Resistive switching effect in metal–oxide–metal structures with ZnO:Li oxide layer

The resistive switching effect in metal–oxide–metal (MOM) structures has been investigated, where the 10% Li-doped ZnO layer was used as an oxide layer, as well as Pt and 20% fluorine doped SnO₂ (SnO₂:F) were used as a bottom electrodes. The current–voltage (I–V) and switching (I–t) characteristics of Ag/ZnO:Li/Pt and Ag/ZnO:Li/SnO₂:F structures were investigated. The unipolar resistive switching is detected in the structures with the Pt, while the use of transparent conductive SnO₂:F electrode instead of Pt, results to the bipolar memory effect.     

Spin-dependent transport properties and Seebeck effects for a crossed graphene superlattice <Emphasis Type="Italic">p-n</Emphasis> junction with armchair edge

Using the nonequilibrium Green’s function method combined with the tight-binding Hamiltonian, we theoretically investigate the spin-dependent transmission probability and spin Seebeck coefficient of a crossed armchair-edge graphene nanoribbon (AGNR) superlattice p-n junction under a perpendicular magnetic field with a ferromagnetic insulator, where junction widths W₁ of 40 and 41 are considered to exemplify the effect of semiconducting and metallic AGNRs, respectively. A pristine AGNR system is metallic when the transverse layer m = 3j + 2 with a positive integer j and an insulator otherwise. When stubs are present, a semiconducting AGNR junction with width W₁ = 40 always shows metallic behavior regardless of the potential drop magnitude, magnetization strength, stub length, and perpendicular magnetic field strength. However, metallic or semiconducting behavior can be obtained from a metallic AGNR junction with W₁ = 41 by adjusting these physical parameters. Furthermore, a metal-to-semiconductor transition can be obtained for both superlattice p-n junctions by adjusting the number of periods of the superlattice. In addition, the spin-dependent Seebeck coefficient and spin Seebeck coefficient of the two systems are of the same order of magnitude owing to the appearance of a transmission gap, and the maximum absolute value of the spin Seebeck coefficient reaches 370 µV/K when the optimized parameters are used. The calculated results offer new possibilities for designing electronic or heat-spintronic nanodevices based on the graphene superlattice p-n junction.     

Vanadium- and Titanium Dioxide-Based Memristors Fabricated via Pulsed Laser Deposition

Thin TiO _x and VO_{2 – x} films are fabricated via pulsed laser deposition from metal targets with the help of mask technologies. Their memristive properties are investigated using Au/TiO_x1/TiO_x2/Au and Au/VO₂/VO_{2 – x}/Au thin-film structures, and the possible mechanisms of resistive switching are discussed. The structures are obtained at room temperature in an oxygen atmosphere.     

Effective excitation cross section and lifetime of Er<Superscript>3+</Superscript> ions in Si: Er light-emitting diodes fabricated by sublimation molecular-beam epitaxy

A series of Si: Er electroluminescent diode structures is fabricated by sublimation molecular-beam epitaxy. The diode structures efficiently emit at a wavelength of 1.5 μm under conditions of p-n junction breakdown at room temperature. The effective cross section of excitation of Er³⁺ ions with hot carriers heated by the electric field of a reverse-biased p-n junction and the lifetime of Er³⁺ ions in the first excited state ⁴I_13/2 are determined for structures that emit in a mixed breakdown mode and are characterized by the maximum intensity and excitation efficiency of the Er³⁺ electroluminescence.     

The decoupling problem at RHIC

We investigate whether it is possible to dynamically generate from classical transport theory the observed surprising R_out ≈ R_side in Au+Au at \(\sqrt s = 130A\) GeV at RHIC [1,2]. We obtained covariant solutions to the Boltzmann transport equation via the MPC technique [3], for a wide range of partonic initial conditions and opacities. We demonstrate that there exist transport solutions that yield a freezeout distribution with R _out < R _side for K _⊥ ? 1.5 GeV. These solutions correspond to continuous evaporation-like freezeout, where the emission duration is comparable to the source size. Naively this would mean R _out > R _side. Nevertheless, our sources exhibit R _out < R _side because they are narrower in the‘out’ than in the‘side’ direction and, in addition, a positive x _out-t correlation develops reducing R _out further.     

Characteristics of surface acoustic waves in (11$$\bar 2$$ 0)ZnO film/ R-sapphire substrate structures

(11\(\bar 2\)0)ZnO film/R-sapphire substrate structure is promising for high frequency acoustic wave devices. The propagation characteristics of SAWs, including the Rayleigh waves along [0001] direction and Love waves along [1ī00] direction, are investigated by using 3 dimensional finite element method (3D-FEM). The phase velocity (v _p), electromechanical coupling coefficient (k ²), temperature coefficient of frequency (TCF) and reflection coefficient (r) of Rayleigh wave and Love wave devices are theoretically analyzed. Furthermore, the influences of ZnO films with different crystal orientation on SAW properties are also investigated. The results show that the 1st Rayleigh wave has an exceedingly large k ² of 4.95% in (90°, 90°, 0°) (11\(\bar 2\)0)ZnO film/R-sapphire substrate associated with a phase velocity of 5300 m/s; and the 0th Love wave in (0°, 90°, 0°) (11\(\bar 2\)0)ZnO film/R-sapphire substrate has a maximum k ² of 3.86% associated with a phase velocity of 3400 m/s. And (11\(\bar 2\)0)ZnO film/R-sapphire substrate structures can be used to design temperature-compensated and wide-band SAW devices. All of the results indicate that the performances of SAW devices can be optimized by suitably selecting ZnO films with different thickness and crystal orientations deposited on R-sapphire substrates.     

Influence of coalescence parameters on the production of protons and Helium-3 fragments

The time evolution of protons and ³He fragments from Au+Au/Pb+Pb reactions at 0.25, 2, and 20 GeV/nucleon is investigated with the potential version of the Ultrarelativistic Quantum Molecular Dynamics (UrQMD) model combined with the traditional coalescence afterburner. In the coalescence process, the relative distance R₀ and relative momentum P₀ are surveyed in the range of 3-4 fm and 0.25-0.35 GeV/c, respectively. For both clusters, a strong reversed correlation between R₀ and P₀ is seen and it is time-dependent as well. For protons, the accepted (R₀, P₀) bands lie in the time interval 30-60 fm/c, while for 3He, a longer time evolution (at about 60-90 fm/c) is needed. Otherwise, much smaller R₀ and P₀ values should be chosen. If we further look at the rapidity distributions from both central and semi-central collisions, it is found that the accepted [t_cut, (R₀, P₀)] assemble can provide consistent results for proton yield and collective flows especially at mid-rapdities, while for ³He, the consistency is destroyed at both middle and projectile-target rapidities.     

Temperaturabhängigkeit der Absorptionskoeffizienten für mittelschnelle Elektronen in polykristallinen Aluminium-, Silber- und Goldschichten

The absorption coefficientsμ _el andμ _unel for fast electrons (30–50 keV) due to elastic and inelastic scattering in polycrystalline foils of Al, Ag and Au have been measured at various temperatures between 160 and 600 °K. It is shown that,μ _unel decreases only slightly with temperature. On the other hand, the absorption coefficientμ _el, which is composed ofμ _R for Laue Bragg scattering andμ _TDS for thermal diffuse scattering increases with temperature. Asμ _R andμ _TDS depend on temperature in opposite sense, the resulting increase ofμ _el=μ _R+μ _TDS with temperature depends on the extent, to which the temperature dependence ofμ _R is reduced by dynamical extinction effects. For Al the measured temperature dependence ofμ _el is in good agreement with the theoretical calculation ofμ _TDS on the basis of the Einstein model and ofμ _R according to the two beam approximation of the dynamical theory. For Ag and Au the temperature dependence ofμ _el is much more pronounced than for Al. This is due to the facts that for heavy elements firstly the elastic scattering is stronger and secondly dynamical extinction effects are generally more pronounced. In order to study the influence of dynamical extinction, the crystal size of the foils was varied.     

Spherical Symmetric Perfect Fluid Collapse in <Emphasis Type="Italic">f</Emphasis>(<Emphasis Type="Italic">R</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">T</Emphasis>) Gravity

This paper contains the study of spherically symmetric perfect fluid collapse in the frame work of f(R, T) modified theory of gravity. We proceed our work by considering the non-static spherically symmetric background in the interior and static spherically symmetric background in the exterior regions of the star. The junction conditions between exterior and interior regions are presented by matching the exterior and interior regions. The field equations are solved by taking the assumptions that the Ricci scalar as well as the trace of energy-momentum tensor are to be constant, for a particular f(R, T) model. By inserting the solution of the field equations in junction conditions, we evaluate the gravitational mass of the collapsing system. Also, we discuss the apparent horizons and their time formation for different possible cases. It is concluded that the term f(R ₀, T ₀) behaves as a source of repulsive force and that’s why it slowdowns the collapse of the matter.     

A strongly asymmetric single-electron transistor operating as a zero-biased electrometer

We have studied a strongly asymmetric Al single-electron transistor with R₁ ? R₂ and C₁ ? C₂, where R_{1, 2} and C_{1, 2} are the tunnel resistances and capacitances of the first and second junction respectively. Due to the asymmetry in its electric parameters leading to strong asymmetry of the nonlinear I–V curve at zero bias (V = 0), the transistor demonstrated a remarkable current response to an AC signal at the values of the gate charge Q₀ close to (n + 1/2)e, where n is integer. A rather delicate regime of the transistor operation (V ? e/C_Σ) being important for unperturbed measurements was examined. The measured curves are in good agreement with a model based on the orthodox theory of single electron tunneling. This specific zero bias regime of an asymmetric transistor opens new opportunities for a single-electron transistor as an ultrasensitive charge/field sensor.     

Production of light vector mesons in heavy-ion nuclear collisions at RHIC,measured by the PHENIX spectrometer

The production cross sections of ω and ? mesons in p + p, d + Au, and Au + Au collisions at energies √S _NN = 63 and 200 GeV have been measured in the PHENIX experiment at RHIC. The results of the measurements in different hadronic and dielectron decay channels are in agreement within the measurement error. The nuclear modification factors R _AA measured for both mesons are consistent with the results previously obtained for light neutral mesons. The position and width of the meson mass peaks reconstructed in hadronic decay channels are in agreement with the results of measurements in vacuum.     

Molecular dynamics study of the growth of a metal nanoparticle array by solid dewetting

We investigated the effect of the substrate and the ambient temperature on the growth of a metal nanoparticle array (nanoarray) on a solid-patterned substrate by dewetting a Au liquid film using an atomic simulation technique. The patterned substrate was constructed by introducing different interaction potentials for two atom groups (C₁ and C₂) in the graphene-like substrate. The C₁ group had a stronger interaction between the Au film and the substrate and was composed of regularly distributed circular disks with radius R and distance D between the centers of neighboring disks. Our simulation results demonstrate that R and D have a strikingly different influence on the growth of the nanoparticle arrays. The degree of order of the nanoarray increases first before it reaches a peak and then decreases for increasing R at fixed D. However, the degree of order increases monotonously when D is increased and reaches a saturated value beyond a critical value of D for a fixed R. Interestingly, a labyrinth-like structure appeared during the dewetting process of the metal film. The simulation results also indicated that the temperature was an important factor in controlling the properties of the nanoarray. An appropriate temperature leads to an optimized nanoarray with a uniform grain size and well-ordered particle distribution. These results are important for understanding the dewetting behaviors of metal films on solid substrates and understanding the growth of highly ordered metal nanoarrays using a solid-patterned substrate method.     

Surface Microparticles in Liquid Helium. Quantum Archimedes’ Principle

Deviations from Archimedes’ principle for spherical molecular hydrogen particles with the radius R₀ at the surface of ⁴He liquid helium have been investigated. The classical Archimedes’ principle holds if R₀ is larger than the helium capillary length L_cap ? 500 μm. In this case, the elevation of a particle above the liquid is h₊ ~ R₀. At 30 μm < R₀ < 500 μm, the buoyancy is suppressed by the surface tension and h₊ ~ R³₀/L²_cap. At R₀ < 30 μm, the particle is situated beneath the surface of the liquid. In this case, the buoyancy competes with the Casimir force, which repels the particle from the surface deep into the liquid. The distance of the particle to the surface is h_- ~ R^5/3_c/R^2/3₀ if R₀ > R_c. Here, \({R_c} \cong {\left( {\frac{{\hbar c}}{{\rho g}}} \right)^{1/5}} \approx 1\), where ? is Planck’s constant, c is the speed of light, g is the acceleration due to gravity, and ρ is the mass density of helium. For very small particles (R₀ < R_c), the distance h_ to the surface of the liquid is independent of their size, h_ = R_c.     

Measurement of light scalar mesons in many-body decays in the PHENIX experiment at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider

The unique design of the PHENIX detector at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider allows one to detect neutral and charged particles produced in high-energy collisions of heavy ions. This circumstance made it possible to measure many-particle decays of light mesons, such as K _S ⁰ →π⁰π⁰, η→π⁰π^?π⁺, and η→γγ in p + p, d + Au and Au + Au collisions at the energy \(\sqrt {S_{NN} }\) = 200 GeV. The latest results of measuring the differential production cross sections, ratios of particle yields (K _S ⁰ /π⁰ and η/π⁰), and the nuclear modification factors (\(R_{dA}^{K_S }\), R _dA ^η , R _AA ^η ) in a wide range of transverse momenta (from 2 to 12 GeV s^?1) are reported.     

Electron transport,penetration depth,and the upper critical magnetic field in ZrB<Subscript>12</Subscript> and MgB<Subscript>2</Subscript>

We report on the synthesis and measurements of the temperature dependences of the resistivity ρ, the penetration depth λ, and the upper critical magnetic field H_c2, for polycrystalline samples of dodecaboride ZrB₁₂ and diboride MgB₂. We conclude that ZrB₁₂ behaves as a simple metal in the normal state with the usual Bloch-Grüneisen temperature dependence of ρ(T) and with a rather low resistive Debye temperature T_R = 280 K (to be compared to T_R = 900 K for MgB₂). The ρ(T) and λ(T) dependences for these samples reveal a superconducting transition in ZrB₁₂ at T_c = 6.0 K. Although a clear exponential λ(T) dependence in MgB₂ thin films and ceramic pellets was observed at low temperatures, this dependence was almost linear for ZrB₁₂ below T_c/2. These features indicate an s-wave pairing state in MgB₂, whereas a d-wave pairing state is possible in ZrB₁₂. In disagreement with conventional theories, we found a linear temperature dependence, of H_c2(T) for ZrB₁₂ (H_c2(0) = 0.15 T).     

Quark see-saw,Higgs mass and vacuum stability

The issue of vacuum stability of standard model (SM) is discussed by embedding it within the TeV scale left–right quark see-saw model. The Higgs potential in this case has only two coupling parameters (λ₁, λ₂) and two mass parameters. There are only two physical neutral Higgs bosons (h,H), the lighter one being identified with the 126 GeV Higgs boson. We explore the range of values for (λ₁, λ₂) for which the vacuum is stable for all values of the Higgs fields till 10¹⁶ GeV. Combining with the further requirement that the scalar self-couplings remain perturbative till 10¹⁶ GeV, we find (i) an upper and lower limit on the second Higgs (H) mass to be within the range: 0.4 ≤ (M_H/v_R) ≤ 0.7, where v_R is the parity breaking scale and (ii) the masses of heavy vector-like top, bottom and τ partner fermions (P₃, N₃,E₃) have an upper bound ≤ v_R. These predictions can be tested at LHC and future higher energy colliders.     

Structure,ionic conduction,and phase transformations in lithium titanate Li<Subscript>4</Subscript>Ti<Subscript>5</Subscript>O<Subscript>12</Subscript>

The spinel structure of lithium titanate Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ is refined by the Rietveld full-profile analysis with the use of x-ray and neutron powder diffraction data. The distribution and coordinates of atoms are determined. The Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ compound is studied at high temperatures by differential scanning calorimetry and Raman spectroscopy. The electrical conductivity is measured in the high-temperature range. It is shown that the Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ compound with a spinel structure undergoes two successive order-disorder phase transitions due to different distributions of lithium atoms and cation vacancies (□, V) in a defect structure of the NaCl type: (Li)_8a[Li_0.33Ti_1.67]_16dO₄ → [Li□]_16c[Li_1.33Ti_1.67]_16dO₄ → [Li_1.33□_0.67]_16c[Ti_1.67□_0.33]_16dO₄. The low-temperature diffusion of lithium predominantly occurs either through the mechanism ... → Li(8a) → V(16c) → V(8a) → ... in the spinel phase or through the mechanism ... → Li(16c) → V(8a) → V(16c) → ... in an intermediate phase. In the high-temperature phase, the lithium cations also migrate over 48f vacancies: ... Li(16c) → V(8a, 48f) → V(16c) → ....     

Successes and failures with hard probes

The two major pillars of searches for the Quark Gluon Plasma have been: J/Ψ suppression, proposed in 1986, and observed at both SPS fixed target energies and at RHIC; and, more recently, the suppression of π ⁰ with p _T ≥3 GeV/c by a factor ～5 in Au+Au central collisions, observed at RHIC in 2001, which had been predicted in advance as a consequence of Landau-Pomeranchuck-Migdal coherent (gluon) bremsstrahlung by the outgoing hard-scattered partons traversing the medium. However, new effects were discovered and the quality of the measurements greatly improved so that the clarity of the original explanations has become obscured. For instance: J/Ψ suppression is the same at SpS and RHIC. Is it the QGP, comovers, something else? QCD provides beautiful explanations of π ⁰ and direct γ measurements in p–p collisions but precision fits of the best theories of π ⁰ suppression barely agree with the Au+Au data. Better data are needed for 10<p _T <20 GeV/c, systematic errors are needed in theory calculations, the values of parameters of the medium such as \(\langle\hat{q}\rangle\) derived from precision fits are the subject of controversy. Baryons are much less suppressed than mesons, leading to an anomalous \(\bar{p}/\pi\) ratio for 2≤p _T ≤4.5 GeV/c, but beautiful theoretical explanations of the effect such as recombination do not work in detail. Heavy quarks seem to be suppressed the same as the light quarks, naively arguing against the bremsstrahlung explanation and suggesting exotic, possible transformational explanations. Di-hadron correlations reveal a trigger side ridge, possible Mach cones on the away side, vanishing and reappearance of away jets, both wide and normal jet correlations with and without apparent loss of energy. Can this all be explained consistently? Preliminary results of direct γ production in Au+Au appear to indicate a suppression approaching that of π ⁰ for p _T ≈20 GeV/c and a possibly thermal component for 1≤p _T ≤ 3 GeV/c. What are the implications? Are fragmentation photons a problem? Regeneration of direct γ by outgoing partons is predicted, leading to negative v ₂—is there evidence for or against it? STAR and PHENIX have different observations relevant to the existence of monojets in d+Au collisions. Will new data clarify the situation? When? etc. These and other issues will be discussed with a view to identify which conclusions are firm and where further progress towards real understanding is required.     

Schur Polynomials and The Yang-Baxter Equation

We describe a parametrized Yang-Baxter equation with nonabelian parameter group. That is, we show that there is an injective map \({g \mapsto R (g)}\) from \({ \rm{GL}(2, \mathbb{C}) \times \rm{GL}(1, \mathbb{C})}\) to End \({(V \otimes V)}\) , where V is a two-dimensional vector space such that if \({g, h \in G}\) then R ₁₂(g)R ₁₃(gh) R ₂₃(h) = R ₂₃(h) R ₁₃(gh)R ₁₂(g). Here R _{i j} denotes R applied to the i, j components of \({V \otimes V \otimes V}\) . The image of this map consists of matrices whose nonzero coefficients a ₁, a ₂, b ₁, b ₂, c ₁, c ₂ are the Boltzmann weights for the non-field-free six-vertex model, constrained to satisfy a ₁ a ₂ + b ₁ b ₂ ? c ₁ c ₂ = 0. This is the exact center of the disordered regime, and is contained within the free fermionic eight-vertex models of Fan and Wu. As an application, we show that with boundary conditions corresponding to integer partitions λ, the six-vertex model is exactly solvable and equal to a Schur polynomial s _λ times a deformation of the Weyl denominator. This generalizes and gives a new proof of results of Tokuyama and Hamel and King.     

Influence of pressure on electronic and optical properties of phosphorus-doped ZnO

In this work, the geometrical, electronic structure and optical properties of P-doped ZnO under high pressures have been investigated using first-principles methods. The pressure effects on the lattice parameters, electronic band structures, and partial density of states of crystalline P-doped ZnO are calculated up to 8 GPa. Moreover, the evolution of the dielectric function, absorption coefficient (αω)), reflectivity (R(ω)), and the real part of the refractive index (n(ω)) at high pressure are also presented.