The influence of the O–O isotope substitution on spin dynamics of (La0.25Pr0.75)0.7Ca0.3MnO3: La NMR data

The ¹³⁹La NMR spectra and spin–spin relaxation times have been measured for the ¹⁶O and ¹⁸O isotope-substituted manganite (La_0.25Pr_0.75)_0.7Ca_0.3MnO₃ in the external magnetic field of 5 T. The NMR signal wipe-out has been observed in the ¹⁸O-enriched sample in the charge-ordered state. This phenomenon is connected with a sharp increase in the spin–spin relaxation rate. The great isotope-effect observed provides a clear evidence of an essential role of oxygen motion in controlling the long-range magnetic order in manganites.     

Specific features of magnetic states of impurity iron ions in the perovskite La<Subscript>0.75</Subscript>Sr<Subscript>0.25</Subscript>Co<Subscript>0.98</Subscript> <Superscript>57</Superscript>Fe<Subscript>0.02</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>

Single-phase polycrystalline La_0.75Sr_0.25Co_0.98⁵⁷Fe_0.02O₃ samples have been prepared by solidstate ceramic technology. The samples have the rhombohedral structure (space group \(R\bar 3c\)). The studies of perovskite La_0.75Sr_0.25Co_0.98⁵⁷Fe_0.02O₃ by Mössbauer spectroscopy on impurity ⁵⁷Fe nuclei in the temperature range of 5–293 K have revealed the existence of a superparamagnetic relaxation in the temperature range of 100–210 K. The parameters of hyperfine interactions (hyperfine magnetic fields, line shifts, and quadrupole shifts) and the anisotropy energy have been measured, and the frequencies of magnetic moment relaxation of iron ions have been estimated.     

Improvement electrochemical performance of Li1.5Ni0.25Mn0.75O2.5 with Li4Ti5O12 coating

Layered cathode Li_1.5Ni_0.25Mn_0.75O_2.5 has been synthesized and coated by Li₄Ti₅O₁₂. The pristine and coated Li_1.5Ni_0.25Mn_0.75O_2.5 powders are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), indicating the materials remained the layered structure before and after coating. The coated Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ has been detected by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (DEX). The electrochemical performance, especially rate performance of Li_1.5Ni_0.25Mn_0.75O_2.5 electrode, is improved effectively after Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ coating. The first discharge capacity, coulombic efficiency, and capacity retention of Li₄Ti₅O₁₂-coated Li_1.5Ni_0.25Mn_0.75O_2.5 electrode are 244 mA h g^?1, 81.5 %, and 98.3 % after 50 cycles, respectively. The Li₄Ti₅O₁₂-coated Li_1.5Ni_0.25Mn_0.75O_2.5 electrode exhibits 108 mA h g^?1 at 10 °C rate. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) results show that the charge transfer resistance (R _ct) of Li_1.5Ni_0.25Mn_0.75O_2.5 electrode decreases after coating, which is due to the existence of Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ with high lithium ion diffusion coefficient and suppression of the solid electrolyte interfacial (SEI) layer development and is responsible for the excellent rate capability and cyclic performance.     

Measurement of the spin-depairing interaction in Sn0.75Eu0.25Mo6S8

Mössbauer effect measurements of the ¹⁵¹ Eu resonance in the Chevrel phase superconductor Sn_0.75Eu_0.25Mo₆S₈ have been used to obtain the temperature dependence of the Eu paramagnetic relaxation rate. This consists of a temperature independent part arising from spin-spin interactions and a part linear in T due to the Korringa process. From the slope we obtain $\text{I}$ = 0.0033/Eu atom-spin, where $\text{I}$ is the exchange coupling between the rare-earth spin and the conduction electron spin, and N(E_F) is the local density of states. This value is roughly one order of magnetude lower than that measured in binary superconductors, and accounts for the very weak dependence of the transition temperature on magnetic impurity concentration.     

Magnetic properties and charge ordering in Pr0.75Na0.25MnO3 manganite

The structural and magnetic properties of Pr_0.75Na_0.25MnO₃ have been investigated experimentally. At room temperature, the compound shows paramagnetic characteristic. Along with decreasing temperature, a peak appears in the magnetization versus temperature curve around 220 K. To clarify whether this peak is associated with the ordering arrangement of Mn³⁺ and Mn⁴⁺ ions, electron diffraction experiments were carried out below and above 220 K respectively. Only basic Brag diffraction spots can be observed at high temperatures, however, superlattice diffraction appears below 220 K. This provides direct evidence for the existence of charge ordering in Pr_0.75Na_0.25MnO₃. We find the Mn³⁺ and Mn⁴⁺ cations form zigzag chains in a-c plane by analyzing the diffraction patterns. Combining with the magnetization measurements and the results of electron spin resonance, we confirm the antiferromagnetic phase and ferromagnetic component coexist in Pr_0.75Na_0.25MnO₃ below 120 K.     

Hyperfine interactions at 139La nuclei in La1-x SrxCoO3 (x = 0.25, 0.50) perovskites

The hyperfine fields B ₀, enhancement factors η, and transverse relaxation times T ₂ for ¹³⁹La nuclei in La_0.75Sr_0.25CoO₃ and La_0.5Sr_0.5CoO₃ perovskites at 4.2 K are measured by pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The hyperfine coupling constants P for ¹³⁹La nuclei in the perovskites under investigation do not depend on the composition or the crystal lattice type. The local anisotropy fields are evaluated from the data on the enhancement factor η. The dependence of the echo amplitude decay on the delay time τ of the second radio-frequency pulse does not exhibit an exponential behavior. The amplitude decay rate increases with an increase in the delay time τ. This suggests that the Suhl-Nakamura interaction contributes to the transverse relaxation time T ₂.     

Giant dielectric response and polaronic hopping in charge-ordered Nd1.75Sr0.25NiO4 ceramics

The structure and dielectric properties of charge-ordered Nd_1.75Sr_0.25NiO₄ ceramics are presented. The giant dielectric constant about 30 000 is observed in the present ceramics even the frequency is up to 5 MHz. There are three dielectric relaxations at the curve of temperature dependence of dielectric constant in the considered temperature range. Based on the comparison of activation energies of dielectric relaxation and electrical conductivity, the giant dielectric response should be attributed to the bulk factor, that is, thermally activated small polaronic hopping in the present ceramics, while the dielectric relaxation around room temperature should cause from the effect of grain boundaries.     

Thermal conductivity of (La0.25Pr0.75)0.7Ca0.3MnO3 under giant isotope effect conditions

The thermal conductivity of (La_0.25Pr_0.75)_0.7Ca_0.3MnO₃ manganite has been studied. The isotope substitution of ¹⁸O for ¹⁶O in this compound leads to a ferromagnetic-antiferromagnetic phase transition at low temperatures. It has been found that the thermal conductivity in the ferromagnetic state is approximately two times higher than in the antiferromagnetic state. It has been shown that the small value of thermal conductivity and its temperature dependence can be due to strong phonon scattering from crystal lattice defects, which are thought of as Jahn-Teller distortions. The parameters of this scattering can be determined within the Debye model of thermal conductivity from a comparison of samples differing in their isotope composition.     

Effect of the 16O → 18O isotopic substitution and a magnetic field on the spin dynamics in the (La0.25Pr0.75)0.7Ca0.3MnO3 manganite according to the 139La NMR data

¹³⁹La nuclear magnetic resonance spectra have been recorded and the spin-spin relaxation times in the paramagnetic region in external magnetic fields of 5 and 9.4 T have been measured for two types of manganites: initial (La_0.25Pr_0.75)_0.7Ca_0.3Mn¹⁶O₃ and enriched with the ¹⁸O isotope ((La_0.25Pr_0.75)_0.7Ca_0.3Mn¹⁸O₃). The manganite enriched with the heavier oxygen isotope exhibits disappearance of a signal in the charge-ordering region (T < T _co) in an external field of 5 T. This effect is related to the anomalous increase in the spin-spin relaxation rate. With an increase in the external magnetic field to 9.4 T, the difference in the behavior of the relaxation rate for the two samples in the charge-ordering region remains pronounced, although the magnitude of this effect becomes much smaller. The observed giant isotope effect is a bright evidence of the important role of oxygen motion in the formation of long-range magnetic order in the manganites under consideration. Original Russian Text ? K.N. Mikhalev, I.E. Litvinov, Z.N. Nigamat’yanova, A.Yu. Yakubovskii, A.R. Kaul’, O.Yu. Gorbenko, K. Kumagai, Y. Furukawa, 2007, published in Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk. Seriya Fizicheskaya, 2007, Vol. 71, No. 5, pp. 726–729.     

Specific heat of high Tc,A-15 Nb0.75Ga0.25

The specific heat from 1.4 to 27 K has been measured on a NbGa sample that was approximately 85% A-15 Nb_0.76Ga_0.24 with a T_c of 19.8 K and a transition width of 1 K. The data imply that the density of states for A-15 Nb_0.75Ga_0.25 is 1.7 ± 0.25 states/eV-atom, in good agreement with recent band structure calculations. The Debye temperature is found to increase approximately 1 K per degree from T_c down to 4 K, with θ_D(0) = 280 K.     

Asymmetrical phase separation in Nd0.25La0.25Ca0.5MnO3

The highly metastable region across the metal-insulator transition in Nd_0.25La_0.25Ca_0.5MnO₃ is probed by transport and magnetic measurements. The metal-insulator transition observed around 130 K is associated with large thermal hysteresis between temperatures 50-150 K. Observation of minor hysteresis loops across the region indicates coexistence of both metallic and insulating phases. The field-cooled heating and the zero-field-cooled heating susceptibilities deviate from each other from 205 K, signifying thermo-magnetic irreversibility arising from magnetic pinning and/or glassy magnetic behaviour. The magnetoresistance measured on the heating and cooling loops are found to be different in magnitude and nature. The cooling-cycle magnetoresistance was found to be highly irreversible with an open-ended hysteresis loop. We also observe change in the nature of the magnetic relaxation data on the heating and cooling protocols. This indicate strong thermal history dependence of magneto-transport behaviour in the present compound.     

Nuclear spin-lattice relaxation of192Ir in ferromagnetic amorphous alloy Fe-B studied by nuclear orientation

The nuclear spin-lattice relaxation of¹⁹²Ir in the glassy alloy Ir_3.1Fe_80.5B_16.4 has been studied by low-temperature nuclear orientation technique. The thermal cycling method has been used. No dependence on extermal magnetic field in the range 0.25–1.2 T has been observed. Weger’s mechanism seems to play a crucial role.     

51V nuclear spin-lattice relaxation in V0.75-xGa0.25+x

Nuclear spin-lattice relaxation-time measurements of ⁵¹V in A-15-phase V_0.75-xGa_0.25+x have been made in both well-annealed and neutron-irradiated samples. A tight-binding analysis of the results indicates a strong correlation of T_c with the density of states at the Fermi level in the δ-subbands.     

Effect of gamma irradiation on the dielectric response of a Sr0.75Ba0.25Nb2O6 relaxor single crystal

The effect of gamma irradiation from a ⁶⁰Co source at a dose D = 4.75 × 10⁴ R on the dielectric properties of a Sr_0.75Ba_0.25Nb₂O₆ (SBN-75) single crystal with a smeared phase transition is investigated in the low-and infralow-frequency ranges. The behavior of the dielectric response is compared with the behavior of the depolarization currents induced in unirradiated and irradiated samples of the Sr_0.75Ba_0.25Nb₂O₆ compound. The observed changes in the electrical properties of the Sr_0.75Ba_0.25Nb₂O₆ single crystal in the temperature range of the smeared phase transition are associated with the stabilization of the ferroelectric phase of the material in an internal bias field generated by radiation-induced defects.     

Photoluminescence of Rare Earth Phosphors Na0.5Gd0.5WO4: RE3+ and Na0.5Gd0.5(Mo0.75W0.25)O4: RE3+ (RE=Eu, Sm, Dy)

Two series of phosphors, Na_0.5Gd_0.5WO₄: RE³⁺ and Na_0.5Gd_0.5(Mo_0.75W_0.25)O₄: RE³⁺ (RE?=?Eu, Sm, Dy) have been synthesized by hydrothermal process to obtain the high purity, which have been characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results suggest that Na_0.5Gd_0.5(Mo_0.75W_0.25)O₄: RE³⁺ phosphors are more easily to crystallize than Na_0.5Gd_0.5WO₄: RE³⁺ ones. Both of them present the characteristic luminescence of Eu³⁺, Sm³⁺ and Dy³⁺. Especially the photoluminescent properties of Na_0.5Gd_0.5WO₄: x%Eu³⁺ (Sm³⁺) can be obtained to show white luminescence as the suitable doping concentration of Eu³⁺ or Sm³⁺.     

Hydrogen behavior in Pd0.75Ag0.25H x studied by PAC and PAS

Hydrogen behavior in Pd_0.75Ag_0.25H _x has been investigated by both perturbed angular correlation (PAC) and positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PAS) techniques. The PAC measurements with the ¹¹¹Ag/¹¹¹Cd probe nuclei were conducted at room temperature as a function of the hydrogen concentration x up to 0.35. At x = 0 the probe nuclei experienced no quadrupole perturbation, while a distinct perturbation was observed after hydrogen charging. The quadrupole interaction frequency ω ₁ and its distribution width σ ₁ and relative fraction f₁ all decrease with increasing hydrogen concentration, indicating size growth and concentration reduction of the hydrogen induced vacancy clusters. The measured frequency distribution width σ ₁ reveals hydrogen diffusion. The PAS measurements were also performed at room temperature. The obtained lifetimes and their variation with hydrogen concentration strongly support the PAC results. The experimental results can be explained by the appearance of the β-phase in the Pd_0.75Ag_0.25H _x samples. The α-phase is the major phase in the Pd_0.75Ag_0.25H _x samples. Charging of the hydrogen leads to the formation of the β-phase and the fraction of the β-phase increases with increasing hydrogen concentration. The present PAC and PAS results show that as the fraction of the β-phase increases, hydrogen induced vacancy clusters are formed and become larger and larger, while the cluster density reduces due to the combination of the vacancy clusters into larger size vacancy clusters.     

Hydrostatic pressure effect on Tc of Ba0.9K0.1Pb0.75Bi0.25O3

The superconducting transition temperature of Ba_0.9K_0.1Pb_0.75Bi_0.25O₃ has been found to be suppressed smoothly by the application of hydrostatic pressure at a rate of —(2.9 ± 0.2) × 10^?5 kbar^?1 up to 15 kbar. The implications of these results are discussed.     

Epitaxial growth of fully relaxed Si0.75Ge0.25 on SOI substrate

A fully relaxed Si_0.75Ge_0.25 film with low dislocation densities is fabricated by epitaxial growth on SOI substrate without depositing graded buffers. The relaxation mechanism of the SiGe layer directly grown on SOI substrate is also analyzed. For SiGe grown on SOI with low Ge content, the strain is redistributed between SiGe and the top Si of SOI substrate, and the strain residing in SiGe layer can be fully relaxed by the formation and expansion of dislocation half-loops near the SiGe/Si interface. The surface morphology and crystal quality of all samples are analyzed by optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively. Compared to the Si_0.75Ge_0.25 layer epitaxially grown on graded buffer, the Si_0.75Ge_0.25 directly grown on SOI substrate appears good surface morphology and perfect crystal quality.     

Transport properties and battery discharge characteristics of the Ag+ ion conducting composite electrolyte system (1−x)[0.75AgI: 0.25AgCl]: xFe2O3

Ion transport and battery discharge characteristic studies are reported for a new Ag⁺ ion conducting two-phase composite electrolyte system (1−x)[0.75AgI: 0.25AgCl]: xFe₂O₃, where 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.5 in molar weight fraction. An alternative single-phase host-matrix ‘annealed [0.75AgI: 0.25AgCl] mixed system/ solid solution’ has been used in place of the traditional host, AgI. Submicron size particles (<1 μm) of Fe₂O₃ has been used as second phase dispersoid. The composition 0.8[0.75AgI: 0.25AgCl]: 0.2Fe₂O₃, exhibiting the highest room temperature conductivity has been referred to as the optimum conducting composition (OCC). The reason for an enhancement of an order of magnitude in the conductivity from that of the pure host has been identified through direct determination of ionic mobility (μ) and mobile ion concentration (n) using transient ionic current (TIC) technique. The XRD study confirmed the coexistence of the constituent phases. The ionic transference number is found to be very close to unity. This reveals the fact that the silver ions are the sole charge carriers in the system. The results are discussed in the light of space-charge models proposed for the two-phase composite electrolyte systems. Solid state batteries, fabricated using OCC as electrolyte, Ag-metal as anode and mixtures of iodine & graphite, viz. (C+I₂), (C+KI₃), (C+(CH₃)₄NI₃), (C+(C₂H₅)₄NI₃), etc. as cathodes, were discharged under different load conditions. The battery with (C+I₂) cathode performed satisfactorily specially under low current drain states. Paper presented at the 2nd International Conference on Ionic Devices, Anna University, Chennai, India, Nov. 28–30, 2003.     

Mechanical properties and electronic structure of TiC,Ti0.75W0.25C,Ti0.75W0.25C0.75N0.25, TiC0.75N0.25 and TiN

The first-principles calculations are performed to investigate the mechanical properties and electronic structure of TiC, Ti_0.75W_0.25C, Ti_0.75W_0.25C_0.75N_0.25, TiC_0.75N_0.25 and TiN. Density functional theory and ultrasoft pseudopotentials are used in this study. From the formation energy, it is found that nitrogen can increase the stability of TiC. The calculated elastic constants and elastic moduli of TiC compare favorably with other theoretical and experimental values. Tungsten and nitrogen are observed to significantly increase the bulk, shear and Young's modulus of TiC. Through the analysis of B/G and Cauchy pressure, tungsten can significantly improve the ductility of TiC. The electronic structure of TiC, TiN, Ti_0.75W_0.25C, Ti_0.75W_0.25C_0.75N_0.25, and TiC_0.75N_0.25 are used to describe nonmetal–metal and metal–metal bonds. Based on the Mulliken overlap population analysis, the hardness values of TiC, Ti_0.75W_0.25C, Ti_0.75W_0.25C_0.75N_0.25, TiC_0.75N_0.25 and TiN are estimated.