Ultraviolet Wavelength Region Research Articles

Effect of Gas Flow Rate and Ratio on Structure and Properties of Nitrogen-Doped Diamond-like Carbon Films

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) has attracted much attention due to its unique properties such as high chemical inertness, optical transparency, and high biocompatibility. In this study, the total gas flow rate was kept constant, while the ratio of reactive gases was varied to deposit nitrogen-doped diamond-like carbon thin films on glass substrates using radiofrequency plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The effects of the gas flow ratio on the composition, microstructure, surface morphology, and optical properties of the thin films were investigated through extended deposition times. It was found that with an increase in the nitrogen-to-methane gas flow ratio, the film surface became smoother and more compact. The maximum transmittance in the visible range reached 90%, and the highest and lowest transmittance in the same ultraviolet wavelength region differed by up to 25.62% among several sample groups. The optical bandgap decreased from 3.58 eV to 3.46 eV, contrary to the trend of the sp2 fraction variation. Compared with other studies, this study considered the preparation of nitrogen-doped diamondoids using a chemical vapor deposition method with a lesser total gas flow rate passed into it, which provides practical data reference value for the preparation of N-DLC.

Development of broadband ultraviolet pulsed laser using Ce:LiCAF crystal to determine SO\(_2\) gas concentration by differential absorption spectroscopy

Earth’s atmosphere is a mixture of many gases which include pollutants such as SO2, NO2, NO, and O3 that have absorption in the ultraviolet (UV) wavelength region. Therefore, the development of broadband UV laser sources that are useful in a differential absorption spectroscopy (DOAS) system for environmental research is necessary. In this research, we present the DOAS system using the Ce:LiCAF laser for determining SO2 gas concentration in the atmosphere. The Ce:LiCAF laser has a full width at half maximum of 2 nm with a wavelength range from 286 to 291 nm and a peak wavelength of 288.5 nm. The results show that the DOAS system accurately determines the gas concentration with a measurement error of 6 %. This result can serve as the basis for developing practical DOAS systems with the ability to monitor a wide range of gasses and survey many other types of pollutants.

Morphology and spectral sensitivity of long visual fibers and lamina monopolar cells in the butterfly Papilio xuthus.

Extensive analysis of the flower-visiting behavior of a butterfly,Papilio xuthus, has indicated complex interaction between chromatic, achromatic, and motion cues. Their eyes are spectrally rich with six classes of photoreceptors, respectively sensitive in the ultraviolet, violet, blue, green, red, and broad-band wavelength regions. Here, we studied the anatomy and physiology of photoreceptors and second-order neurons ofP. xuthus, focusing on their spectral sensitivities and projection terminals to address where the early visual integration takes place. We thus found the ultraviolet, violet, and blue photoreceptors and all second-order neurons terminate in the distal region of the second optic ganglion, the medulla. We identified five types of second-order neurons based on the arborization in the first optic ganglion, the lamina, and the shape of the medulla terminals. Their spectral sensitivity is independent of the morphological types but reflects the combination of pre-synaptic photoreceptors. The results indicate that the distal medulla is the most plausible region for early visual integration.

Study of Electron Impact Excitation of Na-like Kr Ion for Impurity Seeding Experiment in Large Helical Device

In this work, a krypton gas impurity seeding experiment was conducted in a Large Helical Device. Emission lines from the Na-like Kr ion in the extreme ultraviolet wavelength region, such as 22.00 nm, 17.89 nm, 16.51 nm, 15.99 nm, and 14.08 nm, respective to 2p63p(2P1/2o)−2p63s(2S1/2), 2p63p(2P3/2o)−2p63s(2S1/2), 2p63d(2D3/2)−2p63p(2P3/2o), 2p63d(2D5/2)−2p63p(2P3/2o), and 2p63d(2D3/2)−2p63p(2P1/2o) transitions, are observed. In order to generate a theoretical synthetic spectrum, an extensive calculation concerning the excitation of the Kr25+ ion through electron impact was performed for the development of a suitable plasma model. For this, the relativistic multiconfiguration Dirac–Hartree–Fock method was employed along with its extension to the relativistic configuration interaction method to compute the relativistic bound-state wave functions and excitation energies of the fine structure levels using the General Relativistic Atomic Structure Package-2018. In addition, another set of calculations was carried out utilizing the relativistic many-body perturbation theory and relativistic configuration interaction methods integrated within the Flexible Atomic Code. To investigate the reliability of our findings, the results of excitation energies, transition probabilities, and weighted oscillator strengths of different dipole-allowed transitions obtained from these different methods are presented and compared with the available data. Further, the detailed electron impact excitation cross-sections and their respective rate coefficients are obtained for various fine structure resolved transitions using the fully relativistic distorted wave method. Rate coefficients, calculated using the Flexible Atomic Code for population and de-population kinetic processes, are integrated into the collisional-radiative plasma model to generate a theoretical spectrum. Further, the emission lines observed from the Kr25+ ion in the impurity seeding experiment were compared with the present plasma model spectrum, demonstrating a noteworthy overall agreement between the measurement and the theoretical synthetic spectrum.

Investigating structural, electronic and optical properties of Sc2CF2@Fe MXene: A first principle study

In this work, the structural, electronic and optical properties of novel 2D Sc2CF2 MXene alloyed with Fe are studied by first-principles calculations. The computational method is based on the density functional theory (DFT) and generalized gradient approximation (GGA) considering non-spin–orbit and spin–orbit coupling (SOC). By analyzing the behavior of spin-polarized band structure and density of states (DOS), metallic behavior for all alloy compositions has been predicted. In addition, for all alloy compositions except for c=0.5, the ferromagnetic property has been discovered. Moreover, the optical properties like real and imaginary parts of dielectric and energy loss functions, optical conductivity, absorption coefficient, and reflectivity spectrum have been studied. The results of the absorption coefficient and reflectivity spectrum as a function of photon energy predict that the compounds can be sound absorbers at both visible-light and ultraviolet wavelength regions.

Observation of the electronic band system 23Σg--a3Πu of C2 in the vacuum ultraviolet region.

A systematic spectroscopic study of the dicarbon molecule C2 has important applications in various research fields, such as astrochemistry and combustion. In the short vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) wavelength region, recent theoretical calculations have predicted many absorption band systems of C2, but only few of them have been verified experimentally yet. In this work, we employed a tunable VUV laser radiation source based on the two-photon resonance-enhanced four-wave mixing method and a time-of-flight mass spectrometer to investigate the absorption bands of C2 in the VUV range of 64 000-66 000cm-1. The electronic transition 23Σg-(v')-a3Πu(v″) of C2 has been observed and identified experimentally for the first time. The term value Te for the 23Σg- state is determined to be 66 389.9 ± 0.5cm-1 above the ground state X1Σg+, and the vibrational and rotational constants are also determined. The experimentally measured spectroscopic parameters in this study are in excellent agreement with the theoretical results based on high-level abinitio calculations.

Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and infrared (IR) measurements for studying biofilm formation on common plastic litter polymer (LDPE and PET) surfaces in three different laboratory aquatic environments

Different species of microorganisms colonize the plastic surfaces and form biofilms depending on the aquatic environment. In the current investigation, characteristics of the plastic surface after exposure to three different aquatic environments based on visualization using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and spectroscopic (diffuse reflectance (DR) and infrared (IR)) techniques were examined in laboratory bioreactors with time. For both materials, there were no differences observed in the ultraviolet (UV) region among the reactors and several peaks were observed with fluctuating intensities and without any trends. For light density polyethylene (LDPE), peaks indicating the presence of biofilm could be observed in the visible region for activated sludge bioreactor, and for polyethylene terephthalate (PET), freshwater algae biofilm was also visible. PET in freshwater bioreactor is the most densely populated sample both under the optical microscope and SEM. Based on the DR spectra, different visible peaks for LDPE and PET were observed but, in both cases, the visible region peaks (~ 450 and 670 nm) correspond to the peaks found in the water samples of the bioreactors. The difference on these surfaces could not be identified with IR but the fluctuations observed in the UV wavelength region were also detectable using indices obtained from the IR spectra such as keto, ester, and vinyl. For instance, the virgin PET sample shows higher values in all the indices than the virgin LDPE sample [(virgin LDPE: ester Index (I) = 0.051, keto I = 0.039, vinyl I = 0.067), (virgin PET: ester I = 3.5, keto I = 19, vinyl I = 0.18)]. This suggests that virgin PET surface is hydrophilic as expected. At the same time, for all the LDPE samples, all the indices demonstrated higher values (especially for R2) than the virgin LDPE. On the other hand, ester and keto indices for PET samples demonstrated lower values than virgin PET. In addition, DRS technique was able to identify the formation of the biofilm both on wet and dry samples. Both DRS and IR can describe changes in the hydrophobicity during the initial formation of biofilm but DRS can better describe the fluctuations of biofilm in the visible spectra region.

CeF3 single crystals for UV‐VIS‐IR optical isolators

AbstractOptical isolators (OIs) are needed to protect laser sources from back‐reflections. Driven by the fast‐growing market of laser marking and machinery, and the increasing cost of rare‐earth‐based permanent magnets, single‐crystalline Faraday rotators (FRs) with a large Verdet constant V are highly desired to reduce the cost and size of OIs. Furthermore, the need for finer laser procedures (marking, cutting, welding) is shifting the used laser emissions toward shorter wavelengths: into the visible (VIS), where standard Tb3Ga5O12 (TGG) has a poor transmittance, and even into the ultraviolet (UV), where TGG possesses overlapping Tb 4f‐4f absorption bands. In recent years CeF3 has emerged as a new FR with a unique transmittance and an outstanding V in the UV wavelength region, and a superior figure‐of‐merit in the VIS range compared to TGG. Recently, its small thermal lensing and high damage threshold for high‐power have been demonstrated, exhibiting optical isolation > 30 dB under 600 W @ 1070 nm. This review first summarizes the basic properties and crystal growth of CeF3, then focuses on its Faraday magneto‐optical performance. Last but not the least, the typical crystal defects encountered during the development of CeF3 are discussed.

Control of Polarity of AlN Grown on Sapphire Substrate and Growth with Both Al‐ and N‐Polarities

AlN with both Al‐ and N‐polarities in the c‐axis direction has attracted attention as a second‐harmonic generation device with a quasi‐phase‐matching structure in the ultraviolet wavelength region. Herein, N‐polar AlN on patterned AlN is regrown by metal–organic vapor‐phase epitaxy, and AlN lateral polar structures (LPSs) are fabricated without the simultaneous growth of Al‐ and N‐polar AlN layers. A 1 μm thick Al‐polar AlN layer is grown on sapphire, followed by the fabrication of a striped pattern. Subsequently, N‐polar AlN is regrown on an exposed sapphire substrate. In the first experiment, the sidewalls after reactive ion etching are not vertical, and voids are formed when N‐polar AlN is regrown. KOH wet etching is performed to overcome this problem and improve the verticality of sidewalls. Consequently, a perfect AlN LPS with a minimum period of 2 μm is fabricated. The verticality of the sidewalls in the LPS and the regrowth conditions of N‐polar AlN with a very low V/III ratio are crucial to the fabrication of AlN LPSs with highly vertical interfaces.

Aluminum Nitride Ultraviolet Light-Emitting Device Excited via Carbon Nanotube Field-Emission Electron Beam

With the progress of wide bandgap semiconductors, compact solid-state light-emitting devices for the ultraviolet wavelength region are of considerable technological interest as alternatives to conventional ultraviolet lamps in recent years. Here, the potential of aluminum nitride (AlN) as an ultraviolet luminescent material was studied. An ultraviolet light-emitting device, equipped with a carbon nanotube (CNT) array as the field-emission excitation source and AlN thin film as cathodoluminescent material, was fabricated. In operation, square high-voltage pulses with a 100 Hz repetition frequency and a 10% duty ratio were applied to the anode. The output spectra reveal a dominant ultraviolet emission at 330 nm with a short-wavelength shoulder at 285 nm, which increases with the anode driving voltage. This work has explored the potential of AlN thin film as a cathodoluminescent material and provides a platform for investigating other ultrawide bandgap (UWBG) semiconductors. Furthermore, while using AlN thin film and a carbon nanotube array as electrodes, this ultraviolet cathodoluminescent device can be more compact and versatile than conventional lamps. It is anticipated to be useful in a variety of applications such as photochemistry, biotechnology and optoelectronics devices.

Assessment of Bloch surface wave-based one-dimensional photonic crystal sensor using ultraviolet range

To generate resonance in the ultraviolet (UV) wavelength region, we have developed a Bragg mirror structure with a SiO2 top layer. This paper shows the wavelength at which sensitivity occurs by modifying the architecture of the one-dimensional photonic crystal (1D-PhC) structure appropriately. The structural parameters are adjusted to excite a Bloch surface wave with a wavelength of 256 and 281 nm at the top interface, which are the operational wavelengths. The spectrum’s distribution of electric fields and mode confinement confirmed the suggested structure with an 8-nm thick defect layer. The proposed design is empathetic at UV wavelength with varying analyte’s refractive index value. The investigation shows that the sensitivity is about 107.42 and 101.85 deg/RIU, and the quality factor is 1426.17 and 1708.14 nm at UV wavelengths of 281 and 256 nm, respectively.

Spectrum conversion by luminescent glass for improving efficiency of solar cells

The glass samples prepared by high temperature melting solid state reaction have strong absorption in the ultraviolet and blue-green wavelength regions. The material can emits very strong red luminescence under irradiation of Xe-lamp. Under solar illumination, the red luminescence can be observed with the naked-eye. Our material owns good luminescent properties, which has good applications in solar cells.

Preparation and Photoluminescent Properties of Tb3+-Doped Lu2W3O12 and Lu2Mo3O12 Green Phosphors

Tungstate and molybdate phosphors have received great attention for their excellent photoluminescent properties and thermal stabilities. In the article, Tb3+-activated tungstate and molybdate green phosphors were prepared by a solid-state reaction method at different caline temperatures and were compared and studied. The crystal structures and the morphologies of samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) images. The energy-dispersive spectra (EDS) proved the compositions of the prepared samples. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra showed that the PL excitation spectra of Tb3+-doped Lu2W3O12 and Lu2Mo3O12 green phosphors consisted of a broad and strong charge transfer band (CTB) and 4f–5d transitions of Tb3+ in the ultraviolet (UV) wavelength range and some narrowed excitation peaks from the 4f–4f transition of Tb3+ in the near ultraviolet (NUV) wavelength region. The PL emission spectra of the phosphors exhibited the characteristic green emissions owing to the 5D4→7F5 transition of Tb3+ located at about 547 nm. The values of energy gap Eg were calculated based on the diffuse reflection spectra (DRS). The measuring temperature-dependent PL spectra illustrated the thermal stabilities of phosphors. The Tb3+-doped Lu2Mo3O12 phosphor presented normal thermal quenching phenomena and the values of the thermal activation energy Ea were calculated based on the measuring temperature dependent PL emission spectra. The Tb3+-doped Lu2W3O12 phosphor exhibited abnormal thermal enhancing CTB excitation intensity at about 170 °C. Furthermore, the PL decay curves suggested that the lifetime corresponding to the 5D4 level of Tb3+ in the Lu2W3O12 host lattice was longer than that in the Lu2Mo3O12 host lattice. Compared the Tb3+-doped Lu2Mo3O12 phosphor, the Tb3+-doped Lu2W3O12 phosphor has shown potential as an application in temperature sensors.

Theoretical and experimental study of ultraviolet broadband laser amplification using Ce:LiCAF crystal

Trivalent cerium ion-doped lithium calcium aluminum fluoride (Ce:LiCAF) crystals have been demonstrated as efficient amplification gain media in the ultraviolet (UV) wavelength region. However, spectral characteristics in the multipass amplification process have not yet been studied theoretically and experimentally. This work investigates the spectral effects, including gain narrowing and spectral shifting using the chromatic Frantz–Nodvik model to simulate the amplification of broadband nanosecond UV pulses from a Ce:LiCAF crystal. From the simulation results, 5.5 mJ amplified pulses can be obtained using a 4-pass amplifier with seed pulses having 0.7 mJ pulse energy, 3 ns pulse duration and 288.5 nm peak wavelength. These values are in good agreement with experimental results. Seed pulses with peak wavelength of 290.0 nm and linewidth of 2.0 nm could be shifted to 289.8 nm peak wavelength and narrowed to 1.9 nm linewidth after 4-pass amplification. Accounting for the spectral effects will enable a more accurate prediction of the amplified pulses’ characteristics, thereby aiding the applications of high-power UV lasers.

(Invited) Enhanced Efficiency of AlInN Nanowire Ultraviolet Light-Emitting Diodes Using Photonic Crystal Structures

High efficiency ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are in high demand for a wide range of applications [1-3]. Due to its wide bandgap, covering from deep UV to near visible, AlGaN semiconductor has been intensively studied for high efficiency UV LEDs. However, the performance of AlGaN UV LEDs is still limited, especially in the deep UV wavelength region, due to large dislocation density and extremely inefficient p-type doping in AlGaN film. Therefore, AlGaN UV LEDs have been suffering from low internal quantum efficiency (IQE), poor light extraction efficiency (LEE), and low external quantum efficiency (EQE). Alternatively, AlInN alloy is relatively unexplored for light-emitters even though it holds great potential application in UV and visible light-emitting devices. Recent studies have reported that InAlN has a large optical gain for deep UV LEDs. In this context, we have successfully developed AlInN nanowire LEDs with strong emission in the UV wavelength regime. The AlInN nanowires achieved a high IQE of >50% and significantly strong Transverse Magnetic (TM) polarized emission at 299nm.The AlInN nanowire LED structures were spontaneously grown on n-Si (111) substrates under nitrogen rich conditions by a Veeco GEN II molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) system. The AlInN nanowire was grown on GaN nanowire template. The device active region consists of ~ 100 nm n-Al0.78In0.22N, 40 nm undoped Al0.75In0.25N well and 100 nm p-Al0.78In0.22N layers. The GaN nanowire segments were grown at ~ 800 °C, nitrogen flow rate of 0.5-1.0 sccm, and forward plasma power of ~ 400 W. However, the growth temperature of the active region was at ~ 670 ̶ 700 °C to increase the In incorporation in AlInN segments and the nitrogen flow rate was kept at 2.5 sccm. The MBE grown AlInN under nitrogen rich condition offers an effective approach to eliminate the composition inhomogeneity in the AlInN. The nanowires are vertically aligned to the Si substrate with quite uniform dimension, as illustrated in Figure 1(a). Figure 1(b) presents the structure of a single AlInN nanowire LED. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra of AlInN nanowires were measured using a 266 nm diode-pumped solid-state laser as the excitation source. The peak emissions vary from 280nm to 365nm by varying the Al/In composition in the AlInN layers. The peak emission is shifted to shorter wavelength when the substrate temperature gets increase which is attributed to the increased In adatom desorption at higher growth temperature, resulted in the reduced In composition in the AlInN segment. The AlInN/GaN nanowire exhibits relatively high IQE which is estimated of ~ 52% at room temperature [3, 4]. Illustrated in Figure 1(c), the UV nanowire LED holds strong emission spectra at ~299 nm with a negligible shift in the peak wavelength, attributing to the high crystalline quality and reduced quantum-confined Stark effect in the AlInN nanowires. The LED has a low turn-on voltage of ~5V and low reverse leakage current less, i.e., ~0.5 µA at -8.6V. Moreover, as shown in Figure 1(d), we have demonstrated that the LEE of the AlInN nanowire LEDs could reach ~ 63% using hexagonal photonic crystal nanowire structures which is significantly higher compared to that of the random nanowire arrays [5]. This study paves the way for the development of high-power ultraviolet light-emitters using AlInN nanowire arrays.

Layer-Dependent Raman Spectroscopy and Electronic Applications of Wide-Bandgap 2D Semiconductor β-ZrNCl.

In recent years, 2D layered semiconductors have received much attention for their potential in next-generation electronics and optoelectronics. Wide-bandgap 2D semiconductors are especially important in the blue and ultraviolet wavelength region, although there are very few 2D materials in this region. Here, monolayer β-type zirconium nitride chloride (β-ZrNCl) is isolated for the first time, which is an air-stable layered material with a bandgap of ≈3.0eV in bulk. Systematical investigation of layer-dependent Raman scattering of ZrNCl from monolayer, bilayer, to bulk reveals a blueshift of its out-of-plane A1g peak at ≈189cm-1 . Importantly, this A1g peak is absent in the monolayer, suggesting that it is a fingerprint to quickly identify the monolayer and for the thickness determination of 2D ZrNCl. The back gate field-effect transistor based on few-layer ZrNCl shows a high on/off ratio of 108 . These results suggest the potential of 2D β-ZrNCl for electronic applications.

Modeling the wavelength of unresolved transition arrays in the extreme ultraviolet region from Sn to Hf ions by combining theoretical and experimental spectral data

This paper proposes a method to determine the wavelength of unresolved transition arrays (UTAs) in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) wavelength region from Sn to Hf plasma by combining calculated and experimental data. Based on a computational analysis of the atomic structure, we show that the wavelength of UTAs can be explained using the screening theory by a simple quadratic formula using the effective core charge and the screening constant for 4d electrons as parameters. The results from the model were compared with experiments to reproduce the trend of the spectrum, which has a minimum wavelength with respect to the ion charge. The wavelength is shown to agree with experiment over Pd- to Sr-like ions by applying a small shift that was determined using the spectrum observed in the electron beam ion trap. The present model would allow us to calculate the opacity of Sn plasmas with much smaller computational time than using present large-scale collisional radiative models, with fewer energy levels and parameterized rate coefficients, which will be also useful to investigate the efficiency of the EUV light source.

Studying the Nonlinear Optical Properties of Fluoride Laser Host Materials in the Ultraviolet Wavelength Region

Fluoride host materials doped with trivalent cerium ions have previously been demonstrated as successful laser materials in the ultraviolet wavelength region. However, the nonlinear optical properties of the fluoride hosts in this wavelength region have not been investigated yet, although nonlinearity could result in undesirable effects such as self-focusing and pulse distortion when these fluoride materials are used as gain media in high-power, ultrashort pulse laser oscillator and amplifier systems. In this work, the nonlinear refractive index of lithium calcium aluminum fluoride (LiCaAlF6), lithium strontium aluminum fluoride (LiSrAlF6), lanthanum fluoride (LaF3), and yttrium lithium fluoride (YLiF4) fluoride host materials are determined using the Kramers–Krönig relation model in the ultraviolet wavelength region. Self-focusing conditions, particularly at the peak laser emission wavelength of these materials, are further analyzed. Results show that LiCaAlF6 has the smallest nonlinear refractive index and self-focusing, making it an ideal host material under the conditions of ultrashort pulse and ultrahigh-power laser generation.

Plasmon-Enhanced Ultraviolet Photoluminescence from the Graphene/GaN Nanofilm.

The response of graphene surface plasmon (SP) in ultraviolet (UV) wavelength region and its functional applications on the short wavelength of graphene/semiconductorare both fascinating research areas. Herein, a hybrid structure of graphene/GaN nanofilm was designed and fabricated to investigate the photoluminescence (PL) performance and the coupling dynamics. It is demonstrated that the resonant coupling between graphene SPs and GaN exciton emission is responsible for the substantially enhanced PL from the structure of graphene/GaN nanofilm. The underlying mechanism of the improved PL performance was proposed based on theoretical simulation and experimental characterization. The results are helpful to design new types of optic and photoelectronic devices based on SP coupling in graphene/semiconductor hybrid structures.

Deceptions of light and shadow: do the visual cues of Gasteracantha cancriformis (Araneae, Araneidae) improve prey interception by webs in the forest understory?

Body coloration of orb-web spiders was previously hypothesized to be attractive to insects, luring potential prey, or associated with protection against visually oriented predators. We combined manipulative experiments with spectral reflectance analyses to test the prey attraction hypothesis, using the araneid spider Gasteracantha cancriformis as a model. The study was conducted in a shaded environment, within a forest fragment of the Atlantic forest located in Southeastern Brazil. Insect interception on web surfaces displaying the dorsal section of G. cancriformis opisthosoma, which emits blue fluorescence and reflects light in the ultraviolet wavelength region, was higher than on surfaces displaying the spider's ventral section, or in webs without spiders. This study supports the prey attraction hypothesis by providing evidence that the color patterns of G. cancriformis dorsum improve prey interception by their webs. Fluorescence and achromatic cues are probably important to lure and attract potential prey.