PHOTOELECTRIC EFFECTS IN DYE-SENSITIZED ARTIFICIAL LIPID MEMBRANES

Using dyes of known redox potentials the specific mechanisms of dark and light potential generation is analyzed in pigmented lipid membranes. The role of the ionic and electronic conductance, as well as the redox potential gradient is specifically related to the observed open circuit voltage developed across the membrane. The results can be most easily explained by the redox electrode model.     

3D composition of epitaxial nanocrystals by anomalous X-ray diffraction: observation of a Si-rich core in Ge domes on Si(100)

Three-dimensional composition maps of nominally pure Ge domes grown on Si(001) at 600 degrees C were obtained from grazing incidence anomalous x-ray scattering data at the Ge K edge. The data were analyzed in terms of a stack of layers with laterally varying concentration. The results demonstrated that the domes contained a Si-rich core covered by a Ge-rich shell and were independently supported by selective etch experiments. The composition profile resulted from substrate Si alloying into the Ge during growth to partially relax the stress in and under the domes.     

Quantized field-electron emission at 300 K in self-assembled arrays of silicon nanowires

Dense ensembles of silicon nanowires were prepared by metal-catalyzed chemical vapor deposition on silicon substrates. Some of these ensembles were doped with phosphorous during growth. The nanowires were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and mass spectroscopy. Field emission of electrons from these structures was studied at room temperatures in ultra-high vacuum. The measurements were carried out using a parallel-plate diode cell. At high-applied fields, the current–voltage characteristics deviate from the Fowler–Nordheim law and exhibit a step-wise increase in the current with the increasing voltage at 300 K. Possible mechanisms of the observed quantized field emission are discussed.     

Formation and characterization of long-chained alkylsiloxane self-assembled monolayers on atomic-layer-deposited aluminum oxide surfaces

We report the formation of highly robust long-chained alkylsiloxane self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on aluminum oxide films prepared by atomic-layer deposition (ALD). The surface chemistry and the morphological characteristics of the SAMs were examined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, atomic-force microscopy, and contact-angle goniometry. The octadecylsiloxane-derived SAMs initially hydrolyze and deposit on the alumina surface as ∼1.8 nm thick, monolayer-high islands ≤50 nm in diameter. The size of these islands increases with time, likely through a surface-diffusion aggregation process. Coalescence of neighboring islands leads to a densely packed and robust monolayer on the alumina surface. The SAMs on ALD alumina are expected to be useful in a number of nanostructure applications where the combination of conformal alumina deposition and conformal coverage of the alumina by an organic layer is critical. PACS 81.16.Dn; 81.65.Kn; 82.45.Mp; 81.65.-b     

Elastic energy mapping of epitaxial nanocrystals

Self-assembled nanocrystals grown by epitaxy represent a viable way to mass produce quantum structures exhibiting novel electronic properties. In order to infer the electronic properties of such systems, knowledge of both composition and strain is necessary. Here, detailed maps of these quantities were obtained by anomalous X-ray diffraction for samples grown at 600 °C and 700 °C by chemical vapor deposition and molecular beam epitaxy, respectively – two different temperatures and growth techniques. From these maps, the elastic energies stored in the islands were evaluated. It was found that the elastic energy is concentrated at the island borders, regardless of the growth temperature or method. In contrast, the regions with the lowest elastic energy were the island core and top. These results provide insight into the mechanisms that govern the growth and evolution of strained nanocrystals. PACS 71.35.Ji; 78.67.Hc; 73.22.Dj     

HYDROGEN GENERATION FROM ARTIFICIAL SEA HATER IN A SEMICONDUCTOR SEPTUM ELECTROCHEMICAL PHOTOVOLTAIC CELL

Visible light of the solar spectrum is directly converted to stored chemical energy of hydrogen from artificial sea water in a novel electrochemical photovoltaic cell. The principal element of the cell, modeled after the photosynthetic thylakoid membrane, is a semiconductor septum made of polycrystalline n-CdSe thin film deposited on nickel foil, which separates two aqueous solutions. Under short-circuit conditions, vigorous hydrogen evolution was seen at the Ni surface and continued as long as the cell was operated. The novel cell, the concept of which was derived from pigmented bilayer lipid membrane studies, is easy to construct, simple to operate, and appears to be a practical approach to the photochemical conversion and storage of solar energy.     

Runaway Electron Beam Instability in Slide-Away Discharges in the HT-7 Tokamak

Slide-away discharges are achieved by decreasing the plasma density or ramping down the plasma current in runaway discharges in the HT-7 tokamak. In the case of plasma current ramp down, the ratio of the electron plasma frequency to the electron cyclotron frequency is higher than in the stationary pulses when the discharge goes into a slide-away regime. The instability regime is characterized by relaxations in the electron cyclotron emission due to relativistic anomalous Doppler effect which transfers energy from parallel to perpendicular motion. The triggering of relativistic anomalous Doppler effect at higher density by ramping down of plasma current may provide a alternative runaway energy control scenario.     

On subcritical development of a shear crack in a composite with viscoelastic components

We present results of an investigation of the development of a transverse shear crack in a composite material with linearly viscoelastic components under external shear load. The solution is divided into the following two main stages: determination of the time dependence of the crack tip opening displacement and determination of the crack-growth kinetics as a result of the solution of integral equations. In the first stage, we use the solution of the corresponding elastic problem of determination of the crack opening displacement and the problem of determination of the effective moduli of the composite reinforced with unidirectional discrete fibers. Using the theoretically proved principle of elasto-viscoelastic analogy and the method of Laplace inverse transformation, we obtain a solution in a time domain. In the second stage, using the criterion of critical crack opening displacement for a transverse shear crack and an equation for the viscoelastic crack opening displacement of this crack, we construct an equation of crack growth. We present results of the numerical solution, which illustrate the influence of relations between the relaxation parameters of the materials of the components on the durability of the body with a crack.     

Slater绝缘体的磁性和能带计算研究

Slater相变是一种由于反铁磁序形成而导致的金属—绝缘体相变.本文采用第一性原理密度泛函计算方法研究了两种Slater绝缘体材料NaOsO_3和Cd_2Os_2O_7的电子结构,进而研究了反铁磁序排列、自旋轨道耦合和电子关联对其电子结构以及相变性质的影响.研究结果表明,非磁相的NaOsO_3具有金属性;而G型线性反铁磁结构是驱动NaOsO_3发生Slater相变的磁基态.此外,研究结果表明,非磁相的焦绿石Cd_2Os_2O_7的能带结构在费米能级处是连续的,表现为金属性;并且带有磁阻挫的Cd_2Os_2O_7发生Slater相变的条件十分苛刻,只有在自旋轨道耦合和1.8 eV电子关联的共同作用下一种全进—全出非线性反铁磁结构才能使其发生Slater相变.说明全进—全出非线性反铁磁结构是使Cd_2Os_2O_7发生Slater相变的磁基态,而自旋轨道耦合和1.8 eV的电子关联在消除磁阻挫上起到了关键作用.