ANNUAL REPORT - MTA SzFKI

In the frame of the NRDP 071/2004 – Nanotechnology Program we developed a high
resolution phase shifted surface testing interferometer which can measure not only
stationary surfaces but also thermal and elastic deformations with sub-nanometer
resolution.
The tested surface can be recovered by fast evaluation of four interferograms shiftet by π/4
using a special software developed for 3D surface mapping. This system is also suitable
for investigation of submicron aerosol particle sediments on different surfaces.
In the frame of GVOP - 3.1.1-2004-05-040/3.0 project a submicron resolution X-Y
camera positioning system was developed and optimized for registration of digital
holograms. Registration of the hologram in 64 sub-holograms in stepping/scanning mode
and stitching of the obtained images makes possible to increase the virtual resolution of the
obtained hologram and the size of the sample to be tested. A patent for this new technique
was elaborated and applied.
In the frame of GVOP- 3.1.1-2004-05-0259/3.0 project the dynamics of the photochemical
catalytic decomposition of toxic ingredients was investigated using light scattering
method. An UV excitation system for enhancement of the chemical decomposition was
designed.
Measurement of the statistics of photons generated in nonlinear optical processes were
performed in the case of surface plasmons, parametric deconversion etc. The statistics of
the excitation light and the light generated by surface plasmons was compared.
Experimental and theoretical studies of the statistical properties of surface plasmon
polaritons (SPO-s) were studied. Both classical and non-classical properties of surface
plasmons were analysed. The temporal statistical behaviour at low excitation level,
measured by detecting the SPO emitted photon statistics as expressed by the correlation
function and the temporal photon count distribution, shows that the SPO-s preserve the
photon statistics of the laser. Independent simple model calculations confirmed the
existence of enhanced E.M. fields of surface plasmons.
Amorphous carbon thin layers. — Our research work was focused on the investigation
of structure and properties of different carbon-based materials and their possible
applications. The tuning of the emission photon energy of amorphous carbon films
prepared from benzene plasma was achieved by changing the deposition self-bias. The
photoluminescence maxima were correlated to definite structural units of the films. We
have developed lithium intercalated electrodes for rechargeable batteries based on carbon
black and amorphous carbon mixture. Nano-diamond thin films represent a new direction
in the research field of carbon-based materials. We have started to study the dependence of
bonding and electronic properties of these materials on the grain size.
Nowadays nanocrystalline (NCD) and ultra-nanocrystalline diamond (UNCD) thin films
are promising materials of modern technology due to their unique and advantageous
mechanical, electrochemical, electronic and optical properties. These layers have
composite structure where the diamond crystallites are embedded into an amorphous
carbon matrix. Beside the average grain size the properties of the grain boundaries are the
most important factors affecting the film properties. Generally the grain boundaries are the
interface region between the two (crystalline diamond and amorphous carbon) phases, but
in the case of UNCD films of small grains the inter-grain amorphous phase is so thin that
the entire of it constitutes the grain boundary.
Our aim was to investigate the structure of the grain boundaries of these materials in detail,
focusing on the uniformity and on the grain size dependence of the structure.
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