Focus movement distance per pulse dependence of electrical conductivity and diameter of diamond internal modification induced by picosecond laser.

Internal and local modifications via ultrashort pulsed laser illumination to diamond are promising for manufacturing diamond electronic devices. The relationship between the diameter/electrical conductivity of modified regions and the laser fluence distribution was investigated. Picosecond laser illumination without scanning the laser focus fabricated short modified regions in diamond. As a result, the calculated laser fluence distribution matches the distribution of the modified regions. Wire-shaped modified regions were fabricated via laser illumination with scanning of the laser focus, and the corresponding diameter and electrical conductivity were investigated by controlling the laser focus movement distance per pulse (Vf). The modified regions fabricated with varying Vf were divided into three categories depending on the trend of the relationship between the diameter and electrical conductivity. The diameters of the modified regions were constant at the maximum values when Vf was sufficiently small, decreased with increasing Vf, and reached a minimum when Vf was sufficiently large. The modified regions became more electrically conductive with increasing Vf, even when the deposited energy per unit length decreased. Moreover, the electrical conductivity decreased significantly when the diameter became constant at the minimum value. Finally, the relationship between the diameter/electrical conductivity of the modified regions and the laser fluence distribution was elucidated.

Local control of optical absorption properties of glass using precipitation of gold nanoparticles via gold sphere movement driven by laser.

Glass embedded with metal nanoparticles is a promising material necessary for optical devices because of its absorption properties associated with the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of metal nanoparticles. We demonstrated that continuous-wave laser illumination of the metal sphere in glass migrates the metal sphere and dopes the migration trajectory. In this study, we have attempted to locally control the absorption properties of borosilicate glass via gold nanoparticle precipitation using gold sphere migration. The gold sphere was moved in the glass via laser illumination, and the gold nanoparticles were precipitated in the movement trajectory. The trajectory was colored in red and purple gradations because of the SPR of gold nanoparticles. The particle size of the precipitated gold nanoparticles and the absorption peak wavelength increased with increasing velocity of the gold sphere. The absorption properties of the trajectory depend on the velocity of the gold sphere migration, which enabled local control of the absorption properties of the glass.

Outsourcing Physical Education in Schools: What and Why Do Schools Outsource to External Providers?

This study explored the process of acquiring services from external providers by schools as a form of outsourcing of physical education activities. Physical education is a learning area that is more susceptible to outsourcing than most learning areas due in part to the availability of a range of external providers as well a perceived lack of specialist knowledge and training in physical education in teacher education. Surveys were completed by 280 schools, including primary and secondary schools in Victoria Australia. Most schools (75%) outsourced some components of physical education, with primary schools (78.1%) significantly more likely to outsource than secondary schools (59.5%) (p < 0.05). Areas of physical education most often outsourced were swimming and outdoor education, as well as lifestyle activities, gymnastics, and dance; these areas did differ significantly (p < 0.05) for primary and secondary schools, and based on the size of the schools and the number of physical education staff. Common reasons for outsourcing were to access expertise, to access equipment or facilities, and to provide access to experiences, with reasons differing significantly (p < 0.05) between secondary and primary schools and based on the number of physical education staff. The main barriers to outsourcing were financial cost, followed by timetabling issues, external provider availability, and transport to the activity. Barriers did differ significantly (p < 0.05) for school location (metropolitan, regional, and rural), size of school, number of physical education staff, and between primary and secondary schools. The schools typically preferred the external provider to come to the school (62.5%) rather than using facilities of the external provider, with outsourcing most often funded by students paying per activity (64.9%), but preferences did differ significantly (p < 0.05) between primary and secondary schools, and based on school size and the number of physical education staff. This study highlights that outsourcing of physical education is a common practice and that there are differences in the practice for primary and secondary schools, which may impact teacher education in physical education.

Metal particle manipulation by laser irradiation in borosilicate glass.

We propose a new technique of manipulating a metal particle in borosilicate glass. A metal particle that is heated by laser illumination heats the surrounding glass by radiation and conduction. A softened glass enabled metal particle migration. A 1-µm-thick platinum film was deposited on the back surface of a glass plate and irradiated with a green CW laser beam through the glass. As a result, the platinum film was melted and implanted into the glass as a particle. Platinum particles with diameters of 3 to 50 µm migrated at speeds up to 10 mm/s. In addition to platinum particles, nickel and austenitic stainless steel (SUS304) particles can be implanted.