Non-stoichiometry-induced metal-to-insulator transition in nickelate thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition

While controlling the cation contents in perovskite rare-earth nickelate thin films, a metal-to-insulator phase transition is reported. Systematic control of cation stoichiometry has been achieved by manipulating the irradiation of excimer laser in pulsed laser deposition. Two rare-earth nickelate bilayer thin-film heterostructures with the controlled cation stoichiometry (i.e. stoichiometric and Ni-excessive) have been fabricated. It is found that the Ni-excessive nickelate film is structurally less dense than the stoichiometric film, albeit both of them are epitaxial and coherent with respect to the underlying substrate. More interestingly, as a temperature decreases, a metal-to-insulator transition is only observed in the Ni-excessive nickelate films, which can be associated with the enhanced disproportionation of the Ni charge valence. Based on our theoretical results, possible origins (e.g. anti-site defects) of the low-temperature insulating state are discussed with the need of future work for deeper understanding. Our work can be utilized to realize unusual physical phenomena (e.g. metal-to-insulator phase transitions) in complex oxide films by manipulating the chemical stoichiometry in pulsed laser deposition.     

Luminescence study of some yttrium tantalate-based phosphors

Yttrium tantalate (YTaO₄), yttrium niobium-tantalate (YTaNbO₄), yttrium niobate (YNbO₄), europium and terbium activated yttrium tantalate (YTaO₄:Eu, YTaO₄:Tb) and europium activated yttrium niobate (YNbO₄:Eu) phosphors were prepared by solid-state reaction, from a homogeneous mixture consisting of Y₂O₃, Eu₂O₃, Tb₄O₇, Ta₂O₅, Nb₂O₅ and Na₂SO₄ as flux. Photoluminescence (PL), thermally stimulated luminescence (TSL), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of yttrium tantalate based phosphors are reported. In the present study TSL characteristics of these phosphors were first investigated and reported after exposure to beta, UV (311 nm) and X-ray radiations.     

Ultrafast optical nonlinearity in the quasi-one-dimensional mott insulator Sr2CuO3

We report strong instantaneous photoinduced absorption in the quasi-one-dimensional Mott insulator Sr2CuO3 in the IR spectral region. The observed photoinduced absorption is to an even-parity two-photon state that occurs immediately above the absorption edge. Theoretical calculation based on a two-band extended Hubbard model explains the experimental features and indicates that the strong two-photon absorption is due to a very large dipole coupling between nearly degenerate one- and two-photon states. Room temperature picosecond recovery of the optical transparency suggests the strong potential of Sr2CuO3 for all-optical switching.     

Competing orders and superconductivity in the doped mott insulator on the Shastry-Sutherland lattice

Quantum antiferromagnets on geometrically frustrated lattices often allow a number of unusual paramagnetic ground states. The fate of these Mott insulators upon doping is an important issue that may shed some light on the high T(c) cuprate problem. We consider the doped Mott insulator on the Shastry-Sutherland lattice via the t-J model. The U(1) slave-boson mean-field theory reveals the strong competition between different broken symmetry states. It is found that, in some ranges of doping, there exist superconducting phases with or without coexisting translational-symmetry-breaking orders such as the staggered flux or dimerization. Our results will be directly relevant to SrCu2(BO3)(2) when this material is doped in future.     

Stopping power and straggling of energetic light ion beams in yttrium

Energy loss and straggling for protons, deuterons and α-particles in yttrium were measured in the energy region between 0.15 MeV and 2.5 MeV. The measured stopping powers of the hydrogen ions agree reasonably well with the semi-empirical values of Andersen and Ziegler, although better agreement was found with the values of Janni. For helium ions there are a marked difference with the values of Ziegler. Below 200 keV/amu the stopping ratios of the helium and hydrogen ions are lower than Ziegler's master curve. The straggling values of the hydrogen ions are about 15% lower than the Bohr estimate, while the straggling of the helium ions reach the Bohr value at about 0.2 MeV/amu.     

XPS study of vanadium–yttrium hydrates

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to study the chemical composition and valence states of the metal ions in vanadium–yttrium hydrate. The binding energies, FWHM and shape of the main XPS peaks were analyzed. The concentration ratio of tetra- and pentavalent vanadium ions C=V⁴⁺/(V⁴⁺+V⁵⁺), which is an important parameter, deciding the electronic part of total conductivity, was determined before (C=0.14) and after heating at 720 K (C=0.28).     

Photoinduced melting of a stripe-type charge-order and metallic domain formation in a layered BEDT-TTF-based organic salt

Photoinduced melting of charge-order (CO) in [bis(ethylenedithiolo)]-tetrathiafulvalene (BEDT-TTF) salts was investigated by femotosecond spectroscopy. Comparative studies on two polytypes exhibiting large [theta-(BEDT-TTF)2RbZn(SCN)_{4}] and small [alpha-(BEDT-TTF)2I3] molecular rearrangements through the CO transition were performed. Ultrafast melting of CO for both compounds demonstrates the major contribution of the electronic instability which is due to Coulomb interaction. The roles of the molecular rearrangements on the formation of the CO and the metallic domain are discussed on the basis of low-frequency lattice dynamics.     

Effect of Bi-substitution on the dielectric properties of polycrystalline yttrium iron garnet

The effect of Bi-substitution on the dielectric properties of yttrium iron garnet (YIG) was studied in this paper. The Bi-substituted YIG (YIG:Bi) polycrystalline samples, having composition of Y_3−xBi_xFe₅O₁₂, were prepared by the solid-state reaction method. x varied from 0 to 1.2. The phase formation and microstructure were performed by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. Ions valency was identified by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The impedance analyzers are used to measure the frequency dependence and the temperature dependence of relative dielectric constant (_r) and loss tangent (tan δ). The experimental results show that the Bi-substitution lowers the phase formation and sintering temperature. Electronic carrier concentration drops dramatically due to limitation of ferric valency variation. Hence, _r and tan δ decrease with addition of Bi. Dispersion characteristic indicates non-Debye-type dispersion. A maximum of _r appears as the temperature rises.     

Wideband magneto-optic modulation in a bismuth-substituted yttrium iron garnet waveguide

We present a tunable wideband bismuth-substituted yttrium iron garnet (Bi-YIG) waveguide magneto-optic (MO) modulator. High-speed current transients are used to switch the in-plane magnetization of the film, which modulates an 800 nm optical beam. Large bandwidth optical modulation is achieved by driving the device in a non-resonant mode that is well below the ferromagnetic resonance frequency of the film. The MO modulator has the potential of operating at bandwidths higher than 1 GHz by tuning the applied static magnetic field.     

Microwave-assisted synthesis and characterization of Bi-substituted yttrium garnet nanoparticles

Bi-substituted yttrium iron garnet (Bi-YIG, Bi_1.8Y_1.2Fe₅O₁₂) nanoparticles were prepared by microwave-assisted co-precipitation as well as conventional co-precipitation using ammonia aqueous solution as precipitant. The nanoparticles were characterized by thermal gravity-differential thermal analysis, X-ray powder diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering and vibrating sample magnetometer, respectively. The Faraday rotation of Bi-YIG modified PMMA slices was also investigated. Results demonstrate that the Bi-YIG nanoparticles prepared by microwave-assisted co-precipitation show smaller particle size and higher Faraday rotation than those prepared by conventional co-precipitation.     

Effects of yttrium substitution on structural and electrical properties of barium zirconate titanate ferroelectric ceramics

In the present study, structural, dielectric and ferroelectric properties of Ba_1?3x/2Y_x Zr_0.025Ti_0.975O₃ ferroelectric ceramics have been investigated. The compound was synthesized using solid state reaction technique. The effect of yttrium substitution on structural, dielectric and ferroelectric properties was studied using X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), LCR meter and P–E loops. Phase analysis shows the formation of secondary phase YTi₂O₆ for Y ≥ 2.5 mol% substitution. The microstructural investigation shows that Y substitution significantly reduces the grain size. An increase in Y content up to 2.5 mol% increases the Curie temperature (T_c) initially but decreases subsequently. The maximum dielectric constant at T_c has been observed for 2 mol% Y substitution and with further increase in Y content the dielectric constant decreases considerably. The solubility limit is found to be 2.5 mol% of Y and after that some of the yttrium atoms enter B-sites and leading to the formation of the secondary phase. The P–E loop studies show that there is an increase in the coercive field with increasing Y content.     

Ultrafast melting of a charge-density wave in the Mott insulator 1T-TaS2

Femtosecond time-resolved core-level photoemission spectroscopy with a free-electron laser is used to measure the atomic-site specific charge-order dynamics of the charge-density?wave in the Mott insulator 1T-TaS2. After strong photoexcitation, a prompt loss of charge order and subsequent fast equilibration dynamics of the electron-lattice system are observed. On the time scale of electron-phonon thermalization, about 1?ps, the system is driven across a phase transition from a long-range charge ordered state to a quasiequilibrium state with domainlike short-range charge and lattice order. The experiment opens the way to study the nonequilibrium dynamics of condensed matter systems with full elemental, chemical, and atomic-site selectivity.     

Induced absorption in yttrium aluminium perovskite crystals irradiated by 12C and 235U ions

The present work is devoted to investigation of optical absorption in pure and neodymium-doped YAlO₃ (YAP) single crystals in the spectral range 0.2–1.1 μm induced by the influence of ¹²C ions irradiation with energy 4.50 MeV/u (MeV per nucleon) and a fluence 2 × 10⁹ cm^?2 or of ²³⁵U ion irradiation with energy 9.35 MeV/u and a fluence 5 × 10¹¹ cm^?2. The induced absorption in the case of ¹²C ions irradiation is caused by recharging of point growth defects and impurities under the radiation influence. After irradiation by ²³⁵U ions with fluence 5 × 10¹¹ cm^?2 the strong absorption rise is probably caused by contribution of the lattice destruction as a result of heavy ion bombardment.     

The influence of implanted yttrium on the cyclic oxidation behaviour of 304 stainless steel

High-temperature alloys are frequently used in power plants, gasification systems, petrochemical industry, combustion processes and in aerospace applications. Depending on the application, materials are subjected to corrosive atmospheres and thermal cycling. In the present work, thermal cycling was carried out in order to study the influence of implanted yttrium on the oxide scale adherence on 304 steel specimens oxidised in air at 1273 K. In situ X-ray diffraction indicates that the oxides formed at 1273 K are different on blank specimens compared to implanted specimens. Glancing angle XRD allows to analyse the oxide scale composition after cooling to room temperature.Experimental results show that yttrium implantation at a nominal dose of 10¹⁷ ions cm⁻² does not improve significantly the cyclic oxidation behaviour of the austenitic AISI 304 steel. However, it appears that yttrium implantation remarkably enhance the oxidation resistance during isothermal oxidation. It reduces the transient oxidation stage and the parabolic oxidation rate constant by one order of magnitude.     

Impact of yttrium ion implantation on corrosion behavior of laser beam welded zircaloy-4 in sulfuric acid solution

In order to study the effect of yttrium ion implantation on the aqueous corrosion behavior of laser beam welded zircaloy-4 (LBWZr4), The butt weld joint of zircaloy-4 was made by means of a carbon dioxide laser, subsequently the LBWZr4 samples were implanted with yttrium ion using a MEVVA source at an energy of 40 keV, with a fluence range from 1 × 10¹⁶ to 4 × 10¹⁶ ions/cm² at about 150 °C. Three-sweep potentiodynamic polarization measurement was employed to evaluate the aqueous corrosion behavior of yttrium-implanted LBWZr4 in a 0.5 M H₂SO₄ solution. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to examine the surface topographic character of the yttrium-implanted LBWZr4 before and after the potentiodynamic polarization measurement. The valences of the carbon, yttrium, and zirconium in the surface layer were analyzed by X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS). It was found that a significant improvement was achieved in the aqueous corrosion resistance of yttrium-implanted LBWZr4 compared with that of the un-implanted LBWZr4. The mechanism of the corrosion resistance improvement of the yttrium-implanted LBWZr4 is probably due to the addition of the yttrium oxide dispersoid into the zirconium matrix.     

Growth of yttrium iron garnet single crystals in Na2O-B2O3 flux system in air

Detailed studies of growth of yttrium iron garnet (YIG) in the flux system Na₂O-B₂O₃ were made to delineate the phase stability regions of YIG and the neighbouring crystalline phases, and a tentative working diagram of Na₂O-B₂O₃-YIG in air was drawn from the results of small batch crystal growth runs and solubility studies. The occurrence of a rather narrow field of YIG crystallization in this system was explained on the basis of relative solubilities of different oxides constituting YIG. Several long-time growth runs with some typical compositions were carried out in this system to evaluate its suitability for bulk growth of YIG crystals. The system, although possessing some inherent advantages, was found to suffer from limitations because of which the maximum size of the self-nucleated crystals grown hardly exceeded 2.00 mm.     

Electrochemical activities of yttrium doped spinel LiMn2O4

It was found for the first time that the catalysis of yttrium doping of spinel LiMn₂O₄ can enhance the electrochemical activities of manganese, leading to both improvement of electrochemical capacity and reactivity with the electrolyte of manganese. A proper amount of doping was 0.5%, and such yttrium-doped sample, Li(Y_0.005Mn_0.995)₂O₄, had an initial capacity of 130 mAh g⁻¹ over that of the undoped one with the capacity retention to reach 92.3% exceeding that of the undoped one at 100th cycle.