Photoconductivity in p-i-n Quantum Well Optical Modulators

Abstract

We have studied the temperature dependence of the current due to photoexcited carriers in p-i-n single quantum-well optical modulators, in order to ascertain the dominant transport mechanisms involved. A model describing the photocurrent is presented which includes the temperature and field dependence of the thermal emission, the tunnelling, the mobility and the recombination rate. A comparison between the experimental results and the model is also presented, outlining the probable transport processes.     

Origin and Regionality of Wines—the Role of Molecular Spectroscopy

The origin of wine has an important relevance not only in relation to the sustainability of the production systems but also in relation to wine quality, having great impact in terms of the economy of small producer. Terms such as protected geographical status (PGS), protected designation of origin (PDO), protected geographical indication (PGI) and traditional speciality guaranteed (TSG) are been used to characterise wines from different regions and countries. Despite the number of papers and reports published in the literature in relation to issues such as authenticity and discrimination in wine, few reports can be found that explore the use of molecular spectroscopy to specifically target denomination of origin. This report reviews the use of molecular spectroscopy to address such issues within the wine industry.     

Incremental forms of Schapery’s model: convergence and inversion to simulate strain controlled ramps

Schapery’s nonlinear viscoelastic model is written in incremental form, and three different approximations of nonlinearity functions in the time increment are systematically analysed with respect to the convergence rate. It is shown that secant slope is the best approximation of the time shift factor, leading to significantly higher convergence rate. This incremental form of the viscoelastic model, Zapas’ model for viscoplasticity, supplemented with terms accounting for damage effect is used to predict inelastic behaviour of material in stress controlled tests. Then the incremental formulation is inverted to simulate stress development in ramps where strain is the input parameter. A comparison with tests shows good ability of the model in inverted form to predict stress–strain response as long as the applied strain is increasing. However, in strain controlled ramps with unloading, the inverted model shows unrealistic hysteresis loops. This is believed to be a proof of the theoretically known incompatibility of the stress and strain controlled formulations for nonlinear materials. It also shows limitations of material models identified in stress controlled tests for use in strain controlled tests.     

A Base Cruck Aisled Hall at Frobury Farmhouse,Kingsclere, Hampshire

The core of Frobury Farmhouse, Kingsclere, Hampshire, is an aisled base cruck open hall built in c.1334/5d (Bridge and Miles, “Tree-Ring Dates from Oxford” (2015), 107) with a crown-post roof and passing braces in the closed trusses. Above all this is a full set of rafters from a mid-thirteenth-century aisled hall that had passing braces on all the trusses, tree-ring dated to 1263–8d, probably the predecessor to the base cruck hall. The 1334/5d arcade plates have edged halved and bridled scarf joints, the earliest tree-ring-dated example of these so far. These joints also show that all the arcade posts and the base cruck were erected first, before the arcade plates were laid from west to east on the north front arcade posts and from east to west on the rear posts.     

A multi-year composite of GVI data as a clear reflectance database

A method is developed to generate a top of the atmosphere clear reflectance from the Global Vegetation Index (GVI) product. Our goal is to use this dataset as a threshold to be applied to the forthcoming POLDER observations, for operational cloud detection. The method is based on the hypothesis that clouds add a high frequency signal to the slow variations of the surface reflectance in clear conditions. The validity of our algorithm is verified through an analysis of the temporal profile of the reflectance that it generates. We show that these profiles are better than those resulting from the simpler Maximum Value Composite (MVC) method. The method is applied to five years of GVI products and the results are used to derive a reference database which accounts for the interannual variability of the surface reflectance.