Modal liquid crystal devices in optical tweezing: 3D control and oscillating potential wells

We investigate the use of liquid crystal (LC) adaptive optics elements to provide full 3 dimensional particle control in an optical tweezer. These devices are suitable for single controllable traps, and so are less versatile than many of the competing technologies which can be used to control multiple particles. However, they have the advantages of simplicity and light efficiency. Furthermore, compared to binary holographic optical traps they have increased positional accuracy. The transmissive LC devices could be retro-fitted to an existing microscope system. An adaptive modal LC lens is used to vary the z-focal position over a range of up to 100 μm and an adaptive LC beam-steering device is used to deflect the beam (and trapped particle) in the x-y plane within an available radius of 10 μm. Furthermore, by modifying the polarisation of the incident light, these LC components also offer the opportunity for the creation of dual optical traps of controllable depth and separation. © 2006 Optical Society of America.

Dry-transfer of aligned multiwalled carbon nanotubes for flexible transparent thin films

Herein we present an inexpensive facile wet-chemistry-free approach to the transfer of chemical vapour-deposited multiwalled carbon nanotubes to flexible transparent polymer substrates in a single-step process. By controlling the nanotube length, we demonstrate accurate control over the electrical conductivity and optical transparency of the transferred thin films. Uniaxial strains of up to 140% induced only minor reductions in sample conductivity, opening up a number of applications in stretchable electronics. Nanotube alignment offers enhanced functionality for applications such as polarisation selective electrodes and flexible supercapacitor substrates. A capacitance of 17F/g was determined for supercapacitors fabricated from the reported dry-transferred MWCNTs with the corresponding cyclic voltagrams showing a clear dependence on nanotube length. © 2012 Matthew Cole et al.

RFID Tag Location Systems

We describe a methods of locating an RFID tag. One method comprises: transmitting tag location signals from a plurality of different transmit antennas, wherein said antennas are spaced apart by more than a near field limit distance at a frequency of a said signal; receiving a corresponding plurality of receiving return signals from said tag; and processing said tag return signals to determine a range to said tag; wherein said transmitting comprises transmitting at a plurality of different frequencies; wherein said processing comprises determining a phase difference at said plurality of different frequencies to determine said range, and wherein said determining of said phase difference determines a phase difference between either i) two or more of said transmit signals resulting in a maxima in the returned signal RSSI or ii) a first transmit signal and its corresponding return signal; and wherein said determining of said range to said tag uses said return signals weighted responsive to a respective received signal strength of the return signal. Further data which may be used for averaging may be generated by using the above techniques along with changes in the polarisation state of the transmit and receive antennas and/or physical reconfiguration of the antennas (e.g. switch the transmit and receive elements).

Photomechanically Induced Phase Transitions in Ferroelectric Liquid Crystals

We report optically induced phase transtions occurring in two different host ferroelectric liquid crystals; SCE13 a multicomponentmixture optimised for room temperature performance, and CE8 a single component liquid crystal. These act as host liquid crystals for a novel guest azo dye, which can be made to photoisomerise using low power density U.V. illumination, resulting in dramatic changes in sample properties. We have shown that the magnitude of spontaneous polarisation of systems can be isothermally and reversibly induced or reduced, with the consequent appearance or disappearance of optical switching hysteresis. We discuss the parameters controlling the behaviour of the systems under U.V. illumination and suggest mechansims by which the transitions may occur. © 1993, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. All rights reserved.

LiMn2-xTixO4 spinel-type compounds (x ≤ 1): Structural, electrical and magnetic properties

LiMn2-xTixO4 compounds with 0 ≤ x ≤ 1 were prepared by solid state reaction and Pechini technique. Powder X-ray diffraction showed that all samples crystallize with the spinel crystal structure (S.G. Fd3-m). The cubic unit-cell parameter increases with the Ti content. The influence of the Ti content and cationic distribution on the magnetic properties of the compounds was studied by measuring the temperature and magnetic field dependences of the magnetization: substitution by non-magnetic d0 Ti4+ ions appeared to weaken the magnetic interactions between the manganese ions. The electrical properties of LiMnTiO4 were studied by AC impedance spectroscopy and DC polarisation measurements, which revealed the electronic character of the conduction process. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Role of a high gain of the medium in superradiance generation and in observation of coherent effects in semiconductor lasers

A theoretical model of superradiant pulse generation in semiconductor laser structures is developed. It is shown that a high optical gain of the medium can overcome phase relaxation and results in a built-up superradiant state (macroscopic dipole) in an assembly of electron - hole pairs on a time scale much longer than the characteristic polarisation relaxation time T2. A criterion of the superradiance generation is the condition acmT2 > 1, where α is the gain coefficient and cm is the speed of light in the medium. The theoretical model describes both qualitatively and quantitatively the author's own experimental results.

Electron spin quantum beats and room temperature g factor in GaAsN

We report on the investigation of electron spin quantum beats at room temperature in GaAsN thin films by time-resolved Kerr rotation technique. The measurement of the quantum beats, which originate from the Larmor precession of electron spins in external transverse magnetic field, yields an accurate determination of the conduction electron g factor. We show that the g factor of GaAs1-xNx thin films is significantly changed by the introduction of a small nitrogen fraction.

Measurement of polar C-plane and nonpolar A-plane InN/ZnO heterojunctions band offsets by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

The valence band offsets of the wurtzite polar C-plane and nonpolar A-plane InN/ZnO heterojunctions are directly determined by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to be 1.76 +/- 0.2 eV and 2.20 +/- 0.2 eV. The heterojunctions form in the type-I straddling configuration with a conduction band offsets of 0.84 +/- 0.2 eV and 0.40 +/- 0.2 eV. The difference of valence band offsets of them mainly attributes to the spontaneous polarization effect. Our results show important face dependence for InN/ZnO heterojunctions, and the valence band offset of A-plane heterojunction is more close to the "intrinsic" valence band offset.

Electron spin relaxation by nuclei and holes in single InAs quantum dots

Electron spin relaxation of charged excitons X+ and X2+ are investigated by time-resolved and polarization-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy. For X+ configuration, the electron spin relaxation shows a typical decay curve induced by hyperfine interaction with nuclei, whereas for X2+ state the electron spin relaxation is affected not only by nuclei but also by electron-hole exchange interaction, leading to a power-law time dependence.

GAAS/GAALAS GRADED INDEX SEPARATE CONFINEMENT SINGLE QUANTUM-WELL SINGLE-MODE WAVE-GUIDE ELECTROABSORPTION LIGHT-MODULATOR

A GaAs/GaAlAs graded-index separate confinement single quantum well heterostructure single-mode ridge waveguide electroabsorption modulator was fabricated and investigated. For the modulator with a quantum well width of 100 angstrom and device length of 700-mu-m, an on/off ratio of 29.7 dB and estimated absorption insertion loss of 3 dB were obtained for TE polarised light with wavelength 8650 angstrom, and for TM polarisation the on/off ratio was 28.5 dB. With a switching voltage of 1 V, an on/off ratio of 15 dB was achieved. Photocurrent spectra exhibited a red shift of 600 angstrom of the absorption edge when the voltage applied to the PIN diode was varied from 0.5 to -7 V. The corresponding shift of the room temperature exciton peak energy was 96 meV.

THERMODYNAMICS OF COMPLEXATION OF RARE EARTHS BY L-METHIONINE

The protonation constant of the ligand and stability constants of it complexes with rare earths have been determined by potentiometric titration at 25 degrees C and ionic strength mu=0.15 mol - L-1. The results indicate that rare earth elements can form 1:1 complexes with L methionine. There is an apparent "tetrad effect" in this system. Shift of the yttrium position to the vicinity of Gd can he explained by the different polarisation between the Ln(3+) and the ligand. The enthalpy changed (Lambda H-101) of the coordination reaction as represented by the reaction (M + L (sic) ML) here been measured by calorimetric titration, where M and L. denote are eartus and L-Mer respectively. The Lambda G(101) and Delta S-101 of these reaction have been calculated by using Gibbs' equation, Furthermore, the stability of rare earth complexes with L-Met has been compared with that of Ca3+ Zn3+, Fe2+, Fe3+ complexes with L-Met.

Laser-heated high-temperature NMR - a time-resolution study

Submitted to Appl Magn Reson Sponsorship: EPSRC / EU

The Symbolic Revolution: The Russian Nobility and February 1917

Rendle, Matthew, 'The Symbolic Revolution: The Russian Nobility and February 1917', Revolutionary Russia (2005) 18(1) pp.23-46 RAE2008

Nowe metody wyznaczania parametru asymetrii tensora gradientu pola elektrycznego w spektroskopii NQR i ich zastosowanie do badania układów nieuporządkowanych

Wydział Fizyki

Nanostructured ferroelectric materials

Nanostructured materials are central to the evolution of future electronics and information technologies. Ferroelectrics have already been established as a dominant branch in the electronics sector because of their diverse application range such as ferroelectric memories, ferroelectric tunnel junctions, etc. The on-going dimensional downscaling of materials to allow packing of increased numbers of components onto integrated circuits provides the momentum for the evolution of nanostructured ferroelectric materials and devices. Nanoscaling of ferroelectric materials can result in a modification of their functionality, such as phase transition temperature or Curie temperature (TC), domain dynamics, dielectric constant, coercive field, spontaneous polarisation and piezoelectric response. Furthermore, nanoscaling can be used to form high density arrays of monodomain ferroelectric nanostructures, which is desirable for the miniaturisation of memory devices. This thesis details the use of various types of nanostructuring approaches to fabricate arrays of ferroelectric nanostructures, particularly non-oxide based systems. The introductory chapter reviews some exemplary research breakthroughs in the synthesis, characterisation and applications of nanoscale ferroelectric materials over the last decade, with priority given to novel synthetic strategies. Chapter 2 provides an overview of the experimental methods and characterisation tools used to produce and probe the properties of nanostructured antimony sulphide (Sb2S3), antimony sulpho iodide (SbSI) and lead titanate zirconate (PZT). In particular, Chapter 2 details the general principles of piezoresponse microscopy (PFM). Chapter 3 highlights the fabrication of arrays of Sb2S3 nanowires with variable diameters using newly developed solventless template-based approach. A detailed account of domain imaging and polarisation switching of these nanowire arrays is also provided. Chapter 4 details the preparation of vertically aligned arrays of SbSI nanorods and nanowires using a surface-roughness assisted vapour-phase deposition method. The qualitative and quantitative nanoscale ferroelectric properties of these nanostructures are also discussed. Chapter 5 highlights the fabrication of highly ordered arrays of PZT nanodots using block copolymer self-assembled templates and their ferroelectric characterisation using PFM. Chapter 6 summarises the conclusions drawn from the results reported in chapters 3, 4 and 5 and the future work.