Synchrotron x-ray study of the smectic layer directional instability

We have investigated the phenomenon of field-induced smectic layer instability, as monitored by synchrotron x-ray scattering. This instability means that, upon application of time-asymmetric electric fields to chiral smectics, the layer direction seems to "rotate" locally around an axis given by the direction of the applied field. For moderate values of field amplitude and asymmetry, domains with a favored layer inclination grow at the expense of unfavored ones, while larger fields and asymmetries generally lead to a chaotic flow behavior. At moderate amplitudes, we have followed the process of the horizontal layer folding (or horizontal chevron domain formation) and the smectic C* layer reorientation of ferroelectric liquid crystals by applying symmetric and asymmetric wave forms, respectively, and performing time resolved x-ray measurements. The studies unambiguously show the formation of a horizontal (in-plane, i.e., in a plane parallel to the cell substrates) chevron domain structure from a nonoriented sample by application of a symmetric electric field of sufficient amplitude. It is then demonstrated that a transition from the horizontal chevron domain structure to an in-plane uniform smectic layer direction takes place on application of asymmetric electric wave forms. Reversal of the field asymmetry reverses the inclination direction and selects the other layer normal direction as the uniform end state. The in-plane smectic layer reorientation process is followed here as it evolves, and analyzed directly by means of x-ray scattering.     

Stepwise behavior of vortex-lattice melting transition in tilted magnetic fields in single crystals of Bi(2)Sr(2)CaCu(2)O(8 + delta)

The vortex-lattice melting transition in Bi(2)Sr(2)CaCu(2)O(8 + delta) single crystals was studied using in-plane resistivity measurements in magnetic fields tilted away from the c axis to the ab plane. In order to avoid the surface barrier effect which hinders the melting transition in the conventional transport measurements, we used the Corbino geometry of electric contacts. The complete H(c) - H(ab) phase diagram of the melting transition in Bi(2)Sr(2)CaCu(2)O(8 + delta) is obtained for the first time. The c-axis melting field component H(c)(melt) exhibits the novel, stepwise dependence on the in-plane magnetic fields H(ab) which is discussed on the basis of the crossing vortex-lattice structure. The peculiar resistance behavior observed near the ab plane suggests the change of phase transition character from first to second order.     

Acoustic phonons in the transition-metal dichalcogenide layer compound,TiSe2

The frequencies of acoustic phonons have been measured in the layer-type substance TiSe₂ by neutron inelastic scattering techniques. As expected from the two-dimensional nature of such substances the in-plane longitudinal sound velocity is much larger than that perpendicular to the layer, while the transverse mode propagating in the layer but polarised perpendicular to the layer exhibits an upwards curvature.     

Effects of interlayer coupling on the irreversibility lines of NbN/AlN superconducting multilayers

We have studied the temperature dependence of the in-plane resistivity of NbN/AlN multilayer samples with varying insulating layer thickness in magnetic fields up to 7 T parallel and perpendicular to the films. The upper critical field shows a crossover from 2D to 3D behavior in parallel fields. The irreversibility lines have the form (1-T/T(c))(alpha), where alpha varies from 4 / 3 to 2 with increasing anisotropy. The results are consistent with simultaneous melting and decoupling transitions for the low anisotropy sample, and with melting of decoupled pancakes in the superconducting layers for higher anisotropy samples.     

Collective magnetic response of inhomogeneous nanoisland FeNi films around the percolation transition

By using superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometry, we investigated anisotropic high-field (H ? 7T) low-temperature (10 K) magnetization response of inhomogeneous nanoisland FeNi films grown by rf sputtering deposition on Sitall (TiO₂) glass substrates. In the grown FeNi films, the FeNi layer nominal thickness varied from 0.6 to 2.5 nm, across the percolation transition at the d _c ? 1.8 nm. We discovered that, beyond conventional spin-magnetism of Fe₂₁Ni₇₉ permalloy, the extracted out-of-plane magnetization response of the nanoisland FeNi films is not saturated in the range of investigated magnetic fields and exhibits paramagnetic-like behavior. We found that the anomalous out-of-plane magnetization response exhibits an escalating slope with increase in the nominal film thickness from 0.6 to 1.1 nm, however, it decreases with further increase in the film thickness, and then practically vanishes on approaching the FeNi film percolation threshold. At the same time, the in-plane response demonstrates saturation behavior above 1.5–2T, competing with anomalously large diamagnetic-like response, which becomes pronounced at high magnetic fields. It is possible that the supported-metal interaction leads to the creation of a thin charge-transfer (CT) layer and a Schottky barrier at the FeNi film/Sitall (TiO₂) interface. Then, in the system with nanoscale circular domains, the observed anomalous paramagnetic-like magnetization response can be associated with a large orbital moment of the localized electrons. In addition, the inhomogeneous nanoisland FeNi films can possess spontaneous ordering of toroidal moments, which can be either of orbital or spin origin. The system with toroidal inhomogeneity can lead to anomalously strong diamagnetic-like response. The observed magnetization response is determined by the interplay between the paramagnetic- and diamagnetic-like contributions.     

Continuous spin-reorientation phase transition in the surface region of an inhomogeneous magnetic film

A continuous spin-reorientation transition from a uniform magnetic state with the in-plane orientation of the moments of all atomic layers to a nonuniform canted state in the surface region is considered. This transition was discovered in experiments on the divergence of magnetic susceptibility in a perpendicular magnetic field at a temperature of about 240 K, which is lower than the Curie point of gadolinium, equal to 292.5 K. These experiments were carried out on an ultrathin iron magnetic film deposited on the (0001) surface of a thin gadolinium film. It is shown that, in the vicinity of the spin-reorientation transition, the thermodynamic potential has a form characteristic of the Landau theory of second-order phase transitions. The orientation angle of the moment of the surface atomic layer with respect to the plane of the film, which is chosen as an order parameter, exhibits anomalous behavior and increases with temperature. Expressions are derived for the magnetic susceptibility of each atomic layer. It is shown that, in the vicinity of the transition, the irregular part of the magnetic susceptibility of each atomic layer exhibits behavior characteristic of the susceptibility in the Landau theory: it is less by a factor of two in the low-symmetry phase and diverges at the transition point. The regular part of the magnetic susceptibility of each atomic layer makes an additional contribution to the asymmetry of the total susceptibility in the vicinity of the transition point; this result follows from the fact that the inhomogeneous magnetic system considered is semi-infinite.     

In-plane anisotropy of upper critical field in Sr2RuO4

We investigated the behavior of the spin-triplet superconductor Sr2RuO4 ( T(c) approximately 1.5 K) under the magnetic fields parallel to the quasi-two-dimensional plane. The upper critical field H(c2) exhibits a clear fourfold anisotropy of about 3% at 0.35 K. Furthermore, we detected an additional transition feature below H(c2) in both the ac susceptibility and the specific heat. These second-transition features as well as the pronounced in-plane H(c2) anisotropy disappear above 0.8 K or under intentional field misalignment of less than 1 degrees. Most of these characteristics are consistent with the predicted emergence of the second superconducting phase with a line-node gap.     

Magnetization Configuration in Magnetic Trilayer System with Out-of-Plane Component Defect

The equilibrium magnetization configuration, the inducing field and the coercive field in trilayer magnetic materials having an out-of-plane anisotropy defect interlayer between two in-plane anisotropy layers are discussed by both analytical and numerical calculations based on a micromagnet approach. It is shown that the above physical parameters strongly depend on the defect layer such as its thickness and exchange stiffness etc., as well as on the applied fields. It is found that there is a special thickness of defect layer, in which the inducing effect begin to occur, and the critical behavior of inducing field in the vicinity of the special thickness is linearly characterized. Particularly, the magnetic hysteresis shows typical soft hysteresis shape, even though the host material is composed of hard magnets, and the coercivity increases with increasing the thickness of the interlayer.     

量子阱在沿其平面方向偏振太赫兹波驱动下子带间光吸收

利用半导体布洛赫方程,讨论了量子阱在沿其平面方向偏振的太赫兹场驱动下的光学吸收谱。研究结果揭示了半导体量子阱在沿平面方向偏振的强太赫兹场驱动下吸收谱的一些新奇效应,如主吸收的太赫兹边带、动态弗兰兹-凯尔迪什效应。太赫兹场的频率及其相位对探测场吸收谱的影响也很显著。     

Chirality of a forming spin spring and remagnetization features of a bilayer ferromagnetic system

Distribution of a magnetic moment in an exchange-coupled bilayer Fe/SmCo epitaxial structure grown on a (110) MgO substrate is visualized by the magnetooptic indicator film technique. The direction and the magnitude of the effective magnetization in this structure are determined both under external magnetic fields of variable magnitude and direction and after the removal of these fields. It is shown that such a heterostructure is remagnetized by a nonuniform rotation of a magnetic moment both along the thickness of a sample and in its plane. A field antiparallel to the axis of unidirectional anisotropy gives rise to spin springs with opposite chiralities in different regions of the magnetically soft ferromagnetic layer. The contributions of these springs to the net magnetization cancel out, thus decreasing the averaged magnetic moment and the remanent magnetization without their rotation. When the external field deviates from the easy axis, the balance is violated and the sample exhibits a quasi-uniform rotation of the magnetic moment. Asymmetry in the rotation of the magnetic moment is observed under the reversal of the field as well as under repeated remagnetization cycles. It is established that a monochiral spin spring is also formed in a rotating in-plane magnetic field when the magnitude of the field exceeds the critical value. Possible mechanisms of remagnetization in this system are discussed with regard to the original disordered orientation of magnetization of the magnetically soft layer with respect to the easy axis, which is defined by the variance of unidirectional anisotropy axes of this layer on the interface.     

Anisotropic spin relaxation in graphene

Spin relaxation in graphene is investigated in electrical graphene spin valve devices in the nonlocal geometry. Ferromagnetic electrodes with in-plane magnetizations inject spins parallel to the graphene layer. They are subject to Hanle spin precession under a magnetic field B applied perpendicular to the graphene layer. Fields above 1.5 T force the magnetization direction of the ferromagnetic contacts to align to the field, allowing injection of spins perpendicular to the graphene plane. A comparison of the spin signals at B=0 and B=2 T shows a 20% decrease in spin relaxation time for spins perpendicular to the graphene layer compared to spins parallel to the layer. We analyze the results in terms of the different strengths of the spin-orbit effective fields in the in-plane and out-of-plane directions and discuss the role of the Elliott-Yafet and Dyakonov-Perel mechanisms for spin relaxation.     

Magnetoresistance measurements of graphene at the charge neutrality point

We report on transport measurements of the insulating state that forms at the charge neutrality point of graphene in a magnetic field. Using both conventional two-terminal measurements, sensitive to bulk and edge conductance, and Corbino measurements, sensitive only to the bulk conductance, we observed a vanishing conductance with increasing magnetic fields. By examining the resistance changes of this insulating state with varying perpendicular and in-plane fields, we probe the spin-active components of the excitations in total fields of up to 45?T. Our results indicate that the ν=0 quantum Hall state in single layer graphene is not spin-polarized.     

Effect of uniaxial strain on the structural and magnetic phase transitions in BaFe2As2

We report neutron scattering experiments probing the influence of uniaxial strain on both the magnetic and structural order parameters in the parent iron pnictide compound, BaFe2As2. Our data show that modest strain fields along the in-plane orthorhombic b axis can affect significant changes in phase behavior simultaneous to the removal of structural twinning effects. As a result, we demonstrate in BaFe2As2 samples detwinned via uniaxial strain that the in-plane C4 symmetry is broken by both the structural lattice distortion and long-range spin ordering at temperatures far above the nominal (strain-free) phase transition temperatures. Surprising changes in the magnetic order parameter of this system under relatively small strain fields also suggest the inherent presence of magnetic domains fluctuating above the strain-free ordering temperature in this material.     

Voltage-Driven Adaptive Spintronic Neuron for Energy-Efficient Neuromorphic Computing

A spintronics neuron device based on voltage-induced strain is proposed.The stochastic switching behavior,which can mimic the firing behavior of neurons,is obtained by using two voltage signals to control the in-plane magnetization of a free layer of magneto-tunneling junction.One voltage signal is used as the input,and the other voltage signal can be used to tune the activation function(Sigmoid-like) of spin neurons.Therefore,this voltage-driven tunable spin neuron does not necessarily use energy-inefficient Oersted fields and spin-polarized current.Moreover,a voltage-control reading operation is presented,which can achieve the transition of activation function from Sigmoid-like to Re LU-like.A three-layer artificial neural network based on the voltage-driven spin neurons is constructed to recognize the handwritten digits from the MNIST dataset.For the MNIST handwritten dataset,the design achieves 97.75% recognition accuracy.The present results indicate that the voltage-driven adaptive spintronic neuron has the potential to realize energy-efficient well-adapted neuromorphic computing.     

Anisotropic property in interacting quantum wires embedded in (110) plane

We investigate the theoretically combined effect of spin-orbit interactions and Coulomb interaction on the ground state and transport property of a quantum wire oriented along different crystallographic directions in the (110) plane. We find that the electron’s ground state exhibits phase transition among spin density wave, charge density wave, singlet superconductivity and metamagnetism, which can be controlled by changing the crystallographic orientation, the strengths of the spin-orbit interactions and the Coulomb interaction. The ac conductance exhibits a significant anisotropic behavior and a out-of-plane spin polarization which can be tuned by an in-plane electric field.     

PEMFC气体扩散层内各向异性传递过程数值模拟

质子交换膜燃料电池(PEMFC)气体扩散层(GDL)具有各向异性属性,常规数值模拟对GDL采取均匀模型,忽略了各向异性传递过程对PEMFC性能的影响。本文发展了一个三维非等温单相模型,在GDL平面内和GDL厚度方向采用不同的传递系数,模拟了各向异性传递系数对PEMFC整体和局部性能的影响。在本文计算条件下,GDL各向异性和均匀模型模拟得到的电池极化曲线几乎完全相同,但电池电流密度分布和温度分布等局部特性存在很大差异。该结果进一步证明了不能单独用极化曲线来验证电池数学模型的正确性。     

Importance of in-plane anisotropy in the quasi-two-dimensional antiferromagnet BaNi2V2O8

The phase diagram of the quasi-two-dimensional antiferromagnet BaNi(2)V(2)O(8) is studied by specific heat, thermal expansion, magnetostriction, and magnetization for magnetic fields applied perpendicular to c. At micro(o)H* approximately 1.5 T, a crossover to a high-field state, where T(N)(H) increases linearly, arises from a competition of intrinsic and field-induced in-plane anisotropies. The pressure dependences of T(N) and H* are interpreted using the picture of a pressure-induced in-plane anisotropy. Even at zero field and ambient pressure, in-plane anisotropy cannot be neglected, which implies deviations from pure Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless behavior.     

Optical out-of-plane spin polarization and charge conductivities in spin-orbit-coupled systems in the presence of an in-plane magnetic field

Out-of-plane spin and charge responses to the terahertz field for a clean two-dimensional electron gas with a Rashba spin-orbit interaction in the presence of an in-plane magnetic field are studied. We show that the characteristic optical spectral behavior is remarkably different from that of the system in the absence of in-plane magnetic fields. It is found that the optical spin polarization normal to the plane is nonzero even for this clean system, in sharp contrast to the static case. Due to the combined effect of spin-orbit coupling and in-plane magnetic field, both diagonal and off-diagonal components of optical charge conductivity tensor are nonvanishing. It is indicated that one can control the spin polarization and the optical current by adjusting the optical frequency. In addition, the out-of-plane spin polarization and conductivities strongly rely on the direction of the external magnetic field. Nevertheless, they meet different angle-dependent relations. This dynamical out-of-plane spin polarization could be measured by the time-resolved Kerr rotation technique.     

Isotropic ferromagnetic resonance field shift in as-prepared permalloy/FeMn bilayers

Exchange-coupled wedged-permalloy (Py)/FeMn bilayers are studied by ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) technique at room temperature. In comparison, Py single layer films were also made. For Py single layer films and Py/FeMn bilayers, only one uniform resonance peak was observed at high magnetic fields, indicating no interfacial diffusion at the Py/FeMn and Py/Cu interfaces. Negative isotropic in-plane resonance field does exist in Py/FeMn bilayers and its magnitude increases with decreasing Py layer thickness. In order to explain above phenomena, interfacial perpendicular anisotropy must be considered simultaneously, in addition to irreversible rotation of spins in FeMn layers. This is because the perpendicular resonance field of the bilayers is larger than that of Py single layer films.     

Ferroelectric domain phenomena and microdomain engineering in BaMgF4 single crystal

Ferroelectric domain phenomena and periodic domain patterning of orthorhombic as-grown BaMgF₄ single crystal were investigated in the present study. An isolated ferroelectric domain shows a hexagonal form and exhibits a high domain-wall anisotropy. Periodic domain patterning was demonstrated on the polar surface by a periodic macropoling technique. In-plane polarization switching-induced microdomain patterning was tailored by the lateral component of the inhomogeneous electric field through a biased atomic force microscope tip. Such in-plane domain switching behavior exhibits potential promise for periodic domain engineered phonon devices. PACS 77.80.Dj; 77.80.Fm; 07.79.Lh