Reversibility of Temperature-Induced Liquid Transition in Pb26Sn42Bi32 Melt: Experimental Evidence with Electrical Property

Exploring nature of liquid structures and properties is becoming more interesting in various fundamental and applied fields. With different resorts including the resistivity method, temperature-induced liquid-liquid structure transitions （TI-LLST） have been suggested and verified to occur in some liquid alloys, while the reversibility of TI- LLST has rarely been examined as yet. Unlike some other investigated liquid alloys, here we show that electrical resistivity of Pb26Sn42Bi32 melt exhibit an anomalous change in the first heating run and a reversible change in the following cooling and heating cycles. Taking account of the structural sensitivity of electrical resistivity, the abnormal patterns suggest two sorts of TI-LLST that are irreversible and reversible in the liquid ternary alloy, respectively. This interesting phenomenon together with other growing evidence imply that liquid structures and their change characteristics are multiform and complex.     

Electrical Resistivity of Na-K Binary Liquid Alloy Using Ab-Initio Pseudopotentials

The study of electrical resistivity of simple binary liquid alloy Na-K is presented as a function of concentration. Hard sphere diameters of sodium （Na） and potassium （K） are obtained through the inter ionic pair potentials evaluated using Troullier and Martins ab-initio pseudopotentials, which have been used to calculate partial structure factors S（q）. Tile Ziman formula for calculating resistivity of binary liquid alloys has been used. Form factors are calculated using ab-initio pseudopotentials. Tile results suggest that the first principle approach for calculating pseudopotentials with in the frame work of Ziman formalism is quite successful in explaining the electrical resistivity data of compound forming binary liquid alloys.     

Electrical Properties and Raman Spectra of BaBi1-xPbxO3

Crystal structure, electrical properties and Raman spectra of BaBi1-xPbxO3 are reported. The result of x-ray diffraction shows that the specimen is pure, and the lattice parameters decrease continuously in the semiconducting range, whereas it vibrates similarly to a sine wave in the superconducting range, which is ascribed to the existence of oxygen vacancies and the function of breathing modes of Bi（Pb）O6. The temperature dependence of resistivity indicates that the electrical property of the samples is connected sensitively with the crystal structures. Raman spectra show that the specimen becomes disorder when x increases, and the critical temperature To depends not only on the deformation potential of the soft A19 mode derived from the Bi（Pb）O6 rigid rotation, but also on the energy shift of the mode.     

Different effects of Ce-doping on orbital and spin ordering in perovskite vanadate Sm_(1-χ)Ce_χ VO_3

The effects of Ce-doping on the phase transition of the orbital/spin ordering (OO/SO) are studied through the structural, magnetic, and electrical transport measurements of perovskite vanadate Sm1 x Ce x VO 3 . The measurements of structure show that the cell volume decreases as x≤ 0.05, and then increases as Ce-doping level increases further. The OO state exists but is suppressed progressively in the sample with x≤0.2 and disappears as x0.2. The temperature at which the C-type SO transition is present increases monotonically with Ce-doping level increasing. The temperature dependence of resistivity for each of the samples shows a semiconducting transport behavior and the transport can be well described by the thermal activation model. The activation energy first decreases as x ≤0.2, and then increases for further doping. The obtained results are discussed in terms of the mixed-valent state of the doped-Ce ions.     

Raman Spectrum Analysis on the Solid-Liquid Boundary Layer of BGO Crystal Growth

We study the Raman spectra of Bi4GeO12 crystal at different temperatures, as well as its melt. The structure characters of the single crystal, melt and growth solid-liquid boundary layer of BGO are investigated by their high-temperature Raman spectra for the first time. The rule of structure change of BGO crystal with increasing temperature is analysed. The results show that there exists [GeO4] polyhedral structure and Bi ion independently in BGO melt. The bridge bonds Bi-O-Bi and Bi-O-Ge appear in the crystal and at the boundary layer, but disappear in the melt. The structure of the growth solid-liquid boundary layer is similar to that of BGO crystal. In the melt, the long-range order structure of the crystal disappears. The thickness of the growth solid-liquid boundary layer of BGO crystal is about 50 μm.     

Cross Section of Heavy Ion Reaction （14.5 MeV/u） ^132Xe ＋ Bi

We investigate the cross section of the heavy ion reaction （14.5 MeV/u） ^132Xe ＋ Bi by using a CR-39 plastic track detector. The target-detector assembly is exposed at UNILAC beam facility of GSI, Germany. After etching under appropriate etching conditions, the detector is scanned for multipronged events produced as a result of interactions of projectile ions with target atoms. The elastic events are separated from binary events and used for the determination of the quarter-point angle. The quarter-point angle obtained is used to determine the total reaction cross section. The total experimental reaction cross section is determined by using statistics of inelastic events of two-pronged and higher multiplicity events. The experimental reaction cross sections determined by using elastic and inelastic data observed in the reaction under study are found to be in good agreement with the theoretically calculated value of reaction cross section using a sharp cutoff model.     

Iron trichloride as oxidizer in acid slurry for chemical mechanical polishing of Ge2Sb2Te5

The effect of iron trichloride （FeC13） on chemical mechanical polishing （CMP） of Ge2Sb2Te5 （GST） film is inves- tigated in this paper. The polishing rate of GST increases from 38 nm/min to 144 nm/min when the FeC13 concentration changes from 0.01 wt% to 0.15 wt%, which is much faster than 20 nm/min for the 1 wt% H2O2-based slurry. This polish- ing rate trends are inversely correlated with the contact angle data of FeCl3-based slurry on the GST film surface. Thus, it is hypothesized that the hydrophilicity of the GST film surface is associated with the polishing rate during CMP. Atomic force microscope （AFM） and optical microscope （OM） are used to characterize the surface quality after CMP. The chemical mechanism is studied by potentiodynamic measurements such as Ecorr and Icorr to analyze chemical reaction between FeCl3 and GST surface. Finally, it is verified that slurry with FeCl3 has no influence on the electrical property of the post-CMP GST film by the resistivity-temperature （RT） tests.     

Experimental study on electrical resistivity measurement of a specimen at high temperature

A new technique is developed to measure the electrical resistivity of conductor with a nonuniform tem- perature profile. The calculation method is derived from the temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity. The apparatus consists mainly of a high temperature environmental chamber, a power circuit of heating, a twenty-wavelength pyrometer, and a scanning pyrometer. After getting the resistance from the voltage drop of the specimen, the electrical resistivity in a wide temperature range of the specimen can be obtained by our calculation model. Preliminary results of the electrical resistivity of SRM 8424 over a wide temperature range （1000-3000 K） are presented. The perfect consistency between the measurement results and the nominal values justifies the validity of this technique.     

Magneto-resistance and vortex phase diagram of BaNi_（0.1）Fe_（1.9）As_2 single crystal

The transition from vortex glass to a liquid phase is studied in Ba Ni0.1Fe1.9As2 single crystal with Tc = 19.4 K by magneto-resistance measurements. The resistivity curves are measured in magnetic fields in a range of 0 T–13 T for H‖c and H⊥c. Good scalings for all values of resistivity ρ（H, T） and the effective pinning potential U0（H, T） are obtained with the modified vortex glass theory by using the critical exponents s and H0. Phase diagrams for H‖c and H⊥c are determined based on the obtained vortex glass temperature Tg, the vortex dimensionality crossover temperature T＊, and the upper critical magnetic field Hc2. Our results suggest that both below and above 5 T, single vortex pinning co-exists with collective creep, and collective creep is dominant. There is a narrower vortex liquid region for H⊥c than for H‖c in the vortex phase diagram, which may originate from a stronger pinning force.     

Substrate Dependence of Properties of Sputtered ITO Films

High-quality indium-tin-oxide (ITO) films are deposited on p-type Czochralski silicon and 7059 Coming glass by direct-current magnetron sputtering at various temperatures. The structural, electrical and optical properties of the ITO films are investigated as functions of the substrate temperature. A comparison between the characteristics of the ITO films on silicon and Coming glass is presented. The results show that for the ITO film on silicon,the nucleation begins from room temperature; the resistivity reaches a maximum value at 75℃; the reflectivity increases with increasing temperature; when temperature is above 125℃, the ITO grows in a three-dimensional manner and forms a granular structure. However, for the ITO film on glass, it is still in an amorphous state at 75℃. Moreover, both the resistivity and the reflectivity decrease with increasing temperature. Above 125℃, the ITO grows in a two-dimensional manner and forms a domain structure.     

Photo-thermal Shot Noise in End Mirrors of LIGO due to Correlation of Power Fluctuation

The effect of input power fluctuation on photo-thermal shot noise in the end mirrors of a laser interferometer gravitational-wave observatory （LIGO） is analysed according to the statistical optics, which is a supplement of Braginsky＇s research. The laser light folding in LIGO increases a correlation of input power fluctuation in the photo-thermal shot noise. This part of noise has spectral density proportional to -2 in low frequency bands, and -4 in high frequency bands. It is not a white noise and may affect the processing about data of interferometers. To obtain an advanced LIGO, photo-thermal shot noise in end mirrors due to correlation of input power fluctuation is up to Braginsky＇s photo-thermal noise in the frequency range 1-100 Hz.     

Instability of Solution of Phase Retrieval in Direct Diffraction Phase-Contrast Imaging with Partially Coherent X-Ray Source

The theoretical model of direct diffraction phase-contrast imaging with partially coherent x-ray source is expressed by an operator of multiple integral. It is presented that the integral operator is linear. The problem of its phase retrieval is described by solving an operator equation of multiple integral. It is demonstrated that the solution of the phase retrieval is unstable. The numerical simulation is performed and the result validates that the solution of the phase retrieval is unstable.     

Chemical Potential Dependence of Two-Quark Condensates

By adopting the background field method, the response of the dressed quark propagator to the presence of finite chemical potential is analysed up to the second order. From this, we obtain a model-independent formula for the chemical potential dependence （up to the second order） of the in-medium two-quark condensate and show by both Lorentz covariance arguments and explicit calculations that the O（μ） contribution to the in-medium two-quark condensate vanishes identically.     

The Genesis of Physics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem

The creation of a good physics department in the newly established Hebrew University in Jerusalem (opened in 1925) was an important goal for Chaim Weizmann, President of the Zionist Organization and founder of the University (and chemist, by profession). A. H. Fraenkel, the mathematician, and L. S. Ornstein, the physicist from Utrecht, invested a lot of effort in achieving this goal. Albert Einstein was consulted on an almost day-to-day basis. Serious attempts were made to bring a first-rate theoretician to Jerusalem. After 1933, the chances for getting such a physicist were actually very good. George Placzek worked in Jerusalem during the academic year 1934–1935. Felix Bloch, Eugene Wigner, and Fritz London were offered positions as theoretical physicists in Jerusalem and considered the offers favorably. The discussions and correspondence with these great physicists are illuminating. Budget limitations, the problem of the teaching language (Hebrew) and the seclusion of Jerusalem from science centers in Europe or the United States undermined all these efforts. A solution was found when Giulio Racah from Italy finally was appointed.     

Exact Timing of Returned Molecular Wavepacket

An ionizing wavepacket of electron will re-visit its parent molecular ion during photoionization by strong laser field. This scenario is associated with physical concepts such as molecular re-scattering/collision, interference, diffraction, molecular clock, and generation of XUV light via high-order harmonic generation. On the workbench of a reduced dimensionality model of molecular hydrogen ions irradiated by laser pulse of 0.01-10.0 a.u. intensities, one-cycle pulsewidth, and 800nm wavelength, by deploying a momentum operator on the time-dependent wavefunction of an ionizing wavepacket, we can determine, in a precise manner, the exact time instant for the re-visiting electron to come back to the cation position. The time value is 57.6% of an optical cycle of the exciting laser pulse. This result may be useful in attosecond pump-probe experiments or molecular clock applications.     

Macro-Behaviour of Agents＇ Opinion under Influence of an External Field

We propose a model to study the evolution of opinion under the influence of all external field on small world network. The maero-behaviour of agents＇ opinion and the relative change rate as time elapses are studied. The external field is found to play an important role in making the opinion s（t） balance or increase, and without the influence of the external field, the relative change rate γ（t） shows nonlinear increasing behaviour as time runs. What is more, this nonlinear increasing behaviour is independent of the initial condition, the strength of the external field and the time that we cancel the external field. The results may reflect some phenomena in our society, such as the function of the macro-control in China or the mass media in our society.     

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.     

Micro-Photoluminescence Confocal Mapping of Single V-Grooved GaAs Quantum Wire

We perform the micro-photoluminescence measurement at low temperatures and a scanning optical mapping with high spatial resolution of a single V-grooved GaAs quantum wire modified by the selective ion-implantation and rapid thermally annealing. While the mapping shows the luminescences respectively from the quantum wires and from quantum well areas between quantum wires in general, the micro-photoluminescence at liquid He temperatures reveals a plenty of spectral structures of the PL band for a single quantum wire. The spectral structures are attributed to the inhomogeneity and non-uniformity of both the space structure and compositions of real wires as well as the defects nearby the interface between quantum wire and surrounding quantum well structures. All these make the excitons farther localized in quasi-zero-dimensional quantum potential boxes related to these non-uniformity and/or defects. The results also demonstrate the ability of micro-photoluminescence measurement and mapping for the characterization of both opto-electronic and structural properties of real quantum wires.     

Fisher Information of Wavefunctions： Classical and Quantum

A parametric quantum mechanical wavefunction naturally induces parametric probability distributions by taking absolute square, and we can consider its classical Fisher information. On the other hand, it also induces parametric rank-one projections which may be viewed as density operators, and we can talk about its quantum Fisher information. Among many versions of quantum Fisher information, there are two prominent ones. The first, defined via a quantum score function, was introduced by Helstrom in 1967 and is well known. The second, defined via the square root of the density operator, has its origin in the skew information introduced by Wigner and Yanase in 1963 and remains relatively unnoticed. This study is devoted to investigating the relationships between the classical Fisher information and these two versions of quantum Fisher information for wavefunctions. It is shown that the two versions of quantum Fisher information differ by a factor 2 and that they dominate the classical Fisher information. The non-coincidence of these two versions of quantum Fisher information may be interpreted as a manifestation of quantum discord. We further calculate the difference between the Helstrom quantum Fisher information and the classical Fisher information, and show that it is precisely the instantaneous phase fluctuation of the wavefunctions.     

How to Define the Equality of Durations in Measurement of Time

We develop the research on measurement of time worked by Poincarh, Einstein, Landau and other researchers. Based on the convention that the velocity of light is isotropic and is a constant in empty spacetime, we not only answer the question about the definition of the synchronization of rate of clocks located at different places, but also find the solution to the issue of how to define the equality of two durations in measurement of time.