Nanostructuring of FePt thin films by plasma focus device: pulsed ion irradiation dependent phase transition and magnetic properties

The effects of the different number (1, 2 and 3) of H⁺ ion irradiation shots on pulsed laser deposited FePt thin films, using pulsed plasma focus device, are investigated. The FePt thin films were exposed to energetic H⁺ ions in a plasma focus device at a fixed distance of 4 cm from the top of central electrode. It was deduced that single shot ion irradiation based transient thermal treatment induces an effect similar to the conventional annealing at 400°C. Well-separated nanoparticles are formed, and the significant enhancement of the coercivity, by about two orders of magnitude, at a lower annealing temperature of 400°C has been observed in the single shot ion irradiated samples. The increase of plasma focus ion irradiation shots lead to the amorphorization in irradiated FePt samples due to excessive energy transfer causing more defects and lattice distortion, and a decreasing coercivity trend in irradiated and annealed samples are observed due to reduction in the texture coefficient of magnetic easy axis (001) orientation fct phase.     

Influence of corruption on economic growth rate and foreign investment

We analyze the dependence of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita growth rates on changes in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). For the period 1999–2004 for all countries in the world, we find on average that an increase of CPI by one unit leads to an increase of the annual GDP per capita growth rate by 1.7%. By regressing only the European countries with transition economies, we find that an increase of CPI by one unit generates an increase of the annual GDP per capita growth rate by 2.4%. We also analyze the relation between foreign direct investments received by different countries and CPI, and we find a statistically significant power-law functional dependence between foreign direct investment per capita and the country corruption level measured by the CPI. We introduce a new measure to quantify the relative corruption between countries based on their respective wealth as measured by GDP per capita.     

Absorption measurements in InSe:Ho single crystal under an electric field

InSe:Ho single crystal was grown by Bridgman-Stockberger method. Electric field effects on the absorption measurements have been investigated as a function of temperature in InSe:Ho single crystal. The absorption edge shifted towards longer wavelengths and a decrease of intensity in absorption spectra occurred under an electric field of 7.5 kV/cm. Using absorption measurements, steepness parameter and Urbach energy were calculated under electric field. Applied electric field caused an increase in the Urbach energy. At 10 K and 320 K, the first exciton energies were calculated as 1.322 and 1.301 eV for zero voltage and 1.245 and 1.232 eV for applied electric field, respectively.     

The structure of28Si above 10 MeV excitation energy II: Assignments of quantum numbers

New assignments of quantum numbers have been obtained for more than 50 levels in²⁸Si between 8953 and 15915 keV excitation energy. They are based on the measurement of -ray angular distributions or anisotropies on 29 resonances of the²⁷Al(p, ) reaction and on the²⁴Mg(a, ) resonance atE =3355 keV. A total of 15 high-spin states withI=5–7 has been obtained and the spectrum ofT=1 states has been identified up to 15915 keV excitation energy and a maximum spinI=6.     

Quantum phase transitions in the bosonic single-impurity Anderson model

We consider a quantum impurity model in which a bosonic impurity level is coupled to a non-interacting bosonic bath, with the bosons at the impurity site subject to a local Coulomb repulsion U. Numerical renormalization group calculations for this bosonic single-impurity Anderson model reveal a zero-temperature phase diagram where Mott phases with reduced charge fluctuations are separated from a Bose-Einstein condensed phase by lines of quantum critical points. We discuss possible realizations of this model, such as atomic quantum dots in optical lattices. Furthermore, the bosonic single-impurity Anderson model appears as an effective impurity model in a dynamical mean-field theory of the Bose-Hubbard model.     

Muonic x-ray intensity measurements on a highT c superconductor

Muonic x-ray spectra from the high-T _c superconductor YBa₂Cu₃O_6.95 have been measured in the superconducting and normal states. No significant differences were found between the two spectra when comparing the intensities of 27 lines.Dedicated to Prof. Dr. H. J. Mang on the occasion of his 60th birthday     

A control volume derivation of the energy equation for LII modeling

This paper considers the unsteady energy equation for a particle undergoing processes relevant to laser-induced incandescence. The energy equation is derived using both an integral control volume formalism and a differential approach. Confusion in the previous literature over the form of the energy equation is traced to the evaluation of the energy flux terms to and from the particle surface. Terms such as the heat of sublimation or heat of combustion are shown to arise naturally in both the control volume and differential derivations. Problems associated with the confusion regarding the flux terms resulting in incorrect energy equations are also identified.     

Proton decay of spin isospin modes excited by the12C(6Li,6He)12N reaction

First investigations of the reaction¹²C(⁶Li,⁶He)-¹²N(p)¹¹C were used to study spin-isospin strength in the nucleus¹²N at E_Li=156 MeV. While the⁶He ejectiles were detected at _He=0° using a magnetic spectrograph, the decay protons were analysed in a wide range of backward angles (100°_p<170°) with=" an=" arrangement=" of=" semiconductor=" strip=" detectors.=" singles=" spectra=" were=" extracted=" as=" well=" as=" coincident=" excitation=" strength=" for=" the=" decay=" to=" low=" lying=" levels=">¹¹C. For the decay to the¹¹C ground state angular correlations were evaluated for six different energy regions in¹²N^*.The authors wish to thank the staff of the Karlsruhe Cyclotron Laboratory for their cooperation. This work has been funded by the German Federal Minister for Research and Technology (BMFT) under contract no. 06ER262I and by the Kernforschungs-zentrum Karlsruhe.     

Non-perturbative renormalization-group approach to lattice models

The non-perturbative renormalization-group approach is extended to lattice models, considering as an example a φ⁴ theory defined on a d-dimensional hypercubic lattice. Within a simple approximation for the effective action, we solve the flow equations and obtain the renormalized dispersion epsilon(q) over the whole Brillouin zone of the reciprocal lattice. In the long-distance limit, where the lattice does not matter any more, we reproduce the usual flow equations of the continuum model. We show how the numerical solution of the flow equations can be simplified by expanding the dispersion in a finite number of circular harmonics.     

The influence of state dependent short range correlations on the depletion of the nuclear Fermi sea

The inlfuence of state dependent short range correlations on the occupation numbers of the single particle shell model orbits of the doubly closed shell nuclei¹⁶O and⁴⁰Ca is examined. The study shows that the effect of the state dependence of the short range correlations is rather small. The total depletion of the nuclear Fermi sea changes slightly compared with the one calculated by considering state independent short range correlations.     

How does the substrate affect the Raman and excited state spectra of a carbon nanotube?

We study the optical properties of a single, semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotube (CNT) that is partially suspended across a trench and partially supported by a SiO₂-substrate. By tuning the laser excitation energy across the E ₃₃ excitonic resonance of the suspended CNT segment, the scattering intensities of the principal Raman transitions, the radial breathing mode (RBM), the D mode and the G mode show strong resonance enhancement of up to three orders of magnitude. In the supported part of the CNT, despite a loss of Raman scattering intensity of up to two orders of magnitude, we recover the E ₃₃ excitonic resonance suffering a substrate-induced red shift of 50 meV. The peak intensity ratio between G band and D band is highly sensitive to the presence of the substrate and varies by one order of magnitude, demonstrating the much higher defect density in the supported CNT segments. By comparing the E ₃₃ resonance spectra measured by Raman excitation spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) excitation spectroscopy in the suspended CNT segment, we observe that the peak energy in the PL excitation spectrum is red-shifted by 40 meV. This shift is associated with the energy difference between the localized exciton dominating the PL excitation spectrum and the free exciton giving rise to the Raman excitation spectrum. High-resolution Raman spectra reveal substrate-induced symmetry breaking, as evidenced by the appearance of additional peaks in the strongly broadened Raman G band. Laser-induced line shifts of RBM and G band measured on the suspended CNT segment are both linear as a function of the laser excitation power. Stokes/anti-Stokes measurements, however, reveal an increase of the G phonon population while the RBM phonon population is rather independent of the laser excitation power.     

Analytical calculation of eigen-energies for lens-shaped quantum dot with finite barriers

With the help of metadynamics it is possible to calculate efficiently the free energy of systems displaying high energy barriers as a function of few selected “collective variables”. In doing this, the contribution of all the other degrees of freedom (“microscopic” variables) is averaged out and, thus, lost. In the following it is shown that it is possible to calculate the thermal average of these microscopic degrees of freedom during the metadynamics, not loosing this piece of information. The method is tested on a two-dimensional toy system and on a small molecule, that is dialanine.     

Relativistic mean-field parametrization of effective interaction in nuclear matter

The results of the modern relativistic Dirac-Brueckner calculations of nuclear matter are parametrized in terms of the relativistic- mean-field theory with scalar and vector nonlinear selfinteractions. It is shown that the inclusion of the isoscalar vector-meson quartic selfinteraction is essential for obtaining a proper density dependence of the vector potential in the mean-field model. The obtained mean-field parameters represent a simple parametrization of effective interaction in nuclear matter. This interaction may be used in the mean-field studies of the structure of finite nuclei without the introduction of additional free parameters.This work was supported in part by the Grant Agency of the Slovak Academy of Sciences under Grant No. GA SAV-517/1991.     

Isomeric transitions between shape coexisting states in iodine isotopes withA=115, 119 and 121

Applying delayed- r.f. coincidences and generalized centroid-shift analysis, nanosecond isomers in some odd-A iodine isotopes are studied in-beam. The reactions¹⁰⁶Cd(¹²C,p2n) and^116,118Sn(⁶Li,3n) have been used. The following half-lives were determined:T _1/2(565 keV)=0.50±0.10 ns andT _1/2(837 keV) =0.90±0.20 ns in¹¹⁵I,T _1/2(687 keV)=5.50±0.50 ns andT _1/2(2418 keV)=4.0±0.50 ns in¹¹⁹I as well asT _1/2(812 keV)=0.35±0.20 ns andT _1/2(445 keV)<0.10 ns=">¹²¹I. A systematics of the absolute probabilities for the transitions deexciting theg _9/2 9/2⁺ and _11/2 11/2 ₁ ^– band heads in^115–125I is presented and discussed.Partly supported by the Bulgarian National Research Foundation under contracts PH14, and PH31 and Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Stabsabteilung Internationale Beziehungen     

Polycrystalline silicon on glass for thin-film solar cells

Although most solar cell modules to date have been based on crystalline or polycrystalline wafers, these may be too material intensive and hence always too expensive to reach the very low costs required for large-scale impact of photovoltaics on the energy scene. Polycrystalline silicon on glass (CSG) solar cell technology was developed to address this difficulty as well as perceived fundamental difficulties with other thin-film technologies. The aim was to combine the advantages of standard silicon wafer-based technology, namely ruggedness, durability, good electronic properties and environmental soundness with the advantages of thin-films, specifically low material use, large monolithic construction and a desirable glass superstrate configuration. The challenge has been to match the different preferred processing temperatures of silicon and glass and to obtain strong solar absorption in notoriously weakly-absorbing silicon of only 1–2 micron thickness. A rugged, durable silicon thin-film technology has been developed with amongst the lowest manufacturing cost of these contenders and confirmed efficiency for small pilot line modules already in the 10–11% energy conversion efficiency range, on the path to 12–13%.     

Transverse energy dependence of neutron squeeze-out in relativistic heavy ion collisions

We present a microscopic calculation of neutronsqueeze-out in relativistic heavy ion collisions at beam energies betweeen 400 and 1000 MeV/nucleon. After demonstrating the importance of the correct isospin treatment for the neutron to proton ratio, our main emphasis is put on the investigation of the properties of neutronsqueeze-out. Thesqueeze-out ratio increases monotonously with the transverse momentum of the neutrons. This ratio is independent of the incident beam energy if plotted versusp _t /p _proj . Most importantly, we observe a strong dependence on the nuclear equation of state and momentum dependent interaction.Supported by GSI, BMFT and DFG     

The neutron/proton ratio of fast nucleon emission in antiproton annihilation on nuclei

The measurement of fast protons and neutrons emitted after antiproton annihilation at rest on²³⁸U and⁶³Cu reveals a large neutron/proton ratioR. Its value for⁶³Cu is larger than expected from the conventional model of intranuclear pion rescattering. A value ofR essentially constant over the whole range of mass number, from¹²C up to²³⁸U, is also announced by the experimentalists. It is shown that, on the contrary, the conventional scheme predicts a regular increase ofR with mass number. Alternative explanations of the effect are looked for. Within the usual scheme, an excess of negative pions, leading to more emitted neutrons, is not compatible with final pion multiplicities. The influence of meson resonances on the neutron/proton ratio is considered, as well as the possible occurrence of annihilations on two nucleons. They cannot warrant an increase ofR at low mass targets sufficient to explain a constant value over the whole range of target masses.