This thesis takes a multidisciplinary approach to the study of ancient Egyptian ceramics by applying scientific dating techniques alongside more traditional methods. It is the first study to apply OSL dating to an Egyptian ceramic assemblage, and it has done so by developing the minimum extraction technique (MET), which has made it possible to use OSL to sample, and thus analyse, ceramics housed in museums. The MET is at present essential to the success of OSL dating of Egyptian ceramics, as the exportation ban on antiquities has prevented OSL analysis of field material. For this thesis, using this new sampling technique, OSL has been applied to several assemblages from the Predynastic to the Early Dynastic period. Ceramics from [ADD IN REVIEW ] have been examined, with three phases being established: late Naqada III, First Intermediate Period, and the mediaeval Islamic period. Absolute dates have been determined for each phase and, where comparison is possible, have been found in good agreement with the historical chronology. A set of vessels from Naqada, Ballas, and the Tomb of Djer at Abydos have been examined using OSL in conjunction with radiocarbon dating. Again, three phases of activity were discerned: late Naqada II, early Naqada III, and the first scientifically determined dates for a burning event in the Tomb of Djer (the New Kingdom). The thesis also demonstrates how OSL can be used as a relative dating technique by analysing a collection of Wavy-Handled ceramics and wine jars from Turah, finding that the OSL results agree well with the established relative chronology. Finally, this thesis has also examined the applicability of cladistic analysis to the study of Egyptian ceramics. Cladistics is a technique borrowed from the biological sciences which offers a complimentary way to examine the evolution of ceramic types and forms, in particular the development of beer and wine jars.

Cette thèse porte sur la conception d’un système de mesure in-situ permettant de détecter les perturbations variables dans l’environnement proche d’un réseau d’antennes. Une première partie est consacrée à l’étude du bénéfice d’un tel système appliqué à un réseau de goniométrie. Une étude quantitative de la dégradation des performances de goniométrie sur porteur en présence d’obstacles variables est réalisée. Le deuxième point majeur de cette thèse est le choix de la technologie pour la conception du système de diagnostic. La Technique de diffusion modulée par l’optique (OMS) est sélectionnée. Un modèle de prédiction de la puissance rétrodiffusée par la sonde OMS a été élaboré afin de choisir la dimension de sonde optimale. Suite aux études théoriques, une sonde de 12 cm chargée par la photodiode (PDCS30T) a été réalisée. Des mesures en chambre anéchoïque ont été menées afin de valider le bilan de liaison et mesurer la sensibilité de la sonde à des obstacles proches. Finalement, une étude est réalisée afin d’étudier la sensibilité exigée par le réseau de diagnostic pour détecter la présence d’obstacles. Un dimensionnement du système global est calculé. / This thesis focuses on the design of an in-situ measurement system to detect variable disturbances in the near field of antenna arrays. The first part was focused on the study of the benefit of the monitoring system for direction finding antennas (DFA). A quantitative study of degradation of performances of DFA installed on a carrier in presence of variable obstacles was done. The second point of the study concerns the choice for the technology for the diagnostic system design. The Optically Modulated Scatterer Technique (OMS) is selected. A model that predicts the OMS backscattered power is developed to select the optimal dimension of the probe. Following the theoretical studies, a 12 cm OMS probe coupled to the nonlinear device (PDCS30T) was designed. Measurements in anechoic chamber were conducted to validate the budget link model and measure the sensitivity of the probe to nearby objects. Finally, a study is conducted to investigate the sensitivity required by the diagnostic probes for detecting the presence of obstacles. A dimensioning of the overall system is computed.

The optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) characteristics of a suite of quartz and feldspar samples from a range of modern glaciofluvial sediments have been explored to determine the use of OSL as a depositional pathway tracer. Paraglacial and subglacial source material and various glaciofluvial deposits have been analysed from the glacial catchments of Bergsetbreen, Fåbergstølsbreen, and Nigardsbreen as well as the Fåbergstølsgrandane sandur, Jostedalen, Norway. The OSL distribution signatures have been characterised through exploration of sample skewness, kurtosis and overdispersion, and dose distributions of the different depositional settings and source materials are distinct for both quartz and feldspar. Residual ages are greatest for feldspar, indicating significant potential age overestimation where feldspar is used to date glaciofluvial deposits. Sample dose distributions and overdispersion characteristics are driven by source sediment properties, whereas residual ages are controlled by transport and depositional processes. Those transport and depositional processes which result in significant light exposure, also influence dose distributions, and processes that sort sediments least effectively have the highest residual doses. Sample OSL characteristics, transport distance and grain size distributions have been investigated using factor analysis, as a means of predicting sediment source, facies, depositional process and deposit type. Although the depositional processes of the quartz samples can be clearly differentiated based upon OSL characteristics, factor analyses of feldspar and grain size characteristics are inconclusive. The application of quartz OSL to the Norwegian samples was limited by its very poor luminescence sensitivity. Quartz is the preferred mineral for OSL, however, despite the plethora of successful quartz OSL applications, the precise origin of the UV/blue luminescence emission, measured during OSL, remains unclear. The origins of this emission and controls on its intensity were explored using a variety of spectroscopic techniques including photoluminescence, cathodoluminescence, radioluminescence (RL), ionoluminescence (IL) and x-ray excited optical luminescence (XEOL). Exciting sample luminescence at a range of energies enables exploration of the different donor centres responsible for the luminescence emission. Cathodoluminescence and RL emission spectra are similar, comprising broad emissions at 1.5, 2.0 and 2.7 eV (detection in the UV part of the spectrum was not possible for these experiments). Ionoluminescence emission spectra were dominated by the ~ 3.3 eV emission, which is a component of the signal conventionally monitored during OSL. This emission depleted as a function of dose, to the benefit of the red emission (1.8-2.0 eV) for all samples throughout IL, and similar observations were made for the 3.4 eV emission observed from the XEOL emission spectra. The XEOL spectra are dominated by an emission at ~ 3.8 eV, not widely reported for quartz, which has tentatively been attributed to peroxy linkages. Differences between the IL and XEOL emission spectra are interpreted as evidence for the presence of multiple excited states.

In this work we constructed an experimental system to realize a BEC of sodium atoms. In the first part of the work, we study two atomic sources in order to choose the most suitable for our system. The comparison between a Zeeman slower and a bidimensional magnetooptical trap (2D-MOT) was performed to evaluate the capacity of producing an appropiate flux of atoms in order to load a tridimensional magneto-optical trap (3D-MOT). The experimental results show that the 2D-MOT is as efficient as the Zeeman slower with the advantage of being more compact and easier to operate, and for these reasons we choose it as our source of cold atoms. After this, the experimental apparatus to produce a Bose-Einstein condensate was constructed and characterized. With this experimental system we realized all the required stages to achieve the Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC). Initially, we characterized and compared the performance between the Bright-MOT and Dark-SPOT MOT of sodium atoms, observing the great advantages this last configuration offers. Afterward, we implemented the experimental sequence for the achivement of the BEC of sodium atoms. After the optical molasses process, the atoms are tranferred to an optically plugged quadrupole trap (OPT) where the process of evaporative cooling is performed. With this setup, we achive a sodium BEC with ∼ 5×105 atoms and a critical temperature of ∼ 1.1 μK. Finally, with the constructed and characterized machine, we started to perform experiments of cooperative absorption of two photons by two trapped atoms. With the new system, we wanted to take advantage of the higher densities in the magnetic trap and BEC to explore some features of this phenomenon in the classical and quantum regimes. We were interested in exploring some features of this nonlinear light-matter interaction effect. The idea of having two or more photons interacting with two or more atoms is the beginning of a new possible class of phenomena that we could call many photons-many body intercation. In this new possibity, photons and atoms will be fully correlated, introducing new aspects of interactions. / Neste trabalho, realizamos a construção de um sistema experimental para a realização de um condensado de Bose-Einstein de átomos de sódio. Na primeira parte do trabalho, realizamos o estudo de duas fontes átomicas com o intuito de escolher a mais adequada para nosso sistema experimental. A comparação foi realizada entre um Zeeman slower e uma armadilha magneto-óptica bidimensional (MOT-2D), que são técnicas usadas para fornecer um grande fluxo de átomos com distribuição de velocidades adequadas para serem capturados numa armadilha magneto-óptica tridimensional (MOT-3D). Os resultados experimentais da caracterização de ambos os sistemas mostra que o MOT-2D oferece um grande fluxo atômico da mesma ordem do Zeeman slower, mas com a vantagem de ser um sistema mais compacto em questão de tamanho, razão pela qual foi escolhido como fonte atômica no nosso sistema. A partir daqui, realizamos a construção do sistema experimental para a realização do condensado de sódio. Inicialmente realizamos o aprisionamento numa MOT-3D, realizando subsequentemente os passos de resfriamento sub-Doppler mediante o processo de molasses ópticas. Depois disto, os átomos são transferidos para uma armadilha magnética, que consiste de um par de bobinas em configuração anti-Helmholtz, as mesmas usadas para a MOT-3D mas com um gradiente de campo magnético ao redor de uma ordem de grandeza maior. Esta armadilha é combinada com um laser com dessintonia para o azul focado a 30 μm no centro da armadilha, onde o campo magnético é zero com o objetivo de evitar as perdas por majorana que acontecem nessa região. Com esta configuração, um condensado de ∼ 5 × 105 átomos é obtido a uma temperatura crítica de ∼ 1.1 μK. Por último, com a máquina construída e caracterizada, começamos re-explorar o experimento de absorção cooperativa de dois fótons por dois átomos aprisionados. Com nosso novo sistema, é possível explorar este efeito no regime clássico e quântico. Estamos interessados em explorar algumas características da interação não linear entre luz e matéria. A ideia de ter dois ou mais fótons interagindo com um ou mais átomos, é possivelmente o começo de uma nova classe de fenômenos que poderíamos chamar de interação de muitos fótons com muitos átomos.

This thesis work aims at a better understanding of magneto-optical properties of dilute nitrides and II-VI diluted magnetic semiconductor quantum structures. The thesis is divided into two parts. The first part gives an introduction of the research fields, together with a brief summary of the scientific results included in the thesis. The second part consists of seven scientific articles that present the main findings of the thesis work. Below is a short summary of the thesis. Dilute nitrides have been of great scientific interest since their development in the early 1990s, because of their unusual fundamental physical properties as well as their potential for device applications. Incorporation of a small amount of N in conventional Ga(In)As or Ga(In)P semiconductors leads to dramatic modifications in both electronic and optical properties of the materials. This makes the dilute nitrides ideally suited for novel optoelectronic devices such as light emitting devices for fiber-optic communications, highly efficient visible light emitting devices, multi-junction solar cells, etc. In addition, diluted nitrides open a window for combining Si-based electronics with III-V compounds-based optoelectronics on Si wafers, promising for novel optoelectronic integrated circuits. Full exploration and optimization of this new material system in device applications requires a detailed understanding of their physical properties. Papers I and II report detailed studies of effects of post-growth rapid thermal annealing (RTA) and growth conditions (i.e. presence of N ions, N2 flow, growth temperature and In alloying) on the formation of grown-in defects in Ga(In)NP. High N2 flow and bombardment of impinging N ions on grown sample surface is found to facilitate formation of defects, such as Ga interstitial (Gai) related defects, revealed by optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR). These defects act as competing carrier recombination centers, which efficiently decrease photoluminescence (PL) intensity. Incorporation of a small amount of In (e.g. 5.1%) in GaNP seems to play a minor role in the formation of the defects. In GaInNP with 45% of In, on the other hand, the defects were found to be abundant. Effect of RTA on the defects is found to depend on initial configurations of Gai related defects formed during the growth. In Paper III, the first identification of an interfacial defect at a heterojunction between two semiconductors (i.e. GaP/GaNP) is presented. The interface nature of the defect is clearly manifested by the observation of ODMR lines originating from only two out of four equivalent <111> orientations. Based on its resolved hyperfine interaction between an unpaired electronic spin (S=1/2) and a nuclear spin (I=1/2), the defect is concluded to involve a P atom at its core with a defect/impurity partner along a <111> direction. Defect formation is shown to be facilitated by N ion bombardment. In Paper IV, the effects of post-growth hydrogenation on the efficiency of the nonradiative (NR) recombination centers in GaNP are studied. Based on the ODMR results, incorporation of H is found to increase the efficiency of the NR recombination via defects such as Ga interstitials. In Paper V, we report on our results from a systematic study of layered structures containing an InGaNAs/GaAs quantum well, by the optically detected cyclotron resonance (ODCR) technique. By monitoring PL emissions from various layers, the predominant ODCR peak is shown to be related to electrons in GaAs/AlAs superlattices. This demonstrates the role of the SL as an escape route for the carriers confined within the InGaNAs/GaAs single quantum well. The last two papers are within a relatively new field of spintronics which utilizes not only the charge (as in conventional electronics) but also the quantum mechanical property of spin of the electron. Spintronics offers a pathway towards integration of information storage, processing and communications into a single technology. Spintronics also promises advantages over conventional charge-based electronics since spin can be manipulated on a much shorter time scale and at lower cost of energy. Success of semiconductor-based spintronics relies on our ability to inject spin polarized electrons or holes into semiconductors, spin transport with minimum loss and reliable spin detection. In Papers VI and VII, we study the efficiency and mechanism for carrier/exciton and spin injection from a diluted magnetic semiconductor (DMS) ZnMnSe quantum well into nonmagnetic CdSe quantum dots (QD’s) by means of spin-polarized magneto PL combined with tunable laser spectroscopy. By means of a detailed rate equation analysis presented in Paper VI, the injected spin polarization is deduced to be about 32%, decreasing from 100% before the injection. The observed spin loss is shown to occur during the spin injection process. In Paper VII, we present evidence that energy transfer is the dominant mechanism for carrier/exciton injection from the DMS to the QD’s. This is based on the fact that carrier/exciton injection efficiency is independent of the width of the ZnSe tunneling barrier inserted between the DMS and QD’s. In sharp contrast, spin injection efficiency is found to be largely suppressed in the structures with wide barriers, pointing towards increasing spin loss.

The subarctic boreal forest biome is predicted to experience higher magnitudes of warming than other biomes due to climate change. The effects of this warming will be pronounced in areas underlain by discontinuous permafrost where melting permafrost and distinct changes in vegetation patterns are expected. To better understand rates of hillslope diffusion in the boreal forest I have used a geomorphic process modeling approach, using data from a sequence of Quaternary fluvial terraces located in the Nenana River valley of central Alaska. I hypothesized that diffusion rates here would be slower when compared to the mid-latitudes, and faster on north versus south-facing slopes. Calculated diffusion rates do support the hypothesis as they fall on the lower end of the global spectrum of documented hillslope diffusion rates. However, a significant difference in diffusion rates is not seen between the predominantly northeast and southwest facing slopes used in this study.

To fully exploit the capability of NV centers in diamond as magnetic sensors and quantum bits, the optimum production recipe as well as the method to enhance its optical performance has been studied in this work. The NV centers in bulk diamond were prepared by ion implantation and electron irradiation, and the optimum dose and temperature are found by comparing its optical and magnetic performance both experimentally and theoretically. In addition, the enhancement of optical performance and size characterization of NV centers in nanodiamonds will be discussed in this work.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Wollongong, 2005. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references: leaf 245-266.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:30:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2008-11-28Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:00:45Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 pereira_acf_dr_prud.pdf: 5065860 bytes, checksum: cf34424bad6a80c07230f80a12e3567a (MD5) / Na sociedade atual, discussões relacionadas à água potável tem ocupado um espaço importante, principalmente no meio científico, onde, através de pesquisas voltadas à disponibilidade e qualidade das águas é possível preparar diagnósticos e apontar soluções para planejadores e tomadores de decisões. Nesse contexto, o objetivo geral do trabalho foi desenvolver um método para inferência de variáveis limnológicas que indicam a qualidade da água e estejam associadas à sua característica espectral, em um reservatório de uso múltiplo e avaliar sua correlação com dados espectrais tomados “in situ” e extraídos de imagens orbitais de satélites de alta resolução espacial. Para tanto, uma imagem multiespectral do satélite Ikonos II foi adquirida, quase simultaneamente a coleta de dados limnológicos e espectrais “in situ”, em pontos amostrados adequadamente no corpo d’água, e posicionados com GPS. Devido à heterogeneidade das condições do tempo no levantamento de campo, uma nova abordagem amostral foi necessária, que se deu pela divisão da amostra em quatro conjuntos, quais foram: conjunto 1 (céu aberto e vento fraco), conjunto 2 (céu aberto e vento de médio a forte), conjunto 3 (céu nublado e vento fraco) e conjunto 4 (céu nublado e vento de médio a forte)... / In current society, drinkable water has been the subject of innumerable debates, mainly in scientific groups, in which, through researches focused on the availability and water quality, it is possible to prepare diagnoses and point out solutions to planners and decision makers. In this context, the general aim of the research was to develop a method for the inference of physical limnological variables that indicate the quality of the water and that are associated to its spectral characteristic, in a multiple use reservoir and evaluate its correlation to spectral data collected in situ and extracted from orbital images of high definition space sattelites. In order to achieve that, a multispectral image of the satellite Ikonos II was acquired, almost simultaneously to the gathering of limnological and spectral data “in situ”, in points sampled adequately in the water surveyed, and positioned by means of GPS. Due to the heterogeneous weather conditions when taking the ground samples, a new sampling approach was necessary, and it occurred with the division of the sample in four settings, which were: setting 1 (clear sky and mildly windy), setting 2 (clear sky and windy), setting 3 (overcast sky and mildly windy) and setting 4 (overcast sky and windy)... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ (GST) is an established phase-change material that undergoes fast reversible transitions between amorphous and crystalline states with a high electro-optical contrast, enabling applications in non-volatile optical and electronic memories and optically-switchable structured metamaterials. This work demonstrates that optical anisotropy can be induced and recorded in pure and doped GST thin films using circularly polarised light (CPL), opening up the possibility of controlled induction of anisotropic phase transition in these and related materials for optoelectronic and photonic applications. While the amorphous-to-crystalline phase transition in GST has generally been understood to proceed via a thermal mechanism, significant optical anisotropy (measured by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy in this work) strongly suggests that there is an electronic athermal component of the phase change induced by the handedness of circularly polarised nanosecond laser pulses and implies the existence of chiral structures or motifs. Optically active and inactive regions in the films have also been studied using X-ray and electron diffraction and spectroscopic techniques in order to obtain a structural picture that can be correlated to the optical changes observed and the findings offer surprising evidence of the nature of the phase transition. Regions exhibiting higher CD signal intensities were found to be mostly amorphous with elemental phase separation observed within modified surface features. Several mechanisms are proposed for the observed phenomena, including the retention of chiral crystalline fragments in laser- irradiated and melt-quenched amorphous regions, which could explain the results of CD spectroscopy. This may be extended to other material systems and harnessed in potential metamaterials, plasmonics, photonics or chiroptical applications.