The first and second Rayleigh-Sommerfeld diffraction theories, together with the Kirchhoff diffraction theory, are widely used in the formulation of optical diffraction problems [ 1 ]. They arise in the context of the half-space boundary-value problem of scalar wave theory; all sources of the optical field are assumed to be located in the Z~< 0 half-space, and the Z > 0 half-space is taken to b...

The diffraction spectra of Imaginary-Part Photonic Crystal (IPPC) slabs are analyzed by using Scattering-Matrix Method. By investigating the thickness dependence of the diffraction, we find the remarkable red shift of central wavelength of diffraction spectrum, which obviously distinguishes from the phenomenon of spectral hole. We observe that diffraction efficiency can be enhanced more than tw...

The hydrogenation of Li3N at low chemical potential has been studied in situ by time-of-flight powder neutron diffraction and the formation of a non-stoichiometric Li4-2xNH phase and Li4NH observed. The results are interpreted in terms of a model for the reaction pathway involving the production of Li4NH and Li2NH, which subsequently react together to form Li4-2xNH. Possible mechanisms for the ...

We report the observation of superstructures associated with the oxygen 2p states in two prototypical manganites using x-ray diffraction at the oxygen K edge. In the stripe order system Bi0.31Ca0.69MnO3, hole-doped O states are orbitally ordered, at the same propagation vector as the Mn orbital ordering, but no oxygen charge stripes are found at this periodicity. In La7/8Sr1/8MnO3, we observe a...

Mixed ferrites Sm0.5Pr0.5FeO3 and Sm0.5Nd0.5FeO3 with orthorhombic perovskite structure isotypic with GdFeO3 were synthesized by solid-state reaction technique in air at 1473 K. Structural parameters obtained at room temperature prove a formation of continuous solid solutions in the SmFeO3-PrFeO3 and SmFeO3-NdFeO3 pseudo-binary systems. Sm0.5Pr0.5FeO3 and Sm0.5Nd0.5FeO3 show strongly anisotropi...

The existence of an orientationally disordered cubic phase of solid ethanol is revealed by x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopic measurements. Such a phase, whose existence was postulated some time ago on the basis of specific-heat measurements, is produced by quenching below some 95 K a plastic crystal formed upon melting and subsequent annealing of the topologically disordered ~glassy! so...

Using surface x-ray diffraction, we have determined the structure of liquid Bi monolayers on Cu(111) for a range of coverages. By combining diffuse scattering data from the liquid with information from the substrate scattering, the ordering properties of Bi have been fully determined. Even though the substrate is hexagonal, we find that the liquid does not show hexatic order but has an orthorho...

We have observed large-amplitude strain waves following a rapid change in density of InSb due to nonthermal melting. The strain has been measured in real time via time-resolved x-ray diffraction, with a temporal resolution better than 2 ps. The change from the solid to liquid density of the surface layer launches a high-amplitude strain wave into the crystalline material below. This induces an ...

The energy landscape of Mg(BH(4))(2) under pressure is explored by ab initio evolutionary calculations. Two new tetragonal structures, with space groups P4 and I4(1)/acd, are predicted to be lower in enthalpy by 15.4 and 21.2 kJ/mol, respectively, than the earlier proposed P4(2)nm phase. We have simulated x-ray diffraction spectra, lattice dynamics, and equations of state of these phases. The d...

The low-temperature proton-ordered counterparts for ice-Ih, ice-III, ice-VI and ice-VII are investigated by first principle methods in conjunction with a graph enumeration technique. Two experimentally well calibrated disorder/order transitions, ice-Ih/ice-XI and ice-VII/ice-VIII, are used to validate the methodology we used herein and in both cases our approach is able to reproduce major exper...