Investigation of low nanosecond light-matter interaction mechanisms

Laser ablation of solid Silicon targets using pulsed Yb fiber lasers of pulse duration 1.5-400 ns Yb fiber lasers is studied in this work. Material responses of a range of pulse envelopes are examined including front peak (FP) and double peak (DP) pulses. Theoretical models for the interactions are examined and qualitative explanations of material response experiments are presented.

A finite element model of magnetization of superconducting bulks using a solid-state flux pump

Superconductors have a bright future; they are able to carry very high current densities, switch rapidly in electronic circuits, detect extremely small perturbations in magnetic fields, and sustain very high magnetic fields. Of most interest to large-scale electrical engineering applications are the ability to carry large currents and to provide large magnetic fields. There are many projects that use the first property, and these have concentrated on power generation, transmission, and utilization; however, there are relatively few, which are currently exploiting the ability to sustain high magnetic fields. The main reason for this is that high field wound magnets can and have been made from both BSCCO and YBCO, but currently, their cost is much higher than the alternative provided by low-Tc materials such as Nb3Sn and NbTi. An alternative form of the material is the bulk form, which can be magnetized to high fields. This paper explains the mechanism, which allows superconductors to be magnetized without the need for high field magnets to perform magnetization. A finite-element model is presented, which is based on the E-J current law. Results from this model show how magnetization of the superconductor builds up cycle upon cycle when a traveling magnetic wave is induced above the superconductor. © 2011 IEEE.

2 μm solid-state laser mode-locked by single-layer graphene

We report a 2 μm ultrafast solid-state Tm: Lu2O3 laser, mode-locked by single-layer graphene, generating transform-limited ∼ 410 fs pulses, with a spectral width ∼ 11.1 nm at 2067 nm. The maximum average output power is 270 mW, at a pulse repetition frequency of 110 MHz. This is a convenient high-power transform-limited ultrafast laser at 2 μm for various applications, such as laser surgery and material processing. © 2013 American Institute of Physics.

Investigation of fluorine three-dimensional redistribution during solid-phase-epitaxial-regrowth of amorphous Si

The fluorine redistribution during partial solid-phase-epitaxial-regrowth at 650°C of a preamorphized Si substrate implanted by F was investigated by atom probe tomography (APT), transmission electron microscopy, and secondary ions mass spectrometry. Three-dimensional spatial distribution of F obtained by APT provides a direct observation of F-rich clusters with a diameter of less than 1.5 nm. Density variation compatible with cavities and F-rich molecular ions in correspondence of clusters are in accordance with cavities filled by SiF 4 molecules. Their presence only in crystalline Si while they are not revealed by statistical analysis in amorphous suggests that they form at the amorphous/crystal interface. © 2012 American Institute of Physics.

Fluorine redistribution and incorporation during solid phase epitaxy of preamorphized Si

The redistribution of fluorine during solid phase epitaxial regrowth (SPER) of preamorphized Si has been experimentally investigated, explained, and simulated, for different F concentrations and temperatures. We demonstrate, by a detailed analysis and modeling of F secondary ion mass spectrometry chemical-concentration profiles, that F segregates in amorphous Si during SPER by splitting in three possible states: (i) a diffusive one that migrates in amorphous Si; (ii) an interface segregated state evidenced by the presence of a F accumulation peak at the amorphous-crystal interface; (iii) a clustered F state. The interplay among these states and their roles in the F incorporation into crystalline Si are fully described. It is shown that diffusive F migrates by a trap limited diffusion mechanism and also interacts with the advancing interface by a sticking-release dynamics that regulates the amount of F segregated at the interface. We demonstrate that this last quantity determines the regrowth rate through an exponential law. On the other hand we show that neither the diffusive F nor the one segregated at the interface can directly incorporate into the crystal but F has to cluster in the amorphous phase before being incorporated in the crystal, in agreement with recent experimental observations. The trends of the model parameters as a function of the temperature are shown and discussed obtaining a clear energetic scheme of the F redistribution and incorporation in preamorphized Si. The above physical understanding and the model could have a strong impact on the use of F as a tool for optimizing the doping profiles in the fabrication of ultrashallow junctions. © 2010 The American Physical Society.

The roles of energy and material efficiency in meeting steel industry CO2 targets.

Identifying strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from steel production requires a comprehensive model of the sector but previous work has either failed to consider the whole supply chain or considered only a subset of possible abatement options. In this work, a global mass flow analysis is combined with process emissions intensities to allow forecasts of future steel sector emissions under all abatement options. Scenario analysis shows that global capacity for primary steel production is already near to a peak and that if sectoral emissions are to be reduced by 50% by 2050, the last required blast furnace will be built by 2020. Emissions reduction targets cannot be met by energy and emissions efficiency alone, but deploying material efficiency provides sufficient extra abatement potential.

Failure and formation of axial nanowire heterostructures in vapor-liquid-solid growth

To observe the axial growth behavior of InAs on GaAs nanowires, InAs was grown for different growth durations on GaAs nanowires using Au nanoparticles. Through transmission electron microscopy, we have observed the following evolution steps for the InAs growth. (1) In the initial stages of the InAs growth, InAs clusters into a wedge shape preferentially at an edge of the Au/GaAs interface by minimizing Au/InAs interfacial area; (2) with further growth of InAs, the Au particle moves sidewards and then downwards by preserving an interface with GaAs nanowire sidewalls. The lower interfacial energy of Au/GaAs than that of Au/In As is attributed to be the reason for such Au movement. This downward movement of the Au nanoparticle later terminates when the nanoparticle encounters InAs growing radially on the GaAs nanowire sidewalls, and with further supply of In and As vapor reactants, the Au nanoparticle assists the formation of InAs branches. These observations give some insights into vapor-liquid-solid growth and the formation of kinks in nanowire heterostructures. © 2008 Materials Research Society.

Mixing and internal dynamics of droplets impacting and coalescing on a solid surface.

The coalescence and mixing of a sessile and an impacting liquid droplet on a solid surface are studied experimentally and numerically in terms of lateral separation and droplet speed. Two droplet generators are used to produce differently colored droplets. Two high-speed imaging systems are used to investigate the impact and coalescence of the droplets in color from a side view with a simultaneous gray-scale view from below. Millimeter-sized droplets were used with dynamical conditions, based on the Reynolds and Weber numbers, relevant to microfluidics and commercial inkjet printing. Experimental measurements of advancing and receding static contact angles are used to calibrate a contact angle hysteresis model within a lattice Boltzmann framework, which is shown to capture the observed dynamics qualitatively and the final droplet configuration quantitatively. Our results show that no detectable mixing occurs during impact and coalescence of similar-sized droplets, but when the sessile droplet is sufficiently larger than the impacting droplet vortex ring generation can be observed. Finally we show how a gradient of wettability on the substrate can potentially enhance mixing.

Introducing carbon diffusion barriers for uniform, high-quality graphene growth from solid sources.

Carbon diffusion barriers are introduced as a general and simple method to prevent premature carbon dissolution and thereby to significantly improve graphene formation from the catalytic transformation of solid carbon sources. A thin Al2O3 barrier inserted into an amorphous-C/Ni bilayer stack is demonstrated to enable growth of uniform monolayer graphene at 600 °C with domain sizes exceeding 50 μm, and an average Raman D/G ratio of <0.07. A detailed growth rationale is established via in situ measurements, relevant to solid-state growth of a wide range of layered materials, as well as layer-by-layer control in these systems.