Efficient tunable laser operation of Tm:KGd(WO/sub 4/)/sub 2/ in the continuous-wave regime at room temperature

Tm:KGd(WO/sub 4/)/sub 2/ is studied as a three-level laser on the /sup 3/F/sub 4/ /spl rarr/ /sup 3/H/sub 6/ transition and a tunable source in the 2-/spl mu/m spectral range, operating at room temperature. An overall tunability extending from 1790 to 2042 nm is achieved with maximum output powers of 400 mW for an absorbed pump power of 1 W. Various doping levels, pump wavelengths and polarization configurations are compared and the advantages of the monoclinic double tungstates over other Tm-hosts are outlined.     

Studies of CW laser oscillation on the 1315-nm transition of atomic iodine pumped by O/sub 2/(a/sup 1//spl Delta/) produced in an electric discharge

In this paper, we report on studies of a continuous-wave laser at 1315 nm on the I(/sup 2/P/sub 1/2/)/spl rarr/I(/sup 2/P/sub 3/2/) transition of atomic iodine where the O/sub 2/(a/sup 1//spl Delta/) used to pump the iodine was produced by a radio frequency excited electric discharge. The electric discharge was sustained in He-O/sub 2/ and Ar-O/sub 2/ gas mixtures upstream of a supersonic cavity which is employed to lower the temperature of the continuous gas flow and shift the equilibrium of atomic iodine in favor of the I(/sup 2/P/sub 1/2/) state. The results of experimental studies for several different flow conditions, discharge arrangements, and mirror sets are presented. The highest laser output power obtained in these experiments was 520 mW in a stable cavity composed of two 99.995% reflective mirrors.     

Path to the measurement of positive gain on the 1315-nm transition of atomic iodine pumped by O/sub 2/(a/sup 1//spl Delta/) produced in an electric discharge

Laser action at 1315 nm on the I(/sup 2/P/sub 1/2/)/spl rarr/I(/sup 2/P/sub 3/2/) transition of atomic iodine is conventionally obtained by a near-resonant energy transfer from O/sub 2/(a/sup 1//spl Delta/) which is produced using wet-solution chemistry. The system difficulties of chemically producing O/sub 2/(a/sup 1//spl Delta/) have motivated investigations into gas phase methods to produce O/sub 2/(a/sup 1//spl Delta/) using low-pressure electric discharges. We report on the path that led to the measurement of positive gain on the 1315-nm transition of atomic iodine where the O/sub 2/(a/sup 1//spl Delta/) was produced in a flowing electric discharge. Atomic oxygen was found to play both positive and deleterious roles in this system, and as such the excess atomic oxygen was scavenged by NO/sub 2/ to minimize the deleterious effects. The discharge production of O/sub 2/(a/sup 1//spl Delta/) was enhanced by the addition of a small proportion of NO to lower the ionization threshold of the gas mixture. The electric discharge was upstream of a continuously flowing supersonic cavity, which was employed to lower the temperature of the flow and shift the equilibrium of atomic iodine more in favor of the I(/sup 2/P/sub 1/2/) state. A tunable diode laser system capable of scanning the entire line shape of the (3,4) hyperfine transition of iodine provided the gain measurements.     

High-power broadly tunable Ho/sup 3+/-doped silica fibre laser

Tuning of the 2.1 /spl mu/m Ho/sup 3+/-doped silica fibre laser is demonstrated for the first time. The /sup 5/I/sub 7//spl rarr//sup 5/I/sub 8/ transition provides tuning over 144 nm, from 2019 to 2163 nm, and a maximum pump-limited output power of 1.58 W at 2100 nm was produced.     

Evidence of enhanced hypersensitive transition in erbium-doped fibers with different Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ content

Precise spectroscopic absorption measurements of erbium-doped aluminosilicate fibers with different Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ content were performed with the Judd-Ofelt analysis. From the Judd-Ofelt analysis, the /spl Omega//sub 2/ parameters of Er/sup 3+/ ions in these fibers were found to be about three times as large as those in aluminosilicate bulk glasses. The enhancement of the /spl Omega//sub 2/ parameters led to much stronger line strength of hypersensitive transitions in a fiber form than in a bulk glass form. This indicates that the distortion of the ligand field around the Er/sup 3+/ ions are more enhanced in a fiber form than in a bulk glass form. Furthermore, the /spl Omega//sub 6/ and the /spl Omega//sub 2/ parameters increased with an increase of q content up to 20 000 ppm. This Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/-content dependence of the /spl Omega//sub 6/ parameter was consistent with that of the line strength and the spontaneous emission probabilities of the transition corresponding to the /sup 4/I/sub 13/2//spl rarr//sup 4/I/sub 15/2/.     

Cyclic codes over GR(4/sup m/) which are also cyclic over /spl Zopf//sub 4/

Let GR(4/sup m/) be the Galois ring of characteristic 4 and cardinality 4/sup m/, and /spl alpha/_={/spl alpha//sub 0/,/spl alpha//sub 1/,...,/spl alpha//sub m-1/} be a basis of GR(4/sup m/) over /spl Zopf//sub 4/ when we regard GR(4/sup m/) as a free /spl Zopf//sub 4/-module of rank m. Define the map d/sub /spl alpha/_/ from GR(4/sup m/)[z]/(z/sup n/-1) into /spl Zopf//sub 4/[z]/(z/sup mn/-1) by d/spl alpha/_(a(z))=/spl Sigma//sub i=0//sup m-1//spl Sigma//sub j=0//sup n-1/a/sub ij/z/sup mj+i/ where a(z)=/spl Sigma//sub j=0//sup n-1/a/sub j/z/sup j/ and a/sub j/=/spl Sigma//sub i=0//sup m-1/a/sub ij//spl alpha//sub i/, a/sub ij//spl isin//spl Zopf//sub 4/. Then, for any linear code C of length n over GR(4/sup m/), its image d/sub /spl alpha/_/(C) is a /spl Zopf//sub 4/-linear code of length mn. In this article, for n and m being odd integers, it is determined all pairs (/spl alpha/_,C) such that d/sub /spl alpha/_/(C) is /spl Zopf//sub 4/-cyclic, where /spl alpha/_ is a basis of GR(4/sup m/) over /spl Zopf//sub 4/, and C is a cyclic code of length n over GR(4/sup m/).     

1677 V, 5.7 m/spl Omega//spl middot/cm/sup 2/ 4H-SiC BJTs

This letter reports the development of a high-performance power 4H-SiC bipolar junction transistor (BJT) with, simultaneously, a high blocking voltage and a low specific on-resistance (R/spl I.bar//sub ON/). A single BJT cell with an active area of 0.61 mm/sup 2/ achieves an open base collector-to-emitter blocking voltage (V/sub ceo/) of 1677 V and conducts up to 3.2 A at a forward voltage drop of V/sub CE/=3.0 V, corresponding to a low R/spl I.bar//sub ON/ of 5.7 m/spl Omega//spl middot/cm/sup 2/ up to Jc=525 A/cm/sup 2/ and a record high value of V/sub B//sup 2//R/sub SP/spl I.bar/ON/ of 493 MW/cm/sup 2/.     

Limitation of DC currents by YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-/spl delta//-Au superconducting films

The limitation of dc fault currents is one of the issues for the development of dc networks or links. This paper shows for the first time the high potential of YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-/spl delta//-Au bilayers for the design of dc current limiters. Such devices are based on the transition into the normal state of the superconducting YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-/spl delta// films above a current I/sup */>I/sub c/, where I/sub c/ is the critical current at the onset of dissipation. The study of the transition under current pulses shows that a thermally driven transition into the normal state can occur after a delay t/sub trans/. This duration is defined by the amplitude of the current pulse. For I/sup *//spl ap/3I/sub c/, this delay is less than 10 /spl mu/s. The abrupt transition into the normal state allows an efficient current limitation. A recovery of the superconducting state can also occur under current. This property can be extremely interesting for autonomous operation of a current limiter in an electrical network in case of transient over-currents coming from the starting of high-power devices.     

The rank and kernel of extended 1-perfect /spl Zopf//sub 4/-linear and additive non-/spl Zopf//sub 4/-linear codes

A binary extended 1-perfect code of length n + 1 = 2/sup t/ is additive if it is a subgroup of /spl Zopf//sub 2//sup /spl alpha// /spl times/ /spl Zopf//sub 4//sup /spl beta//. The punctured code by deleting a /spl Zopf//sub 2/ coordinate (if there is one) gives a perfect additive code. 1-perfect additive codes were completely characterized and by using that characterization we compute the possible parameters /spl alpha/, /spl beta/, rank, and dimension of the kernel for extended 1-perfect additive codes. A very special case is that of extended 1-perfect /spl Zopf//sub 4/-linear codes.     

Low-frequency noise in submicrometer MOSFETs with HfO/sub 2/, HfO/sub 2//Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ and HfAlO/sub x/ gate stacks

Low-frequency noise measurements were performed on p- and n-channel MOSFETs with HfO/sub 2/, HfAlO/sub x/ and HfO/sub 2//Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ as the gate dielectric materials. The gate length varied from 0.135 to 0.36 /spl mu/m with 10.02 /spl mu/m gate width. The equivalent oxide thicknesses were: HfO/sub 2/ 23 /spl Aring/, HfAlO/sub x/ 28.5 /spl Aring/ and HfO/sub 2//Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ 33 /spl Aring/. In addition to the core structures with only about 10 /spl Aring/ of oxide between the high-/spl kappa/ dielectric and silicon substrate, there were "double-gate oxide" structures where an interfacial oxide layer of 40 /spl Aring/ was grown between the high-/spl kappa/ dielectric and Si. DC analysis showed low gate leakage currents in the order of 10/sup -12/A(2-5/spl times/10/sup -5/ A/cm/sup 2/) for the devices and, in general, yielded higher threshold voltages and lower mobility values when compared to the corresponding SiO/sub 2/ devices. The unified number-mobility fluctuation model was used to account for the observed 1/f noise and to extract the oxide trap density, which ranged from 1.8/spl times/10/sup 17/ cm/sup -3/eV/sup -1/ to 1.3/spl times/10/sup 19/ cm/sup -3/eV/sup -1/, somewhat higher compared to conventional SiO/sub 2/ MOSFETs with the similar device dimensions. There was no evidence of single electron switching events or random telegraph signals. The aim of this paper is to present a general discussion on low-frequency noise characteristics of the three different high-/spl kappa//gate stacks, relative comparison among them and to the Si--SiO/sub 2/ system.     

On /spl Zopf//sub 4/-linear Preparata-like and Kerdock-like codes

We say that a binary code of length n is additive if it is isomorphic to a subgroup of /spl Zopf//sub 2//sup /spl alpha// /spl times/ /spl Zopf//sub 4//sup /spl beta//, where the quaternary coordinates are transformed to binary by means of the usual Gray map and hence /spl alpha/ + 2/spl beta/ = n. In this paper, we prove that any additive extended Preparata (1968) -like code always verifies /spl alpha/ = 0, i.e., it is always a /spl Zopf//sub 4/-linear code. Moreover, we compute the rank and the dimension of the kernel of such Preparata-like codes and also the rank and the kernel of the /spl Zopf//sub 4/-dual of these codes, i.e., the /spl Zopf//sub 4/-linear Kerdock-like codes.     

InGaAs-InP mesa DHBTs with simultaneously high f/sub /spl tau// and f/sub max/ and low C/sub cb//I/sub c/ ratio

We report an InP-InGaAs-InP double heterojunction bipolar transistor (DHBT), fabricated using a conventional triple mesa structure, exhibiting a 370-GHz f/sub /spl tau// and 459-GHz f/sub max/, which is to our knowledge the highest f/sub /spl tau// reported for a mesa InP DHBT-as well as the highest simultaneous f/sub /spl tau// and f/sub max/ for any mesa HBT. The collector semiconductor was undercut to reduce the base-collector capacitance, producing a C/sub cb//I/sub c/ ratio of 0.28 ps/V at V/sub cb/=0.5 V. The V/sub BR,CEO/ is 5.6 V and the devices fail thermally only at >18 mW//spl mu/m/sup 2/, allowing dc bias from J/sub e/=4.8 mA//spl mu/m/sup 2/ at V/sub ce/=3.9 V to J/sub e/=12.5 mA//spl mu/m/sup 2/ at V/sub ce/=1.5 V. The device employs a 30 nm carbon-doped InGaAs base with graded base doping, and an InGaAs-InAlAs superlattice grade in the base-collector junction that contributes to a total depleted collector thickness of 150 nm.     

10-kV, 123-m/spl Omega//spl middot/cm/sup 2/ 4H-SiC power DMOSFETs

10-kV, 123-m/spl Omega//spl middot/cm/sup 2/ power DMOSFETs in 4H-SiC are demonstrated. A 42% reduction in R/sub on,sp/, compared to a previously reported value, was achieved by using an 8 /spl times/ 10/sup 14/ cm/sup -3/ doped, 85-/spl mu/m-thick drift epilayer. An effective channel mobility of 22 cm/sup 2//Vs was measured from a test MOSFET. A specific on-resistance of 123 m/spl Omega//spl middot/cm/sup 2/ were measured with a gate bias of 18 V, which corresponds to an E/sub ox/ of 3 MV/cm. A leakage current of 197 /spl mu/A was measured at a drain bias of 10 kV from a 4H-SiC DMOSFET with an active area of 4.24 /spl times/ 10/sup -3/ cm/sup 2/. A switching time of 100 ns was measured in 4.6-kV, 1.3-A switching measurements. This shows that the 4H-SiC power DMOSFETS are ideal for high-voltage, high-speed switching applications.     

1.65 /spl mu/m-band optical amplification with Er/sup 3+/-doped fluorozirconate fibre using 0.8 /spl mu/m upconversion pumping

In order to expand the available bandwidth for wavelength division multiplexing transmission systems, a 1.65 /spl mu/m-band optical fibre amplifier with Er/sup 3+/-doped fluorozirconate fibre using 0.8 /spl mu/m upconversion pumping has been demonstrated. The positive gain, 3.8 dB, is the first ever achieved by means of (/sup 2/H/sub 11/2/, /sup 4/S/sub 3/2/) /spl rarr/ /sup 4/I/sub 9/2/ stimulated emission transition.     

A novel high-/spl kappa/ SONOS memory using TaN/Al/sub 2/O/sub 3//Ta/sub 2/O/sub 5//HfO/sub 2//Si structure for fast speed and long retention operation

A novel high-/spl kappa/ silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon (SONOS)-type memory using TaN/Al/sub 2/O/sub 3//Ta/sub 2/O/sub 5//HfO/sub 2//Si (MATHS) structure is reported for the first time. Such MATHS devices can keep the advantages of our previously reported TaN/HfO/sub 2//Ta/sub 2/O/sub 5//HfO/sub 2//Si device structure to obtain a better tradeoff between long retention and fast programming as compared to traditional SONOS devices. While at the same time by replacing hafnium oxide (HfO/sub 2/) with aluminum oxide (Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/) for the top blocking layer, better blocking efficiency can be achieved due to Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/'s much larger barrier height, resulting in greatly improved memory window and faster programming. The fabricated devices exhibit a fast program and erase speed, excellent ten-year retention and superior endurance up to 10/sup 5/ stress cycles at a tunnel oxide of only 9.5 /spl Aring/ equivalent oxide thickness.     

Low-frequency noise in submicrometer MOSFETs with HfO/sub 2/, HfO/sub 2//Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ and HfAlO/sub x/ gate stacks

Low-frequency noise measurements were performed on p- and n-channel MOSFETs with HfO/sub 2/, HfAlO/sub x/ and HfO/sub 2//Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ as the gate dielectric materials. The gate length varied from 0.135 to 0.36 /spl mu/m with 10.02 /spl mu/m gate width. The equivalent oxide thicknesses were: HfO/sub 2/ 23 /spl Aring/, HfAlO/sub x/ 28.5 /spl Aring/ and HfO/sub 2//Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ 33 /spl Aring/. In addition to the core structures with only about 10 /spl Aring/ of oxide between the high-K dielectric and silicon substrate, there were "double-gate oxide" structures where an interfacial oxide layer of 40 /spl Aring/ was grown between the high-K dielectric and Si. DC analysis showed low gate leakage currents in the order of 10/sup -12/ A(2-5 /spl times/ 10/sup -5/ A/cm/sup 2/) for the devices and, in general, yielded higher threshold voltages and lower mobility values when compared to the corresponding SiO/sub 2/ devices. The unified number-mobility fluctuation model was used to account for the observed 1/f noise and to extract the oxide trap density, which ranged from 1.8 /spl times/ 10/sup 17/ cm/sup -3/ eV/sup -1/ to 1, 3 /spl times/ 10/sup 19/ cm/sup -3/ eV/sup -1/ somewhat higher compared to conventional SiO/sub 2/ MOSFETs with the similar device dimensions. There was no evidence of single electron switching events or random telegraph signals. The aim of this paper is to present a general discussion on low-frequency noise characteristics of the three different high-K/gate stacks, relative comparison among them and to the Si-SiO/sub 2/ system.     

Demonstration of 1789 V, 6.68 m/spl Omega/ /spl middot/ cm/sup 2/ 4H-SiC merged-PiN-Schottky diodes

The design, fabrication and characterisation of a high performance 4H-SiC diode of 1789 V-6.6 A with a low differential specific-on resistance (R/sub SP/spl I.bar/ON/) of 6.68 m/spl Omega/ /spl middot/ cm/sup 2/, based on a 10.3 /spl mu/m 4H-SiC blocking layer doped to 6.6/spl times/10/sup 15/ cm/sup -3/, is reported. The corresponding figure-of-merit of V/sub B//sup 2//R/sub SP/spl I.bar/ON/ for this diode is 479 MW/cm/sup 2/, which substantially surpasses previous records for all other MPS diodes.     

4H-SiC power bipolar junction transistor with a very low specific ON-resistance of 2.9 m/spl Omega//spl middot/cm/sup 2/

This letter reports a newly achieved best result on the specific ON-resistance (R/sub SP/spl I.bar/ON/) of power 4H-SiC bipolar junction transistors (BJTs). A 4H-SiC BJT based on a 12-/spl mu/m drift layer shows a record-low specific-ON resistance of only 2.9 m/spl Omega//spl middot/cm/sup 2/, with an open-base collector-to-emitter blocking voltage (V/sub ceo/) of 757 V, and a current gain of 18.8. The active area of this 4H-SiC BJT is 0.61 mm/sup 2/, and it has a fully interdigitated design. This high-performance 4H-SiC BJT conducts up to 5.24 A at a forward voltage drop of V/sub CE/=2.5 V, corresponding to a low R/sub SP-ON/ of 2.9 m/spl Omega//spl middot/cm/sup 2/ up to J/sub c/=859 A/cm/sup 2/. This is the lowest specific ON-resistance ever reported for high-power 4H-SiC BJTs.     

Multi-watt, high efficiency, diffraction-limited Nd:YAG planar waveguide laser

An efficient, longitudinally diode-pumped, diffraction-limited, Nd:YAG double-clad planar waveguide laser was operated on four transitions of the Nd/sup 3+/ ion. Optimized output powers of 4.3, 3.5, and 2.7 W were obtained for absorbed pump powers of /spl sim/7 W, for the transitions at the lasing wavelengths of 1.064 /spl mu/m, 946 nm, and 1.3 /spl mu/m, respectively. Operation of the weak /sup 4/F/sub 3/2//spl rarr//sup 4/I/sub 5/2/ transition, lasing at 1.833 /spl mu/m, was demonstrated at an absorbed pump power threshold of 300 mW and an output power of 400 mW, with a nonoptimized output coupling. Diffraction-limited performance was obtained in both the guided and nonguided axes.     

A novel strained Si/sub 0.7/Ge/sub 0.3/ surface-channel pMOSFET with an ALD TiN/Al/sub 2/O/sub 3//HfAlO/sub x//Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ gate stack

Proof-of-concept pMOSFETs with a strained-Si/sub 0.7/Ge/sub 0.3/ surface-channel deposited by selective epitaxy and a TiN/Al/sub 2/O/sub 3//HfAlO/sub x//Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ gate stack grown by atomic layer chemical vapor deposition (ALD) techniques were fabricated. The Si/sub 0.7/Ge/sub 0.3/ pMOSFETs exhibited more than 30% higher current drive and peak transconductance than reference Si pMOSFETs with the same gate stack. The effective mobility for the Si reference coincided with the universal hole mobility curve for Si. The presence of a relatively low density of interface states, determined as 3.3 /spl times/ 10/sup 11/ cm/sup -2/ eV/sup -1/, yielded a subthreshold slope of 75 mV/dec. for the Si reference. For the Si/sub 0.7/Ge/sub 0.3/ pMOSFETs, these values were 1.6 /spl times/ 10/sup 12/ cm/sup -2/ eV/sup -1/ and 110 mV/dec., respectively.