Structural and optical properties of In0.5Ga0.5As/GaAs quantum dots in an In0.1Ga0.9As well using repeated depositions of InAs/GaAs short-period superlattices for the application of optical communication

We report structural and optical properties of In_0.5Ga_0.5As/GaAs quantum dots (QDs) in a 100 Å-thick In_0.1Ga_0.9As well grown by repeated depositions of InAs/GaAs short-period superlattices with atomic force microscope, transmission electron microscope (TEM) and photoluminescence (PL) measurement. The QDs in an InGaAs well grown at 510 °C were studied as a function of n repeated deposition of 1 monolayer thick InAs and 1 monolayer thick GaAs for n=5–10. The heights, widths and densities of dots are in the range of 6–22.0 nm, 40–85 nm, and 1.6–1.1×10¹⁰/cm², respectively, as n changes from 5 to 10 with strong alignment along [1 −1 0] direction. Flat and pan-cake-like shape of the QDs in a well is found in TEM images. The bottoms of the QDs are located lower than the center of the InGaAs well. This reveals that there was intermixing—interdiffusion—of group III materials between the InGaAs QD and the InGaAs well during growth. All reported dots show strong 300 K-PL spectrum, and 1.276 μm (FWHM: 32.3 meV) of 300 K-PL peak was obtained in case of 7 periods of the QDs in a well, which is useful for the application to optical communications.     

Studies on lead-free multiferroic magnetoelectric composites

Lead-free multiferroic magnetoelectric composites consisting of ferrimagnetic Ni_0.93Co_0.02Mn_0.05Fe_1.95O₄ (NMF) and ferroelectric Na_0.5Bi_0.5TiO₃ (NBT) phases were synthesized by the solid-state sintering method. The presence of constituent phases in composites was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A systematic study of dc conductivity as a function of temperature (RT −450 °C) revealed that the conduction is due to small polarons. The effect of constituent phase variation on the dielectric constant and piezoelectric strength (d₃₃) was examined. The composites exhibited typical magnetic hysteresis (M–H) loops at room temperature. Furthermore, magnetoelectric (ME) output was evaluated as a function of applied magnetic field, which is a product property of the constituent phases. The compound 50% NMF–50%NBT is a new lead-free magnetoelectric composite with 155 μV/cm ME output, which may have potential applications.     

Magnetic properties of Ni doped gallium nitride with vacancy induced defect

Investigations have been carried out to study the ferromagnetic properties of transition metal (TM) doped wurtzite GaN from first principle calculations using tight binding linear muffin-tin orbital (TBLMTO) method within the density functional theory. The present calculation reveals ferromagnetism in nickel doped GaN with a magnetic moment of 1.13 μ_B for 6.25% of Ni doping and 1.32 μ_B for 12.5% of nickel doping, there is a decrease of magnetic moment when two Ni atoms are bonded via nitrogen atom. The Ga vacancy (V_Ga) induced defect shows ferromagnetic state. Here the magnetic moment arises due to the tetrahedral bonding of three N atoms with the vacancy which is at a distance of 3.689 Å and the other N atom which is at a distance of 3.678 Å .On the other hand the defect induced by N vacancy (V_N) has no effect on magnetic moment and the system shows metallic character. When Ni is introduced into a Ga vacancy (V_Ga) site, charge transfer occur from the Ni ‘d’ like band to acceptor level of V_Ga and formed a strong Ni–N bond. In this Ni–V_Ga complex with an Ni ion and a Ga defect, the magnetic moment due to N atom is 0.299 μ_B .In case of Ni substitution in Ga site with N vacancy, the system is ferromagnetic with a magnetic moment of 1 μ_B.     

A Ground Miniband Width of a Superlattice with Rectangular Quantum Wells versus Constructive Parameters

A convenient formula for the ground miniband width as a function of constructive parameters of the superlattice is derived from the solution of the Kronig–Penney equation using the perturbation theory. The conditions of applicability of this formula are verified for the GaAs/Al_xGa_1–x As superlattices used as infrared photodetectors.     

Magnetic properties of Nd1−xKxMnO3 compounds

Polycrystalline Nd_1−xK_xMnO₃ (x=0.10–0.20) compounds have been prepared in single phase form with Pbnm space group. The magnetic properties were studied by measuring dc magnetization and ac susceptibility. They exhibit paramagnetic to ferromagnetic transition with transition temperature ranging from 116 to 128 K. The magnetization data have been analyzed by using Brillouin function model and by taking into account the ferromagnetic interaction. The effective spin contribution towards ferromagnetic interaction and spin canting angle have been estimated. The spin canting angle is found to decrease with increase in doping. Magneto-caloric effect (MCE) has been studied and the maximum change in entropy was found to be 1.76 J/kg K for 1 T field. Metal–insulator transition and colossal magnetoresistance of the order of 60% for 1 T field have been observed for x=0.20 sample.     

Growth and studies of Hg1−xCdxTe based low dimensional structures

The band structure of HgTe quantum wells (QWs) has been determined from absorption experiments on superlattices in conjunction with calculations based on an 8×8 k·p model. The band structure combined with self-consistent Hartree calculations has enabled transport results to be quantitatively explained.Rashba spin–orbit, (SO) splitting has been investigated in n-type modulation doped HgTe QWs by means of Shubnikov–de Haas oscillations (SdH) in gated Hall bars. The heavy hole nature of the H1 conduction subband in QWs with an inverted band structure greatly enhances the Rashba SO splitting, with values up to 17 meV.By analyzing the SdH oscillations of a magnetic two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) in modulation-doped n-type Hg_1−xMn_xTe QWs, we have been able to separate the gate voltage-dependent Rashba SO splitting from the temperature-dependent giant Zeeman splitting, which are of comparable magnitudes. In addition, hot electrons and Mn ions in a magnetic 2DEG have been investigated as a function of current.Nano-scale structures of lower dimensions are planned and experiments on sub-micrometer magneto-transport structures have resulted in the first evidence for ballistic transport in quasi-1D HgTe QW structures.     

Investigation of the impurity hyperfine field polarization in polycrystalline Rare Earth ferromagnets

Time differential perturbed angular correlation spectra of¹¹¹Cd in ferromagnetic polycrystalline Dy have been measured at 4.2 K in external magnetic fields up to 60 kG. The experimental data were well reproduced by a calculation which assumed that the angular distribution of the magnetic hyperfine fields is identical to that of the magnetic moments of the 4f-shells. The distribution of the 4f-moments was derived from magnetic anisotropy data. The results of this work seem to justify the application of the integral perturbed angular correlation technique for the determination of magnetic hyperfine fields in incompletely polarized ferromagnetic samples. The magnetic hyperfine fields of¹⁷⁷Hf:Gd and¹⁷⁷Hf:Dy have been measured by this method as:H _hf(Hf:Gd)=–375(60)kG andH _hf(Hf:Dy)=–225(45)kG.     

Nature of the eigenstates in the miniband of random dimer-barrier superlattices

The dc conductance, the universal quantum fluctuations and the resistance distribution are numerically investigated in dimer semiconductor superlattices by means of the transfer matrix formalism. We are interested in the GaAs/Al_x Ga _1 − xAs layers, having identical thickness, where the aluminium concentration x takes, at random, two different values, with the constraint that one of them appears only in pairs, i.e. the random dimer barrier (RDB). These systems exhibit a miniband of extended states, around a critical energy, lying to the typical structure of the dimer cell. The states close to this resonant energy consist of weakly localized states, while in band tails i.e. for negligible conductance, the states are strongly localized. This is evidence of the suppression of localization in the RDB superlattices. The nature of the transition between these two regimes is quantitatively investigated through relevant physical quantities. The model is, hence, clearly and statistically examined.     

Magnetic order in CaMn2Sb2 studied via powder neutron diffraction

This paper reports a neutron powder diffraction study of CaMn₂Sb₂ in the temperature range of 20–300 K. Collinear long-range antiferromagnetic order of manganese ions occurs below 85 K, where a transition is observed in the dc magnetic susceptibility measured with a single crystal. Short-range magnetic order, characterized by a broad diffraction peak corresponding to a d-spacing of approximately 4 Å (2θ≈22°), is also observed above 20 K. The long-range antiferromagnetic order is indexed by the chemical unit cell, indicating a propagation vector k=(0 0 0), with a refined magnetic moment of 3.38 μ_B at 20 K. Two possible magnetic models have been identified, which differ in spin orientation for the two manganese ions with respect to the ab plane. The model with spins oriented at a 25±2° angle relative to the ab plane gives an improved fit compared to the other model in which the spins are constrained to the ab plane. Representational analysis can account for a model involving a c-axis component only by the mixing of two irreducible representations.     

Consolidation of hydrogenation–disproportionation–desorption–recombination processed Nd–Fe–B magnets by spark plasma sintering

We have successfully consolidated hydrogenation–disproportionation–desorption–recombination (HDDR) processed Nd–Fe–Co–Zr–B–Ga powder by spark plasma sintering (SPS). The field compacted samples were sintered at different temperatures (T_S) from 550 to 600 °C with compressive pressure of 80 MPa for 20 min. Microstructural investigations by transmission electron microscopy indicated that the sintered specimen exhibits Nd₂Fe₁₄B grains of ~300 nm with Nd-rich grain boundary phase. The optimum magnetic properties of B_r: 1.22 T, H_c: 928 kA/m, _BH_c: 600 kA/m, (BH)_max: 210 kJ/m³ were obtained in the sample sintered at 550 °C. The strategy for further improving the coercivity and remanence is discussed based on the microstructure-property relationships.     

Vortex pinning properties of –Ba–Cu–O and –Ba–Cu–O superconducting bulks

We have studied the effect of a small amount of Y-site substitution by La or Pr ions on the vortex pinning in the Y–Ba–Cu–O system. (Y_1-xLa_x)–Ba–Cu–O and (Y_1-xPr_x)–Ba–Cu–O bulks were fabricated by the melt-textured growth, in which x was varied from 0 to 0.01. The critical current density J_c at 77 K is improved in magnetic fields parallel to the c-axis above 2–4.5 T and the corresponding irreversibility field, H_irr, shifts to the higher value in both bulks.     

Formation of the nanodots and change of the characteristics of thin magnetic films under laser irradiation

Results of experimental investigations of laser radiation interaction with the Ti, Co, NiFe, TbFe and LaSrMnO₃ films are presented. It is shown, that it is possible to improve magnetic characteristics and to obtain magnetic films with regular distribution of nanodots by the laser radiation. It is observed an increasing of magnetic permeability and the reduction of the coercive force after irradiation of the NiFe films by the nanosecond laser pulses that are induced by the substantial growth of the size of the nanodots in the process of recrystallization. Magnetic nanodots of 100–200 nm size are produced by the method of the laser cutting of the continuous magnetic films, or are formed in a nonmagnetic matrix by the diffusion in the multilayered films and oxidization of TbFe and LaSrMnO_3−x films at the irradiation of the nanosecond laser pulses.     

Preparation and study of magnetic properties of silico phosphate glass and glass-ceramics having iron and zinc oxide

The magnetic properties of 25SiO₂–50CaO–15P₂O₅–(10−x)Fe₂O₃−xZnO (where x=0, 2, 5 mol%) glass and glass-ceramics have been studied. These glasses are prepared by melt quench technique and heat treated at 800 °C for 6 h. Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis (ESCA) revealed that the fraction of non-bridging oxygen decreases with the increase in zinc oxide content. Evolution of crystalline phases in glass-ceramics has been studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The microstructure as seen by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) exhibits formation of nanosize particles. Effect of controlled heat treatment on magnetic properties was studied by means of a Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) magnetometer. Mössbauer spectroscopy at room temperature was also carried out to determine the state of iron ions in glasses and glass-ceramics. Isomer shift values of the glasses suggest that Fe³⁺ and Fe²⁺ are in tetrahedral coordination. The analysis of the glass without ZnO shows about 58 wt% of total iron ions is in the Fe³⁺ state. The samples on heat treatment show improved magnetic properties due to the formation of magnetic nanoparticles. Magnetic studies revealed the relaxation of magnetic particles and the increase in saturation magnetization with addition of 2 mol% ZnO. Increase in ZnO content results in decrease in the strength of dipolar interactions.     

Microwave-absorbing characteristics of epoxy resin composites containing nanoparticles of NiZn- and NiCuZn-ferrites

NiZn- and NiCuZn-ferrite nanoparticles (50–70 nm) with the chemical formula Ni_0.5 Zn_0.5Fe₂O₄ (NiZn) and Ni_0.35Cu_0.15Zn_0.5Fe₂O₄ (NiCuZn) were synthesized by a combustion synthesis method. The nanocrystallite of these materials was characterized by structural and magnetic methods. Saturation magnetization increases from 83 emu/g (NiZn) to 91 emu/g (NiCuZn). Magnetic permeability and dielectric permittivity were measured on sintered samples (pellets and toroids) in the frequency range of 1 MHz–1.8 GHz. Reflection losses (R_L) for both samples were calculated from complex permeability and permittivity. Cu substitution in NiZn-ferrite enhances permeability and R_L.In order to explore microwave-absorbing properties in X-band, magnetic nanoparticles were mixed with an epoxy resin to be converted into a microwave-absorbing composite and microwave behaviors of both materials were studied using a microwave vector network analyzer from 7.5 to 13.5 GHz. Cu substitution diminishes absorption intensity in the range 11.5–12.5 GHz.     

Simple theoretical analysis of the thermoelectric power in quantum dot superlattices of non-parabolic heavily doped semiconductors with graded interfaces under strong magnetic field

We study theoretically the thermoelectric power in the presence of a large magnetic field (TPM) in heavily doped III–V, II–VI, PbTe/PbSnTe, strained layer and HgTe/CdTe quantum dot superlattices (QDSLs) with graded structures on the basis of newly formulated electron energy spectra and compare the same with that of the constituent materials. It has been found, taking heavily doped GaAs/Ga_1−xAl_xAs, CdS/CdTe, PbTe/PbSnTe, InAs/GaSb and HgTe/CdTe QDSLs as examples, that the TPM increases with increasing inverse electron concentration and film thickness, respectively, in different oscillatory manners and the nature of oscillations is totally band structure dependent. We have also suggested the experimental methods of determining the Einstein relation for the diffusivity–mobility ratio, the Debye screening length and the electronic contribution to the elastic constants for materials having arbitrary dispersion laws.     

Radio-frequency measurements of UNiX compounds (X=Al, Ga, Ge) in high magnetic fields

We performed radio-frequency (RF) skin-depth measurements of antiferromagnetic UNiX compounds (X=Al, Ga, Ge) in magnetic fields up to 60 T and at temperatures between 1.4 to ~60 K. Magnetic fields are applied along different crystallographic directions and RF penetration-depth was measured using a tunnel-diode oscillator (TDO) circuit. The sample is coupled to the inductive element of a TDO resonant tank circuit, and the shift in the resonant frequency Δf of the circuit is measured. The UNiX compounds exhibit field-induced magnetic transitions at low temperatures, and those transitions are accompanied by a drastic change in Δf. The results of our skin-depth measurements were compared with previously published B–T phase diagrams for these three compounds.     

Negative muon hyperfine transition rate in aluminum

The residual polarization of theF ^– hyperfine state of ^–27Al has been investigated as a function of applied transverse magnetic field strength using standard TD- ^–SR techniques. TheF ^– precession frequency is –0.2623(5) [theoretical value: –0.2622] times that of the free muon in the same field. The observed muon decay electron asymmetry in theF ^– state decreases with increasing magnetic field strength, due to initial precession in the opposite direction of theF ⁺ state, which most muon initially populate, followed by a rapid transition to theF ^– state. A fit of the data to this model indicates a transition rateR=41(9)s^–1, in good agreement with theoretical predictions. This method can be used to determineR experimentally in other cases where it is too fast to be observed directly.     

The galvanomagnetic properties of short-period superlattices

(001) oriented superlattices (SLs) with the period in the range of 9–60 nm are grown. The temperature dependence of the conductivity, the Hall coefficient and the magnetoresistance anisotropy are investigated in the SLs in the temperature range of 1.5–300 K and magnetic fields up to 1.5 T. The SLs are of n-type with the apparent electron concentration in the range of 10¹⁹–10²⁰ cm⁻³. The type II band ordering is concluded for the SLs. Below 6 K the SLs exhibit superconductivity. The superconductivity is suggested to have a local character and to be associated with the strained pseudomorphic SnTe layers.     

Effect of thickness on the microstructure and soft magnetic properties of CoFeHfO thin films

The thickness effects on the microstructure and soft magnetic properties of CoFeHfO thin films have been investigated in the range of 100–600 nm. There was a significant change in the coercivity (H_c) and the anisotropy (H_k) value with increasing film thickness, but the saturation induction and the resistivity almost remain unchanged. H_c and H_k reached a minimum value of 0.19 Oe and a maximum value of 50 Oe, respectively at 200 nm film thickness. The high saturation magnetic induction is 21 kG and resistivity is 500 μΩ cm. The origin of the changing H_c and H_k values is discussed in detail based on change of microstructure along with film thickness.