An anomaly in the magnetic susceptibility of the Mg1−x CuxO solid solutions with 0.01≤x≤0.20

The problem of localized superconductivity has motivated the preparation of Mg_1−x Cu_xO solid solutions with NaCl structure and 0.01≤x≤0.20, as well as a study of the magnetization and magnetic susceptibility χ in the 2–400 K temperature range and in magnetic fields of up to 5 T. The temperature dependence of χ is described for all compositions by the Curie-Weiss law, χ = C/(T − θ), where the constant C is close to the value calculated for each composition for μ_eff = 1.7–1.9μ_B, and θ is close to zero. For T < 30 K, χ(T) deviates for all compositions toward lower χ, which can be attributed to magnetic ordering of exchange-coupled clusters in the solid solution. At T∼320–330 K, an anomaly of a diamagnetic type, i.e., a decrease of χ by 6–30% of its paramagnetic value, has been observed for all compositions against the background of the generally paramagnetic χ(T). A discussion is presented of alternative reasons for this anomaly and of its possible connection with localized superconductivity. __________ Translated from Fizika Tverdogo Tela, Vol. 42, No. 4, 2000, pp. 701–703. Original Russian Text Copyright ? 2000 by Samokhvalov, Arbuzova, Viglin, Naumov, Smolyak, Korolev, Lobachevskaya.     

Model of current and optical conductivity switching in YBa2Cu3O7−x films

A model is proposed for the thermal and electrical responses of films of the high-T _c superconducting material YBa₂Cu₃O7_7−x to current and optical pulses. Numerical calculations are compared with experimental data for current pulses of duration 100 μs and laser pulses of duration 0.1 ns; this yields improved data on the thermal conductivity of thin YBa₂Cu₃O7_7−x films (1.5–2 W/m·K) and thermal resistance of the film-substrate contact (5×10⁻⁸m²·K/W) in the neighborhood of the superconducting transition. This model can be used for optimizing the film structure parameters and control regimes for switching elements for pulses lasting longer than 0.1 ns. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 69, 77–82 (October 1999)     

Electrical resistivity of microinhomogeneous PdMnxFe1−x alloys

The electronic band-structure calculations of the PdFe ferromagnet and the PdMn antiferromagnet performed in this work permit one to conclude that the specific features of the electrical resistivity observed in the ternary PdMn_xFe_1−x alloy system [the deviation from the Nordheim-Kurnakov rule ρ₀(x)∼x(1−x), which is accompanied by a high maximum of residual resistivity (not typical of metals) ρ ₀ ^m ∼220 μΩ cm at x _C∼0.8 and a negative temperature resistivity coefficient in the interval 0.5≤x≤1] are due to the microinhomogeneous (multiphase) state of the alloys and a variation in the band-gap parameter d spectrum caused by antiferromagnetic ordering of a PdMn-type phase. __________ Translated from Fizika Tverdogo Tela, Vol. 44, No. 2, 2002, pp. 193–197. Original Russian Text Copyright ? 2002 by Kourov, Korotin, Volkova.     

The dynamics of accumulation of electrically active radiation defects on implantation of graded-band-gap HgCdTe films grown by MBE

The dynamics of accumulation of electrically active radiation defects under ion doping of epitaxial Cd _x Hg _1−x Te films is studied for various distributions of film composition in the implantation region. The epitaxial films were irradiated by boron ions at room temperature in the continuous regime, with the dose ranging within 10¹¹−3·10¹⁵ cm⁻², energy — 20–150 keV, and ion current density — j = 0.001–0.2 μA·cm⁻². It is found that the natural logarithm of the introduction rate of electrically active radiation defects linearly depends on the epitaxial-film composition in the range of mean projected path of implanted ions. An analysis of the experimental data shows that the dynamics of accumulation of electrically active radiation defects is determined by the epitaxial-film composition in the implantation region. __________ Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 9, pp. 25–28, September, 2006.     

Thermal and Auger processes in p-n junctions based on GaInAs/InAs and InAsSbP/InAs heterostructures

A study is made of the excess-energy relaxation processes and the mechanisms responsible for overheating of the active zone of infrared emitters made from nonisoperiodic structures with stressed InGaAs layers and from nearly isoperiodic InAsSbP structures and emitting in the wavelength range λ=2.5–5.0 μm are investigated. The relationship between the overheat ΔT of the active zone of the structure and Auger processes is established for In_1−x Ga_xAs infrared emitters. It is shown that the efficiency of Auger recombination decreases as x increases in the interval 0–0.09, promoting a sharp reduction in ΔT. At x>0.09 the efficiency of CHHS Auger processes decreases exponentially, but an increase in the density of dislocations due to the appreciable value (∼6.9%) of the lattice mismatch parameter causes ΔT to increase, but slowly. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 67, 68–71 (September 1997) Deceased.     

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)     

Local-moment formation and metal-nonmetal transition in Ca1−x Y x VO3 and Ca1−x Y x TiO3

Electron-doped metallic states of Ca_1−x Y _x VO₃ and Ca_1−x Y _x TiO₃ change into non-metallic states around x∼0.4 and 0.6, respectively. The residual resistivity in the metallic states increases with increasing effective magnetic moment or coefficient of T ² term of resistivity. The effective moment reaches ∼ 0.5 μ_B/molecule in Ca_1−x Y _x VO₃ and also in Ca_1−x Y _x TiO₃ near the metal-nonmetal phase boundary. In these metallic states. ∼ 10% of 3d atoms seem to have large localized magnetic moments. In electron-doped metallic sample of Ca_1−x Y _x VO₃, the temperature dependence of resistance shows no resistance-minimum. However, weak negative magneto-resistance is observed for the sample with x=0.2 up to 50 Tesla at 4.2 K.     

Mechanooptical investigations of polyimide films exposed to electrons,mechanical loads,and temperatures

Joint effect of high-energy electrons, mechanical loads, and temperature on polyimide films of thicknesses in the range 30–130 μm is investigated. The films were preliminary irradiated by electrons in air using an éLU-6 linear accelerator with energy of 2 MeV and doses D = 1, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 100 MGy and then subjected to uniaxial mechanical tension at temperatures (T) from 293 to 593 K. It is established that at T = 293–450 K and D = 20–40 MGy, the mechanical load causes almost the same deformations (ε_{l max}) of nonirradiated and irradiated samples; at T = 450–550 K, deformations of films sharply increase, and the character of their dependence changes. The ε_{l max} value of the initial sample increases almost linearly with temperature by a factor of 10, whereas the character of changing ε_{l max}(T) of the irradiated films is more complex, and its value increases approximately by a factor of 4. For T > 500 K, the deformation reaches limiting values. Irradiation increases the intensity of IR-spectra by 2–6 times and essentially increases the widths of absorption bands at 720, 1380, and 1775 cm⁻¹, which is caused by the formation of hydrogen bonds and cycles with nitrogen as well as by the formation of nitrogen oxides. External loading applied to film rupture causes an increase in the EPR signal amplitude from 3·10³ to 5·10³, which is connected with an increased concentration of radicals =N-H and-NH ₂. The electron irradiation of the polyimide films with their subsequent mechanical loading causes the spectrum lines to displace from 3475.0 to 3512.5 cm⁻¹ with simultaneous reduction of the signal amplitude from 6·10³ to 4·10³. __________ Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 2, pp. 52–58, February, 2007.     

Optical properties of glasses activated by the compounds CuInSe2 and CuInTe2 and by the solid solutions CuInSe2x Te(1−x)

The spectral properties of amorphous media synthesized on the basis of glasses of the system SiO₂-CaO-R₂O (R=Na, K, Li), the ternary compounds CuInSe₂, and CuInTe₂, and solid solutions based on them have been investigated. It is shown that the absorption limit of the media investigated lies within 1.4–1.6 μm. It is noted that the three alkali ions constituting the system exert a favorable influence on the state and optical properties of the amorphous media activated with the compound CuInTe₂ and with the solid solutions CuInSe_2xTe_(1−x), where x≤0.5. The influence of the concentration of the solid solution CuInSeTe (x=0.5) on the optical properties of the amorphous media is investigated. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 67, No. 1, pp. 132–134, January–February, 2000.     

Observation of diamagnetic domains in beryllium

We have observed diamagnetic domains (Condon domains) in a beryllium single crystal in magnetic fields H⩽3 T (H∥[0001]) at liquid-helium temperatures. The formation of the domain structure was determined according to magnetic-breakdown quantum oscillations of the resistance thermoelectric power as well as according to the splitting of the resonance peak of the free spin precession frequency of muons (μSR). The alternation of a uniform state (with one μSR peak) and a state with domain structure (with two peaks) is consistent as regards the periodicity with the de Haas-van Alphen effect, the period is ΔH≅78 Oe, and the range of existence of domains and the difference in their magnetizations are ΔB=4πΔM=B ₂−B ₁≅30 Oe. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 524–526 (March 1998)     

Study of the thermal properties of Ba1−x SrxTiO3 thin films by the ac hot-probe method

The heat capacity and heat conductivity of Ba_1−x Sr_xTiO₃ (x=0.2, 0.5, 0.8) polycrystalline films 1.5–2.0 μm thick on a massive substrate have been studied by the ac hot-probe method for three-layer systems (conducting probe-dielectric film-substrate) at temperatures ranging from 100 to 400 K. It is found that the thermal properties exhibit anomalies in the phase transition range. __________ Translated from Fizika Tverdogo Tela, Vol. 42, No. 10, 2000, pp. 1839–1841. Original Russian Text Copyright ? 2000 by Davitadze, Kravchun, Strukov, Taraskin, Gol’tsman, Lemanov, Shul’man.     

X-ray magnetic circular dichroism at IrL2,3 edges in Fe100−x Ir x and Co100−x Ir x alloys: Magnetism of 5d electronic states

The formation of induced 5d magnetic moment on Ir in Fe_100−x Ir _x (x=3, 10 and 17) and Co_100−x Ir _x (x=5, 17, 25 and 32) alloys has been investigated by X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) at Ir L_2,3 absorption edges. Sum rule analysis of the XMCD data show that the orbital moment of Ir is in the range of −0.071(2)μB to −0.030(1)μB in Fe-Ir alloys and −0.067(2)μB to 0.024(1)μB in Co-Ir alloys. We find that the total moment of Ir in Fe-Ir alloys is approximately 1/5 of the total 3d moment on Fe at all the three compositions. In contrast, the total moment on Ir in Co-Ir alloys varies between 1/6 to 1/16 of the 3d moment on cobalt. The observed trends of Ir moments and the role of interatomic exchange interactions in 5d moment formation are discussed.     

In searches for daemons

A possibility is considered of detecting Planckian particles carrying an electric charge Z≈10 and supposedly forming the dark matter of the Galactic disk, whence they are captured by combined action of the Sun and the Earth into strongly elongated Earth-crossing orbits. The flux of such dark electric matter objects, daemons, at the Earth’s orbit may reach f _⊕≈3×10⁻⁷cm⁻²s⁻¹ at a velocity about 52 km/s. Negatively charged daemons are capable of catalyzing the fusion of light (Z _n<10) nuclei. The rate of capture (and fusion) of nuclei should be particularly high in a metallic phase. A detection system is described that consists of beryllium plates 45 mm thick and 1200 cm² in area coated with a ZnS(Ag) scintillator. It is assumed that the products of the fusion reaction 2⁹Be → ¹⁸O that are ejected in amounts of up to about 10⁴ from the points of daemon entrance and exit would give rise to scintillations with a delay of about 1μs. An exposure of the system for 300 h revealed no event. The reason for the negative result can be (1) too optimistic an estimate of the flux (the inclusion of some factors could lower it by 1.5–3 orders of magnitude) and (2) the poisoning of the catalyst by capture of nuclei with Z _n≥10. The time required for the recovery of the daemon catalytic properties is estimated from the analysis of the energy release in the Sun at no less than 3×10⁻⁷ s. The analysis of the total available data suggests that the daemon flux at the Earth is about 3×10⁻⁸ cm⁻² s⁻¹. The experiments will be continued. From Yadernaya Fizika, Vol. 63, No. 6, 2000, pp. 1112–1117. Original English Text Copyright ? 2000 by Drobyshevski. This article was submitted by the author in English.     

Nonlinear optical properties of sol-gel-type glasses containing oxidized Cu2Se nanoparticles

Nonlinear absorption of sol-gel-type glasses containing oxidized Cu₂Se nanoparticles (25 nm in radius) is investigated with the aid of the picosecond excitation-probing technique. The oxidation of Cu₂Se nanoparticles leads to the appearance of a wide absorption band, which has a maximum roughly at 1 μm and which is bleached on exposure to laser pulses. The time of relaxation of the bleached state approaches 300 psec, and the cross section for absorption at 1.06 μm is equal to about 1.3·10⁻¹⁶ cm², as evaluated from the measured absorption saturation curve. The regime of Q-switching is obtained for a number of solid-state lasers with generation wavelengths 1.06, 1.34, and 1.54 μm, when sol-gel-type glasses containing oxidized Cu₂Se nanoparticles were used as passive shutters. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol, 67, No. 2, pp. 203–207, March–April, 2000.     

Semiconducting properties of CoO thin films

This paper reports electrical properties of CoO thin films of different thickness in the range 0.375 – 7.95 μm. Both electrical conductivity and thermopower were measured at elevated temperatures (1223 – 1423 K) and under controlled oxygen partial pressure (5 − 2.1x10⁴ Pa). It was found that at low p(O₂) the electrical conductivity decreases with film thickness. The activation energy of the electrical conductivity (E_a) in air decreases with the oxide thickness from 0.56 eV at 0.375 μm to 0.52 eV for massive CoO while at low p(O₂)=5 Pa the E_a is independent of the thickness (E_a = 0.46 eV). The reciprocal of the p(O₂) exponent of the electrical conductivity (n_δ) in the range 1223 K – 1373 K is close to four for the 7,95 μm film and is about 3.5–3.7 for the 0.375 μm film. The electrical properties of the CoO thin films are considered assuming different defect structures in the bulk phase and the surface layer.     

Sn-based type-VIII single-crystal clathrates with a large figure of merit

Single-crystal samples of type-VIII Ba₈Ga_{16 - x}Cu_xSn₃₀ (x=0, 0.03, 0.06, 0.15) clathrates were prepared using the Sn-flux method. At room temperature the carrier density, n, is 3.5-5×10¹⁹ cm^-3 for all the samples, the carrier mobility, μ_H, increases to more than twice that of Ba₈Ga₁₆Sn₃₀ for all the Cu doping samples, and consequently the electrical conductivity is enhanced distinctly from 1.90×10⁴ S/m to 4.40×10⁴ S/m, with the Cu composition increasing from x=0 to x=0.15. The Seebeck coefficient, α , decreases slightly with the increases in Cu composition. The κ values are about 0.72 W/mK at 300 K and are almost invariant with temperature up to 500 K for the samples with x=0 and x=0.03. The lattice thermal conductivity, κ_L, decreases from 0.59 W/mK for x=0 to 0.50 W/mK for x=0.03 at 300 K. The figure of merit for x=0.03 reaches 1.35 at 540 K.     

Luminescence and lasing properties of neodymium- and uranium-activated inorganic laser liquids

An attempt was made to describe and show the possibilities of new inorganic neodynium- and uranium-activated laser liquids: SO₂-GaCl₃-NdCl₄; SO₂Cl₂-GaCl₃-NdCl₃-UO₂Cl₂; POCl₂-MCl_n-NdCl₃-UO₂Cl₂ for development and synthesis of direct nuclear reaction-excited lasers. Luminescence data presented in the work were used to calculate the luminescence parameters of the laser liquids such as oscillator strengths f, probability of spontaneous radiation A, intermultiplet luminescence branching coefficient β, cross-section for induced radiation σ, luminescence decay time τ, quantum yield η, and others. It is shown that the oscillator strengths of the normal absorption bands of Na³⁺, which play the main part in the pumping processes, exceed the oscillator strengths of Na³⁺ for aqueous and many other nonaqueous systems. In the luminescence excitation spectra of the Na³⁺ ion, bands are isolated in the range 400–1000 nm atλ _rec =1.06 μm. With excitation, luminescence occurs through the⁴F_3/2→⁴I_{9/2,11/2.13/2} channels. Luminescence spectral data are related to the lasing parameters. The threshold lasing energy is∼18 J/cm³. For a resonator with mirros h₁=100% and h₂=20, 40, 56, and 80%, the lasing energy is∼20–120 MJ/cm³ in the pumping energy range 18–180 J/cm³. The differential efficiency is ∼0.2% The substantial angular radiation divergence (θ∼4·10⁻² rad) and strong thermostatic distortions that occur in the active element (dn/dT≈−1.9·10⁻⁴K⁻¹) are a disadvantage of laser liquids. It is shown that operation of neodymium- and uranium-activated inorganic liquid lasers is stable under the present conditions. A. I. Gertsen Russian State Pedagogical University, Moika Embankment, 48, St. Petersburg, 191186, Russia. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 64, No. 5, pp. 607–619, September–October, 1997.     

Piezobirefringence in γ1-(GaxIn1−x )2Se3 single crystals

The piezobirefringence of uniaxial γ₁-(Ga_xIn_1−x )₂Se₃ crystals (x=0.3, 0.4) was investigated in the spectral range 0.6–1.1 μm at temperatures from 77 to 295 K. It is shown that uniaxial compression leads to a linear decrease in the birefringence, whereas a decrease in temperature reduces the effect of piezobirefringence. The baric changes in the birefringence are attributed to the baric changes in the contribution of the edge transitions to the total birefringence. __________ Translated from Optika i Spektroskopiya, Vol. 95, No. 3, 2003, pp. 458–461. Original Russian Text Copyright ? 2003 by Studenyak, Kran’chets, Suslikov, Kovach.     

Up-conversion and population of excited erbium levels in LiY1−x ErxF4 (x=0.003–1) crystals under CW InGaAs laser-diode pumping

Formation of the inverse population of working levels of 3-μm laser transition in LiY_1−x Er_xF₄ (x=0.003–1) crystals under CW InGaAs laser-diode pumping (0.967–0.982 μm) was investigated. Dependences of population of the ⁴ I _11/2 and ⁴ I _13/2 levels on the dopant concentration and pump power were studied theoretically and experimentally. Relative changes in populations of the studied levels were experimentally monitored by measuring the steady-state spectra of IR crystal luminescence in the wavelength range corresponding to ⁴ I _11/2→⁴ I _13/2 (2.7–2.8 μm), ⁴ I _11/2→⁴ I _15/2 (0.96–1.04 μm), and ⁴ I _13/2→⁴ I _15/2 (1.45–1.65 μm) transitions. Theoretical and experimental estimates of the rates of intracenter and intercenter relaxation processes (migration, self-quenching, and up-conversion) with allowance for statistics of coupling of impurity centers in the system were used to determine the energy-transfer mechanisms, elucidate the predominant mechanisms, and obtain microparameters and concentration dependences of the energy-transfer rates and nonlinear coupling. Dependences of the steady-state population of the levels of laser transition ⁴ I _11/2→⁴ I _13/2 on the dopant concentration and pumping power density were calculated within the context of rate balance equations for the scheme with the five lowest excited states of erbium. Good agreement between theory and experiment was obtained. __________ Translated from Optika i Spektroskopiya, Vol. 92, No. 1, 2002, pp. 73–88. Original Russian Text Copyright ? 2002 by Tkachuk, Razumova, Mirzaeva, Malyshev, Gapontsev.     

Autosolitons in electron-hole plasma in p-Ge

The self-organization of an electron-hole plasma (EHP) heated by an electric field in pure p-Ge samples at T = 77 K has been studied experimentally. The derived current-voltage characteristics (CVCs) and the distributions of the electric field and IR emission of the hot carriers along the samples show that the segments of a steep rise or the S-shaped segments of the CVCs in samples with n-p junctions are related to the formation of longitudinal thermal-diffusion autosolitons (AS_‖); as a result, thin (d = 2–20 μm in diameter), melted-through current channels appear. Such AS_‖ are formed at high EHP densities (n ≥ 1 × 10¹⁶ cm⁻³), when the electron-hole scattering is dominant, and at electron temperatures T _e = (2–4.5)T ₀ (T ₀ is the lattice temperature). The saturation segments and the N-shaped segments in the CVCs are attributable to the generation of transverse thermal-diffusion high-field autosolitons (AS_⊥) in the form of narrow strata with electric field strengths = 1–20 kV cm⁻¹. High-field AS_⊥ are formed at EHP densities n = 5 × 10¹³−1 × 10¹⁶ cm⁻³, when the electron-phonon scattering is dominant, and at electron temperatures T _e ∼ Θ ≥ 5T ₀ (Θ is the Debye temperature). The generated longitudinal and transverse autosolitons have high temperatures (T _e ≥ 1000 K) and reduced carrier densities and can exist simultaneously in different parts of the sample. Original Russian Text ? M.N. Vinoslavskiĭ, P.A. Belevskii, A.V. Kravchenko, 2006, published in Zhurnal éksperimental’noĭ i Teoreticheskoĭ Fiziki, 2006, Vol. 129, No. 3, pp. 477–492.