User:Jim Swenson

2006-11-25: Hi, all. I couldn't find any articles for laser-related optical-bench components. I'd like to add some. In particular, "integrating sphere", and "diffuser". Others as they come to mind- "neutral density filter", "iris", "beam dump", "spatial filter", "interference filter", others. I think I can find references. I feel these have sufficient distinct physical meaning that they are not merely arcane jargon, and they are commonly learned in college-level labs. Also I'd like to have a place to refer curious learners to, when I answer some questions for the "Newton (Ask-A-Scientist) BBS". Wikipedia missing those words seems like a notable "hole" to me.

I hope a page listing such "optical components" would be in order. They are commonly used instrumental hardware.

I also noticed that many topics listed on the page Categories:Optics could be listed as "optical attributes". These items are notably abstract, and they typically require carefully set-up experiments to be quantified or demonstrated.

There might also be list of "optical phenomena or applications", but that may not be quite as supportable.

jimswen 04:41, 26 November 2006 (UTC)

[Gallium(II)_antimonide] -->> [Gallium(III)_antimonide] GaSb is a III-V semiconductor. Sb is in column V with N,P,& As. The Lewis octet is 8, and 8-5=3, so Sb is considered -3 unless something overrides it. Ga is predominantly +3, and Sb gives no reason to deviate here. The stoichiometry (and crystal structure?) matches GaP and GaAs both Ga(III). To change GaIII to GaII just for GaSb is pointlessly confusing. Even though the real polar-bond percentage in III-V compounds gets rather low as atomic number goes up, oxidation state is a formalism which may remain unchanged down to near-zero polar content. I imagine there is a GaTe, which would be a righteous example of Ga(II). There might be a suboxide GaO; that would be Ga(II) Oxide. If GaSb is really Ga(II) antimonide, there should be an explanation on that page addressing this unusual choice of oxidation state. I don't know if (II) was a typo, a guess, or a scholarly choice; Please talk. jimswen 08:50, 8 March 2007 (UTC)