Magnetization reversal of Nd-Fe-B sintered magnets at low temperatures

Barkhausen-like magnetization jumps at temperatures T < 9.5 K and the behaviour of the coercive field at low temperatures are studied in sintered Nd-Fe-B magnets with different chemical and phase compositions. The nonlinear temperature dependence of the coercive field H_c is well described in the thermal activation model at T > 10 K. The low temperature anomalies of H_c are discussed in terms of the quantum tunneling of the domain wall through the intergrain boundaries.     

Effect of nuclear quadrupole interactions on the dynamics of two-level systems in glasses

The standard tunneling model describes quite satisfactorily the properties of amorphous solids at temperatures T < 1K in terms of an ensemble of two-level systems including the logarithmic temperature dependence of the dielectric constant. Yet, experiments have shown that at ultralow temperatures T< 5 mK such a temperature behavior breaks down and the dielectric constant becomes temperature independent (plateau effect). In this Letter we suggest an explanation of this behavior exploiting the effect of the nuclear quadrupole interaction on tunneling. We also predict that the application of a sufficiently large magnetic field B> 10T should restore the logarithmic dependence because of the suppression of the nuclear quadrupole interaction.     

Elastic properties of several amorphous solids and disordered crystals below 100 K

We have measured the internal friction and speed of sound variation at temperatures between 60 mK and room temperature for amorphous CdGeAs₂, Polystyrene, and Stycast 2850FT epoxy, and the disordered crystals (ZrO₂)_0.89(CaO)_0.11 and (CaF₂)_0.74(LaF₃)_0.26. A comparison of our results with an extensive review of previously published data shows a remarkable similarity in the internal friction of disordered solids below ～5 K. The low temperature elastic behavior of these solids is adequately described by the standard tunneling model, from which one finds a nearly universal density of tunneling states for glasses. Internal friction above ～10 K for different materials, however, displays a wide range of magnitudes and temperature dependence that is far from universal. Attempts to directly link the tunneling states observed by internal friction at low temperatures to configurational states of localized oscillators existing at high temperatures must take into account this striking variation among disordered solids above 10 K.     

Imaging and tunneling spectroscopy of gold nanocrystals and nanocrystal arrays

Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and spectroscopy (STS) have been used to determine the structural and electronic properties of thiol-passivated 29000 amu gold nanocrystals, both individually and in spontaneously formed quasi-two-dimensional arrays. Experiments were performed at temperatures of 300 K, 77 K, and 8 K. Even at room temperature, tunneling through these 1.7 nm nanocrystals is shown to give rise to a Coulomb blockade. At cryogenic temperatures, the spectroscopy of the nanocrystals in arrays and in isolation shows an incremental charging effect (the Coulomb staircase) and evidence is found for quantization of the electronic states. Received: 10 September 1998 / Received in final form: 16 February 1999     

纳米多晶La0.7Sr0.3MnO3－δ的输运性质和磁电阻效应研究

利用溶胶-凝胶法制备了纳米多晶La_0.7Sr_0.3MnO_3-δ(LSM)块体样品.详细研究了在不同烧结温度下的LSM样品电阻率随测量温度的变化关系和磁电阻效应.随着测量温度从室温降低,电阻率ρ都在250K附近存在最大值,低于该温度后,样品表现为金属导电特性,随后在50K左右存在一极小值.即随着温度从50K左右降低到4.2K,ρ反而逐渐升高,表现为绝缘体性的导电特性.研究表明,在低温下(<50K),ρ随温度降低而升高的现象与隧穿效应的理论模型(lnρ∝T^1/2)符合得很好,表明这种现象是由于传导电子在通过邻近LSM晶粒间表面/界面层时的隧道效应所致.而在50—250K的温度范围内,其电阻率与T²成正比,表现为LSM本征的金属导电特性.因此这种低温下电阻率的极小值现象来源于隧穿效应和LSM晶粒本征的金属导电特性的相互竞争.本文还详细研究了相应的隧道磁电阻效应. 关键词： 0.7Sr_0.3MnO_3-δ')" href="#">多晶La_0.7Sr_0.3MnO_3-δ 隧道效应 隧道磁电阻效应     

Lateral transport in boron doped SiGe quantum wells

The temperature dependence of lateral conductivity and hole mobility in boron doped Si/SiGe/Si quantum well structures were studied. The conductivity at the temperatures below 20 K is shown to be due to hopping over B centers while at higher temperatures it is due to two-stage excitation consisting of thermal activation of holes from the ground to strain-split B states and the next hole tunneling into the valence band.     

Low frequency acoustic and dielectric measurements on glasses

The acoustic and dielectric properties of different glasses at audio frequencies and temperatures below 1 K have been investigated with the vibrating reed and a capacitance bridge technique. We found the temperature dependence of the absorption of vitreous silica (Suprasil W) to agree with the predictions of the tunneling model which is commonly used to explain the low temperature behaviour of amorphous materials. The variation of the sound velocity and of the dielectric constant, however, shows significant deviations from the expected behaviour which cannot be accounted for by a simple modification of the model. Instead, it seems to be necessary to introduce a temperature dependence of some relevant model parameters. Moreover, at very low temperatures (T < 0.1 K) the sound velocity strongly depends on the excitation levels. The absence of this effect at higher temperatures proves that it can be ascribed to a nonlinear response of tunneling systems. Similar results were found in sound velocity measurements on a cover glass and on a superconducting metallic glass (Pd₃₀Zr₇₀, T_c = 2.6 K), which indicates that these features are a general aspect of the dynamics of tunneling states in glasses. In contrast to the insulating glasses we found that in Pd₃₀Zr₇₀ also the internal friction is strain dependent.     

On the nonlinear charge density wave conductivity of TaS3

The conductivity of the charge-density-wave semiconductor TaS₃ is shown to consist of temperature dependent ohmic, and field dependent but temperature independent, contributions at temperatures below the Peierls transition T_P = 215 K. The field dependent conductivity can be described by a tunneling formalism proposed by Bardeen.     

纳米硅薄膜的低温电输运机制

在很宽的温度范围(500—20K)研究了本征和不同掺磷浓度的纳米硅薄膜的电输运现象.发现 原先的异质结量子点隧穿(HQD)模型能很好地解释薄膜在高温下(500—200K)的电导曲线,但 明显偏离低温下的实验值.低温电导(100—20K)具有单一的激活能W,并与k_BT值 大小相当(W～1—3k_BT),呈现出Hopping电导的特征.对HQD模型做了修正,认为 纳米硅同时存在两种输运机制：热激发辅助的电子隧穿和费米能级附近定域态之间的Hoppin g电导.高温时(T 关键词： 纳米硅薄膜 低温电导 电输运     

Features of the kinetics of electrical damage of polymers

The kinetics of electrical damage (breakdown) of polymer films 20–50 μm thick in a constant-sign field of 0.5–0.6 GV/m at 77–300 K has been studied. At elevated temperatures (250–300 K), the exponential temperature dependence of the durability and the above-barrier thermal-fluctuation mechanism of electron emission from traps, i.e., space charge accumulation leading to breakdown, take place. At low temperatures (77–200 K), there are separate local decreases in the durability (minima) at the athermal durability level. The identity of the temperatures of durability minima and measured thermoluminescence maxima of polymers was found. A conclusion is made about the mechanism of thermally stimulated tunneling (subbarrier emission) of electrons from traps.     

STM study of Au(111) growth on mica

Gold films were thermally evaporated in vacuum on heated cleaved mica substrates. The substrate temperature was immediately decreased after finishing the growth. Samples prepared at various temperatures from 580 K to 890 K and evaporation rates smaller than 1 nm/s were studied by a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) under ambient conditions. Structure and defects of Au(111) surfaces were investigated and discussed with respect to growth conditions.     

Interlayer tunneling spectroscopy of the field induced CDW state in graphite

Using interlayer tunneling spectroscopy we studied anomalous magnetoresistance state in graphite in pulsed magnetic fields up to 55 T. At low temperatures we found the opening of a pseudogap on tunneling spectra at fields above 17 T. The gap value is saturated above 30 T to 2Δ=70 mV. The gap feature is gradually smearing out with temperature but is still observed up to temperatures of ∼250 K. We discuss possible origin of the pseudogap as being related with the field induced charge density wave (CDW) state in analogy with that recently observed in NbSe₃ above Peierls transition temperature.     

Optical dephasing in solid toluene activated by octaethylporphine zinc

The optical dephasing in frozen amorphous toluene doped with octaethylporphine zinc is investigated using the photon echo technique over a wide range of temperatures (0.4–100 K) up to the Debye temperature of solid toluene (T_D=100.7 K). The contributions of different mechanisms to the broadening of the zero-phonon line (ZPL) are reliably separated owing to the measurements performed over such a wide range of temperatures. Analysis of the experimental data demonstrates that, at low temperatures, the main contribution to the optical dephasing is determined by the interaction of impurities with fast tunneling transitions in two-level systems. The temperature dependence of the linewidth exhibits a quasi-linear behavior at temperatures below 3–4 K. At higher temperatures, the dominant contribution to the dephasing is made by the interaction of impurities with quasi-local phonons, which leads to a quasi-exponential temperature dependence of the linewidth. It is shown that the latter contribution can be described in the framework of the soft-potential model allowing for a broad spectrum of low-frequency phonon vibrations in the matrix. The temperature of the crossover between the aforementioned two mechanisms of line broadening is determined.     

Spin-dependent tunneling conductance in TbCoFe/Pr6O11/TbCoFe films

The experimental results of the investigation of tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) in TbCoFe/Pr₆O₁₁/TbCoFe films at temperatures of 80 and 300 K are presented. The resistance of the structure increases by more than a factor of 1.5 at room temperature and by more than a factor of 3 at a temperature of 80 K under the transition from the state with the magnetization of the TbCoFe layers in a certain direction to the state with the magnetization in the opposite directions. The magnitude of TMR increases when the tunneling transition region is irradiated by nitrogen-laser radiation and when the thickness of the barrier layer increases from 10 to 40 nm. A large TMR value is presumably achieved due to the use of the paramagnetic Pr₆O₁₁ barrier layer.     

Crossover from thermally activated flux creep to quantum tunneling of vortices in a YBa2Cu3O7−x film

We present the results of a study of flux creep in a ring-shaped epitaxial superconducting YBa₂Cu₃O_7−x film at low temperatures. Measurements between 2 and 20 K have been made and it is confirmed that the flux creep is a thermally activated process at temperatures exceeding 10 K. The low-temperature data are analyzed by assuming a crossover to quantum tunneling of the vortex lines. Using the fact that the critical current in our sample is almost independent of temperature below 20 K, we establish the temperature dependence of the Euclidian action S directly from the experimental data without any a priori assumptions. Our results imply that at temperatures below 8.5 K S(T)=S(0)(1−T²/T_qc²), with approximately the same value of T_qc≈15 K for the case of the remnant magnetization as well as in an external magnetic field of 1 kOe.     

Study of magnetoresistance and conductance of bicrystal grain boundary in La0.67Ba0.33MnO3 thin film

La_0.67Ba_0.33MnO₃ (LBMO) thin film is deposited on a 36.7°C SrTiO₃ bicrystal substrate using laser ablation technique. A microbridge is created across bicrystal grain boundary and its characteristics are compared with a microbridge on the LBMO film having no grain boundary. Presence of grain boundary exhibits substantial magnetoresistance ratio (MRR) in the low field and low temperature region. Bicrystal grain boundary contribution in MRR disappears at temperature T>175 K. At low temperature, I-V characteristic of the microbridge across bicrystal grain boundary is nonlinear. Analysis of temperature dependence of dynamic conductance-voltage characteristics of the bicrystal grain boundary indicates that at low temperatures (T<175 K) carrier transport across the grain boundary in LBMO film is dominated by inelastic tunneling via pairs of manganese atoms and tunneling through disordered oxides. At higher temperatures (T>175 K), magnetic scattering process is dominating. Decrease of bicrystal grain boundary contribution in magnetoresistance with the increase in temperature is due to enhanced spin-flip scattering process.     

Molecular dynamics in solid pyridoxine as studied by 1H NMR

Spin-lattice relaxation times T1 and T1d as well as NMR second moment were employed to study molecular dynamics of pyridoxine (vitamin B6) in the temperature range 10-350 K. The T1 minimum observed at low temperatures at 200 MHz is attributed to a motion of methyl group. The motion is interpreted in terms of Haupt's theory, which takes into account the tunneling assisted relaxation. At low temperatures, where T1 is temperature independent, occupation of the ground state only is assumed. A motion of proton of the hydroxyl groups or CH2OH groups probably provides additional mechanism of relaxation, in the high-temperature region.     

Observation and destruction of an elusive adsorbate with STM: O₂/TiO₂(110)

When a slightly defective rutile TiO?(110) surface is exposed to O?at elevated temperatures, the molecule dissociates at defects, filling O vacancies (V(O)) and creating O adatoms (O(ad)) on Ti(5c) rows. The adsorption of molecular O? at low temperatures has remained controversial. Low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy of O?, dosed on TiO?(110) at a sample temperature of ≈100 K and imaged at 17 K, shows a molecular precursor at V(O) as a faint change in contrast. The adsorbed O? easily dissociates during the STM measurements, and the formation of O(ad)'s at both sides of the original V(O) is observed.     

STM studies of the reconstructed Au(1 1 1) thin-film at elevated temperatures

High temperature scanning tunneling microscope (HT-STM) was used to investigate a reconstructed Au(1 1 1) film evaporated on mica. The experiment was carried out at elevated temperatures in the range of 300-500 K. A herringbone reconstruction was observed at a wide range of temperatures. However, at the highest temperatures studied a break down of the reconstruction long range order was noticed. Finally, the presence of a triangular-like reconstruction was reported. Changes in the reconstruction were explained in terms of the change in surface stress arising as a result of the tension at the gold-mica interface.     

<Superscript>1</Superscript>H and <Superscript>19</Superscript>F NMR relaxation time studies in (NH<Subscript>4</Subscript>)<Subscript>2</Subscript>ZrF<Subscript>6</Subscript> superionic conductor

¹H and ¹⁹F spin-lattice relaxation times in polycrystalline diammonium hexafluorozirconate have been measured in the temperature range of 10–400 K to elucidate the molecular motion of both cation and anion. Interesting features such as translational diffusion at higher temperatures, molecular reorientational motion of both cation and anion groups at intermediate temperatures and quantum rotational tunneling of the ammonium group at lower temperatures have been observed. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxation time results correlate well with the NMR second moment and conductivity studies reported earlier.