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Expulsion of Carriers from the Double-Barrier Quantum Well and Investigation of Its Spectral and Transport Consequences
In this work I investigate the expulsion of carriers from nanostructures using the double-barrier quantum well (DBQW) as an example and discuss manifestations of this effect in the spectrum of the DBQW in absence of bias, and in the tunneling current in presence of bias. Assuming equality of the Fermi energy in all regions of the considered system, I compute the relative density of carriers localized in the DBQW and conclude that a fraction of carriers is expelled from this nanostructure.
L-Shell X-Ray Production Cross Sections for ₂₀Ca, ₂₆Fe, ₂₈Ni, ₂₉Cu, ₃₀Zn, ₃₁Ga, and ₃₂Ge by Hydrogen, Helium, and Lithium Ions
L-shell x-ray production cross sections are presented for Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, and Ge by 0.5- to 5.0-MeV protons and by 0.5- to 8.0-MeV helium ions and Ca, Fe, Ni, Cu, and Ge by 0.75- to 4.5-MeV lithium ions. These measurements are compared to the first Born theory and the perturbed-stationary- state theory with energy-loss, Coulomb deflection, and relativistic corrections (ECPSSR). The results are also compared to previous experimental investigations. The high precision x-ray measurements were performed with a windowless Si(Li) detector. The efficiency of the detector was determined by the use of thin target atomic-field bremsstrahlung produced by 66.5 keV electrons. The measured bremsstrahlung spectra were compared to theoretical bremsstrahlung distributions in order to obtain an efficiency versus energy curve. The targets for the measurement were manufactured by the vacuum evaporation of the target element onto thin foils of carbon. Impurities in the carbon caused interferences inthe L-shell x-ray peaks. Special cleansing procedures were developed that reduced the impurity concentrations in the carbon foil, making the use of less than 5 μg/cm^2 targets possible. The first Born theory is seen to greatly overpredict the data at low ion energies. The ECPSSR theory matches the data very well at the high energy region. At low energies, while fitting the data much more closely than the first Born theory, the ECPSSR theory does not accurately predict the trend of the data. This is probably due to the onset of molecular-orbital effects, a mechanism not accounted for in the ECPSSR theory.
Nonlinear Optical Absorption and Refraction Study of Metallophthalocyanine Dyes
This dissertation deals with the characterization of the nonlinear absorption and refraction of two representative metallophthalocyanine dyes: chloro aluminum phthalocyanine dissolved in methanol, referred to as CAP, and a silicon naphthalocyanine derivative dissolved in toluene, referred to as SiNc. Using the Z-scan technique, the experiments are performed on both the picosecond and nanosecond timescales at a wavelength of 0.532 μm.
Studies of Classically Chaotic Quantum Systems within the Pseudo-Probablilty Formalism
The evolution of classically chaotic quantum systems is analyzed within the formalism of Quantum Pseudo-Probability Distributions. Due to the deep connections that a quantum system shows with its classical correspondent in this representation, the Pseudo-Probability formalism appears to be a useful method of investigation in the field of "Quantum Chaos." In the first part of the thesis we generalize this formalism to quantum systems containing spin operators. It is shown that a classical-like equation of motion for the pseudo-probability distribution ρw can be constructed, dρw/dt = (L_CL + L_QGD)ρw, which is rigorously equivalent to the quantum von Neumann-Liouville equation. The operator L_CL is undistinguishable from the classical operator that generates the semiclassical equations of motion. In the case of the spin-boson system this operator produces semiclassical chaos and is responsible for quantum irreversibility and the fast growth of quantum uncertainty. Carrying out explicit calculations for a spin-boson Hamiltonian the joint action of L_CL and L_QGD is illustrated. It is shown that the latter operator, L_QGD makes the spin system 'remember' its quantum nature, and competes with the irreversibility induced by the former operator. In the second part we test the idea of the enhancement of the quantum uncertainty triggered by the classical chaos by investigating the analogous effect of diffusive excitation in periodically kicked quantum systems. The classical correspondents of these quantum systems exhibit, in the chaotic region, diffusive behavior of the unperturbed energy. For the Quantum Kicked Harmonic Oscillator, in the case of quantum resonances, we provide an exact solution of the quantum evolution. This proves the existence of a deterministic drift in the energy increase over time of the system considered. More generally, this "superdiffusive" excitation of the energy is due to coherent quantum mechanical tunnelling between degenerate tori of the classical phase space. In conclusion we find …
Nonlinear Optical Properties of GaAs at 1.06 micron, picosecond Pulse Investigation and Applications
The author explores absorptive and refractive optical nonlinearities at 1.06 [mu]m in bulk, semi-insulating, undoped GaAs with a particular emphasis on the influence of the native deep-level defect known as EL2. Picosecond pump-probe experimental technique is used to study the speed, magnitude, and origin of the absorptive and refractive optical nonlinearities and to characterize the dynamics of the optical excitation of EL2 in three distinctly different undoped, semi-insulating GaAs samples. Intense optical excitation of these materials leads to the redistribution of charge among the EL2 states resulting in an absorptive nonlinearity due to different cross sections for electron and hole generation through this level. This absorptive nonlinearity is used in conjunction with the linear optical properties of the material and independent information regarding the EL2 concentration to extract the cross section ratio [sigma][sub p]/[sigma][sub e] [approx equal]0.8, where [sigma][sub p](e) is the absorption cross section for hole (electron) generation from EL2[sup +] (EL2[sup 0]). The picosecond pump-probe technique can be used to determine that EL2/EL2[sup +]density ratio in an arbitrary undoped, semi-insulating GaAs sample. The author describes the use of complementary picosecond pump-probe techniques that are designed to isolate and quantify cumulative and instantaneous absorptive and refractive nonlinear processes. Numerical simulations of the measurements are achieved by solving Maxwell equations with the material equations in a self-consistent manner. The numerical analysis together with the experimental data allows extraction of a set of macroscopic nonlinear optical parameters in undoped GaAs. The nonlinearities in this material have been used to construct three proof-of-principle nonlinear optical devices for use at 1.06 [mu]m: (1) a weak beam amplifier, (2) a polarization rotation optical switch, and (3) optical limiters.
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