Variational treatment for the dynamical pseudo Jahn-Teller system

We present a variational treatment for the E × e pseudo Jahn-Teller system. Through canonical transformation the electron and phonon states are decoupled. An analytical form is obtained for the ground state energy by scaling transformation. Including both the dynamical displacement of phonon modes and the softening of phonon frequency, this approach yields fairly accurate results for the ground state energy. The energy splitting and Ham's reduction factor are calculated, which also generates fairly good results compared with other perturbation results. We argue that our variational wave function is valid for the weak and intermediate coupling range.     

Superior refractive index tailoring properties in composite ZrO2/SiO2 thin film systems achieved through reactive electron beam codeposition process

Composite optical thin-film materials have received a significant amount of interest in order to relieve the material constraints on refractive indices as well as reducing the number of layers required in optical coating design. Amongst others binary zirconia-silica composite thin films have attracted considerable attentions due to their several favorable opto-mechanical properties. In the present studies such a composite system under certain compositional mixings displayed both refractive index and band gap supremacy over pure zirconia films violating the most popular Moss rule. This unexpected evolution has several practical applications one of which can be directly employed in extending the range of tunability of the refractive index. Besides, the probing of such a novel evolution through the analysis of ellipsometric refractive index modeling and morphological correlation functions has revealed several novel as well as superior microstructural properties in the composite thin film systems. All these characterization and analysis techniques distinctly indicate a strong interrelation between the microstructural ordering and superior optical properties of the present zirconia-silica codeposited composites.     

Dynamical exchange corrections to the dielectric function in a two-dimensional electron gas

The effect of dynamical exchange interactions on the dielectric function of a two-dimensional electron gas is studied using a variational approach. Exchange effects are introduced via the local-field correction. The variationally obtained local-field factor is compared to the earlier perturbative result to first order in the electron-electron interaction.     

A symmetry-adapted force-constant lattice-dynamical model for single-walled carbon nanotubes

We develop a lattice-dynamical model based on the screw symmetry of single-walled carbon nanotubes that allows for reducing the size of the dynamical matrix to six, for all tube chiralities. The model uses force constants derived from fitting to the phonon dispersion of 2D graphite. We present the calculation procedure in a clear and transparent way, making the model easier to follow. We calculate the phonon dispersions of a number of nanotubes of different chiralities. The splitting of two highest Raman active modes and the radial breathing mode frequency are studied by changing the tube diameter and chirality.     

In‐situ synthesis of transparent and conductive carbon nanotube networks

A method for the production of transparent carbon nanotube networks (CNTNs) over transparent substrates was developed. In this method, CNTNs were grown directly in the target surface by applying the catalyst in specific zones of the substrate through lithographic techniques. The networks can be also transferred from the original substrate to other surfaces. The newly grown carbon nanotubes have a very high aspect ratio (>50000). Thus far, networks with an optical transmittance of 94% at 550 nm and a surface resistivity of 3.6 kΩ/sq have been produced. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Magneto resistance due to domain wall scattering and magneto size effect of thin Ni and Co films at low temperatures

Nickel and cobalt films illustrate alternative Bloch lines with cap switches. The strip magnetic domains become zigzag and bubbling cells for Ni and Co films, respectively, under an external field of 1.5 T. The magnetoresistances (MR) for currents parallel (CIW) to the domain walls is 15% less than those of the perpendicular (CPW) case. We also studied the magneto size effect by applying the magnetic field normal to the surface, from which the Sondheimer oscillation appears attributing to periodic striking of the surface for electrons traveling in circular motion on a plane canting to the surface. The experiments can be expressed by the magneto size effect inherited with very small specularity parameters.     

Domain morphology in ultrathin ferromagnetic films with perpendicular magnetization

We determine the minimal domain structure for the equilibrium thickness of stripes as well as for the minimal energy of the domain configuration in ultrathin films of ferromagnetically coupled spins, where the easy direction of magnetization is perpendicular to the film. It is found that the equilibrium thickness of stripes and walls depend on the exchange energy. The normalized anisotropy, f, depends on interplay between the magnetic and anisotropy energies and is almost independent of the exchange energy inside the wall. The results are compared with the experimental data for thin Ag/Fe/Ag (0 0 1) films and a good coincidence is obtained between both results.     

DRIFTS study of surface reactivity to NO2 by zinc nanoparticle aggregates and zinc hollow nanofibers

Zinc nanostructures synthesized with different morphologies from the same evaporation/condensation technique are studied with concern to surface reactivity to NO₂ by Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transformed Spectroscopy (DRIFTS). Synthesis of nanopowders is obtained, according to previous work, by gas flow thermal evaporation at 540 °C of bulk Zn grains. Two types of Zn powders are obtained and studied in experiments. The first one is collected on the cold walls of the reactor as a deposit produced by thermophoretic effect. It is constituted by grains (∼10 μm) originated by the stratification of smaller aggregates (∼200 nm) and isolated primary particles (∼50 nm) born in the gas flow. The second type of powder is grown from the condensation of Zn chemical vapors within the expansion orifice of the quartz reactor after relatively long time (∼1 h) deposition process. It is constituted mainly by hollow Zn nanofibers with external and internal diameter about 100 and 60 nm. Preliminary characterization of the two types of powders is made by SEM, TEM, XRD. Thereafter, the two types of samples are studied by DRIFTS at variable temperature (VT). Comparison is made between the home-synthesized nanopowders with respect to commercial Zn standard dust. The Zn hollow nanofibers when exposed to NO₂ are found to exhibit dramatic reactivity, which is not observed at all either in the case of clustered aggregate zinc or of commercial Zn dust powders. Results indicate that, at increasing temperature from RT to 300 °C, the hollow nanofibers surface reacts distinctively with adsorbant gas NO₂, with contemporary formation of a progressively growing narrow absorption band at 2500 cm⁻¹ and contemporary depression of a doublet (∼1600-1628 cm⁻¹) band. In order to justify this striking spectral feature, we propose the occurring of a possible polymerization process at nanofibers surface where most probably as a consequence of pre-treatment and exposure to gas NO₂ a very thin film of ZnO is formed. The possible role of huge specific surface of hollow nanofibers as inferred by preliminary SEM, TEM, XRD studies is discussed.     

Magnetic force microscopy studies of domain walls in nickel and cobalt films

A magnetic force microscopy is used to examine the domain walls in nickel and cobalt films deposited by argon ion sputtering. Thin nickel films deposited at high substrate temperatures exhibit coexistent Bloch and Neel walls. Films grown at room temperature display alternative Bloch lines with cap switches. These films agglomerate to form grains after annealed at high temperatures. The film composed of larger grains behaves better nucleation implying magnetic domains of closure, while the film composed of smaller grains exhibits more defects implying alternative Bloch lines. We have also observed domain displacements and cap switches, which occur due to precipitation of particles in small grain size films. Stripe domains are observed for film thicknesses larger than 100 nm. They become zigzag cells when an external field of 1.5 T is applied perpendicular to the surface of the films. This experiment indicates that the domain sizes in thin films and the strip widths for thick films both depend on the square-root of the film thickness, which varies from 5 to 45 nm and from 100 to 450 nm, respectively.     

Electrical properties of high Curie temperature (1−x)Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3-xPbTiO3 single crystals grown by the solution Bridgman technique

0.65Pb(In_1/2Nb_1/2)O₃-0.35PbTiO₃ (PINT65/35) (starting composition) single crystals were grown successfully through the solution Bridgman technique using PbO flux and PMNT67/33 seed crystals. Because of the composition variation, the final composition of achievable crystals is in a range of 0.32-0.34 with the corresponding T_c range of 265-269 °C. The (001) plates of as-grown PINT66/34 single crystals show high Curie temperature (T_c=269 °C) and rhombohedral-tetragonal phase transition temperature (T_rt=134 °C). Besides, good electrical properties with high dielectric constant (ε>3000), low dielectric loss (tan δ∼1.2%), high piezoelectric constant (d₃₃∼2000 pC/N) and large electromechanical coupling factor (k_t≈59%) at room temperature have been obtained on the (001) plates. The sound velocity, acoustic impedance and other piezoelectric parameters were also measured on the (001) plates in this study, which provide us more detailed information about PINT66/34 single crystals.