We investigate the temporal precision in the generation of ultrashort laser pulse pairs by pulse shaping techniques. To this end, we combine a femtosecond polarization pulse shaper with a polarizer and employ two linear spectral phase masks to mimic an ultrastable common-path interferometer. In an all-optical experiment we study the interference signal resulting from two temporally delayed pulses. Our results show a 2 sigma-precision of 300 zs = 300 x 10(-21) s in pulse-to-pulse delay. The standard deviation of the mean is 11 zs. The obtained precision corresponds to a variation of the arm's length in conventional delay stage based interferometers of 0.45 angstrom. We apply these precisely generated pulse pairs to a strong-field quantum control experiment. Coherent control of ultrafast electron dynamics via photon locking by temporal phase discontinuities on a few attosecond timescale is demonstrated. (C) 2011 Optical Society of America

An ultralong single organic semiconducting nano/microwire (NMW) is difficult to obtain. Here we show that this NMW can easily be prepared by using drying under solvent atmosphere method. This technique is not only unique, but also very compatible with our active material, spiro-substituted perylenetetracarboxylic diimide. A single NMW with a length of up to ∼5.5 mm and an aspect ratio of ∼9200 can be obtained. Finally, we succeeded to measure the electrical resistivity of a single NMW with values between 1 × 102 and 1 × 104 Ω m and the growth direction can be controlled as well by using a prestructured substrate.

Thin metalorganic films were prepared on gold by self-assembly of thioether-functionalised phthalocyaninato complexes from solution. The phthalocyaninato ligands used contain eight peripheral, [beta]-positioned, alkylthio substituents SR (1a: R = n-C8H17, 1b: R = n-C12H25), which serve as headgroups for surface binding and promote lateral assembly, while the disk-like phthalocyaninato core offers the scope for the attachment of axial ligands to the adsorbed molecules. This process was mimicked by coordination of pyridine (Py) to [Zn(1a)] and [Zn(1b)], respectively. The crystal structures of the products [Zn(1a)(Py)] and [Zn(1b)(Py)] were determined. The crystal structures of 4,5-bis(octylthio)phthalodinitrile and 4,5-bis(dodecylthio)phthalodinitrile were also determined. The films fabricated from [Mn(1a)Cl] and [Mn(1b)Cl] on gold were characterised by XPS, ToF-SIMS and NEXAFS spectroscopy, which revealed the presence of well-defined and homogeneous self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), whose constituents are bound to the substrate by thioether-gold linkages. The orientation of the macrocycles is predominantly parallel to the surface. Strong electronic interaction of the manganese(III) centre with the substrate leads to Cl loss upon adsorption and its reduction to MnII.

Ion bombardment induced magnetic patterning (IBMP) was used to write in-plane magnetized micro and submicron patterns in exchange biased magnetic bilayers, where the magnetization directions of the adjacent patterns are antiparallel to each other in remanence. These magnetic patterns were investigated by non-contact magnetic force microscopy (MFM). It is shown that the recorded MFM images of the IBMP patterns in two exemplarily chosen standard layer systems (NiFe (4.8 nm)/NiO (68 nm) and Co (4.8 nm)/NiO (68 nm)) can be well described by a model within the point-dipole approximation for the tip magnetization. For 5 and 0.9 [mu]m wide bar patterns the domain wall widths between adjacent magnetically patterned areas were determined to a[approximate]1 [mu]m. The minimum magnetically stable pattern width was estimated to be 0.7 [mu]m in the standard system Co (4.8 nm)/NiO (68 nm).