Nuclear Structure and Electromagnetic Transitions Investigation in Er Isotopes within Framework of Interacting Boson Model

Interacting Boson Model-2(IBM-2)is used to determine the Hamiltonian for Er nuclei.Fit values of parameters are used to construct the Hamiltonian,energy levels and electromagnetic transitions(B(E2),B(M1))multipole mixing ratios(δ(E2/M1))for some even-even Er nuclei and monopole transition probability are estimated.New ideas are used for counting bosons number at N=64 and results are compared with previous works.     

Indications of bulk property changes from surface ion implantation

In the majority of cases, the effects of ion implantation are confined close to the implant zone but, potentially, the resultant distortions and chemical modifications could catalyse relaxations extending into the bulk substrate. Such possibilities are rarely considered but the present data suggest that high dose ion implantation of ZnO has induced bulk changes. Surface implants with Cu and Tb strongly modified the low temperature bulk thermoluminescence properties generated by X-ray irradiation. Suggestions are proposed for the possible mechanisms for bulk relaxations and structural characteristics, which may indicate where such instability may occur in other lattice structures.     

Phase transitions and metastable states in TlGaSe2

The results of measurements of the dielectric constant of TlGaSe₂ in temperature range of successive phase transitions are presented. An anomaly in the temperature dependence of the real part of dielectric constant in TlGaSe₂ has been observed at about 242?K in addition to anomalies at 115, 108, and also near 65?K as reported in previous publications. The presence of temperature hysteresis effects in temperature interval between 115 and 242?K allowed making a conclusion about possible existence of an incommensurate phase in the mentioned temperature range. A model of succession of the structural phase transitions in TlGaSe₂ has been suggested.     

Nonlinear dynamics for proper ferroelastic transitions for which the landau condition is violated

On the basis of a lattice model the domain structure for ferroelastic transformations is examined. The model accounts for both strongly nonlinear and competing interactions which allow for, in some situations, the propagation of nonlinear excitations. The model can be mostly applied to proper ferroelastic transformations of which In-Tl, Ti-Ni, etc.… are good prototypes. The phonon dispersion of the transverse acoustic waves obtained in the linearized case is discussed and the results show first a phonon softening at nonzero wave-number and next an upwards convexity of the phonon branch near the long-wavelength limit. This can be seen as pre-transitional effects. In a fully nonlinear case we consider vanishing dilatation transformations and the continuum approximation is applied to the one-dimensional version. Then, we investigate nonlinear excitations; three main classes of solution are found: i) quasi-harmonic solutions corresponding to periodically modulated structures in space which is a precursor effect of the elastic transformation, ii) an array of solitons made of periodic arrangements of parent-elastic domains and iii) a moving strain soliton. All the significant results are numerically illustrated by means of the microscopic model. Finally, the similarity to martensitic transformations and some extensions of the model are outlined.     

Global hysteresis in ferroelectrics with incommensurate phases

A review of the basic experimental results connected with the formation of long-living metastable states in the incommensurate phases of ferroelectric crystals and related phenomena is given. The interpretation and appropriate physical mechanisms underlying the global hysteresis phenomena associated with these states are considered.     

Magnetic,Mössbauer and optical spectroscopic properties of the AFe3O(PO4)3 (A = Ca,Sr, Pb) series of powder compounds

AFe₃O(PO₄)₃ (A = Ca, Sr and Pb) powder compounds were studied by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron-probe microanalysis (EPMA) coupled with wavelength dispersion spectroscopy (WDS), Raman and diffuse reflectance spectroscopies, specific heat and magnetic properties measurements. Magnetization, magnetic susceptibility and specific heat measurements carried out on AFe₃O(PO₄)₃ (A = Sr, Ca and Pb) powders firmly establish a series of three ferromagnetic (FM)-like second order phase transitions spanned over the 32–8 K temperature range. Room temperature Mössbauer spectroscopy and associated DFT calculations confirm the existence of three crystallographically non equivalent Fe³⁺ sites in the three compounds. Mössbauer spectra recorded as a function of temperature in the PbFe₃O(PO₄)₃ compound also establishes the occurrence of two purely magnetic and reversible phase transitions at 32 and 10 K. Diffuse reflectance measurements reveal two broad absorption bands at 1047 and 837 nm, in both PbFe₃O(PO₄)₃ and SrFe₃O(PO₄)₃ powders, with peak cross sections ∼10⁻²⁰ cm² typical of spin-forbidden and forced electric dipole intraconfigurational transitions.     

The thermoelectric working fluid: Thermodynamics and transport

Thermoelectric devices are heat engines, which operate as generators or refrigerators using the conduction electrons as a working fluid. The thermoelectric heat-to-work conversion efficiency has always been typically quite low, but much effort continues to be devoted to the design of new materials boasting improved transport properties that would make them of the electron crystal–phonon glass type of systems. On the other hand, there are comparatively few studies where a proper thermodynamic treatment of the electronic working fluid is proposed. The present article aims at contributing to bridge this gap by addressing both the thermodynamic and transport properties of the thermoelectric working fluid covering a variety of models, including interacting systems.     

Two-Step Structure Phase Transition,Dielectric Anomalies,and Thermochromic Luminescence Behavior in a Direct Band Gap 2D Corrugated Layer Lead Chloride Hybrid of [(CH3)4N]4Pb3Cl10

A direct band gap 2D corrugated layer lead chloride hybrid, [(CH₃)₄N]₄Pb₃Cl₁₀ ( 1 ), shows analogous topology to the {Mg₃F₁₀⁴⁻}_∞ layer in Cs₄Mg₃F₁₀, and with the (CH₃)₄N⁺ cations locating in the inorganic layer voids and between the interlayers. Two reversible structural phase transitions occur in 1 at 225/210 K and 328/325 K upon heating/cooling, respectively. On going from the low- to intermediate-temperature phase, the space group changes from P2₁/c to Cmca, and the crystallographic axis perpendicular to the layers is doubled with the order–disorder transformation of (CH₃)₄N ⁺ cations between the interlayers. The intermediate- and high-temperature phases are isomorphic with similar cell parameters and packing structure; their main difference concerns the disorder degree of the (CH₃)₄N ⁺ cations between the interlayers. The two-step structural phase transitions lead to dielectric anomalies around the corresponding T_c. Interestingly, 1 shows multiband emission, originating from the recombination of exciton and emission of defects. Moreover, 1 exhibits divergent thermochromic luminescent features around the T_c on the intermediate to low temperature transition.