Circular beam emission from 1.3 μm InGaAsPstrained-multiquantum-well lasers

The beam divergence in the vertical direction from a graded index separate confinement heterostructure (GRINSCH) multiquantum-well (MQW) laser has been studied. It is demonstrated both theoretically and experimentally that a circular beam MQW laser can be produced by choosing appropriate thicknesses for the GRINSCH layers, while maintaining other desired laser characteristics. The beam divergence is found to be more affected by the index change induced by injected carriers than by strain in the MQW active layer. Theoretical results are in good agreement with the measurements for 1.3-μm InGaAsP strained MQW lasers     

Investigation of iron oxide reduction by TEM

An “environmental cell” located in a high voltage transmission electron microscope has been used to study the reduction of single crystal iron oxides by hydrogen and hydrogen-argon mixtures. The cell enables a direct observation of the solid during reaction, thus permitting the nucleation and growth of solid reaction products to be observed. Hematite was reduced at temperatures in the range 387 to 610°C with gas pressures up to 5.3 kP. Reduction with pure hydrogen was considerably faster than when argon was present. Lath magnetite which rapidly transforms to porous magnetite and thence (more slowly) to porous iron was observed. The reduction of magnetite and of wustite single crystals was observed in the temperature range 300 to 514°C using both hydrogen and hydrogen-argon mixtures at gas pressures up to 6.6 kP. Incubation periods were found for magnetite reduction; during these periods faceted pits formed in the oxide. Iron formed in the early stages was epitaxial with the host magnetite; at later stages the epitaxy was lost and fissures frequently formed in the metal. The morphology of the iron differed between the gas mixtures. Disproportionation accompanied the reduction of wustite, producing intermediate polycrystalline magnetite despite reducing conditions. The disproportionation appeared to be promoted by the reduction reaction. For both oxides, reduction in the hydrogen-argon mixture was slower than in pure hydrogen.     

In Situ Formation of a Novel Nanocomposite Structure Based on MCM-41 and Polyethylene

M41S materials are prepared by in situ assembly of inorganic precursors and organic template and can be viewed as nanocomposites of the siliceous phase and organic surfactant. Calcination of these precursors gives the M41S materials that have been used to prepare novel nanocomposite structures, in which the organic phase inside the nano-sized pores is isolated by the nano-sized inorganic pore walls. The nanocomposite structures can be formed by in situ polymerization of monomers inside the channels. Polymerization of ethylene takes place inside the nano-sized pores, producing the desired nanocomposite structure. The resulting polyethylene was found to be a mixture of crystalline and amorphous phases.