Diamond-like carbon (DLC) is a metastable form of amorphous carbon with significant sp3 bonding. DLC is a semiconductor with a high mechanical hardness, chemical inertness, and optical transparency. This review will describe the deposition methods, deposition mechanisms, characterisation methods, electronic structure, gap states, defects, doping, luminescence, field emission, mechanical properties and some applications of DLCs. The films have widespread applications as protective coatings in areas, such as magnetic storage disks, optical windows and micro-electromechanical devices (MEMs).

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Diamond-like amorphous carbon

The unprecedented ability of nanometallic (that is, plasmonic) structures to concentrate light into deep-subwavelength volumes has propelled their use in a vast array of nanophotonics technologies and research endeavours. Plasmonic light concentrators can elegantly interface diffraction-limited dielectric optical components with nanophotonic structures. Passive and active plasmonic devices provide new pathways to generate, guide, modulate and detect light with structures that are similar in size to state-of-the-art electronic devices. With the ability to produce highly confined optical fields, the conventional rules for light-matter interactions need to be re-examined, and researchers are venturing into new regimes of optical physics. In this review we will discuss the basic concepts behind plasmonics-enabled light concentration and manipulation, make an attempt to capture the wide range of activities and excitement in this area, and speculate on possible future directions.

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Plasmonics for extreme light concentration and manipulation.

Singular Integral Equations. By N.I. Muskhelishvili. Translated fromthe 2nd Russian edition by J.R.M. Radok. Pp. 447. F1. 28.50. 1953. (Noordhoff, Groningen)

Our aim is to propose a theory which goes beyond the classical formulation of thermodynamics. This is achieved by enlarging the space of basic independent variables, through the introduction of non-equilibrium variables, such as the dissipative fluxes appearing in the balance equations. The next step is to find evolution equations for the dissipative fluxes. Whereas the evolution equations for the classical variables are given by the usual balance laws, no general criteria exist concerning the evolution equations of the dissipative fluxes, with the exception of the restrictions imposed on them by the second law of thermodynamics.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0034-4885/51/8/002/pdf

Extended irreversible thermodynamics

Surface-tension-driven flows and, in particular, their tendency to decay spontaneously into drops have long fascinated naturalists, the earliest systematic experiments dating back to the beginning of the 19th century. Linear stability theory governs the onset of breakup and was developed by Rayleigh, Plateau, and Maxwell. However, only recently has attention turned to the nonlinear behavior in the vicinity of the singular point where a drop separates. The increased attention is due to a number of recent and increasingly refined experiments, as well as to a host of technological applications, ranging from printing to mixing and fiber spinning. The description of drop separation becomes possible because jet motion turns out to be effectively governed by one-dimensional equations, which still contain most of the richness of the original dynamics. In addition, an attraction for physicists lies in the fact that the separation singularity is governed by universal scaling laws, which constitute an asymptotic solution of the Navier-Stokes equation before and after breakup. The Navier-Stokes equation is thus continued uniquely through the singularity. At high viscosities, a series of noise-driven instabilities has been observed, which are a nested superposition of singularities of the same universal form. At low viscosities, there is rich scaling behavior in addition to aesthetically pleasing breakup patterns driven by capillary waves. The author reviews the theoretical development of this field alongside recent experimental work, and outlines unsolved problems.

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Nonlinear dynamics and breakup of free-surface flows

Nanoindentation experiments and in situ monitoring of acoustic emission (AE) were used to investigate the evolution of deformation in polycrystalline silicon-carbide thin films. An acoustic sensor attached to the holder of the indenter tip was used to continuously record the AE signal during nanoindentation. The amplitudes of the AE wave forms were used to analyze the response of the indented films in the time domain. In addition, a hybrid time-frequency analysis of the AE events was performed in order to determine the dominant frequencies of the deformation events encountered during nanoindentation. The effects of the film thickness and microstructure and the indenter tip radius on the film deformation behavior are interpreted in terms of the AE response and associated deformation mechanisms. The findings of this study demonstrate that in situ AE monitoring provides potentially useful information about microstructure changes associated with nanoscale deformation processes, such as grain boundary cracking...

Nanoindentation of polycrystalline silicon-carbide thin films studied by acoustic emission

In heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR), a laser is employed above the read-write transducer to provide energy to the media, lowering its coercivity. However, the laser also brings thermal energy diffusion inside the slider and induces an extra angstrom-level protrusion, which we call laser-induced protrusion (LIP). The LIP needs to be taken into consideration in HAMR due to the significance of head-media spacing. This paper focuses on laser heating on the millisecond timescale during flying in the HAMR conditions. When the laser is turned ON for milliseconds, the LIP forms in the short term ( ∼ μs) and fly height change (FHC) happens in the long term (∼ ms) due to the crown/camber change, resulting in a smaller touchdown power (TDP). Thus, the touchdown power change (ΔTDP) is measured and the LIP is isolated using the time constants. A component-level HAMR stage is used to study the effects of laser-on time, laser current, and linear velocity on the ΔTDP. The experimental results show that the FHC needs ∼ 28 ms to reach the steady state and that the protrusion size presents a two-stage linear relation with the laser current separated by a threshold. The LIP size is reduced by about half when operating from 12 m/s to 24 m/s.

Measurement of angstrom-level laser induced protrusion using touchdown in heat-assisted magnetic recording

Theoretical and Experimental results describing the dynamics of the so-called "3370-type" sliders in commercially available 5-1/4 inch disk drives are presented. A previously demonstrated laser Doppler interferometer is used to investigate the response of the R/W head as it encounters a deposited step on the disk surface. Experimental data is then compared with theoretical results from a numerical model based on the solution of the Reynolds lubrication equation. After the validity of the model is verified, it is used to illustrate the effects of applied load and pivot location on the dynamic performance of slider bearings.

Theoretical and experimental investigation of the dynamic flying characteristics of 3370-type sliders in 5-1/4 inch disk drives

Probabilistic approach to the Lamé equations of linear elastostatics

The dynamics of a commercially available hard disk drive were investigated using both experimen tal and numerical techniques. The drive has a storage capacity of 1 GB with two 3 1/2-inch disks. First, each individual component—disk, suspension assembly, actuator arm, and arm coupled with the assembly—was briefly studied. Then, modalexperiments were performed on the drive in both states of the disks, station ary or rotating. A finite element (FE) model for studying the dynamics of the drive was created. The model consists of one disk, two actuator arms, and two suspension assemblies. Good correlation between the exper iment and FE analysis was achieved. It was shown that the drive exhibits very complicated modal properties and that the actuator arm significantly affects the dynamics of the drive, especially as regards track following of the sliders.

David B. Bogy

Papers

Nanoindentation of polycrystalline silicon-carbide thin films studied by acoustic emission

Measurement of angstrom-level laser induced protrusion using touchdown in heat-assisted magnetic recording

Theoretical and experimental investigation of the dynamic flying characteristics of 3370-type sliders in 5-1/4 inch disk drives

Probabilistic approach to the Lamé equations of linear elastostatics

Dynamics Experiment and Analysis of a Hard Disk Drive