Low-frequency noise and inelastic tunneling spectroscopy in Fe(1 1 0)/MgO(1 1 1)/Fe(1 1 0) epitaxial magnetic tunnel junctions

We report on tunnelling magnetoresistance (TMR), current–voltage (IV) characteristics and low-frequency noise in epitaxially grown Fe(1 1 0)/MgO(1 1 1)/Fe(1 1 0) magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with dimensions from 2×2 to 20×20 μm². The evaluated MgO energy barrier (0.50±0.08 eV), the barrier width (13.1±0.5 Å) as well as the resistance times area product (7±1 MΩ μm²) show relatively small variation, confirming a high quality epitaxy and uniformity of all MTJs studied. At low temperatures (T<10 K) inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy (IETS) shows anomalies related to phonons (symmetric structures below 100 meV) and asymmetric features above 200 meV. We explain the asymmetric features in IETS as due to generation of electron standing waves in one of the Fe electrodes. The noise power, though exhibiting a large variation, was observed to be roughly anti-correlated with the TMR. Surprisingly, for the largest junctions we observed a strong enhancement of the normalized low-frequency noise in the antiparallel magnetic configuration. This behavior could be related to the influence of magnetostriction on the characteristics of the insulating barrier through changes in local barrier defects structure.     

An Economical Magnetocardiogram System Based on High-To SQUIDs

An economical magnetocardiogram （MCG） system is built in our laboratory. It mainly consists of a MCG data acquisition stage equipped with two high-To superconducting quantum interference device （SQUID） magnetometers, a data processing stage with digital filtering and a one-layer μ-metal magnetically shielded room in conjunction with a high-Tc SQUID based active compensation. Experimental results show that a noise level of pico-tesla in MCG profiles, which is necessary for clinical applications, may be achieved with the system. Moreover, stable and convenient operations of the system are demonstrated with simulating MCG measurements.     

Calculation of the surface energy of bcc transition metals by using the second nearest-neighbor modified embedded atom method

The surface energies for 24 surfaces of all bcc transition metals Fe, Cr, Mo, W, V, Nb and Ta have been calculated by using the second nearest-neighbor modified embedded atom method. The results show that, for all bcc transition metals, the order among three low-index surface energies E_(1 1 0) < E_(1 0 0) < E_(1 1 1) is in agreement with experimental results and E_(1 1 0) is also the lowest surface energy for various surfaces. So that from surface energy minimization, the (1 1 0) texture should be favorable in the bcc films. This is also consistent with experimental results. The surface energy for the other surfaces increases linearly with increasing angle between the surfaces (h k l) and (1 1 0). Therefore, a deviation of a surface orientation from (1 1 0) can be used to estimate the relative values of the surface energy.     

Determination of optical properties in nanostructured thin films using the Swanepoel method

We present the methodological framework of the Swanepoel method for the spectrophotometric determination of optical properties in thin films using transmittance data. As an illustrative case study, we determined the refractive index, thickness, absorption index, and extinction coefficient of a nanostructured 3 mol% Y₂O₃-doped ZrO₂ (yttria stabilized zirconia, 3YSZ) thin film prepared by the sol-gel method and deposited by dipping onto a soda-lime glass substrate. In addition, using the absorption index obtained with the Swanepoel method, we calculated the optical band gap of the film. The refractive index was found to increase, then decrease, and finally stabilize with increasing wavelength of the radiation, while the absorption index and extinction coefficient decreased monotonically to zero. These trends are explained in terms of the location of the absorption bands. We also deduced that this 3YSZ thin film has a direct optical band gap of 4.6 eV. All these results compared well with those given in the literature for similar thin films. This suggests that the Swanepoel method has an important role to play in the optical characterization of ceramic thin films.     

Topological Properties of Urban Public Traffic Networks in Chinese Top-Ten Biggest Cities

We investigate the topological characteristics of complex networks as exemplified by the urban public traffic network （UPTN） in Chinese top-ten biggest cities. It is found that the UPTNs have small world behaviour, by the examination of their topological parameters. The quantitative analysis of the transport efficiency of the UPTNs reveals their higher local efficiency El and lower global efficiency Eg, which coincide well with the status quo of those Chinese cities still at their developing stage. Furthermore, the topological properties of efficiency in the UPTNs are also examined, and the findings indicate that, on the one hand, the UPTNs show robustness to random attacks and frangibility to malicious attacks on a global scale; on the other hand, the interrelation between UPTN efficiency and network motifs deserves our attention. The motifs which interrelate the UPTN efficiency are always triangular-formed patterns, e.g. motifs ID 238, ID 174 and ID 102, etc.     

Compact Single-Stage Femtosecond Multipass Ti：Sapphire Amplifier at 1 kHz with High Beam Quality

A compact femtosecond Ti：sapphire amplifier system is reported using single-stage multipass configuration with high beam quality. A high dispersion glass stretcher and a pair of double prisms for compression are introduced based on broadband femtosecond seed pulses. The non-grating-based pulse stretcher and compressor are advantageous to increase high beam quality and to reduce the high-order dispersion. A Gaussian filter is used to reduce the gain narrowing effect in amplification. The compact femtosecond Ti：sapphire nine-pass amplifier delivers pulses with a duration of 26 fs and an energy of 800μJ at 7mJ pumping pulses energy at I kHz. The 1-kHz femtosecond amplifier with high beam quality and high stability is very suitable for ultrafast physics research applications, such as attosecond science, ultra-precision micromachining, and THz wave generation.     

In Situ Observation of Skeletal Shape Transition during BaB2O4 Crystal Growth in High-Temperature Solution

The transition from a fiat solid-liquid interface to a skeletal shape during BaB2O4 （BBO） single crystal growth in Li2B4O7 flux is observed in real time by an optical high-temperature in-situ observation system. The movement of crystal step is also investigated. The observation results demonstrate that the steps propagate along and parallel to the fiat interface when the crystal size is small. Nevertheless, they will ‘bend＇ close to the face centre if the crystal size becomes greater. Atomic force microscopy reveals that more deposition places near the face centre give rise to the bending of advancing steps and thus the formation of a vicinal interface structure. Measurements of step velocity show that the velocity keeps nearly constant at different moments for one specific step, whereas the step on a newly formed layer advanced faster than that on a previously formed one when the crystal size is larger than 210μm or so. Thus interracial morphological instability occurs and a skeletal interface is obtained.     

Electroluminescence of a Multi-Layered Organic Light-Emitting Diode Utilizing Trans-4-[p-[N-methyl-N-(hydroxymethyl)amino]styryl]-N-Methylphridinium Tetraphenylborate as the Active Layer

Employing an organic dye salt of trans-4-[p-[N-methyl-N-(hydroxymethyl)amino]styryl]-N-methylphridinium tetra\-phenylborate (ASPT) as the active layer, 8-hydrocyquinoline aluminium (Alq₃) as the electron transporting layer and N,N’-diphenyl-N,N’-bis(3-methylphenyl)-[1,1’-biphenyl]-4,4’-diamine (TPD) as the hole transporting layer, respectively, we fabricate a multi-layered organic light-emitting diode and observe the colour tunable electroluminescence (EL). The dependence of the EL spectra on the applied voltage is investigated in detail, and the recombination mechanism is discussed by considering the variation of the hole-electron recombination region.     

Effect of γ-ray irradiation on the magnetic properties of NdFeB and Fe–Cr–Co permanent magnets

The effect of γ-ray irradiation on the magnetic properties of NdFeB and Fe–Cr–Co permanent magnets has been investigated. The magnetic flux loss of two kinds of magnets before and after irradiation was measured. Results show that the effect of γ-ray irradiation on the magnetic properties of sintered NdFeB is not so obvious as that on Fe–Cr–Co magnet. Irradiation-induced damage from γ-ray for the Fe–Cr–Co magnets was characterized for the first time. The decline of permanent magnetic properties of Fe–Cr–Co magnet induced by γ-ray irradiation is reversible except for the maximum energy product (BH)_max. The difference of coercivity mechanism between these two kinds of permanent magnets is responsible for the different dependence of magnetic properties loss induced by γ-ray irradiation.     

Nuclear Effects in Structure Functions xFa（x, Q^2） from Charge Current Neutrino Deep Inelastic Scattering

By taking advantage of the model-independent nuclear parton distributions, the structure functions xF3（x, Q^2） are calculated, in comparison with the experimental data from CCFR neutrino-nuclei charge current deep inelastic scattering. It is shown that shadowing and anti-shadowing effects occur in valence quark distributions for small and medium x regions, respectively. It is suggested that the neutrino experimental data should be employed in the future for pinning down the nuclear patton distributions.