Cascade processes in a plasma oscillator

A theoretical and numerical analysis is made of the dynamics of nonlinear electron-beam scattering of a wave reflected by the emitting device of a plasma oscillator. It is shown that a counterpropagating plasma wave can interact nonlinearly with other waveguide modes of the system and with charge-density beam waves, leading to changes in the operation of the oscillator. It is established by means of a numerical simulation that the generation efficiency is reduced as a result of scattering of the counterpropagating wave and stimulated emission of a strong-potential plasma wave with phase velocity v _ph=ω/k _z≪c. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 112, 1299–1311 (October 1997)     

Direct measurements of energy relaxation times on an AlGaAs/GaAs heterointerface in the range 4.2–50 K

The temperature dependence of the energy relaxation time τ_e (T) of a two-dimensional electron gas at an AlGaAs/GaAs heterointerface is measured under quasiequilibrium conditions in the region of the transition from scattering by acoustic phonons to scattering with the participation of optical phonons. The temperature interval of constant τ_e, where scattering by the deformation potential predominates, is determined. In the preceding, low-temperature region, where piezoacoustic and deformation-potential-induced scattering processes coexist, τ _e decreases slowly with increasing temperature. Optical phonons start to participate in the scattering processes at T∼25 K (the characteristic phonon lifetime was equal to τ_LOτ4.5 ps). The energy losses calculated from the τ_e data in a model with an effective nonequilibrium electron temperature agree with the published data obtained under strong heating conditions. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 64, No. 5, 371–375 (10 September 1996)     

Optical nutation at a Raman-active transition

Optical nutation at the Raman-active transition 6P _1/2−6P _3/2 of thallium atoms (ω _R /2πc=7793 cm ⁻¹) under resonant Raman excitation by a biharmonic picosecond pulsed field, giving rise to substantial motion of the population, is detected. Optical nutation appears as an oscillatory behavior of the energy of the anti-Stokes scattering of probe pulses, which follow with a fixed delay, as a function of the product of the energies of the excitation pulses. As a result of the dynamic Stark effect, which decreases the frequency of the transition under study, resonance excitation conditions are satisfied for negative initial detunings of the Raman excitation frequency from resonance. The Raman scattering cross section for the transition under study is estimated by comparing the experimental data with the calculations. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 70, No. 1, 7–12 (10 July 1999)     

Effect of constant-energy surface anisotropy on the thermoelectric figure-of-merit of the n-Bi2 (Te,Se,S)3 solid solutions

A study is reported of the thermoelectric and galvanomagnetic properties of n-Bi₂Te_3−x−y Se_xSe_y solid solutions for 0.12⩽x⩽0.36 and 0.12⩽y⩽0.21 within the 80–300 K temperature region. The thermoelectric figure-of-merit Z has been found to correlate with the parameters of the many-valley energy-band model including anisotropic carrier scattering. It is shown that a decrease in the constant-energy surface anisotropy and scattering anisotropy results in a growth of Z for optimum carrier concentrations in the solid solution. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 41, 187–192 (February 1999)     

Spectral properties of backward stimulated scattering in liquid carbon disulfide

The spectral structure of backward stimulated scattering from a 10 cm-long CS₂-liquid cell is investigated by using Q-switched 10-ns and 532-nm laser pulses with different spectral linewidths. Under a narrow spectral line (∼0.1 cm⁻¹) pump condition, very strong sharp lines near the pump wavelength (λ ₀) position and the first-order stimulated Raman scattering (λ _s1) position can be observed. However, under a wide line (≈1 cm⁻¹) pump condition, only a strong and superbroadening spectral band can be observed mainly in the red-shift side of the pump wavelength. The different spectral features under these two conditions can be explained by a competition between stimulated Brillouin, Raman, and Rayleigh-Kerr scattering. Under both pump conditions, the broadening spectral distributions are not consistent with the predictions given by stimulated Rayleigh-wing scattering theories, but can be interpreted well utilizing the theoretical model of stimulated Rayleigh-Kerr scattering. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 112, 1563–1573 (November 1997) Published in English in the original Russian journal. Reproduced here with stylistic changes by the Translation Editor.     

Thermoelectric power in quasi-two-dimensional systems with scattering of current carriers by phonons

The thermopower α in electron systems with a quasi-two-dimensional energy spectrum is investigated in the relaxation-time tensor approximation. The longitudinal and transverse components of the thermopower are calculated for scattering of the current carriers by different types of phonons. It is shown that the anisotropy of the thermopower in such systems is substantial. The dependence of a on the ratio of the Fermi level ɛ _F to the half-width ɛ ₀ of the one-dimensional conduction band is considered. For scattering by acoustical and nonpolar optical phonons, the thermopower changes sign: α becomes positive for ɛ _F<ɛ ₀. Comparison of the theory with published experimental data demonstrates good qualitative agreement. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 39, 1857–1858 (October 1997)     

Determination of the neutron electric form factor from the reaction 3 He(e,e'n) at medium momentum transfer

The electric form factor of the neutron G_En has been determined in double polarized exclusive ³ He(e,e'n) scattering in quasi–elastic kinematics by measuring asymmetries A _⊥, A _∥ of the cross section with respect to helicity reversal of the electron, with the nuclear spin being oriented perpendicular to the momentum transfer q in case of A_⊥ and parallel in case of A_∥. The experiment was performed at the 855 MeV c. w. microtron MAMI at Mainz. The degree of polarization of the electron beam and of the gaseous ³ He target were each about 50%. Scattered electrons and neutrons were detected in coincidence by detector arrays covering large solid angles. Quasi–elastic scattering events were reconstructed from the measured electron scattering angles ϑ_e, φ_e and the neutron momentum vector p _n ^′ in the plane wave impulse approximation. We obtain the result <G _En>_{(0.27 < Q2c2/GeV2 < 0.5)}= 0.0334 ± 0.0033_stat± 0.0028_syst which is averaged over the indicated range of Q ², the squared momentum transfer. This G _En value is significantly smaller than measured from the D(e,e'n) reaction under similar kinematical conditions. To what extent final state interactions in ³He quench the G _En result is subject of calculations currently in progress elsewhere. Received: 29 April 1999     

Reply to the Comment on¶Low temperature specific heat of blue bronze K0.30MoO3

Eur. Phys. J. B 24, 315 (2001) In our Reply to the Comment [#!1!#] we refute the “straightforward” interpretation of the excess low-temperature specific heat, C_p, contribution we have measured in our study of CDW systems K_0.3MoO₃ and (TaSe₄)₂I [#!2!#] as originating solely from normal phonon modes. The specific sensitivity of the bump in C _p / T ³ at low temperatures to the impurity content is consistent with the increased value of the phason pinning gap while the dispersion of normal phonons remains unaffected. We ascribe at least this part of the anomaly to the phason contribution. As stated in reference [3] that the phonon density of states extracted from neutron scattering measurements is the least reliable in this energy range (<0.5 meV), we conclude that C_p measurements are more accurate for detecting the phason contribution. Received 17 April 2002 Published online 19 July 2002     

Raman scattering of light by optical phonons in Si-Ge-Si structures with quantum dots

Raman scattering of light by optical phonons in Si-Ge-Si structures with pseudomorphic germanium quantum dots has been investigated. Resonance amplification of the scattering intensity on E ₀ (Γ₇−Γ₈) transitions has been observed. It is shown that as a result of the formation of the layer of germanium quantum dots, the resonance energy is ∼0.3 eV higher than in the two-dimensional case. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 64, No. 3, 203–207 (10 August 1996)     

Influence of magnetic field on the superconducting transition in a Nd1.82Ce0.18CuO4−δ film

The temperature and magnetic-field dependences of the resistivity ρ and Hall effect R(j‖ab, B‖c) in a Nd_1.82Ce_0.18CuO_4−δ single crystal film (T _c =6 K) is investigated at temperatures 1.4≤T≤20 K and magnetic fields 0≤B≤5.5 T. At the lowest temperature T=1.4 K the resistive state (exhibiting resistivity and the Hall effect) arises in a magnetic field B=0.5 T. A transition to the normal state is completed at B _c 2≃3 T, where the Hall coefficient becomes nearly constant. The negative magnetoresistance due to the weak-localization effect in the normal state is observed for B>3 T. The nonmonotonic behavior and the inversion of the sign of R(B) in the mixed state are explained in a reasonable way by the flux-flow model with the effect of pinning taken into account. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 64, No. 6, 407–411 (25 September 1996) Published in English in the original Russian journal. Edited by Steve Torstveit.     

Experimental study of the energy gap in the spin-wave spectrum in Co/Pd multilayer films

The energy gap appearing in the spin-wave spectrum as a result of Bragg scattering by the modulation period q=2π/(d ₁+d ₂) of a one-dimensional superlattice is observed by the method of spin-wave resonance in Co/Pd multilayer films. It is shown that this gap is asymmetric: The “positive” deviation is from two to three times greater than the “negative” deviation. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 63, No. 12, 938–941 (25 June 1996)     

On a possibility for observing the neutron electric polarizability

A new method is proposed for setting a lower or upper limit a α _n * on the neutron electric polarizability α _an . It is based on the fact that the real part of the s-wave scattering amplitude changes sign near the s-wave neutron resonance at E=E*. The methods consist of the observation of the energy behavior of the forward-backward scattering asymmetry ω ₁ which experiences a jump at E=E*. If the jump is such that dω ₁/dE>0, then α _n >α _n *, while if dω ₁/dE<0, then α _n <α _n *, and if dω ₁/dE∼0, then α _n ∼α _n *. Seven even-even nuclei are found with α _n * from 0.5 to 3.1 in 10⁻³ fm³. Some details of a possible experiment with ¹⁸²W are described. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 70, No. 3, 171–174 (10 August 1999) Published in English in the original Russian journal. Edited by Steve Torstveit.     

Anomaly in the upper critical magnetic field common to YBa2Cu3O7−δ , HoBa2Cu3O7−δ , and Nd1.85Ce0.15CuO4−δ irradiated by helium ions

The high-temperature superconductors YBa₂Cu₃O_7−δ , HoBa₂Cu₃O_7−δ , and Nd_1.85Ce_0.15CuO_4−δ are found to possess a common anomaly in the variation of the upper critical magnetic field owing to irradiation by helium ions. While the resistivity ρ increases by many times, the increase in H _c2 from scattering by radiation defects typical of ordinary superconductors does not occur. In terms of the ordinary mechanism, the anomaly may be explained by a significant reduction in the conduction electron density resulting from a loss of oxygen, which causes a significant rise in ρ with a small change in the scattering. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 41, 1372–1376 (August 1999)     

Reduction in the rate of phonon scattering by a spatially correlated system of iron ions and low-temperature “anomaly” of the thermoelectric phenomena in HgSe:Fe crystals

A new effect of the reduction in the rate of phonon scattering by the spatially correlated system of iron ions in HgSe:Fe crystals is detected experimentally and calculated theoretically. The thermoelectric power is measured using HgSe:Fe samples with different iron content in the temperature range 7.5–60 K. It is found that the dependence of the thermoelectric power on iron content exhibits remarkable features at T<10 K: the quantity |α(N _Fe )| increases as the iron concentration increases to N _Fe =5×10¹⁸ cm⁻³, reaches a maximum at N _Fe ≈(1–2)×10¹⁹ cm⁻³, but then monotonically decreases with further increases in N _Fe . It is shown that the obseved increase in the thermoelectric power is due to a reduction in the rate of phonon scattering by the spatially correlated system of Fe³⁺ ions. This new effect is analyzed theoretically, and the theoretical results are compared with the experimental data. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 114, 191–207 (July 1998)     

Measurement of the differential and integral distribution of diffuse x-ray scattering intensity from defects in thin strained layers

Double-and triple-crystal diffractometry have been used to study structural perfection of a ∼1 μm-thick Ga_1−x In_xSb_1−y As_y epitaxial film (x=0.9, y=0.8) on GaSb. It is shown that scattering from samples of this system can be divided into coherent and diffuse. The arrangement of reciprocal-lattice points of the film and substrate in the two-dimensional intensity distribution for asymmetrical reflections argues for the absence of elastic-strain relaxation. No dislocation networks are formed, and the diffuse scattering is produced by Coulomb-type defects. Localization of diffuse scattering in reciprocal space suggests that these defects reside in the epitaxial film. The diffuse-scattering distribution in asymmetrical reflections is shown to be anomalous; namely, it extends in a direction parallel to the surface and is split into two maxima. Schemes have been proposed and realized for measuring integral distributions of diffracted intensity along the surface and perpendicular to it, and their potential for studying diffuse scattering from defects is explored. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 39, 1188–1193 (July 1997)     

Investigation of a magnetic phase transition in fcc iron-nickel alloys

A magnetic phase transition in carbon-doped (0.1 and 0.7 at. %) Fe₇₀Ni₃₀ Invar alloys was investigated by the method of depolarization of a transmitted neutron beam and by small-angle scattering of polarized neutrons. It is shown that for both alloys, two characteristic length scales of magnetic correlations coexist above T _c. Small-angle scattering by critical correlations with radius R _c is described well by the Ornstein-Zernike (OZ) expression. The longer-scale (second) correlations, whose size can be estimated from depolarization data, are not described by the OZ expression, and hypothetically can be modeled by a squared OZ expression, which in coordinate space corresponds to the relation 〈M(r)M(0)〉∝exp(−r/R _d), where R _d is the correlation length of the second scale. The temperature dependence of the correlation radius R _c was obtained: R _c ∝ ((T−T _c)/Tc)^−ν , where ν≈2/3 is the critical exponent for ferromagnets, over a wide temperature range up to T _c ^exp , at which the correlation radius becomes constant and equals its maximum value R _c(T _c)=R _c ^max . The maximum correlation radius established (R _c ^max =140 Å and 230 Å for the first and second alloys, respectively) characterizes the length-scale of the fluctuation for which the appearance of critical correlations first results in the formation of a ferromagnetic phase, and the phenomenon itself exhibits a “disruption” of the second-order phase transition at T=T _c ^exp , as a result of which a first-order transition arises. Temperature hysteresis was also detected in the measured polarization of the transmitted beam and intensity of small-angle neutron scattering in the alloy above T _c, confirming the character of this magnetic transition as a first-order transition close to a second-order transition. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 112, 2134–2155 (December 1997)     

Rotational excitations in muonic atom scattering by molecular hydrogen

A computational scheme based on the infinite order sudden approximation (IOS) is proposed for treating molecular and screening effects in muonic atom scattering at low energies. With this scheme the differential (dσ/dΩ(ɛj← 0|θ) and the total σ_tot(ɛ) cross-sections of muonic atom scattering on molecules of hydrogen isotopes are calculated at energies ɛ_rot=ℏω_I⩽ɛ⩽ɛ_vib= ℏω_03BD;. The IOS permits a quantitative analysis of the dependence of the differential cross-sections on the scattering angle and on the rotational excitations, particularly the rotational rainbow effects. An attractive feature of this approach is also to include the energy and the angular dependencies in the “input” cross-sections describing the muonic atom scattering on each bare nucleus of the molecule. The calculated total cross-sections ω_tot(ɛ) are in agreement with the data obtained earlier with the pseudopotential approach. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Anomalous Hall effect in granular alloys

A theoretical study is performed of the anomalous Hall effect in granular alloys with giant magnetoresistance. The calculation is carried out within the Kubo formalism and the Green’s function method. The mechanism of asymmetric scattering of the spin-polarized current carriers is considered with allowance for a size effect associated with scattering not only by one grain, but also with more complicated processes of transport among two and three grains. It is shown that scattering of conduction electrons by the interfaces of the grains and the matrix has a substantial effect on the magnitude of the anomalous Hall effect and determines its sign. In general, correlation between the quantities ρ _H and ρ ² is absent, where ρ _H is the Hall resistivity and ρ is the total resistivity of the granular alloy. However, numerical calculation shows that for certain values of the model parameters ρ _H∼ρ ^3.8 and for these same parameter values the amplitude of the giant magnetoresistance reaches 40%, which is found to be in quantitative agreement with the experimental data for Co₂₀Ag₈₀ alloys [P. Xiong, G. Xiao, J. Q. Wang et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 69, 3220 (1992)]. It is also shown that increasing the resistivity of the matrix leads to a significant growth in the anomalous Hall effect, and more substantial growth for alloys with small grain size, which is in good agreement with experiment [A. B. Pakhomov, X. Yan, and Y. Xu, J. Appl. Phys. 79, 6140 (1996); [X. N. Jing, N. Wang, and A. B. Pakhomov, Phys. Rev. B 53, 14032 (1996)]. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 112, 2198–2209 (December 1997)     

Contribution of Andreev reflection to the increase in the resistance of the normal metal in a bimetallic N-S structure

We study the resistive properties of 3D normal-metal-superconductor systems in the pure mean-free-path limit l _N,S ≫ξ(T) (l _N,S are the mean free paths in the metals, and ξ is the coherence length) at liquid helium temperatures. In contrast to the situation where l≪ξ, which is common in experiments involving either sandwiches or mesoscopic samples, here the N-S system exhibits unusual temperature behavior that cannot be described by existing theories of boundary resistance. What is most remarkable is a rise in normal resistance in regions that do not incorporate the N-S boundary as the temperature decreases, with asymptotic behavior resembling that of the temperature curve of the gap of a superconductor in contact with a normal metal. We show that this effect, not observed earlier in 3D systems, is due to the nonequivalence of the cross sections of scattering by normal-metal impurities of electron and hole excitations in conditions of Andreev reflection. We also show that in standard measurements of the contribution of the N-S boundary lying between the test contacts, this effect is masked by accompanying effects, the proximity effect and the boundary resistance, whose estimate requires taking into account the presence on the N-S boundary of an electrostatic barrier of the Schottky type, a barrier that redistributes the probabilities of ordinary and Andreev reflections of quasiparticles in the nonequilibrium conditions due to current flow. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 113, 1064–1070 (March 1998)