Superconductivity of Nb/Cu superlattices

The superconducting transition temperature T_c of Nb/Cu superlattices has been investigated as a function of layer thickness. The dependence of T_c above 300 Å layer thickness agrees well with proximity effect theory with no adjustable parameters. Below 300 Å, the data in conjunction with current proximity theory shows that T_c of Nb decreases with layer thickness. This is interpreted as changes in the electronic density of states due to a decrease in the mean-free path.     

Hydrogen in Nb/Ta superlattices

The structural and thermodynamic properties of hydrogen dissolved in Nb/Ta superlattices are studied by in-situ x-ray scattering techniques. From the x-ray satellite intensities, it is found that H induces a strain modulation exhibiting a Curie-Weiss temperature dependence. The intensities are analyzed in terms of a mean field model of the modulated lattice gas, yielding quantitative information on the hydrogen-metal and hydrogen-hydrogen interaction energies. Critical behavior associated with a gas-liquid transition is also observed. Hydrogen density fluctuations with wavelengths shorter than a superlattice period are, however, suppressed by the superlattice, which represents a novel manifestation of a coherent phase transition. These experiments provide new and fundamental insight into the role of spacially varying two body interactions in critical phenomena.     

Properties of superconducting Nb/Al/Nb/Al?AlOx?Al?AlOx?Al/Nb/Al/Nb tunnel junctions

Modified geometry (MG) devices, Nb/Al/Nb/Al−AlO_x−Al−AlO_x−Al/Nb/Al/Nb, have been fabricated and investigated in comparison with the basic geometry (BG) double-barrier Nb/Al−AlO_x−Al−AlO_x−Al/Nb devices. The enhancement of the critical temperature in the Al film is found to be weaker for the MG devices as compared with the BG devices at temperatures nearT=4.2 K but stronger at lowT. Indication of an enhancement of dc Josephson critical current density,j _c , at bias voltageV≠0 as compared withj _c (V=0) has been observed in the MG devices for the first time.     

X-ray diffraction pattern of quasiperiodic (Fibonacci) Nb-Cu superlattices

1-D quasiperiodic Nb-Cu metallic superlattices have been prepared by magnetron sputtering. The X-ray diffraction pattern may be indexed by the projection method from the high-dimensional periodic structure.     

Superconducting behaviour of Nb/Co superlattices

We study the superconducting and magnetic behaviour of Nb/Co superlattices, for superconducting Nb layer thickness of 44 nm and Co layer thickness less than 1 nm. In this limit no ferromagnetism is observed for Co. The superlattice behaves as independent superconducting Nb layers. We obtain the penetration depth and superconducting gap of the material, and analyze the results in terms of microscopic models and theories.     

Hydrogen distribution in Nb/Ta superlattices

The distribution of hydrogen in Nb/Ta superlattices has been investigated by combined neutron reflectivity and x-ray scattering. We provide evidence to support that strain modulations determined with x-ray diffraction can be interpreted as modulations in hydrogen content. We show that the hydrogen concentration is modulated and favors Nb, in agreement with previous studies. We measure the concentration directly using neutron reflectivity and demonstrate no detectable change in the distribution of hydrogen with temperature, in stark contrast to previous studies.     

Fractal analysis of powder X-ray diffraction patterns

X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns with broad background are commonly found in the characterization of materials with a certain degree of amorphicity, so the sharp intensity peaks associated with material phases are not well defined. This work used rescaled range (denoted by R/S) analysis, a method intended for fractal analysis of noisy signals, to characterize XRD patterns with broad background. It is found that XRD patterns with broad background are not random at all, but contain information on regularities expressed as autocorrelations of the intensity signal. Sol-gel alumina fired at different temperatures was used as an example to illustrate the applicability of the method. It is shown that fractal R/S analysis is able to locate angular regions that can be associated to ideal International Centre for Diffraction Data Powder Diffraction File (ICDD PDF) lines of diverse alumina phases.     

The X-ray diffraction intensity of cyclically loaded Al

The displacement field around a dislocation loop had been calculated to give the diminishing factor of X-ray diffraction intensity from a fatigued Al sample. Experimentally had been measured this factor on the samples fatigued at room temperature and at low temperature. From these the size and density of dislocation loops can be deduced. Results show that in the sample fatigued at room temperature there is no significant change in dislocation structure while at low temperature in fatigued sample occurs a large amount of dislocation loops whose density is 10¹⁴?10¹⁷cm^?3 while their radii are between 100 and 1000 Å.     

Temperature dependent energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction and magnetic study of Fe/Al interface

In situ temperature dependent energy-dispersive structural and magnetic study of electron beam evaporated Fe/Al multilayer sample (MLS) has been investigated. The structural studies show the formation of an intermixed FeAl transition layer of a few nanometers thick at the interface during deposition, which on annealing at 300 °C transforms to B2FeAl intermetallic phase. Magnetization decreases with increase in temperature and drops to minimum above 300 °C due to increase in anti-ferromagnetic interlayer coupling and formation of nonmagnetic FeAl phase at the interface. The Curie temperature (T_c) is found to be 288 °C and is much less than that of bulk bcc Fe.     

Reflectivity oscillations in superconducting superlattices Nb/SiO2

The reflectivity of superconducting superlattices Nb/SiO₂ was experimentally studied at room temperature in a spectral range 450-5000 cm^-1. It was found that the reflectivity as a function of SiO₂ layer thickness oscillates with a period 3.5 Å. This value coincides with the period of oscillations of the superconducting transition temperature found earlier on these superlattices. We suppose that in both cases the oscillations are due to changes of electron state density. So it is possible to considerably influence the superconducting transition temperature of a superconducting film by making sandwich-like structures using thin dielectric layers.     

Digital processing of X-ray diffraction patterns from oriented fibers

Accurate measurement of intensity data from x-ray diffraction patterns of oriented fibers is one of the major difficulties in the determination of polymer structures. Accurate diffraction data are particularly important when discrimination between different, but similar, molecular models is required. Although digital processing of diffraction patterns has provided more accurate data than was obtainable by traditional measurements, many of the methods used have been partly subjective and restricted to well-resolved diffraction patterns. Background is a major source of error in intensity measurement. A general method of two-dimensional background removal has been developed. Objective methods of measuring the intensities of Bragg reflections from x-ray diffraction patterns of polycrystal-line fibers are described. A profile fitting method (which is an extension of the previously reported angular deconvolution procedure) for measuring diffraction data from noncrystalline oriented polymers is also presented. These methods have been used to collect data from diffraction patterns of a variety of nucleic acid polymers.     

X-ray diffraction investigation of BaTiO3/(Ba,Sr)TiO3 superlattices

Samples of BaTiO₃/(Ba_{1 ? x} Sr _x )TiO₃ (BT/BST-x) superlattices have been studied using X-ray diffraction analysis. A complete parallel orientation of all the studied films and the substrate has been revealed, and the modulation periods ?? of the superlattices, the parameters of the unit cell averaged over the ?? period, and the parameters of individual components of the superlattices have been determined.