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Akustinių bangų ir šviesos – akustooptinė (AO) sąveika įgalina tirti akustinių bangų savybes ne tik kristalo paviršiuje, bet ir tūryje. Tai aktualu kuriant tūrinių bangų prietaisus įvairiems taikymams. Iki šiol yra atlikta keletas AO difrakcijos eksperimentų, kai sunertiniais keitikliais žadinamos tūrinės bangos, bet ne nuotėkio paviršinių akustinių bangų (PAB) spinduliuotė į tūrį. Kita vertus, AO sąveiką galima efektyviai panaudoti šviesos parametrų valdyme. Tūrinių bangų AO prietaisai – šviesos moduliatoriai, deflektoriai, derinami filtrai plačiai naudojami praktikoje. Šioje disertacijoje pateikiami anizotropinės šviesos difrakcijos nuotėkio paviršinių akustinių bangų spinduliuote į kristalo tūrį ZX-LiNbO3 ir YX-LiTaO3 eksperimentiniai rezultatai ir teorinis modelis. Tokio tipo sąveika įgalina suderinti sunertinių PAB keitiklių technologijos privalumus su didesniu šviesos sąveikos su tūrinėmis akustinėmis bangomis efektyvumu. Dėmesys mišraus valentingumo manganitams, turintiems perovskito kristalinę gardelę vis didėja dėl fazinio virsmo paramagnetikas – feromagnetikas Kiuri temperatūroje, milžiniškosios magnetovaržos efekto, didelės unikalių tarpusavyje susijusių savybių įvairovės ir potencialo įvairiuose taikymuose. Dėl stiprios Jahn-Teller tipo elektron-fononinės sąveikos akustiniai metodai yra perspektyvūs tiriant manganitus. Šioje disertacijoje pateikiami nuotėkio paviršinių akustinių bangų spinduliuotės į tūrį sklidimo dariniuose La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 plėvelė –... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Acoustic wave and light – acousto-optic (AO) interaction provides an efficient tool for probing the acoustic wave properties not only at a crystal surface but also at any point within its bulk. This is topical in the design of the bulk wave devices for various applications. Meanwhile, there have been a few investigations of AO diffraction by (interdigital transducer) IDT-generated bulk waves, but not of the diffraction due to the radiation from leaky surface acoustic waves (SAWs). On the other hand, AO interaction enables efficient control of light parameters. Bulk wave AO devices have found numerous applications as light modulators, deflectors, tunable filters. In this PhD thesis, the experimental investigation and theoretical model of anisotropic light diffraction by leaky SAW radiation into crystal bulk in ZX-LiNbO3 and YX-LiTaO3 are reported. This type of interaction allows one to combine benefits of the IDT technology with the enhanced interaction efficiency of bulk-wave-type interaction. Mixed-valence perovskite manganites were studied intensively in recent years due to the observed paramagnetic to ferromagnetic transition at Curie temperature, colossal magnetoresistance effect, a variety of unique properties and potential at various applications. Due to the strong Jahn-Teller electron-phonon coupling the acoustic technique is effective tool for investigations of manganites. In this PhD thesis, the experimental investigation of the leaky SAW radiation propagating in... [to full text]

Acoustic wave and light – acousto-optic (AO) interaction provides an efficient tool for probing the acoustic wave properties not only at a crystal surface but also at any point within its bulk. This is topical in the design of the bulk wave devices for various applications. Meanwhile, there have been a few investigations of AO diffraction by (interdigital transducer) IDT-generated bulk waves, but not of the diffraction due to the radiation from leaky surface acoustic waves (SAWs). On the other hand, AO interaction enables efficient control of light parameters. Bulk wave AO devices have found numerous applications as light modulators, deflectors, tunable filters. In this PhD thesis, the experimental investigation and theoretical model of anisotropic light diffraction by leaky SAW radiation into crystal bulk in ZX-LiNbO3 and YX-LiTaO3 are reported. This type of interaction allows one to combine benefits of the IDT technology with the enhanced interaction efficiency of bulk-wave-type interaction. Mixed-valence perovskite manganites were studied intensively in recent years due to the observed paramagnetic to ferromagnetic transition at Curie temperature, colossal magnetoresistance effect, a variety of unique properties and potential at various applications. Due to the strong Jahn-Teller electron-phonon coupling the acoustic technique is effective tool for investigations of manganites. In this PhD thesis, the experimental investigation of the leaky SAW radiation propagating... [to full text] / Akustinių bangų ir šviesos – akustooptinė (AO) sąveika įgalina tirti akustinių bangų savybes ne tik kristalo paviršiuje, bet ir tūryje. Tai aktualu kuriant tūrinių bangų prietaisus įvairiems taikymams. Iki šiol yra atlikta keletas AO difrakcijos eksperimentų, kai sunertiniais keitikliais žadinamos tūrinės bangos, bet ne nuotėkio paviršinių akustinių bangų (PAB) spinduliuotė į tūrį. Kita vertus, AO sąveiką galima efektyviai panaudoti šviesos parametrų valdyme. Tūrinių bangų AO prietaisai – šviesos moduliatoriai, deflektoriai, derinami filtrai plačiai naudojami praktikoje. Šioje disertacijoje pateikiami anizotropinės šviesos difrakcijos nuotėkio paviršinių akustinių bangų spinduliuote į kristalo tūrį ZX-LiNbO3 ir YX-LiTaO3 eksperimentiniai rezultatai ir teorinis modelis. Tokio tipo sąveika įgalina suderinti sunertinių PAB keitiklių technologijos privalumus su didesniu šviesos sąveikos su tūrinėmis akustinėmis bangomis efektyvumu. Dėmesys mišraus valentingumo manganitams, turintiems perovskito kristalinę gardelę vis didėja dėl fazinio virsmo paramagnetikas – feromagnetikas Kiuri temperatūroje, milžiniškosios magnetovaržos efekto, didelės unikalių tarpusavyje susijusių savybių įvairovės ir potencialo įvairiuose taikymuose. Dėl stiprios Jahn-Teller tipo elektron-fononinės sąveikos akustiniai metodai yra perspektyvūs tiriant manganitus. Šioje disertacijoje pateikiami nuotėkio paviršinių akustinių bangų spinduliuotės į tūrį sklidimo dariniuose La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 plėvelė –... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

In this thesis, the author proposed and developed nanostructured materials based Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) and conductometric transducers for gas sensing applications. The device fabrication, nanostructured materials synthesis and characterization, as well as their gas sensing performance have been undertaken. The investigated structures are based on two structures: lithium niobate (LiNbO3) and lithium tantalate (LiTaO3). These two substrates were chosen for their high electromechanical coupling coefficient. The conductometric structure is based on langasite (LGS) substrate. LGS was selected because it does not exhibit any phase transition up to its melting point (1470°C). Four types of nanostructured materials were investigated as gas sensing layers, they are: polyaniline, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), graphene and antimony oxide (Sb2O3). The developed nanostructured materials based sensors have high surface to volume ratio, resulting in high sensitivity towards di¤erent gas species. Several synthesis methods were conducted to deposit nanostructured materials on the whole area of SAW based and conductometric transducers. Electropolymerization method was used to synthesize and deposit polyaniline nanofibers on 36° YX LiTaO3 and 64° YX LiNbO3 SAW substrates. By varying several parameters during electropolymerization, the effect on gas sensing properties were investigated. The author also extended her research to successfully develop polyaniline/inorganic nanocomposites based SAW structures for room temperature gas sensing applications. Via electrospinning method, PVP fibres and its composites were successfully deposited on 36° YX LiTaO3 SAW transducers. Again in this method, the author varied several parameters of electrospinning such as distance and concentration, and investigated the effect on gas sensing performance. Graphene-like nano-sheets were synthesized on 36° YX LiTaO3 SAW devices. This material was synthesized by spin-coating graphite oxide (GO) on the substrate and then exposin g the GO to hydrazine to reduce it to graphene. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman characterizations showed that the reduced GO was not an ideal graphene. This information was required to understand the properties of the deposited graphene and link its properties to the gas sensing properties. Thermal evaporation method was used to grow Sb2O3 nanostructures on LGS conductometric transducers. Using this method, different nanoscale structures such as nanorods and lobe-like shapes were found on the gold interdigitated transducers (IDTs) and LGS substrate. The gas sensing performance of the deposited nanostructured Sb2O3 based LGS conductometric sensors was investigated at elevated temperatures. The gas sensing performance of the investigated nanostructured materials/SAW and conductometric structures provide a way for further investigation to future commerciallization of these types of sensors.

The elastic wave equation describes the propagation of elastic disturbances produced by seismic events in the Earth or vibrations in plates and beams. The acoustic wave equation governs the propagation of sound. The description of the wave fields resulting from an initial configuration or time dependent forces is a valuable tool when gaining insight into the effects of the layering of the Earth, the propagation of earthquakes or the behavior of underwater sound. In the most general case exact solutions to both the elastic wave equation and the acoustic wave equation are impossible to construct. Numerical methods that produce approximative solutions to the underlaying equations now become valuable tools. In this thesis we construct numerical solvers for the elastic and acoustic wave equations with focus on stability, high order of accuracy, boundary conditions and geometric flexibility. The numerical solvers are used to study wave boundary interactions and effects of curved geometries. We also compare the methods that we have constructed to other methods for the simulation of elastic and acoustic wave motion.

The Carboneras fault zone (CFZ, Almería Province, SE Spain) is a major NE-SW trending tectonic lineament that marks part of the diffuse plate boundary between Iberia and Africa. Developed within a basement terrain dominated by mica schist, the fault system comprises two main strands within a complex zone up to 1 km wide. Between these two strands is a braided network of left-lateral strike-slip, phyllosilicate-rich fault gouge bands, ranging between 1 and 20 m in thickness, passively exhumed from up to 3 km depth. The excellent exposure in a semi-arid environment, the wide range of rock types and fault structures represented and the practicality of carrying out in-situ geophysical studies makes this fault zone particularly well suited to verifying and interpreting the results of in-situ seismic investigations. Integration of elements of field study, laboratory analysis and modelling has aided interpretation of the internal structure of the fault zone. Ultrasonic measurements were made using standard equipment over confining and pore pressure ranges appropriate to the upper 10 km of the continental crust. Seismic velocities have also been approximated from modal analysis and mineral phase elastic properties and adjusted for the effects of porosity. In-situ seismic investigations recorded P-wave velocities 40-60% lower than those measured in the laboratory under corresponding pressures and at ambient temperatures for hard rock samples. Fault gouge velocities measured in the laboratory, however, are comparable to those measured in the field because, unlike the host rocks, fault gouges are only pervasively micro-fractured and lack the populations of long cracks (larger than the sample size) that cause slowing of the velocities measured in the field. By modelling the effect of fractures on seismic velocity (by superimposing upon the laboratory seismic data the effects of crack damage) the gap between field- and laboratory-scale seismic investigations has been bridged. Densities of macroscopic cracks were assessed by measuring outcrop lengths on planar rock exposures. Assuming crack length follows a power law relation to frequency, this fixes a portion of the power spectrum, which is then extrapolated to cover the likely full range of crack sizes. The equations of Budiansky and O'Connell (1976), linking crack density to elastic moduli, were used to calculate modified acoustic velocities, and the effects of the wide range of crack sizes were incorporated by breaking the distribution down into small sub-populations of limited range of crack density. Finally, the effect of overburden pressure causing progressively smaller cracks to close was incorporated to predict velocity versus depth of burial (i.e. pressure). Determination of rock physical properties from laboratory analysis and sections constructed from geological mapping provides a representation of velocity from selected parts of the Carboneras fault zone. First break tomography images show particularly well the location of steeply-inclined fault cores, and these correlate generally well with geological mapping and laboratory velocity measurements corrected for the effect of cracks. The decoration of the fault zone with intrusive igneous material is well correlated with the results of geological observations. Comparisons made between the field (seismic) inversion model and laboratory forward velocity model in El Saltador valley show the laboratory and field velocity measurements made within the fault zone can be reconciled by accounting for the effects of crack damage in field data.

Phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH, EC: 1.14.16.1) is a non-heme iron tetrahydropterin-dependent monooxygenase that maintains phenylalanine (L-Phe) homeostasis via conversion of L-Phe to L-Tyr. PAH is an allosteric enzyme that converts from an inactive T-state to an active R-state upon addition of substrate, L-Phe. Allosteric activation is correlated with physical and structural changes within the enzyme and a large activation energy. Crystal structures of PAH have not identified the location of the allosteric effector binding site. Herein, we report computational protein mapping efforts using the FTmap algorithm and experimental site-directed mutagenesis studies designed to define and screen possible L-Phe allosteric binding sites. Mass spectroscopic analysis of PAH proteolytic fragments obtained after photo-crosslinking with 2-azido-3-phenylpropanoate overlapped with one computationally derived allosteric binding pocket containing residues 110-120 and 312-317. Ligand docking studies, fluorescence measurements, binding affinity and activity assays on wild-type and mutant enzymes further characterized the shape and specificity of this pocket. Thermodynamic studies using surface acoustic wave (SAW) biosensing determined the affinity of L-Phe for the allosteric site. Two L-Phe binding sites were observed upon SAW titrations, corresponding to the active and allosteric sites respectively ( K D,app^on 113 ± 12 µM active site, K D,app^on 680 ± 20 µM allosteric site). Site-directed mutagenesis was performed to prepare mutant enzymes containing a single tryptophan (L-Trp) residue. The fluorescence signatures of each of the three native L-Trp residues in PAH were determined by titrations with L-Phe. Trp187 primarily reports L-Phe induced allosteric conformational changes, while Trp120 reports active site L-Phe binding. Trp326 reports small signals of both active and allosteric site changes. Variable temperature stopped-flow fluorescence kinetic studies elucidated a working mechanism for L-Phe allosteric activation of PAH. Fluorescent signals from wild-type, single, and double L-Trp PAH mutants have been used to build kinetic mechanisms for the L-Phe binding in each subunit and subsequent active site reorganization or allosteric conformational change. In these mechanisms, the enzyme has reduced activity (1-2% of wtPAH) until both L-Phe induced active and allosteric site conformational changes have occurred. Failure of either activation step prevents enzyme turnover and is the chemical-based cause of the metabolic condition phenylketonuria.

currently operational non-destructive testing methods for pavements have many drawbacks that need improvement. This thesis investigates the possibility of utilizing the normal incidence reflection coefficient of acoustic waves in characterizing and studying of porous granular materials. The reflection coefficient of acoustic waves carries information about the physical parameters of materials. The fouling process in ballast layer and the compaction progress in sand and road base layers are the main focus of this study. Simplified fluid equivalent models are used to characterize and study the granular porous layers. The Delany- Bazley and Johnson- Allard models which require few non-acoustical material parameters are used in this analysis. A one dimensional problem which involves a porous layer backed by an infinite impedance surface has been solved in Matlab. The results from the two models have been compared and parametric studies of non-acoustical parameters have been also done. The study concludes the possibility of a new non-contact non –destructive testing method for unbound granular layers which utilize the reflection coefficient of acoustic waves.

This thesis focuses on the theory, fabrication, and characterization of 2-port surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonators, as well as the application of their Fabry-Pérot resonance modes for strain sensing. The thesis includes three articles. In the first article, a fabrication method for high frequency SAW devices using traditional UV photolithography equipment is developed. It is well known that SAW sensors become more sensitive at higher frequencies but realizing high frequency devices requires small features which challenge existing photolithography methods. The proposed process is a modified version of a previously reported tri-layer lift-off photolithography process intended for Si or SiO2 substrates which allows for compatibility with materials that are piezoelectric and pyroelectric, often used as the substrate in SAW devices. The process uses a lithographic tri-layer consisting of layers of lift-off resist (LOR) on the bottom, back anti-reflection coating (BARC) in the middle, and photoresist (PR) on top, improving resolution by a factor of two over traditional lift-off photolithography techniques. We demonstrate the fabrication of a SAW device with an interdigital transducer (IDT) pitch of 4 μm (minimum feature size of 1 μm) on 128o Y-X cut lithium niobate, whose operating frequency is measured as 994.5 MHz. The 2-Port SAW devices that are used in subsequent chapters are fabricated using this process. The second article proposes a method of analyzing acoustic Fabry-Pérot spectra, by analogy with optical cavities, to determine key SAW parameters. In our experiment, 2-port SAW resonators, consisting of two interdigital transducers (IDTs) laterally separated by a free surface cavity length, are used to generate SAWs on 128o Y-X lithium niobate that are trapped between the two IDTs which also act as Bragg reflectors. Fabry-Pérot cavity peaks can be observed through the electrical S11 (reflection) spectrum measured on one IDT, hence a 2-Port resonator is equivalent to an acoustic Fabry-Pérot cavity/resonator. Measurements of the free spectral range and linewidths are then fitted to linear models to obtain the free surface velocity and attenuation of SAW waves, as well as the reflection of interdigital transducers (IDTs), all of which are crucial design parameters. Our method of analyzing Fabry-Pérot spectra provides a convenient method for determining key characteristics of SAW waves and cavities. In the third article, a surface acoustic wave (SAW) strain sensor based on measuring acoustic Fabry-Pérot resonance peaks from a 2-port SAW resonator is demonstrated. A theoretical analysis is proposed to estimate the frequency sensitivity to strain of IDT and cavity resonances and to predict strain distributions in both the cavity and IDT regions of a 2-port SAW resonator bonded to a tapered cantilever beam. The frequency stability of cavity resonance peaks for fabricated 2-port SAW resonators of different cavity length are measured and analyzed to determine the cavity length which exhibits maximum frequency stability. A cross-correlation analysis technique is then introduced to improve the detection of the frequency shift of SAW resonances and enable multimode frequency shift detection. The measured frequency sensitivity to strain of the cavity resonances of a resonator 10 mm in length (operating frequency = 97.7 MHz) was found to be -103.2 ± 0.2 Hz/με while demonstrating excellent linearity (R2 = 0.9999). By considering a minimum signal to noise ratio (SNR) of 3 dB, the device exhibits a minimum strain resolution of only 234 nε.

Cette thèse porte sur l’étude de la propagation d’ondes mécaniques dans des milieux granulaires secs ou mouillés, avec pour objectif de relier les phénomènes de l’échelle microscopique (dynamique des grains, potentiels d’interactions entre particules, rhéologie du fluide interstitiel) aux propriétés de l’échelle macroscopique (relation de dispersion, vitesse et atténuation des ondes dans l’approximation des grandes longueurs d’ondes). Les systèmes étudiés sont soit des milieux granulaires unidimensionnels de grande taille, analogues des chemins de plus forts contacts entre particules (les chaînes de force) dans les empilements de grains réels, soit les milieux granulaires réels eux-mêmes. Dans un premier temps, nous étudions expérimentalement la transmission d’ondes au travers d’un alignement de sphères centimétriques sèches, que nous modélisons via le potentiel de Hertz. Nous montrons que le couplage élastofrictionnel entre les grains et un substrat (le support des sphères) engendre un potentiel élastique local, qui induit à son tour une bande interdite a fréquence nulle dans la fonction de transfert. Dans un deuxième temps, nous montrons que la présence d'une quantité infime de fluide visqueux au contact entre chaque particule induit une interaction élasto-hydrodynamique (EHD). Ce dernier induit une modification de l’atténuation des ondes et une augmentation très significative de la vitesse de propagation, qui dans ce cas dépendent de manière non-triviale de l’élasticité des particules, de la viscosité du fluide et de la fréquence. Dans un troisième temps, nous vérifions la fiabilité de notre analyse pour décrire la propagation d'ondes ultrasonores dans des milieux granulaires réels, tel que le sable mouillé ou non ; les particules sont ici des sphères millimétriques. Dans le cas sec, nos résultats sont en accord avec un modèle connu de milieux effectifs (EMT) qui relève de l’interaction de Hertz-Mindlin dans l'approximation des grandes longueurs d'ondes. Dans le cas mouille, le modèle EMT combiné à un mécanisme EHD reproduit de manière acceptable nos observations préliminaires. / This thesis deals with the study of mechanical wave propagation in dry or wet granular media, with the aim of relating the phenomena at the microscopic scale (particles dynamics, interaction potentials between grains, rheology of the interstitial fluid) to the features at the macroscopic scale (dispersion relation, wave speed and attenuation in the long wavelength approximation). The systems under study are either large one-dimensional granular media, as the analogs of the paths of the most compressed grains (the force chains) in real granular packings, or the real granular media themselves. In a first place, we study experimentally the wave transmission through alignments of dry centimetric spheres, which we model via the Hertz potential. We show that the elasto-frictional coupling between the grains and a substrate (the spheres’ support) induces an on-site elastic potential, which in turn induces a band gap at zero frequency in the transfer function. In a second place, we show that the presence of an infinitesimal amount of viscous fluid at the contact between every particle induces an elasto-hydrodynamic (EHD) interaction. The later affects the attenuation of waves in addition to a significant increase of the wave speed, which in this case both non-trivially depend on the elasticity of the particles, on the viscosity of the fluid and on the frequency. In a third place, we check the reliability of our analysis to describe ultrasonic wave propagation in real granular materials such as dry or wet sand; our particles are here millimetric spheres. In the dry configuration, our results are consistent with an effective medium theory (EMT) which relies on the Hertz-Mindlin interaction in the long wavelength approximation. In the wet configuration, the EMT model combined with an EHD mechanism fairly reproduces our preliminary observations.