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Magnetotransport properties of AlxIn1-xAsySb1-y/GaSb and optical properties of GaAs1-xSbx.
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Multilayer structures of AlxIn1-xAsySb1-y/GaSb (0.37 £ x £ 0.43, 0.50 £ y £ 0.52), grown by molecular beam epitaxy on GaSb (100) substrates were characterized using variable temperature Hall and Shubnikov-de Haas techniques. For nominally undoped structures both p and n-type conductivity was observed. The mobilities obtained were lower than those predicted by an interpolation method using the binary alloys; therefore, a detailed analysis of mobility versus temperature data was performed to extract the appropriate scattering mechanisms. For p-type samples, the dominant mechanism was ionized impurity scattering at low temperatures and polar optical phonon scattering at higher temperatures. For n-type samples, ionized impurity scattering was predominant at low temperatures, and electron-hole scattering dominated for both the intermediate and high temperature range. Analyses of the Shubnikov-de Haas data indicate the presence of 2-D carrier confinement consistent with energy subbands in GaAszSb1-z potential wells. Epilayers of GaAs1-xSbx (0.19<x<0.71), grown by MBE on semi-insulating GaAs with various substrate orientations, were studied by absorption measurements over the temperature range of 4-300 K. The various substrate orientations were chosen to induce different degrees of spontaneous atomic ordering. The temperature dependence of the energy gap (Eg) for each of these samples was modeled using three semi-empirical relationships. The resulting coefficients for each model describe not only the temperature dependence of Eg for each of the alloy compositions investigated, but also for all published results for this alloy system. The effect of ordering in these samples was manifested by a deviation of the value of Eg from the value of the random alloy. The presence of CuPt-B type atomic ordering was verified by transmission electron diffraction measurements, and the order parameter was estimated for all the samples investigated and found to be larger for the samples grown on the (111) A offcut orientations. This result strongly suggests that it is the A steps that contribute to the formation of the CuPt-B type ordering in the GaAs1-xSbx alloy system. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc5522/
Maxwell's Equations from Electrostatics and Einstein's Gravitational Field Equation from Newton's Universal Law of Gravitation Using Tensors
Maxwell's equations are obtained from Coulomb's Law using special relativity. For the derivation, tensor analysis is used, charge is assumed to be a conserved scalar, the Lorentz force is assumed to be a pure force, and the principle of superposition is assumed to hold. Einstein's gravitational field equation is obtained from Newton's universal law of gravitation. In order to proceed, the principle of least action for gravity is shown to be equivalent to the maximization of proper time along a geodesic. The conservation of energy and momentum is assumed, which, through the use of the Bianchi identity, results in Einstein's field equation. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc4532/
Measurement of Dielectric Constant and Dipole Moment of Liquids
A study of procedures and techniques of measuring dielectric constant and dipole moment of liquids. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc83399/
Mechanism and the Effect of Microwave-Carbon Nanotube Interaction
A series of experimental results about unusual heating of carbon nanotubes by microwaves is analyzed in this dissertation. Two of vibration types, cantilever type (one end is fixed and the other one end is free), the second type is both ends are fixed, have been studied by other people. A third type of forced vibration of carbon nanotubes under an alternating electromagnetic field is examined in this paper. Heating of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by microwaves is described in terms of nonlinear dynamics of a vibrating nanotube. Results from the model provide a way to understand several observations that have been made. It is shown that transverse vibrations of CNTs during microwave irradiation can be attributed to transverse parametric resonance, as occurs in the analysis of Melde's experiment on forced longitudinal vibrations of a stretched elastic string. For many kinds of carbon nanotubes (SWNT, DWNT, MWNT, ropes and strands) the resonant parameters are found to be located in an unstable region of the parameter space of Mathieu's equation. Third order wave equations are used to qualitatively describe the effects of phonon-phonon interactions and energy transfer from microwaves to CNTs. This result provides another way to input energy from microwaves to carbon nanotubes besides the usual Joule heating via electron-phonon interaction. This model appears to be the first to point out the role of nonlinear dynamics in the heating of CNTs by microwaves. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc4919/
A Method for Calculating Foil Depression Factors
As disc-shaped detectors are one of the primary means of measuring the neutron density, a better solution is desirable if the error due to the depression factor is to be made negligible. In this paper, an attempt is made to solve this problem in the oblate spheroidal co-ordinate system which most nearly describes the disc-shaped detector, so that solutions may be obtained that describe depression factors for detectors of varying thicknesses and radii. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc130315/
Microscopic Foundations of Thermodynamics and Generalized Statistical Ensembles
This dissertation aims at addressing two important theoretical questions which are still debated in the statistical mechanical community. The first question has to do with the outstanding problem of how to reconcile time-reversal asymmetric macroscopic laws with the time-reversal symmetric laws of microscopic dynamics. This problem is addressed by developing a novel mechanical approach inspired by the work of Helmholtz on monocyclic systems and the Heat Theorem, i.e., the Helmholtz Theorem. By following a line of investigation initiated by Boltzmann, a Generalized Helmholtz Theorem is stated and proved. This theorem provides us with a good microscopic analogue of thermodynamic entropy. This is the volume entropy, namely the logarithm of the volume of phase space enclosed by the constant energy hyper-surface. By using quantum mechanics only, it is shown that such entropy can only increase. This can be seen as a novel rigorous proof of the Second Law of Thermodynamics that sheds new light onto the arrow of time problem. The volume entropy behaves in a thermodynamic-like way independent of the number of degrees of freedom of the system, indicating that a whole thermodynamic-like world exists at the microscopic level. It is also shown that breaking of ergodicity leads to microcanonical phase transitions associated with nonanalyticities of volume entropy. The second part of the dissertation deals with the problem of the foundations of generalized ensembles in statistical mechanics. The starting point is Boltzmann's work on statistical ensembles and its relation with the Heat Theorem. We first focus on the nonextensive thermostatistics of Tsallis and the associated deformed exponential ensembles. These ensembles are analyzed in detail and proved (a) to comply with the requirements posed by the Heat Theorem, and (b) to interpolate between canonical and microcanonical ensembles. Further they are showed to describe finite systems in contact with finite heat baths. Their mechanical and information-theoretic foundation, are highlighted. Finally, a wide class of generalized ensembles is introduced, all of which reproduce the Heat Theorem. This class, named the class of dual orthodes, contains microcanonical, canonical, Tsallis and Gaussian ensembles as special cases. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc6128/
Microstructure and Electronic Structures of Er-Doped Si Nano-particles Synthesized by Vapor Phase Pyrolysis
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Si nanoparticles are new prospective optoelectronic materials. Unlike bulk Si cry-stals, Si nanoparticles display intriguing room-temperature photoluminescence. A major challenge in the fabrication of Si nanoparticles is the control of their size distribution. The rare-earth element Er has unique photo emission properties, including low pumping power, and a temperature independent, sharp spectrum. The emission wavelength matches the transmission window of optical fibers used in the telecommunications industry. Therefore, the study of Er-doped Si nanoparticles may have practical significance. The goals of the research described in this dissertation are to investigate vapor phase pyrolysis methods and to characterize the microstructure and associated defects, particles size distributions and photoluminescence efficiencies of doped and undoped Si nanoparticles using analytical transmission electron microscopy, high resolution electron microscopy, and optical spectroscopy. Er-doped and undoped Si nanoparticles were synthesized via vapor-phase pyrolysis of disilane at Texas Christian University. To achieve monodisperse size distributions, a process with fast nucleation and slow growth was employed. Disilane was diluted to 0.48% with helium. A horizontal pyrolysis oven was maintained at a temperature of 1000 °C. The oven length was varied from 1.5 cm to 6.0 cm to investigate the influence of oven length on the properties of the nanoparticles. The Si nanoparticles were collected in ethylene-glycol. The doped and undoped Si nanoparticles have a Si diamond cubic crystal structure. Neither Er precipitation, Er oxides or Er silicides were detected in any of the samples. The Er dopant concentration was about 2 atom% for doped samples from the 3.0 and 6.0 cm ovens as determined by quantitative analysis using X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy. The average Si nanoparticle size increases from 11.3 to 15.2 nm in the doped samples and from 11.1 to 15.7 nm in the undoped samples as the oven length increases from 1.5 to 6.0 cm. HREM data show that average Si nanocrystallite size varies from 6.4 to 3.3 to 5.9 nm in the doped samples, and from 7.5 to 12.2 nm in the undoped samples as the oven length increases. Room-temperature Er photoluminescence has been detected near 1.54 :m from all doped samples. Saturation of the Er photoluminescence intensity at large emission power and the monotonic decrease of the intensity as a function of the emission wavelength in the doped sample from the 3.0 cm oven suggest that a carrier-mediated energy transfer process occurs in the Er-doped Si nanoparticles. It is the first time to successfully fabricate and investigate Er-doped Si nanoparticles. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc2476/
Microwave Cavity Test for Superconductivity
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The first part of this paper describes the Meissner effect in superconductors which serves as the most definitive evidence for superconductivity. It is shown that the microwave perturbation technique may be used to demonstrate this effect. By measuring the changes of resonant frequency and inverse quality factor Q of a microwave cavity with a small volume of sample loading, the Meissner effect can be shown by using the Slater perturbation equation. The experimental system is described with details and the basic principle of each component discussed. The second part of this work describes the technique employed to do the actual measurements. The experiments were conducted on samples of Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) and lead zirconate titanate (PZT) to look for the possible high temperature superconductivity properties. Results of these experiments are presented and discussed. Conclusion and suggestions to future exploration are made. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc2996/
Modification of Graphene Properties: Electron Induced Reversible Hydrogenation, Oxidative Etching and Layer-by-layer Thinning
In this dissertation, I present the mechanism of graphene hydrogenation via three different electron sources: scanning electron microscopy, e-beam irradiation and H2 and He plasma irradiation. in each case, hydrogenation occurs due to electron impact fragmentation of adsorbed water vapor from the sample preparation process. in the proposed model, secondary and backscattered electrons generated from incident electron interactions with the underlying silicon substrate are responsible for the dissociation of water vapor. Chemisorbed H species from the dissociation are responsible for converting graphene into hydrogenated graphene, graphane. These results may lead to higher quality graphane films having a larger band gap than currently reported. in addition, the dissertation presents a novel and scalable method of controllably removing single atomic planes from multi-layer graphene using electron irradiation from an intense He plasma under a positive sample bias. As the electronic properties or multi-layer graphene are highly dependent on the number of layers, n, reducing n in certain regions has many benefits. for example, a mask in conjunction with this thinning method could be used for device applications. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc115101/
Monte Carlo simulation and experimental studies of the production of neutron-rich medical isotopes using a particle accelerator.
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The developments of nuclear medicine lead to an increasing demand for the production of radioisotopes with suitable nuclear and chemical properties. Furthermore, from the literature it is evident that the production of radioisotopes using charged-particle accelerators instead of nuclear reactors is gaining increasing popularity. The main advantages of producing medical isotopes with accelerators are carrier free radionuclides of short lived isotopes, improved handling, reduction of the radioactive waste, and lower cost of isotope fabrication. Proton-rich isotopes are the result of nuclear interactions between enriched stable isotopes and energetic protons. An interesting observation is that during the production of proton-rich isotopes, fast and intermediately fast neutrons from nuclear reactions such as (p,xn) are also produced as a by-product in the nuclear reactions. This observation suggests that it is perhaps possible to use these neutrons to activate secondary targets for the production of neutron-rich isotopes. The study of secondary radioisotope production with fast neutrons from (p,xn) reactions using a particle accelerator is the main goal of the research in this thesis. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc3077/
Multifunctional Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Nanophotonic Devices
The emergence of optical applications, such as lasers, fiber optics, and semiconductor based sources and detectors, has created a drive for smaller and more specialized devices. Nanophotonics is an emerging field of study that encompasses the disciplines of physics, engineering, chemistry, biology, applied sciences and biomedical technology. In particular, nanophotonics explores optical processes on a nanoscale. This dissertation presents nanophotonic applications that incorporate various forms of the organic polymer N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPA) with inorganic semiconductors. This includes the material characterization of NIPA, with such techniques as ellipsometry and dynamic light scattering. Two devices were constructed incorporating the NIPA hydrogel with semiconductors. The first device comprises a PNIPAM-CdTe hybrid material. The PNIPAM is a means for the control of distances between CdTe quantum dots encapsulated within the hydrogel. Controlling the distance between the quantum dots allows for the control of resonant energy transfer between neighboring quantum dots. Whereby, providing a means for controlling the temperature dependent red-shifts in photoluminescent peaks and FWHM. Further, enhancement of photoluminescent due to increased scattering in the medium is shown as a function of temperature. The second device incorporates NIPA into a 2D photonic crystal patterned on GaAs. The refractive index change of the NIPA hydrogel as it undergoes its phase change creates a controllable mechanism for adjusting the transmittance of light frequencies through a linear defect in a photonic crystal. The NIPA infiltrated photonic crystal shows greater shifts in the bandwidth per ºC than any liquid crystal methods. This dissertation demonstrates the versatile uses of hydrogel, as a means of control in nanophotonic devices, and will likely lead to development of other hybrid applications. The development of smaller light based applications will facilitate the need to augment the devices with control mechanism and will play an increasing important role in the future. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc6108/
Nanoscale Materials Applications: Thermoelectrical, Biological, and Optical Applications with Nanomanipulation Technology
In a sub-wavelength scale, even approaching to the atomic scale, nanoscale physics shows various novel phenomena. Since it has been named, nanoscience and nanotechnology has been employed to explore and exploit this small scale world. For example, with various functionalized features, nanowire (NW) has been making its leading position in the researches of physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering as a miniaturized building block. Its individual characteristic shows superior and unique features compared with its bulk counterpart. As one part of these research efforts and progresses, and with a part of the fulfillment of degree study, novel methodologies and device structures in nanoscale were devised and developed to show the abilities of high performing thermoelectrical, biological, and optical applications. A single β-SiC NW was characterized for its thermoelectric properties (thermal conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, and figure of merit) to compare with its bulk counterpart. The combined structure of Ag NW and ND was made to exhibit its ability of clear imaging of a fluorescent cell. And a plasmonic nanosture of silver (Ag) nanodot array and a β-SiC NW was fabricated to show a high efficient light harvesting device that allows us to make a better efficient solar cell. Novel nanomanipulation techniques were developed and employed in order to fabricate all of these measurement platforms. Additionally, one of these methodological approaches was used to successfully isolate a few layer graphene. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc84238/
Nested Well Plasma Traps
Criteria for the confinement of plasmas consisting of a positive and negative component in Penning type traps with nested electric potential wells are presented. Computational techniques for the self-consistent calculation of potential and plasma density distributions are developed. Analyses are presented of the use of nested well Penning traps for several applications. The analyses include: calculations of timescales relevant to the applications, e.g. reaction, confinement and relaxation timescales, self-consistent computations, and consideration of other physical phenomenon important to the applications. Possible applications of a nested well penning trap include production of high charge state ions, studies of high charge state ions, and production of antihydrogen. In addition the properties of a modified Penning trap consisting of an electric potential well applied along a radial magnetic field are explored. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc2647/
Neutron Density Depression Due to an Oblate Spheroidal Detector
In this paper, two projects have been undertaken. First, Workman's calculations have been checked to a higher degree of approximation to determine the accuracy of his method. Second, a new set of boundary conditions has been developed for obtaining solutions of the neutron diffusion equation which do not depend on the solution of the equation inside the detector. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc130362/
Neutron Transmutation and Hydrogenation Study of Hg₁₋xCdxTe
Anomalous Hall behavior of HgCdTe refers to a "double cross-over" feature of the Hall coefficient in p-type material, or a peak in the Hall mobility or Hall coefficient in n-type material. A magnetoconductivity tensor approach was utilized to identify presence of two electrons contributing to the conduction as well as transport properties of each electron in the material. The two electron model for the mobility shows that the anomalous Hall behavior results from the competition of two electrons, one in the energy gap graded region near the CdZnTe/HgCdTe interface with large band gap and the other in the bulk of the LPE film with narrow band gap. Hg0.78Cd0.22Te samples grown by LPE on CdZnTe(111B)-oriented substrates were exposed to various doses of thermal neutrons (~1.7 x 1016 - 1.25 x 1017 /cm2) and subsequently annealed at ~220oC for ~24h in Hg saturated vapor to recover damage and reduce the presence of Hg vacancies. Extensive Magnetotransport measurements were performed on these samples. SIMS profile for impurities produced by neutron irradiation was also obtained. The purpose for this study is to investigate the influence of neutron irradiation on this material as a basis for further study on HgCdTe74Se. The result shows that total mobility is observed to decrease with increased neutron dose and can be fitted by including a mobility inverse proportional to neutron dose. Electron introduction rate of thermal neutron is much smaller than that of fission neutrons. Total recovering of the material is suggested to have longer time annealing. Using Kane's model, we also fitted carrier concentration change at low temperature by introducing a donor level with activation energy changing with temperature. Results on Se diffusion in liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) grown HgCdTe epilayers is reported. The LPE Hg0.78Cd0.22Te samples were implanted with Se of 2.0×1014/cm2 at 100keV and annealed at 350-450oC in mercury saturated vapor. Secondary ions mass spectrometry (SIMS) profiles were obtained for each sample. From a Gaussian fit we find that the Se diffusion coefficient DSe is about one to two orders of magnitude smaller than that of arsenic. The as-implanted Se distribution is taken into account in case of small diffusion length in Gaussian fitting. Assuming a Te vacancy based mechanism, the Arrhenius relationship yields an activation energy 1.84eV. Dislocations introduced in HgCdTe materials result in two energy levels, where one is a donor and one is an acceptor. Hydrogenation treatment can effectively neutralize these dislocation defect levels. Both experimental results and theoretical calculation show that the mobility due to dislocation scattering remains constant in the low temperature range (<77K), and increases with temperature between 77K and 150K. Dislocation scattering has little effect on electrical transport properties of HgCdTe with an EPD lower than 107/cm2. Dislocations may have little effect on carrier concentration for semiconductor material with zinc blende structure due to self compensation. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc9126/
A Non-equilibrium Approach to Scale Free Networks
Many processes and systems in nature and society can be characterized as large numbers of discrete elements that are (usually non-uniformly) interrelated. These networks were long thought to be random, but in the late 1990s, Barabási and Albert found that an underlying structure did in fact exist in many natural and technological networks that are now referred to as scale free. Since then, researchers have gained a much deeper understanding of this particular form of complexity, largely by combining graph theory, statistical physics, and advances in computing technology. This dissertation focuses on out-of-equilibrium dynamic processes as they unfold on these complex networks. Diffusion in networks of non-interacting nodes is shown to be temporally complex, while equilibrium is represented by a stable state with Poissonian fluctuations. Scale free networks achieve equilibrium very quickly compared to regular networks, and the most efficient are those with the lowest inverse power law exponent. Temporally complex diffusion also occurs in networks with interacting nodes under a cooperative decision-making model. At a critical value of the cooperation parameter, the most efficient scale free network achieves consensus almost as quickly as the equivalent all-to-all network. This finding suggests that the ubiquity of scale free networks in nature is due to Zipf's principle of least effort. It also suggests that an efficient scale free network structure may be optimal for real networks that require high connectivity but are hampered by high link costs. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc149609/
Non-Poissonian statistics, aging and "blinking'" quantum dots.
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This dissertation addresses the delicate problem of aging in complex systems characterized by non-Poissonian statistics. With reference to a generic two-states system interacting with a bath it is shown that to properly describe the evolution of such a system within the formalism of the continuous time random walk (CTRW), it has to be taken into account that, if the system is prepared at time t=0 and the observation of the system starts at a later time ta>0, the distribution of the first sojourn times in each of the two states depends on ta, the age of the system. It is shown that this aging property in the fractional derivative formalism forces to introduce a fractional index depending on time. It is shown also that, when a stationary condition exists, the Onsager regression principle is fulfilled only if the system is aged and consequently if an infinitely aged distribution for the first sojourn times is adopted in the CTRW formalism used to describe the system itself. This dissertation, as final result, shows how to extend to the non-Poisson case the Kubo Anderson (KA) lineshape theory, so as to turn it into a theoretical tool adequate to describe the time evolution of the absorption and emission spectra of CdSe quantum dots. The fluorescence emission of these single nanocrystals exhibits interesting intermittent behavior, namely, a sequence of "light on" and "light off" states, departing from Poisson statistics. Taking aging into account an exact analytical treatment is derived to calculate the spectrum. In the regime fitting experimental data this final result implies that the spectrum of the "blinking" quantum dots must age forever. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc4555/
The Nonadditive Generalization of Klimontovich's S-Theorem for Open Systems and Boltzmann's Orthodes
We show that the nonadditive open systems can be studied in a consistent manner by using a generalized version of S-theorem. This new generalized S-theorem can further be considered as an indication of self-organization in nonadditive open systems as prescribed by Haken. The nonadditive S-theorem is then illustrated by using the modified Van der Pol oscillator. Finally, Tsallis entropy as an equilibrium entropy is studied by using Boltzmann's method of orthodes. This part of dissertation shows that Tsallis ensemble is on equal footing with the microcanonical, canonical and grand canonical ensembles. However, the associated entropy turns out to be Renyi entropy. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc9124/
Nonlinear UV Laser Build-up Cavity: An Efficient Design
Using the concept of the build-up cavity for second harmonic generation to produce 243nm laser light, an innovative cavity is theoretically explored using a 15mm length CLBO crystal. In order to limit the losses of the cavity, the number of effective optical surfaces is kept to only four and the use of a MgF2 crystal is adopted to separate the harmonic and fundamental laser beam from each other. The cavity is shown to have an expected round trip loss of five tenths of a percent or better, resulting in a conversion efficiency greater than 65%. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc9833/
A Novel Process for GeSi Thin Film Synthesis
A unique process of fabricating a strained layer GexSi1-x on insulator is demonstrated. Such strained heterostructures are useful in the fabrication of high-mobility transistors. This technique incorporates well-established silicon processing technology e.g., ion implantation and thermal oxidation. A dilute GeSi layer is initially formed by implanting Ge+ into a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate. Thermal oxidation segregates the Ge at the growing oxide interface to form a distinct GexSi1-x thin-film with a composition that can be tailored by controlling the oxidation parameters (e.g. temperature and oxidation ambient). In addition, the film thickness can be controlled by implantation fluence, which is important since the film forms pseudomorphically below 2×1016 Ge/cm2. Continued oxidation consumes the underlying Si leaving the strained GeSi film encapsulated by the two oxide layers, i.e. the top thermal oxide and the buried oxide. Removal of the thermal oxide by a dilute HF etch completes the process. Strain relaxation can be achieved by either of two methods. One involves vacancy injection by ion implantation to introduce sufficient open-volume within the film to compensate for the compressive strain. The other depends upon the formation of GeO2. If Ge is oxidized in the absence of Si, it evaporates as GeO(g) resulting in spontaneous relaxation within the strained film. Conditions under which this occurs have been discussed along with elaborated results of oxidation kinetics of Ge-ion implanted silicon. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), ion channeling, Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used as the characterization techniques. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc5167/
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance in Hydrated Crystals - Potassium Oxalate Monohydrate
The problem of this study was the measurement of the proton-proton separation in the water molecule of hydration in a single crystal of potassium oxalate monohydrate. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc108140/
Oligonucleotide guanosine conjugated to gallium nitride nano-structures for photonics.
In this work, I studied the hybrid system based on self-assembled guanosine crystal (SAGC) conjugated to wide-bandgap semiconductor gallium nitride (GaN). Guanosine is one of the four bases of DNA and has the lowest oxidation energy, which favors carrier transport. It also has large dipole moment. Guanosine molecules self-assemble to ribbon-like structure in confined space. GaN surface can have positive or negative polarity depending on whether the surface is Ga- or N-terminated. I studied SAGC in confined space between two electrodes. The current-voltage characteristics can be explained very well with the theory of metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) structure. I-V curves also show strong rectification effect, which can be explained by the intrinsic polarization along the axis of ribbon-like structure of SAGC. GaN substrate property influences the properties of SAGC. So SAGC has semiconductor properties within the confined space up to 458nm. When the gap distance gets up to 484nm, the structure with guanosine shows resistance characteristics. The photocurrent measurements show that the bandgap of SAGC is about 3.3-3.4eV and affected by substrate properties. The MSM structure based on SAGC can be used as photodetector in UV region. Then I show that the periodic structure based on GaN and SAGC can have photonic bandgaps. The bandgap size and the band edges can be tuned by tuning lattice parameters. Light propagation and emission can be tuned by photonic crystals. So the hybrid photonic crystal can be potentially used to detect guanosine molecules. If guanosine molecules are used as functional linker to other biomolecules which usually absorb or emit light in blue to UV region, the hybrid photonic crystal can also be used to tune the coupling of light source to guanosine molecules, then to other biomolecules. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc9065/
Operation and Control of a Radiofrequency Ion Source
This thesis examines the operation and control of a radiofrequency ion source. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc130340/
Perturbation of renewal processes
Renewal theory began development in the early 1940s, as the need for it in the industrial engineering sub-discipline operations research had risen. In time, the theory found applications in many stochastic processes. In this thesis I investigated the effect of seasonal effects on Poisson and non-Poisson renewal processes in the form of perturbations. It was determined that the statistical analysis methods developed at UNT Center for Nonlinear Science can be used to detect the effects of seasonality on the data obtained from Poisson/non-Poisson renewal systems. It is proved that a perturbed Poisson process can serve as a paradigmatic model for a case where seasonality is correlated to the noise and that diffusion entropy method can be utilized in revealing this relation. A renewal model making a connection with the stochastic resonance phenomena is used to analyze a previous neurological experiment, and it was shown that under the effect of a nonlinear perturbation, a non-Poisson system statistics may make a transition and end up in the of Poisson basin of statistics. I determine that nonlinear perturbation of the power index for a complex system will lead to a change in the complexity characteristics of the system, i.e., the system will reach a new form of complexity. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc6140/
Photoelectric Emission Measurements for CVD Grown Polycrystalline Diamond Films
We examined CVD grown polycrystalline diamond films having different methane concentrations to detect defects and study the possible correlation between the methane concentration used during the growth process and the defect density. SEM and Raman results show that the amorphous and sp2 carbon content of the films increases with methane concentration. Furthermore, photoelectric emission from diamond is confirmed to be a two-photon process, hence the electrons are emitted from normally unoccupied states. We found that the photoelectric yield, for our samples, decreases with the increase in methane concentration. This trend can be accounted for in two different ways: either the types of defects observed in this experiment decrease in density as the methane concentration increases; or, the defect density stays the same or increases, but the increase in methane concentration leads to an increase in the electron affinity, which reduces the overall photoelectric yield. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc2199/
Picosecond Dynamics of Free-Carrier Populations, Space-Charge Fields, and Photorefractive Nonlinearities in Zincblende Semiconductors
Generally, nonlinear optics studies investigate optically-induced changes in refraction or absorption, and their application to spectroscopy or device fabrication. The photorefractive effect is a nonlinear optical effect that occurs in solids, where transport of an optically-induced free-carrier population results in an internal space-charge field, which produces an index change via the linear electrooptic effect. The photorefractive effect has been widely studied for a variety of materials and device applications, mainly because it allows large index changes to be generated with laser beams having only a few milliwatts of average power.Compound semiconductors are important photorefractive materials because they offer a near-infrared optical response, and because their carrier transport properties allow the index change to be generated quickly and efficiently. While many researchers have attempted to measure the fundamental temporal dynamics of the photorefractive effect in semiconductors using continuous-wave, nanosecond- and picosecond-pulsed laser beams, these investigations have been unsuccessful. However, studies with this goal are of clear relevance because they provide information about the fundamental physical processes that produce this effect, as well as the material's speed and efficiency limitations for device applications.In this dissertation, for the first time, we time-resolve the temporal dynamics of the photorefractive nonlinearities in two zincblende semiconductors, semi-insulating GaAs and undoped CdTe. While CdTe offers a lattice-match to the infrared material HgxCd1-xTe, semi-insulating GaAs has been widely used in optoelectronic and high-speed electronic applications. We use a novel transient-grating experimental method that allows picosecond temporal resolution and high sensitivity. Our results provide a clear and detailed picture of the picosecond photorefractive response of both materials, showing nonlinearities due to hot-carrier transport and the Dember space-charge field, and a long-lived nonlinearity that is due to the EL2 midgap species in GaAs. We numerically model our experimental results using a general set of equations that describe nonlinear diffraction and carrier transport, and obtain excellent agreement with the experimental results in both materials, for a wide variety of experimental conditions. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc2202/
Polymer Gels: Kinetics, Dynamics Studies and Their Applications as Biomaterials
The polymer gels especially hydrogels have a very special structure and useful features such as unusual volume phase transition, compatibility with biological systems, and sensitivity to environmental stimuli (temperature, pH value, electric field, light and more), which lead to many potential applications in physical and biochemical fields. This research includes: (1) the theoretical and experimental studies of polymer gels on swelling kinetics, spinodal decomposition, and solution convection in gel matrix; (2) applications of polymer gels in wound dressing, tissue-simulating optical phantom and gel display. The kinetics of gel swelling has been theoretically analyzed by considering coupled motions of both solvent and polymer network. Analytical solutions of the solvent and the network movement are derived from collective diffusion equations for a long cylindrical and a large disk gel. Kinetics of spinodal decomposition of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPA) polymer gel is investigated using turbidity and ultrasonic techniques. By probing movement of domains, a possible time-dependent gel structure in the spinodal decomposition region is presented. Theoretical studies of solution convection in gel matrix have been done and more analysis on dimensionless parameters is provided. To enhance the drug uptake and release capacity of silicone rubber (SR), NIPA hydrogel particles have been incorporated into a SR membrane. This SR/NIPA composite gel has promising attributes for wound dressing and other uses. Tissue-simulating optical phantom has been synthesized and studied using NIPA solution trapped inside a hydrogel. Polymer gels with engineered surface patterns were implemented. NIPA gel deposited on the surface of an acrylamide gel can be used as responsive gel display. A dynamically measurement technique of local shear modulus and swelling ratio of gel is presented based on an engineered periodic surface pattern as square array. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc4379/
A Positive Ion Source
This paper describes the construction of a positive ion source of the electrodeless discharge type and may be divided into two main topis; (1) the radio frequency oscillator and power amplifier and associated power supply and (2) the ionization chamber. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc83410/
Potential Distribution of an Electrical Source-Sink Combination Along the Axis of an Infinite Cylinder
In the present paper, an attempt is made to obtain the potential distribution in the case of two such charges, a source-sink combination, located on the axis of a bore hole drilled through an infinite, homogeneous medium. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc107854/
Precision Atomic Spectroscopy with an Integrated Electro- Optic Modulator and DBR Diode Laser at 1083nm
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We have explored the use of recently developed high speed integrated electro optic modulators and DBR diode lasers as a tool for precision laser studies of atoms. In particular, we have developed a technique using a high speed modulator as a key element and applied it to the study of the fine structure of the 23P state of atomic helium. This state has been of long standing interest in atomic physics and its study has been the aim of several recent experiments using various precision techniques. We present our method and results, which will describe a new method for determining the fine structure constant, and lead to a precision test of atomic theory. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc5847/
Precision measurements of the hyperfine structure in the 23P state of 3He.
The unusually large hyperfine structure splittings in the 23P state of the 3He isotope is measured using electro-optic techniques with high precision laser spectroscopy. Originally designed to probe the fine structure of the 4He atom, this experimental setup along with special modifications I implemented to resolve certain 3He related issues has made possible new high precision hyperfine structure measurements. Discussed are the details of the experimental setup and the modifications, including in depth information necessary to consider while performing these measurements. The results of these hyperfine structure measurements give an order of magnitude improvement in precision over the best previously reported values. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc4178/
Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance in Mica
The experiments to be described here were undertaken for the purpose of determining, if possible, by NMR techniques whether or not the hydroxyl protons in mica are bound in a regular crystalline array, and, if so, whether or not the hydroxyl protons occur in reasonably isolated pairs as in waters of hydration. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc108148/
Quaternion Representation of Crystal Point Groups
The physical behavior of crystalline solids is very closely related to the internal symmetry of the crystal structure. For this reason it is desirable to represent mathematically this symmetry in such a way that the actual physical problems can be handled as they arise. In the case of this thesis the research has been guided by a list of desired properties for such a representation. No claim is made that the list is complete. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc108066/
Quaternion Representation of Crystal Space Groups
This investigation is designed to find quaternion operators which will generate selected space groups and which are more convenient to manipulate in some important types of problems. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc108117/
Radar Scattering Cross-section of Triangular Corner Reflectors
The series of experimental studies to be described has been carried out in order to determine the feasibility of using corner reflectors as laboratory standards for model cross-section measurements. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc107940/
Random growth of interfaces: Statistical analysis of single columns and detection of critical events.
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The dynamics of growth and formation of surfaces and interfaces is becoming very important for the understanding of the origin and the behavior of a wide range of natural and industrial dynamical processes. The first part of the paper is focused on the interesting field of the random growth of surfaces and interfaces, which finds application in physics, geology, biology, economics, and engineering among others. In this part it is studied the random growth of surfaces from within the perspective of a single column, namely, the fluctuation of the column height around the mean value, which is depicted as being subordinated to a standard fluctuation-dissipation process with friction g. It is argued that the main properties of Kardar-Parisi-Zhang theory are derived by identifying the distribution of return times to y(0) = 0, which is a truncated inverse power law, with the distribution of subordination times. The agreement of the theoretical prediction with the numerical treatment of the model of ballistic deposition is remarkably good, in spite of the finite size effects affecting this model. The second part of the paper deals with the efficiency of the diffusion entropy analysis (DEA) when applied to the studies of stromatolites. In this case it is shown that this tool can be confidently used for the detection of complexity. The connection between the two studies is established by the use of the DEA itself. In fact, in both analyses, that is, the random growth of interfaces and the study of stromatolites, the method of diffusion entropy is able to detect the real scaling of the system, namely, the scaling of the process is determined by genuinely random events, also called critical events. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc4550/
A Reverberation Time Meter
This thesis describes the construction of an apparatus to measure reverberation time. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc83775/
Scanning Tunneling Microscopy of Homo-epitaxial Chemical Vapor Deposited Diamond (100) Films
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Atomic resolution images of hot-tungsten filament chemical-vapor-deposition (CVD) grown epitaxial diamond (100) films obtained in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) with a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) are reported. A (2x1) dimer surface reconstruction and amorphous atomic regions were observed on the hydrogen terminated (100) surface. The (2x1) unit cell was measured to be 0.51"0.01 x 0.25"0.01 nm2. The amorphous regions were identified as amorphous carbon. After CVD growth, the surface of the epitaxial films was amorphous at the atomic scale. After 2 minutes of exposure to atomic hydrogen at 30 Torr and the sample temperature at 500° C, the surface was observed to consist of amorphous regions and (2x1) dimer reconstructed regions. After 5 minutes of exposure to atomic hydrogen, the surface was observed to consist mostly of (2x1) dimer reconstructed regions. These observations support a recent model for CVD diamond growth that is based on an amorphous carbon layer that is etched or converted to diamond by atomic hydrogen. With further exposure to atomic hydrogen at 500° C, etch pits were observed in the shape of inverted pyramids with {111} oriented sides. The temperature dependence of atomic hydrogen etching of the diamond (100) surface was also investigated using UHV STM, and it was found that it was highly temperature dependent. Etching with a diamond sample temperature of 200° C produced (100) surfaces that are atomically rough with no large pits, indicating that the hydrogen etch was isotropic at 200° C. Atomic hydrogen etching of the surface with a sample temperature of 500° C produced etch-pits and vacancy islands indicating an anisotropic etch at 500° C. With a sample temperature of 1000° C during the hydrogen etch, the (100) surface was atomically smooth with no pits and few single atomic vacancies, but with vacancy rows predominantly in the direction of the dimer rows, indicating that the 1000° C etch was highly anisotropic. Raman spectroscopy was used as a temperature probe, and for determining film quality. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc2446/
Scattering Cross-sections of 4/1 Prolate Spheroids
This is a report of the second in a projected series of experiments at North Texas State College designed for obtaining information about the microwave scattering properties of various shaped objects. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc107888/
Some Galvanomagnetic and Thermomagnetic Effects in a Single Crystal of Antimony
The purpose of this investigation is to develop techniques of experimentation in the field of electron transport phenomena. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc108167/
Space-Charge Saturation and Current Limits in Cylindrical Drift Tubes and Planar Sheaths
Space-charge effects play a dominant role in many areas of physics. In high-power microwave devices using high-current, relativistic electron beams, it places a limit on the amount of radiation a device can produce. Because the beam's space-charge can actually reflect a portion of the beam, the ability to accurately predict the amount of current a device can carry is needed. This current value is known as the space-charge limited current. Because of the mathematical difficulties, this limit is typically estimated from a one-dimensional theory. This work presents a two-dimensional theory for calculating an upper-bound for the space-charge limited current of relativistic electron beams propagating in grounded coaxial drift tubes. Applicable to annular beams of arbitrary radius and thickness, the theory includes the effect introduced by a finite-length drift tube of circular cross-section. Using Green's second identity, the need to solve Poisson's equation is transferred to solving a Sturm-Liouville eigenvalue problem, which is easily solved by elementary methods. In general, the resulting eigenvalue, which is required to estimate the limiting current, must be numerically determined. However, analytic expressions can be found for frequently encountered limiting cases. Space-charge effects also produce the fundamental collective behavior found in plasmas, especially in plasma sheaths. A plasma sheath is the transition region between a bulk plasma and an adjacent plasma-facing surface. The sheath controls the loss of particles from the plasma in order to maintain neutrality. Using a fully kinetic theory, the problem of a planar sheath with a single-minimum electric potential profile is investigated. Appropriate for single charge-state ions of arbitrary temperature, the theory includes the emission of warm electrons from the surface as well as a net current through the sheath and is compared to particle-in-cell simulations. Approximate expressions are developed for estimating the sheath potential as well as the transition to space-charge saturation. The case of a space-charge limited sheath is discussed and compared to the familiar Child-Langmuir law. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc2598/
A Statistical Study of Hard X-Ray Solar Flares
The results of a statistical study of hard x-ray solar flares are presented in this dissertation. Two methods of analysis were used, the Diffusion Entropy (DE) method coupled with an analysis of the data distributions and the Rescaled Range (R/S) Method, sometimes referred to as "Hurst's method". Chapter one provides an introduction to hard x-ray flares within the context of the solar environment and a summary of the statistical paradigms solar astronomers currently work under. Chapter two presents the theory behind the DE and R/S methods. Chapter three presents the results of the two analysis methodologies: most notably important evidence of the conflicting results of the R/S and DE methods, evidence of a Levy statistical signature for the underlying dynamics of the hard x-ray flaring process and a possible separate memory signature for the waiting times. In addition, the stationary and nonstationary characteristics of the waiting times and peak intensities, are revealed. Chapter four provides a concise summary and discussion of the results. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc3045/
The Stereochemistry of Diphenylhexatriene
The problem with which this paper is concerned has as its basis one of the most important properties of the conjugated system of double bonds found in some organic molecules, namely, the ability to exhibit stereoisomerism. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc83376/
Stochastic Mechanical Systems
To understand the phenomena associated with such stochastic processes and to predict, at least qualitatively, the behavior of mechanical systems within environments which are completely random in time, new mechanical tools are necessary. Fortunately, the derivation of these tools does not necessitate a complete departure from existing theories. In fact, they may be considered as an extension of the well-defined theory of the integral transform, in particular, the exponential Fourier integral transform. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc130453/
The stopping of energetic Si, P and S ions in Ni, Cu, Ge and GaAs targets.
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Accurate knowledge of stopping powers is essential for these for quantitative analysis and surface characterization of thin films using ion beam analysis (IBA). These values are also of interest in radiobiology and radiotherapy, and in ion- implantation technology where shrinking feature sizes puts high demands on the accuracy of range calculations. A theory that predicts stopping powers and ranges for all projectile-target combinations is needed. The most important database used to report the stopping powers is the SRIM/TRIM program developed by Ziegler and coworkers. However, other researchers report that at times, these values differ significantly from experimental values. In this study the stopping powers of Si, P and S ions have been measured in Ni, Cu, Ge and GaAs absorbers in the energy range ~ 2-10 MeV. For elemental films of Ni, Cu and Ge, the stopping of heavy ions was measured using a novel ERD (Elastic Recoil Detection) based technique. In which an elastically recoiled lighter atom is used to indirectly measure the energy of the incoming heavy ion using a surface barrier detector. In this way it was possible to reduce the damage and to improve the FWHM of the detector. The results were compared to SRIM-2000 predictions and other experimental measurements. A new technique derived from Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) was developed to prepare stoichiometric GaAs films on thin carbon films for use in transmission ion beam experiments. The GaAs films were characterized using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Particle Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE). These films were used to investigate the stopping powers of energetic heavy ions in GaAs and to provide data for the calculation of Bethe-Bloch parameters in the framework of the Modified Bethe-Bloch theory. As a result of this study, stopping power data are available for the first time for Si and P ions in the energy range 2-10 MeV stopping in GaAs absorbers. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc3004/
A Study of Emitter Drift in Transistors
The purpose of this investigation was to determine the parameters of emitter drift and to suggest a mechanism for this phenomenon. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc130473/
Studying Interactions of Gas Molecules with Nanomaterials Loaded in a Microwave Resonant Cavity
A resonant cavity operating in TE011 mode was used to study the adsorption response of single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and other nanomaterials for different types of gas molecules. The range of the frequency signal as a probe was chosen as geometry dependent range between 9.1 -9.8 GHz. A highly specific range can be studied for further experiments dependent on the type of molecule being investigated. It was found that for different pressures of gases and for different types of nanomaterials, there was a different response in the shifts of the probe signal for each cycle of gassing and degassing of the cavity. This dissertation suggests that microwave spectroscopy of a complex medium of gases and carbon nanotubes can be used as a highly sensitive technique to determine the complex dielectric response of different polar as well as non-polar gases when subjected to intense electromagnetic fields within the cavity. Also, as part of the experimental work, a range of other micro-porous materials was tested using the residual gas analysis (RGA) technique to determine their intrinsic absorption/adsorption characteristics when under an ultra-high vacuum environment. The scientific results obtained from this investigation, led to the development of a chemical biological sensor prototype. The method proposed is to develop operational sensors to detect toxin gases for homeland security applications and also develop sniffers to detect toxin drugs for law enforcement agency personnel. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc4009/
Superconductivity
This thesis is a study of the phenomenon of superconductivity. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc83380/
Surface Segregation in Multi-component Systems: Modeling Binary Ni-Al Alloys Using the BFS Method
Although the study of surface segregation has a great technological importance, the work done in the field was for a long time largely restricted to experimental studies and the theoretical work was neglected. However, recent improvements in both first principles and semi-empirical methods are opening a new era for surface scientists. A method developed by Bozzolo, Ferrante, and Smith (BFS) is particularly suitable for complex systems and several aspects of the computational modeling of surfaces and segregation, including alloy surface segregation, structure and composition of alloy surfaces and the formation of surface alloys. In the following work I introduce the BFS method and apply it to model the Ni-Al alloy through a Monte-Carlo simulation. A comparison between my results and those results published by the group mentioned above was my goal. This thesis also includes a detailed explanation of the application of the BFS method to surfaces of multi-component metallic systems, beyond binary alloys. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc4599/
A System for Measurement of Negative-Ion Charge-Exchange Cross Sections
A radio-frequency positive-ion source and a fifty-kilovolt linear accelerator were designed and constructed in order to produce sizable quantities of hydrogen, helium, nitrogen, neon, and argon. Plans were then made to equip this ion source with charge-exchange apparatus suitable for charge-exchange cross-sectional measurements. It is the purpose of this paper to present the design of the equipment and to present operational knowledge of the equipment and of ion beams which are producible. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc108076/