Structural instability and superconductivity in B{a_{1 - x}}{K_x}Bi{o_3}

We report results of the ultrasonic investigation of Ba_1-xK_xBiO₃ superconducting (SC) single crystals for two potassium concentrations and in a wide temperature range including the normal and the SC states. An instability of the crystal lattice that develops above the superconducting phase transition leads to a softening of both the transverse c₄₄ and the longitudinal c₁₁ modes at temperatures between 200 K and 50 K. In the case of Ba_0.65K_0.35BiO₃ a pronounced hysteresis was discovered. Low temperature X-ray powder diffraction analysis does not reveal any change of the cubic structure in the samples within a resolution of our X-ray technique. The softening of the elastic moduli, the hysteresis, the maximum in the attenuation of sound along with the possible short- (or long-) range structural distortion can be explained qualitatively in a simple model by assuming a coupling of the acoustic modes with the anharmonic oscillations of BiO₆ octahedra. Some weak anomalies are discovered in the velocity of the longitudinal sound in the vicinity of the superconducting phase transition. Received 25 June 1999 and Received in final form 14 February 2000     

The origin of the redshift in Brillouin spectra of silica films containing tin nanoparticles

The abrupt change of velocity in surface acoustic waves in thin films of amorphous SiO_x containing nanometre scale -Sn crystals is shown to be directly associated with the size-dependent melting of the nanoparticles, confirming preliminary experiments. High resolution thin film powder diffraction using synchrotron radiation shows that the abrupt redshift in the Brillouin spectra satellites occurs at the same temperature as the melting of the nanoparticles, evident for the loss of the Bragg peaks. Effective medium theory is used to explain the origin of the anomaly. A central peak in the Brillouin spectrum, the intensity of which shows a maximum at the melting temperature, can be interpreted in terms of overdamped fluctuations in the dielectric function. The melting temperature as a function of particle size is in agreement with theoretical predictions. No evidence for strain could be found on the X-ray diffraction profiles; the a- and c-axis thermal expansion coefficients are the same as those in bulk tin. Received 30 March 2000 and Received in final form 24 July 2000     

Electron-phonon coupling and longitudinal sound velocity of La0.5Ca0.5MnO3

In this paper, the microscopic theory of the relative change in velocity of sound with temperature of La_0.5Ca_0.5MnO₃ is reported. The phonon Green function is calculated using the Green function technique of Zubarev in the limit of zero wave vector and low temperature. The lattice model electronic Hamiltonian in the presence of the phonon interaction with hybridization between the conduction electrons and the l-electrons is used. The relative change in velocity of sound at various temperatures is studied for different model parameters, namely the position of the l-level, the effective phonon coupling strength and hybridization strength. The phonon anomalies observed experimentally at different temperatures are explained theoretically. An abrupt change in velocity at Neel temperature (T_N) is observed clearly. It is observed that different parameters influence the velocity of sound.     

Sound velocity in La0.5Ca0.5MnO3

In this Letter the microscopic theory of the relative change in velocity of sound with temperature of La_0.5Ca_0.5MnO₃ is reported. The phonon Green function is calculated using the Green function technique of Zubarev in the limit of zero wave vector and low temperature. The lattice model electronic Hamiltonian in the presence of the phonon interaction with hybridization between the conduction electrons and the l-electrons is used. The relative change in velocity of sound at various temperatures is studied for different model parameters namely the position of the l-level, the effective phonon coupling strength and hybridization strength. The phonon anomalies observed experimentally at different temperatures are explained theoretically. An abrupt change in velocity at Neel temperature (TN) is observed clearly. It is observed that different parameters influence the velocity of sound.     

Acousto-induced structural change in amorphous As2S3

The acoustic flux injection method was applied to amorphous As₂S₃. The velocity and the attenuation constant for shear wave at ～ 100MHz were measured through the observation of the Brillouin scattering of the light beam from a He-Ne laser. The optical transmission around absorption edge was found to change after the injection of acoustic fluxes. It was also found that the sound velocity decreased with increasing injection time of acoustic fluxes and the amount of the change of the sound velocity reached ～ 20% after 10⁵ injections. The changes in the optical transmission and the sound velocity tended to be erased by annealing below the glass transition temperature. These phenomena are considered to be due to structural changes caused by the injection of strong acoustic fluxes.     

Charge transfer between alkali cluster ions and atoms in the 1 to 10 keV collisional energy range

The cross-sections for collisional charge transfer between singly charged free clusters M _n ⁺ (M = Li, Na; n=1...50) and atomic targets A (cesium, potassium) have been measured as a function of collisional relative velocity in laboratory energy range 1–10 keV. For each cluster size, the experimental values of the charge transfer cross-section are fitted with an universal parametric curve with two independent parameters and v_m, the maximum cross-section and the corresponding velocity. For small size clusters (), the characteristic parameters show strong variations with the number of atoms in the cluster. Abrupt dips observed for n=10 and n=22 are attributed to electronic properties. Charge transfer patterns observed for various collisional systems present similarities, which appear more sensitive to cluster quantum size effects than to collision energy defects. In their whole, the and v_m parameters show differences in both their size evolution and their absolute values discussed in term of projectile and target electronic structures. Received 13 April 2000 and Received in final form 29 June 2000     

Evolution of charge ordering in manganites

Charge ordering phenomena in the manganites Ca_1-xSm_xMnO₃ have been studied for , using electron diffraction and lattice imaging, completed by magnetic and transport measurements. Three domains can be distinguished, depending on the nature of the structural transitions with temperature. For , the structural transition from a pseudo-tetragonal to a monoclinic form, with decreasing temperature, coincides with the competition between ferromagnetism and antiferromagnetism that is characterized by the temperature T_peak on the M ( T ) curves; short-range charge ordering is observed for manganites. For the second domain, , a structural transition from an orthorhombic to a long-range charge ordered state is clearly observed with decreasing temperature. The corresponding temperature T_CO coincides with the temperature T_peak deduced from magnetic measurements. This long range charge ordering, which appears along a, is either commensurate or incommensurate depending on the x value, with a modulation vector, q being close to x. These modulated superstructures correspond to a stacking of single Mn³⁺ stripes with multiple Mn⁴⁺ stripes along a, either in a commensurate or in an incommensurate manner. The third domain , is characterized by a transition to a charge ordered state with commensurate superstructure at low temperature. The latter can be described as a “partially” charge ordered state in which single “Mn³⁺” stripes alternate with mixed “Mn³⁺/Mn⁴⁺” stripes. Received 17 June 1998     

Anomalous properties of optical lattice vibrations in HgTe: A double-well model of the lattice potential for a Hg atom

A double-well potential model has been proposed for a Hg atom in the HgTe crystal lattice in which the Hg atom either occupies the center of the anion tetrahedron or is located at the off-center position. The fundamental TO mode of the Hg-Te vibrations at a frequency of ∼120 cm⁻¹ corresponds to the vibrations of the off-center Hg atom, and the additional mode is associated with the vibrations of the Hg atom located at the center of the anion tetrahedron. The model has made it possible to explain both the strong increase in the intensity of the additional mode with increasing temperature, which, at T = 300 K, is comparable to the intensity of the fundamental mode, and the anomalous change (decrease) in the damping parameter of the fundamental TO mode with increasing pressure, which corresponds to a more ordered crystal structure.     

Velocity measurement of a settling sphere

We study experimentally the motion of a solid sphere settling under gravity in a fluid at rest. The particle velocity is measured with a new acoustic method. Variations of the sphere size and density allow measurements at Reynolds numbers, based on limit velocity, between 40 and 7 000. At all Reynolds numbers, our observations are consistent with the presence of a memory-dependent force acting on the particle. At short times it has a t ^-1/2 behaviour as predicted by the unsteady Stokes equations and as observed in numerical simulations. At long times, the decay of the memory (Basset) force is better fitted by an exponential behaviour. Comparison of the dynamics of spheres of different densities for the same Reynolds number show that the density is an important control parameter. Light spheres show transitory oscillations at Re∼ 400, but reach a constant limit speed. Received 12 April 2000 and Received in final form 13 July 2000     

Anomalies of attenuation and phase velocity of surface acoustic waves in YBa2Cu3O7‒δ thin films in the vicinity of Tc

We present measurements of the attenuation and phase velocity of surface acoustic waves in thin YBa₂Cu₃O films as a function of temperature, in magnetic fields up to 3.6 T applied parallel to the c-axis of the films. We have observed anomalies in both, the attenuation and the phase velocity in the vicinity of the superconducting critical temperature which do not depend on the magnetic field. Possible origins of these anomalies, observed, to our knowledge, for the first time in YBa₂Cu₃O thin films, are discussed and compared to bulk acoustic wave experiments. We present a kind of feedback technique for surface acoustic waves which improves the sensitivity of this type of measurement. The actual sensitivity limits are mentioned. Received: 7 August 1997 / Revised: 7 November 1997 / Accepted: 17 November 1997     

Low frequency elastic properties of neutron-irradiated quartz. Comparison with glasses

Neutron-irradiated quartz is a promising model system to learn more about the low-energy excitations (tunneling states) in vitreous silica and in similar glasses. We present the first systematic study of the elastic properties of neutron-irradiated quartz at low frequencies and very low temperatures. Using the vibrating reed technique at frequencies of several kHz we have measured the sound velocity and internal friction of six quartz crystals irradiated with different neutron doses over a wide range of temperatures (7 mK-300 K). The results are analyzed using the tunneling model and several extensions of this theory. Comparisons are made with recent low-frequency measurements on normal and compacted vitreous silica and with ultrasound experiments on neutron-irradiated quartz. Received 23 October 1998     

Ordering phenomena in C<Subscript>60</Subscript>-tetraphenylphosphonium bromide

The fulleride salt C₆₀-tetraphenylphosphonium bromide is investigated as a function of temperature by single crystal X-ray diffuse scattering and diffraction. At room temperature, the C₆₀ orientational disorder is found to be more complex than previously expected. Moreover, a structural phase transition, due to the C₆₀ orientational ordering, is evidenced around 120 K. Its relation with the stabilization of a static Jahn-Teller effect is discussed. Received 3 November 1999     

Low frequency dielectric permittivity of quasi-one-dimensional conductor (TMTTF)2Br

Conductivity and permittivity of the organic transfer salt (TMTTF)₂Br have been measured at low frequencies (10²-10⁷ Hz) between room temperature down to 4 K. The real part of the permittivity, , is shown to grow below the temperature at which the conductivity is maximum due to charge localization of Mott-Hubbard type. reaches a maximum of 10⁵-10⁶ at 35 K-50 K depending on the samples. Decreasing temperature below , sharply decreases down to helium temperature through the antiferromagnetic phase transition at T _N = 15 K. We explain the magnitude, the temperature and frequency dependence of as resulting from short range charge density wave states in the temperature range where charge localization occurs. This interpretation is supported by recent X-ray scattering measurements. Received: 10 October 1997 / Revised: 28 February 1998 / Accepted: 3 March 1998     

Temperature behaviour of optical properties of Si+-implanted SiO2

Silicon nanocrystals were prepared by Si⁺-ion implantation and subsequent annealing of SiO₂ films thermally grown on a c-Si wafer. Different implantation energies (20-150 keV) and doses - cm ^-2 ) were used in order to achieve flat implantation profiles (through the thickness of about 100 nm) with a peak concentration of Si atoms of 5, 7, 10 and 15 atomic%. The presence of Si nanocrystals was verified by transmission electron microscopy. The samples exhibit strong visible/IR photoluminescence (PL) with decay time of the order of tens of μs at room temperature. The changes of PL in the range 70-300 K can be well explained by the exciton singlet-triplet splitting model. We show that all PL characteristics (efficiency, dynamics, temperature dependence, excitation spectra) of our Si⁺-implanted SiO₂ films bear close resemblance to those of a light-emitting porous Si and therefore we suppose similar PL origin in both materials. Received 1st September 1998 and Received in final form 7 September 1999     

Perylene hexafluoroantimonate: Suppression of the Peierls transition by anion-chain disorder

Crystal growth and X-ray structural analysis are reported for the new quasi-one-dimensional organic conductor perylene hexafluoroantimonate. Due to deviation from exact 4:3 stoichiometry and anion-chain disorder the three-dimensional Peierls transition is suppressed to temperatures below 30 K in spite of a molecular field transition temperature of 330 K. Anisotropy of the microwave conductivity exceeds 3000:1 at room temperature. Curie paramagnetic defects with comparatively small electron spin resonance line width predominate at low temperature. Thermally activated paramagnetic defects, giving rise to pronounced Overhauser shift, are separated in the 30-100 K range. They are explained by neutral Perylene intra-stack defects, whose concentration can be reduced by both aging and annealing. The angular and temperature dependence of the conduction electron spin resonance line is analysed in detail, exhibiting the influence of intra-stack dipole interaction growing with temperature. Restricted diffusion of the conduction electron spins with diffusion coefficient of about 6 cm²/s parallel to the stacking direction is detected by fixed gradient pulsed electron spin resonance at room temperature. Received 17 July 1998     

Sputter cleaning and dry oxidation of CdTe,HgTe, and Hg0.8Cd0.2Te surfaces

The analyses of CdTe, HgTe, and Hg_0.8Cd_0.2Te surfaces by XPS and LEED after Ar⁺ sputtering and after the subsequent onset of a dry oxidation are described, and a quantitative evaluation of the XPS spectra is attempted. The results are: Ar⁺ sputtering yields a perfect unreconstructed CdTe surface of stoichiometric composition, whereas the composition of sputtered HgTe and Hg_0.8Cd_0.2Te surfaces generally deviates from the stoichiometry of the respective compound. This deviation is a function of the energy of the Ar ions (1 to 15 keV) and is characterized by an increasing deficit in Hg as the ion energy is raised. The Hg deficit of sputtered Hg_0.8Cd_0.2Te surfaces is substitutionally compensated by an equivalent increase in Cd, and due to this substitution the resulting surfaces are sufficiently ordered to display a distinct LEED pattern. The oxidation of sputtered CdTe, HgTe, and Hg_0.8Cd_0.2Te surfaces in an O₂ atmosphere is an extremely slow process. Therefore, the surfaces to be oxidized were additionally exposed to UV radiation (low pressure mercury lamp), and due to UV generated ozone as an oxidizing agent ultrathin native oxide layers of up to 15 Å thickness were readily obtained. The predominant constituents of these native oxide layers on Hg_0.8Cd_0.2Te are concluded to be CdTeO₃ and TeO₂.     

Response of bubbles to diagnostic ultrasound: a unifying theoretical approach

The scattering of ultrasound from bubbles of m radius, such as used in contrast enhancers for ultrasound diagnostics, is studied. We show that sound scattering and “active” emission of sound from oscillating bubbles are not contradictory, but are just two different aspects derived from the same physics. Treating the bubble as a nonlinear oscillator, we arrive at general formulas for scattering and absorption cross-sections. We show that several well-known formulas are recovered in the linear limit of this ansatz. In the case of strongly nonlinear oscillations, however, the cross-sections can be larger than those for linear response by several orders of magnitude. The major part of the incident sound energy is then converted into emitted sound, unlike what happens in the linear case, where the absorption cross-sections exceed the scattering cross-sections. Received: 26 February 1998 / Revised: 13 March 1998 / Accepted: 15 March 1998     

New aspects of critical sound attenuation in magnetic systems with spin-lattice relaxation

A general theory of critical sound propagation, including phonon-spin-energy coupling, is studied in anisotropic magnets above their transition temperature. The Kawasaki weak singularity in the ultrasonic attenuation is found as a nonasymptotic effect. A new nonasymptotic regime similar to the one in the binary mixture is also determined. The role of coupling constants and the bare relaxation times in establishing the dominance region of particular terms, is discussed. Received: 9 December 1997 / Accepted: 24 February 1998     

Phase separation of polymer blends in solution near adsorbing surface

In this paper, we consider a mixture of two polymers A and B of different chemical nature, dissolved in a common good solvent, in contact with an interacting surface. We start from a mixture of two incompatible homopolymers A and B in the molten state, and assume that the surface adsorbs strongly one or both polymer species at high temperature. It is assumed that this is a strong adsorption, so that chains cannot desorb once they are linked to the surface. This constrains the system to a quenched composition on the surface. Once the adsorption process is finished, a quantity of a good solvent is added to get a semi-dilute solution. We assume that demixing transition in the presence of solvent occurs at lower temperature. The purpose is to discuss the influence of the quenched surface fluctuations on the critical properties of the mixture. Within the framework of the so-called blob model, we determine the exact shape of the composition profile as a function of the distance z to the surface, for any value of the relevant parameters, namely, the temperature T, the molecular weight M, the monomer concentration c and the surface composition x₀. Our analysis reveals a universal character of the composition profile for , where the characteristic size D is some known length depending on the relevant parameters of the problem, and not on temperature, and is the thermal correlation length. Near surface, for (a is the monomer size), the profile is no longer universal, and in particular, it is sensitive to the boundary condition. Far from the surface, that is , the profile tends exponentially to its bulk value. We show that the length Dapproaches its lowest value as the surface composition reaches its saturated value l. In this limit, we find that the profile shape is a characteristic of critical adsorption in simple binary fluid mixtures. Finally, this work must be regarded as a natural extension of a previous one, which was concerned with the same problem, but in the absence of solvent. Received 24 June 1999 and Received in final form 5 November 1999     

Force fluctuations in a vertically pushed granular column

We present series of experiments on the resistance force encountered by a bottom piston pushing a vertical granular column confined in a two-dimensional cell. We show that, due to the presence of friction at the boundaries and between the grains, the signal shows many complex features. At slow driving velocities, we observe a transition to a stick-slip dynamic instability. Depending on the granular material used, the elementary stick-slip events may either be well characterized or largely distributed. We present a statistical study on the waiting time between events and the distribution of energy release as a function of the spring stiffness and the driving velocity. Received 5 August 1998 and Received in final form 22 October 1998