Optical-power-dependent photodesorption kinetics of graphene studied by conductance response.

The photodesorption kinetics of graphene with various UV laser power is studied by conductance response. Analytical expressions of the power-dependent photodesorption kinetics of graphene in ambience are derived. The photodesorption time constant τd, steady current, and magnitude of modulation current, can be expressed as functions of the adsorption time constant τa, desorption cross section σ, and photon flux density. Under illumination the steady occupation ratio of adsorbed O2 on graphene is equal to τd/τa. It is suggested that the photodesorption of O2 on graphene is attributed the injection of photogenerated hot electrons and is restricted by the density of antibonding states of O2.

Revealing the flexoelectricity in the mixed-phase regions of epitaxial BiFeO3 thin films.

Understanding the elastic response on the nanoscale phase boundaries of multiferroics is an essential issue in order to explain their exotic behaviour. Mixed-phase BiFeO3 films, epitaxially grown on LaAlO3 (001) substrates, have been investigated by means of scanning probe microscopy to characterize the elastic and piezoelectric responses in the mixed-phase region of rhombohedral-like monoclinic (MI) and tilted tetragonal-like monoclinic (MII,tilt) phases. Ultrasonic force microscopy reveal that the regions with low/high stiffness values topologically coincide with the MI/MII,tilt phases. X-ray diffraction strain analysis confirms that the MI phase is more compliant than the MII,tilt one. Significantly, the correlation between elastic modulation and piezoresponse across the mixed-phase regions manifests that the flexoelectric effect results in the enhancement of the piezoresponse at the phase boundaries and in the MI regions. This accounts for the giant electromechanical effect in strained mixed-phase BiFeO3 films.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering of graphene with photo-assisted-synthesized gold nanoparticles.

This paper presents a convenient and reliable method to prepare gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on graphene. Photo-assisted synthesis (PAS) was employed to grow AuNPs in AuCl(4)(-) electrolyte on graphene. The size of AuNPs could be as large as 130 nm. This optical method had a steady growth rate of AuNPs. The distribution of AuNPs was well controlled by focusing the laser for PAS. The minimum diameter of the distribution was approximately 1 µm. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering of graphene due to AuNPs was observed. Electrical fields near AuNPs calculated by the finite-difference time-domain algorithm ensured that the Raman enhancement was attributed to the localized surface plasmons of AuNPs.

Generation and spectral manipulation of coherent terahertz radiation with two-stage optical rectification.

We propose and experimentally demonstrate the generation of single-cycle terahertz radiation with two-stage optical rectification in GaSe crystals. By adjusting the time delay between the pump pulses employed to excite the two stages, the terahertz radiation from the second GaSe crystal can constructively superpose with the terahertz field injected from the first stage. The high mutual coherence between the two terahertz radiation fields is ensured with the coherent optical rectification process and can be further used to synthesize a desired spectral profile of coherent THz radiation. The technique is also potentially useful for generating high-power single-cycle terahertz pulses, usually limited by the pulse walk-off effect of the nonlinear optical crystal used.

Erbium doped GaSe crystal for mid-IR applications.

We reported a type-I difference-frequency generator (DFG), based on erbium doped GaSe (Er:GaSe) crystals as a coherent infrared source tunable from 2.4 mum to 28 mum. The two mixing beams used for the DFG are a tunable near infrared output (1.1-1.8 mum) from an optical parametric amplifier (OPA) and the fundamental beam of a picosecond Nd:YAG laser at 1.064 mum. The system can produce a maximum output pulse energy of 5 microJ at wavelength of 3.5 microm, corresponding to a photon conversion efficiency of 8% at a pump intensity of 1.7 GW/cm(2). The nonlinear coefficient (d(eff)) of 0.5 atom % erbium doped GaSe crystal was found to be 55.3 pm/V or 24 % higher than that of a pure GaSe crystal. The improvement of d(eff) is attributed to the substitutive and interstitial doping of Er ion in GaSe unit cell. The optical properties of GaSe influenced by the erbium doping are also presented.

Generation properties of coherent infrared radiation in the optical absorption region of GaSe crystal.

We report a study of the effect of optical absorption on generation of coherent infrared radiation from mid-IR to THz region from GaSe crystal. The infrared-active modes of epsilon-GaSe crystal at 236 cm(-1) and 214 cm(-1) were found to be responsible for the observed optical dispersion and infrared absorption edge. Based upon phase matching characteristics of GaSe for difference-frequency generation (DFG), new Sellmeier equations of GaSe were proposed. The output THz power variation with wavelength can be properly explained with a decrease of parametric gain and the spectral profile of absorption coefficient of GaSe. The adverse effect of infrared absorption on (DFG) process can partially be compensated by doping GaSe crystal with erbium ions.

Orientation-enhanced growth and optical properties of ZnO nanowires grown on porous silicon substrates.

ZnO nanowires have been synthesized on porous silicon substrates with different porosities via the vapour-liquid-solid method. The texture coefficient analysed from the XRD spectra indicates that the nanowires are more highly orientated on the appropriate porosity of porous silicon substrate than on the smooth surface of silicon. The Raman spectrum reveals the high quality of the ZnO nanowires. From the temperature-dependent photoluminescence spectra, we deduced the activation energies of free and bound excitons.