Monochromatic Beam Research Articles

Circular Dichroism in the Photoionization of Unpolarized Atoms by Two Crossing Photon Beams

The polarization dependence of the photoionization probability was analyzed in the case when a randomly oriented atom is irradiated by two crossing polarized monochromatic photon beams with the same frequency. It was found that the angular distributions of photoelectrons exhibit the effect of circular dichroism (CD), which consists of the dependence of the photoionization probability on the sign of the circular polarization degree of each beam. We demonstrate that the CD effect exists only for coherent crossing photon beams. It was shown that CD effects are strongly dependent on the phase difference between the electric field vectors of the photon beams and have a quite large magnitude. The possibilities of the experimental observation of CD effects are discussed.

Copper and Trace Elements in Gallbladder form Patients with Wilson's Disease Imaged and Determined by Synchrotron X-ray Fluorescence.

Investigations about suspected tissue alterations and the role of gallbladder in Wilson’s disease (WD)—an inherited genetic disease with impaired copper metabolism—are rare. Therefore, tissue from patients with genetically characterised WD was investigated by microscopic synchrotron X-ray fluorescence (µSRXRF). For two-dimensional imaging and quantification of elements, X-ray spectra were peak-fitted, and the net peak intensities were normalised to the intensity of the incoming monochromatic beam intensity. Concentrations were calculated by fundamental parameter-based program quant and external standardisation. Copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) along with sulphur (S) and phosphorus (P) mappings could be demonstrated in a near histological resolution. All these elements were increased compared to gallbladder tissue from controls. Cu and Zn and Fe in WD-GB were mostly found to be enhanced in the epithelium. We documented a significant linear relationship with Cu, Zn and sulphur. Concentrations of Cu/Zn were roughly 1:1 while S/Cu was about 100:1, depending on the selected areas for investigation. The significant linear relationship with Cu, Zn and sulphur let us assume that metallothioneins, which are sulphur-rich proteins, are increased too. Our data let us suggest that the WD gallbladder is the first in the gastrointestinal tract to reabsorb metals to prevent oxidative damage caused by metal toxicity.

Monochromatic optical beam propagation of paraxial dynamical model in Kerr media

In this study, the monochromatic beam propagation interprets non-scattering and non-dissipation spatiotemporally localized wave parcels proliferated in the announcement of optical Kerr. By using the mathematical techniques some elliptic, rational, and soliton solutions of dimension-less (time-dependent) paraxial wave structure are established. The Sardar subequation method (SSM) and mathematica 11.0 are used to find the exact solution of the paraxial wave equation. The solutions which we will be obtained explain some key implementations in engineering and physics. Some graphical representation has been explained in modulus, real and imaginary graph by considering relevant values of the framework. The solidity of this work explains that the soliton solutions are secure and perfect.

Time-Resolved Neutron Bragg-Edge Imaging: A Case Study by Observing Martensitic Phase Formation in Low Temperature Transformation (LTT) Steel during GTAW

Polychromatic and wavelength-selective neutron transmission radiography were applied during bead-on-plate welding on 5 mm thick sheets on the face side of martensitic low transformation temperature (LTT) steel plates using gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW). The in situ visualization of austenitization upon welding and subsequent α’-martensite formation during cooling could be achieved with a temporal resolution of 2 s for monochromatic imaging using a single neutron wavelength and of 0.5 s for polychromatic imaging using the full spectrum of the beam (white beam). The spatial resolution achieved in the experiments was approximately 200 µm. The transmitted monochromatic neutron beam intensity at a wavelength of λ = 0.395 nm was significantly reduced during cooling below the martensitic start temperature Ms since the emerging martensitic phase has a ~10% higher attenuation coefficient than the austenitic phase. Neutron imaging was significantly influenced by coherent neutron scattering caused by the thermal motion of the crystal lattice (Debye–Waller factor), resulting in a reduction in the neutron transmission by approx. 15% for monochromatic and by approx. 4% for polychromatic imaging.

Coherence in macroscopic high harmonic generation for spatial focal phase distributions of monochromatic and broadband Gaussian laser pulses

Efficient application of ultrafast laser sources from high harmonic generation requires an understanding of how the spectrum can be controlled - the extent of the highest harmonics and the strength and cleanness of the harmonic lines. We study one important aspect in the coherent build-up of macroscopic high-order harmonic generation, namely the impact of different phase distributions in the focal area on the features of the generated radiation. Specifically, we compare the high harmonic signals for the commonly-used Gouy distribution of a monochromatic beam with those for the phase distribution of a short broadband Gaussian pulse. To this end, we apply a theoretical model in which the microscopic yields are obtained via interpolation of results of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation, which are then used in an individual-emitter approach to determine the macroscopic signals. Regions of poor and good coherent build-up as a function of the position of the gas jet are identified using measures for the strength of the harmonic lines and for the impact of off-harmonic radiation. While the largest extent of the spectra as well as the strongest contribution of off-harmonic radiation is found for positioning the gas jet after the focus for both distributions, the relative strength of the harmonics is overall weaker for the short Gaussian pulse distribution and the spectra differ for a gas jet positioned at the focus. These differences are mainly caused by the additional dependence of the focal phase in the transverse direction for the short Gaussian pulse distribution.

Increasing the scope and precision of the steady-state photocarrier grating technique by measuring the photocurrents at several voltages

The steady-state photocarrier grating (SSPG) experiment is a popular technique for extracting the minority carrier diffusion length of photoconductive thin films in coplanar configuration. The diffusion length is basically obtained from the measurement of the steady-state photocurrent produced by a low applied voltage while the material is illuminated by two monochromatic laser beams of different intensities that interfere between the electrical contacts of the sample. Despite its simplicity and popularity, it is well known that the technique can overestimate the minority carrier diffusion length in some samples. In this paper, we show that the precision of the technique can be substantially increased by performing the same experiment at different voltages. Additionally, we show how to estimate fundamental material parameters from the experiment, such as the density of states at the majority carrier quasi-Fermi energy and the ratio between the recombination states’ capture coefficient and mobility of majority carriers. First, we show that the procedures found in the literature for correcting the overestimation produced by the standard technique do not work properly due to an oversimplification in the modeling. Then, we use a numerical simulation of an unintentionally-doped hydrogenated-amorphous-silicon-like material to evaluate the precision of the new formulas and procedures presented. We clarify the conditions under which the standard SSPG technique produces large overestimations. In these cases, we show that the precision of the new procedure can be more than ten times higher. Finally, we use the standard and the new method to characterize a hydrogenated amorphous (a-Si:H) and a hydrogenated polymorphous (pm-Si:H) silicon sample at different temperatures. We observe that the overestimations produced by the standard technique increase with the ratio between the majority and minority carrier diffusion lengths and the ratio between the recombination states’ capture coefficient and mobility of majority carriers.

Beamline K11 DIAD: a new instrument for dual imaging and diffraction at Diamond Light Source.

The Dual Imaging and Diffraction (DIAD) beamline at Diamond Light Source is a new dual-beam instrument for full-field imaging/tomography and powder diffraction. This instrument provides the user community with the capability to dynamically image 2D and 3D complex structures and perform phase identification and/or strain mapping using micro-diffraction. The aim is to enable in situ and in operando experiments that require spatially correlated results from both techniques, by providing measurements from the same specimen location quasi-simultaneously. Using an unusual optical layout, DIAD has two independent beams originating from one source that operate in the medium energy range (7-38 keV) and are combined at one sample position. Here, either radiography or tomography can be performed using monochromatic or pink beam, with a 1.4 mm × 1.2 mm field of view and a feature resolution of 1.2 µm. Micro-diffraction is possible with a variable beam size between 13 µm × 4 µm and 50 µm × 50 µm. One key functionality of the beamline is image-guided diffraction, a setup in which the micro-diffraction beam can be scanned over the complete area of the imaging field-of-view. This moving beam setup enables the collection of location-specific information about the phase composition and/or strains at any given position within the image/tomography field of view. The dual beam design allows fast switching between imaging and diffraction mode without the need of complicated and time-consuming mode switches. Real-time selection of areas of interest for diffraction measurements as well as the simultaneous collection of both imaging and diffraction data of (irreversible) insitu and in operando experiments are possible.

Microstructure Analysis of GaN Epitaxial Layers During Ion Implantation Using Synchrotron X-Ray Topography

Power electronic devices based on wide band-gap semiconductor materials such as GaN and SiC are rapidly being developed to replace traditional silicon-based devices whose performance has nearly reached their material limits. In the fabrication of GaN vertical power devices, selective area doping (SAD) processes are essential [1]. Several SAD techniques have been developed, including ion implantation [2], etching and regrowth method [3, 4], diffusion doping and neutron transmutation [5]. However, the influences of these procedures on the microstructures of GaN epitaxial layers is one of the key factors to determine the performance of the devices.In this study, ion-implanted GaN epitaxial layers from different stages including ammonothermal grown substrate material, metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) epitaxial growth, ion implantation and subsequent annealing was characterized by synchrotron monochromatic beam X-ray topography (SMBXT) [6], synchrotron X-ray rocking curve topography (SXRCT) [7], and high-resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD). The change of distribution of threading dislocations (TDs) is characterized. The comparison of lattice strain of the material from each processing stage is conducted by both HRXRD and SXRCT.Enlarged contrast of screw and edge types of threading dislocations (TDs) on X-ray topographs after homoepitaxial growth is observed and likely due to interaction with point defects. X-ray topographs reveal ion implantation does not change the distribution of dislocations in the wafer. Strain and tilt maps derived from X-ray rocking curve topographs also show that annealing leads to an improvement in lattice bending levels. These results will be discussed with their implications for further processing into devices.

A simple method for mitigating error in the fixed-offset of a double-crystal monochromator.

In order to maintain a constant monochromatic synchrotron X-ray beam height for all energies, the separation between the crystals of a double-crystal monochromator is typically adjusted, via translation of the second crystal, while X-ray energy is varied, via rotation of the crystal pair. The ability to accurately translate the second crystal requires precise knowledge of the separation between the two crystals and, when present, crystal miscuts. Here, a simple method for calibrating the crystal gap from measured variation in the X-ray beam height that eliminates error in the fixed beam offset is provided.

Imaging Ultrafast Dynamical Diffraction Wave Fronts in Strained Si with Coherent X Rays.

Dynamical diffraction effects in thin single crystals produce highly monochromatic parallel x-ray beams with a mutual separation of a few microns and a time delay of a few femtoseconds-the so-called echoes. This ultrafast diffraction effect is used at X-Ray Free Electron Lasers in self-seeding schemes to improve beam monochromaticity. Here, we present a coherent x-ray imaging measurement of echoes from Si crystals and demonstrate that a small surface strain can be used to tune their temporal delay. These results represent a first step toward the ambitious goal of strain tailoring new x-ray optics and, conversely, open up the possibility of using ultrafast dynamical diffraction effects to study strain in materials.

Microstructure Analysis of GaN Epitaxial Layers During Ion Implantation Using Synchrotron X-Ray Topography

A study on characterization of microstructures in ammonothermal grown GaN wafers at different stages of device fabrication is conducted using synchrotron monochromatic beam X-ray topography (SMBXT), synchrotron X-ray rocking curve topography (SXRCT) as well as high resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD). Synchrotron monochromatic beam X-ray topographs reveal the various dislocation types and their distribution in the GaN wafer at different processing stages remains the same except that the contrast of threading dislocations is enlarged or darkened. HRXRD spectra of the ion implanted wafer reveals satellite peak and fringes from lattice damage. Rocking Curve Analysis by Dynamical Simulation (RADS) that fits the spectra gives a depth profile of strain correlated well to the designed implantation profile. This damage is completely healed after annealing process at 1225 ℃. Strain and tilt maps generated from SXRCT show an improvement in lattice bending level during annealing.

Structured illumination microscopy with partially coherent illumination for phase and fluorescent imaging.

This study presents a partially coherent illumination based (PCI-based) SIM apparatus for dual-modality (phase and fluorescent) microscopic imaging. The partially coherent illumination (PCI) is generated by placing a rotating diffuser on a monochromatic laser beam, which suppresses speckle noise in the dual-modality images and endows the apparatus with sound sectioning capability. With this system, label-free quantitative phase and super-resolved/sectioned fluorescent images can be obtained for the same sample. We have demonstrated the superiority of the system in phase imaging of transparent cells with high endogenous contrast and in a quantitative manner. In the meantime, we have also demonstrated fluorescent imaging of fluorescent beads, rat tail crosscut, wheat anther, and hibiscus pollen with super-resolution and optical sectioning. We envisage that the proposed method can be applied to many fields, including but not limited to biomedical, industrial, chemistry fields.

Intrinsic spatial chirp of subcycle terahertz pulsed beams

We present an analysis of spatial chirp in subcycle pulsed beams corroborated by spatiotemporal electro-optic sampling measurements of terahertz radiation. Modeling the subcycle pulsed beam as a superposition of monochromatic Gaussian beams, free-space propagation is shown to directly lead to lateral spatial chirp with the spectrum on-axis substantially bluer than the overall energy spectrum. The two-transverse $+$ one-temporal dimensional profile of terahertz subcycle pulsed beams from organic crystals DSTMS and OH1 are measured and compared with observed spatiospectral correlations consistent with the model.

Polychromatic electric field knots

The polarization of a monochromatic optical beam lies in a plane, and in general, is described by an ellipse, known as the polarization ellipse. The polarization ellipse in the tight focusing (non-paraxial) regime forms non-trivial three-dimensional topologies, such as M\"obius and ribbon strips, as well as knots. The latter is formed when the dynamics of specific polarization states, e.g., circular polarization states, are studied upon propagation. However, there is an alternative method to generate optical knots: the electric field's tip can be made to evolve along a knot trajectory in time locally. We propose an intuitive technique to generate and engineer the path traced by the electric field vector of polychromatic beams to form different knots. In particular, we show examples of how tightly focused beams with at least three frequency components and different spatial modes can cause the tip of the electric field vector to follow, locally, a knotted trajectory. Furthermore, we characterize the generated knots and explore different knot densities upon free-space propagation in the focal volume. Our study may provide insight for designing current densities when structured polychromatic electromagnetic fields interact with materials.

Mitigating parametric instabilities in plasmas by sunlight-like lasers

Sunlight-like lasers that have a continuous broad frequency spectrum, random phase spectrum, and random polarization are formulated theoretically. With a sunlight-like laser beam consisting of a sequence of temporal speckles, the resonant three-wave coupling that underlies parametric instabilities in laser–plasma interactions can be greatly degraded owing to the limited duration of each speckle and the frequency shift between two adjacent speckles. The wave coupling can be further weakened by the random polarization of such beams. Numerical simulations demonstrate that the intensity threshold of stimulated Raman scattering in homogeneous plasmas can be doubled by using a sunlight-like laser beam with a relative bandwidth of ∼1% as compared with a monochromatic laser beam. Consequently, the hot-electron generation harmful to inertial confinement fusion can be effectively controlled by using sunlight-like laser drivers. Such drivers may be realized in the next generation of broadband lasers by combining two or more broadband beams with independent phase spectra or by applying polarization smoothing to a single broadband beam.

Magnetic field and Fermi energy modulated quantized Imbert–Fedorov shifts in graphene

We theoretically investigate the spatial Imbert–Fedorov (SIF) shifts of a light beam reflected from a graphene–substrate system in the presence of an externally applied magnetic field. We impinge a monochromatic light beam of finite width on the surface of a graphene–substrate system and investigate the reflection and transmission coefficients of the beam. We find that the Fermi energy modulated quantized transverse shifts can be achieved in the graphene–substrate system for incident angles in the vicinity of the Brewster angle and frequencies in the terahertz regime. In the case of partial reflection of the light beam, IF shifts acquire moderate magnitudes, while for the case of total internal reflection in the quantum Hall regime, our results show giant negative and positive SIF shifts. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the Brewster angle changes with changing magnetic field and Fermi energy. Our findings are important from the point of view of tuning the IF shifts with magnetic field and Fermi energy conveniently and effectively, which is required to develop new tunable photonic devices in the terahertz regime.

Multi-degree-of-freedom beam rotation based on multi-beam vector superposition

A method for the generation of tunable multi-degree-of-freedom rotations of vector beams on demand along a propagation direction is theoretically proposed. This generation can be achieved by a suitable vector superposition of three monochromatic non-coplanar beams, including a plane wave with elliptical polarization and two Bessel–Hermite–Gauss (BHG) beams with orthogonal polarization, the parameters of which were systematically chosen to obtain the different longitudinal characteristics of the field, i.e., the state of polarization (SoP), phase, and intensity. On one hand, both the incidence angles of the two BHG beams and the additional phase of the plane wave affect the rotation of the beam intensity and phase, but the incidence angle does not affect the rotation of the SoP. Moreover, the additional phase can lead to a change of the rotation angle of the SoP. On the other hand, the weight coefficients of the two BHG beams periodically change the beam intensity distribution along the propagation direction. Interestingly, the beam is non-diffracting, which means that energy is only exchanged internally and is conserved as a whole. This approach may find applications in dynamic multi-beam optical tweezers, atom guiding, materials processing, microscopy, and optical communications.

Statistical Properties of Color Matching Functions.

In trichromats, color vision entails the projection of an infinite-dimensional space (the one containing all possible electromagnetic power spectra) onto the three-dimensional space that modulates the activity of the three types of cones. This drastic reduction in dimensionality gives rise to metamerism, that is, the perceptual chromatic equivalence between two different light spectra. The classes of equivalence of metamerism are revealed by color-matching experiments in which observers adjust the intensity of three monochromatic light beams of three preset wavelengths (the primaries) to produce a mixture that is perceptually equal to a given monochromatic target stimulus. Here we use the linear relation between the color matching functions and the absorption probabilities of each type of cone to find particularly useful triplets of primaries. As a second goal, we also derive an analytical description of the trial-to-trial variability and the correlations of color matching functions stemming from Poissonian noise in photon capture. We analyze how the statistical properties of the responses to color-matching experiments vary with the retinal composition and the wavelengths of peak absorption probability, and compare them with experimental data on subject-to-subject variability obtained previously.

Beam and sample movement compensation for robust spectro-microscopy measurements on a hard X-ray nanoprobe.

Static and in situ nanoscale spectro-microscopy is now routinely performed on the Hard X-ray Nanoprobe beamline at Diamond and the solutions implemented to provide robust energy scanning and experimental operation are described. A software-based scheme for active feedback stabilization of X-ray beam position and monochromatic beam flux across the operating energy range of the beamline is reported, consisting of two linked feedback loops using extremum seeking and position control. Multimodal registration methods have been implemented for active compensation of drift during an experiment to compensate for sample movement during in situ experiments or from beam-induced effects.

Positronium laser cooling in a magnetic field

We study realistic 3D laser cooling of positronium (Ps) in the presence of a magnetic field. Triplet and singlet states mixing due to the magnetic field, and dynamical Stark effect, generally produce higher annihilation rates than in the zero-field case. 3D cooling is efficient only at very low field $B\ensuremath{\lesssim}50\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{mT}$ and at high field values $B⪆0.7\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{T}$. Near $100\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{ns}$ long laser pulses, spectrally broad enough to cover most of the Ps Doppler profile and with energy in the $\mathrm{mJ}$ range, are required to cool Ps. Simulations based on full diagonalization of the Stark and Zeeman Hamiltonian and a kinetic Monte Carlo algorithm exactly solving the rate equations indicate that an efficient cooling (typically from $300\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$ down to below $50\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$) is possible even in a magnetic field. We also propose 3D moving molasses cooling that can produce a well-defined monochromatic Ps beam useful for applications.