Electrical and magnetic properties of [(CoFeZr)x(Al2O3)1 ? x/(α-SiH)]n multilayer structures

The concentration dependences of the electrical resistivity and complex permeability of [“(Co₄₅Fe₄₅Zr₁₀) _x (Al₂O₃)_{100 − x} ”/“α-Si: H”] _n multilayer structures and (Co₄₅Fe₄₅Zr₁₀) _x (Al₂O₃)_{100 − x} composites have been studied. It has been established that introduction of a semiconductor interlayer into the (Co₄₅Fe₄₅Zr₁₀) _x (Al₂O₃)_{100 − x} composites substantially decreases the electrical resistivity of [“(Co₄₅Fe₄₅Zr₁₀) _x (Al₂O₃)_{100 − x} ”/“α-Si: H”] _n multilayer structures. The concentration dependences of the real and imaginary parts of the complex permeability of the [“(Co₄₅Fe₄₅Zr₁₀) _x (Al₂O₃)_{100 − x} ”/“α-Si: H”] _n nanomultilayer structures substantially differ from those of the (Co₄₅Fe₄₅Zr₁₀) _x (Al₂O₃)_{100 − x} composites. The real part of the complex permeability of the [“(Co₄₅Fe₄₅Zr₁₀) _x (Al₂O₃)_{100 − x} ”/“α-Si: H”] _n nanomultilayer structures follows the curve with a minimum near the percolation threshold of the composite, and the imaginary part smoothly decreases as the ferromagnetic phase concentration increases. The results obtained are explained by the increase in the bifurcation temperature due to the conduction electrons of the semiconductor interlayer, which favor magnetic ordering of ferromagnetic grains.     

Ion transport and solid state battery studies on a new silver molybdate superionic glass system: x[0.75AgI: 0.25AgCl]: (1-x)[Ag2O: MoO3]

Preparation, material characterization, ion transport and battery discharge characteristic studies are reported for a new silver molybdate glass system: x[0.75AgI: 0.25AgCl]: (1-x)[Ag₂O: MoO₃], where 0<x<1 in molar weight fraction. The traditional host AgI has been replaced by an alternate compound: “a quenched [0.75AgI: 0.25 AgCl] mixed system/solid solution”. Electrical conductivity (σ), ionic mobility (μ) and mobile ion concentration (n) measurements were carried out as a function of “x”. The composition: 0.8[0.75AgI: 0.25AgCl]: 0.2[Ag₂O: MoO₃] exhibited the highest conductivity (∼ 6×10⁻³ S·cm⁻¹) at room temperature and has been referred to as ‘optimum conducting composition (OCC)’. The compositional variation of “μ” and “n” revealed that the enhancement in the room temperature conductivity of OCC is predominantly due to the increase in mobile ion concentration. The XRD and DSC analysis on OCC indicated the formation of glassy phase with partial presence of unreacted polycrystalline phase of the host salt. The temperature dependence of various ionic transport parameters viz. “σ”, “μ”, “n” and ionic transference number (t_ion) were carried out on the OCC and the results have been discussed on the basis of theoretical models suggested for superionic glasses. In addition to this, solid state batteries were fabricated using OCC as electrolyte and discharge characteristics were studied under varying load conditions.     

μ+SR studies on superconducting YBa2(Cu1−xFex)3Oy system

Spin-glass like magnetic ordering of iron moments was observed in both orthorhombic and tetragonal YBa₂(Cu_1−xFe_x)₃O_y (x=0.08) by μ⁺SR measurements. In a “Tetra” sample, all the muons sense the superconducting transition at 60 K and magnetic ordering at around 15 K, while in an “Ortho” sample they reveal that two magnetically different parts exist in the sample: about 40% of the sample is superconducting withT _c ≈90K and the remaining part is magnetic withT _M≈33K. These phenomena can be explained in terms of clustering of the Fe atoms in the “Ortho” sample.     

Irreducible tensor operators and selective/hard single and double resonance experiments in insulators: Applications to NMRON and MQ-NMR

Recently, pulsed NMRON experiments have been carried out on trace amounts of radioactive⁵⁴Mn in the antiferromagnet MnCl₂4H₂O at 500 MHz (Le Gros et al. [1]). In this compound, the quadrupole splitting between the two lowest NMR transitions is ≈3 MHz, which precludes the use of non-selective (hard) rf pulses. Yet within the restricted 2*2 manifold, associated with a given transition, the nuclear rotation is “hard”. In this paper, the theory of “selective-hard” NMRON and MQ-NMR experiments is developed within the framework of irreducible tensor operators. In essence, the theory extends the early work of Jaynes [4] to deal with the higher-order multipolar states created during the course of a given NMR experiment. Several new pulsed NMRON and MQ-NMR experiments are proposed. For example, it is demonstrated how “ouble resonance”, “selective-hard” experiments on the pseudo spin-1 manifold spanned by |±1> and |0> Zeeman states of any integer spinI could be used to extract small chemical shifts in the face of very large quadrupole splittings.     

Experimental investigation of ligand effects on the conversion electron spectrum of the 22.5 keV M1 + E2 nuclear transition in <Superscript>149</Superscript>Sm

The conversion electron spectrum of the 22.5keV M1 + E2 nuclear transition in ¹⁴⁹Sm from the electron capture decay of ¹⁴⁹Eu was experimentally studied for the “Eu₂O₃” and “EuF₃” compounds in which ¹⁴⁹Eu ions have the same assumed oxidation number +3 . While the energies of the L, M, N, O, and P₁ conversion lines for “EuF₃” were lower, on average, by 1.7(1), 2.7(2), 2.3(3), 4.1(2), and 5.7(9)eV, respectively, than those for “Eu₂O₃”, no changes between the two ligand complexes were observed for relative intensities of the conversion lines and their natural widths within the error limits.     

Angular dependence of surface acoustic wave characteristics in AlN thin films on a-plane sapphire substrates

AlN thin films have been grown on a-plane sapphire (Al₂O₃(112̄0)) substrates. X-ray diffraction measurements indicate the films are fully c-plane (0001) oriented with a full width at half maximum of the AlN(0002) rocking curves of 0.92. The epitaxial growth relationships have been determined by the reflection high energy electron diffraction analysis as AlN[11̄00]//Al₂O₃[0001] and AlN[112̄0]//Al₂O₃[11̄00]. Angular dependence of important surface acoustic wave (SAW) characteristics, such as the phase velocity and electromechanical coupling coefficient, has been investigated on the AlN(0001)/Al₂O₃(112̄0) structure. While the SAW is excited at all propagation angles with an angular dispersion of the phase velocity in the range of 5503–6045 m/s, a higher velocity shear-horizontal (SH) mode is observed only at 0°, 105° and 180° off the reference Al₂O₃[11̄00] over a 180° angular period. The phase velocity of the SH mode shows dispersion (6089–6132 m/s) as a function of the SAW wavelength. Temperature coefficients of frequency are also demonstrated for both modes. PACS 81.15.Hi; 77.84.-s; 77.65.Dq     

Electrical conductivity of BaCe0.9Nd0.1O3−α in H2+H2O+Ar gas mixture

Electroconductivity of BaCe_0.9Nd_0.1O_3−α was studied as a function of the composition of the H₂+H₂O+Ar mixture and temperature in the interval from 873 to 1173 K. It was shown that the electroconductivity was independent of P_H2 (0.97 to 0.10 atm) and P_O2 (10⁻²¹ to 10⁻²⁶ atm), but depended on P_H2O (0.08 to 0.005 atm). A mathematical processing of the P_H2O dependencies of the electroconductivity, which was performed in terms of a classical model of defect formation in high-temperature proton-conducting solid electrolytes, yielded equilibrium constants of the reaction of water dissolution in BaCe_0.9Nd_0.1O_3−α and mobilities of protons and oxygen ions. The temperature dependencies of these quantities were used to determine the mobility activation energies of protons (E_a=34±7 kJ/mole) and oxygen ions (E_a=72±8 kJ/mole), and also the enthalpy (ΔH=−150±25 kJ/mole) and the entropy (ΔS=153±26 kJ/mole·K) of the reaction of water dissolution in BaCe_0.9Nd_0.1O_3−α.     

Acentric cubic NaClO3– a new crystal for Raman lasers

3 crystal were investigated. At room temperature under picosecond excitation efficient high-order stimulated Raman scattering in the visible and near-IR regions was observed. A total conversion efficiency of the 1-μm Nd³⁺:Y₃Al₅O₁₂ laser-pump emission to Stokes and anti-Stokes lines of about 70% was estimated. All registered scattered laser components were identified. We classify the NaClO₃ single crystal as a promising χ⁽³⁾ medium for Raman lasers. Received: 14 January 1998     

An “EPR” study of YBa2Cu3O7 and related high-temperature superconductors

Besides ag ≈ 2 signal which disappears on cooling to the superconductingT _c , YBa₂Cu₃O₇ and related oxides show a near-zero-field signal in the superconducting state with certain unusual features attributable to a “superconducting glassy state”. Contribution No. 443 from Solid State and Structural Chemistry Unit.     

New χ (3)-nonlinear-laser manifestations in tetragonal LuVO4 crystal: more than sesqui-octave Raman-induced Stokes and anti-Stokes comb generation and cascaded self-frequency “tripling”

We report the experimental investigations of nonlinear-laser effects in LuVO₄ vanadate under one-micron picosecond Nd³⁺:Y₃Al₅O₁₂ pumping. In this tetragonal host-crystal for Ln³⁺ lasants for the first time we excited ultra-broad, more than one and half octave (13500 cm⁻¹) Raman induced Stokes and anti-Stokes generation combs and observed multi-step cascaded parametric χ ⁽³⁾-lasing in UV spectral region. All generation lines were identified and attributed to SRS-promoting modes of the crystal (ω _SRS1≈900 cm⁻¹ and ω _SRS2≈113 cm⁻¹). We classified this vanadate as a promising material for self-Raman laser converters.     

Electro- and magnetotransport in La0.67Ba0.33MnO3 nanosized films coherently grown on a vicinally polished (LaAlO3)0.29 + (SrAl0.5Ta0.5O3)0.71 substrate

The structure, orientation, and the response of electroresistance to magnetic field H and varying temperature T have been studied for 30-nm-thick La_0.67Ba_0.33MnO₃ (LBMO) films. The deviation of the [001] direction in manganite layers from the normal to the plane of the (LaAlO₃)_0.29 + (SrAl_0.5Ta_0.5O₃)_0.71 substrate strictly corresponds to the vicinal angle of the latter. The minimum yield determined from 227-keV proton scattering spectra is 0.025, signifying a high order of the cationic sublattice in the films. The biaxial compression of stable nuclei of the manganite phase affects their stoichiometry, thus contributing to the depletion of LBMO films in the alkaline-earth element. The maximum electroresistance values have been observed in the films grown at T _max ≈ 320 K, a temperature about 20 K lower than the Curie temperature of the corresponding bulk single crystals, and the maximum magnetoresistance (MR ≈ −0.42, μ₀ H = 2 T) occurs at T ≈ 300 K. At low temperatures (T < T _max/3) and μ₀ H < 0.45 T, the electroresistance response of LBMO films to a magnetic field materially depends on the anisotropic magnetoresistance and the intensity of hole scattering from domain walls; when μ₀ H > 0.5 T, the major current-carrier relaxation mechanism is the interaction with magnons.     

Stability of muon-oxygen bond sites in RBa2Cu3O7

Relative energies of muon probe sites in the chain region of RBa₂Cu₃O₇ (RBCO) are investigated using a molecular quantum chemistry calculation for (Oμ)⁻ embedded in a cluster of point charges to simulate local charge distributions in RBCO. Partial Cu−O chain covalency results in a O-μ...O muon site between the chain and bridging oxygens. However, Cu-μ “hydride”-like sites are suggested by results for nominally ionic clusters.     

The influence of the specific surface of grains on the luminescence properties of Nd<Superscript>3+</Superscript>-doped Y<Subscript>3</Subscript>Al<Subscript>5</Subscript>O<Subscript>12</Subscript> nanopowders

Nd³⁺:Y₃Al₅O₁₂ (Nd:YAG) powders were prepared by the Pechini method in the temperature range of 800 to 1400 °C. The pure garnet phase of the obtained materials was confirmed by XRD studies. The size of the grains was controlled by the annealing temperature of the samples. Their morphologies were investigated by TEM and porosity measurements (BET). The effect of annealing temperature on the morphology and luminescence properties of Nd:YAG nanocrystallites was studied, and the results were compared to the properties of a Nd:YAG single crystal. A significant enhancement of the ⁴F_3/2→⁴I_9/2/⁴F_3/2→⁴I_11/2 intensity ratio with decreasing grain size was observed. It was found that the decay times of the Nd³⁺ luminescence depends on the specific surface and is significantly longer for well crystallized nanocrystalline grains than for single crystals having the same concentration of Nd³⁺ ions. The role of crystallinity and specific surface on the radiative processes is analyzed. PACS 78.55.-m; 78.20.Ci; 78.67.Bf; 78.68.+m     

Tunable optical parametric oscillator based on a KTP crystal,pumped by a pulsed Ti<Superscript>3+</Superscript>:Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> laser

We present the characteristics of an optical parametric oscillator based on a KTP crystal, pumped with noncritical phase matching by a pulsed Ti³⁺:Al₂O₃ laser, tunable in the range 677–970 nm. Tunable generation of signal and idler waves is obtained in the ranges 1030–1390 nm and 2690–3050 nm respectively. The efficiency of conversion of the pump to the signal wave is ≈23%, which for pulses of duration ≈8 nsec ensures an energy in the range 1.0–11.5 mJ. The width of the emission spectrum for the signal wave is within the range 0.8–1.8 nm and is predominantly determined by the linewidth of the Ti³⁺:Al₂O₃ pump laser. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 74, No. 3, pp. 351–356, May–June, 2007.     

Preparation and characterization of transparent Nd:YAG ceramics

Transparent Nd:YAG ceramics were produced by solid.state reaction of high.purity (4N) nanometric oxides powders, i.e., Al₂O₃, Y₂O₃ and Nd₂O₃. After sintering, mean grain sizes of 2% Nd:YAG samples were about 20 μm and their transparency were a bit worse than that of 0.9% Nd:YAG single crystal. Two types of active elements: rods and slabs were fabricated and characterized in several diode pumping schemes. In end pumping configuration as a pump source 20.W fiber coupled laser diode operating in low duty cycle regime (1 ms pump duration/20 Hz) was deployed. In the best case, 3.7 W of output power for 18 W of absorbed pump power, M² < 1.4 were demonstrated for uncoated ceramics Nd:YAG rod of ϕ 4×3mm size in preliminary experiments. For the ceramics of two times lower Nd dopant level above 30% slope efficiency was achieved. In case of Nd:YAG ceramic slab side pumped by 600.W laser diode stack above 12 W was demonstrated with slope efficiency of 3.5%.     

Spectroscopic properties of Nd<Superscript>3+</Superscript>:CaNb<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>6</Subscript> crystal

The absorption spectra, fluorescence spectrum and fluorescence decay curve of Nd³⁺ ions in CaNb₂O₆ crystal were measured at room temperature. The peak absorption cross section was calculated to be 6.202×10⁻²⁰ cm² with a broad FWHM of 7 nm at 808 nm for E//a light polarization. The spectroscopic parameters of Nd³⁺ ions in CaNb₂O₆ crystal have been investigated based on Judd-Ofelt theory. The parameters of the line strengths Ω _t are Ω ₂=5.321×10⁻²⁰ cm²,Ω ₄=1.734×10⁻²⁰ cm²,Ω ₆=2.889×10⁻²⁰ cm². The radiative lifetime, the fluorescence lifetime and the quantum efficiency are 167 μs, 152 μs and 91%, respectively. The fluorescence branch ratios are calculated to be β ₁=36.03%,β ₂=52.29%,β ₃=11.15%,β ₄=0.533%. The emission cross section at 1062 nm is 9.87×10⁻²⁰ cm².     

Antiferromagnetic order in PrBa2Cu3O x (x≈6, 7)

Zero and weak transverse fieldμ ⁺ SR measurements on PrBa₂Cu₃O _x samples withx≈6 andx≈7 show ordered magnetism in both oxygen concentration limits. As expected for equivalent doping (nominally PrBa₂Cu₃O _x ∼YBa₂Cu₃O _x −0.5), neither sample is superconducting. Two muon signals are observed in thex≈6 sample, as in YBa₂Cu₃O₆, but only one (the weaker) has the same local magnetic field as in YBa₂Cu₃O₆. In thex≈7 sample, only one site is observed; its local field is reduced with respect to that of the primary site in YBa₂Cu₃O₆ by a factor roughly consistent with the carrier-density dependence of the Cu ion moment in antiferromagnetic YBa₂Cu₃O _x .     

Exciton localization behaviour in different well width undoped GaN/Al0.07Ga0.93N nanostructures

We report results from optical spectroscopy such as photoluminescence (PL) and time resolved photo-luminescence (TRPL) techniques from different well width MOCVD grown GaN/Al_0.07Ga_0.93N MQW samples. There is evidence of localization at low temperature in all samples. The decay time of all samples becomes non-exponential when the detection energy is increased with respect to the peak of the emission. Localization of carriers (excitons) is demonstrated by the “S-shape” dependences of the PL peak energies on the temperature. The time-resolved PL spectra of the 3-nm well multi quantum wells reveal that the spectral peak position shifts toward lower energies as the decay time increases and becomes red-shifted at longer decay times. There is a gradient in the PL decay time across the emission peak profile, so that the PL process at low temperatures is a free electron-localized hole transition.     

Valency control in MoO<Subscript>3−δ</Subscript> nanoparticles generated by pulsed laser liquid solid interaction

The possibility of synthesizing binary oxides nanoparticles in a nano-scaled form by laser liquid solid interaction using a NdYAG “1.064 μm” as an irradiating laser source is reported. The case of MoO_3−δ is emphasized. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the Mo–O electronic valence can be controlled through the coupling effects of oxygen enriched nature of the used coating liquid layer, namely pure H₂O or H₂O₂ and the laser beam fluence. Dark blue hydrated molybdic pentoxide Mo₂O₅·xH₂O and yellow molybdenum trioxide MoO₃ nano-suspensions were reproducibly synthesized with hydrogen peroxide and water, respectively, at a relatively high ablation rate. The average size of the molybdenum trioxide nanoparticles was about <ϕ>~8 nm, slightly larger than the molybdic pentoxide ones “<ϕ>~6.2 nm”.