New insights on amorphous silicon-nitride microcavities

All amorphous silicon-nitride planar optical microcavities operating in the visible range have been grown by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The luminescence intensity of the N-rich silicon-nitride layer from a microcavity with 6 period distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs) is two order of magnitude higher than that of the luminescent layer without the cavity. Moreover, a strong directionality of the microcavities emission can be observed. Such results can be ascribed to the anisotropic optical density of states induced in the Fabry–Perot structure. The quality factors of the resonators are strictly correlated to the number of periods of the DBRs.     

Magnetic properties of mechanically alloyed Co–Ti powder

An amorphous phase containing traces of non-transformed Co and Ti powders was obtained by mechanical alloying nominal compositions of Co₆₇Ti₃₃ and Co₅₀Ti₅₀ in a high-energy ball-mill. These alloys were prepared from elemental powders of Co and Ti. The heat treatment of Co₆₇Ti₃₃ at 573, 873 and 1173 K crystallized nanoparticles of Co₂Ti and Co₃Ti compounds, while the same treatments conducted on Co₅₀Ti₅₀ resulted in the formation of Co₂Ti and CoTi nanoparticles. The saturation magnetizations reached a maximum value in the amorphous state and they decreased when the temperatures of the heat treatment rose. Demagnetizing interparticle interaction effects were estimated through hysteresis loops and initial magnetization curves using the Fourier technique.     

La5Al3Ni2 – an Intermetallic Phase Observed upon Crystallization of La50Al25Ni25 Metallic Glass

The yet unknown intermetallic phase La₅Al₃Ni₂ was obtained by partially crystallizing amorphous La₅₀Al₂₅Ni₂₅ at 550 K (further heating above 600 K leads to irreversible disappearance of this phase), and its crystal structure was determined from X‐ray powder diffraction data. The crystal structure of the La₅Al₃Ni₂ phase constitutes a new structure type (Cmcm, a = 14.231Å, b = 6.914Å, c = 10.460Å, oC40) and is built from [Al₃Ni₂] chains surrounded by La atoms. In the ternary system La‐Al‐Ni La₅Al₃Ni₂ is located on the section La₅₀Al_50−nNi_n (0 ≤ n ≤ 50) with the binary compounds LaAl and LaNi as end members. Strikingly, also the crystal structures of the end members can be conceived as chain structures with Al and Ni chains surrounded by La, respectively.     

Mössbauer and X-ray diffraction characterization of Fe60Al40 coatings prepared by thermal spraying

Microstructured (atomized) and nanostructured (milled) Fe₆₀Al₄₀ powders together with their corresponding coatings synthesized by High Velocity Oxy-fuel (HVOF) or Atmospheric Plasma Spray (APS) thermal spraying techniques have been characterized by Mössbauer Spectroscopy (MS) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD). The evolution of the microstructure and the atomic ordering degree in the powders and coatings are discussed at the light of the various processing conditions. The operational correlation between the parameters of the duplex morphology of coatings and the processing parameters is discussed.     

Estimating Sampling Errors in REA Survey: A Model Approach for the Synthetic Presentation of Results for Main Variables Involved in Economic Analysis

A new sample business survey for agriculture, the REA survey, and a project of integration with the FADN network (RICA in Italy) have significantly changed the production of statistical information nowadays available with reference to the agricultural sector. On the basis of this relevant information, new economic analyses are being developed on farms’ performance, agricultural households’ income and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). In this paper the authors estimate the relationship between the levels of variables of interest and their sampling errors using models in order to improve the accessibility of the information on estimates accuracy to the final users (agricultural analysts, policy makers). The paper is the result of a joint research of the three authors. Sections 1–3 and 6 by Pizzoli, Sects. 4 and 5 by Rondinelli, Sect. 7 by Filiberti, conclusions joint to the three authors.     

Energy of formation for and liquid binary alloys

We have investigated the free energy of formation for Ag_xIn_1-x and Ag_xSn_1-x liquid binary alloys at temperatures 1173 and 1250 K, respectively. A microscopic theory based on the first order perturbation has been applied. The interionic interaction and a reference liquid are the fundamental components of the theory. The interionic interaction is described by a local pseudopotential. A liquid of hard spheres (HS) of two different effective diametres and charges is used to describe the reference system. The results of the calculations for energy of formation agree very well with the available experimental data. Our calculations also reveal that a simple perturbative approach along with appropriate effective pair potentials can produce nearly quantitative results for the concerned alloys.     

Comparison of the Kerr effect and X-ray pole figure methods for determining crystallographic texture in PrFeB magnets

In this study, magnetic domains in Pr₁₆Fe₇₆B₈ sintered magnets have been observed by Kerr effect and a histogram of the angular distribution of domain orientations has been used to determine the magnetic texture (cos Φ). The degree of easy-axis alignment of Pr₂Fe₁₄B matrix grains in these magnets has been also determined by X-ray pole figure analysis using the (0 0 4) reflection. The (0 0 4) pole figure measurements were carried out by the Schultz's reflection method. The (0 0 4) normalized intensity data has been fitted for a Gaussian distribution and the degree of crystal alignment, cos Θ, has been calculated using the Stoner–Wohlfarth model. Comparison of these methods has been carried out. It has been shown that in magnets with medium and high degrees of crystallographic alignment, the pole figure values are higher than that obtained by the Kerr effect method. Conversely, in magnets with low degrees of alignment, cos Θ is lower than cos Φ.     

Characterization of ceramic PVD thin films on AZ31 magnesium alloys

Ceramic thin films have been widely used to protect the metal substrate as coatings in the past years. In order to improve the poor corrosion resistance of AZ31 magnesium alloy, the study in this paper used the electron beam evaporation method to prepare ceramic PVD films on its surface with TiO₂ and Al₂O₃ as donors, respectively. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to investigate the surface morphology, composition and microstructure of the thin films. Both films deposited on AZ31 took on compact top surface morphologies and grew as amorphous structures on substrate. AES test not only showed that films compositions deviated the standard stoichiometric ratios, but also found that element Mg diffused into films and existed as magnesium oxide in the TiO_x film as well as the AlO_x film. In the electrochemical corrosion test, the AlO_x coating on AZ31 exhibited the largest electrochemical impedance in a 3.5% NaCl solution. But it did not show better corrosion resistance than others for the poorer adhesion. Even if its thickness was small, the TiO_x coating on AZ31 exhibited the best corrosion resistance in this study. According to the observation and analysis, the damage of these films on AZ31 in aggressive solutions was mainly due to the existence of pores, microcracks, vacancies and poor adhesion between coating and substrate.     

On the hydrogen etching mechanism in plasma nitriding of metals

Iron alloys and aluminum were nitrogen implanted in a controlled oxygen atmosphere and the role of hydrogen on the surface etching mechanisms studied. The surface composition was analyzed by in situ photoemission electron spectroscopy (XPS). In iron alloys, hydrogen strongly etches oxygen, improving nitrogen retention on the surface. On the other hand, hydrogen removes nitrogen from aluminum surfaces, with a deleterious effect on the nitriding effectiveness. The oxygen removal in iron alloys is associated with the catalytic effect of electrons in d-orbitals and the nitrogen removal in aluminum is associated with a steric effect.     

Surface reconstructions of InGaAs alloys

The surface reconstructions of In_xGa_1−xAs alloys grown by molecular beam epitaxy on the (0 0 1) surfaces of GaAs and InAs have been studied by reflection high-energy electron diffraction and scanning tunnelling microscopy. A surface phase diagram is presented for the nominally strain-free alloy as a function of substrate temperature and alloy composition, and structural models for the commonly observed 3× reconstructions are discussed. Two new, electronically stable structural models are described that account for the transition of the In_xGa_1−xAs surface alloy from a c(4 × 4) to an asymmetric 3× reconstruction and that are fully consistent with all current experimental evidence.