R. Fittipaldi

Femtosecond laser surface structuring of silicon using optical vortex beams generated by a q-plate

We report on laser surface structuring of silicon using Ti:Sa femtosecond laser ablation with optical vortex beams. A q-plate is used to generate an optical vortex beam with femtosecond pulse duration through spin-to-orbital conversion of the angular momentum of light. The variation of the produced surface structures is investigated as a function of the number of pulses, N, at laser fluence slightly above the ablation threshold value. At low N (≈10), only surface corrugation of the irradiated, ring-shaped area is observed. This is followed by a progressive formation of regular ripples at larger N (≈100–500), which eventually transform in smaller columnar structures for N ≈ 1000. Moreover, the central, non-ablated part is gradually decorated by nanoparticles produced during laser ablation, a process which eventually leads to the formation of a central turret of assembled nanoparticles. Our experimental findings suggest the importance of a feedback mechanism and a cumulative effect on the formation of ripples with interesting patterns not achievable by the more standard beams with a Gaussian intensity profile.

Superconductivity in Sr2RuO4-Sr3Ru2O7 eutectic crystals

Superconducting behavior has been observed in the Sr2RuO4-Sr3Ru2O7 eutectic system as grown by the flux-feeding floating-zone technique. A supercurrent flows across a single interface between Sr2RuO4 and Sr3Ru2O7 areas at distances that are far beyond those expected in a conventional proximity effect. The current-voltage characteristics within the Sr3Ru2O7 macrodomain, as extracted from the eutectic, exhibit signatures of superconductivity in the bilayered Sr3Ru2O7 region. Detailed microstructural, morphological and compositional analyses address issues on the concentration and the size of Sr2RuO4 inclusions within the Sr3Ru2O7 matrix. We speculate on the possibility of inhomogeneous superconductivity in the eutectic Sr3Ru2O7 and exotic pairing induced by the Sr2RuO4 inclusions. Copyright (C) EPLA, 2008.

Direct femtosecond laser ablation of copper with an optical vortex beam

Laser surface structuring of copper is induced by laser ablation with a femtosecond optical vortex beam generated via spin-to-orbital conversion of the angular momentum of light by using a q-plate. The variation of the produced surface structures is studied as a function of the number of pulses, N, and laser fluence, F. After the first laser pulse (N = 1), the irradiated surface presents an annular region characterized by a corrugated morphology made by a rather complex network of nanometer-scale ridges, wrinkles, pores, and cavities. Increasing the number of pulses (2   1000) and a deep crater is formed. The nanostructure variat...

Spin-orbit-induced orbital excitations in Sr2RuO4 and Ca2RuO4: A resonant inelastic x-ray scattering study

High-resolution resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) at the oxygen K edge has been used to study the orbital excitations of Ca2RuO4 and Sr2RuO4. In combination with linear dichroism x-ray absorption spectroscopy, the ruthenium 4d-orbital occupation and excitations were probed through their hybridization with the oxygen p orbitals. These results are described within a minimal model, taking into account crystal field splitting and a spin-orbit coupling λso=200 meV. The effects of spin-orbit interaction on the electronic structure and implications for the Mott and superconducting ground states of (Ca,Sr)2RuO4 are discussed.

Laser ablation of silicon induced by a femtosecond optical vortex beam.

We investigate laser ablation of crystalline silicon induced by a femtosecond optical vortex beam, addressing how beam properties can be obtained by analyzing the ablation crater. The morphology of the surface structures formed in the annular crater surface allows direct visualization of the beam polarization, while analysis of the crater size provides beam spot parameters. We also determine the diverse threshold fluences for the formation of various complex microstructures generated within the annular laser spot on the silicon sample. Our analysis indicates an incubation behavior of the threshold fluence as a function of the number of laser pulses, independent of the optical vortex polarization, in weak focusing conditions.

Subterahertz electrodynamics of the graphenelike superconductor CaAlsi

We report the first optical study of CaAlSi, a superconductor which displays both the crystal structure of MgB2 and the electronic band structure of intercalated graphites. The reflectivity of a CaAlSi single crystal was measured down to sub-THz frequencies and to 3.3 K, with the use of Coherent Synchrotron Radiation. A superconducting gap in the hexagonal planes, two gaps along the c axis were found and measured, as expected from the structure of the CaAlSi Fermi surface. The anisotropic optical parameters of the normal state were also determined.

Surface Structuring with Polarization-Singular Femtosecond Laser Beams Generated by a q-plate

In the last few years femtosecond optical vortex beams with different spatial distributions of the state of polarization (e.g. azimuthal, radial, spiral, etc.) have been used to generate complex, regular surface patterns on different materials. Here we present an experimental investigation on direct femtosecond laser surface structuring based on a larger class of vector beams generated by means of a q-plate with topological charge q = +1/2. In fact, voltage tuning of q-plate optical retardation allows generating a family of ultrashort laser beams with a continuous spatial evolution of polarization and fluence distribution in the focal plane. These beams can be thought of as a controlled coherent superposition of a Gaussian beam with uniform polarization and a vortex beam with a radial or azimuthal state of polarization. The use of this family of ultrashort laser beams in surface structuring leads to a further extension of the achievable surface patterns. The comparison of theoretical predictions of the vector beam characteristics at the focal plane and the generated surface patterns is used to rationalize the dependence of the surface structures on the local state of the laser beam, thus offering an effective way to either design unconventional surface structures or diagnose complex ultrashort laser beams.

Hallmarks of Hunds coupling in the Mott insulator Ca2RuO4

A paradigmatic case of multi-band Mott physics including spin-orbit and Hunds coupling is realized in Ca2RuO4. Progress in understanding the nature of this Mott insulating phase has been impeded by the lack of knowledge about the low-energy electronic structure. Here we provide—using angle-resolved photoemission electron spectroscopy—the band structure of the paramagnetic insulating phase of Ca2RuO4 and show how it features several distinct energy scales. Comparison to a simple analysis of atomic multiplets provides a quantitative estimate of the Hunds coupling J=0.4 eV. Furthermore, the experimental spectra are in good agreement with electronic structure calculations performed with Dynamical Mean-Field Theory. The crystal field stabilization of the dxy orbital due to c-axis contraction is shown to be essential to explain the insulating phase. These results underscore the importance of multi-band physics, Coulomb interaction and Hunds coupling that together generate the Mott insulating state of Ca2RuO4.

Comparative study of initial stages of copper immersion deposition on bulk and porous silicon

Initial stages of Cu immersion deposition in the presence of hydrofluoric acid on bulk and porous silicon were studied. Cu was found to deposit both on bulk and porous silicon as a layer of nanoparticles which grew according to the Volmer-Weber mechanism. It was revealed that at the initial stages of immersion deposition, Cu nanoparticles consisted of crystals with a maximum size of 10 nm and inherited the orientation of the original silicon substrate. Deposited Cu nanoparticles were found to be partially oxidized to Cu2O while CuO was not detected for all samples. In contrast to porous silicon, the crystal orientation of the original silicon substrate significantly affected the sizes, density, and oxidation level of Cu nanoparticles deposited on bulk silicon.

Surface and bulk electronic structure of the unconventional superconductor Sr2RuO4: unusual splitting of the ? band

We present an angle-resolved photoemission study of the surface and bulk electronic structure of the single layer ruthenate Sr2RuO4. As the early studies by photoemission and scanning tunneling microscopy were confronted with a problem of surface reconstruction, surface ageing was previously proposed as a possible remedy to access the bulk states. Here, we suggest an alternative way by demonstrating that, in the case of Sr2RuO4, circularly polarized light can be used to disentangle the signals from the bulk and surface layers, thus opening the possibility to investigate many-body interactions both in bulk and surface bands. The proposed procedure results in improved momentum resolution, which enabled us to detect an unexpected splitting of the surface ? band. We discuss the origin of the splitting of the ? band and the possible connection with the Rashba effect at the surface.