Structural modification and enhanced magnetic properties with two phonon modes in Ca-Co codoped BiFeO3 nanoparticles

Bi1-xCaxFe1-xCoxO3 nanoparticles with x=0.0, 0.05, 0.10 and 0.15 were successfully synthesized by cost effective tartaric acid based sol gel route. The alkali earth metal Ca2+ ions and transition metal Co3+ ions codoping at A and B-sites of BiFeO3 results in structural distortion and phase transformation. Rietveld refinement of XRD patterns suggested the coexistence of rhombohedral and orthorhombic phases in codoped BiFeO3 samples. Both XRD and Raman scattering studies showed the compressive lattice distortion in the samples induced by codoping of Ca2+ and Co3+ ions. Two-phonon Raman spectra exhibited the improvement of magnetization in these samples. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) showed the dominancy of Fe3+ and Co3+ oxidation states along with the shifting of the binding energy of Bi 4f orbital which confirms the substitution Ca2+ at Bi-site. The magnetic study showed the enhancement in room temperature ferromagnetic behavior with co-substitution consistent with Rama analysis. The gradual change in line shape of electron spin resonance spectra indicated the local distortion induced by codoping. (C) 2015 Published by Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l.

Effect of laser irradiation on optical properties of Ge12Sb25Se63 amorphous chalcogenide thin films

The change in photo-induced optical properties in thermally evaporated Ge12Sb25Se63 chalcogenide thin film under 532-nm laser illumination has been reported in this paper. The structure and composition of the film have been examined by X-ray diffraction and energy dispersive X-ray analysis, respectively. The optical properties such as refractive index, extinction coefficient and thickness of the films have been determined from the transmission spectra based on inverse synthesis method and the optical band gap has been derived from optical absorption spectra using the Tauc plot. It has been found that the mechanism of the optical absorption is due to allowed indirect transition. The optical band gap increases by 0.05 eV causing photo-bleaching mechanism, while refractive index decreases because of reduction in structural disordering. Deconvolution of Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectra into several peaks provides different structural units, which supports the optical photo-bleaching.

Thermal stress wave and spallation induced by an electron beam

Thermal stress wave and spallation in aluminium alloy exposed to a high fluency and low energy electron beams are studied theoretically. A simple model for the study of energy deposition of electrons in materials is presented on the basis of some empirical formulae. Under the stress wave induced by energy deposition, microcracks and/or microvoids may appear in target materials, and in this case, the inelastic volume deformation should not vanish. The viscoplastic model proposed by Bodner and Partom with corresponding Gurson's yield function requires modification for this situation. The new constitutive model contains a scalar field variable description of the material damage which is taken as the void volume fraction of the polycrystalline material. Incorporation of the damage parameter permits description of rate-dependent, compressible, inelastic deformation and ductile fracture. The melting phenomenon has been observed in the experiment, therefore one needs to take into account the melting process in the intermediate energy deposition range. A three-phase equation of state used in the paper provides a more detailed and thermodynamical description of metals, particularly, in the melting region. The computational results based on the suggested model are compared with the experimental test for aluminium alloy, which is subjected to a pulsed electron beam with high fluency and low energy. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.

Numerical Simulation of Pulsed Laser Transformation Hardening

A novel pulsed laser surface processing technology is introduced, which can make use of the spatial and temporal profile of laser pulse to obtain ideal hardening parameters. The intensity distribution of laser pulse is spatially and temporally controlled by using laser shape transformation technology. A 3D numerical model including multi-phase transformations is established to explore material microstructure evolution induced by temperature field evolution. The influences of laser spatial-temporal profiles on hardening parameters are investigated. Different from the continuous laser processing technology, results indicate that spatial and temporal profiles are important factors in determining processing quality during pulsed laser processing method.

Microstructure Evolution of Laser Pulse processed Ductile Iron Surface

Pulsed laser beam was used to modify surface processing for ductile iron. The microstructures of processed specimen were observed using optical microscope (OM). Nanoindentation and micro-hardness of microstructures were measured from surface to inner of sample. The experimental results show that, modification zone is consisted of light melted zone, phase transformation hardening area and transient area. The light melt area is made up of coarse dendrite crystalline with a thickness less than 20um, phase transformation hardening area mainly of laminal or acicular martensite, retained austenite and graphite, i.e. M+A prime+ G. The cow-eye microstructure around graphite sphere always is formed in phase transformation hardening area zone, which consisting of a variety structure with the distance from the surface. So, it maybe as a obvious sign distinguishing modification zone border. Finally, the microstructures evolution of laser pulse processed ductile iron was analyzed coupling with beam energy distribution in space and laser pulse heating procession characteristics. The analysis shows that energy distribution of laser pulse has an important effect on microstructure during laser pulse modified ductile iron. Multi-scale and interlace arrangement are the important features for laser pulse modified ductile iron. Of microstructure.

Two-magnon bound state causes ultrafast thermally induced magnetisation switching

There has been much interest recently in the discovery of thermally induced magnetisation switching using femtosecond laser excitation, where a ferrimagnetic system can be switched deterministically without an applied magnetic field. Experimental results suggest that the reversal occurs due to intrinsic material properties, but so far the microscopic mechanism responsible for reversal has not been identified. Using computational and analytic methods we show that the switching is caused by the excitation of two-magnon bound states, the properties of which are dependent on material factors. This discovery allows us to accurately predict the onset of switching and the identification of this mechanism will allow new classes of materials to be identified or designed for memory devices in the THz regime.

Vortex dislocations in wake-type flow induced by spanwise disturbances

Vortex dislocations in wake-type flow induced by three types of spanwise disturbances superimposed on an upstream velocity profile are investigated by direct numerical simulations. Three distinct modes of vortex dislocations and flow transitions have been found. A local spanwise exponential decay disturbance leads to the appearance of a twisted chainlike mode of vortex dislocation. A stepped spanwise disturbance causes a streamwise periodic spotlike mode of vortex dislocation. A spanwise sinusoidal wavy disturbance with a moderate waviness causes a strong unsteadiness of wake behavior. This unsteadiness starts with a systematic periodic mode of vortex dislocation in the spanwise direction followed by the spanwise vortex shedding suppressed completely with increased time and the near wake becoming a steady shear flow. Characteristics of these modes of vortex dislocation and complex vortex linkages over the dislocation, as well as the corresponding dynamic processes related to the appearance of dislocations, are described by examining the variations of vortex lines and vorticity distribution. The nature of the vortex dislocation is demonstrated by the substantial vorticity modification of the spanwise vortex from the original spanwise direction to streamwise and vertical directions, accompanied by the appearance of noticeable vortex branching and complex vortex linking, all of which are produced at the locations with the biggest phase difference or with a frequency discontinuity between shedding cells. The effect of vortex dislocation on flow transition, either to an unsteady irregular vortex flow or suppression of the Kaacutermaacuten vortex shedding making the wake flow steady state, is analyzed. Distinct similarities are found in the mechanism and main flow phenomena between the present numerical results obtained in wake-type flows and the experimental-numerical results of cylinder wakes reported in previous studies.

Mechanisms in fs-laser ablation in fused silica

A theoretical model is proposed to describe the microscopic processes involved in the ablation in fused silica induced by femtosecond-laser pulse. Conduction-band electron (CBE) can absorb laser energy, the rate is calculated by quantum mechanical method and classical method. CBE is produced via photoionization (PI) and impact ionization (II). The PI and II rates are calculated by using the Keldysh theory and double-flux model, respectively. Besides the CBE production, we investigate laser energy deposition and its distribution. The equation of energy diffusion in physical space is resolved numerically. Taking energy density E-dep=54 kJ/cm(3) as the criterion, we calculate damage threshold, ablation depth, and ablation volumes. It is found that if energy diffusion is considered, energy density near sample surface is reduced to 1/10, damage threshold is enhanced more than 30%, ablation depth is increased by a factor of 10. Our theoretical results agree well with experimental measurements. Several ultrafast phenomena in fused silica are also discussed. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.

High efficiency four-wave mixing induced by double-dark resonances in a five-level tripod system

A five-level tripod scheme is proposed for obtaining a high efficiency four-wave-mixing (FWM) process. The existence of double-dark resonances leads to a strong modification of the absorption and dispersion properties against a pump wave at two transparency windows. We show that both of them can be used to open the four-wave mixing channel and produce efficient mixing waves. In particular, higher FWM efficiency is always produced at the transparent window corresponding to the relatively weak-coupling field. By manipulating the intensity of the two coupling fields, the conversion efficiency of FWM can be controlled.

1ps passively mode-locked laser operation of Na, Yb : CaF2 crystal

Diode-pumped passively mode-locked laser operation of Yb3+,Na+:CaF2 single crystal has been demonstrated for the first time. By using a SESAM ( semiconductor saturable mirror), simultaneous transform-limited 1-ps passively mode-locked pulses, with the repetition rate of 183MHz, were obtained under the self-Q-switched envelope induced by the laser medium. The average output power of 360mW was attained at 1047nm for 3.34W of absorbed power at 976nm, and the corresponding pulse peak power arrived at 27kW, indicating the promising application of Yb3+,Na+-codoped CaF2 crystals in achieving ultra-short pulses and high pulse peak power. (c) 2005 Optical Society of America.

Propagation of an arbitrary elliptically polarized few-cycle ultrashort laser pulse in resonant two-level quantum systems

We investigate the propagation of an arbitrary elliptically polarized few-cycle ultrashort laser pulse in resonant two-level quantum systems using an iterative predictor-corrector finite-difference time-domain method. It is shown that when the initial effective area is equal to 2 pi, the effective area will remain invariant during the course of propagation, and a complete Rabi oscillation can be achieved. However, for an elliptically polarized few-cycle ultrashort laser pulse, polarization conversion can occur. Eventually, the laser pulse will evolve into two separate circularly polarized laser pulses with opposite helicities.

Coherent population accumulations of multiphoton transitions induced by an ultrashort pulse train in polar molecules

Coherent population accumulations of multiphoton transitions induced by an ultrashort pulse train in a two-level polar molecule are investigated theoretically by solving the density-matrix equations without invoking any of the standard approximations. It is shown due to the effects of permanent dipole moments, that the population accumulation of multiphoton transitions can be obtained in the polar molecule. Moreover, the population accumulations depend crucially on the relative phase between two sequential pulses, and the period in which the maximum population accumulation occurs is 2 pi/N in N-photon transitions.

Propagation of a few-cycle laser pulse in a V-type three-level system

Propagation of a few-cycle laser pulse in a V-type three-level system (fine structure levels of rubidium) is investigated numerically. The full three-level Maxwell-Bloch equations without the rotating wave approximation and the standing slowly varying envelope approximation are solved by using a finite-difference time-domain method. It is shown that, when the usual unequal oscillator strengths are considered, self-induced transparency cannot be recovered and higher spectral components can be produced even for small-area pulses. (c) 2005 Pleiades Publishing, Inc.

Conical emission of Ti : sapphire femtosecond laser pulses propagating in water

Conical emission is investigated for Ti:sapphire femtosecond laser pulses propagating in water. The colored rings can be observed in the forward direction due to the constructive and destructive interference of transverse wavevector, which are induced by the spatio-temporal gradient of the free-electron density. With increasing input laser energy, due to filamentation and pulse splitting induced by the plasma created by multiphoton excitation of electrons from the valence band to the conduction band, the on-axis spectrum of the conical emission is widely broadened and strongly modulated with respect to input laser spectrum, and finally remains fairly constant at higher laser energy due to intensity clamping in the filaments.

Phase control of cross-phase modulation with electromagnetically induced transparency

We investigate a four-level double-Lambda atomic scheme interacting with four laser fields, a weak probe field, a weak signal field and two driven fields, in a closed-loop configuration. We study the Kerr nonlinearity associated with cross-phase modulation based on electromagnetically induced transparency. Our results show, in this closed-loop system, that the strength of cross-phase modulation and two-photon absorption are dependent critically on the relative phase between the excitation paths. By choosing the parameters appropriately, large cross-phase modulation can be achieved within a wide transparency window, while two-photon absorption is cancelled completely. The strength of cross-phase modulation can be enhanced much more by decreasing the intensities of two driven fields.