Si3N4 single-crystal nanowires grown from silicon micro and nanoparticles near the threshold of passive oxidation

A simple and most promising oxide-assisted catalyst-free method is used to prepare silicon nitride nanowires that give rise to high yield in a short time. After a brief analysis of the state of the art, we reveal the crucial role played by the oxygen partial pressure: when oxygen partial pressure is slightly below the threshold of passive oxidation, a high yield inhibiting the formation of any silica layer covering the nanowires occurs and thanks to the synthesis temperature one can control nanowire dimensions

Inestabilitats dinàmiques en dispositius òptics passius excitats amb llum modulada

Consultable des del TDXTítol obtingut de la portada digitalitzadaEn el present treball hem estudiat tant numèricament com experimentalment la dinàmica d'un dispositiu biestable opto-tèrmic il·luminat amb un feix làser modulat en intensitat. Aquest dispositiu és un interferòmetre Fabry-Perot, en el qual l'espaciador de al cavitat està format per dues capes de materials transparents amb coeficients termo-òptics oposats i el mirall d'entrada consisteix en una pel·lícula metàl·lica de gruix i constants òptiques tals que optimitzen el contrast interferencial sobre l'absorció de la llum en la mateixa. La dinàmica del dispositiu pot ser descrita mitjançant un sistema d'equacions homogènies de transport de calor, que són lineals i es troben subjectes a les corresponents condicions de continuïtat i frontera, entre les quals s'ha de destacar la condició de frontera que descriu el focus de calor localitzat en el mirall d'entrada. Aquesta condició és no local i no lineal i, de fet, és la responsable de les no linealitats dinàmiques en el dispositiu. Hem resolt el problema de la reducció del sistema d'equacions en derivades parcials (EDP's), obtenint un sistema pràcticament equivalent d'equacions ordinàries (EDO's) d'ordre igual al nombre de capes en l'espaciador de la cavitat. Això s'ha fet pel cas general d'un espaciador multicapa amb un nombre de capes arbitrari, s'ha establert una relació directa entre els coeficients del sistema EDO's i els paràmetres físics del dispositiu i s'ha verificat numèricament la coincidència d'ambdues descripcions. En el cas de la bicapa amb excitació modulada, el sistema ve descrit per un sistema d'ordre dos no autònom o, equivalentment, per un sistema d'ordre tres autònom. Les noves variables del sistema són les fases interferomètriques associades a cada capa, les quals són proporcionals a la temperatura promig dins la capa. Hem observat una rica dinàmica característica dels sistemes no autònoms. Més concretament: a) Hem observat tant numèricament com experimentalment seqüències de doblaments de període i cascades inverses. En aquestes cascades inverses hem fet un estudi detallat de les crisis internes responsables de la formació de bandes caòtiques. En el dispositiu bicapa modulat aquestes crisis internes son bifurcacions homoclíniques transversals. b) Hem observat tant numèricament com experimentalment intermitències de tipus I, quasiperiòdiques i caòtiques. c) Hem fet un estudi detallat de codimensió dos de la sincronització entre el dispositiu bicapa i la modulació externa. Hem observat la existència de llengües d'Arnold resultants de l'afermament de freqüències i hem descobert una la rica varietat de inestabilitats associades a transicions entre dues d'aquestes llengües. Concretament hem demostrat l'existència de cinc punts diferents de bifurcacions locals de codimensió dos. Hem estudiat les bifurcacions homoclíniques resultants d'aplicar la modulació externa sobre una òrbita periòdica del sistema autònom propera a realitzar una bifurcació homoclínica. Hem demostrat el especial interès que té el sistema modulat per estudiar el caos homoclínic. Concretament, hem presentat proves numèriques i experimentals de l'existència de caos homoclínic associat a atractors del tipus Birkoff-Shaw. També hem fet un estudi numèric detallat de l'estructura de les subvarietats invariants que ens ha revelat el caràcter transversal de la connexió homoclínica.En el presente estudio hemos analizado tanto numéricamente como experimentalmente la dinámica de un dispositivo biestable opto-térmico iluminado con un haz láser modulado en intensidad. Este dispositivo es un interferómetro Fabry-Perot, en el cual el espaciador de la cavidad esta formado por dos capas transparentes de coeficientes termo-ópticos opuestos y el espejo de entrada consiste en una película metálica de espesor y constante óptica tales que optimizan el contraste interferencial sobre la absorción de luz en la misma. La dinámica del dispositivo puede ser descrita mediante un sistema de ecuaciones homogéneas de transporte de calor, que son lineales y se encuentran sujetas a las correspondientes condiciones de continuidad y frontera, entre las cuales cabe destacar la condición de frontera que describe el foco de calor localizado en el espejo de entrada. Esta condición es no local y no lineal y, de hecho, es la responsable de las no-linealidades en el dispositivo. Hemos resuelto el problema de la reducción del sistema de ecuaciones en derivadas parciales (EDPs), obteniendo un sistema prácticamente equivalente de ecuaciones ordinarias (EDOs) de orden igual al número de capas del espaciador de la cavidad. Esto se ha realizado para el caso general de un espaciador multicapa con un número de capas arbitrario, se ha establecido una relación directa entre los coeficientes del sistema EDOs y los parámetros físicos del dispositivo y se ha verificado numéricamente la coincidencia de las dos descripciones. En el caso de la bicapa con excitación modulada, el sistema está descrito por un sistema de orden dos no autónomo o, de forma equivalente, por un sistema de orden tres autónomo. Las nuevas variables del sistema son les fases interferométricas asociadas a cada capa, las cuales, a su vez, son proporcionales a la temperatura promedio dentro la capa.Hemos observado una rica dinámica característica de los sistemas no autónomos. En concreto: a) Hemos observado tanto numérica como experimentalmente secuencias de doblamientos de periodo y cascadas inversas. En estas cascadas inversas hemos realizado un estudio detallado de les crisis internas responsables de la formación de bandas caóticas. En el dispositivo bicapa modulado estas crisis internes son bifurcaciones homoclínicas transversales. b) Hemos observado tanto numérica como experimentalmente intermitencias de tipo I, cuasiperiódicas i caóticas. c) Hemos realizado un estudio detallado de codimensión dos de la sincronización entre el dispositivo bicapa i la modulación externa. Hemos observado la existencia de lenguas de Arnold resultantes del enclavamiento de frecuencias y hemos descubierto una la rica variedad de inestabilidades asociadas a transiciones entre dos de dichas lenguas. Concretamente hemos demostrado la existencia de cinco puntos diferentes de bifurcaciones locales de codimensión dos. Hemos estudiado las bifurcaciones homoclínicas resultantes de aplicar la modulación externa sobre una orbita periódica del sistema autónomo cercano a realizar una bifurcación homoclínica. Hemos demostrado el especial interés del sistema modulado en el estudio del caos homoclínico. Concretamente, hemos presentado pruebas numéricas y experimentales de la existencia de caos homoclínico asociado a atractores del tipo Birkoff-Shaw. También hemos realizado un estudio numérico detallado de la estructura de les subvariedades invariantes que nos ha revelado el carácter transversal de la conexión homoclínica.This work studies numerically and experimentally the dynamics of an opto-thermal bistable device illuminated with an intensity-modulated laser beam. This device is a Fabry-Perot interferometer whose cavity spacer is formed by two layers of transparent materials with opposite thermo-optical coefficients and its input mirror consists of a metallic film whose thickness and optical constants are such that the interferential contrast of the light absorption is optimized. The device dynamics is described in terms of a system of linear homogeneous heat equations subjected to continuity and boundary conditions. This boundary condition should be highlighted since it describes the source of localized heat on the input mirror. This condition is neither local nor lineal and, as a matter of fact, it is responsible for the dynamic non-linearities in the device. We solved the problem of reducing the system of equations in partial derivatives (PDE's) and we have obtained a practically equivalent system in ordinary derivatives (ODE's) whose order equals the number of layers in the cavity spacer. This has been extended to the general case of a multi-layer spacer with an arbitrary number of layers and a direct relationship between the ODE's system coefficients and the physical parameters of the device has been established and the coincidence of both descriptions has been verified. As for the bilayer with modulated excitation, the system is described by a non-autonomous 2-order system or, equivalently, by an autonomous 3-order system. The system new variables are the interferometric phases associated to each layer, which are proportional to the average temperature at each layer. We have observed a rich dynamics characteristic for non-autonomous systems. More concretely, a) Periodic doubling sequences and inverse cascades were numerically and experimentally observed. A detailed study of internal crisis responsible for the formation of chaotic bands was made in the cascades. These internal crises are transversal homoclinic bifurcations. b) Chaotic and 2-periodic type I intermittencies were observed numerically and experimentally. c) A deep study of two-codimension on the synchronization between the bilayer device and the external modulation was made. It's been stated that the Arnold's tongues resulting from frequency-locking do exist and we have found a rich variety of instabilities associated with transitions between two of these tongues. Concretely, it has been proved that there are five different types of 2-codimension local bifurcations. We have studied the homoclinic bifurcations resultant from the application of external modulation onto an autonomous system periodic orbit close to perform a homoclinic bifurcation. It has been shown the great interest of the modulated system to study homoclinic chaos. Concretely, we have presented numerical and experimental evidences showing the existence of homoclinic chaos associated to Birkoff-Shaw attractors. Besides, we have thoroughly studied numerically the structure of manifolds which has revealed the transversal character of the homoclinic connection

Relaxation and derelaxation of pure and hydrogenated amorphous silicon during thermal annealing experiments

The structural relaxation of pure amorphous silicon (a-Si) and hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) materials, that occurs during thermal annealing experiments, has been analysed by Raman spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. Unlike a-Si, the heat evolved from a-Si:H cannot be explained by relaxation of the Si-Si network strain, but it reveals a derelaxation of the bond angle strain. Since the state of relaxation after annealing is very similar for pure and hydrogenated materials, our results give strong experimental support to the predicted configurational gap between a-Si and crystalline silicon.Comment: 15 pages, 3 figures, 1 table to be published in Applied Physics Letter

Quantification of the bond-angle dispersion by Raman spectroscopy and the strain energy of amorphous silicon

A thorough critical analysis of the theoretical relationships between the bond-angle dispersion in a-Si and the width of the transverse optical (TO) Raman peak is presented. It is shown that the discrepancies between them are drastically reduced when unified definitions for these magnitudes are used. This reduced dispersion in the predicted values of the bond-angle dispersion together with the broad agreement with its scarce direct determinations is then used to analyze the strain energy in partially relaxed pure a-Si. It is concluded that defect annihilation does not contribute appreciably to reducing the a-Si energy during structural relaxation. In contrast, it can account for half of the crystallization energy, which can be as low as 7 kJ/mol in defect-free a-Si.Comment: 24 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in J. Appl. Phy

Tumores sinusales en el Cementiri Vell (Banyoles, Girona) 2008

X Congreso Nacional de Paleopatología. Univesidad Autónoma de Madrid, septiembre de 200

Solid phase crystallization under continuous heating: kinetic and microstructure scaling laws

The kinetics and microstructure of solid-phase crystallization under continuous heating conditions and random distribution of nuclei are analyzed. An Arrhenius temperature dependence is assumed for both nucleation and growth rates. Under these circumstances, the system has a scaling law such that the behavior of the scaled system is independent of the heating rate. Hence, the kinetics and microstructure obtained at different heating rates differ only in time and length scaling factors.Concerning the kinetics, it is shown that the extended volume evolves with time according to alpha_ex=[exp(kappa Ct)]^m+1, where t' is the dimensionless time. This scaled solution not only represents a significant simplification of the system description, it also provides new tools for its analysis. For instance, it has been possible to find an analytical dependence of the final average grain size on kinetic parameters. Concerning the microstructure, the existence of a length scaling factor has allowed the grain-size distribution to be numerically calculated as a function of the kinetic parameters

Cell size distribution in a random tessellation of space governed by the Kolmogorov-Johnson-Mehl-Avrami model: Grain size distribution in crystallization

The space subdivision in cells resulting from a process of random nucleation and growth is a subject of interest in many scientific fields. In this paper, we deduce the expected value and variance of these distributions while assuming that the space subdivision process is in accordance with the premises of the Kolmogorov-Johnson-Mehl-Avrami model. We have not imposed restrictions on the time dependency of nucleation and growth rates. We have also developed an approximate analytical cell size probability density function. Finally, we have applied our approach to the distributions resulting from solid phase crystallization under isochronal heating conditions

Rock art recording in Khatm al Melaha (United Arab Emirates): Multirange data scanning and web mapping technologies

The application of geometric recording data and representation of open-air rock art is intrinsically so heterogeneous that new online web platforms are required for a more efficient analysis to link all the geo-referenced information and facilitate its scientific study. From 2015 to 2018, three geometric documentation campaigns led by the Departamento de Ingeniería Topográfica y Cartografía of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Spain) were completed in the area of Khatm al Melaha (Emirate of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates) along the Gulf of Oman. More than 370 rock art engraved motifs were documented in this area close to the southwest border with the Sultanate of Oman. All those figures were picked in 149 stone blocks with different dimensions and morphologies, distributed along the slope of an isolated 58-meter-high elevation. The aim of this project was to establish a protocol for the recording, analysis, preservation and prevention of this set of open-air rock art engravings with the following actions: developing an aerial and terrestrial recording data documentation, creating and developing a web platform called threeDcloud for visualizing three-dimensional models and web mapping, and integrating a data base by means of different JavaScript open-source libraries