Recent developments of novel plasma-optical systems are described. For the first time, a combined system including a MEVVA plasma source with a cylindrical electrostatic plasma-optical lens is considered. This combined system is of fundamental interest and could be attractive for a number of practical applications. The system can be used for effective repetitively pulsed, high current, moderate energy plasma sources of heavy metal ions and electrons. The hardware is interesting for high productivity technological equipment using relatively pure plasma flow for the synthesis of fine coatings and thin films. We have studied the plasma-dynamic characteristics of high density plasma flow propagating through the plasma lens, the optical spectra and the charge state distribution, as a function of different experimental conditions. Application of the plasma lens to the transport of low energy high-current ion beams can improve the delivery of plasma to a substrate, as well as providing micro-droplet evaporation and elimination due to the presence of fast electrons within the lens region. Here mainly the transport aspects, as well as the effect of fast electrons on the characteristics of low energy ion plasma beams are considered.

We describe our observations of the transport through an electrostatic plasma lens of a wide-aperture, high-current, low energy, metal-ion plasma flow produced by a cathodic arc discharge. The lens input aperture was 80 mm, the length of the lens was 140 mm, and there were three electrostatic ring electrodes located in a magnetic field formed by permanent magnets. The lens outer electrodes were grounded and the central electrode was biased up to −3 kV. The plasma was a copper plasma with directed (streaming) ion energy 20–40 eV, and the equivalent ion current was up to several amperes depending on the potential applied to the central lens electrode. We find that when the central lens electrode is electrically floating, the current density of the plasma flow at the lens focus increases by up to 40%–50%, a result that is in good agreement with a theoretical treatment based on plasma-optical principles of magnetic insulation of electrons and equipotentialization along magnetic field lines. When the central lens electrode is biased negatively, an on-axis stream of energetic electrons is formed, which can also provide a mechanism for focusing of the plasma flow. Optical emission spectra under these conditions show an increase in intensity of lines corresponding to both copper atoms and singly charged copper ions, indicating the presence of fast electrons within the lens volume. These energetic electrons, as well as accumulating on-axis and providing ion focusing, can also assist in reducing the microdroplet component in the dense, low-temperature, metal plasma.

This paper describes a system for non-destructive testing of radio transparent samples at microwaves. The main components of the system are a vector network analyzer (VNA), one or several stationary antennas connected to it, and a two-coordinate flat mechanical scanner that moves the sample in the antennas vicinity. The VNA and the scanner are controlled by a personal computer, which can acquire the parameters measured by the VNA in a set of pre-programmed positions over the sample. The technical description of the setup, software components, and sample radar images are provided. Possible research applications of the setup and its future improvements are suggested.

This paper focuses on the development of the new holographic subsurface radar data acquisition technique in which the position and the polarization of the microwave probe are established by its tracking with video. This technique allows adaptive interactive data acquisition when probe trajectory could not be predefined or be equally dense in the areas with no target. The data processing technique is based on an FFT-algorithm which allows interactive operation. The concept of the data acquisition is demonstrated on the data obtained with a prototype of the system consisting of a holographic subsurface radar and a web-camera. Contrast markers are used to detect and track the antenna. Further development of the system is suggested. The augmented reality devices are considered as more suitable systems for the realization of the considered technique.

The gated GaAs structures like the field-effect transistor with the array of the Sn nanothreads was fabricated via delta-doping of vicinal GaAs surface by Sn atoms with a subsequent regrowth. That results in the formation of the chains of Sn atoms at the terrace edges. Two device models were developed. The quantum model accounts for the quantization of the electron energy spectrum in the self-consistent two-dimensional electric potential, herewith the electron density distribution in nanothread arrays for different gate voltages is calculated. The classical model ignores the quantization and electrons are distributed in space according to 3D density of states and Fermi-Dirac statistics. It turned out that qualitatively both models demonstrate similar behavior, nevertheless, the classical one is in better quantitative agreement with experimental data. Plausibly, the quantization could be ignored because Sn atoms are randomly placed along the thread axis. The terahertz hot-electron bolometers (HEBs) could be based on the structure under consideration.

Manual data acquisition with holographic subsurface radar is quite tedious as it requires monotonous scanning with precise positioning at the beginning of each scan line and requirement to move along straight lines to obtain a microwave hologram. A good result with manual scanning requires some practice, which still leaves such difficulties as maintaining constant press to evade image interlace and rapidly degrading performance of the operator. To address these issues an electromechanical scanning system equipped with holographic subsurface radar is considered in the paper. The system allows automated acquisition of microwave holograms over an area with maximum dimension 77 by 84 cm and gives reproducible results through precise positioning. The scanning is performed with an adjustable distance to the surface without direct contact. The influence of a gap between scan plane and the sounding surface is later compensated by hologram reconstruction technique. The main mechanical and electronics components of the system are described as well as driver control strategy. A selection of acquired images is presented. The system is shown has significant increase in performance over manual scanning and recommended for automated data acquisition with other types of contact sensors.

The paper summarizes results of step-frequency radars application in medicine. Remote and non-contact control of physiological parameters with modern bioradars provides a wide range of possibilities for non-contact remote monitoring of a human psycho-emotional state and physiological condition. The paper provides information about technical characteristics of bioradars designed at Bauman Moscow State Technical University and experiments using them. Results of verification experiment showed that bioradars of BioRASCAN type may be used for simultaneous remote measurements of breathing and heart rate parameters. In addition, bioradar assisted experiments for detecting of different sleep disorders are described. Their results proved that method of bioradiolocation allows correct estimation of obstructive sleep apnea severity compared to the polysomnography method, which satisfies standard medical recommendations.

This is the review of current status of ongoing research and development the new generation plasma devices based on the cylindrical electrostatic plasma lens configuration attractive for application in the state-of-the-art ion-plasma technologies for surface treatment and synthesis of the new materials by intense beam-plasma flows.

We describe the current status of ongoing research and development of the wide aperture electrostatic plasma lens with positive space charge cloud for focusing and manipulating large area high current electron beams. It is presented new theoretical and experimental results of wide-aperture (diameter 6 cm), non-relativistic (up to 20 keV) high-current electron beam (current up to 100 A) manipulating by the electrostatic plasma lens.

Conclusive demonstration of electron-beam enhancement of ion charge states for the Metal Vapor Vacuum Arc (MEVVA) ion source was recently achieved using an external electron beam (E-MEVVA) in experiments performed jointly among the Institute for Theoretical and Experimental Physics (ITEP), Moscow, Russia, the High Current Electronics Institute (HCEI), Tomsk, Russia, and Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), USA. The E-MEVVA experiments were performed in Moscow and Tomsk with nearly the same design of ion sources. Results for lead and bismuth cathodes yielded maximum ion charge states of Pb7+ and Bi8+ for E-MEVVA, as compared to Pb2+ and Bi2+ for conventional MEVVA operation. Additional encouraging results were also obtained using a Z-discharge to produce an internal electron-beam (Z-MEVVA and LIZ-MEV).

Summary form given only, as follows. Vacuum arc ion sources are used to generate high current broad beams of metal ions. The attraction of increasing the mean ion charge state in the beam is because of the possibility of thereby increasing the ion beam energy without applying higher extraction voltage. This is important both for heavy ion accelerator injectors and for ion implantation technologies. We have explored three different methods to enhance the degree of multiple ionization in vacuum arc plasmas. These methods are: application of a strong axial magnetic field in the arc region, generation of current spikes, and injected electron beam. A strong magnetic field increases the arc burning voltage because of improved confinement of the plasma column and leads to higher plasma electron temperature, which is primarily responsible for ionization. The B-field also increases the length of the ionization zone, beyond which there is no significant change in the ion charge state distribution (the distribution is frozen). Another approach to increase the arc voltage and electron temperature is to use an arc current spike of pulse duration comparable to the arc current relaxation time or less. This leads to a somewhat elevated arc voltage during the spike. Finally, additional ionization in the vacuum arc plasma can be brought about by injection into the plasma of an externally-produced electron beam. In this case the most important problem is to obtain optimum electron beam parameters and e-beam transport through the entire arc region. Here we describe these approaches and the experimental results of our investigations of ion charge state distribution. Mean ion charge states are presented, compared and discussed.

The results of research of factors which can influence the charge state distribution (CSD) of ions in vacuum arc plasmas are described. The CSD has been investigated using the time of flight (TOF) method. A strong influence of a magnetic field and the background pressure were observed. Here we summarize the results and discuss the influence of these parameters on the CSD of ion beams for the Mevva and Titan ion sources, and discuss possible approaches for increasing the ion charge states and the generation of hybrid gas-metal ion beams by sources