Stimulated interdiffusion and optical recording in Sb/As2S3 nanomultilayers

The role of the compositional modulation at nano-scale dimensions (similar to 2-10 nm) in the enhancement of optical recording parameters in nanomultilayers, which contain Sb as active, optical absorbing and diffusing layers and As2S3 as barrier (matrix) layers was investigated. Comparison was made with single homogeneous layers made of ternary (As2S3)(x)Sb1-x glasses and co-deposited from Sb and As2S3. It was shown that essential increase of the recording efficiency, sensitivity of the bleaching process, broadening of its spectral range occurs due to the stimulated interdiffusion of adjacent components in Sb/As2S3 nanomultilayers with optimized Sb layer thickness.

Effect of oxygen partial pressure on the structural and optical properties of dc reactive magnetron sputtered molybdenum oxide films

Molybdenum oxide films (MoO3) were deposited on glass and crystalline silicon substrates by sputtering of molybdenum target under various oxygen partial pressures in the range 8 × 10−5–8 × 10−4 mbar and at a fixed substrate temperature of 473 K employing dc magnetron sputtering technique. The influence of oxygen partial pressure on the composition stoichiometry, chemical binding configuration, crystallographic structure and electrical and optical properties was systematically studied. X-ray photoelectron spectra of the films formed at 8 × 10−5 mbar showed the presence of Mo6+ and Mo5+ oxidation states of MoO3 and MoO3−x. The films deposited at oxygen partial pressure of 2 × 10−4 mbar showed Mo6+ oxidation state indicating the films were nearly stoichiometric. It was also confirmed by the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic studies. X-ray diffraction studies revealed that the films formed at oxygen partial pressure of 2 × 10−4 mbar showed the presence of (0 k 0) reflections indicated the layered structure of α-phase MoO3. The electrical conductivity of the films decreased from 3.6 × 10−5 to 1.6 × 10−6 Ω−1 cm−1, the optical band gap of the films increased from 2.93 to 3.26 eV and the refractive index increased from 2.02 to 2.13 with the increase of oxygen partial pressure from 8 × 10−5 to 8 × 10−4 mbar, respectively.

Structural, dielectric, impedance and optical properties of CaBi2B2O7 glasses and glass-nanocrystal composites

Optically clear glasses were fabricated by quenching the melt of CaCO3-Bi2O3-B2O3 (in equimolecular ratio). The amorphous and glassy characteristics of the as-quenched samples were confirmed via the X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) studies These glasses were found to. have high thermal stability parameter (S). The optical transmission studies carried out in the 200-2500 nm wavelength range confirmed both the as-quenched and heat-treated samples to be transparent between 400 nm and 2500 nm. The glass-plates that were heat-treated just above the glass transition temperature (723 K) for 6 h retained approximate to 60% transparency despite having nano-crystallites (approximate to 50-100 nm) of CaBi2B2O7 (CBBO) as confirmed by both the XRD and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies. The dielectric properties and impedance characteristics of the as-quenched and heat-treated (723 K/6 h) samples were studied as a function of frequency at different temperatures. Cole-Cole equation was employed to rationalize the impedance data.

Optical, dielectric and morphological studies of sol-gel derived nanocrystalline TiO2 films

Nanocrystalline TiO2 films have been synthesized on glass and silicon substrates by sol-gel technique. The films have been characterized with optical reflectance/transmittance in the wavelength range 300-1000nm and the optical constants (n, k) were estimated by using envelope technique as well as spectroscopic ellipsometry. Morphological studies have been carried Out using atomic force microscope (AFM). Metal-Oxide-Silicon (MOS) capacitor was fabricated using conducting coating on TiO2 film deposited on silicon. The C-V measurements show that the film annealed at 300 degrees C has a dielectric constant of 19.80. The high percentage of transmittance, low surface roughness and high dielectric constant suggests that it can be used as an efficient anti-reflection coating on silicon and other optical coating applications and also as a MOS capacitor.

Singular value decomposition based computationally efficient algorithm for rapid dynamic near-infrared diffuse optical tomography

Purpose: A computationally efficient algorithm (linear iterative type) based on singular value decomposition (SVD) of the Jacobian has been developed that can be used in rapid dynamic near-infrared (NIR) diffuse optical tomography. Methods: Numerical and experimental studies have been conducted to prove the computational efficacy of this SVD-based algorithm over conventional optical image reconstruction algorithms. Results: These studies indicate that the performance of linear iterative algorithms in terms of contrast recovery (quantitation of optical images) is better compared to nonlinear iterative (conventional) algorithms, provided the initial guess is close to the actual solution. The nonlinear algorithms can provide better quality images compared to the linear iterative type algorithms. Moreover, the analytical and numerical equivalence of the SVD-based algorithm to linear iterative algorithms was also established as a part of this work. It is also demonstrated that the SVD-based image reconstruction typically requires O(NN2) operations per iteration, as contrasted with linear and nonlinear iterative methods that, respectively, requir O(NN3) and O(NN6) operations, with ``NN'' being the number of unknown parameters in the optical image reconstruction procedure. Conclusions: This SVD-based computationally efficient algorithm can make the integration of image reconstruction procedure with the data acquisition feasible, in turn making the rapid dynamic NIR tomography viable in the clinic to continuously monitor hemodynamic changes in the tissue pathophysiology.

Optical tweezer for probing erythrocyte membrane deformability

We report that the average rotation speed of optically trapped crenated erythrocytes is direct signature of their membrane deformability. When placed in hypertonic buffer, discocytic erythrocytes are subjected to crenation. The deformation of cells brings in chirality and asymmetry in shape that makes them rotate under the scattering force of a linearly polarized optical trap. A change in the deformability of the erythrocytes, due to any internal or environmental factor, affects the rotation speed of the trapped crenated cells. Here we show how the increment in erythrocyte membrane rigidity with adsorption of Ca++ ions can be exhibited through this approach.

Automatic wildfire detection and simulation using optical information from unmanned aerial systems

In many parts of the world, uncontrolled fires in sparsely populated areas are a major concern as they can quickly grow into large and destructive conflagrations in short time spans. Detecting these fires has traditionally been a job for trained humans on the ground, or in the air. In many cases, these manned solutions are simply not able to survey the amount of area necessary to maintain sufficient vigilance and coverage. This paper investigates the use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for automated wildfire detection. The proposed system uses low-cost, consumer-grade electronics and sensors combined with various airframes to create a system suitable for automatic detection of wildfires. The system employs automatic image processing techniques to analyze captured images and autonomously detect fire-related features such as fire lines, burnt regions, and flammable material. This image recognition algorithm is designed to cope with environmental occlusions such as shadows, smoke and obstructions. Once the fire is identified and classified, it is used to initialize a spatial/temporal fire simulation. This simulation is based on occupancy maps whose fidelity can be varied to include stochastic elements, various types of vegetation, weather conditions, and unique terrain. The simulations can be used to predict the effects of optimized firefighting methods to prevent the future propagation of the fires and greatly reduce time to detection of wildfires, thereby greatly minimizing the ensuing damage. This paper also documents experimental flight tests using a SenseFly Swinglet UAS conducted in Brisbane, Australia as well as modifications for custom UAS.

A study on the variations of optical and physical properties of aerosols over a tropical semi-arid station during grassland fire

The present paper records the results of a case study on the impact of an extensive grassland fire on the physical and optical properties of aerosols at a semi-arid station in southern India for the first time from ground based measurements using a MICROTOPS-II sunphotometer, an aethalometer and a quartz crystal microbalance impactor (QCM). Observations revealed a substantial increase in aerosol optical depth (AOD) at all wavelengths during burning days compared to normal days. High AOD values observed at shorter wavelengths suggest the dominance of accumulation mode particle loading over the study area. Daily mean aerosol size spectra shows, most of the time, power-law distribution. To characterize AOD, the Angstrom parameters (i.e., alpha and beta) were used. Wavelength exponent (1.38) and turbidity coefficient (0.21) are high during burning days compared to normal days, thereby suggesting an increase in accumulation mode particle loading. Aerosol size distribution suggested dominance of accumulation mode particle loading during burning days compared to normal days. A significant positive correlation was observed between AOD at 500 mn and water vapour and negative correlation between AOD at 500 nm and wind speed for burning and non-burning days. Diurnal variations of black carbon (BC) aerosol mass concentrations increased by a factor of similar to 2 in the morning and afternoon hours during burning period compared to normal days.

Optical, radiative, and source characteristics of aerosols at Minicoy, a remote island in the southern Arabian Sea

Extensive measurements of aerosol radiative and microphysical properties were made at an island location, Minicoy (8.3 degrees N, 73.04 degrees E) in the southern Arabian Sea. A large variability in aerosol characteristics associated with changes in air mass and precipitation characteristics was observed. Six distinct transport pathways were identified on the basis of cluster analysis. The Indo-Gangetic Plain, along with the northern Arabian Sea and west Asia (NWA), was identified to be the region having the highest potential for aerosol mass loading at the island. This estimate is based on the concentration weighted trajectory as well as cluster analysis. Dust transport from the NWA region was found to make a substantial contribution to the supermicron mass fraction. The black carbon mass mixing ratios observed were the lowest compared to previous measurements over this region. Consequently, the atmospheric radiative forcing efficiency was low and was in the range 10-28 W m(-2).

EIT as a tool to observe dual wavelength operation of a semiconductor laser

We propose a simplified technique for dual wavelength operation of an extended cavity semiconductor laser, and its characterization using electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). In this laser cavity scheme light beam is made converging before it incidences on the cavity grating. The converging angle of the beam creates two longitudinal oscillating modes of resonating cavity. Frequency separation between the longitudinal modes are measured with the help of beat frequency generation in a photodiode and creating pair of EIT spectra in Rb vapor. The pair of EIT dips that are generated due to dual wavelength of this laser (that is used as control laser) can be used to estimate frequency difference between the generated wavelengths. Width of EIT spectra can be used to estimate line width of individual wavelength components.

Predicting single-layer technetium dichalcogenides (TcX2, X = S, Se) with promising applications in photovoltaics and photocatalysis

One of the least known compounds among transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) is the layered triclinic technetium dichalcogenides (TcX2, X = S, Se). In this work, we systematically study the structural, mechanical, electronic, and optical properties of TcS2 and TcSe2 monolayers based on density functional theory (DFT). We find that TcS2 and TcSe2 can be easily exfoliated in a monolayer form because their formation and cleavage energy are analogous to those of other experimentally realized TMDCs monolayer. By using a hybrid DFT functional, the TcS2 and TcSe2 monolayers are calculated to be indirect semiconductors with band gaps of 1.91 and 1.69 eV, respectively. However, bilayer TcS2 exhibits direct-bandgap character, and both TcS2 and TcSe2 monolayers can be tuned from semiconductor to metal under effective tensile/compressive strains. Calculations of visible light absorption indicate that 2D TcS2 and TcSe2 generally possess better capability of harvesting sunlight compared to single-layer MoS2 and ReSe2, implying their potential as excellent light-absorbers. Most interestingly, we have discovered that the TcSe2 monolayer is an excellent photocatalyst for splitting water into hydrogen due to the perfect fit of band edge positions with respect to the water reduction and oxidation potentials. Our predictions expand the two-dimensional (2D) family of TMDCs, and the remarkable electronic/optical properties of monolayer TcS2 and TcSe2 will place them among the most promising 2D TMDCs for renewable energy application in the future.

Performance Analysis of Reconstruction Techniques for Frequency-Domain Optical-Coherence Tomography

We address the issue of noise robustness of reconstruction techniques for frequency-domain optical-coherence tomography (FDOCT). We consider three reconstruction techniques: Fourier, iterative phase recovery, and cepstral techniques. We characterize the reconstructions in terms of their statistical bias and variance and obtain approximate analytical expressions under the assumption of small noise. We also perform Monte Carlo analyses and show that the experimental results are in agreement with the theoretical predictions. It turns out that the iterative and cepstral techniques yield reconstructions with a smaller bias than the Fourier method. The three techniques, however, have identical variance profiles, and their consistency increases linearly as a function of the signal-to-noise ratio.

Influence of magnetic clusters on electrical and magnetic properties of In1-xMnxSb/GaAs dilute magnetic semiconductor grown by liquid phase epitaxy

In1-xMnxSb films have been grown with different Mn doping concentrations (x = 0.0085, 0.018, 0.029 and 0.04) beyond the equilibrium 14 solubility limit by liquid phase epitaxy. We have studied temperature dependent resistivity, the Hall effect, magnetoresistance and magnetization for all compositions. Saturation in magnetization observed even at room temperature suggests the existence of ferromagnetic clusters in the film which has been verified by scanning electron microscopy studies. The anomalous Hall coefficient is found to be negative. Remnant field present on the surface of the clusters seems to affect the anomalous Hall effect at very low fields (below 350 Gauss). In the zero field resistivity, a variable-range hopping conduction mechanism dominates below 3.5 K for all samples above which activated behavior is predominant. The temperature dependence of the magnetization measurement shows a magnetic ordering below 10 K which is consistent with electrical measurements. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Laser damage studies in nonlinear optical crystal sodium p-nitrophenolate dihydrate

We report the surface laser damage threshold in sodium p-nitrophenolate dihydrate, a nonlinear optical crystal. The experiment is performed with a pulsed Nd:YAG laser in TEM00 mode. The single shot damage thresholds are 11.16 +/- 0.28GWcm(-2) and 1.25 +/- 0.02GWcm(-2) for 1064 nm and 532 nm laser wavelengths respectively. A close correlation between the laser damage threshold and mechanical hardness is observed. A possible mechanism of laser damage is discussed.

Chemically Programmed Ultrahigh Density Two-Dimensional Semiconductor Superlattice Array

Designing an ultrahigh density linear superlattice array consisting of periodic blocks of different semiconductors in the strong confinement regime via a direct synthetic route remains an unachieved challenge in nanotechnology. We report a general synthesis route for the formulation of a large-area ultrahigh density superlattice array that involves adjoining multiple units of ZnS rods by prolate US particles at the tips. A single one-dimensional wire is 300-500 nm long and consists of periodic quantum wells with a barrier width of 5 nm provided by ZnS and a well width of 1-2 nm provided by CdS, defining a superlattice structure. The synthesis route allows for tailoring of ultranarrow laserlike emissions (fwhm approximate to 125 meV) originating from strong interwell energy dispersion along with control of the width, pitch, and registry of the superlattice assembly. Such an exceptional high-density superlattice array could form the basis of ultrahigh density memories in addition to offering opportunities for technological advancement in conventional heterojunction-based device applications.