Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Tunneling Luminescence of the Surface of GaN Films Grown by Vapor Phase Epitaxy

We report scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) images of surfaces of GaN films and the observation of luminescence from those films induced by highly spatially localized injection of electrons or holes using STM. This combination of scanning tunneling luminescence (STL) with STM for GaN surfaces and the ability to observe both morphology and luminescence in GaN is the first step to investigate possible correlations between surface morphology and optical properties.Comment: 12 pages, Revtex 3.0, submitted to Appl. Phys. Lett., three figures available from Jian Ma at [email protected]

Light emission from a scanning tunneling microscope: Fully retarded calculation

The light emission rate from a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) scanning a noble metal surface is calculated taking retardation effects into account. As in our previous, non-retarded theory [Johansson, Monreal, and Apell, Phys. Rev. B 42, 9210 (1990)], the STM tip is modeled by a sphere, and the dielectric properties of tip and sample are described by experimentally measured dielectric functions. The calculations are based on exact diffraction theory through the vector equivalent of the Kirchoff integral. The present results are qualitatively similar to those of the non-retarded calculations. The light emission spectra have pronounced resonance peaks due to the formation of a tip-induced plasmon mode localized to the cavity between the tip and the sample. At a quantitative level, the effects of retardation are rather small as long as the sample material is Au or Cu, and the tip consists of W or Ir. However, for Ag samples, in which the resistive losses are smaller, the inclusion of retardation effects in the calculation leads to larger changes: the resonance energy decreases by 0.2-0.3 eV, and the resonance broadens. These changes improve the agreement with experiment. For a Ag sample and an Ir tip, the quantum efficiency is $\approx$ 10$^{-4}$ emitted photons in the visible frequency range per tunneling electron. A study of the energy dissipation into the tip and sample shows that in total about 1 % of the electrons undergo inelastic processes while tunneling.Comment: 16 pages, 10 figures (1 ps, 9 tex, automatically included); To appear in Phys. Rev. B (15 October 1998

A standard protocol for describing the evaluation of ecological models

Numerical models of ecological systems are increasingly used to address complex environmental and resource management questions. One challenge for scientists, managers, and stakeholders is to appraise how well suited these models are to answer questions of scientific or societal relevance, that is, to perform, communicate, or access transparent evaluations of ecological models. While there have been substantial developments to support standardised descriptions of ecological models, less has been done to standardise and to report model evaluation practices. We present here a general protocol designed to guide the reporting of model evaluation. The protocol is organised in three major parts: the objective(s) of the modelling application, the ecological patterns of relevance and the evaluation methodology proper, and is termed the OPE (objectives, patterns, evaluation) protocol. We present the 25 questions of the OPE protocol which address the many aspects of the evaluation process and then apply them to six case studies based on a diversity of ecological models. In addition to standardising and increasing the transparency of the model evaluation process, we find that going through the OPE protocol helps modellers to think more deeply about the evaluation of their models. From this last point, we suggest that it would be highly beneficial for modellers to consider the OPE early in the modelling process, in addition to using it as a reporting tool and as a reviewing tool.publishedVersio

Visualizing the 3D Architecture of Multiple Erythrocytes Infected with Plasmodium at Nanoscale by Focused Ion Beam-Scanning Electron Microscopy

Different methods for three-dimensional visualization of biological structures have been developed and extensively applied by different research groups. In the field of electron microscopy, a new technique that has emerged is the use of a focused ion beam and scanning electron microscopy for 3D reconstruction at nanoscale resolution. The higher extent of volume that can be reconstructed with this instrument represent one of the main benefits of this technique, which can provide statistically relevant 3D morphometrical data. As the life cycle of Plasmodium species is a process that involves several structurally complex developmental stages that are responsible for a series of modifications in the erythrocyte surface and cytoplasm, a high number of features within the parasites and the host cells has to be sampled for the correct interpretation of their 3D organization. Here, we used FIB-SEM to visualize the 3D architecture of multiple erythrocytes infected with Plasmodium chabaudi and analyzed their morphometrical parameters in a 3D space. We analyzed and quantified alterations on the host cells, such as the variety of shapes and sizes of their membrane profiles and parasite internal structures such as a polymorphic organization of hemoglobin-filled tubules. The results show the complex 3D organization of Plasmodium and infected erythrocyte, and demonstrate the contribution of FIB-SEM for the obtainment of statistical data for an accurate interpretation of complex biological structures

Focused Ion Beam (FIB) technology for micro-and nanoscale fabrications

Krishna Kant and Dusan Losi