Temperature dependence of heat conduction coefficient in nanotube/nanowire networks

Studies on heat conduction are so far mainly focused on regular systems such as the one-dimensional(1D) and twodimensional(2D) lattices where atoms are regularly connected and temperatures of atoms are homogeneously distributed.However, realistic systems such as the nanotube/nanowire networks are not regular but heterogeneously structured, and their heat conduction remains largely unknown. We present a model of quasi-physical networks to study heat conduction in such physical networks and focus on how the network structure influences the heat conduction coefficient κ. In this model,we for the first time consider each link as a 1D chain of atoms instead of a spring in the previous studies. We find that κ is different from link to link in the network, in contrast to the same constant in a regular 1D or 2D lattice. Moreover, for each specific link, we present a formula to show how κ depends on both its link length and the temperatures on its two ends.These findings show that the heat conduction in physical networks is not a straightforward extension of 1D and 2D lattices but seriously influenced by the network structure.     

Fabrication and properties of the meander nanowires based on ultra-thin Nb films

We report the fabrication and the study of superconducting properties of ultra-thin Nb superconducting meander nanowires, which can be used as superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors （SNSPDs）. The ultra-thin （about 7- nm thick） Nb films are patterned into micro-bridges, and 100-nm wide meander nanowires by using e-beam lithography （EBL）. The average transition temperature （Tc） of the nanowires is about 4.8 K and the critical current density jc is about 2.8 × 10^6 A/cm2. Superconducting characteristics of the specimens at different applied magnetic fields up to 8 T （parallel or perpendicular to the specimen） are systematically investigated. The normalized temperature t （= T/Tc） dependences of the parallel critical field （HcⅡ） for both the micro-bridge and the meander nanowire are almost the same, following the Ginzburg and Landau （GL） formalism for ultra-thin films. However, in perpendicular field and in the vicinity of Tc （〉 0.95Tc）, the critical field Hc⊥ of the nanowire exhibits a down-turn curvature nonlinear temperature dependence while the micro-bridge displays a linear temperature dependence. The nonlinear behavior of Hc⊥ in the nanowire is believed to be due to the fact that in the vicinity of Tc the coherence length becomes larger than the line width. Additionally, the localization of carriers in the nanowire could also contribute to the nonlinear behavior. The resistive transitions could be described by the phase-slip model for quasi-one-dimensional system. Moreover, the hysteresis in I-V curve of the meander nanowires can be illustrated by a simple model of localized normal hotspot maintained by Joule heating.     

Optical properties of liquid gallium-indium alloy

Beatte ellipsometry is used to study the refractive index and absorption coefficient of liquid gallium and of a gallium-30 at. % indium alloy for wavelengths of 0.4–2.0 μm at a temperature at 373 K. The dispersion rel curves of the photoconductivity and reflectivity are calculated from the experimental data. The measured data in the infrared are used to calculate the concentration of conduction electrons and the relaxation rate. It is found that when 30 at. % of indium is introduced into gallium, the concentration of charge carriers does not change, while the relaxation rate of the conduction electrons changes substantially, and this leads to a decrease in the electrical conductivity of the liquid alloy. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 68, 118–119 (July 1998)     

Luminescence Kinetic Model for Long-Afterglow Phosphor （Sr0.5 Ca1.5 ） MgSi2O7 ：Eu^2＋ ,Dy^3＋

A luminescence kinetic model for the green-emission long-afterglow phosphor (Sr0.5 Ca1.5)MgSi2O7:Eu^2 ,Dy^3 is proposed based on the studies of the thermoluminescence and isothermal decay curves at different temperatures.The isothermal decay curves at different temperatures meet the hyperbolic law and show to be dependent on temperature. Combined with the decay curves and the thermoluminescence curves, it can be concluded that the long afterglow of this material originates from the traps with energy distribution rather than a single level trap.Upon illumination with ultra-violet or visible light, the trap filling can proceed via excitation of 4f electrons to the 5d level of Eu^2 ions. After excitation, 5d electrons can be transferred to the trap related to Dy3 ions, and Eu^3 is left behind. Upon subsequent heating, the electron is released from this trap and recombines with Eu^3 to produce Eu^2 emission.     

Charge trapping behavior and its origin in Al_2O_3/SiC MIS system

Charge trapping behavior and its origin in Al2O3/SiC MOS structure are investigated by analyzing the capacitance–voltage(C–V) hysteresis and the chemical composition of the interface. The C–V hysteresis is measured as a function of oxide thickness series for an Al2O3/SiC MIS capacitor. The distribution of the trapped charges, extracted from the C–V curves, is found to mainly follow a sheet charge model rather than a bulk charge model. Therefore, the electron injection phenomenon is evaluated by using linear fitting. It is found that most of the trapped charges are not distributed exactly at the interface but are located in the bulk of the Al2O3 layers, especially close to the border. Furthermore, there is no detectable oxide interface layer in the x-ray photoelectron spectroscope(XPS) and transmission electron microscope(TEM)measurements. In addition, Rutherford back scattering(RBS) analysis shows that the width of the Al2O3/SiC interface is less than 1 nm. It could be concluded that the charge trapping sites in Al2O3/SiC structure might mainly originate from the border traps in Al2O3 film rather than the interface traps in the interfacial transition layer.     

Numerical analysis of the mechanism of carrier transport in organic light—emitting devces

The mechanism of carrier transport in organic light-emitting devices is numerically studied,on the basis of trappedcharge-limited conduction with an exponential trap distribution.The spatial distributions of the electrical potential,field and carrier density in the organic layer are calculated and analysed.Most carriers are distributed near the two electrodes,only a few of them are distributed over the remaining part of the orgaic layer,The carriers are accumulated near the electrodes,and the remaining region is almost exhausted of carriers.When the characteristic energy of trap distribution is greater than 0.3eV.it leads to a reduction of current density.In order to improve the device efficiency,organic materials with minor traps and low characteristic energy should be chosen.The diffusion current is the dominant component near the injection electrode.whereas the drift current dominates the remaining region of the organic layer.     

CdS/Si nanofilm heterojunctions based on amorphous silicon films:Fabrication,structures,and electrical properties

Shortening the distance between the depletion region and the electrodes to reduce the trapped probability of carriers is a useful approach for improving the performance of heterojunction.The CdS/Si nanofilm heterojunctions are fabricated by using the radio frequency magnetron sputtering method to deposit the amorphous silicon nanofilms and Cd S nanofilms on the ITO glass in turn.The relation of current density to applied voltage(I-V)shows the obvious rectification effect.From the analysis of the double logarithm I-V curve it follows that below~2.73 V the electron behaviors obey the Ohmic mechanism and above~2.73 V the electron behaviors conform to the space charge limited current(SCLC)mechanism.In the SCLC region part of the traps between the Fermi level and conduction band are occupied,and with the increase of voltage most of the traps are occupied.It is believed that Cd S/Si nanofilm heterojunction is a potential candidate in the field of nano electronic and optoelectronic devices by optimizing its fabricating procedure.     

Multi-carrier transport in ZrTe_5 film

Single-layered zirconium pentatelluride(ZrTe_5)has been predicted to be a large-gap two-dimensional(2D)topological insulator,which has attracted particular attention in topological phase transitions and potential device applications.Herein,we investigated the transport properties in Zras a function of thickness,ranging from a few nm to several hundred nm.We determined that the temperature of the resistivity anomaly peaktends to increase as the thickness decreases.Moreover,at a critical thickness of～40 nm,the dominating carriers in the films change from n-type to p-type.A comprehensive investigation of Shubnikov–de Hass(SdH)oscillations and Hall resistance at variable temperatures revealed a multi-carrier transport tendency in the thin films.We determined the carrier densities and mobilities of two majority carriers using the simplified two-carrier model.The electron carriers can be attributed to the Dirac band with a non-trivial Berry phaseπ,while the hole carriers may originate from surface chemical reaction or unintentional doping during the microfabrication process.It is necessary to encapsulate the Zrin an inert or vacuum environment to potentially achieve a substantial improvement in device quality.     

Scatter of fatigue data owing to material microscopic effects

A common phenomenon of fatigue test data reported in the open literature such as S-N curves exhibits the scatter of points for a group of same specimens under the same loading condition.The reason is well known that the microstructure is different from specimen to specimen even in the same group.Specifically,a fatigue failure process is a multi-scale problem so that a fatigue failure model should have the ability to take the microscopic effect into account.A physically-based trans-scale crack model is established and the analytical solution is obtained by coupling the micro-and macro-scale.Obtained is the trans-scale stress intensity factor as well as the trans-scale strain energy density(SED)factor.By taking this trans-scale SEDF as a key controlling parameter for the fatigue crack propagation from micro-to macro-scale,a trans-scale fatigue crack growth model is proposed in this work which can reflect the microscopic effect and scale transition in a fatigue process.The fatigue test data of aluminum alloy LY12 plate specimens is chosen to check the model.Two S-N experimental curves for cyclic stress ratio R=0.02 and R=0.6 are selected.The scattering test data points and two S-N curves for both R=0.02 and R=0.6 are exactly re-produced by application of the proposed model.It is demonstrated that the proposed model is able to reflect the multiscaling effect in a fatigue process.The result also shows that the microscopic effect has a pronounced influence on the fatigue life of specimens.     

Thermal activation of current in an inhomogeneous Schottky diode with a Gaussian distribution of barrier height

This paper investigates the thermal activation behaviour of current in an inhomogeneous Schottky diode with a Gaussian distribution of barrier height by numerical simulation. The analytical Gaussian distribution model predicted that the I--V--T curves may intersect with the possibility of the negative thermal activation of current, but may be contradictory to the thermionic emission mechanism in a Schottky diode. It shows that the cause of the unphysical phenomenon is related to the incorrect calculation of current across very low barriers. It proposes that junction voltage V_j, excluding the voltage drop across series resistance from the external bias, is a crucial parameter for correct calculation of the current across very low barriers. For correctly employing the thermionic emission model, V_j needs to be smaller than the barrier height Ф. With proper scheme of series resistance connection where the condition of V_j > Ф is guaranteed, I--V--T curves of an inhomogeneous Schottky diode with a Gaussian distribution of barrier height have been simulated, which demonstrate normal thermal activation. Although the calculated results exclude the intersecting possibility of I--V--T curves with an assumption of temperature-independent series resistance, it shows that the intersecting is possible when the series resistance has a positive temperature coefficient. Finally, the comparison of our numerical and analytical results indicates that the analytical Gaussian distribution model is valid and accurate in analysing I--V--T curves only for small barrier height inhomogeneity.     

Preparation and the optical nonlinearity of surface chemistry improved titania nanoparticles in poly(methyl methacrylate)-titania hybrid thin films

With 800-nm, 120-fs laser pulses, optical nonlinearity has been studied in a series of thin films containing poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), filled with surfactant acetylacetone (Acac) capped TiO₂ nanoparticles, which were synthesized by a simple in situ sol-gel/polymerization process, assisted by spin coating and multi-step baking. The resulting nanohybrid thin films have highly optical transparency and demonstrate a unique nonlinear optical (NLO) response. The highest nonlinear refractive index (n₂) is observed up to 6.55 × 10⁻² cm² GW⁻¹ in the nanohybrid thin film of 60 wt% Ti(OBu)₄ in PMMA, with a negligible two-photon absorption (TPA), as confirmed by the Z-scan technique. The titanium precursor loading combined with the nature of the capping molecules are used to influence the ability of nanoparticles to nonlinear optical response. Indeed, the ligands at the nanoparticles’ surface can not only control the extent of the interaction between the organic molecules and the embedded nanoparticles but also influence the optical nonlinearities of nanoparticles.     

Formation of defect structures in Au-polysilane interfaces probed by low energy positron beams

Formation and accumulation of defect structures at interfaces between polysilanes and vacuum-evaporated gold (Au) electrodes are discussed quantitatively by low energy positron annihilation spectroscopy. The size distribution of the defects at the interface is analyzed based on the values of ortho-positronium (o-Ps) lifetime (τ₃), and no effect of the evaporation process is observed in the polymer films. The intensity of o-Ps (I₃) indicates no considerable change before and after Au evaporation on dialkyl-substituted polysilanes, however, the values of I₃ is increased ∼20% in phenyl-substituted polysilane (PMPS) by the evaporation. The I₃ dependence on incident positron energy suggests the formation of the defects not only at an Au-PMPS interface but also in PMPS bulk phase as deep as 400 nm from the interface. Phenyl ring dissociation from the polymer backbone will play a significant role in the selective formation of the defects in PMPS. This is the first report on the direct measurement of defect structures at conjugated polymer-metal interface with non-destructive way, implying that electrode fabrication by vacuum evaporation affects the solid state structure of polymers.     

Combinatorial study of nanoparticle dispersion in surface-grafted macromolecular gradients

Surface-tethered assemblies of polymers with gradually varying molecular weight (MW) and/or grafting density are utilized to control the dispersion of nanosized particles. Using several case studies we show that these gradient polymer specimens represent ideal systems for combinatorial exploration of the parameters that control the distribution of the particles in surface-grafted layers. We demonstrate that the particle distribution is governed by the interplay between the particle size and the grafting density and molecular weight of the polymer brush.     

Electrical Conductivity and Current--Voltage Characteristics of Individual Conducting Polymer PEDOT Nanowires

We report the current-voltage （Ⅰ-Ⅴ） characteristics and electrical conductivity of individual template-synthesized poly（3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene） （PEDOT） nanowires （190 ± 6 nm in diameter and δRT = 11.2 ± 2Ω^-1 cm^-1） over a wide temperature range from 300 to 10K. With lowering temperature, the Ⅰ - Ⅴ characteristics become nonlinear around 50K, and a clear Coulomb gap-like structure appears in the differential conductance （dI/dV） spectra. The temperature dependence of the resistance below 70 K follows In R α T^-1/2, which can be interpreted as Efros-Shklovskii hopping conduction in the presence of a Coulomb gap. In addition, the influences of measurement methods such as the applied bias voltage magnitude, the two-probe and four-probe techniques used in the resistance measurements are also reported and discussed.     

The distribution of counterions around synthetic rod-like polyelectrolytes in solution

An investigation of the radial distribution of the counterions of a synthetic rodlike polyelectrolyte in aqueous solution is presented. The cationic polyelectrolyte used here has a poly(p-phenylene) backbone. For typical molecular weights the macroion comprises approximately one persistence length (ca. 20 nm) and effects of finite stiffness may be disregarded. Each repeating unit bears four charges which leads to a charge parameter of ξ = 6.65. The distribution of the iodide counterions around this highly charged macroion is studied by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) in dilute aqueous solution. These investigations are supplemented by measurements using anomalous small-angle X-ray scattering (ASAXS) that furnishes additional information about the contrast of the macroion. Data taken at high scattering angles give indication for contributions caused by the longitudinal fluctuations of the counterions. After correction for this effect the experimental results are compared to intensities calculated by use of the Poisson-Boltzmann (PB)-cell model. It is found that the PB-cell model describes the corrected data at intermediate and high scattering angles. Deviations at low scattering angle are attributed to the mutual interaction of the rod-like polyelectrolyte that can be described in terms of an effective structure factor. Data taken at lowest scattering angles point to a weak attraction between the rod-like macroions. Received: 27 July 2001 and Received in final form 27 March 2002     

Magnetic phase diagram of the Ca1−xMnxO systems

The magnetic properties of the Ca_1−xMn_xO systems in the range 0?x?1 have been studied by mean field theory and high-temperature series expansions (HTSEs). By using the first theory, we have evaluated the nearest neighbour and the next-neighbour super-exchange interaction J₁(x) and J₂(x) respectively, in the range 0.45?x?1. The corresponding classical exchange energy for magnetic structure is obtained for the Ca_1−xMn_xO systems. The HTSEs combined with the Padé approximants (PA) method is applied to the Ca_1−xMn_xO systems; we have obtained the magnetic phase diagrams (TN or TSG versus dilution x) in the range 0?x?1. The obtained theoretical results are in agreement with experimental ones obtained by magnetic measurements. The critical exponents associated with the magnetic susceptibility (γ) and the correlation lengths (ν) are deduced in the range 0?x?1.     

Tunnelling process between a semiconductor or a metal and a polymer

The tunnelling lifetime of an electron lying in a p-type orbital localised at a given distance from a semiconductor or a metal is calculated by using Bardeen's method. It is then shown that even in the absence of broad bands, the hole injection process from semiconductors and metals into polymers should follow a Fowler-Nordheim dependence, provided that the current is not bulk-limited. In the semiconductor case, the current can be expressed by a fully analytical formula, and by an approximate one in the case of a metal. It is demonstrated that the effective Fowler-Nordheim barrier is not the mere difference between the metal work function or the semiconductor electron affinity and the HOMO level of the polymer, but a simple function of both levels. Received 6 April 2001 and Received in final form 29 May 2001     

Effective surface modification by stimuli-responsive polymers onto the magnetite nanoparticles by layer-by-layer method

Effective surface modification of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-based temperature-responsive polymers onto the magnetite nanoparticles was investigated. To achieve this purpose, layer-by-layer method was applied. This technique is based on sequential chemical reactions between the temperature-responsive polymers with carboxyl groups and other another polymers with amino groups. After the polyion complex formation, carbodiimide chemistry was used to cross-link both the functional polymers. As a result, we could confirm the successful preparation using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and the dispersion measurement of the modified magnetite nanoparticles. The thickness was tunable be the number of the layer-by layer reaction. As expected, the magnetite nanoparticles show the very sensitive temperature-responsive behavior.     

Effect of counterions on the swelling of spherical polyelectrolyte brushes

We investigate the swelling of colloidal spherical polyelectrolyte brushes in the presence of different counterions. The colloidal particles consist of a solid poly(styrene) core of ca. 100 nm diameter onto which linear polyelectrolyte chains are chemically grafted. Two types of polyelectrolyte chains have been used here: The cationic polyelectrolyte poly(2-(acryloyl)ethyltrimethylammonium chloride)) (PATAC) and the anionic poly(styrenesulfonate) (PSS). Both systems are dispersed in water and the degree of swelling of the surface layer is studied by dynamic light scattering. Adding more and more salt leads to a strong shrinking of the surface layer as expected for polyelectrolyte brushes. It is shown that data obtained at low ionic strength can be collapsed on suitable master curves for monovalent and divalent counterions, respectively. For some ions, however, high salt concentrations may lead to a re-swelling of the brush layer in case of the cationic systems. This points to specific interactions of the counterions with the PATAC chains. This strong specific interaction between the counterions and the attached polyelectrolyte may even lead to flocculation of the particles at intermediate salt concentration. Surprisingly, for iodide and magnesium counterions the solubility increases again if the salt concentration is raised to 1 mol/l. Hence, specific interaction leads to salting-out effects as well as to salting-in effects for these colloidal particles. All specific effects seen at high concentrations of added salt can be explained by the increase of the reduced excluded-volume parameter which is due to the adsorption of salt ions.     

Plasma polymerization of styrene with carbon dioxide under glow discharge conditions

Plasma polymerization gains increasing interest for the deposition of films with functional properties suitable for a wide range of modern applications on account of its advantageous features. In this study, carbon dioxide (CO₂) was chosen as carrier gas at flow rates of 30 and 60 sccm, respectively and styrene vapor was used as the monomer to prepare polystyrene films on glass substrates. The structure and composition of the plasma polymerized films were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and compared with the film prepared by conventional thermal polymerization. The morphology information of the films was provided by optical microscopy. XPS and FT-IR results reveal that chemical composition of the plasma polymerized films is different from that of the thermal polymerized film and that oxygen content in the plasma polymerized films increases with the flow rate of CO₂. Furthermore, the presence of oxygen-containing groups on the surface of plasma polymerized polystyrene films is confirmed. It is also found that the composition and morphology of the plasma polymerized films are controlled by the flow rate of CO₂.