Self-injection length in La0.7Ca0.3MnO3-YBa2Cu3O7-δ ferromagnet-superconductor multilayer thin films

We have carried out extensive studies on the self-injection problem in barrierless heterojunctions between La_0.7Ca_0.3MnO₃ (LCMO) and YBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ (YBCO) thin films. The heterojunctions were formed in situ by sequentially growing LCMO and YBCO films on 〈100〉 LaAlO₃ (LAO) substrate using a pulsed laser deposition (PLD) system. YBCO micro-bridges with 64 μm width were patterned both on the LAO (control) and LCMO side of the substrate. Critical current, I _c, was measured at 77 K on both the control side as well as the LCMO side for different YBCO film thickness. It was observed that while the control side showed a J _c of ∼ 2 × 10⁶ A/cm², the LCMO side showed about half the value for the same thickness (1800 ?). The difference in J _c indicates that a certain thickness of YBCO has become ‘effectively’ normal due to self-injection. From the measurement of J _c at two different thicknesses (1800 ? and 1500 ?) of YBCO films both on the LAO as well as the LCMO side, the value of self-injection length (at 77 K) was estimated to be ∼ 900 ?. To the authors’ best knowledge, this is the first time that self-injection length has been quantified. A control experiment carried out with LaNiO₃ deposited by PLD on YBCO did not show any evidence of self-injection.     

Residual stresses in continuous-tungsten-fibre-reinforced Kanthal-matrix composites

Residual stresses were measured in four Kanthal matrix-continuous-tungsten-fibre composites (with different tungsten fibre volume fractions V f = 10, 20, 30 and 70 vol.%) using neutron diffraction. Parallel to the fibres the stress in the Kanthal ranged from 40 MPa ( V f = 10 vol.%) to 1100 MPa ( V f = 70 vol.%) compared with m1877 MPa ( V f = 10 vol.%) to m400 MPa ( V f = 70 vol.%) for the tungsten. Perpendicular to the fibres the stress ranged from m52 MPa ( V f = 10 vol.%) to 620 MPa ( V f = 70 vol.%) in the Kanthal compared with m778 MPa ( V f = 10vol.%) to m195 MPa ( V f = 70 vol.%) in the tungsten. Assuming that the measured residual stresses were solely thermal in origin, predictions were made using concentric cylinder and finite-element models. In the absence of hardening data the assumed material behaviour was elastic-perfectly plastic and the predictions underestimated the measured stresses for all volume fractions. Nevertheless the model results were consistent with the experimental measurements. The transverse stress in the fibres is discussed in the context of the interface normal stress, which is significant to the global mechanical response.     

Finite difference method calculations of X-ray absorption fine structure for copper

The finite difference method is extended to calculate X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) for solid state copper. These extensions include the incorporation of a Monte Carlo frozen phonon technique to simulate the effect of thermal vibrations under a correlated Debye–Waller model, and the inclusion of broadening effects from inelastic processes. Spectra are obtained over an energy range in excess of 300 eV above the K absorption edge—more than twice the greatest energy range previously reported for a solid state calculation using this method. We find this method is highly sensitive to values of the photoelectron inelastic mean free path, allowing us to probe the accuracy of current models of this parameter, particularly at low energies. We therefore find that experimental data for the photoelectron inelastic mean free path can be obtained by this method. Our results compare favourably with high precision measurements of the X-ray mass attenuation coefficient for copper, reaching agreement to within 3%, and improving previous results using the finite difference method by an order of magnitude.     

Magnetoelectric effect in cobalt ferrite-barium titanate composites and their electrical properties

CoFe₂O₄-BaTiO₃ composites were prepared using conventional ceramic double sintering process with various compositions. Presence of two phases in the composites was confirmed using X-ray diffraction. The dc resistivity and thermoemf as a function of temperature in the temperature range 300 K to 600 K were measured. Variation of dielectric constant (ɛ′) with frequency in the range 100 Hz to 1 MHz and also with temperature at a fixed frequency of 1 kHz was studied. The ac conductivity was derived from dielectric constant (ɛ′) and loss tangent (tan δ). The nature of conduction is discussed on the basis of small polaron hopping model. The static value of magnetoelectric conversion factor has been studied as a function of magnetic field.     

High X-ray conversion efficiency with target irradiation by a frequency tripled Nd : Glass laser

High conversion efficiency of laser energy into X-rays from a laser irradiated target is of great interest for a variety of dynamical (pulsed) studies, e.g.: radiography of laser-imploded targets, structure determination by diffraction and absorption fine-structure, and X-ray laser pumping. We report here on a frequency tripled Nd : glass laser used to irradiate targets of various materials at ～5 x 10¹⁴W/cm². We find conversion efficiencies of between 1% and 0.1% (with respect to the incident laser energy) for individual X-ray lines between 1.8 and 7.8 keV. These efficiencies are more than an order of magnitude higher than whose achieved with 1.06 μm lasers.     

Energy dependence of multiplicity in proton-nucleus collisions and models of multiparticle production

This is a continuation of our earlier investigation (Gurtuet al 1974Phys. Lett. 50 B 391) on multiparticle production in proton-nucleus collisions based on an exposure of emulsion stack to 200 GeV/c beam at the NAL. It is found that the ratioR _em = 〈n _s〉/〈n _ch〉, where 〈n _ch〉 is the charged particle multiplicity in pp-collisions, increases slowly from about 1 at 10 GeV/c to 1·6 at 68 GeV/c and attains a constant value of 1·71 ± 0·04 in the region 200 to 8000 GeV/c. Furthermore,R _em = 1·71 implies an effectiveA-dependence ofR _A =A ^0.18,i.e., a very weak dependence. Predictions ofR _em on various models are discussed and compared with the emulsion data. Data seem to favour models of hadron-nucleon collisions in which production of particles takes place through adouble step mechanism,e.g., diffractive excitation, hydrodynamical and energy flux cascade as opposed to models which envisage instantaneous production.