Showing papers on "Total external reflection published in 2016"

Multiple scattering in grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction: impact on lattice-constant determination in thin films

Abstract: Dynamical scattering effects are observed in grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction experiments using an organic thin film of 2,2′:6′,2′′-ternaphthalene grown on oxidized silicon as substrate. Here, a splitting of all Bragg peaks in the out-of-plane direction (z-direction) has been observed, the magnitude of which depends both on the incidence angle of the primary beam and the out-of-plane angle of the scattered beam. The incident angle was varied between 0.09° and 0.25° for synchrotron radiation of 10.5 keV. This study reveals comparable intensities of the split peaks with a maximum for incidence angles close to the critical angle of total external reflection of the substrate. This observation is rationalized by two different scattering pathways resulting in diffraction peaks at different positions at the detector. In order to minimize the splitting, the data suggest either using incident angles well below the critical angle of total reflection or angles well above, which sufficiently attenuates the contributions from the second scattering path. This study highlights that the refraction of X-rays in (organic) thin films has to be corrected accordingly to allow for the determination of peak positions with sufficient accuracy. Based thereon, a reliable determination of the lattice constants becomes feasible, which is required for crystallographic structure solutions from thin films.

Supersmooth and modified surface of sapphire crystals: Formation, characterization, and applications in nanotechnologies

Abstract: The results of studying the state of the surface of sapphire crystals by a complex of methods in different stages of crystal treatment are considered by an example of preparing sapphire substrates with a supersmooth surface. The possibility of purposefully forming regular micro- and nanoreliefs and thin transition layers using thermal and thermochemical impacts are considered. The advantages of sapphire substrates with a modified surface for forming heteroepitaxial CdTe and ZnO semiconductor films and ordered ensembles of gold nanoparticles are described. The results of the experiments on the application of crystalline sapphire as a material for X-ray optical elements are reported. These elements include total external reflection mirrors and substrates for multilayer mirrors, output windows for synchrotron radiation, and monochromators working in the reflection geometry in X-ray spectrometers. In the latter case, the problems of the defect structure of bulk crystals sapphire and the choice of a method for growing sapphire crystals of the highest structural quality are considered.

Ultra-precision fabrication of 500 mm long and laterally graded Ru/C multilayer mirrors for X-ray light sources

Abstract: X-ray mirrors are needed for beam shaping and monochromatization at advanced research light sources, for instance, free-electron lasers and synchrotron sources. Such mirrors consist of a substrate and a coating. The shape accuracy of the substrate and the layer precision of the coating are the crucial parameters that determine the beam properties required for various applications. In principal, the selection of the layer materials determines the mirror reflectivity. A single layer mirror offers high reflectivity in the range of total external reflection, whereas the reflectivity is reduced considerably above the critical angle. A periodic multilayer can enhance the reflectivity at higher angles due to Bragg reflection. Here, the selection of a suitable combination of layer materials is essential to achieve a high flux at distinct photon energies, which is often required for applications such as microtomography, diffraction, or protein crystallography. This contribution presents the current development of a Ru/C multilayer mirror prepared by magnetron sputtering with a sputtering facility that was designed in-house at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht. The deposition conditions were optimized in order to achieve ultra-high precision and high flux in future mirrors. Input for the improved deposition parameters came from investigations by transmission electron microscopy. The X-ray optical properties were investigated by means of X-ray reflectometry using Cu- and Mo-radiation. The change of the multilayer d-spacing over the mirror dimensions and the variation of the Bragg angles were determined. The results demonstrate the ability to precisely control the variation in thickness over the whole mirror length of 500 mm thus achieving picometer-precision in the meter-range.

Asymmetric skew X-ray diffraction at fixed incidence angle: application to semiconductor nano-objects

Abstract: A procedure for obtaining three-dimensionally resolved reciprocal-space maps in a skew X-ray diffraction geometry is described. The geometry allows tuning of the information depth in the range from tens of micrometres for symmetric skew diffraction down to tens of nanometres for strongly asymmetric skew geometries, where the angle of incidence is below the critical angle of total external reflection. The diffraction data are processed using a rotation matrix formalism. The whole three-dimensional reciprocal-space map can be measured by performing a single azimuthal rotation of the sample and using a two-dimensional detector, while keeping the angle of incidence and the X-ray information depth fixed (FIXD method). Having a high surface sensitivity under grazing-incidence conditions, the FIXD method can be applied to a large variety of Bragg reflections, particularly polar ones, which provide information on strain and chemical composition separately. In contrast with conventional grazing-incidence diffraction, the FIXD approach reveals, in addition to the lateral (in-plane) components, the vertical (out-of-plane) component of the strain field, and therefore allows the separation of the scattering contributions of strained epitaxial nanostructures by their vertical misfit. The potential of FIXD is demonstrated by resolving the diffraction signal from a single layer of InGaN quantum dots grown on a GaN buffer layer. The FIXD approach is suited to the study of free-standing and covered near-surface nano-objects, as well as vertically extended multilayer structures.

Experimental and numerical studies of the scattering of light from a two-dimensional randomly rough interface in the presence of total internal reflection: optical Yoneda peaks

Abstract: The scattering of polarized light from a dielectric film sandwiched between two different semi-infinite dielectric media is studied experimentally and theoretically. The illuminated interface is planar, while the back interface is a two-dimensional randomly rough interface. We consider here only the case in which the medium of incidence is optically more dense than the substrate, in which case effects due to the presence of a critical angle for total internal reflection occur. A reduced Rayleigh equation for the scattering amplitudes is solved by a rigorous, purely numerical, nonperturbative approach. The solutions are used to calculate the reflectivity of the structure and the mean differential reflection coefficient. Optical analogues of Yoneda peaks are present in the results obtained. The computational results are compared with experimental data for the in-plane mean differential reflection coefficient, and good agreement between theory and experiment is found.

X-ray reduction imaging of inclined reflective masks at critical angles

Abstract: We have proposed and simulated optical schemes for producing reduced images by X-ray lasers or harmonic generators at a wavelength of . The mask in this case is placed at a small angle to the optical axis, corresponding to the angle of total external reflection of the material. We have determined the optimal position of the detector (resist) and the corresponding spatial resolution. The results can be used to solve problems in nanotechnology and nanostructuring of surfaces.

Polarizing phase shifting interferometry of total internal reflection light for measurement of refractive index and its spatial variation in liquid samples

Abstract: It is well known that the phase change in total internal reflection (TIR) is a function of the refractive indices of the pair of media involved. The spatial phase variations in a totally internally reflected beam are accurately measured using a Mach Zehnder interferometer employing polarization phase shifting technique. The evaluated phase change is then related to the refractive index variations of the rarer medium. One of the salient features of the proposed technique is that, unlike most interferometric methods where the measured phase is a function of the sample thickness, TIR phase is independent of the sample thickness as long as the evanescent wave field is fully confined within the sample. The theory of the technique is discussed and experimental results showing the three-dimensional profiles of the measured refractive indices and its spatial variations are presented.

Lens body and vehicle lighting fixture

Abstract: A lens body (40) in which metal deposition, a cause of cost increase etc., can be omitted and which can suppress occurrence of reflection loss (light loss), and a vehicle lighting fixture including the same are provided. A lens body (40) arranged in front of a light source (26) includes: an incident surface (42) where light within a predetermined angular range with respect to an optical axis (AX 26 ) of the light source (26) in light from the light source (26) is refracted in a condensing direction and enters an interior of the lens body (40); a first reflection surface (44) that internally reflects the light from the light source (26); and a second reflection surface (46) that internally reflects at least part of the reflected light from the first reflection surface (44). A front end portion of the lens body (40) includes an emission surface (48) that is a convex lens surface. The second reflection surface (46) extends backward from near a focal point F 48 of the emission surface (48). Light obtained by blocking part of the light from the light source (26) with a front edge (46a) of the second reflection surface (46), the light being internally reflected by the first reflection surface (44), and the light internally reflected by the second reflection surface (46) are emitted from the emission surface (48) and projected forward to from a predetermined light distribution pattern including a cutoff line defined by the front edge of the second reflection surface (46) at the upper edge.

Grazing incidence X-ray absorption characterization of amorphous Zn-Sn-O thin film

Abstract: We report a surface structure study of an amorphous Zn-Sn-O (a-ZTO) transparent conducting film using the grazing incidence X-ray absorption spectroscopy technique. By setting the measuring angles far below the critical angle at which the total external reflection occurs, the details of the surface structure of a film or bulk can be successfully accessed. The results show that unlike in the film where Zn is severely under coordinated (N < 4), it is fully coordinated (N = 4) near the surface while the coordination number around Sn is slightly smaller near the surface than in the film. Despite a 30% Zn doping, the local structure in the film is rutile-like.

Self-detection of x-ray Fresnel transmissivity using photoelectron-induced gas ionization

Abstract: Electric response of an x-ray mirror enclosed in a gas flow ionization chamber was studied under the conditions of total external reflection for hard x-rays. It is shown that the electric response of the system as a function of the incidence angle is defined by x-ray Fresnel transmissivity and photon-electron attenuation properties of the mirror material. A simple interpretation of quantum yield of the system is presented. The approach could serve as a basis for non-invasive in situ diagnostics of hard x-ray optics, easy access to complementary x-ray transmissivity data in x-ray reflectivity experiments, and might also pave the way to advanced schemes for angle and energy resolving x-ray detectors.

Refraction index sensor based on phase resonances in a subwavelength structure with double period.

Abstract: In this paper, we numerically demonstrate a refraction index sensor based on phase resonance excitation in a subwavelength-slit structure with a double period. The sensor consists of a metal layer with subwavelength slots arranged in a bi-periodic form, separated from a high refraction index medium. Between the metallic structure and the incident medium, a dielectric waveguide is formed whose refraction index is going to be determined. Variations in the refraction index of the waveguide are detected as shifts in the peaks of transmitted intensity originated by resonant modes supported by the compound metallic structure. At normal incidence, the spectral position of these resonant peaks exhibits a linear or a quadratic dependence with the refraction index, which permits us to obtain the unknown refraction index value with a high precision for a wide range of wavelengths. Since the operating principle of the sensor is due to the morphological resonances of the slits’ structure, this device can be scaled to operate in different wavelength ranges while keeping similar characteristics.

The wave flow effect on a plane boundary between vacuum and an optical medium with a quasi-zero refractive index

Abstract: A boundary problem in which a plane electromagnetic wave is reflected and refracted at a plane boundary of a semi-infinite optical medium with a quasi-zero refractive index has been solved. Such a medium has a random refractive index taking values in an interval from zero to some finite value less than unity. It means that the concept of a sharp interface between two media loses its meaning, the boundary of the medium becomes inhomogeneous, and laws of reflection and refraction of light become non-Fresnelian. Formulas for non-Fresnelian amplitudes of reflection and refraction have been derived. It is shown that a surface wave arises near the boundary of a medium with a quasi-zero refractive index. The wave propagates both on the inside and outside of the boundary.

Angularly symmetric splitting of a light beam upon reflection and refraction at an air-dielectric plane boundary: comment.

Abstract: In a recent paper, conditions for achieving equal and opposite angular deflections of a light beam by reflection and refraction at an interface between air and a dielectric were determined [J. Opt. Soc. Am. A32, 2436 (2015)JOAOD60740-323210.1364/JOSAA.32.002436]. The paper gives plots of angles of incidence and refraction as a function of the prism refractive index as well as plots of reflectances and incident linear-polarization azimuth angles as functions of the refractive index. We show here that it is possible to express these quantities as simple algebraic functions of the refractive index.

The light wave flow effect in a plane-parallel layer with a quasi-zero refractive index under the action of bounded light beams

Abstract: It is shown that external optical radiation in the 450–1200 nm range can be efficiently transformed under the action of bounded light beams to a surface wave that propagates along the external and internal boundaries of a plane-parallel layer with a quasi-zero refractive index. Reflection regimes with complex and real angles of refraction in the layer are considered. The layer with a quasi-zero refractive index in this boundary problem is located on a highly reflective metal substrate; it is shown that the uniform low reflection of light is achieved in the wavelength range under study.

Effects of polarization of optical radiation in the problem for finding refractive indices of layered medium

Abstract: The problem of determination of refractive indices for layered medium under known outgoing radiation is considered. It is assumed, that the Stokes parameters of radiation at the boundary of medium are known. To solve the problem, we propose a special indicator function. This function has singularity as its argument tends to unknown values of the refractive index. The results of numerical experiments are discussed.

Optical constructions incorporating light guide and low refractive index films

Abstract: PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide optical constructions capable of reducing the cost of light sources, reducing the number of components in the light sources, and making the light sources thinner and more efficient.SOLUTION: Optical constructions use a low index of refraction layer (120) disposed between a low absorption layer (101) and a high absorption layer (103) to increase confinement of light to the low absorption region of the optical constructions. Low refractive index layers can be used in optical constructions that have multi-tiered light confinement. In these constructions, a first tier of reflection is provided when light is reflected at the surface of a low refractive index optical film which is disposed directly or indirectly on a light guide (110). A second tier of reflection occurs at the surface of a light redirecting film having appropriately oriented refractive structures.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1A

Acceleration of electrons by a laser pulse at its output onto an optical surface of the vacuum – transparent medium interface. Laser synchrotron

Abstract: We consider the electron dynamics in the field of an electromagnetic wave produced at the vacuum – transparent medium interface upon reflection from the boundary, close to total internal reflection. The propagation velocity of a constant phase of the electromagnetic wave along the interface can vary from c/n to infinity (c is the speed of light in vacuum, and n is the refractive index of the medium at the interface). In this case, there emerge regions of positive and negative phases of the field with wavelengths, approximately equal to half the wavelength of the original laser beam, which can propagate at a speed close to that of light in vacuum. If a beam of relativistic electrons propagates along the surface, they can gain energy and accelerate, as well as radiate. With closed trajectories of electron motion, a laser synchrotron will be implemented as a result of many acceleration cycles.

Influence of refraction index strength on the light propagation in dielectrics material with periodic refraction index

Abstract: This study investigated the influence of refraction index strength on the light propagation in refraction index-varied dielectric material. This dielectric material served as photonic lattice. The behavior of light propagation influenced by variation of refraction index in photonic lattice was investigated. Modes of the guiding light were determined numerically using squared-operator iteration method. It was found that the greater the strength of refraction index, the smaller the guiding modes.

Formation of the reflected and refracted s-polarized electromagnetic waves in the Fresnel problem for the boundary vacuum-metamaterial from the viewpoint of molecular optics

Abstract: The refraction of a plane s-polarized electromagnetic wave on the vacuum–metamaterial interface is considered. Point particles with electric and magnetic dipole polarizabilities are scattering elements of a medium. The medium consists of plane-parallel monolayers of electric or magnetic dipoles or Huygens elements influencing one another. Dipole fields are completely taken into account. The fields inside the medium and the reflected fields are calculated. The extinction theorem is analyzed in detail. The mechanism of rotation of the magnetic field vector during refraction is elucidated. A reason for the absence of the fourth wave propagating from the medium toward the boundary in the conventionally employed boundary conditions is elucidated. It is shown that, under certain conditions, this medium can behave as possessing a unity refractive index or zero refractive index at a preset frequency. In the case of a metamaterial layer of finite thickness shows the output region of the existence of backward waves outside metamaterial layer. It is shown that the refraction of the field in a homogeneous medium after the dielectric corresponds to Fermat’s principle, and the interference nature of Fermat’s principle is justified.