Electro-optic properties of epitaxial Sr<Subscript>0.6</Subscript>Ba<Subscript>0.4</Subscript>Nb<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>6</Subscript> films grown on MgO substrates using Li<Subscript>x</Subscript>Ni<Subscript>2-x</Subscript>O buffer layer

Textured Li_xNi_2-xO (LNO) thin films have been fabricated on (001)MgO substrates by pulsed laser deposition technique. The as-deposited LNO films shows a conductivity of 2.5×10^-3 Ω m and possess a transmittance of about 35% in the visible region. Subsequent deposition of Sr_0.6Ba_0.4Nb₂O₆ (SBN60) thin film on these LNO-coated MgO substrates resulted in a textured SBN layer with a 〈001〉 orientation perpendicular to the substrate plane. Phi scans on the (221) plane of the SBN layer indicated that the films have two in-plane orientations with respect to the substrate. The SBN unit cells were rotated in the plane of the film by ± 8.2° as well as ± 45° with respect to the LNO/MgO substrate. Besides the highly (00l)-orientation, the SBN films also exhibited a dense microstructure as shown by scanning electron microscopy. The electro-optic coefficient (r₃₃) of the SBN film was measured to be 186 pm/V. On the basis of our results, we have demonstrated that the LNO film can be used as a buffer layer as well as a transparent bottom electrode for waveguide applications. The SBN/LNO heterostructure is also a suitable candidate for integrated electro-optics devices. PACS  42.79.Gn; 42.82.Et; 78.20.Ci     

Evolution of MgAl<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> crystals in Al-Mg-SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> composites

The present study analyzes the morphological transformations of reaction products i.e., MgO, MgAl₂O₄ occurring during the reaction between SiO₂ and Al-Mg alloy in Al-Mg-SiO₂ composite processed by the liquid metallurgy technique. Different phases of platelet and hexagonal morphologies are detected and their composition analysis by EDS has confirmed them as being transition phases existing between MgO, MgAl₂O₄ and Al₂O₃. This study has also revealed the gradual transformation of (i) MgO needles to octahedral MgAl₂O₄ through Mg-Al-Si-O and Mg-Al-O transition phases having platelet morphologies and (ii) MgAl₂O₄ to Al₂O₃ through hexagonal transition phases on holding of Al-5Mg-SiO₂ and Al-1Mg-SiO₂ composites respectively at 1023K. Fully developed α-Al₂O₃ crystals are not observed under the present experimental conditions, wherein the Mg content is well above the equilibrium Mg content required for the formation of stable Al₂O₃ (<0.05 wt. %). PACS 05.70.Np     

I. Electron-impact ionization and dissociation of C<Subscript>2</Subscript>H<Stack><Subscript>2</Subscript><Superscript>+</Superscript></Stack> and C<Subscript>2</Subscript>D<Stack><Subscript>2</Subscript><Superscript>+</Superscript></Stack>

Absolute cross-sections for electron-impact ionization and dissociation of C₂H₂⁺ and C₂D₂⁺ have been measured for electron energies ranging from the corresponding thresholds up to 2.5 keV. The animated crossed beams experiment has been used. Light as well as heavy fragment ions that are produced from the ionization and the dissociation of the target have been detected for the first time. The maximum of the cross-section for single ionization is found to be (5.56 ± 0.03)× 10^-17 cm² around 140 eV. Cross-sections for dissociation of C₂ H₂⁺ (C₂D₂⁺) to ionic products are seen to decrease for two orders of magnitude, from C₂D⁺ (12.6 ± 0.3) × 10^-17 cm² over CH⁺(9.55 ± 0.06) × 10^-17 cm², C⁺ (6.66 ± 0.05) × 10^-17 cm², C₂⁺ (5.36 ± 0.27) × 10^-17 cm², H⁺ (4.73 ± 0.29) × 10^-17 cm² and CH₂⁺ (4.56 ± 0.27) × 10^-18 cm² to H₂⁺ (5.68 ± 0.49) × 10^-19 cm². Absolute cross-sections and threshold energies have been compared with the scarce data available in the literature.     

Large optical nonlinearity in CaCu<Subscript>3</Subscript>Ti<Subscript>4</Subscript>O<Subscript>12</Subscript> thin films

CaCu₃Ti₄O₁₂ (CCTO) thin films were successfully prepared on LaAlO₃ substrates by pulsed laser deposition technique. We measured the nonlinear optical susceptibility of the thin films using Z-scan method at a wavelength of 532 nm with pulse durations of 25 ps and 7 ns. The large values of the third-order nonlinear optical susceptibility, χ ⁽³⁾, of the CCTO film were obtained to be 2.79×10⁻⁸ esu and 3.30×10⁻⁶ esu in picosecond and nanosecond time regimes, respectively, which are among the best results of some representative nonlinear optical materials. The origin of optical nonlinearity of CCTO films was discussed. The results indicate that the CCTO films on LaAlO₃ substrates are promising candidate materials for applications in nonlinear optical devices.     

Structural and electronic properties of group III Rich In0.53Ga0.47As(001)

The structural and electronic properties of group III rich In_0.53Ga_0.47As(001) have been studied using scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/STS). At room temperature (300 K), STM images show that the In_0.53Ga_0.47As(001)–(4 × 2) reconstruction is comprised of undimerized In/Ga atoms in the top layer. Quantitative comparison of the In_0.53Ga_0.47As(001)–(4 × 2) and InAs(001)–(4 × 2) shows the reconstructions are almost identical, but In_0.53Ga_0.47As(001)–(4 × 2) has at least a 4× higher surface defect density even on the best samples. At low temperature (77 K), STM images show that the most probable In_0.53Ga_0.47As(001) reconstruction is comprised of one In/Ga dimer and two undimerized In/Ga atoms in the top layer in a double (4 × 2) unit cell. Density functional theory (DFT) simulations at elevated temperature are consistent with the experimentally observed 300 K structure being a thermal superposition of three structures. DFT molecular dynamics (MD) show the row dimer formation and breaking is facilitated by the very large motions of tricoodinated row edge As atoms and z motion of In/Ga row atoms induced changes in As–In/Ga–As bond angles at elevated temperature. STS results show there is a surface dipole or the pinning states near the valence band (VB) for 300 K In_0.53Ga_0.47As(001)–(4 × 2) surface consistent with DFT calculations. DFT calculations of the band-decomposed charge density indicate that the strained unbuckled trough dimers being responsible for the surface pinning.     

II. Electron-impact dissociative excitation of C<Subscript>2</Subscript>H<Stack><Subscript>2</Subscript><Superscript>+</Superscript></Stack> and C<Subscript>2</Subscript>D<Stack><Subscript>2</Subscript><Superscript>+</Superscript></Stack>

Absolute cross-sections for electron-impact dissociative ionization of C₂ H₂⁺ and C₂ D₂⁺ to CH⁺, C⁺, C₂⁺ , H⁺, CH₂⁺ and C₂D⁺ fragments are determined for electron energies ranging from the corresponding threshold to 2.5 keV. Results obtained in a crossed beams experiment are analyzed to estimate the contribution of dissociative ionization to each fragment formation. The dissociative ionization cross sections are seen to decrease for more than an order of magnitude, from CH⁺ (5.37±0.10) × 10^-17 cm² over C⁺ (4.19± 0.16) × 10^-17 cm², C₂D⁺ (3.94±0.38) × 10^-17 cm², C₂⁺ (3.82±0.15) × 10^-17 cm² and H⁺ (3.37±0.21) × 10^-17 cm² to CH₂⁺ (2.66±0.14) × 10^-18 cm². Kinetic energy release distributions of fragment ions are also determined from the analysis of the product velocity distribution. Cross section values, threshold energies and kinetic energies are compared with the data available from the literature. Conforming to the scheme used in the study of the dissociative excitation of C₂H₂⁺ ( C₂ D₂⁺ )\left( {\rm C}_2 {\rm D}_2^+ \right), the cross-sections are presented in a format suitable for their implementation in plasma simulation codes.     

Physical property characterization of bulk MgB<Subscript>2</Subscript> superconductor

We report synthesis, structure/micro-structure, resistivity under magnetic field [ρ(T)H], Raman spectra, thermoelectric power S(T), thermal conductivity κ(T), and magnetization of ambient pressure argon annealed polycrystalline bulk samples of MgB₂, processed under identical conditions. The compound crystallizes in hexagonal structure with space group P6/mmm. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) reveals electron micrographs showing various types of defect features along with the presence of 3–4 nm thick amorphous layers forming the grain boundaries of otherwise crystalline MgB₂. Raman spectra of the compound at room temperature exhibited characteristic phonon peak at 600 cm^-1. Superconductivity is observed at 37.2 K by magnetic susceptibility χ(T), resistivity ρ(T), thermoelectric power S(T), and thermal conductivity κ(T) measurements. The power law fitting of ρ(T) give rise to Debye temperature (Θ_D) at 1400 K which is found consistent with the theoretical fitting of S(T), exhibiting Θ _D of 1410 K and carrier density of 3.81 × 10²⁸/m³. Thermal conductivity κ(T) shows a jump at 38 K, i.e., at T_c, which was missing in some earlier reports. Critical current density (J_c) of up to 10⁵ A/cm² in 1–2 T (Tesla) fields at temperatures (T) of up to 10 K is seen from magnetization measurements. The irreversibility field, defined as the field related to merging of M(H) loops is found to be 78, 68 and 42 kOe at 4, 10 and 20 K respectively. The superconducting performance parameters viz. irreversibility field (H_irr) and critical current density J_c(H) of the studied MgB₂ are improved profoundly with addition of nano-SiC and nano-diamond. The physical property parameters measured for polycrystalline MgB₂ are compared with earlier reports and a consolidated insight of various physical properties is presented.     

Physical properties,crystal and magnetic structure of layered Fe<Subscript>1.11</Subscript>Te<Subscript>1-</Subscript><Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>Se<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript> superconductors

The physical and structural properties of Fe_1.11Te and Fe_1.11Te_0.5Se_0.5 have been investigated by means of X-ray and neutron diffraction as well as physical property measurements. For the Fe_1.11Te compound, the structure distortion from a tetragonal to monoclinic phase takes place at 64 K accompanied with the onset of antiferromagnetic order upon cooling. The magnetic structure of the monoclinic phase was confirmed to be of antiferromagnetic configuration with a propagation vector k = (1/2, 0, 1/2) based on Rietveld refinement of neutron powder diffraction data. The structural/magnetic transitions are also clearly visible in magnetic, electronic and thermodynamic measurements. For superconducting Fe_1.11Te_0.5Se_0.5 compound, the superconducting transition with T _c = 13.4 K is observed in the resistivity and ac susceptibility measurements. The upper critical field H _c2 is obtained by measuring the resistivity under different magnetic fields. The Kim’s critical state model is adopted to analyze the temperature dependence of the ac susceptibility and the intergranular critical current density is calculated as a function of both field amplitude and temperature. Neutron diffraction results show that Fe_1.11Te_0.5Se_0.5 crystalizes in tetragonal structure at 300 K as in the parent compound Fe_1.11Te and no structural distortion is detected upon cooling to 2 K. However an anisotropic thermal expansion anomaly is observed around 100 K.     

Magnetic ordering in Dy<Subscript>1-x</Subscript>Ca<Subscript>x</Subscript>BaCo<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>5.5</Subscript> for x = 0.0 and 0.1

The crystal and magnetic structures of Dy_1-xCa_xBaCo₂O_5.5 for x = 0.0 and 0.1 have been studied by neutron powder diffraction and the crystal structures of both compounds were found to be best described in space group Pmmm with a a_p × 2a_p × 2a_p unit cells where a_p is the lattice parameter of the cubic perovskite unit cell. The a- and b-axes were found to decrease and increase abruptly between 315 and 350 K as the temperature increases and the unit cell volumes exhibit signs of excess thermal expansion in the temperature range from 260 to 315 K. Dy_0.9Ca_0.1BaCo₂O_5.5 orders antiferromagnetically for T ≤ 305 K into a G-type magnetic structure with a 2a_p × 2a_p × 2a_p magnetic unit cell. DyBaCo₂O_5.5 exhibits two magnetically ordered phases and a G-type magnetic structure was observed at the investigated temperatures 260 and 290 K. A 2a_p × 2a_p × 4a_p magnetic unit cell was needed for indexing of the magnetic reflections observed for T ≤ 230 K. The low temperature magnetic structure of DyBaCo₂O_5.5 is different from the observed magnetic structures of TbBaCo₂O_5.5 and HoBaCo₂O_5.5 despite the proximity of Tb, Dy and Ho in the periodic table. It is a relatively complex antiferromagnetic structure with both pyramidally and octahedrally coordinated Co ions in the intermediate spin state. It contains both ferro- and antiferromagnetic interactions and the magnetic moments are canted in the a, b-plane. The canting angles between the magnetic moments and the b-axis are 6.6 and 50.0° at 20 K for the pyramidally and octahedrally coordinated Co ions, respectively. The high and low temperature magnetic phases were found to coexist at 230 K.     

OH number densities and plasma jet behavior in atmospheric microwave plasma jets operating with different plasma gases (Ar,Ar/N<Subscript>2</Subscript>, and Ar/O<Subscript>2</Subscript>)

OH radical number density in multiple atmospheric pressure microwave plasma jets is measured using UV cavity ringdown spectroscopy of the OH (A–X) (0–0) band at 308 nm. The plasma cavity was excited by a 2.45 GHz microwave plasma source and plasma jets of 2–12 mm long were generated by using three different plasma gases, argon (Ar), Ar/N₂, and Ar/O₂. Comparative characterization of the plasma jets in terms of plasma shape, stability, gas temperature, emission intensities of OH, NO, and N₂, and absolute number density of the OH radical was carried out under different plasma gas flow rates and powers at various locations along the plasma jet axis. With three different operating gases, the presence of OH radicals in all of the plasma jets extended to the far downstream. As compared to the argon plasma jets, the plasma jets formed with Ar/N₂ and Ar/O₂ are more diffuse and less stable. Plasma gas temperatures along the jet axis were measured to be in the range of 470–800 K for all of the jets formed in the different gas mixtures. In each plasma jet, OH number density decreases along the jet axis from the highest OH density in the vicinity of the jet tip to the lowest in the far downstream. OH density ranges from 1.3 × 10¹² to 1.1 × 10¹⁶, 4.1 × 10¹³ to 3.9 × 10¹⁵, and 7.0 × 10¹² to 4.6 × 10¹⁶ molecule/cm³ in the Ar, Ar/N₂, and Ar/O₂ plasma jets, respectively. The OH density dependence on plasma power and gas flow rate in the three plasma jets is also investigated.     

Thermo-optic coefficients of monoclinic KLu(WO<Subscript>4</Subscript>)<Subscript>2</Subscript>

The three thermo-optic coefficients of the biaxial laser host KLu(WO₄)₂ are measured at 633 nm by a deflection method. Their values at 300 K amount to ∂ n _g /∂ T=−7.4×10⁻⁶ K⁻¹; ∂ n _m /∂ T=−1.6×10⁻⁶ K⁻¹ and ∂ n _p /∂ T=−10.8×10⁻⁶ K⁻¹. Nearly athermal propagation directions are found for polarizations along the N _m and N _p dielectric axes.     

Structural and magnetic phase transitions in Pr<Subscript>0.15</Subscript>Sr<Subscript>0.85</Subscript>MnO<Subscript>3</Subscript> at high pressure

The crystal and magnetic structures of Pr_0.15Sr_0.85MnO₃ manganite have been studied by means of powder X-ray and neutron diffraction in the temperature range 10–400 K at high external pressures up to 55 and 4 GPa, respectively. A structural phase transition from cubic to tetragonal phase upon compression was observed, with large positive pressure coefficient of transition temperature dT _ct /dP = 28(2) K/GPa. The C-type antiferromagnetic (AFM) ground state is formed below T _N ≈ 260 K at ambient pressure. While at ambient pressure the structural and magnetic transition temperatures are close, T _ct ~ T _N , upon compression they become decoupled with T _N ≪ T _ct due to much weaker T _N pressure dependence with coefficient dT _N /dP = 3.8(1) K/GPa.     

A simulation study of rapid solidification and crystal configuration of Cu<Subscript>70</Subscript>Ni<Subscript>30</Subscript> alloy

A molecular dynamics (MD) simulation study has been performed for the rapid solidification of Cu₇₀Ni₃₀ adopting the quantum Sutton-Chen many-body potentials. By analyzing the bond-types and the relation of atomic average energy versus temperature, it was demonstrated that as cooling rate being 2×10¹² K/s, the Cu₇₀Ni₃₀ formed fcc crystal structures and freezing point was found. In addition, having analyzed the transformation of microstructures and the detail of crystal growth by using atomic trace and visual method, not only could the formation of binary disordered solid solution be showed, but also the solidification of liquid metals and the crystal growth processes could be, further understood.     

Metamagnetic effects in epitaxial BaFe<Subscript>1.8</Subscript>Cr<Subscript>0.2</Subscript>As<Subscript>2</Subscript> thin films

Epitaxial BaFe_1.8Cr_0.2As₂ thin films with the tetragonal c-axis perpendicular to the thin film surface were grown on (LaAlO₃)_0.3(Sr₂AlTaO₆)_0.7 (LSAT) single crystalline substrates using pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Resistive measurements indicate the existence of two transitions at temperatures of about 80 K and 40 K. The transition at 80 K is attributed to the structural transition from the high temperature tetragonal phase to the low temperature orthorhombic phase accompanied with the magnetic transition from a paramagnetic to an antiferromagnetic state as known for doped bulk systems. Below T ≈ 40 K the magnetization curves measured perpendicularly to the orthorhombic c-axis in fields up to 9 Tesla show two inflexion points indicating metamagnetic transitions.     

FMR Studies of Ultra-Thin Epitaxial Pd<Subscript>0.92</Subscript>Fe<Subscript>0.08</Subscript> Film

Magnetic anisotropies of 20 nm epitaxial film of palladium–iron alloy Pd_0.92Fe_0.08 grown on the (001) MgO substrate were studied. Ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) spectroscopy and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) were exploited to determine magnetic parameters of the film. It was found that the synthesized film reveals cubic anisotropy with tetragonal distortion. The simulated magnetic hysteresis loops, obtained utilizing the magnetic anisotropy constants taken from the FMR spectra analysis, agree well with those measured by VSM.     

Fast ionic conduction in cubic hafnium garnet Li<Subscript>7</Subscript>La<Subscript>3</Subscript>Hf<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>12</Subscript>

A new member of the family of garnets with fast lithium ion conduction has been found with the composition Li₇La₃Hf₂O₁₂. The anion arrangement corresponds to the oxygen framework in garnets, e.g., in Ca₃Fe₂Si₃O₁₂. Hafnium is coordinated octahedrally while the lanthanum environment can be described as a distorted cube. Lithium occupies a large number of positions with tetrahedral, trigonal planar, and metaprismatic coordination. Li₇La₃Hf₂O₁₂ shows a lithium bulk ion conductivity of 2.4 × 10⁻⁴ Ω⁻¹ cm⁻¹ at room temperature with an activation energy of 0.29 eV.     

Magnetic properties of nanoparticle La<Subscript>0.7</Subscript>Ca<Subscript>0.3</Subscript>MnO<Subscript>3</Subscript> under applied hydrostatic pressure

Pressure effects on magnetic properties of two La_0.7Ca_0.3MnO₃ nanoparticle samples with different mean particle sizes were investigated. Both the samples were prepared by the glycine-nitrate method: sample S—as-prepared (10 nm), and sample S₉₀₀—subsequently annealed at 900 °C for 2 h (50 nm). Magnetization measurements revealed remarkable differences in magnetic properties with the applied pressure up to 0.75 GPa: (i) for S sample, both transition temperatures, para-to-ferromagnetic T _C = 120 K and spin-glass-like transition T _f = 102 K, decrease with the pressure with the respective pressure coefficients dT _C/dP = −2.9 K/GPa and dT _f/dP = −4.4 K/GPa; (ii) for S₉₀₀ sample, para-to-ferromagnetic transition temperature T _C = 261 K increases with pressure with the pressure coefficient dT _C/dP = 14.8 K/GPa. At the same time, saturation magnetization M _S recorded at 10 K decreases/increases with pressure for S/S₉₀₀ sample, respectively. Explanation of these unusual pressure effects on the magnetism of sample S is proposed within the scenario of the combined contributions of two types of disorders present in the system: surface disorder introduced by the particle shell, and structural disorder of the particle core caused by the prominent Jahn–Teller distortion. Both disorders tend to vanish with the annealing of the system (i.e., with the nanoparticle growth), and so the behavior of the sample S₉₀₀ is similar to that previously observed for the bulk counterpart.     

Magnetic and EPR studies of the EuFe<Subscript>3</Subscript>(BO<Subscript>3</Subscript>)<Subscript>4</Subscript> single crystal

Magnetic and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) properties of EuFe₃(BO₃)₄ single crystals have been studied over the temperature range of 300–4.2 K and in a magnetic field up to 5 T. The temperature, field and orientation dependences of susceptibility, magnetization and EPR spectra are presented. An antiferromagnetic ordering of the Fe subsystem occurs at about 37 K. The easy direction of magnetization perpendicular to the c axis is determined by magnetic measurements. Below 10 K, we observe an increase of susceptibility connected with the polarization of the Eu sublattice by an effective exchange field of the ordered Fe magnetic subsystem. In a magnetic field perpendicular to the c axis, we have observed an increase of magnetization at T < 10 K in the applied magnetic field, which can be attributed to the appearance of the magnetic moment induced by the magnetic field applied in the basal plane. According to EPR measurements, the distance between the maximum and minimum of derivative of absorption line of the Lorentz type is equal to 319 Gs. The anisotropy of g-factor and linewidth is due to the influence of crystalline field of trigonal symmetry. The peculiarities of temperature dependence of both intensity and linewidth are caused by the influence of excited states of europium ion (Eu³⁺). It is supposed that the difference between the g-factors from EPR and the magnetic measurements is caused by exchange interaction between rare earth and Fe subsystems via anomalous Zeeman effect.     

Thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity of SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanopowder

A 3ω approach for the simultaneous determination of the effective thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity of nanopowder materials was developed. A 3ω experimental system was established, and the thermal properties of water and alcohol were measured to validate and estimate the accuracy of the current experimental system. The effective thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity of the SiO₂ nanopowder with 375, 475, and 575 nm diameters were measured at 290–490 K and at different densities. At room temperature, the effective thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity of the SiO₂ nanopowder increased with temperature; however, both values decreased as the particle diameter was reduced. An optimum SiO₂ powder density that decreased with decreasing diameter was also observed within the measurement range. The minimum effective thermal conductivity and maximum effective thermal diffusivity were obtained at 85 × 10⁻³ kg/L, when the particle diameter was 575 nm. The optimum densities of the particles with 375 and 475 nm diameters were less than 50.23 × 10⁻³ and 64.82 × 10⁻³ kg/L, respectively.     

Growth and optical properties of paraelectric K<Subscript>1-y</Subscript>Na<Subscript>y</Subscript>Ta<Subscript>1-x</Subscript>Nb<Subscript>x</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> single crystals

We report the successful growth of an electroholographic crystal, potassium sodium tantalate niobate (KNTN), by a top-seeded solution growth method. Both blue and colorless crystals were obtained. The structure, optical absorption, and refractive dispersion properties of the as-grown crystals have been investigated. Furthermore, the Kerr coefficients R₁₁ and R₁₂ of paraelectric K_0.95Na_0.05Ta_0.61Nb_0.39O₃ single crystal were determined by using an automated scanning Mach–Zehnder interferometer. The crystal has large Kerr coefficients with R₁₁= 2.8×10^-16 m²/V² and R₁₂= -0.3×10^-16 m²/V² at the wavelength of 632.8 nm near its cubic–tetragonal phase boundary. PACS 81.10.Dn; 42.70.Nq