Nonlinear resonant interaction between acoustic impulse and electrons in superconductors

The problem of inelastic electron interaction in a perfectly pure superconductor with a longitudinal sound impulse is considered. It is shown that the problem reduces to the equivalent one of elastic scattering by the static potential, and the sound absorption is expressed in terms of the reflection coefficient of this scattering. The classical and quantum properties of the scattering are studied and the phase region in which new excitations are created is indicated. A formula is derived that expresses the density matrix of the excitations created in terms of the exact scattering matrix of an impulse. The quasiclassical creation of excitations by a smooth-shaped impulse is investigated with regard to both overbarrier and underbarrier processes.     

High-frequency resonant characteristics of triple-layered piezoceramic bimorphs determined using experimental measurements and theoretical analysis

This is an experimental, theoretical, and numerical investigation of vibration characteristics in high-frequency resonance, which are studied for parallel- and series-type piezoelectric bimorphs. In the experimental measurements, the full-field optical technique known as electronic speckle pattern interferometry (ESPI) is used to measure the transverse (out-of-plane) and planar (in-plane) resonant frequencies and corresponding mode shapes for piezoelectric bimorphs. In addition, in-plane resonant frequencies are obtained from impedance analysis and the response curves of the frequency spectra show different vibration characteristics of the piezoelectric bimorphs with different electrical connections. Piezoelectric bimorphs with normal connections have three-dimensional coupled vibration characteristics and the out-of-plane vibration dominates the motion. However, only in-plane vibration motions can be excited in the high-frequency range for abnormal connections, and the resonant characteristics are similar to the single-layered piezoelectric plate. The triple-layered piezoelectric bimorphs with abnormal connection are also analyzed using theoretical analysis. The resonant frequencies, mode shapes, and normalized displacements are calculated based on the analytical solution. The experimental results and the theoretical analysis are in good agreement with the numerical calculations using the finite element method. From the discussion of the results for the parallel- and series-type piezoelectric bimorphs with normal and abnormal connections, the vibration characteristics at high frequencies are completely analyzed in this study.     

Gigahertz range resonant devices for oscillator applications using shear horizontal acoustic waves

It is shown that surface transverse wave (STW) resonant devices are not only very well suited for stable oscillator applications but have some unique features offering greater design flexibility than their surface acoustic wave (SAW) counterparts. Various designs for single- and multimode resonators and resonator filters are presented, and their properties in respect to applications in stable fundamental-mode fixed-frequency and voltage-controlled oscillators in the range of 750 MHz to 2 GHz are discussed. Characteristics of SAW and STW two-port metal strip resonators using identical designs are compared. Data from frequency trimming on STW resonators, using heavy ion bombardment, are presented.     

High-frequency link symmetrical active edge resonant snubbers-assisted ZCS-PWM DC?DC converter

A novel symmetrical zero current switching (ZCS)-pulse width modulation (PWM) cells-assisted high-frequency transformer link DC-DC converter using insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) modules is presented. The proposed soft switching scheme is based on the switched-capacitor and inductive snubber in the high-voltage side inverter, assisted by active switching of MOSFET synchronous rectifier in the secondary-side low-voltage converter stage. By introducing the ZCS-PWM snubber cells, soft switching commutation which is less sensitive to the current level through the IGBTs can be achieved under the wide output power ranges. The converter circuit topology and the ZCS snubber cell operation are examined and evaluated with simulation results, and the feasibility of the converter topology is verified by experiments using a 1.0 kW-25 kHz prototype system.     

RAP: acoustic detection of particles in ultracryogenic resonant antenna

The resonant-mass gravitational wave detector NAUTILUS has recently recorded signals due to cosmic rays crossing. Very large signals have been observed in the superconductive state of the antenna. In order to investigate this anomalous response at low temperatures, the Rivelazione Acustica di Particelle experiment has been approved. Its purpose is the measurement of the mechanical vibrations in a superconducting (T100 mK) cylindrical aluminium bar when hit by 10⁵ electrons at 510 MeV from the DAΦNE Beam Test Facility, corresponding to the energies released by extensive air showers in the NAUTILUS antenna. The results of this measurement are crucial to understand the interaction of ionizing particles with bulk superconductors and to confirm the results on the thermo-acoustic model of the past experiments.     

Thermal fracture studies in ceramic systems using an acoustic emission technique

An acoustic emission technique for measuring the failure time in thermal shock experiments is described. The technique offers a unique opportunity to measure the heat-transfer coefficient of the test system and hence, to obtain a fully quantitative measure of the peak surface stress generated during the test. Measurements on soda-lime glass have demonstrated that rapid thermal fracture in the material occurs when the surface stress attains a critical value equal to the propagation stress for the most deleterious surface flaw. The effects of slow crack growth on the failure time are also investigated and correlated with recently developed theory.     

Limit cycles of resonant four-dimensional polynomial systems

We study the bifurcation of limit cycles from four-dimensional centres inside a class of polynomial differential systems. Our results establish an upper bound for the number of limit cycles which can be prolonged in function of the degree of the polynomial perturbation considered, up to first-order expansion of the displacement function with respect to small parameter. The main tool for proving such results is the averaging theory.     

Response of acoustic imaging systems using convergent leaky waves to cylindrical flaws

A theoretical study of imaging systems utilizing focused leaky surface acoustic waves (SAWs), and their response to certain kind of defects is presented. In particular, circular cylindrical inhomogeneities with axes perpendicular to the surface are considered. The scattering of the SAW from this cylinder is formulated with some approximations. The surface wave incident on the inhomogeneity is initially found as an angular spectrum of plane waves. However, to apply the boundary conditions at the cylindrical surface, the incident field has to be transformed into a superposition of cylindrical waves. Similarly, the scattered field, which is found in the form of outgoing cylindrical SAWs, is converted back to a plane wave spectrum. A formula is obtained for the transducer output voltage in terms of the position and the radius of the cylinder, and it is suitable for computer evaluation. By considering various locations for the cylinder, the sensitivity of the system around the focal point is studied. By comparing the output voltages for cylinders of different radii, the sensitivity of the system to the size of the inhomogeneity is examined. The numerical results are in agreement with the experimental observations.     

Process control of particle deposition systems using acoustic and electrical response signals

The implementation of statistical quality control methods for monitoring and control of powder abrasion/deposition is of increasing importance in a manufacturing environment. For the wider adoption of both current and new powder coating technologies, quality control systems need to be developed, which are easily installed, non-invasive and work in real time. This study evaluates the use of a dual electro-acoustic and electrostatic surface-charge measurement technique as means of realising real-time process control. Simultaneous changes in the signals were obtained under both powder flow-on and -off conditions and also for edge detection of the substrate. It was discovered that the most important variables which governed changes in the acoustic response signal were due to variations in the deposition pressure and stand-off distance, whilst those for the electrostatic response signal came from changes in particle size and deposition stand-off distance. A phenomenological predictive equation was developed based on a two-level full factorial design with five variables for both response factors. The coefficients of determination, r², for the models were 93% and 98%, respectively, with respective χ² probability values of 99% and 99.5%. This enabled the use of specific limits for any variation of variables amongst those tested to be set up, resulting in the apparatus necessary for the development of a sensitive continuous control system. Examining variations in surface roughness with electrostatic signal was observed to show a linear relationship, decreasing at a rate of 0.19 μm per 0.01 eV, as the effective particle size of Al₂O₃ was increased.     

High-frequency ultrasound sensors using polymer microring resonators

Polymer microring resonators are demonstrated as high-frequency, ultrasound detectors. An optical microring resonator consists of a ring waveguide closely coupled to a straight bus waveguide, serving as light input and output. Acoustic waves irradiating the ring induce strain, deforming the waveguide dimensions and changing the refractive index of the waveguide via the elasto-optic effect. These effects modify the effective refractive index of the guided mode inside the waveguide. The sharp wavelength dependence of the microring resonance can enhance the optical response to acoustic strain. Such polymer microring resonators are experimentally demonstrated in detecting broadband ultrasound pulses from a 50 MHz transducer. Measured frequency response shows that these devices have potential in high-frequency, ultrasound detection. Design guidelines for polymer microring resonators forming an ultrasound detector array are discussed.     

Ellipsometric determination of polarization-dependent transmission in resonant feedback systems

The polarization-dependent transmission of a basic anisotropic feedback system (Fabry-Perot resonator) is mathematically modeled by means of the Jones-matrix formalism. Detailed numerical simulations of the resonance case are performed. Small phase anisotropies as well as small polarization-dependent losses of the resonator components can be extremely amplified by resonant feedback. The amplification factors depend on the magnitudes of amplitude and phase anisotropy and their mutual interactions as well as on the polarization-independent system parameters (forward transmission, system feedback). However, for higher phase anisotropies, saturation effects occur and, therefore, the anisotropy amplification factors decrease. Our experimental investigations applying anisotropic Fabry-Perot resonators in different ellipsometer systems confirm the predicted amplification of phase and loss anisotropies in resonance operation.     

Resonant interaction of acoustic waves in nonequilibrium gases

Nonlinear equations are derived, which describe the evolution of two-dimensional acoustic disturbances in a thermodynamically nonequilibrium gas. The characteristic features of parametric interaction of wave packets in acoustically active media are analyzed. The transmission band under conditions of critical and noncritical matching and the threshold of parametric amplification are determined. Conditions are obtained, under which a giant parametric pulse may form in an acoustically active medium, with the amplitude of this pulse exceeding that of a pumping wave.     

Direct optical visualization of DNA-DNA interaction by nanoparticle-capture on resonant PET-films

Based on the understanding of the absorption behavior of metal nanoparticles we aimed at the direct detection of sub-monomolecular layers of DNA with the naked eye. This extremely sensitive detection needs optical amplification techniques to be used in replacement of nanoparticle-aggregates applied e.g., in agglutination assays. We focus on the nanolayer-coated metallized-PET-chip setup and on the synthesis of DNA-nanoparticle conjugates suitable for 'resonance enhanced absorption'-point of care-tests and the application of those particles in the direct visualization of DNA-DNA binding events. Stabilization of nanoparticles and their sequence specific binding was proven with direct optical visibility of sub-monolayers of colored nanoclusters. Synthetic routes leading to suitable conjugates as well as stability tests and a biorecognition test are described in detail adding to the repertoire of tools that contribute to the application of nanoparticles in novel nano-enhanced devices.     

High-frequency surface acoustic waves excited on thin-oriented LiNbO3 single-crystal layers transferred onto silicon

The need for high-frequency, wide-band filters has instigated many developments based on combining thin piezoelectric films and high acoustic velocity materials (sapphire, diamond-like carbon, silicon, etc.) to ease the manufacture of devices operating above 2 GHz. In the present work, a technological process has been developed to achieve thin-oriented, single-crystal lithium niobate (LiNbO3) layers deposited on (100) silicon wafers for the fabrication of radio-frequency (RF) surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices. The use of such oriented thin films is expected to favor large coupling coefficients together with a good control of the layer properties, enabling one to chose the best combination of layer orientation to optimize the device. A theoretical analysis of the elastic wave assumed to propagate on such a combination of material is first exposed. Technological aspects then are described briefly. Experimental results are presented and compared to the state of art.     

Microdefocusing method for measuring acoustic properties using acoustic microscope

Many papers have been reporting on measuring acoustic properties of materials by acoustic microscopy. In a conventional method of V (z) curve analysis, the phase velocity and the propagation attenuation of a leaky surface acoustic wave (LSAW) are determined from the interference period Deltaz and the slope of the V(z) curve, respectively. For this method it is necessary to measure the V(z) curve for a period several times as long as the interference period Deltaz. Therefore, it is difficult to measure the acoustic properties of a sample with high resolution by the method. In order to overcome these problems, a method called the microdefocusing method is proposed. The method determines the acoustic properties of a sample by analyzing V (z) values measured in the microdefocusing region within an interference period Deltaz near a focal plane. An ultrasonic transducer called the butterfly transducer is proposed to be applied to this microdefocusing method and a digital signal processing procedure is developed to analyze the output of the ultrasonic transducer. Basic experiments are performed to confirm the principles of the new method.     

Parallel BDD-based monolithic approach for acoustic fluid-structure interaction

Parallel BDD-based monolithic algorithms for acoustic fluid-structure interaction problems are developed. In a previous study, two schemes, NN-I + CGC-FULL and NN-I + CGC-DIAG, have been proven to be efficient among several BDD-type schemes for one processor. Thus, the parallelization of these schemes is discussed in the present study. These BDD-type schemes consist of the operations of the Schur complement matrix-vector (Sv) product, Neumann-Neumann (NN) preconditioning, and the coarse problem. In the present study, the Sv product and NN preconditioning are parallelized for both schemes, and the parallel implementation of the solid and fluid parts of the coarse problem is considered for NN-I + CGC-DIAG. The results of numerical experiments indicate that both schemes exhibit performances that are almost as good as those of single solid and fluid analyses in the Sv product and NN preconditioning. Moreover, NN-I + CGC-DIAG appears to become more efficient as the problem size becomes large due to the parallel calculation of the coarse problem.     

Application of resonant acoustic spectroscopy to asphalt concrete beams for determination of the dynamic modulus

In this paper, a new application of resonant acoustic spectroscopy (RAS) is examined for constructing asphalt concrete mastercurves from seismic testing. The frequency-dependent material properties can be characterized from multiple modes of vibration through the use of RAS. Beam-shaped asphalt specimens are tested at multiple temperatures to determine the resonance frequencies of the specimens. The resonance frequencies are estimated by applying a small load impulse and measuring the resulting acceleration through the specimens. Using RAS, the material properties of the specimens are determined numerically using the measured resonance frequencies. The results presented show that the frequency-dependent dynamic modulus of the asphalt concrete specimens can be characterized using several modes of vibration at each testing temperature.     

Modeling of phase transformations in metal-hydrogen systems by using multicenter potentials of interatomic interaction

We present the results of modeling of phase transformations in Fe-H, V-H, Ti-H, and Mg-H systems performed by using multicenter potentials constructed in the quasifermionic approximation. These potentials take into account the short-term interatomic interactions and the contributions made to the bonding energy by the delocalization and transfer of the electron charges. This enables us to model the structural transformations of metals in broad ranges of the concentrations of hydrogen. __________ Translated from Fizyko-Khimichna Mekhanika Materialiv, Vol. 43, No. 5, pp. 14–24, September–October, 2007.