| 1. |
- Butte, Raphael, et al.
(author)
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Optical absorption edge broadening in thick InGaN layers : Random alloy atomic disorder and growth mode induced fluctuations
- 2018
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In: Applied Physics Letters. - : American Institute of Physics (AIP). - 0003-6951 .- 1077-3118. ; 112:3
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- To assess the impact of random alloying on the optical properties of the InGaN alloy, high-quality InxGa1-xN (0 < x < 0.18) epilayers grown on c-plane free-standing GaN substrates are characterized both structurally and optically. The thickness (25-100 nm) was adjusted to keep these layers pseudomorphically strained over the whole range of explored indium content as checked by x-ray diffraction measurements. The evolution of the low temperature optical absorption (OA) edge line-width as a function of absorption energy, and hence the indium content, is analyzed in the framework of the random alloy model. The latter shows that the OA edge linewidth should not markedly increase above an indium content of 4%, varying from 17 meV to 30 meV for 20% indium. The experimental data initially follow the same trend with, however, a deviation from this model for indium contents exceeding only similar to 2%. Complementary room temperature near-field photoluminescence measurements carried out using a scanning near-field optical microscope combined with simultaneous surface morphology mappings reveal spatial disorder due to growth meandering. We conclude that for thick high-quality pseudomorphic InGaN layers, a deviation from pure random alloying occurs due to the interplay between indium incorporation and longer range fluctuations induced by the InGaN step-meandering growth mode.
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| 2. |
- Ciers, Joachim, 1991, et al.
(author)
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Impact of polarization fields on electrochemical lift-off of GaN membranes
- 2021
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- III-nitride membranes offer novel device designs in photonics, electronics and optomechanics. However, substrate removal often leads to a rough back surface, which degrades device performance. Here, we demonstrate GaN membranes with atomically smooth etched surfaces by electrochemical lift-off, through the implementation of a built-in polarization field in the sacrificial layer. This leads to a faster reduction in the sacrificial layer free carrier density during etching and thus an abrupter etch stop, reducing the root-mean-square roughness down to 0.4 nm over 5×5 µm2. These results open interesting perspectives on high-quality optical cavities and waveguides in the ultraviolet and visible.
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| 3. |
- Di Paola, D. M., et al.
(author)
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Ultrafast-nonlinear ultraviolet pulse modulation in an AlInGaN polariton waveguide operating up to room temperature
- 2021
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In: Nature Communications. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2041-1723 .- 2041-1723. ; 12:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Ultrafast nonlinear photonics enables a host of applications in advanced on-chip spectroscopy and information processing. These rely on a strong intensity dependent (nonlinear) refractive index capable of modulating optical pulses on sub-picosecond timescales and on length scales suitable for integrated photonics. Currently there is no platform that can provide this for the UV spectral range where broadband spectra generated by nonlinear modulation can pave the way to new on-chip ultrafast (bio-) chemical spectroscopy devices. We demonstrate the giant nonlinearity of UV hybrid light-matter states (exciton-polaritons) up to room temperature in an AlInGaN waveguide. We experimentally measure ultrafast nonlinear spectral broadening of UV pulses in a compact 100 μm long device and deduce a nonlinearity 1000 times that in common UV nonlinear materials and comparable to non-UV polariton devices. Our demonstration promises to underpin a new generation of integrated UV nonlinear light sources for advanced spectroscopy and measurement.
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| 4. |
- Haglund, Åsa, 1976, et al.
(author)
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GaN-based VCSELs
- 2015
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In: VI Workshop on Physics and Technology of Semiconductor Lasers.
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (VCSEL) is an established optical source in short-distance optical communication links, computer mice and tailored infrared power heating systems. Its low power consumption, easy integration into two-dimensional arrays, and low-cost manufacturing also make this type of semiconductor laser suitable for application in areas such as high-resolution printing, bio-medical and general lighting. However, these applications require emission wavelengths in the blue-UV instead of the established infrared regime, which can be achieved by using GaN-based instead of GaAs-based materials. The development of GaN-based VCSELs have shown to be challenging, and so far only a handful research groups have demonstrated lasing from such electrically pumped devices [1-6]. The presented performance is typically orders of magnitudes lower compared to that from electrically driven GaAs-based VCSELs. Some of the challenges are to achieve efficient transverse current spreading, transverse optical mode confinement, high-reflectivity mirrors and resonator length control. This talk will summarize the different strategies to solve these issues in electrically pumped GaN-VCSELs together with state-of-the-art results. We will highlight our work on combined transverse current and optical mode confinement, where we show that many structures used for current confinement result in unintentionally optically anti-guided resonators. Such resonators can have a very high optical loss, which easily doubles the threshold gain for lasing [7]. We will also present an alternative to the use of distributed Bragg reflectors as high-reflectivity mirrors, namely a TiO2/air high contrast gratings (HCGs). Fabricated HCGs of this type show a high reflectivity (>95%) over a 25 nm wavelength span, which is in excellent agreement to the reflectivity spectrum predicted by numerical simulations assuming an ideal HCG geometry [8]. References [1] T.-C. Lu, et al., Applied Physics Letters, 92, 14, (2008).[2] Y. Higuchi, et al., Applied physics express, 1, 12, 121102, (2008).[3] G. Cosendey, et al., Applied Physics Letters, 101, 15, (2012).[4] C. Holder, et al., Applied Physics Express, 5, 092104, (2012).[5] T. Onishi, et al., IEEE J. of Quantum Electronics, 48, 9,1107–1112, (2012).[6] W.-J. Liu, et al., Applied Physics Letters, 104, 251116 (2014).[7] E. Hashemi, et al., Optics Express, vol. 22 1, p. 411-426, (2014).[8] E. Hashemi, et al., Proceedings of SPIE, (0277-786X), vol. 9372 (2015).
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| 5. |
- Hashemi, Seyed Ehsan, 1986, et al.
(author)
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Analysis of structurally sensitive loss in GaN-based VCSEL cavities and its effect on modal discrimination
- 2014
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In: Optics Express. - 1094-4087 .- 1094-4087. ; 22:1, s. 411-426
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Lateral loss causes optical energy to leave the laser cavity in the transverse, lateral, direction, and is sometimes neglected to simplify the numerical simulations. However, in contrast to outcoupling and absorption losses, we show that the lateral loss can change drastically with only nanometer-sized changes of the cavity structure, from being virtually zero to becoming the major source of cavity loss, since the cavity becomes antiguiding. This can be explained as the opening of a channel of efficient resonant lateral leakage of optical power at a certain oblique propagation angle. A number of different realizations of current apertures and top mirror designs in GaN-based VCSEL cavities, which have been suggested for realization of microcavity lasers emitting in the blue wavelength range, are simulated. Many of these are shown to lead to unintentional antiguiding, which can more than double the threshold gain for lasing. Notably, for strong enough antiguiding the resonant lateral leakage decreases so that the threshold gain values might again be tolerable. This regime has been suggested for robust single-mode operation since earlier predictions, building on analogies with slab waveguides, hinted at a very strong suppression of higher order modes. However, our simulations indicate that for the VCSEL cavities the derived formulas grossly overestimate the modal discrimination.
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| 6. |
- Hashemi, Seyed Ehsan, 1986, et al.
(author)
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Engineering the Lateral Optical Guiding in Gallium Nitride (GaN)-based Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (VCSEL) Cavities to Reach the Lowest Threshold Gain
- 2013
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In: Japanese Journal of Applied Physics. - 1347-4065 .- 0021-4922. ; 52:8 PART 2, s. 08JG04 -
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In order to improve the current injection in GaN-based blue vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) a dielectric aperture is generally used in combination with an indium–tin-oxide (ITO) layer on the top intracavity p-contact layer. The most straightforward way to realize this introduces a depression of the structure near the optical axis and we show, by using a two-dimensional (2D) effective index method and a three-dimensional (3D) coupled-cavity beam propagation method, that this typically results in optically anti-guided structures with associated high optical losses and thus very high threshold gains. Remarkably, the threshold gain reduces with increased negative guiding, which is due to improved lateral confinement and reduction of lateral leakage. Still, moderately positively guided designs should be preferred to avoid the detrimental effect of lateral leakage and high diffraction loss. To ensure positive index guiding, we propose to planarize the structure or introduce an elevation near the optical axis by additional processing, with an associated reduction in threshold material gain from 6000 to 2000 cm-1 for the studied structures.
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| 7. |
- Hashemi, Seyed Ehsan, 1986, et al.
(author)
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Engineering the transverse optical guiding in GaN-based VCSELs to avoid detrimental optical loss
- 2012
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In: International Workshop on Nitride Semiconductors 2012, October 14-19, 2012, Sapporo, Japan, p. ThP-OD-33.
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- In order to improve the current injection in GaN-based blue vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) a dielectric aperture is generally used in combination with an indium-tin-oxide (ITO) layer on the top intracavity p-contact layer. The most straightforward way to realize this introduces a depression of the structure near the optical axis and we show, by using a 2D effective index method and a 3D coupled-cavity beam propagation method, that this typically results in optically anti-guided structures with associated high optical losses and thus very high threshold gains. Remarkably, the threshold gain reduces with increased negative guiding, which is due to improved lateral confinement and reduction of lateral leakage. Still, moderately positively guided designs should be preferred to avoid the detrimental effect of lateral leakage and high diffraction loss. To ensure positive index guiding, we propose to planarize the structure or introduce an elevation near the optical axis by additional processing, with an associated reduction in threshold material gain from 6000 cm-1 to 2000 cm-1 for the studied structures.
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| 8. |
- Ivanov, Ruslan, 1990-
(author)
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Impact of carrier localization on recombination in InGaN quantum wells with nonbasal crystallographic orientations
- 2017
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The modern InGaN technology demonstrates high efficiencies only in the blue spectral region and low current operation modes. The growth of InGaN quantum wells (QWs) on nonbasal crystallographic planes (NBP) has potential to deliver high-power blue and green light emitting diodes and lasers. The emission properties of these QWs are largely determined by the localization of carriers in the minima of spatially inhomogeneous band potential, which affects the recombination dynamics, spectral characteristics of the emission, its optical polarization and carrier transport. Understanding it is crucial for increasing the efficiency of NBP structures to their theoretical limit.In this thesis, the influence of carrier localization on the critical aspects of light emission has been investigated in semipolar and nonpolar InGaN QWs. For this purpose, novel multimode scanning near-field optical microscopy configurations have been developed, allowing mapping of the spectrally-, time-, and polarization-resolved emission.In the nonpolar QW structures the sub-micrometer band gap fluctuations could be assigned to the selective incorporation of indium on different slopes of the undulations, while in the smoother semipolar QWs – to the nonuniformity of QW growth. The nanoscale band potential fluctuations and the carrier localization were found to increase with increasing indium percentage in the InGaN alloy. In spite to the large depth of the potential minima, the localized valence band states were found to retain properties of the corresponding bands. The reduced carrier transfer between localization sites has been suggested as a reason for the long recombination times in the green-emitting semipolar QWs. Sharp increase of the radiative lifetimes has been assigned to the effect of nanoscale electric fields resulting from nonplanar QW interfaces. Lastly, the ambipolar carrier diffusion has been measured, revealing ~100 nm diffusion length and high anisotropy.
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| 9. |
- Landrigan, Philip J., et al.
(author)
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Human Health and Ocean Pollution
- 2020
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In: Annals of Global Health. - : Ubiquity Press. - 2214-9996. ; 86:1
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Pollution - unwanted waste released to air, water, and land by human activity - is the largest environmental cause of disease in the world today. It is responsible for an estimated nine million premature deaths per year, enormous economic losses, erosion of human capital, and degradation of ecosystems. Ocean pollution is an important, but insufficiently recognized and inadequately controlled component of global pollution. It poses serious threats to human health and well-being. The nature and magnitude of these impacts are only beginning to be understood.Goals: (1) Broadly examine the known and potential impacts of ocean pollution on human health. (2) Inform policy makers, government leaders, international organizations, civil society, and the global public of these threats. (3) Propose priorities for interventions to control and prevent pollution of the seas and safeguard human health.Methods: Topic-focused reviews that examine the effects of ocean pollution on human health, identify gaps in knowledge, project future trends, and offer evidence-based guidance for effective intervention.Environmental Findings: Pollution of the oceans is widespread, worsening, and in most countries poorly controlled. It is a complex mixture of toxic metals, plastics, manufactured chemicals, petroleum, urban and industrial wastes, pesticides, fertilizers, pharmaceutical chemicals, agricultural runoff, and sewage. More than 80% arises from land-based sources. It reaches the oceans through rivers, runoff, atmospheric deposition and direct discharges. It is often heaviest near the coasts and most highly concentrated along the coasts of low- and middle-income countries. Plastic is a rapidly increasing and highly visible component of ocean pollution, and an estimated 10 million metric tons of plastic waste enter the seas each year. Mercury is the metal pollutant of greatest concern in the oceans; it is released from two main sources - coal combustion and small-scale gold mining. Global spread of industrialized agriculture with increasing use of chemical fertilizer leads to extension of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) to previously unaffected regions. Chemical pollutants are ubiquitous and contaminate seas and marine organisms from the high Arctic to the abyssal depths.Ecosystem Findings: Ocean pollution has multiple negative impacts on marine ecosystems, and these impacts are exacerbated by global climate change. Petroleum-based pollutants reduce photosynthesis in marine microorganisms that generate oxygen. Increasing absorption of carbon dioxide into the seas causes ocean acidification, which destroys coral reefs, impairs shellfish development, dissolves calcium-containing microorganisms at the base of the marine food web, and increases the toxicity of some pollutants. Plastic pollution threatens marine mammals, fish, and seabirds and accumulates in large mid-ocean gyres. It breaks down into microplastic and nanoplastic particles containing multiple manufactured chemicals that can enter the tissues of marine organisms, including species consumed by humans. Industrial releases, runoff, and sewage increase frequency and severity of HABs, bacterial pollution, and anti-microbial resistance. Pollution and sea surface warming are triggering poleward migration of dangerous pathogens such as the Vibrio species. Industrial discharges, pharmaceutical wastes, pesticides, and sewage contribute to global declines in fish stocks.Human Health Findings: Methylmercury and PCBs are the ocean pollutants whose human health effects are best understood. Exposures of infants in utero to these pollutants through maternal consumption of contaminated seafood can damage developing brains, reduce IQ and increase children's risks for autism, ADHD and learning disorders. Adult exposures to methylmercury increase risks for cardiovascular disease and dementia. Manufactured chemicals - phthalates, bisphenol A, flame retardants, and perfluorinated chemicals, many of them released into the seas from plastic waste - can disrupt endocrine signaling, reduce male fertility, damage the nervous system, and increase risk of cancer. HABs produce potent toxins that accumulate in fish and shellfish. When ingested, these toxins can cause severe neurological impairment and rapid death. HAB toxins can also become airborne and cause respiratory disease. Pathogenic marine bacteria cause gastrointestinal diseases and deep wound infections. With climate change and increasing pollution, risk is high that Vibrio infections, including cholera, will increase in frequency and extend to new areas. All of the health impacts of ocean pollution fall disproportionately on vulnerable populations in the Global South - environmental injustice on a planetary scale.Conclusions: Ocean pollution is a global problem. It arises from multiple sources and crosses national boundaries. It is the consequence of reckless, shortsighted, and unsustainable exploitation of the earth's resources. It endangers marine ecosystems. It impedes the production of atmospheric oxygen. Its threats to human health are great and growing, but still incompletely understood. Its economic costs are only beginning to be counted. Ocean pollution can be prevented. Like all forms of pollution, ocean pollution can be controlled by deploying data-driven strategies based on law, policy, technology, and enforcement that target priority pollution sources. Many countries have used these tools to control air and water pollution and are now applying them to ocean pollution. Successes achieved to date demonstrate that broader control is feasible. Heavily polluted harbors have been cleaned, estuaries rejuvenated, and coral reefs restored. Prevention of ocean pollution creates many benefits. It boosts economies, increases tourism, helps restore fisheries, and improves human health and well-being. It advances the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). These benefits will last for centuries.Recommendations: World leaders who recognize the gravity of ocean pollution, acknowledge its growing dangers, engage civil society and the global public, and take bold, evidence-based action to stop pollution at source will be critical to preventing ocean pollution and safeguarding human health. Prevention of pollution from land-based sources is key. Eliminating coal combustion and banning all uses of mercury will reduce mercury pollution. Bans on single-use plastic and better management of plastic waste reduce plastic pollution. Bans on persistent organic pollutants (POPs) have reduced pollution by PCBs and DDT. Control of industrial discharges, treatment of sewage, and reduced applications of fertilizers have mitigated coastal pollution and are reducing frequency of HABs. National, regional and international marine pollution control programs that are adequately funded and backed by strong enforcement have been shown to be effective. Robust monitoring is essential to track progress. Further interventions that hold great promise include wide-scale transition to renewable fuels; transition to a circular economy that creates little waste and focuses on equity rather than on endless growth; embracing the principles of green chemistry; and building scientific capacity in all countries. Designation of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) will safeguard critical ecosystems, protect vulnerable fish stocks, and enhance human health and well-being. Creation of MPAs is an important manifestation of national and international commitment to protecting the health of the seas.
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| 10. |
- Palisaitis, Justinas, et al.
(author)
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Standard-free composition measurements of Alx In1–xN by low-loss electron energy loss spectroscopy
- 2011
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In: physica status solidi (RRL) – Rapid Research Letters. - : Wiley. - 1862-6270 .- 1862-6254. ; 5:2, s. 50-52
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We demonstrate a standard-free method to retrieve compositional information in Alx In1–xN thin films by measuring the bulk plasmon energy (Ep), employing electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) in a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM). Two series of samples were grown by magnetron sputter epitaxy (MSE) and metal organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE), which together cover the full com- positional range 0 ≤ x ≤ 1. Complementary compositional measurements were obtained using Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS) and the lattice parameters were obtained by X-ray diffraction (XRD). It is shown that Ep follows a linear relation with respect to composition and lattice parameter between the alloying elements from AlN to InN allowing for straightforward compositional analysis.
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| 11. |
- Seemann, Wilken, et al.
(author)
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Thermal Transport in c-plane GaN Membranes Characterized by Raman Thermometry
- 2022
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Excess heat often limits the lifetime or stability of semiconductor devices, like laser strcutures, e.g. by affecting the refractive index or defect formation. It is therefore vital to understand how thermal energy is dissipated from the active region. In this contribution, we analyze the in-plane thermal transport in GaN-based membranes which can be applied in UV-visible light emission. The temperature of the material is probed by the shift and width of Raman modes under heating with a UV laser. This method allows for a contactless characterization without the need for additional processing steps often needed for alternative thermometry. We find, that the thermal conductivity, κ, is significantly reduced compared to bulk GaN due to the finite thickness of the analyzed membranes. Phonon scattering due to roughness and porosity of the membrane is found to further reduce κ. Studying in-plane thermal transport lays the foundation for subsequent thermal studies on entire device structures; exploiting a subtle balance of in- and cross-plane thermal transport which could improve device designs.
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| 12. |
- UŽdavinys, Tomas Kristijonas, et al.
(author)
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Impact of surface morphology on the properties of light emission in InGaN epilayers
- 2018
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In: Applied Physics Express. - : Japan Society of Applied Physics. - 1882-0778. ; 11:5
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Scanning near-field optical microscopy was used to study the influence of the surface morphology on the properties of light emission and alloy composition in InGaN epitaxial layers grown on GaN substrates. A strong correlation between the maps of the photoluminescence (PL) peak energy and the gradient of the surface morphology was observed. This correlation demonstrates that the In incorporation strongly depends on the geometry of the monolayer step edges that form during growth in the step-flow mode. The spatial distribution of nonradiative recombination centers-evaluated from PL intensity maps-was found to strongly anticorrelate with the local content of In atoms in the InGaN alloy.
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