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An Autodesk Ember three-dimensional (3D) printer was used to print optical components from Clear PR48 photocurable resin. The cured PR48 was characterized by the per cent of light transmitted and the index of refraction, which was measured with a prism spectrometer. Lenses and diffraction gratings were also printed and characterized. The focal length of the printed lenses agreed with predictions based on the thin lens equation. The periodicity and effective slit width of the printed gratings were determined from both optical micrographs and fits to the Fraunhofer diffraction equation. This study aims to demonstrate the advantages offered by a layer-by-layer DLP printing process for the manufacture of optical components for use in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum.

A 3D printer was used to print both lenses and diffraction gratings from Standard Clear PR48 photocurable resin. The manufacturing process of the lenses and the diffraction gratings differ mainly in the printing angle with respect to the printer x-y-axes. The transmission diffraction gratings studied here were manufactured with nominal periodicities of 10, 25 and 50 µm. The aim of this study was to optically determine the effective values for the distance between slits, d, and the effective width of the slits, w, and to compare these values with the printed layer thickness.

The normalized diffraction patterns measured in this experiment for the printed gratings with layer thickness of 10, 25 and 50 µm are shown by the solid dots in Figures 8(a)-(c). Also shown as a red solid line are the fits to the experimental diffraction data. The effective values of d and w obtained from fitting the data are compared to the nominal layer thickness of the printed gratings. The effective distance between slits required to fit the diffraction patterns are well approximated by the printed layer thickness to within 14, 4 and 16 per cent for gratings with a nominal 10, 25 and 50 µm layer thickness, respectively.

Chromatic aberration is present in all polymer lenses, and the authors have not attempted to characterize it in this study. These materials could be used for achromatic lenses if paired with a crown-type material in an achromatic doublet configuration, because this would correct the chromatic aberration issues. It is worthwhile to compare the per cent transmission in cured PR48 resin (approximately 80 per cent) to the percent transmission found in common optical materials like BK7 (approximately 92 per cent) over the visible region. The authors attribute the lower transmission in PR48 to a combination of surface scattering and increased absorption. At the present time, the authors do not know what fraction of the lower transmission is related to the surface quality resulting from sample polishing.

There are inherent limitations to the 3D manufacturing process that affect the performance of lenses. Approximations to a curved surface in the design software, the printing resolution of the Autodesk Ember printer and the anisotropy due to printing in layers are believed to be the main issues. The performance of the lenses is also affected by internal imperfections in the printed material, in particular the presence of bubbles and the inclusion of debris like dust or fibers suspended in air. In addition, the absorption of wavelengths in the blue/ultraviolet produces an undesirable yellowing in any printed part.

One of the most interesting results from this study was the manufacture of diffraction gratings using 3D printing. An analysis of the diffraction pattern produced by these printed gratings yielded estimates for the slit periodicity and effective slit width. These gratings are unique because the effective slit width fills the entire volume of the printed part. This aspect makes it possible to integrate two or more optical devices in a single printed part. For example, a lens combined with a diffraction grating now becomes possible.

The X‐ray diffraction patterns of epoxy resins: four samples with different epoxide equivalents and coal‐tar blended epoxy resins: three samples with different epoxide equivalents were recorded using CuKa X‐ray radiation. These X‐ray diffraction patterns were indicating the amorphous nature of the resins. Their intensity curves were subjected to Fourier Analysis for the first time in order to get more information about the difference between epoxy and coal‐tar blended epoxy resins in terms of their internal structure such as particle size, percentage crystallanity and electron density fluctuations. Also, the effect of different epoxide equivalent on these physical parameters was interpreted successfully in epoxy as well as coal‐tar blended epoxy resins.

The esterified maleic and fumaric resins have been studied by X‐ray diffraction. Their diffraction halos have been subjected to a Fourier analysis for the first time and the physical parameters like particle size, percentage crystallanity and electrondensity fluctuations along the length of the polymer molecule have been evaluate out by standard methods. The results indicate that the two resins are isomeric in nature. This conclusion is further supported by a measurement of the variation in ultrasonic velocity with concentration in xylene solutions of these resins.

Survey of period infinite element developments The first infinite elements for periodic wave problems, as stated in Part 1, were developed by Bettess and Zienkiewicz, the earliest publication being in 1975. These applications were of ‘decay function’ type elements and were used in surface waves on water problems. This was soon followed by an application by Saini et al., to dam‐reservoir interaction, where the waves are pressure waves in the water in the reservoir. In this case both the solid displacements and the fluid pressures are complex valued. In 1980 to 1983 Medina and co‐workers and Chow and Smith successfully used quite different methods to develop infinite elements for elastic waves. Zienkiewicz et al. published the details of the first mapped wave infinite element formulation, which they went on to program, and to use to generate results for surface wave problems. In 1982 Aggarwal et al. used infinite elements in fluid‐structure interaction problems, in this case plates vibrating in an unbounded fluid. In 1983 Corzani used infinite elements for electric wave problems. This period also saw the first infinite element applications in acoustics, by Astley and Eversman, and their development of the ‘wave envelope’ concept. Kagawa applied periodic infinite wave elements to Helmholtz equation in electromagnetic applications. Pos used infinite elements to model wave diffraction by breakwaters and gave comparisons with laboratory photogrammetric measurements of waves. Good agreement was obtained. Huang also used infinite elements for surface wave diffraction problems. Davies and Rahman used infinite elements to model wave guide behaviour. Moriya developed a new type of infinite element for Helmholtz problem. In 1986 Yamabuchi et al. developed another infinite element for unbounded Helmholtz problems. Rajapalakse et al. produced an infinite element for elastodynamics, in which some of the integrations are carried out analytically, and which is said to model correctly both body and Rayleigh waves. Imai et al. gave further applications of infinite elements to wave diffraction, fluid‐structure interaction and wave force calculations for breakwaters, offshore platforms and a floating rectangular caisson. Pantic et al. used infinite elements in wave guide computations. In 1986 Cao et al. applied infinite elements to dynamic interaction of soil and pile. The infinite element is said to be ‘semi‐analytical’. Goransson and Davidsson used a mapped wave infinite element in some three dimensional acoustic problems, in 1987. They incorporated the infinite elements into the ASKA code. A novel application of wave infinite elements to photolithography simulation for semiconductor device fabrication was given by Matsuzawa et al. They obtained ‘reasonably good’ agreement with observed photoresist profiles. Häggblad and Nordgren used infinite elements in a dynamic analysis of non‐linear soil‐structure interaction, with plastic soil elements. In 1989 Lau and Ji published a new type of 3‐D infinite element for wave diffraction problems. They gave good results for problems of waves diffracted by a cylinder and various three dimensional structures.

The purpose of this paper is to report the structural properties of Al_xGa_1−xN (0≤x≤1) grown on sapphire substrate by means of X‐ray diffraction (XRD) technique. The main purpose of this work was to investigate the effects of Al(x) composition to the structural and microstructural properties of Al_xGa_1−xN ternary alloy such as the crystalline quality, crystalline structure and lattice constant c.

Al_xGa_1−xN thin films with wurtzite structure in the composition range of 0≤x≤1 are used in this study. The compositions of the samples are calculated using Vegard's law and verified by energy dispersive X‐ray analysis. The samples are then characterized by means of XRD rocking curve (RC) and phase analysis.

Investigation revealed that the full width half maximum (FWHM) of RC increase with the increase x value. This indicates that the crystalline quality of the samples deteriorate with the increase of Al compositions. The best fit of the non‐linear interpolation of the FWHM of the (002) diffraction RC data suggested that a maximum disorder should be expected in this mixed crystals system when the composition x≈45 percent.

This paper provides valuable information on the effect of Al compositions to the structural characteristics of Al_xGa_1−xN alloy system. The availability of information about maximum disorder of Al composition in Al_xGa_1−xN (0≤x≤1) alloy system provides useful reference in device fabrications where researchers are able to choose correct alloy composition in order to fabricate good quality devices.

A distinguished authority on methodology in the social sciences has written: “We are using models, willingly or not, whenever we are trying to think systematically about anything at all.”² As used here, a model refers to any “structure of symbols and operating rules” which we think has a counterpart in the real world. A circle, for example, may be used as a model to characterize the shape of a bowl or a crown. Governments are often described in terms of a model of the family, the ruler being likened to a father, the people to children. In one sense, a model is simply an elaborated simile or paradigm.

In the previous two articles the emphasis was on wet and electrochemical techniques, with particular reference to the potentiostat. The physical examination of corrosion products is of equal importance, especially, for example, in the study of oxidation by dry gases at elevated temperatures where electrochemical studies are not normally feasible. In this article the application of physical techniques to corrosion studies will be discussed.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of selective laser sintering (SLS) method on morphology and performance of polyamide 12.

Crystallization behavior is critical to the properties of semi-crystalline polymers. The crystallization condition of SLS process is much different from others. The morphology of polyamide 12 produced by SLS technology was investigated using scanning electron microscopy, polarized light microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction and wide-angle X-ray diffraction.

Too low fill laser power brought about bad fusion of powders, while too high energy input resulted in bad performance due to chain scission of macromolecules. There were three types of crystal in the raw powder material, denoted as overgrowth crystal, ring-banded spherulite and normal spherulite.

In this work, SLS samples with different sintering parameters, as well as compression molding sample for the purpose of comparison, were made to study the morphology and crystal structure of sintered PA12 in detail.

This article aims to propose a new measurement method for ultrasonic power based on self-reciprocity theorem which turns the estimation of ultrasonic power to the measurement of first echo current and open-circuit voltage of the driving source.

The formula for ultrasonic power is derived which has corrected the position of pressure reflection coefficient on the interface of water and steel. The diffraction correction for focusing transducers is evaluated using numerical computation of the Rayleigh integral. One way to estimate the reflection coefficient of focusing beams on heterogeneous interface is also depicted.

Comparison experiment with radiation force balance method demonstrates that ultrasonic power measurement using self-reciprocity is sound in theory and feasible in practice.

It has a better capability of anti-environmental interference and, thus, can be extended to low-level and high-frequency power measurements.

To provide a detailed investigation about methods commonly used for the computation of high‐frequency electromagnetic fields in the vicinity of obstacles that can reflect or diffract them. This is useful to create an elementary block that can be used to evaluate with a high accuracy the propagation of high‐frequency electromagnetic waves in real urban environment.

The approach is based on a realistic application of the asymptotic theory of the uniform theory of diffraction. Therefore, the effect of material roughness and its electromagnetic properties on the reflection are taken into account.

Provides information about the mechanisms involved in electromagnetic field propagation in urban environment, and the relative importance of each one.

In urban environment the buildings obviously have finite dimensions. The diffraction equations examined in the paper are strictly valid only in the case of infinite wedges; therefore, the behaviour of real building edges has not been taken rigorously into account.

A source of information for researchers interested in the development of a simulator for the electromagnetic propagation in urban environment.

This paper is aimed at providing to researchers, in a more comprehensive way, all information needed for the study of electromagnetic propagation in an environment containing many close scatterers.