Laser patterning system for integrated optics and storage applications

A computer-controlled laser writing system for optical integrated circuits and data storage is described. The system is characterized by holographic (649F) and high-resolution plates. A minimum linewidth of 2.5 mum is obtained by controlling the system parameters. We show that this system can also be used for data storage applications.

NDDO-based CI methods for the prediction of electronic spectra and sum-over-states molecular hyperpolarization

NDDO-based (AM1) configuration interaction (CI) calculations have been used to calculate the wavelength and oscillator strengths of electronic absorptions in organic molecules and the results used in a sum-over-states treatment to calculate second-order-hyperpolarizabilities. The results for both spectra and hyperpolarizabilities are of acceptable quality as long as a suitable CI-expansion is used. We have found that using an active space of eight electrons in eight orbitals and including all single and pair-double excitations in the CI leads to results that agree well with experiment and that do not change significantly with increasing active space for most organic molecules. Calculated second-order hyperpolarizabilities using this type of CI within a sum-over-states calculation appear to be of useful accuracy.

Phase nonequilibrium effects on the gain of a two-phase flow gasdynamic laser

Analysis of gas-particle nozzle flow is carried out with attention to the effect of dust particles on the vibrational relaxation phenomena and consequent effects on the gain of a gasdynamic laser. The phase nonequilibrium between the gas mixture and the particles during the nozzle expansion process is taken into account simultaneously. The governing equations of the two-phase nozzle flow have been transformed into similar form, and general correlating parameters have been obtained. It is shown from the present analysis that the particles present in the mixture affect the optimum gain obtainable from a gasdynamic laser adversely, and the effect depends on the size and loading of the particles in the mixture.

Pulsewidth analysis in a mode locked internally frequency doubled Ti: sapphire laser

Theoretical analysis of internal frequency doubling in actively mode locked broadband solid state lasers is presented. The analysis is used to study the dependence of mode locked pulsewidth on the second harmonic conversion efficiency, the modulation depth, and the tuning element bandwidth in an AM mode locked Ti: sapphire laser. The results are presented in the form of graphs.  

Pulsed laser deposition film of a donor-acceptor-donor polymer as possible active layer in devices

A molecule having a ketone group between two thiophene groups was synthesized. Presence of alternating electron donating and accepting moieties gives this material a donor-acceptor-donor (DAD) architecture. PolyDAD was synthesized from DAD monomer by oxidative polymerization. Device quality films of polyDAD were fabricated using pulsed laser deposition technique. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR) data of both as synthesized and film indicate the material does not degrade during ablation. Optical band gap was determined to be about 1.45 eV. Four orders of magnitude increase in conductivity was observed from as synthesized to pulsed laser deposition (PLD) fabricated film of polyDAD. Annealing of polyDAD films increase conductivity, indicating better ordering of the molecules upon heating. Rectifying devices were fabricated from polyDAD, and preliminary results are discussed.

Application of a modified z-cosy experiment for the analysis of spectra of oriented molecules - the spectrum of cis,cis-mucanonitrile

NMR spectra of cis,cis-mucanonitrile oriented in a liquid crystal have been analysed using the connectivity information obtained from a modified Z-COSY experiment which provided crucial clues for the starting parameters for the iterative analysis. The proton spectra with and without C-13 satellites and the C-13 spectra have thus been interpreted. The indirect spin-spin couplings required for the analyses have been obtained from the corresponding isotropic spectra. The H-1-H-1 and C-13-H-1 dipolar couplings so obtained have been utilized to determine the relative internuclear distances. The results indicate that the molecule is planar. (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.

Construction of energy-level diagram of oriented benzene using connectivity information obtained by modified z-cosy experiment

Experiments involving selective perturbation of a transition yield information about the directly connected transitions, which in turn yield information for deriving the parameters of the spin Hamiltonian of oriented molecules. Problems involved with selective perturbation are removed by the use of a two-dimensional experiment, namely, the modified Z-COSY-experiment, The use of this experiment is demonstrated for obtaining the connectivity information and for determining the parameters of the spin Hamiltonian of oriented benzene, a strongly coupled six-spin system

Ultrafast laser spectroscopy-A tool chemists and biologists

Application of ultrafast lasers to chemistry and biology has been an active area of research in the international scene for over a decade for physical and biophysical chemists. Perhaps, ultrafast laser spectroscopy is one of the most versatile tools available today to experimentally study structure and dynamics in the time domain of nanoseconds (10(-9) sec) to femtoseconds (10(-15) sec). In this article we attempt to highlight some of the recent developments in ultrafast laser spectroscopy with particular reference to vibrational spectroscopy, viz. infrared and Raman spectroscopy, in the above time domain.

Growth and characterization of laser-deposited Ag-doped YBa2Cu3O7−x thin films on bare sapphire

Microstructural and superconducting properties of YBa2Cu3O7-x thin films grown in situ on bare sapphire by pulsed laser deposition using YBa2Cu3O7-x targets doped with 7 and 10 wt% Ag have been studied. Ag-doped films grown at 730 degrees C on sapphire have shown very significant improvement over the undoped YBa2Cu3O7-x films grown under identical condition. A zero resistance temperature of 90 K and a critical current density of 1.2 x 10(6) A/cm(2) at 77 K have been achieved on bare sapphire for the first time. Improved connectivity among grains and reduced reaction rate between the substrate and the film caused due to Ag in the film are suggested to be responsible for this greatly improved transport properties.

Pulsed laser deposition of strontium titanate thin films for dynamic random access memory applications

Polycrystalline strontium titanate (SrTiO3) films were prepared by a pulsed laser deposition technique on p-type silicon and platinum-coated silicon substrates. The films exhibited good structural and dielectric properties which were sensitive to the processing conditions. The small signal dielectric constant and dissipation factor at a frequency of 100 kHz were about 225 and 0.03 respectively. The capacitance-voltage (C-V) characteristics in metal-insulator-semiconductor structures exhibited anomalous frequency dispersion behavior and a hysteresis effect. The hysteresis in the C-V curve was found to be about 1 V and of a charge injection type. The density of interface states was about 1.79 x 10(12) cm(-2). The charge storage density was found to be 40 fC mu m(-2) at an applied electric field of 200 kV cm(-1). Studies on current-voltage characteristics indicated an ohmic nature at lower voltages and space charge conduction at higher voltages. The films also exhibited excellent time-dependent dielectric breakdown behavior.

Study of electrical properties of pulsed excimer laser deposited strontium titanate films

Polycrystalline SrTiO3 films were prepared by pulsed excimer laser ablation on Si and Pt coated Si substrates. Several growth parameters were varied including ablation fluence, pressure, and substrate temperature. The structural studies indicated the presence of [100] and [110] oriented growth after annealing by rapid thermal annealing at 600-degrees-C for 60 s. Deposition at either lower pressures or at higher energy densities encouraged film growth with slightly preferred orientation. The scanning electron microscopy studies showed the absence of any significant particulates on the film surface. Dielectric studies indicated a dielectric constant of 225, a capacitance density of 3.2 fF/mum2, and a charge density of 40 fC/mum for films of 1000 nm thick. The dc conductivity studies on these films suggested a bulk limited space charge conduction in the high field regime, while the low electric fields induced an ohmic conduction. Brief time dependent dielectric breakdown studies on these films, under a field of 250 kV/cm for 2 h, did not exhibit any breakdown, indicating good dielectric strength.

Pulsed laser deposited ZnO:In as transparent conducting oxide

Zinc oxide (ZnO) and indium doped ZnO (IZO) thin films with different indium compositions were grown by pulsed laser deposition technique on corning glass substrate. The effect of indium concentration on the structural, morphological, optical and electrical properties of the film was studied. The films were oriented along c-direction with wurtzite structure and highly transparent with an average transmittance of more than 80% in the visible wavelength region. The energy band gap was found to decrease with increasing indium concentration. High transparency makes the films useful as optical windows while the high band gap values support the idea that the film could be a good candidate for optoelectronic devices. The value of resistivity observed to decrease initially with doping concentration and subsequently increases. IZO with 1% of indium showed the lowest resistivity of 2.41 x 10(-2) Omega cm and large transmittance in the visible wavelength region. Especially 1% IZO thin film was observed to be a suitable transparent conducting oxide material to potentially replace indium tin oxide. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Self-similar solutions of laser produced blast waves

The aerodynamics of the blast wave produced by laser ablation is studied using the piston analogy. The unsteady one-dimensional gasdynamic equations governing the flow an solved under assumption of self-similarity. The solutions are utilized to obtain analytical expressions for the velocity, density, pressure and temperature distributions. The results predict. all the experimentally observed features of the laser produced blast waves.

Effect of laser processing parameters on the structure of ductile iron

Laser processing of structure sensitive hypereutectic ductile iron, a cast alloy employed for dynamically loaded automative components, was experimentally investigated over a wide range of process parameters: from power (0.5-2.5 kW) and scan rate (7.5-25 mm s(-1)) leading to solid state transformation, all the way through to melting followed by rapid quenching. Superfine dendritic (at 10(5) degrees C s(-1)) or feathery (at 10(4) degrees C s(-1)) ledeburite of 0.2-0.25 mu m lamellar space, gamma-austenite and carbide in the laser melted and martensite in the transformed zone or heat-affected zone were observed, depending on the process parameters. Depth of geometric profiles of laser transformed or melt zone structures, parameters such as dendrile arm spacing, volume fraction of carbide and surface hardness bear a direct relationship with the energy intensity P/UDb2, (10-100 J mm(-3)). There is a minimum energy intensity threshold for solid state transformation hardening (0.2 J mm(-3)) and similarly for the initiation of superficial melting (9 J mm(-3)) and full melting (15 J mm(-3)) in the case of ductile iron. Simulation, modeling and thermal analysis of laser processing as a three-dimensional quasi-steady moving heat source problem by a finite difference method, considering temperature dependent energy absorptivity of the material to laser radiation, thermal and physical properties (kappa, rho, c(p)) and freezing under non-equilibrium conditions employing Scheil's equation to compute the proportion of the solid enabled determination of the thermal history of the laser treated zone. This includes assessment of the peak temperature attained at the surface, temperature gradients, the freezing time and rates as well as the geometric profile of the melted, transformed or heat-affected zone. Computed geometric profiles or depth are in close agreement with the experimental data, validating the numerical scheme.