Dibenzofuran (DBF) is converted to a vacuum-sublimable, electron-transporting host material via 2,8-substitution with diphenylphosphine oxide moieties. Close pi-pi stacking and the inductive influence of P=O moieties impart favorable electron-transport properties without lowering the triplet energy. A maximum external quantum efficiency of 10.1% and luminance power efficiency of 25.9 lm/W are realized using this material as the host for the blue-green electrophosphorescent molecule, iridium(III) bis(4,6-(di-fluorophenyl)pyridinato-N,C(2')picolinate (FIrpic).

We demonstrate the design, fabrication, and characterization of single-mode low-loss waveguides for mid-infrared (MIR) wavelengths. Planar waveguide structures were fabricated from multilayer thin films of arsenic-based chalcogenide glasses followed by the creation of channel waveguides by using the photodarkening effect. Propagation losses as low as 0.5 dB/cm were measured for a quantum cascade laser end-fire coupled into the waveguides. This is a first step toward the design and fabrication of integrated optical components for MIR applications.

High‐density (∼8 g/cm3) heavy metal oxide glasses composed of PbO, Bi2O3, and Ga2O3 were produced, and refractivity parameters (refractive index and density) were computed and measured. Refractive indices were measured at six discrete wavelengths from 0.633 to 10.59 μm using a prism coupler, and data were fitted to the Sellmeier expression. Optical basicity was computed using three models—average electronegativity, ionic‐covalent parameter, and energy gap—and the results were used to compute oxygen polarizability and subsequently the refractive index. Single oscillator energy and dispersion energy were calculated from experimental indices and from oxide energy parameters. The predicted glass index dispersion based on oxide oscillator parameters underestimates the measured index by only 3%–4%. The predicted glass index from optical basicity, based on oxide energy gaps, underpredicts the index at 0.633 μm by only 2%. The calculated glass energy gap based on this optical basicity overpredicts the experimental optical gap by 6%–10%. Thus, we have shown that the density, the refractive index in the visible, and the energy gap can be reasonably predicted using only composition, optical basicity values for the constituent oxides, and partial molar volume coefficients. The relative contributions of the oxides to the total polarizability were assessed, providing an additional insight into controlling the refractivity of high‐index glasses.

The prism coupling technique has been utilized to measure the refractive index in the near- and mid-IR spectral region of chalcogenide glasses in bulk and thin film form. A commercial system (Metricon model 2010) has been modified with additional laser sources, detectors, and a new GaP prism to allow the measurement of refractive index dispersion over the 1.5-10.6 μm range. The instrumental error was found to be ±0.001 refractive index units across the entire wavelength region examined. Measurements on thermally evaporated AMTIR2 thin films confirmed that (i) the film deposition process provides thin films with reduced index compared to that of the bulk glass used as a target, (ii) annealing of the films increases the refractive index of the film to the level of the bulk glass used as a target to create it, and (iii) it is possible to locally increase the refractive index of the chalcogenide glass using laser exposure at 632.8 nm.

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In this effort, an assessment of bulk ultrasonic (UT) and eddy current (ECT) methods and techniques is performed for inspecting the surfaces of dry cask storage systems (DCSSs) canisters. Some DCSS canisters (especially those located in coastal environments) will be exposed to environmental conditions, which can cause atmospheric stress corrosion cracking (SCC). Information collected from the field and from laboratory studies has not been able to rule out the possibility of atmospheric SCC in DCSS canisters, although no occurrences of atmospheric SCC in DCSS canisters have been detected. UT and ECT methods and techniques are already used to inspect nuclear power plant components and this experience, along with their relative maturity, makes these methods and techniques likely frontrunners for near-term application to examination of dry storage canister surfaces. In this report, the results of several performance reliability studies for UT and ECT are reviewed. The detection, depth-sizing, and lengthsizing results are documented and summarized to quantitatively estimate the adequacy of UT and ECT for inspecting dry storage canister surfaces. In addition, this effort focuses on the implementation of NDE methods and techniques in the Holtec HI-STORM 100 system and the Transnuclear NUHOMS horizontal storage modules and considers environmental compatibility, accessibility constraints, and NDE sensor deployment options for these systems.v

Context. Observations of milliarcsecond-resolution scales and high dynamic range hold a central place in the exploration of distant planetary systems in order to achieve, for instance, the spectroscopic characterization of exo-Earths or the detailed mapping of their protoplanetary disc birthplace. Multi-aperture infrared interferometry, either from the ground or from space, is a very powerful technique to tackle these goals. However, significant technical efforts still need to be undertaken to achieve a simplification of these instruments if we wish to recombine the light from a large number of telescopes. Integrated-optics concepts appear to be a suitable alternative to the current conventional designs, especially if their use can be extended to a higher number of astronomical bands. Aims. This article reports, for the first time to our knowledge, the experimental demonstration of the feasibility of an integrated-optics approach to mid-infrared beam combination for single-mode stellar interferometry. Methods. We fabricated a two-telescope beam combiner prototype integrated on a substrate of chalcogenide glass, a material transparent from ∼1 μm to ∼14 μm. We developed laboratory tools to characterize in the mid-infrared the modal properties and the interferometric capabilities of our device. Results. We obtain interferometric fringes at 10 μm and measure a mean contrast V = 0.981 ± 0.001 with high repeatability over one week and high stability over a time-period of ∼5 h. We show experimentally -as well as on the basis of modeling considerationsthat the component has a single-mode behavior at this wavelength, which is essential to achieve high-accuracy interferometry. From previous studies, the propagation losses are estimated to be 0.5 dB/cm for this type of component. We also discuss possible issues that may impact the interferometric contrast. Conclusions. The IO beam combiner performs well at the tested wavelength. We also anticipate the requirement of a closer matching between the numerical apertures of the component and the (de)coupling optics to optimize the total throughput. The next step foreseen is the achievement of wide-band interferograms.

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