In this paper, structural modelling and dynamic analysis methods reflecting the characteristics of a liquid propellant were developed for a pogo analysis. The pogo phenomenon results from the complex interaction between the vehicle structural vibration in the longitudinal direction and the propulsion system. Thus, for an accurate vibration analysis of a liquid propellant launch vehicle, both the consumption of the liquid propellant and the change in the stiffness reflecting the nonlinear hydroelastic effect were simultaneously considered. A complete vehicle structure, including the liquid propellant tanks, was analytically modelled while focusing on pogo. In addition, a feasible liquid propellant tank modelling method was established to obtain an one-dimensional complete vehicle model. With these methods, comparative studies of the hydroelastic effect were conducted. Evaluations of the dynamic analysis of a reference vehicle were also conducted during the first burning stage. The numerical results obtained with the present orthotropic model and the dynamic analysis method were found to be in good agreement with the natural vibration characteristics according to previous analyses and experiments. Additionally, the reference vehicle showed the estimated occurrence of pogo in the first structural mode when compared with the frequencies of the propellant feeding system. In conclusion, the present structural modelling and modal analysis procedures can be effectively used to analyse dynamic characteristics of liquid propellant launch vehicles. These techniques are also capable of identifying the occurrence of pogo and providing design criteria related to pogo instability.

The beam combination method using stimulated Brillouin scattering phase conjugate mirrors (SBS-PCMs) is a promising technique for a high energy and high power laser output operating with a high repetition rate. The two-beam combined system was previously demonstrated with an amplitude dividing method. A four-beam combined laser system with amplitude dividing method is demonstrated in this work, and the phase stabilization experiment of this system is performed using the self phase control and the long-term stabilization technique. The phase differences between the SBS waves are stabilized with λ/30 and the fluctuation of the four-beam combined output energy is 6.16% during 2000 shots (200 s).

An overview on current trends in stimulated Brillouin scattering and optical phase conjugation is given. This report is based on the results of the “Second International Workshop on stimulated Brillouin scattering and phase conjugation” held in Potsdam/Germany in September 2007. The properties of stimulated Brillouin scattering are presented for the compensation of phase distortions in combination with novel laser technology like ceramics materials but also for e.g., phase stabilization, beam combination, and slow light. Photorefractive nonlinear mirrors and resonant refractive index gratings are addressed as phase conjugating mirrors in addition.

A new concept of laser fusion driver is proposed, which uses a beam combination technique with stimulated Brillouin scattering phase conjugate mirror (SBS-PCM). It is constructed systematically with a cross-type amplifier as a basic unit. In the first part of this paper, we introduce the cross-type laser amplifier using SBS-PCM, with several advantages by experimental results. These advantages are the ideal properties for practical laser fusion driver, such as the perfect isolation of leak beam, the compensation of thermally induced birefringence through the amplifiers, the easy maintenance and alignment insensitiveness, and the freely-scale-up energy. Next, some successful results for the phase control of SBS-PCM are presented, which is one of the main problems in the current beam combination laser using SBS-PCM. Particularly, a new technique for controlling the phase of SBS-PCM, “self-density modulation,” is introduced, which is the simplest ever among those reported. With the advantages of the cross-type amplifier using SBS-PCM and the novel method for controlling the phase of SBS-PCM, the proposed beam combination laser system is presented as the most promising one, which can contribute to the realization of high energy laser that can operate with high repetition rate over 10 Hz, even in the case of huge output energy over MJ.

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2004 in Savannah, Georgia, USA, August 1–5, 2004.

ZnO with hexagonal wurzite structure is a wide band gap n-type semiconductor. ZnO films can be prepared to obtain high transparency in the visible range, low resistivity, chemical stability and stability in hydrogen plasma including many foreign materials such as Al, In. In this work, we prepared ZnO:Al thin film by Facing Targets Sputtering system with Zn metal target and ZnO:Al(Al2O3 2wt%, 4wt%) ceramic target at total working gas pressure 1mTorr, substrate temperature R.T.. We evaluated the crystallographic, electrical and optical characteristics of the ZnO:Al films.

InGaN/GaN multi-quantum well (MQW) laser diodes (LDs) were grown on c-plane sapphire substrates using a multi-wafer MOCVD system. The threshold current for pulsed lasing was 1.6 A for a gain-guided laser diode with a stripe of 10 × 800 μm2. The threshold current density was 20.3 kA cm−2 and the threshold voltage was 16.5 V. The optical power ratio of transverse electric mode to transverse magnetic mode was found to be greater than 50. The characteristic temperature measured from the plot of threshold current versus measurement temperature was between 130 and 150K.

Interfacial reactions and epitaxial growth of the microstructure between cobalt thin film and (100)-oriented GaAs substrate have been studied, using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and EDS analysis. Cobalt thin films were deposited by e-beam evaporation, and were subsequently annealed at 400 °C.

The reaction layer evolved due to the annealing was identified as the ternary phase, Co2GaAs, that was grown epitaxially on the substrate. The new orientation relationship between Co2GaAs and GaAs substrate was found as <110>Co2GaAs // <100>GaAs and {001}Co2GaAs // {011}GaAs. These results can be well explained upon matching the unit cells of Co2GaAs and GaAs. Upon the annealing at 600°C, the Co2GaAs phase is usually decomposed to stable binary phases, CoGa and CoAs.