arXiv subjects

Guillaume Petite

Publications and source records attributed to Guillaume Petite.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2008

Effect of Sm-, Gd- codoping on structural modifications in aluminoborosilicate glasses under beta-irradiation

Two series of Sm-, Gd-codoped aluminoborosilicate glasses with different total rare earth content have been studied in order to examine the codoping effect on the structural modifications of beta-irradiated glasses. The data obtained by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance spectroscopy indicated that relative amount of Gd3+ ions located in network former position reveals non-linear dependence on Sm/Gd ratio. Besides, codoping leads to the evolution of the EPR signal attributed to defects created by irradiation: superhyperfine structure of boron oxygen hole centres EPR line becomes less noticeable and resolved with increase of Gd amount. This fact manifests that Gd3+ ions are mainly diluted in vicinity of the boron network. By Raman spectroscopy, we showed that the structural changes induced by the irradiation also reveal non-linear behaviour with Sm/Gd ratio. In fact, the shift of the Si-O-Si bending vibration modes has a clear minimum for the samples containing equal amount of Sm and Gd (50:50) in both series of the investigated glasses. In contrast, for single doped glass there is no influence of dopant's content on Si-O-Si shift (in case of Gd) or its diminution (in case of Sm) occurs which is explained by the reduction process influence. At the same time, no noticeable effect of codoping on Sm3+ intensity as well as on Sm2+ emission or on Sm reduction process was observed.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2008

Dynamics of Electrons in Gradient Nanostructures (Exactly Solvable Model)

A flexible multi-parameter exactly solvable model of potential profile, containing an arbitrary number of continuous smoothly shaped barriers and wells, both equal or unequal, characterized by finite values and continuous profiles of the potential and of its gradient, is presented. We demonstrate an influence of both gradient and curvature of these potentials on the electron transport and spectra of symmetric and asymmetric double-well (DW) potentials. The use of this model is simplified due to one to one correspondence between the algorithms of calculation of the transmittance of convex barriers and energy spectra of concave wells. We have shown that the resonant contrast between maximum and minimum in over-barrier reflectivity of curvilinear barrier exceeds significantly the analogous effect for rectangular barrier with the same height and width. Reflectionless tunneling of electrons below the bottom of gradient nanostructures forming concave potential barriers is considered. The analogy between dynamics of electrons in gradient fields and gradient optics of heterogeneous photonic barriers is illustrated.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2007

Gradient Optics of subwavelength nanofilms

Propagation and tunneling of light through subwavelength photonic barriers, formed by dielectric layers with continuous spatial variations of dielectric susceptibility across the film are considered. Effects of giant heterogeneity-induced non-local dispersion, both normal and anomalous, are examined by means of a series of exact analytical solutions of Maxwell equations for gradient media. Generalized Fresnel formulae, visualizing a profound influence of gradient and curvature of dielectric susceptibility profiles on reflectance/transmittance of periodical photonic heterostructures are presented. Depending on the cutoff frequency of the barrier, governed by technologically managed spatial profile of its refractive index, propagation or tunneling of light through these barriers are examined. Nonattenuative transfer of EM energy by evanescent waves, tunneling through dielectric gradient barriers, characterized by real values of refractive index, decreasing in the depth of medium, is shown. Scaling of the obtained results for different spectral ranges of visible, IR and THz waves is illustrated. Potential of gradient optical structures for design of miniaturized filters, polarizers and frequency-selective interfaces of subwavelength thickness is considered.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2007

Ultra-fast relaxation of electrons in wide-gap dielectrics

Low-energy electrons scattered in the conduction band of a dielectric solid should behave like Bloch electrons and will interact with perturbations of the atomic lattice, i.e. with phonons. Thus the phonon-based description of low-energy scattering within an energy band structure of a solid bears certain advantages against common free-electron scattering mechanisms. Moreover, the inelastic scattering is described by the dielectric energy loss function. With these collective scattering models we have performed the simulation of excited electron relaxation and attenuation in the insulator SiO2. After excitation to a mean initial energy of several eV their energy relaxation occurs within a short time interval of 200 fs to full thermalization. There is a very rapid impact ionization cooling connected with cascading of electrons at the beginning during the first 10 fs, followed by much slower attenuation due to phonon losses in wide-gap dielectrics and insulators.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2006

Polarization - dependent tunneling of light in gradient optics

Reflection-refraction properties of photonic barriers, formed by dielectric gradient nanofilms, for inclined incidence of both S- and P-polarized electromagnetic (EM) waves are examined by means of exactly solvable models. We present generalized Fresnel formulae, describing the influence of the non-local dispersion on reflectance and transmittance of single- and double-layer gradient photonic barriers for S- and P- waves and arbitrary angles of incidence. The non-local dispersion of such layers, arising due to a concave spatial profile of dielectric susceptibility across the plane film, is shown to result in a peculiar heterogeneity - induced optical anisotropy, providing the propagation of S(P) waves in tunneling (travelling) regimes. The results obtained indicate the possibility of narrow-band non-attenuated tunneling (complete transmittance) of oblique S- waves through such heterogeneous barriers, and the existence of spectral areas characterized by strong reflection of P-waves and deep contrast between transmitted S- and P-waves. The scalability of obtained exact analytical solutions of Maxwell equations into the different spectral ranges is discussed and the application potential of these phenomena for miniaturized polarizers and filters is demonstrated.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2006

Reflectionless Tunnelling of Light in Gradient Optics

We analyse the optical (or microwave) tunnelling properties of electromagnetic waves passing through thin films presenting a specific index profile providing a cut-off frequency, when they are used below this frequency. We show that contrary to the usual case of a square index profile, where tunnelling is accompanied with a strong attenuation of the wave due to reflection, such films present the possibility of a reflectionless tunnelling, where the incoming intensity is totally transmitted.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2005

Photoconductivity and Photoemission of Diamond Under Femtosecond Vuv Irradiation

In order to gain some insight on the electronic relaxation mechanisms occuring in diamond under high intensity laser excitation and/or VUV excitation, we studied experimentally the pulsed conductivity induced by femtosecond VUV pulses, as well as the energy spectra of the photoelectrons released by the same irradiation. The source of irradiation consists in highly coherent VUV pulses obtained through high order harmonic generation of a high intensity femtosecond pulse at a 1.55 eV photon energy (titanium-doped sapphire laser). Harmonics H9 to H17 have been used for photoconductivity (PC) and harmonics H13 to H27 for photoemission experiments (PES). As the photon energy is increased, it is expected that the high energy photoelectrons will generate secondary e-h pairs, thus increasing the excitation density and consequently the PC signal. This is not what we observe : the PC signal first increases for H9 to H13, but then saturates and even decreases. Production of low energy secondary e-h pairs should also be observed in the PES spectrum. In fact we observe very few low energy electrons in the PES spectrum obtained with H13 and H15, despite the sufficient energy of the generated free carriers. At the other end (H21 and above), a very intense low energy secondary electron peak is observed. As a help to interprete such data, we realized the first ab initio calculations of the electronic lifetime of quasiparticles, in the GW approximation in a number of dielectrics including diamond. We find that the results are quite close to a simple "Fermi-liquid" estimation using the electronic density of diamond. We propose that a quite efficient mechanism could be the excitation of plasmons by high energy electrons, followed by the relaxation of plasmons into individual e-h pairs.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2005

Wave propagation in highly inhomogeneous thin films : exactly solvable models

We present an exact treatment of wave propagation in some inhomogeneous thin films with highly space-dependent dielectric constant. It is based on a space transformation which replaces the physical space by the optical path. In the new space, the dispersion equation is that of a normal progressive wave. We will show that the dispersion properties of such films are plasma- or waveguide-like, the characteristic frequency being determined by the spatial characteristics of the dielectric constant's variations only. The theory is scalable, so that it can be applied in any wavelength range : optical, IR, radiofrequency, etc. depending only on the characteristic space scales. Several applications will be presented, concerning the reflection properties of such films (broadband anti-reflection, or dichroic coatings) or to the propagation and transmission through the film. We will show that depending on the type of space dependence, an incident wave can either propagate or tunnel through such films. We will investigate the behaviour of the light group-velocity and tunneling time inside or through such films. Though we can reproduce the phase-time saturation corresponding to the Hartman effect, analysis of the group velocity in the tunneling case shows no sign of superluminal propagation. A strong frequency dependence can be obtained in some situations, which allows to anticipate a strong reshaping of brodband laser pulses.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2005

Mécanismes fondamentaux de l'ablation laser femtoseconde en "flux intermédiaire"

This chapter aims at identifying what is specific to femtosecond laser ablation. It reviews the essential basic processes which contribute to femtosecond laser ablation of various materials : energy absorption by the material's electrons, electronic relaxation processes involving either electron-electron or electron-lattice interactions. A number of widely used models are briefly discussed, as well as some pending questions.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2005

Concave and Convex photonic Barriers in Gradient Optics

Propagation and tunneling of light through photonic barriers formed by thin dielectric films with continuous curvilinear distributions of dielectric susceptibility across the film, are considered. Giant heterogeneity-induced dispersion of these films, both convex and concave, and its influence on their reflectivity and transmittivity are visualized by means of exact analytical solutions of Maxwell equations. Depending on the cut-off frequency of the film, governed by the spatial profile of its refractive index, propagation or tunneling of light through such barriers are examined. Subject to the shape of refractive index profile the group velocities of EM waves in these films are shown to be either increased or deccreased as compared with the homogeneous layers; however, these velocities for both propagation and tunneling regimes remain subluminal. The decisive influence of gradient and curvature of photonic barriers on the efficiency of tunneling is examined by means of generalized Fresnel formulae. Saturation of the phase of the wave tunneling through a stack of such films (Hartman effect), is demonstrated. The evanescent modes in lossy barriers and violation of Hartman effect in this case is discussed.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2005

Plasmon channels in the electronic relaxation of diamond under high-order harmonics femtosecond irradiation

We used high order harmonics of a femtosecond titanium-doped sapphire system (pulse duration 25 fs) to realise Ultraviolet Photoelectron Spectroscopy (UPS) measurements on diamond. The UPS spectra were measured for harmonics in the range 13 to 27. We also made ab initio calculations of the electronic lifetime of conduction electrons in the energy range produced in the UPS experiment. Such calculations show that the lifetime suddenly diminishes when the conduction electron energy reaches the plasmon energy, whereas the UPS spectra show evidence in this range of a strong relaxation mechanism with an increased production of low energy secondary electrons. We propose that in this case the electronic relaxation proceeds in two steps : excitation of a plasmon by the high energy electron, the latter decaying into individual electron-hole pairs, as in the case of metals. This process is observed for the first time in an insulator and, on account of its high efficiency, should be introduced in the models of laser breakdown under high intensity.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2004

Exactly solvable models : a solution to different problems of laser matter interaction

With the increasing use of ultrashort laser pulses and nanoscale-materials, one is regularly confronted to situations in which the properties of the media supporting propagation are not varying slowly with time (or space). Hence, the usual WKB-type approximations fail, and one has to resort to numerical treatments of the problems, with a considerable loss in our insight into the physics of laser-matter interaction. We will present a new approach which allows a fully analytical solution of such problems, based on a transformation of the propagation equations into a new space where phase accumulation is linear with either time or space, which greatly simplifies their treatment. Though this method is restricted to some special models of the time or space varying dielectric constant, those are however general enough to encompass practically all experimental situations. It allows to introduce the concept of "non-stationarity induced" (or "inhomogeneity induced") dispersion. We will analyse the problem of reflection and propagation in two types of media whose dielectric constant vary rapidly at either the laser period or the laser wavelength scale. Extension of such techniques to the case of arbitrarily high non linearities will be considered too.

cond-mat.other↗

arXiv2004

Photoconductivite et photoemission de diamant(s) sous irradiation XUV femtoseconde

We report a study of the photoconductivity (PC) induced in different types of diamonds (type IIa single crystals and CVD) by femtosecond XUV pulses (high order harmonics - up to 19th - of a titanium doped laser). We also reprot UPS spectras obtained with harmonics 13 to 29. Depending on the harmonic's order, the PC signal first increases (orders 9 to 13) and then decreases. If the increase is easily interpreted as resulting from a carrier multiplication process, the further decrease has not yet received an explanation. The UPS measurements also suggest a strong effect of the plasmon relaxation on the carrier multiplication process. Finally, we performed a preliminary GW ab-initio calculation of the carriers lifetime, acounting for electron-electron interactions. In the near-bandgap region, it behaves approximatively according to the Fermi-liquid model, from which it strongly departs at higher energies, which is attributed to band-structure effects and to plasmon excitations.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗