Structure and properties of ZnO/ZnMn2O4 composite obtained by thermal decomposition of terephthalate precursor: Scientific paper

A biphasic [Mn(dipya)(H2O)4](tpht)/{[Zn(dipya)(tpht)]·H2O}n com­plex material, I (dipya = 2,2’-dipyridylamine, tpht2– = dianion of terephthalatic acid) was synthesized by ligand exchange reaction and characterized by XRPD and FTIR spectroscopy. A ZnO/ZnMn2O4 composite, II, has been prepared via thermal decomposition of I in an air atmosphere at 450 °C. XRPD, FTIR and FESEM analyses of II revealed the simultaneous presence of spherical nano­particles of wurtzite ZnO and elongated nanoparticles of spinel ZnMn2O4. The specific surface area of II was determined by the BET method, whereas the volume and average size of the mesopores were calculated in accordance with the BJH method. The measurements of the mean size, polydispersity index and zeta potential showed colloidal instability of II. Two band gap values of 2.4 and 3.3 eV were determined using UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, while the measurements of photoluminescence revealed that II is active in the blue region of the visible spectrum. Testing of composite II as a pigmentary material showed that it can be used for the colouring of a ceramic glaze

Inter-Landau Level Scattering Processes in Magnetic Field Assisted THz Quantum Cascade Laser

We present a detailed analysis of GaAs/AlGaAs terahertz quantum cascade laser in the presence of an intense external magnetic field. One of the objectives in further development of THz quantum cascade laser is the realization of structures operating at higher temperatures. This is difficult to obtain as the operating photon emission energy is smaller than the longitudinal-optical phonon energy in the semiconductor material. With increased temperature, electrons in the upper radiative state gain sufficient in-plane energy to emit an longitudinal-optical phonon, which represents a non-radiative scattering and reduces the optical gain. By applying strong magnetic field, two-dimensional continuous energy subbands become split into series of discrete Landau levels, and at particular values of B it is possible to quench these non-radiative channels. Numerical simulations are performed on two-well design quantum cascade laser operating at 4.6 THz, implemented in CaAs/Al(0.15)Ga(0.85)As, and the magnetic field is perpendicular to the epitaxial layers. Strong oscillations of carrier lifetimes for the upper state of the laser transition, as a function of magnetic field are observed, which can be attributed to interface roughness scattering and longitudinal-optical phonon scattering between Landau levels.12th Annual YUCOMAT Conference, Sep 06-10, 2010, Herceg Novi, Montenegr

Time Delay in Thin Dielectric Slabs with Saturable Nonlinearity

Time delays for an intense transverse electric wave propagating through a slab with saturable nonlinearity are investigated. The nonlinearity is assumed in a form of the Vinetskii-Kukhtarev model, which is relevant for the slabs made of nonlinear photorefractive crystals, such as GaAs and LiNbO(3), which feature a saturable nonlinearity. The expressions for the group delay and the dwell time are derived and the relation between them is studied. It is shown that the difference between them has three different contributions. The first one corresponds to the self-interference associated with the dispersion of the medium surrounding the slab. The other two appear due to the nonlinearity of the slab and oblique incidence of the transverse electric wave. All the results are compared with the case of dielectric slabs with cubic (Kerr) nonlinearity.10th Annual Conference of the Materials-Research-Society-of-Serbia, Sep 08-12, 2008, Herceg Novi, Montenegr

Quantum Cascade Laser Design for Tunable Output at Characteristic Wavelengths in the Mid-Infrared Spectral Range

We present a method for systematic optimization of quantum cascade laser active region, based on the use of the genetic algorithm. The method aims at obtaining a gain-maximized structure, designed to emit radiation at specified wavelengths suitable for direct absorption by pollutant gasses present in the ambient air. After the initial optimization stage, we introduce a strong external magnetic field to tune the laser output properties and to slightly modify the emission wavelength to match the absorption lines of additional compounds. The magnetic field is applied perpendicularly to the epitaxial layers, thus causing two dimensional continuous energy subbands to split into series of discrete Landau levels. This affects all the relevant relaxation processes in the structure and consequently the lifetime of carriers in the upper laser level. Furthermore, strong effects of band nonparabolicity result in subtle changes of the lasing wavelength at magnetic fields which maximize the gain, thus providing a path for fine tuning of the output radiation properties. Numerical results are presented for GaAs/Al(x)Ga(1-x)As based quantum cascade laser structures designed to emit at particular wavelengths in the mid infrared part of the spectrum.11th Annual Conference of the Materials-Research-Society-of-Serbia (YUCOMAT 2009), Aug 31-Sep 04, 2009, Herceg Novi, Montenegr

Effect of dietary supplementation with medium chain fatty acids on growth performance, intestinal histomorphology, lipid profile and intestinal microflora of broiler chickens

The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of medium-chain fatty acid (MCFA) diet supplementation on growth performance, intestinal histomorphology, serum biochemistry and intestinal microflora of broiler chickens. The study was performed on 180 one-day-old broilers of the same origin (Cobb 500 hybrid), over a 42-day period. They were fed diets supplemented with three treatments: control group (basal diet without supplementation); group with MCFA supplementation; and group with MCFA and coccidiostat supplementation. Broiler chickens fed diets supplemented with MCFAs had a significantly greater final bodyweight. The weights of carcass cuts (breast, drumsticks with thighs and wings) were greater in broilers receiving MCFAs than in control broilers. The addition of MCFAs to broiler diet significantly increased villus length and crypt depth in the duodenum and caecum, and significantly decreased villus width in the duodenum and ileum. Additionally, serum HDL-cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations were increased significantly in broilers with MCFA dietary supplementation. The results indicated that the MCFA diet supplementation had a beneficial effect on the performance of broiler chickens, their intestinal histomorphology and microflora

Influence of the geometry of terahertz chiral metamaterial on transmission group delays

Recently, group delay has been proven as a very convenient tool for control of terahertz electromagnetic signals used for filters, waveguides and polarization components. Here, we investigate the propagation of circularly polarised terahertz pulse via analysis of group delays in X particle chiral metamaterial. When varying the geometry of the X particle chiral metamaterial, significant modification of chiroptical effects- optical activity and circular dichroism can be observed. Through the analysis of group delays in the frequency region between 1 and 3 THz we conclude that the right circularly polarised wave is more sensitive to changes in the geometry than the left circularly polarised wave. This result implies that the right circularly polarised wave is responsible for variation of chiroptical effects in these structures and opens up a possibility for potential applications

Optimization of cubic GaN/AlGaN quantum well-based structures for intersubband absorption in the infrared spectral range

A method is proposed for the optimization of structural parameters of GaN/AlGaN quantum wells and Bragg-confined structures, with respect to peak intersubband absorption from the ground to the first excited electronic state in the mid and near infrared spectral range. It is based on the application of the Genetic Algorithm and delivers globally optimal structures with a preset number of embedded layers. Simple rectangular quantum well profile is investigated for the maximal Stark effect and applications to tunable mid-infrared photodetectors. In case of Bragg-confined structures, an above the barrier bound state is used to extend the range of transition energies above the values available in conventional quantum wells. The effects of band nonparabolicity are taken into account. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserve

Delay times in a terahertz chiral metamaterial slab

We investigate the propagation of circularly polarized electromagnetic waves through a free-standing Omega particle chiral metamaterial slab and study the associated delay times: dwell time and group delay. Through this analysis, we observe different interactions of right- and left-circularly polarized waves in the terahertz frequency range (1-2.5 THz) with the resonant elements. As a consequence, the resonant-frequency group delay and dwell time of the right-circularly polarized wave are one or more orders of magnitude longer than those of the left. In addition, we compare the delay times obtained from rigorous numerical simulations with those calculated using the retrieved effective parameters. We find that the dwell time cannot be evaluated correctly from the effective medium approximation, while no such problems exist in the case of group delay

Manganese-pyromellitate complex as a precursor for preparation of spinel Mn3O4

In recent years, thermal decomposition studies of transition metal complexes with benzenepolycarboxylate ligands have become an area of a great importance due to the possibility of obtaining useful metal oxides with desirable electrical, magnetic and catalytic properties [1]. As a contrast to conventional methods for the preparation of metal oxides, such as hydrothermal or sol– gel treatment, thermolysis is faster, more efficient and environmentally friendly. Mn(II)–dipya (dipya = 2,2’-dipyridylamine) complex with tetraanion of 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic (pyromellitic, H4pyr) acid, [Mn2(dipya)2(pyr)(H2O)2], has been prepared and characterized by elemental, spectral and microscopy analyses. Direct thermolysis of the complex up to 1200 °C in an air atmosphere yielded spinel Mn3O4 oxide material. The obtained Mn3O4 has been characterized for its structural, spectroscopic, morphological and optical properties. The possibilities of using this oxide as photocatalyst or co-photocatalyst for removing textile organic dyes, as well as inorganic pigmentary material, were also investigated and discussed

Modeling of electron relaxation processes and the optical gain in a magnetic-field assisted THz quantum cascade laser

We present a detailed model for calculating the optical gain of a quantum cascade laser (QCL) that operates in the terahertz spectral range, when subjected to a strong magnetic field, as well as the total relaxation rates due to the emission of longitudinal-optical phonons and interface roughness scattering, as a function of the applied field. When the magnetic field is applied in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the layers, each energy state is split into a series of discrete Landau levels, which are magnetically tunable, and it is therefore possible to control the modulation of the population inversion and consequently the optical gain just by varying the magnetic field. In this model, the gain is obtained by solving the full system of rate equations, from which one can calculate the carrier density of each level. The simulations are performed on a system that comprises a two-well design QCL that operates at 4.6 THz, implemented in GaAs/Al0.15Ga0.85As. Numerical results are presented for magnetic field values from 1.5 T up to 20 T, while the band non-parabolicity is taken into account.3rd International School and Conference on Photonics, Aug 29-Sep 02, 2011, Belgrade, Serbi