Tomohiro Matsushita

Origin of the metallic properties of heavily boron-doped superconducting diamond

The physical properties of lightly doped semiconductors are well described by electronic band-structure calculations and impurity energy levels. Such properties form the basis of present-day semiconductor technology. If the doping concentration n exceeds a critical value nc, the system passes through an insulator-to-metal transition and exhibits metallic behaviour; this is widely accepted to occur as a consequence of the impurity levels merging to form energy bands. However, the electronic structure of semiconductors doped beyond nc have not been explored in detail. Therefore, the recent observation of superconductivity emerging near the insulator-to-metal transition in heavily boron-doped diamond has stimulated a discussion on the fundamental origin of the metallic states responsible for the superconductivity. Two approaches have been adopted for describing this metallic state: the introduction of charge carriers into either the impurity bands or the intrinsic diamond bands. Here we show experimentally that the doping-dependent occupied electronic structures are consistent with the diamond bands, indicating that holes in the diamond bands play an essential part in determining the metallic nature of the heavily boron-doped diamond superconductor. This supports the diamond band approach and related predictions, including the possibility of achieving dopant-induced superconductivity in silicon and germanium. It should also provide a foundation for the possible development of diamond-based devices.

Performance of a very high resolution soft x-ray beamline BL25SU with a twin-helical undulator at SPring-8

We report on the excellent performance of a newly constructed soft x-ray helical undulator beamline BL25SU of SPring-8 for photon energies 500–1800 eV. The full beamline was designed to perform very high resolution soft x-ray spectroscopy of solids with using high brilliance, highly circularly polarized undulator radiation. The grazing incidence monochromator employs varied-line-spacing plane gratings which operate in convergent light from a spherical mirror and focuses monochromatic light onto the exit slit. A resolving power in excess of 15 000 was measured at 540 and 870 eV for a grating with a central groove density of 600 lines/mm from the photoemission spectra of Au. A resolving power of more than 20 000 is estimated near 870 eV for a grating with a central groove density of 1000 lines/mm. A photon flux of more than 1×1011 photons/s/100 mA/0.02% b.w. is supplied onto the sample between 500 and 1800 eV with very low amount of higher-order light. The low heat load from the twin-helical undulator gives...

Construction and commissioning of a 215-m-long beamline at SPring-8

Abstract The 215-m-long beamline has been constructed as the first medium-length beamline of SPring-8 for the purpose of R&D of imaging techniques, development of X-ray optics, computed tomography for mineral science, medical imaging, and X-ray topography. By using the long beamline, large field and spatially coherent beam can be obtained. Advantage of long beamline is successfully demonstrated by the preliminary experiment such as one-shot topograph of 300-mm-diameter silicon crystal.

Fast ignitor research at the Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University

The physics element relevant to the fast ignitor in inertial confinement fusion has been extensively studied. Laser-hole boring with enormous photon pressures into overcritical densities was experimentally proved by density measurements with XUV laser probing. Ultra-intense laser interactions at a relativistic parameter regime were studied with a 50-TW glass laser system and a 100-TW glass laser system synchronized with a long pulse laser system. In the study of relativistic laser beam propagation in a 100-μm scale-length plasma, a special propagation mode (super-penetration mode) was observed, where the beam propagated into overdense regions close to the solid target surface. At the super-penetration mode, 20% of the laser energy converted to energetic electrons toward the target inside, while the coupling efficiency was 40% without the long scale-length plasmas. The high-density energetic electron transport and heating of solid material was also studied, indicating beamlike propagation of the energetic electrons in the solid target and effective heating of solid density ions with the electrons. Based on these basic experimental results, the heating of imploded plasma by short-pulse-laser light with three different ways of injecting the heating pulse has been studied.

X-ray fluorescence holography

X-ray fluorescence holography (XFH) is a method of atomic resolution holography which utilizes fluorescing atoms as a wave source or a monitor of the interference field within a crystal sample. It provides three-dimensional atomic images around a specified element and has a range of up to a few nm in real space. Because of this feature, XFH is expected to be used for medium-range local structural analysis, which cannot be performed by x-ray diffraction or x-ray absorption fine structure analysis. In this article, we explain the theory of XFH including solutions to the twin-image problem, an advanced measuring system, and data processing for the reconstruction of atomic images. Then, we briefly introduce our recent applications of this technique to the analysis of local lattice distortions in mixed crystals and nanometer-size clusters appearing in the low-temperature phase of a shape-memory alloy.

Twin helical undulator beamline for soft X-ray spectroscopy at SPring-8

A very high resolution soft X-ray beamline, BL25SU, has been designed and is under construction at SPring-8. Completely right or left circularly polarized light is supplied on a common axis of a newly designed twin helical undulator. A helicity modulation up to 10 Hz can be performed using five kicker magnets. The fundamental radiation covers the region 0.5-3 keV. Higher-order radiation is rather weak on the axis. A monochromator with varied-line-spacing plane gratings is installed to cover the region below 1.5 keV. A very high resolution beyond 10(4) is expected for the whole energy region.

New soft X-ray beamline BL07LSU at SPring-8

The design and performance of a new soft X-ray beamline BL07LSU at SPring-8 are described. The combination of a novel segmented cross undulator and beamline monochromator has achieved high energy resolution (E/ΔE > 10000) and high photon flux [>1012 photons s−1 (0.01% bandwidth)−1] in the photon energy range 250–2000 eV with fully controllable polarization.

Visualization of graphite atomic arrangement by stereo atomscope

The direct visualization of an atomic arrangement is essential for understanding the nature of materials. The rotation of forward focusing peaks in photoelectron angular distribution (PEAD) patterns excited by circularly polarized light with the opposite helicities are found to be the same as the parallax in stereo view. Taking advantage of this phenomenon of PEAD circular dichroism, the three-dimensional atomic arrangement image of graphite crystal was realized. Taking a stereo picture around carbon atom, which has been thought difficult due to a small angular momentum of photoelectron, proved that this method is applicable to all materials including biomolecules.

Low-Energy Electronic Structure of the Kondo Insulator YbB12

We have studied the low-energy electronic structure of a Kondo insulator YbB{sub 12} by high-resolution photoemission spectroscopy. A {open_quote}{open_quote}Kondo peak{close_quote}{close_quote} is observed {approximately}25 meV below the Fermi level, which agrees well with the Kondo temperature, whereas the gap at the Fermi level is found much smaller, indicating that the magnetic properties at higher temperatures (75 K) are indeed determined by the Kondo effect in spite of the gap formation at lower temperatures. A renormalized band picture is presented to describe the coexistence of the Kondo peak and the transport gap as well as the highly asymmetric line shape of the Kondo peak. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}

Low-Energy Electronic Structure of the Kondo Insulator YbB{sub {bold 12}}

We have studied the low-energy electronic structure of a Kondo insulator YbB{sub 12} by high-resolution photoemission spectroscopy. A {open_quote}{open_quote}Kondo peak{close_quote}{close_quote} is observed {approximately}25 meV below the Fermi level, which agrees well with the Kondo temperature, whereas the gap at the Fermi level is found much smaller, indicating that the magnetic properties at higher temperatures (75 K) are indeed determined by the Kondo effect in spite of the gap formation at lower temperatures. A renormalized band picture is presented to describe the coexistence of the Kondo peak and the transport gap as well as the highly asymmetric line shape of the Kondo peak. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}