Mapping the "forbidden" transverse-optical phonon in single strained silicon (100) nanowire

The accurate manipulation of strain in silicon nanowires can unveil new fundamental properties and enable novel or enhanced functionalities. To exploit these potentialities, it is essential to overcome major challenges at the fabrication and characterization levels. With this perspective, we have investigated the strain behavior in nanowires fabricated by patterning and etching of 15 nm thick tensile strained silicon (100) membranes. To this end, we have developed a method to excite the "forbidden" transverse-optical (TO) phonons in single tensile strained silicon nanowires using high-resolution polarized Raman spectroscopy. Detecting this phonon is critical for precise analysis of strain in nanoscale systems. The intensity of the measured Raman spectra is analyzed based on three-dimensional field distribution of radial, azimuthal, and linear polarizations focused by a high numerical aperture lens. The effects of sample geometry on the sensitivity of TO measurement are addressed. A significantly higher sensitivity is demonstrated for nanowires as compared to thin layers. In-plane and out-of-plane strain profiles in single nanowires are obtained through the simultaneous probe of local TO and longitudinal-optical (LO) phonons. New insights into strained nanowires mechanical properties are inferred from the measured strain profiles.     

Structural and optical analyses of polycrystalline Zn1−xSbxSe thin films prepared by resistive heating technique

Here we report the influence of Sb doping on the structural and optical properties of Zn_1−xSb_xSe (0 ⩽ x ⩾ 0.15) thin films prepared by thermal evaporation technique on glass substrate. Various characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), EDS, Raman spectroscopy and spectroscopic ellipsometer are employed to assess the structural and optical properties of the deposited films. XRD analysis reveals the formation of polycrystalline cubic structure having preferred growth orientation along (1 1 1) plane without any evidence of secondary phases. Crystallographic parameters like grain size, micro strain, dislocation density, number of crystallites per unit area and texture coefficient point out the structural modification in ZnSe films with Sb inclusion. Raman analysis shows the existence of three 1LO, 2LO and 3LO phonon modes at 251, 511 and 745 cm⁻¹ in pure ZnSe while 3LO mode disappears by the incorporation of Sb atoms in ZnSe matrix. Increase in FWHM of Raman peaks with Sb concentration also indicates the change in crystalline quality of ZnSe films which is in accordance with our XRD results. Spectroscopic ellipsometry results demonstrate a decreasing trend for the optical band gap energy (from 2.61 eV to 1.81 eV) with increasing Sb content.     

Terahertz response of ferroelectric nanofibers

Far-infrared optical and dielectric properties of ferroelectric SrTiO3 and BaTiO3 nanofibers, prepared by hydrothermal syntheses, were studied using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy. The power absorption, refractive index, and complex dielectric function were characterized in the frequency range from 0.2 to 1.0 THz. The measured results are well reproduced by theoretical fittings based on the dielectric models and the effective medium model. The study reveals that the low-frequency dielectric properties of the ferroelectric SrTiO3 nanofibers are associated with the lowest transverse optical (TO) soft mode TO1 at 2.70 THz (90.0 cm(-1)), and that of the ferroelectric BaTiO3 nanofibers are related to the lowest pair of transverse optical (TO) and longitudinal optical (LO) modes near 5.35 THz, which are both consistent with their bulk single-crystal and thin-film counterparts.     

Structural properties of GaN grown on AlGaN/AlN stress mitigating layers on 100-mm Si (111) by ammonia molecular beam epitaxy

The structural properties of GaN grown on AlGaN/AlN stress mitigating layers on 100-mm diameter Si (111) substrate by ammonia molecular beam epitaxy have been reported. High resolution X-ray diffraction, micro-Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and secondary ion mass spectroscopy have been used to study the influence of AlN thickness and AlGaN growth temperature on the quality of GaN. GaN grown on thicker AlN showed reduced dislocation density and lesser tensile strain. Three-dimensional growth regime was observed for GaN grown at lower AlGaN growth temperature while higher AlGaN growth temperature resulted in two-dimensional growth mode. The dislocation bending and looping at the AlGaN/AlN interface was found to have significant influence on the dislocation density and strain in the GaN layer. The evolution and interaction of threading dislocations play a major role in determining the quality and the strain states of GaN.     

Microstructure and electronic properties of microcrystalline silicon carbide thin films prepared by hot-wire CVD

An overview on microstructural and electronic properties of stoichiometric microcrystalline silicon carbide (μc-SiC) prepared by Hot-Wire Chemical Vapor Deposition (HWCVD) at low substrate temperatures will be given. The electronic properties are strongly dependent on crystalline phase, local bonding, strain, defects, impurities, etc. Therefore these quantities need to be carefully investigated in order to evaluate their influence and to develop strategies for material improvement. We will particularly address the validity of different experimental methods like Raman spectroscopy and IR spectroscopy to provide information on the crystalline volume fraction by comparing the results with Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and X-Ray diffraction data. Finally the electronic properties as derived from optical absorption and transport measurements will be related to the microstructure.     

Fracture of metal/ceramic interfaces

The present paper examines metal/ceramic interfaces. Energy release rates are calculated with the finite element method for different elastic–plastic material laws of the metal. The local strain field of the metal is measured during a four-point bending test with an optical method and compared with results from the simulations. The aim of the work is to understand the influence of interface strength and material properties on the energy release rate.     

Tuneable Heterodyne Infrared Spectrometer for atmospheric and astronomical studies

The transportable setup of the Cologne Tuneable Heterodyne Infrared Spectrometer (THIS) is presented. Frequency tuneability over a wide range provided by the use of tuneable diode lasers as local oscillators (LO) allows a variety of molecules in the mid-infrared to be observed. Longtime integration, which is essential for astronomical observations, is possible owing to tight frequency control of the LO with optical feedback from an external cavity. THIS is developed to fly on the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy beginning in 2006 but can also be used on different types of ground-based telescopes.     

Optical,electrical and mechanical properties of Ga-doped ZnO thin films under different sputtering powers

We present the optical, electrical and mechanical properties of Ga-doped zinc oxide (GZO) thin films prepared by radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering at room temperature under different RF powers (80–180 W). The thickness, electron concentration, and electron mobility of the GZO thin film were determined by fitting the visible-to-near-infrared transmittance spectrum of GZO film/glass using the transfer matrix method. The bending force per unit width was measured by a home-made Twyman–Green interferometer with the fast Fourier transform method. The obtained results show that the optical, electrical and mechanical properties of GZO thin film are subject to the RF power. At an RF power of 140 W, the local minimum of bending force per unit width corresponds to the highest electron mobility in GZO thin film. This study demonstrates that the optical, electrical and mechanical properties of GZO thin film can be fully resolved by non-contact optical methods.     

Characterization of silicon dioxide films on a 4H-SiC Si(0001) face by fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and cathodoluminescence spectroscopy

We used Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy to characterize silicon dioxide (SiO(2)) films on a 4H-SiC(0001) Si face. We found that the peak frequency of the transverse optical (TO) phonon in SiO(2) films grown on a 4H-SiC substrate agrees well with that in SiO(2) films grown on a Si substrate, whereas the peak frequency of the longitudinal optical (LO) phonon in SiO(2) films on a 4H-SiC substrate is red-shifted by approximately 50 cm(-1) relative to that in SiO(2) films on a Si substrate. We concluded that this red-shift of the LO phonon is mainly caused by a change in inhomogeneity due to a decrease in density in the SiO(2) films. Furthermore, cathodoluminescence (CL) spectroscopy results indicated that the channel mobility of the SiC metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) decreases roughly in proportion to the increase in the intensity of the CL peak at 460 and 490 nm, which is attributed to the increase in the number of oxygen vacancy centers (OVCs). FT-IR and CL spectroscopies provide us with a large amount of data on OVCs in the SiO(2) films on a 4H-SiC substrate.     

Flexible photonic crystals for strain sensing

Three-dimensional (3-D) photonic crystals (PCs) have been studied as possible strain sensing materials, based on strain-induced stop band frequency shifting. Self-assembly of polystyrene microspheres, achieved by sedimentation over a flexible polyimide tape substrate whose surface hydrophilicity was optimized in order to achieve maximum wettability, led to an organized 3-D direct opal template. This was infiltrated with a silica sol-gel solution by dip-coating or by chemical vapour deposition and an inverse opal structure was ultimately obtained by chemical dissolution of the polymer template. The structural and optical properties of these PCs have been studied by scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and UV/visible spectroscopy under variable degrees of strain. FE-SEM showed the presence of ordered domains up to ∼30 μm². A mechano-optical effect was evidenced by strain-induced shifting of the photonic stop band peak wavelength of the direct, infiltrated and inverse opals up to 50 nm in transmission mode, due to changes in interplanar spacing upon bending the flexible PCs. Optical response strain cycles were studied, suggesting the possible use of these structures in reversible photonic strain sensors integrated in sensor/actuator devices.     

纳米银粒子/有机溶剂的界面作用、分散性及光学性能

用微乳液法制备了不同粒径的表面改性的纳米银粒子,并用ＥＳＲ、ＴＥＭ和紫外／可见吸收光谱研究了改性纳米银粒子／有机溶剂体系的界面作用、分散性和光学性能。结果表明：改性的纳米银粒子有一系列表面顺磁局域态,其ＥＳＲ谱参数与粒径的关系不符合Ｋａｗａｂａｔａ理论预测：氯仿与粒子有强烈的相互作用,粒子越小作用越强,且越易分散;氯仿作为粒子的良分散剂和高分子的良溶剂,可用于溶液共混工艺制备纳米银／高聚物复合材料。     

Properties of a Strong Coupling Bipolaron in an Asymmetric Quantum Dot

We study a strong coupling bipolaron’s vibrational frequency, self-trapping energy and potential induced by the electron–longitudinal optical (LO) phonon interaction in an asymmetric quantum dot (AQD). The effects of the electron–phonon coupling strength, the transverse and longitudinal effective confinement lengths are taken into account by using linear combination operator and unitary transformation methods. It is found that the vibrational frequency is an increasing function of the electron–phonon coupling strength, whereas it is a decreasing one of the transverse and longitudinal effective confinement lengths. The absolute values of the self-trapping energy and the potential induced by the electron–LO phonon interaction will increase with increasing coupling strength or decreasing effective confinement lengths.     

Evaluation of quantum-cascade lasers as local oscillators for infrared heterodyne spectroscopy

We report experiments evaluating the feasibility of quantum-cascade lasers (QCLs) at mid-infrared wavelengths for use as local oscillators (LOs) in a heterodyne receiver. Performance tests with continuous-wave (cw) lasers around 9.6 and 9.2 microm were carried out investigating optical output power, laser linewidth, and tunability. A direct comparison with a CO2 gas laser LO is presented as well. The achieved system sensitivity in a heterodyne spectrometer of only a factor of 2 above the quantum limit together with the measured linewidth of less than 1.5 MHz shows that QCLs are suitable laser sources for heterodyne spectroscopy with sufficient output power to replace gas lasers as LOs even in high-sensitivity astronomical heterodyne receivers. In addition, our experiments show that the tunability of the lasers can be greatly enhanced by use of an external cavity.     

The electrical and interface properties of metal-ferroelectric (lanthanum substituted bismuth titanate: BLT)-insulator-semiconductor (MFIS) structures with various insulators

We have investigated metal-ferroelectric-insulator semiconductor (MFIS) structures with lanthanum substituted bismuth titanate (BLT) as a ferroelectric layer and lanthanum oxide (LO) or zirconium silicate (ZSO) as an insulating buffer layer between BLT and Si substrate. The morphology of BLT films deposited on LO or ZSO oxide was not changed due to the good thermal stability of LO and ZSO films. But an interface reaction between BLT and buffer layer started at high annealing temperature (750 °C), which was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The maximum memory window was 3.59 V at a sweep voltage of 7 V with the LO film annealed at 650 °C and a thickness of 5 nm. With BLT/LO annealed at 750 °C, the window was decreased due to the reaction between the BLT film and LO. The memory window was about 1 V lower with a ZSO film because ZSO film has a lower dielectric constant than LO film. The MFIS structure annealed at 750 °C had a lower leakage current density because the electrical properties of the buffer layer (La oxide or Zr silicate) were improved by the thermal process.     

开闭裂纹转子的建模与弯曲刚度特性研究

利用应变能原理与应力强度理论计算了动坐标系列裂纹转子的局部柔度和弯曲刚度,研究了动坐标系开闭裂纹弯曲刚度变化率随裂纹深度的变化规律,在此基础上,借助坐标转换矩阵推导出惯性坐标系弯曲刚度的表达式,采用Fourier谐波分解法研究了惯性坐标系刚度的变化规律,并利用给出的刚度表达式直接建立了惯性坐标系开闭裂纹转子的动力学模型,得到裂纹转子系统的时变系数非线性振动方程与相应的裂纹参数激励的特性。     

An optical device for measuring bending strain to 5000 microstrain and compatible with optical fiber installations

An optical sensor is described which can be attached to a structure and used as a gage for measuring bending strain. This device can be adjusted to maximize the gage factor for predetermined strain ranges. The sensor consists of glass capillaries coated on the outer surfaces with an optical absorbing layer followed by a reflecting layer. A mechanical strengthening layer can be included to extend the range of strain response. A source laser beam from an optical fiber is injected into one end of the gage. The light remaining in the beam after traveling through the gage is collected via another optical fiber. The optically active layer is adjusted during manufacture to provide a predetermined gage factor. For a given thickness of the absorber layer, the detected light is proportional to the amount of bending. Thus, by rigidly affixing the sensor to a structural member, the strain experienced by the member can be monitored.     

Comparing single-walled carbon nanotubes and samarium oxide as strain sensors for model glass-fibre/epoxy composites

The study of the interfacial stress transfer for glass fibres in polymer composites through the fragmentation test requires certain assumptions, such as a constant interfacial shear stress. In order to map the local interfacial properties of a composite, both Raman spectroscopy and luminescence spectroscopy have been independently used. Unlike other polymer fibre composites, the local strain state of a glass fibre cannot be obtained using Raman spectroscopy, since only very broad and weak peaks are obtainable. This study shows that when single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are added to the silane sizing as a strain sensor, it becomes possible to map the local fibre strain in glass fibres using Raman spectroscopy. Moreover, if this model glass fibre contains a small amount of Sm₂O₃, as one of the components, luminescence spectroscopy can be simultaneously used to confirm this local fibre strain. A combined micromechanical properties study of stress transfer at the fibre–matrix interface using luminescence spectroscopy, together with Raman spectroscopy, is therefore reported. The local strain behaviour of both Sm³⁺ doped glass and SWNTs in the silane coating are shown to be consistent with a shear-lag model. This indicates that Sm³⁺ dopants and SWNTs are excellent sensors for the local deformation of glass fibre composites.     

Bent Polytypic ZnSe and CdSe Nanowires Probed by Photoluminescence

Nanowires (NWs) have witnessed tremendous development over the past two decades owing to their varying potential applications. Semiconductor NWs often contain stacking faults due to the presence of coexisting phases, which frequently hampers their use. Herein, it is investigated how stacking faults affect the optical properties of bent ZnSe and CdSe NWs, which are synthesized using the vapor transport method. Polytypic zinc blende–wurtzite structures are produced for both these NWs by altering the growth conditions. The NWs are bent by the mechanical buckling of poly(dimethylsilioxane), and micro‐photoluminescence (PL) spectra were then collected for individual NWs with various bending strains (0–2%). The PL measurements show peak broadening and red shifts of the near‐band‐edge emission as the bending strain increases, indicating that the bandgap decreases with increasing the bending strain. Remarkably, the bandgap decrease is more significant for the polytypic NWs than for the single phase NWs. This work provides insights into flexible electronic devices of 1D nanostructures by engineering the polytypic structures.     

Growth and characterization of indium phosphide nanowires on transparent conductive ZnO:Al films

The epitaxial growth of indium phosphide nanowires (InP NWs) on transparent conductive aluminum-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Al) thin films is proposed and demonstrated. ZnO:Al thin films were prepared on quartz substrates by radio frequency magnetron sputtering, then InP NWs were grown on them by plasma enhanced metal organic chemical vapor deposition with gold catalyst. Microstructure and optical properties of InP nanowires on ZnO:Al thin films were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectric spectroscopy (XPS), photoluminescence and Raman spectroscopy at room temperature. SEM shows that randomly oriented and intersecting InP nanowires were grown to form a network on ZnO:Al thin films. Both wurtzite (WZ) and zincblende (ZB) structures coexist in the random orientation InP NWs on ZnO:Al thin film had been proved by XRD analysis. XPS result indicates Zn diffusion exists in the InP NWs on ZnO:Al. The photoluminescence spectra of InP nanowires with Zn diffusion present an emission at 915 nm. Zn diffusion also bring effect on Raman spectra of InP NWs, leading to more Raman-shift and larger relative intensity ratio of TO/LO.     

High performance photonic microwave frequency down-conversion using a dual-drive dual-parallel Mach-Zehnder modulator

Photonic microwave frequency down-conversion based on carrier suppression single sideband (CS-SSB) modulation via an integrated dual-drive dual-parallel Mach-Zehnder modulator (DP-MZM) is proposed. The MZM on the up path of the DP-MZM is used to generate SSB modulation signal, while the MZM on the bottom path of the DP-MZM is unmodulated. By adjusting the amplitude and phase of the unmodulated optical carrier, two optical carriers are cancelled out, which improves the performance of the system with reduced local oscillator (LO) power and large suppression of mixing spurious sidebands. The frequency down-conversion approach is theoretically analyzed and verified by simulation. Simulation results show that the power of frequency down-conversion signal is at least 39?dB higher than that of the mixing spurious sidebands. Besides, 9.5?dB gain, 2.8?dB noise figure (NF) and 1.9?dB spurious-free dynamic range (SFDR) improvements can be obtained compared with the previous OCS modulation frequency down-conversion scheme while the required LO power is 10?dB, 5?dB and 5?dB lower than that of the OCS modulation scheme, respectively.