National Institute Of Materials Physics - Romania

Up-conversion properties of the glass-ceramics microrods containing (Er3+, Yb3+)-doped LiYF4 nanocrystals have been studied. Under 980 nm laser light pumping, both Yb3+/Er3+ co-doped LiYF4 samplesshow green ((H-2(11/2), S-4(3/2)) -> I-4(15/2)) and red (F-4(9/2) -> I-4(15/2)) up-conversion luminescences explained by a two-photon processes. The luminescence decay time of the green luminescence is much shorter in the glass-ceramics microrods (0.9 mu s) compared to the bulk powder (15 mu s) indicating the enhancement of the non-radiative relaxation rate due to the cross-relaxation effects between Er3+-ions. The quantum efficiencies were estimated for the green luminescence being much smaller in the glass-ceramic rods (eta = 0.15%) compared the bulk powder (eta = 2%) or pellet (eta = 46%).

We demonstrate the anisotropic features of the A(1g), B-2g and A(2g) vibrational Raman modes of phosphorene by performing for the first time a comparison of two orthogonal polarized Raman scattering studies in edge and top view measuring configurations. Despite the orthogonality between the vibration modes of A(1g) and A(2g), they exhibit intense and very weak Raman intensities under light polarized along and transverse to the armchair edge, respectively, while the B-2g mode is virtually non-existent. The B-2g mode significantly appears only in the top view configuration. The studies performed under different intensities of excited light in the top view configuration are detailed for the sample rotated at 0 degrees, 40 degrees, 80 degrees and 130 degrees about the incident laser beam. The studies reveal a quadratic opposite behavior of the A(2g) and B-2g modes and an unusual angle dependence of the A(1g) vibrational mode. An unexpected behavior of the A(2g) Raman mode at higher intensities, which still persists for the A(1g) mode, is shown. The anomalous behavior of the A(1g) mode from the edge and top view and the A(2g) mode in the top view configuration is explained in terms of the layer stacking structures of phosphorene.

Wettability properties of thin TiO2 amorphous layers obtained by sputtering or sol-gel onto polyester textile materials were investigated. Contact angle (CA) measurements by the sessile drop method were used to evaluate these properties. Comparison was performed with coated samples of related poly(lactic acid) material. The samples coated by sol gel have CAs a few degrees higher than those coated by sputtering. Wetting properties were conversely changed under alternate darkness/illumination conditions. Photoinduced hydrophilicity was observed even for these amorphous coating particles, being higher for sputtered samples than for sol gel ones.

Fast atomic diffusion was evidenced in the surface layer of amorphous thin films of oxides and semiconductors irradiated with low fluence UV pulse laser. This process takes place in a surface layer with a thickness related to the laser radiation absorption depth in the target material and was revealed by the cross section transmission electron microscopy studies. These high values of diffusivity can be explained by supposing the glass transition transformation in the amorphous structure, triggered by the action of the laser pulse field. This effect can have application for controlling structural modifications at nanoscale of the thin films surface and also for inducing structural modification of interfaces between the film and substrate.

A two dimensional photonic crystal (2DPhC) with triangular symmetry is investigated using optical reflectivity measurements and numerical calculations. The system has been obtained by direct laser writing, using a pulsed laser (lambda = 775 nm), perforating an In-doped Ge wafer. A lattice of holes with well-defined symmetry has been designed. Analyzing the spectral signature of PBGs recorded experimentaly with finite difference time domain theoretical calculations one was able to prove the relation between the geometric parameters (hole format, lattice constant) of the system and its ability to trap and guide the radiation in specific energy range. It was shown that at low frequency and telecommunication ranges of transvelsal electric modes photonic band gap occur. This structure may have potential aplications in designing photonic devices with applications in energy storage and conversion as potential alternative to Si-based technology.

The chemical modification of the niobium (Nb) surface after irradiation with femtosecond laser pulses was investigated by scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, grazing incidence X-ray diffraction, and micro-Raman spectroscopy. The physical-chemical analyses indicated that the laser treatment results in oxidation of the Nb surface, as well as in the formation of Nb hydrides. Remarkably, after the samples' washing in ethanol, a strong Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) signal originating from the toluene residual traces was evidenced. Further, it was observed that the laser irradiated Nb surface is able to provide a SERS enhancement of similar to 1.3 x 10(3) times for rhodamine 6G solutions. Thus, for the first time it was shown that Nb/Nb oxide surfaces could exhibit SERS functionality, and so one can expect applications in biological/biochemical screening or for sensing of dangerous environmental substances. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.

A combination of chemical and thermal annealing techniques was used to prepare an array of ZnO/Zn1-xMNxO/BaTiO3 nanorods. ZnO nanorod arrays were obtained by hydrothermal-electrochemical processes. The precursors for Zn1-xMnxO and BaTiO3, prepared by sol-gel technique were deposited by spin coating on the surface of ZnO nanorods. Each deposition stage was accompanied by thermal treatment stages. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy reveal the presence of a film of Zn1-xMnxO with wurtzite structure on the surface of ZnO nanorods. Transmission electron microscopy images demonstrate that a layer of BaTiO3 is deposited on the surface of each ZnO/Zn1-xMnxO core shell nanorod. BaTiO3 film onto the ZnO/Zn1-xMnxO core shell nanorods is also evidenced in Raman scattering by broadening of the Raman band situated in the spectral range 500-750 cm(-1). (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Light confinement in a two dimensional photonic crystal (2D PhC) with hexagonal symmetry is studied using infra-red reflectance spectromicroscopy and numerical calculations. The structure has been realized by laser ablation, using a pulsed laser (lambda = 775 nm), perforating an In-doped Ge wafer and creating a lattice of holes with well-defined symmetry. Correlating the spectral signature of the photonic gaps recorded experimentally with the results obtained in the finite difference time domain and finite difference frequency domain calculations, we established the relationship between the geometric parameters of the structure (lattice constants, shape of the hole) and its efficiency in trapping and guiding the radiation in a well-defined frequency range. Besides the gap in the low energy range of transversal electric modes, a second one is identified in the telecommunication range, originating in the localization of the leaky modes within the radiation continuum. The emerging picture is of a device with promising characteristics as an alternative to Si-based technology in photonic device fabrication with special emphasize in energy storage and conversion. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Composite silk fibroin-poly(3-hydroxybutyric-acid-co-3-hydroxyvaleric-acid) (SF-PHBV) biodegradable coatings were grown by Matrix Assisted Pulsed Laser Evaporation on titanium substrates. Their physicochemical properties and particularly the degradation behavior in simulated body fluid at 37 degrees C were studied as first step of applicability in local controlled release for tissue regeneration applications. SF and PHBV, natural biopolymers with excellent biocompatibility, but different biodegradability and tensile strength properties, were combined in a composite to improve their properties as coatings for biomedical uses. FTIR analyses showed the stoichiometric transfer from targets to coatings by the presence in the spectra of the main absorption maxima characteristic of both polymers. XRD investigations confirmed the FTIR results showing differences in crystallization behavior with respect to the SF and PHBV content. Contact angle values obtained through wettability measurements indicated the MAPLE deposited coatings were highly hydrophilic; surfaces turning hydrophobic with the increase of the PHBV component. Degradation assays proved that higher PHBV contents resulted in enhanced resistance and a slower degradation rate of composite coatings in SBF. Distinct drug-release schemes could be obtained by adjusting the SF:PHBV ratio to controllably tuning the coatings degradation rate, from rapid-release formulas, where SF predominates, to prolonged sustained ones, for larger PHBV content. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Epitaxial (1 - x)Ba(Ti0.8Zr0.2)TiO3 - x(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3, x = 0.45 (BCZT 45), thin films have been deposited on (001) SrTiO3 (STO) and (001/100) SrLaAlO4 (SLAO) substrates by pulsed laser deposition. X-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) confirmed the epitaxial growth of the films. A high structural quality has been evidenced for the BCZT/STO films. Geometric phase analysis (GPA) associated with the HRTEM enabled us to obtain microstrain analysis and the in-plane and out-of-plane lattice parameter variation on different areas. Tetragonality ratio fluctuations at nanoscale level which are relevant for the existence of nanodomains have been evidenced on the BCZT/STO films. The in-plane dielectric constant has been measured on interdigital electrodes deposited by lift-off technique on the top of the films. High values of dielectric permittivity (>3000) combined with low dielectric loss (<0.01) are obtained for BCZT 45 film deposited on STO substrate, showing nearly constant values between 1 kHz and 10 MHz. The high dielectric permittivity of BCZT thin films was attributed to their high structural quality and to the loss of rotation stability of the polarization associated with the presence of nanodomains. This results into a divergence of fluctuations of polarization direction and a peak of dielectric susceptibility. The enhanced switching of such nanodomain configuration was probed by piezoforce microscopy, by writing and reading domains during topography scanning.