Large-area traveling-wave photonic mixers for increased continuous terahertz power

in Applied Physics Letters (2005), 86(11), 111120-111123

A large-aperture design for terahertz traveling-wave photomixers, continuously pumped free space by two detuned diode lasers, is proposed and experimentally verified for devices based on low-temperature ... [more ▼]

A large-aperture design for terahertz traveling-wave photomixers, continuously pumped free space by two detuned diode lasers, is proposed and experimentally verified for devices based on low-temperature-grown GaAs sLT-GaAsd. It combines the advantages of conventional interdigitated small-area structures and traveling-wave devices. An output power of 1 µW at the mixing frequency of 1 THz was measured in initial testing, which meets local oscillator power requirements for superconducting heterodyne mixer devices. [less ▲]

Ultrafast Low-Temperature-Grown Epitaxial GaAs Photodetectors Transferred on Flexible Plastic Substrates

in IEEE Photonics Technology Letters (2005), 17(8), 1725-1727

We demonstrate low-temperature (LT)-grown GaAs photodetectors transferred on flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic substrates. The LT-GaAs layer was patterned into 20 20 m2 chips, which after ... [more ▼]

We demonstrate low-temperature (LT)-grown GaAs photodetectors transferred on flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic substrates. The LT-GaAs layer was patterned into 20 20 m2 chips, which after placing on the PET substrates were integrated with coplanar strip transmission lines. The devices exhibit low dark currents ( 2 10 8 A), subpicosecond photoresponse time, and signal amplitudes up to 0.9 V at the bias voltage of 80 V and under laser beam excitation power of 8 mW at 810-nm wavelength. At the highest bias ( 80 V) level, an increase of the response time (up to 1.3 ps) was observed and attributed to the influence of heating effects due to low thermal conductivity of PET. Our LT-GaAs-on-PET photodetectors withstand hundredfold mechanical bending of the substrate and are intended for applications in hybrid optoelectronic circuits fabricated on noncrystalline substrates, in terahertz imaging, and in biology-related current-excitation tests. [less ▲]

Influence of carrier supply doping on the RF properties of AlGaN/GaN/SiC high-electron-mobility transistors

in Physica Status Solidi C. Current Topics in Solid State Physics (2005), 2(7), 2611-2614

We have fabricated undoped as well as modulation-doped AlGaN/GaN HEMTs on SiC substrate. The influence of the carrier supply layer on device performance is investigated by Hall, channel conductivity ... [more ▼]

We have fabricated undoped as well as modulation-doped AlGaN/GaN HEMTs on SiC substrate. The influence of the carrier supply layer on device performance is investigated by Hall, channel conductivity, small signal RF and delay time evaluation. While the doping layer improves the DC performance it degrades the RF behaviour of the device with the highest carrier supply doping of 5x1018 cm–3. The channel conductivity measurements show identical dependence of the mobility on carrier concentration for all samples. The saturation velocity, extracted by evaluation of the total delay time as function of the inverse drain current, decreases from 0.86x107 cm/s for the undoped device to 0.7x107 cm/s for the highest doped HEMT. This result shows that the degradation of RF performance is due to the reduction of the effective saturation velocity caused by the carrier supply layer. [less ▲]

Influence of passivation-induced stress on the performance of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs

in Physica Status Solidi C. Current Topics in Solid State Physics (2005), 2(7), 2619-2622

This paper reports on properties of intentionally undoped AlGaN/GaN/sapphire-based high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) before and after passivation with SiO2 and Si3N4. Our results indicate that ... [more ▼]

This paper reports on properties of intentionally undoped AlGaN/GaN/sapphire-based high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) before and after passivation with SiO2 and Si3N4. Our results indicate that the DC performance of the AlGaN/GaN HEMTs improved significantly as the stress in the passivation layer increased from compressive to tensile. It corresponded to changes in the sheet carrier concentration. Unlike the DC properties, RF properties of the HEMTs were less sensitive to the stress. [less ▲]

Generation of frustrated liquid crystal phases by mixing an achiral n–smc mesogen with an antiferroelectric chiral smectic liquid crystal

in Journal of Chemical Physics (2005), 122(14), 144906

By mixing the achiral liquid crystal HOAB, exhibiting a nematic (N)-smectic-C (SmC) mesophase sequence, with the chiral antiferroelectric liquid crystal (AFLC) (S,S)-M7BBM7, forming the antiferroelectric ... [more ▼]

By mixing the achiral liquid crystal HOAB, exhibiting a nematic (N)-smectic-C (SmC) mesophase sequence, with the chiral antiferroelectric liquid crystal (AFLC) (S,S)-M7BBM7, forming the antiferroelectric SmCa phase, at least seven different mesophases have been induced which neither component forms on its own: a twist-grain-boundary (TGB) phase, two or three blue phases, the untilted SmA phase, as well as all three chiral smectic-C-type ``subphases,'' SmCalpha, SmCbeta, and SmCgamma. The nature of the induced phases and the transitions between them were determined by means of optical and electro-optical investigations, dielectric spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry. The induced phases can to a large extent be understood as a result of frustration, TGB at the border between nematic and smectic, the subphases between syn and anticlinic tilted smectic organization. X ray scattering experiments reveal that the smectic layer spacing as well as the degree of smectic order is relatively constant in the whole mixture composition range in which AFLC behavior prevails, whereas both these parameters rapidly decrease as the amount of HOAB is increased to such an extent that no other smectic-C-type phase than SmC/SmC exists. By tailoring the composition we are able to produce liquid crystal mixtures exhibiting unusual phase sequences, e.g., with a direct isotropic-SmCa transition or a temperature range of the SmCbeta subphase of about 50 K. (C) 2005 American Institute of Physics. [less ▲]

Differences between smectic homo- and copolysiloxanes as a consequence of microphase separation

in Liquid Crystals (2005), 32(5), 533-538

This paper compares smectic phases formed from LC-homo- and LC-co-polysiloxanes. In the homopolysiloxane, each repeating unit of the polymer chain is substituted with a mesogen, whereas in the ... [more ▼]

This paper compares smectic phases formed from LC-homo- and LC-co-polysiloxanes. In the homopolysiloxane, each repeating unit of the polymer chain is substituted with a mesogen, whereas in the copolysiloxanes mesogenic repeating units are separated by dimethylsiloxane units. Despite a rather similiar phase sequence of the homo- and co-polysiloxanes—higher ordered smectic, smectic C* (SmC*), smectic A (SmA) and isotropic—the nature of their phases differs strongly. For the copolymers the phase transition SmC* to SmA is second order and of the ‘de Vries’ type with a very small thickness change of the smectic layers. Inside the SmA phase, however, the smectic thickness decreases strongly on approaching the isotropic phase. For the homopolymer the phase transition SmC* to SmA is first order with a significant thickness change, indicating that this phase is not of the ‘de Vries’ type. This difference in the nature of the smectic phases is probably a consequence of microphase separation in the copolymer, which facilitates a loss of the tilt angle correlation between different smectic layers. This has consequences for the mechanical properties of LC- elastomers formed from homo- and co-polymers. For the elastomers from homopolymers the smectic layer compression seems to be rather high, while it seems to be rather small for the copolymers. [less ▲]

A study of a bistereogenic mesogen for the development of orthoconic antiferroelectric liquid crystal materials

in Ferroelectrics (2005), 315

The first orthoconic antiferroetectric liquid crystals (OAFLCs), i.e. smectics where the optical director changes direction by 90 degrees between neighboring layers, were mixtures of partially fluorinated ... [more ▼]

The first orthoconic antiferroetectric liquid crystals (OAFLCs), i.e. smectics where the optical director changes direction by 90 degrees between neighboring layers, were mixtures of partially fluorinated monostereogenic compounds. They have successfully demonstrated the orthoconic properties (orientation-independent dark state between crossed polarizers) but suffer from too high polarization and too short helical pitch, necessitating very thin samples. Using an (S,R) bistereogenic OAFLC we have obtained the orientation-independent dark state in rather thick samples, but several other problems arise with this compound. The strongly first-order SmA-SmCa transition produces defects leading to light leakage. In order to be switchable the sample must furthermore be mixed with chiral dopants, generally reducing the tilt angle as well as a shortening the helical pitch. Finally, a SmC phase often appears in the phase sequence of the mixture, strongly dominating over the desired SmCa phase in thin cells. [less ▲]

Sozialwissenschaftliche Forschung in Österreich: Kärnten

Article for general public (2005)

Neues kommunales Rechnungswesen

in Schubert, Herbert (Ed.) Sozialmanagement: Zwischen Wirtschaftlichkeit und fachlichen Zielen (2005)

Organisation, Koordination und Implementierung eines „sozialen Frühwarnsystems“ als präventive Maßnahme der sozialräumlichen Planung. Abschlussbericht

Report (2005)