THz and IR spectroscopy of endofullerene H₂O@C₆₀

Terahertz time-domain and infrared Fourier-transform spectroscopy techniques are used to investigate the properties of H2O@C60 endofullerene in 6 K – 300 K temperature interval. A number of absorption lines associated with rotational transitions of water molecule entrapped inside C60 cages are observed and assigned. Fitting the resonances with Lorenzian lineshapes allowed us to obtain temperature dependencies of absorption lines parameters – frequency, strength and damping

Bulk plasmon-phonon polaritons in n-GaN

We studied theoretically and experimentally plasmon-phonon polaritons and longitudinal plasmon-phonon oscillations in n-GaN epitaxial layers. The studies were carried out on the epitaxial layers with various doping levels. Simulation of the reflectivity spectra and dispersion relations of plasmon-phonon polaritons was performed in a wide frequency range. Reflectivity spectra transformation associated with phonon damping and electron relaxation processes has been revealed. Experimental studies of the reflectivity spectra have been performed in the spectral range of 8-80 meV. The experimental spectra are well fitted by the simulated ones. Results of the study can be used for contactless determination of the electron concentration and mobility in GaN epitaxal layers.Peer reviewe

Drosophila Lysophospholipase Gene swiss cheese Is Required for Survival and Reproduction

Drosophila melanogaster is one of the most famous insects in biological research. It is widely used to analyse functions of different genes. The phosphatidylcholine lysophospholipase gene swiss cheese was initially shown to be important in the fruit fly nervous system. However, the role of this gene in non-nervous cell types has not been elucidated yet, and the evolutional explanation for the conservation of its function remains elusive. In this study, we analyse expression pattern and some aspects of the role of the swiss cheese gene in the fitness of Drosophila melanogaster. We describe the spatiotemporal expression of swiss cheese throughout the fly development and analyse the survival and productivity of swiss cheese mutants. We found swiss cheese to be expressed in salivary glands, midgut, Malpighian tubes, adipocytes, and male reproductive system. Dysfunction of swiss cheese results in severe pupae and imago lethality and decline of fertility, which is impressive in males. The latter is accompanied with abnormalities of male locomotor activity and courtship behaviour, accumulation of lipid droplets in testis cyst cells and decrease in spermatozoa motility. These results suggest that normal swiss cheese is important for Drosophila melanogaster fitness due to its necessity for both specimen survival and their reproductive success

Evidence of electronic phase separation in the strongly correlated semiconductor YbB12

The studies of high-quality single-domain crystals of YbB12 were carried out by the precise x-ray diffraction technique in combination with the low temperature polarized THz - infrared spectroscopy and accurate magnetotransport measurements. It has been shown for the first time that this archetypal strongly correlated system with a metal-insulator transition to a mysterious dielectric ground state with a metal Fermi surface (Science 362, 65-69 (2018) and ibid 362, 32-33 (2018)) is actually a heterogeneous compound in the regime of electronic phase separation. Changes in the configuration of the discovered dynamic charge stripes are investigated upon cooling, as a result, a conclusion is drawn in favor of a crossover between different patterns of the filamentary electronic structure penetrating the semiconducting matrix of YbB12. We argue that the discovery of stripes in YbB12 is fundamental, elucidating the nature of exotic dielectric state in Kondo insulators.Comment: 12 pages including 4 figure

Plasmon phonon modes and optical resonances in n-GaN

We study theoretically and experimentally transverse and longitudinal electromagnetic waves in n-GaN epitaxial layers. The studies are carried out on the epitaxial layers with various doping levels. Simulation of the reflectivity and absorptivity spectra is performed in a wide frequency range. Additionally, the radiation emission spectra are simulated for various temperatures of the GaN epitaxial layer. It is shown that the resonance peculiarities of the optical spectra are located closely to the frequencies of the coupled plasmon phonon modes. Experimental studies of the reflectivity spectra have been performed in the spectral range 2-20 THz. The experimental spectra are well fitted by the simulated ones and can be used for contactless determination of the electron concentration and mobility in GaN epitaxial layers. The experimental and theoretical results of the present work provide insights for the development of GaN-based devices aimed to absorb/emit terahertz or mid infrared radiation selectively.Peer reviewe

Terahertz-infrared spectroscopy of wafer-scale films of single-walled carbon nanotubes treated by plasma

Funding Information: The authors acknowledge Mogorychnaya A.V. for assistance with spectroscopic experiments. The research was supported by the Russian Science Foundation , grant RSF21-72-20050 (spectroscopic measurments and analysis of carbon nanotubes films). D.S.K. and A.G.N. acknowledge Russian Foundation of Basic Research project No. 20-03-00804 (synthesis, characterization and plasma treatment of carbon nanotubes). A.P.T. acknowledges the EDUFI Fellowship (No. TM-19-11079) from the Finnish National Agency for Education and the Magnus Ehrnrooth Foundation (the Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters ) for personal financial support. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 Elsevier LtdWe investigated terahertz-infrared electrodynamic properties of wafer-scale films composed of plasma-treated single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and films comprising SWCNTs grown with different lengths. The spectra of complex conductance of the films were measured at frequencies 5–20 000 cm−1 and in the temperature interval 5–300 K. Terahertz spectral response of films of pristine SWCNTs is well described with the Drude conductivity model and a plasmon resonance located at ≈100 cm−1. Stepwise treatment of the films with oxygen plasma led to a gradual suppression of the Drude spectral weight from the low-frequency side. For films with the nanotubes shorter than 1 μm, i.e., close to electrons mean free path and localization length, scattering of charge carriers at the nanotubes edges is shown to additionally contribute to the carriers scattering rate and to the damping of plasmon resonance. The temperature coefficient of ac resistance (ac TCR) in both kinds of films is found to strongly increase in amplitude during cooling and frequency decrease. The values of ac TCR increase in films with longer time of plasma treatment and nanotubes with shorter length but reach saturation in films with exposure time longer than ≈100 s or composed from SWCNTs shorter than 1 μm.Peer reviewe

Terahertz absorption in GaN epitaxial layers under lateral electric field

Variation of absorption of terahertz radiation in lateral electric field was investigated in GaN epitaxial layers. Different behaviour of the absorption modulation in electric field was observed for radiation polarized along electric field and perpendicular to it. Joint analysis of optical and transport measurements let us obtain field dependencies of mobility, electron concentration and absorption cross-section. For terahertz radiation polarized perpendicular to the electric field, results are in accordance with Drude model of free electron absorption. Another polarization demonstrates significant deviation that is yet to be studied more thoroughly.Peer reviewe

Excitation and decay of surface plasmon polaritons in n-GaN

We report on the studies of the surface plasmon polaritons in n-GaN epitaxial layers. The grating etched on the surface of the epitaxial layer is used to excite surface plasmon polaritons by means of terahertz photons. The experimental reflectivity spectrum for p-polarized radiation demonstrates a set of resonances associated with excitation of different surface plasmon polariton modes. Spectral peculiarities due to the diffraction effect have been also revealed. Emission of terahertz radiation is investigated under epilayer temperature modulation by electric current. The emissivity spectrum of the epitaxial layer with surface-relief grating shows peaks in the frequency ranges corresponding to the decay of the surface plasmon polariton modes. The characteristic features of the reflectivity and emissivity spectra are well described theoretically by a differential method with explicit integration scheme.Peer reviewe

Interaction of surface plasmon polaritons in heavily doped GaN microstructures with terahertz radiation

We present the results of experimental and theoretical studies of the surface plasmon polariton excitations in heavily doped GaN epitaxial layers. Reflection and emission of radiation in the frequency range of 2-20 THz including the Reststrahlen band were investigated for samples with grating etched on the sample surface, as well as for samples with flat surface. The reflectivity spectrum for p-polarized radiation measured for the sample with the surface-relief grating demonstrates a set of resonances associated with excitations of different surface plasmon polariton modes. Spectral peculiarities due to the diffraction effect have been also revealed. The characteristic features of the reflectivity spectrum, namely, frequencies, amplitudes, and widths of the resonance dips, are well described theoretically by a modified technique of rigorous coupled-wave analysis of Maxwell equations. The emissivity spectra of the samples were measured under epilayer temperature modulation by pulsed electric field. The emissivity spectrum of the sample with surface-relief grating shows emission peaks in the frequency ranges corresponding to the decay of the surface plasmon polariton modes. Theoretical analysis based on the blackbody-like radiation theory well describes the main peculiarities of the observed THz emission.Peer reviewe