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We have investigated the nanoscale structural and vibrational properties of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-covered silver nanocubes (AgNCs) array. The ordered AgNCs array fabricated on Au(111) by the Langmuir–Blodgett method was utilized for a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) platform. The local arrangements and the facet structure of AgNCs were observed by various types of microscopies, which revealed that AgNCs form an ordered monolayer and exhibit an atomically flat facet. The vibrational peaks associated with PVP were clearly observed in the Raman spectra owing to the SERS effect by AgNCs. We found that two types of C=O stretching peaks appear in the Raman spectra, of which the appearance patterns depend on the excitation energy of the incident laser. The simulations based on the finite-difference time domain method imply that highly ordered 2D AgNCs enable us to excite localized surface plasmon modes, such as a single particle mode and a gap mode, of AgNCs selectively, leading to vibrational excitation of PVP existed at the surface and the gap of AgNCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have investigated the temporal behavior of Sb2Te3 after irradiation with picosecond (ps) pump-laser pulses using scanning-tunneling-microscope (STM) light emission synchronized with ps-probe-laser pulses delayed by times t after individual pump pulses. We determined the gap energy Δ E at the F point in the band diagram of Sb2Te3 from the STM light-emission spectra as a function of the delay time t. We found that Δ E increased monotonically with t from the original value of 1.62 eV for a delay time of 0 to 15.3 ps and it decreased toward that original value (1.62 eV) for t in the time span between 15.3 and 28 ps; we saw no change in Δ E for t ≥ 28 ps. By comparing this t-dependence of Δ E with the dielectric functions of the crystalline and amorphous phases of Sb2Te3, we have concluded that the phase transition from the crystalline phase toward the amorphous phase is induced by the pump pulses. The phonon energy of the A2u mode is clearly seen in the STM light-emission spectra when Δ E is 1.62 eV, but not when Δ E is increased above 1.62 eV by pump-pulse irradiation. This feature appears to be consistent with the Raman signals, which are much stronger for the crystalline phase than for the amorphous phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have investigated the temporal behavior of Sb2Te3 after irradiation with picosecond (ps) pump-laser pulses using scanning-tunneling-microscope (STM) light emission synchronized with ps-probe-laser pulses delayed by times t after individual pump pulses. We determined the gap energy Δ E at the F point in the band diagram of Sb2Te3 from the STM light-emission spectra as a function of the delay time t. We found that Δ E increased monotonically with t from the original value of 1.62 eV for a delay time of 0 to 15.3 ps and it decreased toward that original value (1.62 eV) for t in the time span between 15.3 and 28 ps; we saw no change in Δ E for t ≥ 28 ps. By comparing this t-dependence of Δ E with the dielectric functions of the crystalline and amorphous phases of Sb2Te3, we have concluded that the phase transition from the crystalline phase toward the amorphous phase is induced by the pump pulses. The phonon energy of the A2u mode is clearly seen in the STM light-emission spectra when Δ E is 1.62 eV, but not when Δ E is increased above 1.62 eV by pump-pulse irradiation. This feature appears to be consistent with the Raman signals, which are much stronger for the crystalline phase than for the amorphous phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The in-plane orientation of liquid crystal (LC) molecules adsorbed on polyimide films is examined as a function of coverage over a submonolayer range. The interaction among the LC molecules in the first monolayer is found negligibly weak compared with that between the polyimide and LC molecules.

We have investigated the pretilt angle of liquid crystal (LC) molecules induced by photoaligned films of a series of polyimides. The polyimides were random copolymers synthesized from pyromellitic dianhydride and a mixture of 4,4′-diaminoazobenzene and 4-[4′-propylbi(cyclohexan)-4-yl]phenyl 3,5-diaminobenzoate (PBCP-DABA). PBCP-DABA is a diamine to introduce a side-chain structure into polyimide. We found that the pretilt angle of LC molecules can be controlled from 0° to 90° by varying the molar fraction (x) of PBCP-DABA from 0 to 0.5. Defect-free uniform LC alignment was observed for x≤0.125 and x≥0.3, but threadlike textures appeared for 0.15≤x≤0.25. Since the interaction between the polyimide backbone structure and the LC molecule may be blocked by relatively dense side-chains, the appearance of threadlike texture is tentatively attributed to weak azimuthal anchoring strength of the photoaligned polyimide films with x≥0.15. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]