Bragg Reflection Research Articles

Structural and Magnetic Behavior of MFe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> Nanopowders for Water Treatment

This study describes the sol-gel method's synthesis of ferrites [MFe2O4, M(II) = Co, Cu, Mg, Ni, and Zn]. The structure was studied by X-ray diffraction analysis. The surface morphology was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the magnetic properties were studied using Mössbauer spectroscopy. The diffraction peaks at 30.1◦, 35.6◦, 43.2◦, 53.6◦, 57◦, and 62.6◦ can be attributed to Bragg reflections (2 2 0), (3 1 1), (4 0 0), (4 2 2), (5 1 1), and (4 4 0) planes confirm the formation of a cubic spinel structure of ferrite nanocrystals. The average size of magnesium ferrite crystallites calculated from the half-width of the most intense peak (3 1 1) was 25.96 ± 4.32 nm. Magnesium ferrite is a magnetically soft ferromagnetic powder with a predominance of the magnetite phase and relatively high magnetisation values. The magnitude of the hyperfine magnetic field for the studied nanoparticles is in the range of 440-490 kOe, which confirms the hypothesis that the analysed samples are particles of an iron-containing oxide with a disordered structure.

Green synthesis of aluminium-substituted calcium hexaferrite nanoparticles for high-frequency applications

As the first of their kind, Al3＋-substituted calcium hexaferrite (CaAlxFe12−xO19 (x=0, 1, 3, 5 and 7)) nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized via a facile, economical, eco-friendly lemon juice extract-mediated green solution combustion method. The samples were calcined, followed by characterization. The Bragg reflections confirm the formation of a single-phase magnetoplumbite (M)-type hexaferrite crystal structure. No other impurity or mixed phases are observed even after the substitution of Al3＋ in the host matrix. The crystallite size decreases from 17 to 11 nm with an increase in the substitution of Al3＋ ions. Surface morphological analysis shows the presence of agglomerated irregularly shaped NPs. The direct band gap estimated with Wood and Tauc’s relation decreases from 4.22 to 3.76 eV with an increase in the substitution of Al3＋ ions. These Al3＋-substituted calcium hexaferrite NPs are predicted to be useful in high-frequency applications based on structural, dielectric, and magnetic studies.

Multilayer dielectric reflector using low-index nanolattices.

Dielectric mirrors based on Bragg reflection and photonic crystals have broad application in controlling light reflection with low optical losses. One key parameter in the design of these optical multilayers is the refractive index contrast, which controls the reflector performance. This work reports the demonstration of a high-reflectivity multilayer photonic reflector that consists of alternating layers of TiO2 films and nanolattices with low refractive index. The use of nanolattices enables high-index contrast between the high- and low-index layers, allowing high reflectivity with fewer layers. The broadband reflectance of the nanolattice reflectors with one to three layers has been characterized with peak reflectance of 91.9% at 527 nm and agrees well with theoretical optical models. The high-index contrast induced by the nanolattice layer enables a normalize reflectance band of Δλ/λo of 43.6%, the broadest demonstrated to date. The proposed nanolattice reflectors can find applications in nanophotonics, radiative cooling, and thermal insulation.

The intrinsic twinning and enigmatic twisting of aragonite crystals

It is generally accepted that aragonite crystals of biogenic origin are characterized by significantly higher twin densities compared to samples formed during geological processes. Based on our single crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) study of aragonite crystals from various localities, we show that in geological aragonites, the twin densities are comparable to those of the samples from crossed lamellar zones of molluscs shells. The high twin density is consistent with performed calculations, according to which the Gibbs free energy of twin-free aragonite is close to that of periodically twinned aragonite structure. In some cases, high twin densities result in the appearance of diffuse scattering in SCXRD patterns. The obtained TEM and optical micrographs show that besides the twin boundaries (TBs) of growth origin, there are also TBs and especially stacking faults that were likely formed as the result of local strain compensation. SCXRD patterns of the samples from Tazouta, in addition to diffuse scattering lines, show Debye arcs in the [Formula: see text] plane. These Debye arcs are present only on one side of the Bragg reflections and have an azimuthal extent of nearly 30°, making the whole symmetry of the diffraction pattern distinctly chiral, which has not yet been reported for aragonite. By analogy with biogenic calcite crystals, we associate these arcs with the presence of misoriented subgrains formed as a result of crystal twisting during growth.

3D atomic structure from a single X-ray free electron laser pulse

X-ray Free Electron Lasers (XFEL) are cutting-edge pulsed x-ray sources, whose extraordinary pulse parameters promise to unlock unique applications. Several new methods have been developed at XFELs; however, no methods are known, which allow ab initio atomic level structure determination using only a single XFEL pulse. Here, we present experimental results, demonstrating the determination of the 3D atomic structure from data obtained during a single 25 fs XFEL pulse. Parallel measurement of hundreds of Bragg reflections was done by collecting Kossel line patterns of GaAs and GaP. To the best of our knowledge with these measurements, we reached the ultimate temporal limit of the x-ray structure solution possible today. These measurements open the way for obtaining crystalline structures during non-repeatable fast processes, such as structural transformations. For example, the atomic structure of matter at extremely non-ambient conditions or transient structures formed in irreversible physical, chemical, or biological processes may be captured in a single shot measurement during the transformation. It would also facilitate time resolved pump-probe structural studies making them significantly shorter than traditional serial crystallography.

Modelling dynamical 3D electron diffraction intensities. I. A scattering cluster algorithm.

Three-dimensional electron diffraction (3D-ED) is a powerful technique for crystallographic characterization of nanometre-sized crystals that are too small for X-ray diffraction. For accurate crystal structure refinement, however, it is important that the Bragg diffracted intensities are treated dynamically. Bloch wave simulations are often used in 3D-ED, but can be computationally expensive for large unit cell crystals due to the large number of diffracted beams. Proposed here is an alternative method, the `scattering cluster algorithm' (SCA), that replaces the eigen-decomposition operation in Bloch waves with a simpler matrix multiplication. The underlying principle of SCA is that the intensity of a given Bragg reflection is largely determined by intensity transfer (i.e. `scattering') from a cluster of neighbouring diffracted beams. However, the penalty for using matrix multiplication is that the sample must be divided into a series of thin slices and the diffracted beams calculated iteratively, similar to the multislice approach. Therefore, SCA is more suitable for thin specimens. The accuracy and speed of SCA are demonstrated on tri-isopropyl silane (TIPS) pentacene and rubrene, two exemplar organic materials with large unit cells.

Modelling dynamical 3D electron diffraction intensities. II. The role of inelastic scattering.

The strong interaction of high-energy electrons with a crystal results in both dynamical elastic scattering and inelastic events, particularly phonon and plasmon excitation, which have relatively large cross sections. For accurate crystal structure refinement it is therefore important to uncover the impact of inelastic scattering on the Bragg beam intensities. Here a combined Bloch wave-Monte Carlo method is used to simulate phonon and plasmon scattering in crystals. The simulated thermal and plasmon diffuse scattering are consistent with experimental results. The simulations also confirm the empirical observation of a weaker unscattered beam intensity with increasing energy loss in the low-loss regime, while the Bragg-diffracted beam intensities do not change significantly. The beam intensities include the diffuse scattered background and have been normalized to adjust for the inelastic scattering cross section. It is speculated that the random azimuthal scattering angle during inelastic events transfers part of the unscattered beam intensity to the inner Bragg reflections. Inelastic scattering should not significantly influence crystal structure refinement, provided there are no artefacts from any background subtraction, since the relative intensity of the diffracted beams (which includes the diffuse scattering) remains approximately constant in the low energy loss regime.

Deep blue emission and latent finger print detection analysis of zinc gallate nanoparticles

For the first time, Zinc Gallium Oxide is synthesized using LeucasAspera leaves extract as a reducing agent followed by the calcination at 500∘C. The structural, morphological, and optical properties are discussed. The Bragg reflections confirm that ZGO gets crystallized in pure cubic form. The surface morphology consists of agglomerated NPs. The direct energy band gap was found to be 3.1 eV. The photoluminescence analysis excited under 233 nm, and CIE values fall in the blue region of visible spectra. The CCT value was found to be 2748 K which might find an application as a nanophosphor in warm light-emitting diodes. Further, the powder dusting method was employed to collect the latent fingerprints (LFPs) on the pores and non-pores surfaces under UV as well as in day light. The synthesized ZGO exhibits well-resolved ridge patterns that can be used to identify LFPs with clarity. From all these results, the present synthesized ZGO NPs might find an application in display technology as a blue nanophosphor material and for LFP detection in crime investigation.

Progress towards blue emitting MgO-ZnO-Ga2O3 nanocomposites synthesized by bio mediated route

MgO-ZnO-Ga2O3 nanocomposites are synthesized by solution combustion method using Aloe Vera gel as a reducing agent to increase the efficiency of blue emission. The appearance of Bragg reflections corresponding to MgO, ZnO and Ga2O3 clearly indicates the formation of nanocomposites. The surface morphology consists irregular shape and sized NPs. The Energy dispersive X-ray analysis confirms the purity of the sample. The band energy gap was tuned to 3.1 eV. The Photoluminescence excitation and emission spectra was discussed and compared it with emission spectra of individual oxides as well as with other reported blue emitted nanophosphors. Further, the chromaticity coordinates and Color correlated temperature coordinates clearly confirms their warm blue emission. Further, the powder dusting method was employed to collect the latent fingerprints on the pores and non-pores surfaces. The synthesized MgO-ZnO-Ga2O3 nanocomposites exhibits well-resolved ridge patterns that can be used to identify latent finger prints with clarity. From all these results, the present synthesized MgO-ZnO-Ga2O3 nanocomposite might find an application in display technology as a blue nanophosphor material and for latent finger print detection in crime investigation.

Multiple data streams over a single optical path

Quantum well (QW) diodes have the capability to function as a light-emitting diode or a photodiode and inherently feature a partial emission-detection spectral overlap. Therefore, QW diode can sense light emission from another diode sharing the same QW active region. In association with distributed Bragg reflection (DBR) technique, we here present a wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) visible light communication (VLC) over a single channel by using vertical assembly of red, green, and blue (RGB) QW diodes. The identical QW diodes separately functioning as a transmitter and a receiver establish a wireless communications link. The DBRs enable the transmission of longer-wavelength photons or the reflection of shorter-wavelength photons, creating an optical bandpass filter in conjunction with emission-detection spectral overlap, effectively boosting the capacity of an initially single communication channel. Both the transmitter and the receiver can be switched freely by software, forming time-division multiplexing (TDM) wireless light communication system using single optical path. We unite TDM and WDM together to demonstrate real-time TDM multichannel bidirectional communication using the vertical integration of RGB QW diodes, offering the great potential to establish TDM-WDM VLC.

Bragg scattering by an irregular versatile seabed in the presence of current

The Bragg scattering due to an undulated elastic bottom in the presence of a uniform current is discussed in the present paper. The conditions of Bragg resonance are derived analytically and discussed numerically for various values of physical parameters. The mathematical techniques used for discussing the analysis are the perturbation and Fourier transform methods. It is seen that the amplitude of the Bragg reflection increases with the increase in the flexibility factor in the versatile floor of the sea, and there is a significant impact of the current speed on Bragg reflection and transmission coefficients. The maximum value of the amplitude of Bragg reflection is observed to decrease as the Froude number increases. Again, it is seen that the transmitted energy produced in the presence of uniform current does not fluctuate considerably when the nature of an elastic bottom gets closer to that of a stiff floor. The blocking resonance in the presence of current and elastic bottom is analyzed by neglecting the small bottom undulation. A significant effect of blocking resonance on Bragg reflection and transmission is observed.

Integrated polarization-free Bragg filters with subwavelength gratings for photonic sensing.

We present polarization-free Bragg filters having subwavelength gratings (SWGs) in the lateral cladding region. This Bragg design expands modal fields toward upper cladding, resulting in enhanced light interaction with sensing analytes. Two device configurations are proposed and examined, one with index-matched coupling between transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) modes and the other one with hybrid-mode (HM) coupling. Both configurations introduce a strong coupling between two orthogonal modes (either TE-TM or HM1-HM2) and rotate the polarization of the input wave through Bragg reflection. The arrangements of SWGs help to achieve two configurations with different orthogonal modes, while expanding modal profiles toward the upper cladding region. Our proposed SWG-assisted Bragg gratings with polarization independency eliminate the need for a polarization controller and effectively tailor the modal properties, enhancing the potential of integrated photonic sensing applications.

Birefringence in Injection-Molded Cyclic Olefin Copolymer Substrates and Its Impact on Integrated Photonic Structures.

This contribution quantifies the birefringence within injection-molded cyclic olefin copolymer plates and discusses its impact on the mechanical properties of the plates. It also focuses on the impact of birefringence on integrated waveguides and Bragg gratings and provides fabrication guidelines for such structures. The anisotropy in all three dimensions of the workpiece is examined by means of polarimetry and a prism coupler. It is found that the birefringence is inhomogenously distributed within the workpieces, whereas the maximum birefringence not only varies locally, but also depends on the observation direction. Overall, a maximum birefringence of 10 × 10-4 is found at the plate's surface near the injection gate. The anisotropy then reduces exponentially towards the center of the workpiece and saturates at 1.8 × 10-4, in a depth of 0.4 mm. Thus, the birefringence strongly affects near-surface photonic structures. It is found that, depending on their orientation and the local birefringence of the substrate, waveguides and Bragg gratings fabricated with comparable parameters behave completely differently in terms of polarization-dependent optical attenuation, cross-sectional intensity distribution and Bragg reflection signal. For example, the support of the TM mode can vary between total loss and an optical attenuation of 0.9 dB × cm-1. In consequence, this study underlines the importance of quantifying the birefringent state of an injection-molded cyclic olefin copolymer workpiece if it is supposed to serve as a substrate for integrated photonic structures. The study furthermore demonstrates that birefringence effects can be omitted by burying the photonic structures deeper into the volume of the thermoplastic.

Polarization Based Out-Coupling for Cavity Based X-ray FELs

Cavity Based X-ray Free-Electron Lasers (CBXFELs) promise fully 3D coherent, very brilliant and shot-to-shot stable X-ray pulses. For CBXFELs the X-ray radiation is trapped in an X-ray optical cavity, which is formed using Bragg-reflecting crystal mirrors. As is the case for laser systems in the optical regime, a major question for the CBXFELs is how to couple out the radiation from the cavity. Possibilities range from employing semi-transparent thin crystals, over manipulation of the electron phase space density to cavity dumping schemes. In this work, making use of the strong polarization of Bragg reflection shall be studied for out-coupling. As the radiation does not change its polarization during Bragg reflection, reflection in the direction of the polarization vector is suppressed. By adjusting the 3D orientation of the crystals with respect to the polarization axis of a linearly polarized undulator, or vice versa, the transmission through the crystals can be tailored to some degree independently of the crystal thickness.

Refining short-range order parameters from the three-dimensional diffuse scattering in single-crystal electron diffraction data.

Our study compares short-range order parameters refined from the diffuse scattering in single-crystal X-ray and single-crystal electron diffraction data. Nb0.84CoSb was chosen as a reference material. The correlations between neighbouring vacancies and the displacements of Sb and Co atoms were refined from the diffuse scattering using a Monte Carlo refinement in DISCUS. The difference between the Sb and Co displacements refined from the diffuse scattering and the Sb and Co displacements refined from the Bragg reflections in single-crystal X-ray diffraction data is 0.012 (7) Å for the refinement on diffuse scattering in single-crystal X-ray diffraction data and 0.03 (2) Å for the refinement on the diffuse scattering in single-crystal electron diffraction data. As electron diffraction requires much smaller crystals than X-ray diffraction, this opens up the possibility of refining short-range order parameters in many technologically relevant materials for which no crystals large enough for single-crystal X-ray diffraction are available.

Handedness inversion of the Bragg reflection light of cholesteric liquid crystal polymer network film using a half-wave plate

Colourful cholesteric liquid crystal polymer network (CLCN) film can selectively reflect circularly polarized light whose handedness is consistent with that of the CLCN film. The CLCN patterns have been applied...

Flexural-gravity wave scattering by an array of bottom-standing partial porous barriers in the framework of Bragg resonance and blocking dynamics

Flexural-gravity wave scattering by an array of vertical porous barriers of various configurations is investigated in finite water depth from the viewpoint of blocking dynamics. A scattering matrix is introduced for the velocity potentials using the canonical eigenfunction expansion method developed for a single propagating wave mode to account for the multiple propagating wave modes. Subsequently, appropriate matching conditions are applied at the interface boundaries and edges to solve the physical problem. Apart from multiple barriers of equal length, the efficiency of four different barrier configurations of unequal lengths is investigated. This study shows that out of these four barrier configurations, the convex and increasing order of the barrier arrangements are more effective as wave-dissipating systems than the concave and decreasing order of the barriers. Bragg reflection occurs in the case of two or more barriers for a specific value of porosity and suitable barrier configuration, whose amplitude decreases with an increase in the number of barriers due to the dissipation of wave energy. The presence of three propagating wave modes in the blocking paradigm leads to mode conversion within a certain range of the frequency space. Both the scattering and dissipation coefficients are influenced by the wave energy transfer rates and the amplitudes of incident, reflected, and transmitted wave modes. This investigation exhibits the presence of discontinuities in the scattering coefficients at frequencies where blocking and mode conversion occur. The frequency domain results are used to simulate the plate displacement in the time domain by applying the Fourier transform.

Light‐Wavelength‐Selective Transparent ITO/Ag/ITO/Ag/ITO Structure for Functional Energy Applications

Is it possible to achieve efficient energy control without it being visible? If it could, it would enable human to produce energy in a transparent manner and manage energy usage intelligently by reducing consumption through building and vehicle windows, and other structures. Herein, thin films are created that are highly transparent and can filter light by selecting specific wavelengths. The films consist of multiple layers of ITO/Ag/ITO/Ag/ITO (IAIAI) that are designed to reflect light selectively using the Bragg reflection effect. These films are able to block an average of 89.6% of near‐infrared light in the 800–1400 nm range, while maintaining a high optical transparency of 69.2% (±0.1%) at 550 nm with an excellent sheet resistance value of 1.06 Ω □−1. The IAIAI structure is also used as electrodes for transparent photovoltaic (TPV) devices, allowing for the collection of photogenerated carriers while ensuring overall optical transparency. ZnO/NiO‐based TPV devices using IAIAI films as transparent conducting electrodes are found to have a high open‐circuit voltage value of 271 mV with a short‐circuit current density value of 1.55 mA cm−2. Thus, the multifunctional IAIAI films offer a range of possibilities for transparent energy devices.

Two‐Chromatic Printing Creates Skin‐Inspired Geminate Patterns Featuring Crosstalk‐Free Chemical and Physical Colors

AbstractSkin‐inspired optical materials that combine both chemical and physical colors provide enhanced information capacity for potential applications in optical multiplexing and anti‐counterfeiting technologies. However, the existing materials suffer from the limitations of an extremely narrow gamut and incompatibility with universal patterning methods to program dual‐mode images. Here, novel two‐chromatic printing technology is proposed to create full‐color, high‐resolution, and geminate patterns by newly designed fluorescent liquid crystal nanocomposites. Such nanocomposites consist of porous cholesteric liquid crystal networks embedded with core–shell CdSe/ZnS quantum dots to produce extended wide color palettes of both photoluminescence and Bragg reflection. The drop‐on‐demand two‐chromatic printing technology simultaneously enables the construction and patterning of the nanocomposites in a high‐precision way, orthogonally tuning the hues of two color palettes according to Grassmann's and Bragg's law. Therefore, the combination of different color generation mechanisms offers a versatile toolbox, which can be generalized to pigmentary, photonic, and even dynamic optical materials.

Synthesis and characterization of Ag-doped cerium oxide nanoparticles for electromagnetic radiation shielding.

In the current study, CeO2: Ag (0 and 11 mol) nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized by solution combustion method using Aloevera extract as reducing agent. As-obtained NPs were characterized by standard techniques. Bragg's reflections confirm the formation of a single-phase cubic structure of CeO2:Ag NPs. Crystalline size is calculated using both the W-H plot and Scherrer's equation. Crystallite size found to decrease with increase in the dopant concentration. EDAX pattern confirmed the presence of Ce, O and Ag. Direct energy band calculated using Wood and Tauc's was found to be in the range of 2.9-2.2 eV for 0 and 11 mol, respectively. Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis confirmed the presence of the functional groups. Total shielding efficiency (SET) will give the best representation of EMI shielding properties. SET values calculated for a wide range of wavelengths are found to be as follows: near infrared (1.65 × 102 dB), mid infrared (9.78 × 101 dB) and far infrared (6.32 × 101 dB), followed by microwave region (MW) (6.46 × 101 dB), ultra-high frequency (UHF) (7.31 × 101 dB), very high frequency (VHF) (8.27 × 101 dB), high frequency (HF) (9.26 × 101 dB), medium frequency (MF) (1.02 × 102 dB), low frequency (LW) (1.12 × 102 dB), very low frequency (VLF) (1.22 × 102 dB), ultra-low frequency (ULF) (1.42 × 102 dB) and extremely low frequency (ELF) (1.52 × 102 dB). SET values of CeO2:Ag NPs are compared with other traditional materials and nanocomposites and found to be potential use in EMI shielding applications.