Light collection efficiency and specific molecular detection are crucial factors for the performance of bio-chemical molecule sensors. In this paper, the low optical-reflection silicon (Si) substrates which combine reduced optical reflectivity by light trapping effect and high Raman enhancement ability of gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) coated textured Si substrates are investigated for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). A fast, single-step and highly controllable nanosecond (ns) laser processing technique is employed to fabricate textured Si substrates under ambient conditions. Parallel arrays of micro-pyramids are fabricated on Si surface by direct laser writing two-dimensional structures. SEM micrographs clearly show well-ordered surface features in the form of micro-pyramid shape with well-defined sharp tips on the laser processed Si substrates. The aggregation of Si micro/nanoparticles on Si surface forms nanocavities and nanogaps and further enhances the surface roughness in order to minimize the optical reflection. The low optical reflection Si substrates exhibit optical reflection below 15% over a broad wavelength range from 300 nm to 1200 nm. The textured Si substrates with high signal reproducibility are successfully applied as SERS substrates to detect a very small concentration of Rhodamine B molecules with an average enhancement factor of the order of ∼107. The low optical reflection and SERS signal amplification are also altered by the variation of laser pulse energy resulting into low optical reflection and high SERS signal intensity over the entire laser-patterned area. The effect of surface roughness on water contact angle was studied after the modification with Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), the surfaces show perfect superhydrophobicity with almost no water adhesion. This approach provides a novel high-speed and cost-effective method for fabricating SERS substrate with micro/nano-scale surfaces roughness and low optical reflection for high Raman signal enhancement.

Using fast imaging technique, the effect of transverse magnetic field on the shape and dynamics of the lithium plasma plume has been studied. Enhancement in the overall emission intensity as well as appearance of distinct structures (lobes) in the plasma plume in the presence of magnetic field has been observed. By introducing a variable magnetic field, the influence of J × B force in expanding plasma plume across the transverse magnetic field has been explored. It appears that J × B force does not has a substantial role in the observed structures in the present case rather different atomic processes, which get affected due to change in plasma parameters, are responsible for appearance of these structures.

Effect of intensity profile of the ablating laser on the dynamics of laser-blow-off (LBO) plume has been studied by fast imaging technique. This work emphasizes the geometrical aspect of the LBO plume, which is an important parameter for various applications. Visualization of the expanding plume reveals that geometrical shape and directionality (divergence) of the plume are highly dependent on the laser intensity profile. Present results demonstrate that the Gaussian profile laser produces a well-collimated, low divergence plasma plume as compared to the plume formed by a top-hat profile laser. The sequence of film removal processes is invoked to explain the role of energy density profile of the ablating laser in LBO mechanism.

Light scattering investigations are carried out on BaBi4Ti4O15 (BBiT) which is a member of the Bi-layer structure ferroelectric oxide with n = 4. The BBiT thin films, thickness ∼ 300 nm, were grown on epitaxial conducting LaNiO3 electrodes on epitaxial buffer layers on (100) silicon by pulsed laser deposition. Micro-Raman measurements performed on these films reveal a sharp low-frequency mode at 51 cm−1 along with broad highfrequeficy modes corresponding to other lattice vibrations including TiO6 octahedra. No temperature dependence of the low frequency mode is seen while a weak dependence of the broad high frequency vibrations are observed in the mixed oriented regions. Raman polarization carried out at room temperature indicates that the prominent modes have Alg and Eg symmetries in the BaBi4Ti4O15 thin films.

Using micro-Raman scattering we have studied atomic distribution and the ordering effects in GaN-rich GaNP layers on (0001) sapphire substrates grown by electron cyclotron resonance molecular beam epitaxy (ECR-MBE). Raman spectrum from layers grown at higher temperatures (≥700°C) shows coexistence of GaP-rich region with cubic symmetry and GaN-rich region with hexagonal symmetry. Sharp TO and LO phonon lines, indicative of {111} ordering in the GaP region are observed. Increasing phosphorous (P >1.5%) in GaNP alloy leads to phase separation that is reflected in the suppression of GaN-like Raman modes. The phase-separated region shows an additional Raman line at 384 cm−1 between the TO and LO phonon of GaP due to strongly confined LO phonon in ordered {111} (GaP)n(GaN)m nanometer size clusters. Decreasing growth temperature increases the phosphorous concentration in the GaNP layer and disorder activated acoustic modes appear in the Raman spectrum as a result of symmetry break down. When phosphorous concentration reaches 8.2 % in the layer grown at 570°C, Raman spectrum shows broad amorphous like bands indicative of short-range ordering

We have carried out a resonance Raman study of line-shape in silicon quantum dots synthesized on a quartz substrate by co-sputtering bulk Si and Si02. Optical transmission measurements are used to evaluate dot size distribution. The size distribution shows peaks around 1.0 and 1.4 nm. The Si dots exhibit photoluminescence in the visible region, which shifts to higher energy with decreasing size. The size dependence of Raman scattering shows phonon softening and increasing asymmetrical broadening for small dots (< 2nm). The observed spectra are compared with calculations considering electron-hole interactions at a quasi-direct gap of a spherical quantum dot.