GDR excitation by isoscalar probes: a means to determine the neutron-skin thickness

Inelastic scattering of α-particles can excite the isovector giant dipole resonance (GDR) via the Coulomb interaction. In spite of their isoscalar nature α-particles can also excite the GDR via the nuclear interaction due to the difference in the radii of the neutron and proton density distributions. The absolute cross section to excite the GDR in inelastic α-scattering is therefore a measure of this radial difference, the so-called neutron-skin thickness. Furthermore, since the GDR strength distribution has a centroid energy which depends on the nuclear radius, these studies, when performed in deformed nuclei, can measure the neutron-skin thickness along both the short and the long axes independently. Results of an experiment performed at KVI atE _α=120 MeV and small scattering angles, including 0°, to determine the neutron-skin thickness in²⁰⁸Pb,¹¹⁶Sn,¹²⁴Sn, and the deformed¹⁵⁰Nd are discussed and compared to earlier measurements and theoretical predictions. Future improvements in the experimental set-up are also discussed.     

Calculation of nucleon densities in calcium,nickel, and molybdenum isotopes on the basis of the dispersive optical model

The radial distributions of proton and neutron densities in the even–even isotopes ^40?70Cа and ^48?78Ni and the analogous distributions of neutron densities in the even–even isotopes ^92?138Mo were calculated on the basis of the mean-fieldmodel involving a dispersive optical potential. The respective root-mean-square radii and neutron-skin thicknesses were determined for the nuclei under study. In N > 40 calcium isotopes, the calculated neutron root-mean-square radius exhibits a fast growth with increasing N, and this is consistent with the prediction of the neutron-halo structure in calcium isotopes near the neutron drip line.     

Photon echoes in single- and trilayer semiconductor films of different nanosized thicknesses and their properties

A femtosecond stimulated photon echo is detected for the first time in thin semiconductor films with thicknesses of 100, 800, and 2400 nm. It is established that relaxation time T ₁ varies with ZnO film thickness, taking values of 0.96, 2.96, and 4.312 ps at thicknesses of 2400, 800, and 100 nm, respectively. For ZnO/Si⁺/Si^? trilayer films, the relaxation time is T ₁ = 12.73 ps.     

Oxidation of etched silicon in air at room temperature; Measurements with ultrasoft X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ESCA) and neutron activation analysis

The oxide growth rate for p-type Si〈100〉 crystals after HF etching in air at room temperature was measured for exposures betwen 3 min and ≈ 10³ min after etching. The oxide thicknesses were determined with traditional Al Kα excited XPS and two nontraditional methods — especially suited for very thin layers: Zr Mζ excited XPS and neutron activation analysis (NAA). The oxide thicknesses (mainly SiO_x with x < 2) lie between 0.1 and 0.55 nm with a logarithmic growth rate of ≈ 0.2 nm/decade.     

On the microwave absorption of superconducting Nb3Sn

Measurements ofdc-resistance, surface resistance at 9.6 GHz and x-ray diffraction were made on Nb₃Sn layers having thicknesses between 4 and 7 μ. Samples were prepared by condensing tin on niobium foil which was then annealed at high temperature. This process was repeated, in some cases as many as twenty times. The best samples showed steep transition curves close to 18.2 K. X-ray measurements indicated a high degree of stoechiometry. The surface resistance decreased from 5 · 10^?2Ω atT _c to a residual value of 3 · 10^?4 Ω. This relatively high value can be due to minor deviations from stoechiometry or possibly to similar mechanisms as proposed for pure elements.     

The influence of AlN interlayers on the microstructural and electrical properties of p-type AlGaN/GaN superlattices grown on GaN/sapphire templates

AlN with different thicknesses were grown as interlayers (ILs) between GaN and p-type Al_0.15Ga_0.85N/GaN superlattices (SLs) by metal organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE). It was found that the edge-type threading dislocation density (TDD) increased gradually from the minimum of 2.5×10⁹?cm^?2 without AlN IL to the maximum of 1×10¹⁰?cm^?2 at an AlN thickness of 20 nm, while the screw-type TDD remained almost unchanged due to the interface-related TD suppression and regeneration mechanism. We obtained that the edge-type dislocations acted as acceptors in p-type Al _x Ga_1?x N/GaN SLs, through the comparison of the edge-type TDD and hole concentration with different thicknesses of AlN IL. The Mg activation energy was significantly decreased from 153 to 70?meV with a?10-nm AlN IL, which was attributed to the strain modulation between AlGaN barrier and GaN well. The large activation efficiency, together with the TDs, led to the enhanced hole concentration. The variation trend of Hall mobility was also observed, which originated from the scattering at TDs.     

Electron-phonon interaction near a normal metal-superconductor boundary

Electron tunneling has been used to study the electron-phonon interaction in PbCd proximity effect samples by injecting electrons into Pb side. For Pb thicknesses ranging from 950 to 330 Å, the phonon structure occurs at the same energy as bulk Pb and the magnitude of the structure scales as T_c². The shape of the phonon spectral function, α²F(ω), remains essentially unchanged even though T_c has been depressed by 35%.     

Investigation of the dependence of the e<Subscript>0</Subscript>-electron yield on the radioactive decay location in <Superscript>64</Superscript>Cu sources

The yields of near-zero-energy e₀ electrons from sources of different thickness in the ⁶⁴Cu decay have been measured. At small thicknesses of the ⁶⁴Cu source, the e₀-electron yield Y _e sharply increases and is qualitatively described by the dependence Y _e ～ r ^?2, where r is the distance from the point of charge formation to the source surface.     

Spin-wave resonance in Co/Pd magnetic multilayers and NiFe/Cu/NiFe three-layered films

The spectrum of standing spin waves has been detected by the ferromagnetic resonance method in NiFe(740 Å)/Cu/NiFe(740 Å) three-layered film structure in the perpendicular configuration for the copper thickness d _Cu ≤ 30 Å. At thicknesses d _Cu > 30 Å, the resonance absorption curve is a superposition of two spinwave resonance spectra from individual ferromagnetic NiFe layers. For Co/Pd multilayer films, united spinwave responance spectra have also been observed at thicknesses of the paramagnetic palladium layer up to d _Pd < 30 Å. The partial exchange stiffness has been calculated for a spin wave propagating across the Pd layer (A _Pd = 0.1 × 10^?6 erg/cm). This value is always positive (up to the critical thickness of the palladium interlayer d _Pd < d _c) or equal to zero (d _Pd > d _c).     

Ionic conductivity of epitactic MBE-grown BaF2 films

We studied parallel conductivities of pure BaF₂ films with thicknesses ranging from 35 to 300 nm, epitaxially grown on Al₂O₃(0 1 2) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy technique. The overall conductivities of the films are found to increase with decreasing thickness. The detailed investigation of the overall conductance as a function of the thickness permits the deconvolution of bulk and boundary effects, the latter being attributed to distinct space charge effects in the interface between BaF₂ film and Al₂O₃ substrate. The (extrinsic) Debye length (λ) is estimated to be about 8 nm at T=593 K, which corresponds to an impurity content of 10¹⁸/cm³ (singly ionized dopant assumed). This is consistent with the fact that we observed a constant boundary contribution for all investigated films (film thickness >4λ). It is also consistent with the Debye length observed in a previous report on CaF₂/BaF₂ heterolayers fabricated by the same technique, in which the low temperature enhancement was also attributed to space charges in BaF₂ [Nature 408 (2000) 946]. Only at low temperatures (below 370 °C), the conductance seems to be influenced by strain effect.     

Large angle scattering of α-particles from 32S

The elastic scattering of α-particles from ³²S was studied in the incident energy range between 4 and 8.9 MeV. In order to ascertain whether quasi-molecular states exist, as predicted in the α-³²S system, excitation functions were measured, and angular distribution measurements were carried out using targets with different thicknesses in the angular range from θ_lab = 30° to 175° at each extreme in the excitation functions. The analysis of the angular distribution data at back angles was performed using the Regge-pole method. A resonance with J = 3 was observed at 7.7 MeV in the α-³²S system. Evidence was also found for both a broad resonance which can be characterized by an angular momentum J = 1, and for a narrow J = 2 resonance.     

Sound insulation property of Al–Si closed-cell aluminum foam sandwich panels

Al–Si closed-cell aluminum foam sandwich panels (1240 mm × 1100 mm) of different thicknesses and different densities were prepared by molten body transitional foaming process in Northeastern University. The experiments were carried out to investigate the sound insulation property of Al–Si closed-cell aluminum foam sandwich panels of different thicknesses and different densities under different frequencies (100–4000 Hz). Results show that sound reduction index (R) is small under low frequencies, large under high frequencies; thickness affects the sound insulation property of material obviously: when the thicknesses of Al–Si closed-cell aluminum foam sandwich panels are 12, 22, and 32 mm, the corresponding weighted sound reduction indices (R_W) are 26.3, 32.2, and 34.6 dB, respectively, the rising trend tempered; the increase of density of Al–Si closed-cell aluminum foam can also increase the sound insulation property: when the densities of aluminum foam are 0.31, 0.51, and 0.67 g/cm³, the corresponding weighted sound reduction indices (R_W) are 28.9, 34.3, and 34.6 dB, the increasing value mitigating.     

Intrinsic superconducting transport properties of ultra-thin Fe<Subscript>1+<Emphasis Type="Italic">y</Emphasis></Subscript>Te<Subscript>0.6</Subscript>Se<Subscript>0.4</Subscript> microbridges

We investigated the superconducting properties of Fe_1+y Te_0.6Se_0.4 single-crystalline microbridges with a width of 4 μm and thicknesses ranging from 20.8 to 136.2 nm. The temperature-dependent in-plane resistance of the bridges exhibited a type of metal-insulator transition in the normal state. The critical current density (J _c) of the microbridge with a thickness of 136.2 nm was 82.3 kA/cm² at 3K and reached 105 kA/cm² after extrapolation to T = 0 K. The current versus voltage characteristics of the microbridges showed a Josephson-like behavior with an obvious hysteresis. These results demonstrate the potential application of ultra-thin Fe-based microbridges in superconducting electronic devices such as bolometric detectors.     

Influence of thickness on the domain structure of barium-strontium-titanate films on MgO substrates

Ba_0.8Sr_0.2TiO₃/MgO(001) heterostructures are studied using atomic-force spectroscopy in several modes (the contact and semicontact modes and that of piezoelectric response) to obtain information on the relief and the distribution of the electric potential on the surface. Based on data obtained for films with different thicknesses, the correlation between the domain sizes and orientations and the film thickness and the surface relief is established. It is shown that the films with thicknesses less than 36 nm contain only aa domains whose dimensions decrease with increasing film thickness. The films with thicknesses greater than 36 nm contain only c domains whose dimensions increase with increasing film thickness.     

Extraction of density-of-states in amorphous InGaZnO thin-film transistors from temperature stress studies

The instability of amorphous InGaZnO (a-IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) with different active layer thicknesses under temperature stress has been investigated through using the density-of-states (DOS). Interestingly, the a-IGZO TFT with 22 nm active layer thickness showed a better stability than the others, which was observed from the decrease of interfacial and semiconductor bulk trap densities. The DOS was calculated based on the experimentally-obtained activation energy (E_A), which can explain the experimental observations. We developed the high-performance Al₂O₃ TFT with 22 nm IGZO channel layer (a high mobility of 7.4 cm²/V, a small threshold voltage of 2.8 V, a high I_on/I_off 1.8 × 10⁷, and a small SS of 0.16 V/dec), which can be used as driving devices in the next-generation flat panel displays.     

Radiative transfer in the lyman α spectral line with self-consistent electron velocity distribution

Radiative transfer in the Ly α spectral line in a stationary, plane-parallel plasma of constant temperature and electron density is studied using model H-atoms with only two bound levels and a continuum. For this purpose, the equation of radiative transfer is solved simultaneously with the steady-state equations of the atomic levels and the kinetic equation of the electrons. The numerical results indicate that, in hydrogen plasmas with temperatures T ? 12,000°K and electron densities n_e ? 10¹⁶cm^?3, the high-energy tail of the electron velocity distribution deviates from a Maxwell distribution, even in cases of rather large optical thicknesses and that therefore the deviations from local thermodynamic equilibrium are increased compared with estimates based on the assumption of a Maxwellian electron velocity distribution. This qualitative conclusion should hold in spite of some deficiencies of the model which are discussed.     

Phase separation in strained cation- and anion-deficient Nd0.52Sr0.48MnO3 films

The magnetic and transport properties of anion- and cation-deficient Nd_0.52Sr_0.48MnO₃ films with different thicknesses, as well as of two films from this system grown on different SrTiO₃ and LaAlO₃ substrates, are studied. Below Curie temperature T _C, the films with different thicknesses exhibit phase separation: they represent magnetic clusters (drops) embedded in a nonconducting paramagnetic (at T > T _N, where T _N is the Néel temperature) or antiferromagnetic (T < T _N) matrix. The temperature dependences of the resistivity of the films are well described in terms of the polaron mechanism of conduction. In external magnetic field H = 0.01 T, the drops may reach 15 nm in size. They consist of magnetic polarons with a small radius (1–2 nm). The drops are shown to interact with each other in the films. Because of competition between drop-drop dipole interaction and the magnetic energy, the drops disintegrate into droplets with a size comparable to that of a magnetic polaron in a field of 1 T. An explanation is given for the discrepancy between our results and the frequently observed growth of the drops with a rise in the external magnetic field. As the film gets thicker, the fraction of the ferromagnetic phase grows with thickness nonlinearly. In the film grown on SrTiO₃ (compressed by 0.9%), the characteristic Néel and Curie temperatures are lower than in the film grown on LaAlO₃. The diameters of ferromagnetic drops (both maximal at H = 0.01 T and minimal at H = 1 T) turn out to be roughly the same as in the films with different thicknesses.     

Self-injection length in La0.7Ca0.3MnO3-YBa2Cu3O7-δ ferromagnet-superconductor multilayer thin films

We have carried out extensive studies on the self-injection problem in barrierless heterojunctions between La_0.7Ca_0.3MnO₃ (LCMO) and YBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ (YBCO) thin films. The heterojunctions were formed in situ by sequentially growing LCMO and YBCO films on 〈100〉 LaAlO₃ (LAO) substrate using a pulsed laser deposition (PLD) system. YBCO micro-bridges with 64 μm width were patterned both on the LAO (control) and LCMO side of the substrate. Critical current, I _c, was measured at 77 K on both the control side as well as the LCMO side for different YBCO film thickness. It was observed that while the control side showed a J _c of ∼ 2 × 10⁶ A/cm², the LCMO side showed about half the value for the same thickness (1800 ?). The difference in J _c indicates that a certain thickness of YBCO has become ‘effectively’ normal due to self-injection. From the measurement of J _c at two different thicknesses (1800 ? and 1500 ?) of YBCO films both on the LAO as well as the LCMO side, the value of self-injection length (at 77 K) was estimated to be ∼ 900 ?. To the authors’ best knowledge, this is the first time that self-injection length has been quantified. A control experiment carried out with LaNiO₃ deposited by PLD on YBCO did not show any evidence of self-injection.     

The Relation of Isotopic Distribution of Heavy Ion Peripheral Reaction Products to Neutron-Skin and Excitation Energy in Intermediate Energy Range

The relation of isotopic distribution of the heavy ion peripheral reaction products in intermediate energy range to neutron-skin and excitation energy has been studied.The thickness of neutron-skin predicated by the droplet model and emperical one-body disspation in the intermediate energy range has been considered.The experimental isotopic distribution produced by ⁴⁰Ar and ⁸⁶Kr as projectiles in the intermediate energy can be reproduced by calculation.