Photoluminescence quantum efficiency of Er optical centers in GaN epilayers.

We report the quantum efficiency of photoluminescence processes of Er optical centers as well as the thermal quenching mechanism in GaN epilayers prepared by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. High resolution infrared spectroscopy and temperature dependence measurements of photoluminescence intensity from Er ions in GaN under resonant excitation excitations were performed. Data provide a picture of the thermal quenching processes and activation energy levels. By comparing the photoluminescence from Er ions in the epilayer with a reference sample of Er-doped SiO2, we find that the fraction of Er ions that emits photon at 1.54 µm upon a resonant optical excitation is approximately 68%. This result presents a significant step in the realization of GaN:Er epilayers as an optical gain medium at 1.54 µm.

Electrical control of exchange bias mediated by graphene.

The role of graphene in mediating the exchange interaction is theoretically investigated when placed between two ferromagnetic dielectric materials. The calculation based on a tight-binding model illustrates that the magnetic interactions at the interfaces affect not only the graphene band structure but also the thermodynamic potential of the system, leading to an effective exchange bias between magnetic layers. The analysis indicates a strong dependence of the exchange bias on the properties of the mediating layer, revealing an efficient mechanism of electrical control even at room temperature.

Residual surface roughness of diamond-turned optics.

The residual surface roughness of diamond-turned optics is expected to contain significant periodic components. The optical properties of such surfaces are explored as a special case of Rayleigh-Rice vector scattering theory applied to periodic roughness with vertical amplitudes much smaller than the wavelength of light. Expressions are given for the interpretation of differential-scatter, total-integrated-scatter, reflectometry, and ellipsometric measurements in the limit of a highly conducting. surface. In general, such measurements give varying degrees of information about the two-dimensional power spectral density of the surface roughness within the nominal range from the wavelength of light to the diameter of the probing beam spot. Such information may be useful for the practical characterization of mirror surfaces.