The magnetic properties of aligned M hexa-ferrite fibres

Aligned and random fibres of strontium hexaferrite (SrM, SrFe₁₂O₁₉) and barium hexaferrite (BaM, BaFe₁₂O₁₉) were manufactured by blow spinning from an aqueous inorganic sol–gel precursor, which was then fired to give the hexagonal ferrite fibre. Their magnetic properties were studied by VSM, investigating the evolution of these properties with firing and measurement temperature, and in particular the effects of fibre alignment. It has been predicted that aligned ferrite fibres will demonstrate an enhanced magnetisation along the axis of alignment with respect to perpendicular to the axis, and this has been demonstrated here for the first time. The optimum firing temperature was 1000 °C, at which point they still had submicron grains. In BaM random fibres M_s=63.8 emu g⁻¹ and H_c=428.1 kA m⁻¹, and in SrM random fibres M_s=63.3 emu g⁻¹ and H_c=452.8 kA m⁻¹, high values for polycrystalline materials. Fibres aligned parallel to the applied field had saturation magnetisation (M_s) values equal to those of the random fibres, whilst fibres aligned perpendicular to the field had M_s values 62% and 75% lower, for BaM and SrM, respectively. There was no change in coercivity (H_c) between random or aligned fibres of any orientation, and fibres aligned 45° and parallel to H appeared identical. Therefore, properties along the axis of alignment were superior when compared to measurements perpendicular to the axis of alignment, giving a directionality to the magnetisation in an otherwise randomly oriented ferrite material.     

Classical and quantum magnetisation reversal studied in single nanometer-sized particles and clusters using micro-SQUIDs

Recent progress in experiment on quantum tunnelling of the magnetic moment in mesoscopic systems will be reviewed. The emphasis will be made on measurements of individual nanoparticles. These nanomagnets allow one to test the border between classical and quantum behaviour. Using the micro-SQUID magnetometer, waiting time, switching field and telegraph noise measurements show unambiguously that the magnetisation reversal of small enough single-crystalline nanoparticles is described by a model of thermal activation over a single-energy barrier. Results on insulating BaFeO nanoparticles show strong deviations from this model below 0.4 K which agree with the theory of macroscopic quantum tunnelling in the low dissipation regime.     

Attosecond spectral shearing interferometry

We show that the complete characterization of arbitrarily short isolated attosecond x-ray pulses can be achieved by applying spectral shearing interferometry to photoelectron wave packets. These wave packets are coherently produced through the photoionization of atoms by two time-delayed replicas of the x-ray pulse, and are shifted in energy with respect to each other by simultaneously applying a strong laser field. The x-ray pulse is reconstructed with the algorithm developed for optical pulses, which requires no knowledge of ionization physics. Using a 800-nm shearing field, x-ray pulses shorter than approximately 400 asec can be fully characterized.     

Influence of Ga+ ion irradiation on the magnetisation reversal process and magnetoresistance in CoFe/Cu/CoFe/IrMn spin valves

Ga+ion irradiation is performed on the surfaces of IrMn-based spin valves and the effects of ion irradiation on the magnetisation reversal process and magnetoresistance(MR) are investigated.The results show that the exchange bias field and magnetoresistance ratio of the spin valve decrease with the increase of ion dose.The width of the forward step between the free layer and the pinned layer becomes gradually smaller with the increase of ion dose whilst the recoil step tends to be narrower with ion dose increasing up to 6×10 13 ions/cm 2 and the step disappears afterwards.Two peaks in the R-H curve are found to be asymmetric.     

Two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy in Earth's magnetic field

We demonstrate the first two-dimensional correlation NMR (COSY) spectra obtained at ultra low frequencies (ULF) using the Earth's magnetic field. Using a specially developed spectrometer with multiple audio-frequency pulses under controlled pulse phase, we observe magnetisation transfer arising from heteronuclear J-couplings in trifluoroethanol and para-difluorobenzene. The 2D COSY spectra exhibit all diagonal and off-diagonal multiplets consistent with known J-couplings in these molecules.     

Vector magnetometer studies of the easy magnetisation direction in epitaxially grown DyFe2 film

A vector vibrating sample magnetometer has been used to determine the direction of easy magnetisation in a thin film of DyFe₂. The 4000 Å thick film, with a [1 1 0] growth direction, was prepared using molecular beam epitaxy. The results show that the direction of easy magnetisation is temperature dependent. At 4 K this direction corresponds to the [0 0 1] type axes. But at 290  the easy axis is close to a direction, but pointing out of the plane of the film at angle of (14±3)°. On the basis of the vector magnetometer results at 290 K we find two easy magnetisation axes close to or (and opposite directions). Finally, it is shown that DyFe₂ films are unique in that the remanent magnetisation can be manipulated to point either in or out of the plane of the film.     

Vector magnetisation measurements on thermally evaporated CoCr multilayers and solid solutions for spintronic applications

Structure, morphology and magnetic properties of thermally evaporated Co/Cr multilayers and of the solid solution obtained by isothermal treatment of the layered samples have been studied to evaluate their potential application as high-coercivity materials for hard spin injectors in spintronic devices such as magnetic tunneling junctions. The thermal treatment was performed in a partial pressure of inert gas to allow interdiffusion of Cr and Co. Structure and composition of the materials, as well as the effects of the annealing treatment, have been investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. The magnetic configuration of these films was investigated by magnetic force microscopy. Simultaneous measurements of two mutually perpendicular magnetisation components were performed by means of a vector vibrating sample magnetometer, and showed that the in-plane coercivity can be increased by proper thermal treatment from less than 10 Oe to about 240 Oe. However, annealing may result in a loss of compositional and morphologic homogeneity of the films.     

Magnetic properties of carbon nanosheets

Two-dimensional carbon nanosheets have been fabricated using inductively coupled radio frequency plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition. The structural properties of the nanosheets have been characterised using atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffractometer. The magnetisation of the samples was studied using vibrating sample magnetometer. The magnetisation of the nanosheets was found to be diamagnetic for fast synthesis processes (30 and 60 min). On the other hand, the nanosheets exhibited a weak ferromagnetic response for the slow (120 min) synthesis process. Energy dispersive spectrometry and atomic absorption spectroscopy confirmed that the magnetisation exhibited by the carbon nanosheets was an intrinsic property and that it was not due to contamination from the substrate. Raman spectroscopy studies revealed that the ferromagnetic carbon nanosheets have a higher ratio (1.20) of graphite peak (I _G) to disordered peak (I _D) than normally expected (0.75–0.90). Available data indicated that the magnetisation was due to the presence of structural disorders.     

Laser‐induced magnetisation dynamics in La0.7Sr0.3MnO3/SrRuO3 superlattices

Laser‐induced magnetisation dynamics of a La_0.7Sr_0.3MnO₃/SrRuO₃ superlattice is studied by means of a single‐colour optical pump‐probe technique. Significant differences in the magnetisation dynamics of a superlattice with respect to the single layers of constituent materials are demonstrated. Below the Curie temperature T_C of SrRuO₃, laser‐induced ultrafast demagnetisation is found to be followed by a uniform precession of the magnetisation around its new equilibrium. The data is described within a simple model based on a displacive excitation of a precessional magnetisation dynamics. The model is shown to give a good fit to the experimental data. As the initial temperature approaches T_C, the oscillations get suppressed and eventually vanish. The magnetisation dynamics is shown to depend on whether the two distinct magnetisation vectors in the superlattice are ferromagnetically or antiferromagnetically aligned. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

On the p,q-binomial distribution and the Ising model

We employ p, q-binomial coefficients, a generalisation of the binomial coefficients, to describe the magnetisation distributions of the Ising model. For the complete graph this distribution corresponds exactly to the limit case p = q. We apply our investigation to the simple d-dimensional lattices for d = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and fit p, q-binomial distributions to our data, some of which are exact but most are sampled. For d = 1 and d = 5, the magnetisation distributions are remarkably well-fitted by p,q-binomial distributions. For d = 4 we are only slightly less successful, while for d = 2, 3 we see some deviations (with exceptions!) between the p, q-binomial and the Ising distribution. However, at certain temperatures near T _c the statistical moments of the fitted distribution agree with the moments of the sampled data within the precision of sampling. We begin the paper by giving results of the behaviour of the p, q-distribution and its moment growth exponents given a certain parameterisation of p, q. Since the moment exponents are known for the Ising model (or at least approximately for d = 3) we can predict how p, q should behave and compare this to our measured p, q. The results speak in favour of the p, q-binomial distribution's correctness regarding its general behaviour in comparison to the Ising model. The full extent to which they correctly model the Ising distribution, however, is not settled.     

圆偏振激光附加太赫兹场作用下的高次谐波发射和孤立阿秒脉冲的产生

本文通过数值求解二维含时薛定谔方程,研究了圆偏振激光和太赫兹组合场作用下,H+2的高次谐波发射和孤立阿秒(1 as=10-18s)脉冲的产生.研究发现,无论在圆偏振激光场的x或y方向附加一个太赫兹场,都可以产生一个比较平滑的连续谐波谱.通过时频分析我们发现,高次谐波的贡献主要来自于短轨道.适当选取一些级次的连续谐波进行叠加,可以得到129 as或83 as的孤立阿秒脉冲.     

圆偏振激光附加太赫兹场作用下的高次谐波发射和孤立阿秒脉冲的产生

本文通过数值求解二维含时薛定谔方程,研究了圆偏振激光和太赫兹组合场作用下,H2+的高次谐波发射和孤立阿秒脉冲的产生。研究发现,无论在圆偏振激光场的 或 方向附加一个太赫兹场,都可以产生一个比较平滑的连续谐波谱。通过时频分析我们发现,高次谐波的贡献主要来自于短轨道。适当选取一些级次的连续谐波进行叠加,可以得到129 as或83 as的孤立阿秒脉冲。     

Spin evolution in a radio frequency field studied through muon spin resonance

The application of composite inversion pulses to a novel area of magnetic resonance, namely muon spin resonance, is demonstrated. Results confirm that efficient spin inversion can readily be achieved using this technique, despite the challenging experimental setup required for beamline measurements and the short lifetime (≈2.2μs) associated with the positive muon probe. Intriguingly, because the muon spin polarisation is detected by positron emission, the muon magnetisation can be monitored during the radio-frequency (RF) pulse to provide a unique insight into the effect of the RF field on the spin polarisation. This technique is used to explore the application of RF inversion sequences under the non-ideal conditions typically encountered when setting up pulsed muon resonance experiments.     

Magnetization of two-dimensional heavy holes with boundaries in a perpendicular magnetic field

The magnetisation of heavy holes in III--V semiconductor quantum wells with Rashba spin-orbit coupling (SOC) in an external perpendicular magnetic field is studied theoretically. We concentrate on the effects on the magnetisation induced by the system boundary, the Rashba SOC and the temperature. It is found that the sawtooth-like de Haas--van Alphen (dHvA) oscillations of the magnetisation will change dramatically in the presence of such three factors. Especially, the effects of the edge states and Rashba SOC on the magnetisation are more evident when the magnetic field is smaller. The oscillation center will shift when the boundary effect is considered and the Rashba SOC will bring beating patterns to the dHvA oscillations. These effects on the dHvA oscillations are preferably observed at low temperatures. With increasing temperature, the dHvA oscillations turn to be blurred and eventually disappear.     

Extreme Ultraviolet Sources Generation by Using the Two-Color Multi-Cycle Weak Inhomogeneous Field

An efficient method for attosecond extreme ultraviolet source generation under the two-color multi-cycle weak pulse has been theoretically presented by using the concept of the plasmonic field enhancement in the vicinity of metallic nanostructures. The results show that by properly choosing the inhomogeneity of the two-color multi-cycle(20 fs) weak pulse(1013W/cm2), not only the harmonic cutoff has been extended, resulting in a broadband XUV continuum, but also the single short quantum path has been selected to contribute to the harmonic. As a result, two isolated XUV pulses with durations of 68 as and 66 as can be obtained.     

Microstructural and magnetic properties of passivated Co nanoparticle films

Co nanoparticle films were prepared by plasma–gas-condensation-type particle beam deposition system. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy images show that the Co nanoparticles have a very narrow size distribution with an average diameter of 20 nm, and each of the Co nanoparticles is covered with an 3 nm layer of CoO. Hysteresis loops of the films after field-cooling in a 5 T magnetic field are greatly shifted, which can be attributed to the exchange bias effect caused by the interfacial exchange coupling between the CoO shell and the Co core. The zero field cooled films show several prominent properties, such as a quite large coercive field, a small remanence and their abnormal dependences on temperature. All these observations can be attributed to the existence of an exchange bias effect within each single Co nanoparticle even without a field-cooling process.     

空间非均匀场下核间距对不对称分子谐波发射的影响

数值研究了空间非均匀场下核间距离对于不对称分子HeH2+发射高次谐波以及阿秒脉冲的影响。计算结果表明,通过适当调节HeH2+分子离子的核间距离以及空间非均匀参数,不仅谐波发射的截止能量得到了延伸,而且单一的短量子路径也被选择出来对谐波发射起作用。随后适当引入第二束控制激光场,谐波截止能量得到了进一步扩展,形成了两个带宽分别在431eV和372eV的连续平台区。 最后,通过适当的叠加谐波,可获得脉宽为31as-65as的一系列阿秒X射线光源。     

Analytical analysis of multi-pulse NMR

It is well known that in multi-pulse applications in high-resolution NMR and MRI a steady state is reached for the magnetisation vector by the effect of relaxation in combination with the pulse repetition time. In this paper, a mathematical model is developed to understand how the parameters of the pulse sequence and relaxation times T(1) and T(2) affect the behaviour of the magnetisation vector. It will be shown that even under strong simplifying conditions an analytical analysis becomes very complex and only an analytical solution can be found for 90 degrees pulses and T(1)=T(2). For other cases a numerical approach is needed. Nevertheless, the basic approach of the mathematical analysis provides a general tool for analytical multi-operator applications. Our results provide a quantitative insight in the process by which the magnetisation relaxes towards the steady-state situation in a multi-pulse sequence.     

Susceptibility and magnetisation of a random ising model

The susceptibility of a bond disordered Ising model is calculated by configurationally averaging an Ornstein-Zernike type of equation for the two spin correlation function. The equation for the correlation function is derived using a diagrammatic method due to Englert. The averaging is performed using bond CPA. The magnetisation is also calculated by averaging in a similar manner a linearised molecular field equation. Part of the work was done, while one of the authors (DK) was visiting International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy.