The effect of Ehrlich-Schwoebel step-edge barrier on the formation of self-organized Si nanodots by ion-sputter erosion

The ion flux dependence of the self-organized Si nanodots induced by 1.5 keV Ar⁺ ion sputter erosion has been studied. It shows that for the regime with ion flux >∼280 μA/cm², the currently adopted Bradley-Harper (BH) model, which is incorporated in a dynamic continuum equation holds valid. However, for ion flux <∼280 μA/cm², the measured dot size and surface roughness deviate drastically from the BH model. To interpret the data for this lower ion flux regime, the effect of the Ehrlich-Schwoebel (ES) step-edge barrier was introduced into the continuum equation. A consistency between the calculated and the experimental results was reached, furthermore, a reasonable trend was found, that is, the effective ES diffusion decreases steadily with the increasing ion flux, and at ∼280 μA/cm², it became negligibly small.     

Modifications in magnetic anisotropy of M—type strontium hexaferrite crystals by swift heavy ion irradiation.

Using vibrating sample magnetometery (VSM) 50 MeV Li³⁺ ion irradiation effects on magnetic properties of single crystals of SrGa_xIn_yFe_12−(x+y)O₁₉ (where x=0, 5, 7, 9; y=0, 0.8, 1.3, 1.0), are reported. The substitution of Ga and In in strontium hexaferrite crystals decreases the value of magnetization sharply, which is attributed to shifting of collinear magnetic order to a non-collinear one. Reduction of magnetization is also explained to be as a result of the occupation of the crystallographic sites of Fe³⁺ by Ga³⁺ and In³⁺. The Li³⁺ ion irradiation decreases the value of magnetization, irrespective of whether the crystals are Ga–In substituted or unsubstituted crystals of SrFe₁₂O₁₉. The result is interpreted in terms of the occurrence of a paramagnetic doublet in crystals replacing magnetic sextuplet as a result of irradiation. Substitution of Ga–In in Strontium hexaferrite decreases the value of anisotropy constant. Irradiation with Li³⁺ ions increases the values of anisotropy field for both substituted as well as unsubstituted crystals. Substitution with Ga–In also decreases the Curie temperature (T_c) but the irradiation with Li³⁺ ions does not affect the curie temperature of either Ga–In substituted or pure SrFe₁₂O₁₉ crystals.     

Study of the Ru sublattice magnetic structure in the magnetic superconductor RuSr2GdCu2O8

In order to investigate the Ru sublattice magnetic structure, a study of the field dependence of the ^99,101Ru nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) has been carried out on the magnetic superconductor RuSr₂GdCu₂O₈. It is found that the ^99,101Ru NMR signal intensity increases significantly with applied magnetic field up to ≈3 kOe, beyond which, it progressively decreases. In addition, a shift of the NMR peaks to lower frequency is observed to begin at ≈1.3 kOe. These behaviors are shown to be accompanied by a field-induced Ru moment spin-flop in the ab planes, and are understood in terms of a previously proposed type-I antiferromagnetic ordering for the Ru sublattice. Based on this model, the inter-plane antiferromagnetic exchange coupling is determined to be ≈1.8 kOe along with a reversible in-plane spin-flop which is characterized by a field ≈0.6 kOe.     

A comparative study of magnetic relaxation in YBa2Cu3−x Fe x O7−y single crystals

The zero-field-cooled magnetization relaxation has been studied over wide temperature and field ranges on iron-doped YBa₂Cu₃O_7–y single crystals. The relationship between the twin boundary density, which depends on the iron composition, and the pinning strength of the flux lines is determined systematically. For magnetic fields up to 1 T the inductive critical current density decreases as the iron composition increases. The Bean critical state model and the Anderson-Kim thermally activated flux-creep model are utilized to analyze and interpret the experimental results.     

A new measurement of the Σ+ magnetic moment

A new measurement of the Σ⁺ magnetic moment is reported. The measurement stems from 12 000 events of the reaction K^?p→Σ⁺π^? produced at beam momenta around 460 MeV/c in HYBUC, the hydrogen bubble chamber with an 11.5 T magnetic field. These events represent about 15% of the final statistics. The results from opposite field directions are in close agreement and yield an average value of 2.95 ± 0.31 nuclear magnetons for the total Σ⁺ magnetic moment.     

Microstructure, magnetic and optical properties of sputtered polycrystalline ZnO films with Fe addition

Microstructure, magnetic and optical properties of polycrystalline Fe-doped ZnO films fabricated by cosputtering with different Fe atomic fractions (x_Fe) have been examined systematically. Fe addition could affect the growth of ZnO grains and surface morphology of the films. As x_Fe is larger than 7.0%, ZnFe₂O₄ grains appear in the films. All the films are ferromagnetic. The ferromagnetism comes from the ferromagnetic interaction activated by defects between the Fe ions that replace Zn ions. The average moment per Fe ion reaches a maximum value of 1.61 μ_B at x_Fe = 4.8%. With further increase in x_Fe, the average moment per Fe ion decreases because the antiferromagnetic energy is lower than the ferromagnetic one due to the reduced distance between the adjacent Fe ions. The optical band gap value decreases from 3.245 to 3.010 eV as x_Fe increases from 0% to 10%. Photoluminescence spectra analyses indicate that many defects that affect the optical and magnetic properties exist in the films.     

Zeeman effect and stark splitting of the electronic states of the rare-earth ion in the paramagnetic terbium garnets Tb<Subscript>3</Subscript>Ga<Subscript>5</Subscript>O<Subscript>12</Subscript> and Tb<Subscript>3</Subscript>Al<Subscript>5</Subscript>O<Subscript>12</Subscript>

The Zeeman effect in the ⁷ F ₆ → ⁵ D ₄ absorption band of the Tb³⁺ ion in the paramagnetic garnets Tb₃Ga₅O₁₂ and Tb₃Al₅O₁₂ was studied. The field dependences of the Zeeman splitting of some absorption lines are found to exhibit unusual behavior: as the magnetic field increases, the band splitting decreases rather than increases. Symmetry analysis relates these lines to 4f → 4f electron transitions of the doublet-quasi-doublet or quasi-doublet-doublet type, for which the field dependences of the splitting differ radically from the well-known field dependences of the Zeeman splitting for quasi-doublet-quasi-doublet or quasi-doublet-singlet transitions in a longitudinal magnetic field.     

Emission Mössbauer studies of the magnetoresistive compound, La0.7Sr0.3MnO3

The magnetic behavior of the Sr_0.3 manganite is studied using a local microprobe, ⁵⁷Co. In contrast with Ca substituted manganites, a much larger fraction of the material exhibits short-range order with superparamagnetic-like behavior even at 80 K. The differences in behavior are attributed to the large mismatch between the ionic radii of La⁺³ and the divalent substituent Sr⁺², which introduces anharmonicity in local vibrations. In common with all other compounds exhibiting negative bulk magnetoresistivity, the Sr_0.3 compound also exhibits very marked softening of lattice as one approaches T_c from below. Application of an external magnetic field results in coalescing of nanosized magnetic clusters to form larger ones with better alignment of spins.     

Photostimulated electron transfer and its action on paramagnetism of Sp<Subscript>3</Subscript>Cr(C<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>)<Subscript>3</Subscript> single crystals

The effect of irradiation by ultraviolet light on the effective magnetic moment of a paramagnetic single crystal based on photochrome spiropyran (Sp) and chromium oxalates Sp₃Cr(C₂O₄)₃ molecules is detected. It is shown that the deviation of the temperature dependence of the magnetic moment from the Curie law is caused not by the exchange interaction, but by electron redistribution between Cr³⁺ and Cr⁴⁺ ions and spiropyran molecules Sp⁰ and Sp⁺. Analysis of the angular dependence of EPR spectra makes it possible to determine the contribution of Cr³⁺ ions to the magnetic properties of the crystals and to determine the crystal field parameters D = 0.619 cm⁻¹ and E = 0.024 cm⁻¹. Irradiation of hydrated samples by ultraviolet light leads to intensity redistribution of EPR lines attributed to Cr³⁺ and Sp⁰. Thermally stimulated paramagnetism of triplet states of spiropyran ions Sp⁺ and the SpI salt is observed.     

Comparative studies of microwave absorption in the singlet paramagnets HoVO<Subscript>4</Subscript> and HoBa<Subscript>2</Subscript>Cu<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript> in strong pulsed magnetic fields

Microwave absorption in the tetragonal singlet paramagnets HoVO₄ (zircon structure) and HoBa₂Cu₃O _x (x ≈ 6, layered perovskite structure) is studied and compared in pulsed magnetic fields up to 40 T at low temperatures. These paramagnets are characterized by a singlet-doublet scheme of the low-lying levels of the Ho³⁺ ion in a crystal field. In a magnetic field directed along the tetragonal axis, HoVO₄ exhibits resonance absorption lines at wavelengths of 871, 406, and 305 μm, which correspond to electron transitions between the low-lying levels of the Ho³⁺ ion in the crystal field. The positions and intensities of these absorption lines in HoVO₄ are well described in terms of the crystal-field formalism with the well-known interaction parameters. The absorption spectra of HoBa₂Cu₃O _x at a wavelength of 871 μm exhibit broad resonance absorption lines against the background of strong nonresonance absorption. The effects of low-symmetry (orthorhombic, monoclinic) crystal-field components, the deviation of a magnetic field from a symmetry axis, and various pair interactions on the absorption spectra of the HoVO₄ and HoBa₂Cu₃O _x crystals are discussed. Original Russian Text ? Z.A. Kazeĭ, V.V. Snegirev, M. Goaran, L.P. Kozeeva, M.Yu. Kameneva, 2008, published in Zhurnal éksperimental’noĭ i Teoreticheskoĭ Fiziki, 2008, Vol. 133, No. 3, pp. 632–645.     

Characterization of ion species of silicon oxide films using positive and negative secondary ion mass spectra

Secondary ion species of silicon oxide films have been investigated using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS). Characterization of thermally grown SiO₂ films on silicon has been performed. A diagram showing secondary ion spectra of SiO₂ films in both positive and negative polarities indicates the pattern of change in polarities and intensities of ion species from SiO⁺ to Si₅O₁₁⁻. The ions mostly change from positive to negative polarity between Si_nO_2n−1 and Si_nO_2n. Ion peaks with the strongest intensities in the respective cluster ions correspond to the Si_nO_2n+1 negative ion. Intensities of ion species of Si_nO_2n+2 appear negligibly small. Ion species of Si₃O⁺, Si₃O₂⁺ and Si₃O₃⁺ have been found at the interface between silicon and SiO₂ films. The intensity patterns of these ion species compared to those of SiO₂ films indicate that most of these species are not emitted from the SiO₂ films, but likely from the SiO structures.     

A comparative study of ESD of positive and negative ions from CO on tungsten

Electron stimulated desorption of O^? ions has been demonstrated from the CO/W system. Ion yields are shown to be approximately a factor of 50 smaller for O^? than for O⁺. The O^? species is shown to originate from both α-CO adsorption states with an estimated 80% of the O^? signal coming from the CO⁺ producing α-state. Preliminary results indicate that the ion energy distribution for O^? is broader and peaks at a higher energy than for the O⁺ ions.     

Type I FA (Rb, Cs) and II FA (Li, Na) tunable laser activities and donor-acceptor properties of O and O at KCl (001) surface: first principle calculations

Type I F_A (Rb⁺, Cs⁺) and II F_A (Li⁺, Na⁺) tunable laser activities, adsorptivity and donor-acceptor properties of O and O⁻ adsorbates at the flat surface of KCl crystal were investigated using an embedded cluster model and ab initio methods of molecular electronic structure calculations. Ion clusters were embedded in a simulated Coulomb field that closely approximates the Madelung field of the host surface, and the nearest neighbor ions to the defect site were allowed to relax to equilibrium. Based on the calculated Stokes shifted optical transition bands, F_A tunable laser activities were found to be inversely proportional to the size of the dopant cation (Li⁺, Na⁺, Rb⁺, Cs⁺) relative to the host cation (K⁺). This relation was explained in terms of the axial perturbation of the impurity cation. The probability of orientational bleaching attributed to the RES saddle point ion configuration along the 〈110〉 axis was found to be inversely proportional to the size of the dopant cation, with activation energy barriers of ca. 0.44-3.34 eV. Surface relaxation energies of type II F_A centers were more important than those of type I F_A centers. In terms of defect formation energies, the products of type II F_A center imperfection were more stable than those of type I F_A. The difference between F or F_A band energies and exciton bands depended almost exclusively on the size of the positive ion species. As far as the adsorptivity of O and O⁻ is concerned, the results confirm that surface imperfection enhances the adsorption energies by ca. 4.38-16.37 eV. O and O⁻ penetrate through the defect-containing surface. The energy gap between the adsorbate and the defect containing surface and the donor-acceptor property of adsorbate play the dominant role in the course of adsorbate substrate interactions and the results were explained in terms of electrostatic potential curves and Mulliken population analysis.     

Crystal field effects on the saturation magnetic moment of Sm3+ ion in ferronagnetic samarium compounds

The effects of cubic crystal fields on the saturation magnetic moment of Sm³⁺ ion in ferromagnetic compounds have been investigated. In samarium compounds with magnetic elements, the exchange fieldH _ex acting on Sm³⁺ ion is taken to be proportional to the sublattice magnetization of the magnetic element, while in compounds with nonmagnetic elementsH _ex is taken to be proportional to the spin average of the Sm³⁺ ion and is determined self-consistently. In both types of compoundsH _ex is assumed to be along [001] direction. The saturation magnetic moment is calculated by taking into account the admixture of excited (J=7/2 andJ=9/2) levels into the ground (J=5/2) level of Sm³⁺ ion by crystal fields and exchange fields. It is shown that depending upon the strength, the crystal fields quench or enhance the magnetic moment from the free ion value, and in some cases force Sm³⁺ ion to behave effectively like an (L+S) ion rather than an (L−S)ion. The crystal fields may have important bearing on the performance of samarium compounds as permanent magnet materials.     

Umbrella structure in Ho substituted YIG - NMR study

The NMR of ⁵⁷Fe in Ho: YIG and Gd: YIG was measured on polycrystalline samples at 4.2 and 77K. In spectra of both tetrahedral and octahedral Fe³⁺ ions satellite lines appear which were ascribed to Fe³⁺ with a rare earth ion in their vicinity. From the position of the satellites the magnitude and direction of the Ho³⁺ magnetic moment were deduced. The results for Ho³⁺ ion are in good agreement with the crystal field calculations and with other magnetic data, but disagree with the neutron scattering results in HoIG garnet. The results on Gd: YIG were used to check the correctness of the analysis.     

The influence of ionic temperature on plasmasphere structure formation

The formation of the three-dimensional structure of the plasmasphere-ionosphere system under the action of ionization/recombination, charge exchange, and field-aligned (along geomagnetic field lines) diffusion of the O⁺ and H⁺ ions was studied by numerical simulation with the use of the global theoretical model of the upper atmosphere of the Earth (UAM). These processes were shown to form a spatially inhomogeneous and nonstationary plasma sheath of the Earth with several large-scale structural total plasma density and ionic composition singularities. A substantial contribution to their formation was made not only by the magnetic field geometry but also by ionic temperature spatial nonuniformity mainly determined by nonlocal heating with photoelectrons. The mechanism of this influence was studied.     

Evaluation of the magnetic moments of radium isotopes

Using the relativistic linked cluster many-body perturbation procedure we have obtained the hyperfine field at the nucleus of the Ra⁺ ion in the²S_1/2 ground state. There is good agreement between the calculated magnetic moment of²¹³Ra and the results of a recent Zeeman measurement by the collinear laser beam technique. Detailed comparison is carried out between our result and earlier ones.     

Coexistence of superconductivity and magnetic ordering in the borocarbide superconducting system

The investigation of the intermetallic compounds Y_1−xRE_xNi₂B₂C and Y_1−xRE_xPd₅B₃C_0.4 (RE=Gd, Dy, Ho, Er; 0≤x≤1.0) demonstrates that the coexistence of the long-range-magnetic-ordering and the superconductivity is possible The normal-state magnetic susceptibility shows a Curie-Weiss-like temperature dependence and a small paramagnetic Curie temperature. The value of the effective moment is close to that of the free RE⁺³ ion. Both results suggest that the coupling between the conduction electron and magnetic ion is not strong, but the coupling is still strong enough to cause the depression of superconductivity. The Abrikosov-Gor‘kov magnetic pair-breaking theory can be applied to those systems. The corresponding magnetic-ordering temperature increases with increasing magnetic moment concentration while the superconducting transition temperature decreases. The long-range-magnetic-ordering is mainly caused by the Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida indirect exchange interaction via conduction electrons. This indirect exchange coupling strongly depends on the concentration of RE⁺³-moment and de Gennes factor.     

Photo-induced bias of the hysteresis loop in ferrites at room temperature with long-time memory

New photo-magnetic effects with an indefinitely long-time memory are found at room temperature in the epitaxial Mg_0.75Mn_0.21Co_0.04Fe₂O₄ ferrite film. Illumination of the ferrimagnetic material with low-intensity (0.4 W cm⁻²) circularly polarized light with or without a static magnetic field in the Faraday effect geometry results in a number of nonlinear effects in both space and time. In a uniform crystal with cubic symmetry, the long-lived photo-induced magnetization (PIM) with a unidirectional anisotropy appears along the direction of the incoming light. The effects depend on a combination of magnetic field H and the helicity of circularly polarized light σ. Two combinations H⁺,σ⁺ and H⁻,σ⁻ lead to a photo-induced unidirectional anisotropy with a shift of the hysteresis loop along an applied field and a change in loop parameters. The loop contracts by a factor of two, the shift of the mid-point H_sh increases by factor of five surpassing the coercivity H_c, the coercivity H_c1 and remanence M_r1 (for decreasing applied field) reverse the sign, increasing by 9 Oe and reducing by a factor of 4.5, respectively. The effects cannot be erased by a conventional demagnetization (using an AC current that is reduced to zero amplitude), but can be removed using an illumination with two other combinations (H⁺,σ⁻ and H⁻,σ⁺) as well as by heating at temperatures higher than the Curie temperature. This long-lived room-temperature memory effect may arise from the formation of complex photo-induced defects including photo-induced magnetic polarons. The possible mechanisms responsible for the appearance of a room-temperature photo-induced unidirectional anisotropy with a long-lived memory are discussed. These new photo-magnetic effects may find an application in magneto-optical memory devices.     

Stability of electrostatic ion cyclotron waves in a multi-ion plasma

We have studied the stability of the electrostatic ion cyclotron wave in a plasma consisting of isotropic hydrogen ions (H⁺) and temperature-anisotropic positively (O⁺) and negatively (O⁻) charged oxygen ions, with the electrons drifting parallel to the magnetic field. Analytical expressions have been derived for the frequency and growth/damping rate of ion cyclotron waves around the first harmonic of both hydrogen and oxygen ion gyrofrequencies. We find that the frequencies and growth/damping rates are dependent on the densities and temperatures of all species of ions. A detailed numerical study, for parameters relevant to comet Halley, shows that the growth rate is dependent on the magnitude of the frequency. The ion cyclotron waves are driven by the electron drift parallel to the magnetic field; the temperature anisotropy of the oxygen ions only slightly enhance the growth rates for small values of temperature anisotropies. A simple explanation, in terms of wave exponentiation times, is offered for the absence of electrostatic ion cyclotron waves in the multi-ion plasma of comet Halley.