E. C. F. da Silva

InAs/GaAs quantum dots optically active at 1.5 μm

InAs quantum dots grown by molecular-beam epitaxy on GaAs substrates are demonstrated to be suitable structures to achieve an optical emission in the 1.3–1.5-μm range. Their tuning towards such long wavelengths was made possible by combining an extreme reduction of the InAs growth rate and a fast growth of the GaAs cap layer at low temperature. Our results create perspectives for the fabrication of GaAs-based devices operating in the most important telecommunications window.

Soil characterisation using X-ray diffraction, photoacoustic spectroscopy and electron paramagnetic resonance

Abstract The optical absorption spectra and chemical composition of soil samples were characterised using photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), X-ray diffraction and X-ray fluorescence. From fluorescence results, the chemical components were identified and an Fe mass concentration varying between 4% and 10% was determined. Besides that, the observed photoacoustic technique (PA) spectra showed transition bands associated with Fe 3+ ions. From the phase behaviour, both the nonradiative relaxation time τ and the characteristic thermal diffusion time τ β were determined. The X-ray diffraction analysis showed that kaolinite is a major crystalline phase (86% in mass) followed by minor quantities of anatase, gibbsite and quartz. Rietveld refinements showed that the Fe 3+ cations partially substitute for Al 3+ cations in the octahedral sites of the kaolinite structure. EPR measurements were performed in order to determine the crystalline environment of Fe ions; the observed profiles indicate that Fe sites are embedded in a distorted cubic crystalline field.

A new confocal stigmatic spectrometer for micro‐Raman and microfluorescence spectral imaging analysis: Design and applications

A new instrument was developed permitting confocal spectral imaging technique to be carried out with a lateral resolution ∼0.3 μm and an axial resolution ∼1.0 μm for specimen areas ranging from 5×5 to 150×150 μm. The modular Raman/fluorescence spectrometer was equipped with a CCD camera, microscope, motorized sample stage, and the confocal entrance chamber. A system of galvanometer controlled mirror scanners equipped the confocal entrance chamber, allowing spectra to be accumulated up to several hundreds of points of sample in parallel, with adjustable spectral and spatial resolution. Stray light rejection property of the Raman spectrometer provides the possibility of the Raman spectral image to be recorded in the low frequency domain. A software was developed to control image accumulation, creation, and treatment. The methods of spectral analysis being applied to a multidimensional set of spectra permit the multiform spectral images to be created. In order to create these images, the different spectral p...

Microencapsulation of antibiotic rifampicin in poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate)

The aim of this study was the preparation of microparticles containing rifampicin using a biodegradable polymer poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) for oral administration produced by a bacteria. The poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) microparticles with and without rifampicin were prepared by the emulsification and solvent evaporation method, in which chloroform and polyvinyl alcohol are used as the solvent and emulsifier, respectively. Microparticles were obtained within a size range of 20-60 μm by changing the initial poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate), polyvinyl alcohol and rifampicin concentrations. An encapsulation efficiency value of 14% was obtained. The optimized total yield of 60% of the poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate)/ rifampicin was obtained. A load of 0.035 mg/1 mg of PHBV was reached. Almost 90% of the drug loaded in the microparticles was released after 24 h. The size, encapsulation efficiency and ribampicin release of the microparticles varied as a function of the initial poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate), polyvinyl alcohol and rifampicin concentrations. It was demonstrated that the microencapsulated rifampicin, although was not totally available in the medium, exhibited a similar inhibition value as free rifampicin at 24 h of incubation with S. aureus. Cytotoxicity assays demonstrated a reduction of the toxicity when rifampicin was microencapsulated in poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) while maintaining its antibacterial activity.

Escape patterns of chaotic magnetic field lines in a tokamak with reversed magnetic shear and an ergodic limiter

The existence of a reversed magnetic shear in tokamaks improves the plasma confinement through the formation of internal transport barriers that reduce radial particle and heat transport. However, the transport poloidal profile is much influenced by the presence of chaotic magnetic field lines at the plasma edge caused by external perturbations. Contrary to many expectations, it has been observed that such a chaotic region does not uniformize heat and particle deposition on the inner tokamak wall. The deposition is characterized instead by structured patterns called magnetic footprints, here investigated for a nonmonotonic analytical plasma equilibrium perturbed by an ergodic limiter. The magnetic footprints appear due to the underlying mathematical skeleton of chaotic magnetic field lines determined by the manifold tangles. For the investigated edge safety factor ranges, these effects on the wall are associated with the field line stickiness and escape channels due to internal island chains near the flux surfaces. Comparisons between magnetic footprints and escape basins from different equilibrium and ergodic limiter characteristic parameters show that highly concentrated magnetic footprints can be avoided by properly choosing these parameters.

Influence of the temperature on the carrier capture into self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dots

Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy and atomic-force microscopy (AFM) were used to investigate the size evolution of InAs quantum dots on GaAs(001) as a function of the amount of InAs material. Different families of islands were observed in the AFM images and unambiguously identified in the PL spectra, together with the signal of the wetting layer. PL measurements carried out at low and intermediate temperatures showed a thermal carrier redistribution among dots belonging to different families. The physical origin of this behavior is explained in terms of the different temperature dependence of the carrier-capture rate into the quantum dots. At high temperatures, an enhancement of the total PL-integrated intensity of the largest-sized quantum dots was attributed to the increase of diffusivity of the photogenerated carriers inside the wetting layer.

Real-time determination of the segregation strength of indium atoms in InGaAs layers grown by molecular-beam epitaxy

The surface segregation of indium (In) atoms was investigated during the growth of InGaAs layers by reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED). We observed that the decay constant of the RHEED-oscillation amplitude during growth depends on the growth conditions and is related, in a very simple way, to the segregation coefficient of the In atoms in the InGaAs layers.

Sensitivity enhancement in thermoreflectance microscopy of semiconductor devices using suitable probe wavelengths

In this paper we present an experimental and theoretical study of the thermoreflectance response as a function of the probe wavelength for layered microelectronics structures. The investigated sample consists of a polycrystalline silicon conducting track grown on a SiO2-coated Si substrate. Thermoreflectance measurements were carried out in the wavelength range from 450to750nm with the track biased in modulated regime. An oscillating pattern is observed in the spectral region where the upper layer is transparent. Such oscillations are due to the interference resulting from the multiple reflections at the interfaces. Using a thermo-optical model, we show that the optical constants (n and k) of the materials, which are wavelength dependent, as well as their temperature derivatives (dn∕dT and dk∕dT), strongly influence the thermoreflectance signal. The optical thicknesses of the layers, mainly determined by the real part of the refractive indices, define the period of oscillation. On the other hand, the imag...

Carbon dioxide hydrogenation over iron containing catalysts

Abstract Iron silicalite samples with a different degree of crystallinity have been synthesized and characterized. Reduced samples were then tested as catalysts for carbon dioxide hydrogenation. It is observed that whenever the zeolitic phase is present, reduction of the iron species is strongly encumbered. As a consequence, over such catalysts the reverse water-gas shift reaction occurs specifically while formation of hydrocarbons does not occur. This is attributed to the lack of formation of surface carbidic species which appear to be responsible for the hydrocarbon formation.

Thermal diffusivity measurements in vegetable oils with thermal lens technique

Using a thermal lensing experimental setup the thermal properties of several vegetable oils were obtained. The samples were oils from Amazonian species and olive (the popular identifications are piqui, copaiba, buriti, and babacu). The two lasers mismatched mode experimental configuration was used, with a He–Ne laser as the probe and an Ar+ laser as the excitation one. The time resolved spectra were measured using an automatic system, and fitting the aberrant theoretical model to the data, the characteristic relaxation time were obtained, and knowing this value, the thermal property of each oil was solved.