-limiting growth condition. By analyzing the limitation of the growth rate as well as the surface morphology of the layer, self-limiting mechanisms were proposed with respect to suppression of the TEI decomposition on the indium surface during TEI injection, suppression of the phosphorus dissociation from the InP surface during TBP evacuation, and complete reaction between TEI and TBP during TBP injection. The growth condition range for self-limiting gr...

We have fabricated GaP two-dimensional photonic crystals (PCs) for terahertz (THz) wave generation by a reactive ion etching in Ar/Cl2 gas chemistries. We performed 75-mm-deep etching of GaP, in which Al2O3 layer is applied as a hard mask with its selectivity as high as 125. We demonstrated the THz-wave generation from the fabricated GaP slab waveguide with the PC structure as a cladding layer under a collinear phase-matched difference frequency generation. In the frequency dependence of THz output power for the PC slab waveguide is seen at around 1.1 THz. From the in-plane transmission spectrum of THz-wave, we confirmed that the THz output characteristics had relation with the photonic structure for THz wave. [doi:10.2320/matertrans.MAW200728]

Terahertz (THz) generation was demonstrated from GaP rod-type waveguides via difference-frequency-mixing of near-infrared light using a collinear phase-matching condition. THz output peaks were observed, and appeared at frequencies corresponding to the fundamental and high-order waveguide modes. Interestingly, the position of the fundamental mode shifted to a higher frequency for a smaller waveguide cross-section, which is attributed to the waveguide confinement of the THz wave. The conversion efficiency was enhanced in the waveguide with a cross section of 200 mumtimes160 mum as compared to that in bulk GaP crystals

Proceedings of the IEEE 24th international symposium on compound semiconductors, San diego, California, 8-11 Semptember 1997, Compound semiconductors 1997 : proceedings of the IEEE Twenty-fourth International Symposium on Compound Semiconductors held in San Diego, California, 8-11 September 1997 (Institute of Physics conference series, no. 156)

Continuous-wave (CW) single-frequency terahertz (THz) waves were generated using difference-frequency generation via excitation of phonon-polaritons in GaP. The two pump sources were an external cavity laser diode (LD) and an LD-pumped Nd : YAG laser. The power density of the latter beam was enhanced by using a ytterbium-doped fiber amplifier. The two incident beams were focused to near the wavelength of THz waves. This optical alignment enabled us to generate frequency-tunable CW THz waves in the 0.69-2.74 THz range. With a fixed angle between the pump beams, we obtained a frequency bandwidth as large as 600 GHz

The photocapacitance measurements under constant capacitance condition is applied to n- and p-type InP crystals prepared by 4h-annealing at 700/spl deg/C under controlled phosphorus vapor pressure. Samples used are InP bulk crystals grown by the conventional LEC method. Vapour pressure controlled-zone melting grown InP and LPE-grown InP are also investigated. The phosphorus vapor pressure dependence of the deep level density is shown. And the excitation photocapacitance method is also applied to show the precise optical transition mechanism of these deep levels. From these results the defect formation mechanism is discussed in view of the deviation from the stoichiometric composition of InP.

The photocapacitance method is applied to investigate the stoichiometry‐dependent deep levels in intentionally‐undoped n‐type InP crystals prepared by 4 h annealing at 700 °C under controlled phosphorus vapor pressure. The present photocapacitance measurements reveal three dominant deep levels at 0.63 and 1.1 eV below the conduction band and 0.74 eV above the valence band, respectively. The phosphorus vapor pressure dependence of these level densities is also shown. The excitation photocapacitance results show the precise optical transition mechanism of these deep levels. In conjunction with the phosphorus vapor pressure dependence of the photocapacitance results, the defect formation mechanism is also discussed.

Photocapacitance (PHCAP), deep level photoluminescence (PL), and Hall effect measurements are applied to the liquid phase epitaxially grown n‐Al0.3Ga0.7As crystals followed by an annealing at 900 °C for 1 h under controlled arsenic vapor pressure. Photocapacitance measurements reveal the dominant deep level at Ec−0.5 eV. The Ec−0.5 eV level density increases with increasing applied arsenic vapor pressure during annealing. Deep level PL bands at ∼1.21 and ∼1.36 eV are also detected and the PL band intensity increases with increasing arsenic vapor pressure and the content of doped impurity Te. In conjunction with the results of Hall effect measurements, the origin of the native defects in n‐AlGaAs is discussed in view of the deviation from the stoichiometric composition of the AlGaAs ternary alloy system.

We carried out terahertz (THz)-wave generation from the GaP planar waveguides under collinear phase-matched difference-frequency mixing of two near-infrared sources. TE- and TM-mode of THz-waves were generated simultaneously by adjusting the polarization direction of two incident infrared sources. The phase shift between TE- and TM-mode of THz-wave in the waveguide was dependent on the waveguide length and contributed to the generation of the elliptical polarized THz-wave. The ellipticity of generated THz-wave increased as waveguide length increased. We indicated the possibility of control of rotational direction of elliptical polarization of emitted THz wave.