Spin-label oximetry at Q- and W-band

Spin-lattice relaxation times (T?s) of small water-soluble spin-labels in the aqueous phase as well as lipid-type spin-labels in membranes increase when the microwave frequency increases from 2 to 35 GHz (Hyde, et al., J. Phys. Chem. B 108 (2004) 9524-9529). The T?s measured at W-band (94 GHz) for the water-soluble spin-labels CTPO and TEMPONE (Froncisz, et al., J. Magn. Reson. 193 (2008) 297-304) are, however, shorter than when measured at Q-band (35 GHz). In this paper, the decreasing trends at W-band have been confirmed for commonly used lipid-type spin-labels in model membranes. It is concluded that the longest values of T? will generally be found at Q-band, noting that long values are advantageous for measurement of bimolecular collisions with oxygen. The contribution of dissolved molecular oxygen to the relaxation rate was found to be independent of microwave frequency up to 94 GHz for lipid-type spin-labels in membranes. This contribution is expressed in terms of the oxygen transport parameter W=T??1(Air)-T??1(N?), which is a function of both concentration and translational diffusion of oxygen in the local environment of a spin-label. The new capabilities in measurement of the oxygen transport parameter using saturation-recovery (SR) EPR at Q- and W-band have been demonstrated in saturated (DMPC) and unsaturated (POPC) lipid bilayer membranes with the use of stearic acid (n-SASL) and phosphatidylcholine (n-PC) spin-labels, and compared with results obtained earlier at X-band. SR EPR spin-label oximetry at Q- and W-band has the potential to be a powerful tool for studying samples of small volume, ~30 nL. These benefits, together with other factors such as a higher resonator efficiency parameter and a new technique for canceling free induction decay signals, are discussed.     

Multifrequency Two-Dimensional Fourier Transform ESR: An X/Ku–Band Spectrometer

A two-dimensional Fourier Transform ESR (2D FT ESR) spectrometer operating at 9.25 and 17.35 GHz is described. The Ku-band bridge uses an efficient heterodyne technique wherein 9.25 GHz is the intermediate frequency. At Ku-band the sensitivity is increased by almost an order of magnitude. One may routinely collect a full 2D ELDOR spectrum in less than 20 min for a sample containing 0.5–5 nmol of nitroxide spin-probe in the slow-motional regime. Broad spectral coverage at Ku-band is obtained by use of a bridged loop-gap resonator (BLGR) and of a dielectric ring resonator (DR). It is shown that an even more uniform spectral excitation is obtained by using shorter microwave pulses of about 3 ns duration. The dead-time at Ku-band is just 30–40 ns, yielding an improved SNR in 2D ELDOR spectra of nitroxide spin-probes withT₂as short as 20–30 ns. A comparison of 2D ELDOR spectra obtained at 9.25 and 17.35 GHz for spin-labeled phospholipid probes (16PC) in 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoglycerol (DMPG) membrane vesicles showed that both spectra could be satisfactorily simulated using the same set of model parameters even though they are markedly different in appearance. The improved sensitivity and shorter dead-time at Ku-band made it possible to obtain orientation-dependent 2D ELDOR spectra of the Cholestane (CSL) spin-probe in macroscopically aligned lipid bilayers of egg yolk PC using samples containing only 1 mg of lipid and just 5 nmol of spin-probe.     

Single Crystal Magnetic Resonance Study of a Rh2☎ Dimer Centre in NaCl at Q-Band

Electron nuclear double resonance spectroscopy at 34 GHz is applied to determine the signs of the principal values and the directions of the corresponding principal axes of the zero field splitting tensor for a Rh^2? dimer centre in NaC1. The results are in good agreement with the hypotheses concerning the spin Hamiltonian parameters deduced from the X- and W-band EPR analysis and support the model proposed for this centre consisting of two Rh^2? ions on cation positions and two Na^? vacancies.     

Multifrequency EPR spectra of molecular oxygen in solid Air

Multifrequency EPR spectra in the 94 to 550 GHz range were performed on solid air samples condensed at 5 K in the waveguide of a single pass probe. The spectra of molecular oxygen were observed and interpreted in the frame of the spin Hamiltonian model as axial S = 1 spectra with a zero field splitting parameter D = 3.572(3) cm⁻¹. The result of this study is relevant in the field of high field–high frequency EPR application in which solid air O₂ is a common paramagnetic impurity.     

Impregnation of polymers with 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-oxo-piperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPONE) paramagnetic probe in sub- and supercritical CO<Subscript>2</Subscript>

The spin probe method is used to study the impregnation of polycarbonate (PC) based on bisphenol A, polyethylene oxide (PEO), and crosslinked acrylamide–acrylic acid copolymer (PAA) with organic molecules in sub- and supercritical CO₂ media. Electron spin resonance (EPR) data show that, at 196 bar and 307 K, 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-oxo-piperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPONE) paramagnetic spin probe molecules penetrate into the PC and PEO matrices, which are, respectively, in the glassy and elastic states under normal conditions. The degree of impregnation of PAA under these conditions is negligibly small. Estimates of the local concentration of probe molecules show that, in the PEO matrix, TEMPONE is distributed much more uniformly than in the PC matrix. Analysis of the effect of temperature on the shape of the EPR spectra of the radical in the polymer matrix shows that, under the same conditions, the mobility of TEMPONE molecules in the PEO matrix is much higher than in the PC matrix. The results suggest that the spin probe method is promising for studying the characteristics of macro- and micro-processes in polymer–supercritical fluid solvent–organic molecule ternary systems.     

Electron spin relaxation of radicals in γ-irradiated malonic acid and methyl malonic acid

Radicals generated by γ-irradiation of malonic acid and methyl malonic acid were studied as a function of temperature by inversion recovery, echo-detected saturation recovery and electron-electron double resonance (ELDOR) at X-band, and by continuous-wave saturation recovery at X-band and S-band. ELDOR reductions for malonic acid radical in polycrystalline and single-crystal samples indicate that nuclear spin relaxation is faster than both electron spin relaxation and cross relaxation between 93 and 233 K. Deuteration of the carboxylate protons caused the maximum ELDOR reduction to shift from about 110 to 150 K, consistent with the assignment of the rapid nuclear spin relaxation to hydrogen-bonded proton dynamics. ELDOR enhancements for both radicals formed in methyl malonic acid indicate that cross relaxation is faster than both electron spin relaxation and nuclear spin relaxation between 77 and 220 K. Enhanced cross relaxation and electron spin relaxation are attributed to the rotation of methyl groups at a rate comparable to the electron Larmor frequency. The temperature dependence of the enhancement of 1/T _1e was analyzed to determine the activation energies for methyl rotation. The same radical is formed in irradiated methyl malonic acid and L-alanine, but the barrier to rotation of the α-methyl is 500 K in the methyl malonic acid host and 1500 K in the L-alanine host, which indicates a large impact of the lattice on the barrier to rotation.     

Theoretical and experimental investigations of easy made fishnet metamaterials at microwave frequencies

In this work, we demonstrate theoretically and experimentally a left handed behaviour of a planar fishnet type metamaterial in the microwave regime. The fabrication procedure based on printed circuit board technology and mechanical micromachining technique is easy, unique and doesn’t involve optical lithography. The effective parameters have been extracted using the S parameter retrieval method and show a very good agreement between simulation and experiment. Using finite-element method based simulations and W-band (75 GHz–110 GHz) experiments. We measured a negative index of refraction of −4 at 85 GHz. The demonstrated left handed materials represent a step towards the easy fabrication of metamaterials with a negative refractive index that open a new path for the active manipulation of millimetre wavelengths.     

Study of Stable L-Alanine Radicals by W-Band EPR Spectroscopy

Stable L-alanine radicals, SAR1 and SAR2, induced by γ-irradiation of the L-alanine crystal have been investigated by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) technique at W-band (94 GHz) frequency. The study provides assignment of radical centers detected by continuous-wave EPR, saturation transfer mode and echo-detected field-swept EPR at W-band frequencies. The phase memory time, T _m, which was measured simultaneously at X-band (9.5 GHz) and W-band frequencies for different spectral components has been employed to estimate rotation correlation times of CH₃ protons and an effective correlation time related to the local dynamics of the entire SAR1 center at room temperature.     

Time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy on small tungsten cluster anions

We have studied the dynamics of photoexcited tungsten cluster anions W_n^-\mathrm{W}_{n}^{-} (n=3,4,…,14) by means of time-resolved two-photon photodetachment spectroscopy. At an excitation energy of h ν _pump=1.56 eV the photoinduced dynamics is mainly dominated by fast electronic relaxation processes. For the smallest clusters, i.e., W₃^-\mathrm{W}_{3}^{-}, W₄^-\mathrm{W}_{4}^{-}, and W₅^-\mathrm{W}_{5}^{-}, individual relaxation channels have been identified and resolved on a timescale well below 100 fs. The time constants for the decay of nascent and secondary electrons have been deduced from a Bloch model. Complete thermalization takes place for all clusters on a timescale of ∼1 ps.     

Rotational Correlation Time Studies on Nitroxyl Radicals Using 300 MHz ESR Spectrometer in High Viscous Liquid

The mobility studies on ¹⁴N-labeled TEMPONE, TEMPO, carbamoyl-PROXYL, carboxy-PROXYL in high viscous liquid were carried out on a 300 MHz electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrometer. The ESR parameters, such as a line width, signal intensity ratio, g-factor, hyperfine coupling constant and correlation time, were determined. The line width broadening increases twofold in high viscous samples of ¹⁴N-labeled carbamoyl-PROXYL and carboxy-PROXYL, but this line broadening is negligibly small in the high viscous sample (85% glycerol) of ¹⁴N-labeled TEMPO. The correlation time also increases (~30 times) in the high viscous sample (85% glycerol) of ¹⁴N-labeled carbamoyl-PROXYL and carboxy-PROXYL, but there is no considerable increase in the high viscous sample of ¹⁴N-labeled TEMPO. TEMPONE has the narrowest line width and is also highly sensitive to viscosity. The correlation time increases (~13 times) in the high viscous sample (85% glycerol) of ¹⁴N-labeled TEMPONE. Therefore, this study reveals that the ¹⁴N-labeled TEMPONE radical is the most suitable spin probe for in vivo studies in high viscous biological fluids.     

W_n Ni_m(n+m≤7;m=1,2)团簇电子结构与光谱性质的理论研究

采用密度泛函理论(DFT)中的B3PW91方法在LANL2DZ基组水平上对WnNim(n+m≤7;m=1,2)团簇的各种可能构型进行了几何结构优化,得出了它们的基态构型,并对其NBO、振动频率、光谱和极化率进行了理论研究.研究结果表明:W,Ni原子内部杂化现象较强,而在W-Ni原子之间杂化较弱;在W和Ni相互作用形成合金团簇的过程中,发生原子间的电荷转移,使得合金团簇中大多数Ni原子带正电荷W原子带负电荷;从光学上分析显示,W6Ni团簇的IR和Raman谱中的振动峰最多,W5Ni2的IR和Raman谱中的振动峰最强,W2Ni的IR谱中只有一个较强峰值;WnNim(n+m≤7;m=1,2)团簇中原子间的成键相互作用随W成分的增加而增强.     

Microwave electric field induced spin transitions of AlAs 2D electrons

We present the first direct electron spin resonance (ESR) on a 2D electron gas in a III–V semiconductor. ESR on a high mobility 2D electron gas in a single AlAs quantum well reveals an electronic g-factor of 1.991 at 9.35 GHz and 1.989 at 34 GHz with a minimal linewidth of 7 Gauss. Both the signal amplitude and its dependence on the position and orientation of the sample in the cavity unambiguously demonstrate that the spin transitions in our experiment are caused by the microwave electric field. We present a model that ascribes the spin transitions to the effective magnetic field acting on the electron spins that arises from (Bychkov–Rashba) spin-orbit interaction and the modulation of the electron wavevector around k_F induced by the microwave electric field.     

WnNim(n+m=8)团簇结构与电子性质的理论研究

采用密度泛函理论(DFT)中的B3LYP方法,在Lanl2dz基组水平上对W_nNi_m(n+m=8)团簇的各种可能构型进行了几何参数全优化,得到了它们的基态构型;并对基态构型的平均结合能、Wiberg键级(WBI)、磁学性质、NBO进行了分析,结果表明:团簇随着W原子数的增多,稳定性增强,n≥5时,结构中都含有纯钨团簇的结构基元;W-W键级高于W-Ni键和Ni-Ni键;W₅Ni₃,W₆Ni₂团簇发生了"磁矩猝灭"的现象;在W,Ni原子内部,轨道电荷发生了转移,产生了"轨道杂化"现象,W,Ni原子之间也发生了电荷转移形成了较强的化学键. 关键词： nNi_m(n+m=8)团簇')" href="#">W_nNi_m(n+m=8)团簇 几何结构 电子性质 密度泛函理论     

Generation of Submillimeter-Wave Radiation with GaAs Tunnett Diodes and InP Gunn Devices in a Second or Higher Harmonic Mode

Efficient second-harmonic power extraction was demonstrated recently with GaAs tunnel injection transit-time (TUNNETT) diodes up to 235 GHz and with InP Gunn devices up to 325 GHz. This paper discusses the latest theoretical and experimental results from second-harmonic power extraction at submillimeter-wave frequencies and explores the potential of using power extraction at higher harmonic frequencies to generate continuous-wave radiation with significant power levels at frequencies above 325 GHz. Initial experimental results include output power levels of more than 50 W at 356 GHz from a GaAs TUNNETT diode in a third-harmonic mode and at least 0.2–5 W in the frequency range 400–560 GHz from InP Gunn devices in a third or higher harmonic mode. The spectral output of these submillimeter-wave sources was analyzed with a simple Fourier-transform terahertz spectrometer and, up to 426 GHz, with a spectrum analyzer and appropriate harmonic mixers. Initial experimental results from a GaAs/AlAs superlattice electronic device at D-band (110–170 GHz) and J-band (170–325 GHz) frequencies are also included.     

Oxygen content dependence of the EPR line shape in GdBa2Cu3O7−y single crystal

X-band electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra of a GdBa₂Cu₃O_7−y single crystal were obtained at room temperature before and after reducing its oxygen content by, annealing. Before annealing, the sample exhibited superconductivity atT _c≊90 K; the EPR line was asymmetrical and was described with a Dysonian shape because of the skin effect. After annealing, superconductivity was not observed; the EPR line, less affected by the skin effect, was symmetrical and more intense, approximately described with a Lorentzian shape.     

Novel NdCo<Subscript>5</Subscript> nanoflakes and nanoparticles produced by surfactant-assisted high-energy ball milling

High-energy ball milling has been shown to be a promising method for the fabrication of rare earth—transition metal nanopowders. In this work, NdCo₅ nanoflakes and nanoparticles have been produced by a two-stage high-energy ball milling (HEBM), by first using wet HEBM to prepare precursor nanocrystalline powders followed by surfactant-assisted HEBM. NdCo₅ flakes have a thickness below 150 nm and an aspect ratio as high as 10²–10³; the nanoparticles have an average size of 7 nm. Both the nanoparticles and nano-flakes exhibited high coercivities at low temperatures, with values at 50 K of 3 and 3.7 kOe, respectively. The high values of coercivity can be attributed to the large surface anisotropy of nanoparticles that leads to an effective uniaxial-type of behavior in contrast to the planar anisotropy of the bulk samples. Angle-dependent magnetization measurements at different temperatures were used to determine the spin reorientation transitions in the nanopowders and nanoparticles. The nanoparticles showed spin reorientation temperatures, T _SR1 = 276 and T _SR2 = 237 K which are lower when compared with the values of 290 and 245 K, respectively for bulk.     

Time-Resolved and Pulse EPR Study of Triplet States of Alkylketones in β-Cyclodextrin

The triplet states of deoxybenzoin (DOB) and benzophenone (BP) molecules in randomly methylated β-cyclodextrin (CD) cavity are studied by time-resolved (TR) and pulse electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). The observed TR EPR spectrum of DOB in β-CD at 30 K is close to the spectrum measured in polar solvent trifluoroethanol, revealing strong hydration by water molecules. At the same time, TR EPR spectrum of BP in β-CD corresponds to nonpolar surrounding of the CO-group. The electron spin relaxation times T ₁ and T ₂ of triplet BP at 30 K measured by pulse EPR are found to be different in β-CD compared to nonpolar toluene glass. The observed increase of T ₂ by up to a factor of four in β-CD is caused by the lower vibration amplitude of CO-bond of BP due to the confinement in β-CD. The influence of β-CD with covalently attached nitroxide on the triplet states of DOB and BP is principally different: the excited triplet states could not be observed by TR EPR due to the efficient quenching of the excited states by nitroxide.     

Thermal analysis of InP-based quantum cascade lasers for efficient heat dissipation

We have theoretically investigated the thermal characteristics of double-channel ridge–waveguide InGaAs/InAlAs/InP quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) using a two-dimensional heat dissipation model. The temperature distribution, heat flow, and thermal conductance (G _th) of QCLs were obtained through the thermal simulation. A thick electroplated Au around the laser ridges helps to improve the heat dissipation from devices, being good enough to substitute the buried heterostructure (BH) by InP regrowth for epilayer-up bonded lasers. The effects of the device geometry (i.e., ridge width and cavity length) on the G _th of QCLs were investigated. With 5 μm thick electroplated Au, the G _th is increased with the decrease of ridge width, indicating an improvement from G _th=177 W/K⋅cm² at W=40 μm to G _th=301 W/K⋅cm² at W=9 μm for 2 mm long lasers. For the 9 μm×2 mm epilayer-down bonded laser with 5 μm thick electroplated Au, the use of InP contact layer leads to a further improvement of 13% in G _th, and it was totally raised by 45% corresponding to 436 W/K⋅cm² compared to the epilayer-up bonded laser with InGaAs contact layer. It is found that the epilayer-down bonded 9 μm wide BH laser with InP contact layer leads to the highest G _th=449 W/K⋅cm². The theoretical results were also compared with available obtained experimentally data.     

Electromagnetic wave absorption properties of Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> octahedral nanocrystallines in gigahertz range

Large-scale octahedral Fe₃O₄ nanocrystallines with crystalline size of 100−500 nm were synthesized by a facile solvent-thermal method for electromagnetic wave application. The Fe₃O₄ nanocrystallines showed a higher saturation magnetization (M _s ) value of 86.8 emu/g and larger coercivity (H _cj ) value of 255 Oe than that of magnetite polycrystallines because of their good crystallization and dispersion. The epoxy resin composites with 40 vol% Fe₃O₄ powders provided good electromagnetic wave absorption performance (RL < −20 dB) in the range of 2.0–4.3 GHz over the absorber thicknesses of 3.5–6.8 mm. A minimum RL value of −47 dB was observed at 3.1 GHz with a thickness of 4.8 mm.     

Fourier transform emission spectroscopy of some new bands of ReN

The emission spectrum of ReN has been reinvestigated in the visible region using a Fourier transform spectrometer. Two new bands have been identified with band origins near 22 110 and 22 224 cm⁻¹. These bands have a common lower state and have been assigned as the 0⁺–A1 and 0⁻–A1 transitions. After rotational analysis it was noted that the new 0⁺–A1 transition also has its upper state in common with the upper state of the [24.7]0⁺–X0⁺ transition reported previously [W.J. Balfour, J. Cao, C.X.W. Qian, S.J. Rixon, J. Mol. Spectrosc. 183 (1997) 113–118.]. This observation provides T₀₀ = 2616.26 cm⁻¹ for the A1 state. It is likely that the A1 and X0⁺ states are two spin components of the ³Σ⁻ ground state.