Y0.9 Er0.1 Al3(BO3)4 thin films prepared by the polymeric precursor method for integrated optics.

This work reports on the optimization of Yo.9 Er0.1 Al3(BO3)4 thin films for integrated optics. The films were deposited on silica and silicon substrates using the spin-coating technique involving solutions previously prepared by the polymeric precursor method. These deposits, 400-800 nm thick, were prepared by a 5-10 multi-layer process and heat treatments at different temperatures from glass transition to crystallization temperature, using heating rates of 2 or 5 degrees C/min. The structural characterizations were performed using grazing incidence X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Water and/or hydroxyl contents were also evaluated from FT-IR spectra. Microstructural evolution in term of annealing temperatures was analyzed by high resolution scanning electronic microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Optical transmission spectra were used to determine the refractive index and thickness through the envelope method of the films. Finally, the film guiding and optical properties were studied by m-line spectroscopy. The best film showed a good waveguiding with high light-coupling efficiency close to the theoretical limit.

Proximate Nitroxide Ligands in the Coordination Spheres of Manganese(II) and Nickel(II) Ions. Precursors for High-Dimensional Molecular Magnetic Materials.

The chelating nitroxide ligands 2-(2-pyridyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazolyl-3-oxide-1-oxy (NITPy, 1), 2-(2-imidazolyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazolyl-3-oxide-1-oxy (NITImH, 2), and 2-(2-benzimidazolyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazolyl-3-oxide-1-oxy (NITBzImH, 3) and some of their transition metal complexes (Mn(II), Ni(II), Zn(II)) have been prepared and characterized by X-ray diffraction techniques and magnetic susceptibility measurements. All complexes are four- (or three-) spin systems where the metal coordination sphere is free of ancillary ligands because of the chelate effect which enforces the coordination of the oxyl group. The fac or mer nature of these species depends on the metal ions and on the steric demand of the ligand. It has been found that crystal packing is an important driving force toward the fac modification when steric requirements are not important. Crystal packing is probably also the cause of the noncentrosymmetric space group observed for the derivatives of NITPy. For the Zn(II) complex of NITImH, a moderate inter-nitroxide interaction within the metal coordination sphere of -14 cm(-)(1) is estimated. However, due to the modification of the spin distribution upon complexation, this interaction does not play a major role in the other complexes, where strong antiferromagnetic metal-nitroxide interactions (H = -2JS(i).S(j), -111 < J < -53 cm(-)(1)) are operative. The derivatives of NITImH are precursors of extended species which would be obtained by deprotonation of the ligand.