Electron transfer in the structure of a photorefractive doped Bi<Subscript>12</Subscript>TiO<Subscript>20</Subscript>: Ru crystal

The ac conductivity of Bi₁₂TiO₂₀: Ru crystals has been studied in the frequency range 10²–10⁶ Hz and at temperatures 293–773 K. The experimental data have been analyzed in the framework of the model of correlated barrier hops. In this material, the potential barriers are due to the existence of a block structure, crystal lattice defects, and also the presence of a ruthenium impurity. The microparameters characterizing the charge transfer in doped bismuth titanate single crystals have been determined.     

Ion beam synthesis and investigation of nanocomposite multiferroics based on barium titanate with 3d metal nanoparticles

Samples of nanocomposite multiferroics have been synthesized by implantation of Co⁺, Fe⁺, and Ni⁺ ions with an energy of 40 keV into ferroelectric barium titanate plates to doses in the range (0.5–1.5) × 10¹⁷ ions/cm². It has been found that nanoparticles of metallic iron, cobalt, or nickel are formed in the barium titanate layer subjected to ion bombardment. With an increase in the implantation dose, the implanted samples sequentially exhibit superparamagnetic, soft magnetic, and, finally, strong ferromagnetic properties at room temperature. The average sizes of ion-synthesized 3d-metal nanoparticles vary in the range from 5 to 10 nm depending on the implantation dose. Investigation of the orientation dependence of the magnetic hysteresis loops has demonstrated that the samples show a uniaxial (“easy plane”) magnetic anisotropy typical of thin granular magnetic films. Ferromagnetic BaTiO₃: 3d metal samples are characterized by a significant shift of the ferromagnetic resonance signal in an external electric field, as well as by a large (in magnitude) magnetodielectric effect at room temperature. These results indicate that there is a strong magnetoelectric coupling between the ferroelectric barium titanate matrix and ion-synthesized nanoparticles of magnetic metals.     

Quasi-ordered nanostructures on the surface of strontium titanate

The results of the investigation of the surface of strontium titanate single crystals after treatment with high-energy plasma are presented. The surface morphology of the strontium titanate single crystals and the change in its characteristics after plasma treatment have been studied using electron scanning and atomicforce microscopy. A change in the electronic state of a part of the titanium ions and a change in the stoichiometry in the modified near-surface layer have been found by the method of valence shift of X-ray lines. A preliminary analysis has been made of the conditions providing the formation of single- and two-level systems of ordered crystallites with sizes of 10⁻⁷–10⁻¹⁰ m on the surface of single-crystal strontium titanate with impurities of ions of the iron and lanthanum groups.     

Fatigue of lead titanate and lead zirconate titanate thin films

The fatigue of lead titanate and lead zirconate titanate ferroelectric thin films, i.e., a change in the polarization as a function of the number of switching cycles in an external electric field, is investigated experimentally. The threshold numbers of switching cycles are determined to be 10¹⁰–10¹¹ for the lead titanate films and 10⁹–10¹⁰ for the lead zirconate titanate films. It is shown that a change in the temperature does not substantially affect the threshold number of switching cycles at which the switched polarization decreases drastically. However, an increase in the external field strength leads to a noticeable decrease in the threshold number of switching cycles. The process of fatigue is accompanied by an increase in the coercive field and the internal bias field. It is established that, as the number of switching cycles increases, the internal bias field changes more significantly as compared to the coercive field. The absence of a change in the phase composition in repeatedly switched samples indicates that the fatigue processes have a nonchemical nature. The anomaly observed in the frequency dependence of the permittivity in the frequency range 10⁶–10⁷ Hz due to the domain structure disappears after multiple switching cycles. This suggests that the observed fatigue phenomenon has a domain nature.     

Relaxation processes in the paraelectric phase of ceramic oxides with a perovskite structure

Solid solutions of barium, strontium, and lead titanate ceramics with a perovskite structure are studied using impedance spectroscopy in the frequency range 10²–10⁶ Hz at temperatures from 20 to 450°C. The experimental data represented by the dispersion of the electric modulus are compared with the results of calculations performed for different mechanisms of the non-Debye relaxation in terms of the Havrilyak-Negami empirical formulas and the Jonscher universal dielectric response with the aim of determining a more adequate approach. The activation energy of relaxation processes in the paraelectric phase of the samples under investigation are calculated.     

Modified structural,morphological and photoelectrochemical properties of 120 MeV Ag9+ ion irradiated BaTiO3 thin films

The effects of high electronic energy deposition on the structure, surface topography, optical property and photoelectrochemical behavior of barium titanate thin (BaTiO₃) films have been investigated by irradiating films with 120 MeV Ag⁹⁺ ions at different ion fluences in the range of 1 × 10¹¹–3 × 10¹² ions cm^?2. Barium titanate thin films were deposited on indium tin oxide-coated glass substrate by sol–gel spin coating method. The structure of the film was crystalline with tetragonal phase. Surface topography was studied by atomic force microscopy detailing the values of roughness of the films. Maximum photocurrent density of 1.78 mA cm^?2 at 0.4 V/SCE and applied bias photon-to-current efficiency (ABPE) of 0.91% was observed for BaTiO₃ film irradiated at 1 × 10¹¹ ions cm^?2.     

Caloric characteristics of PbTiO3 in the temperature range of the ferroelectric phase transition

The heat capacity and thermal expansion of the PbTiO₃ ceramic sample have been measured in the temperature range 80?C970 K. The electrocaloric and barocaloric efficiencies of lead titanate in the ferroelectric phase transition range have been investigated by analyzing the experimental data in terms of the thermodynamic theory of phase transitions, the electrical equation of state P(T, E), the Pippard equation, and the S(T, p) diagram.     

One-neutron stripping reactions of <Superscript>11</Superscript>Be and <Superscript>19</Superscript>C on light target

We have calculated the one-neutron absorption cross-section and the longitudinal momentum distribution of the core fragment coming out from the breakup of ¹¹Be and ¹⁹C on ⁹Be target at 63 MeV/A and 88 MeV/A beam energies respectively. The reaction mechanism is treated within the framework of the eikonal approximation. The effective range of the nuclear interaction between the core and the valence neutron within the projectile has been determined by comparing the predicted stripping cross-section with the recently measured one. The effective range for ¹⁹C has been found to be smaller than that for ¹¹Be. It qualitatively indicates that ¹⁹C is slightly more halo than ¹¹Be. The smaller width, predicted as well as measured, of the LMD of ¹⁸C than ¹⁰Be also strengthens this fact. The experimental data concerning the LMD of core fragments have been well represented.      

Raman spectrum of strontium titanate

The Raman spectrum of strontium titanate has been recorded using λ 4358 of mercury as exciter. The observed spectrum consists of 7 Raman lines, one of which is of low frequency, as expected from the recent theory of Cochran. 6 of these Raman lines have been interpreted as the first order spectrum arising from a small deviation of the cubic strontium titanate from its idealized symmetry. It has been shown that one normal mode of SrTiO₃ neglected by J.T.Last, will be really active in infrared absorption in the region of 440 cm^?1 and that it has to be taken into account in the interpretation of the infrared spectra of titanates. The four vibrational modes of the unit cell of SrTiO₃ correspond to frequencies of 90, 335, 441 and 620 cm^?1 observed in Raman effect. The large width of the Raman lines and the additional lines at 256 cm^?1 and 726 cm^?1 have been attributed to a splitting of the longitudinal and transverse optical modes. With the observed frequencies it has been found possible to account for in a satisfactory manner the specific heat of SrTiO₃ in the range 54·84° K to 1800° K.     

Recrystallization of amorphous nanotracks and uniform layers generated by swift-ion-beam irradiation in lithium niobate

The thermal annealing of amorphous tracks of nanometer-size diameter generated in lithium niobate (LiNbO₃) by Bromine ions at 45 MeV, i.e., in the electronic stopping regime, has been investigated by RBS/C spectrometry in the temperature range from 250°C to 350°C. Relatively low fluences have been used (<10¹² cm⁻²) to produce isolated tracks. However, the possible effect of track overlapping has been investigated by varying the fluence between 3×10¹¹ cm⁻² and 10¹² cm⁻². The annealing process follows a two-step kinetics. In a first stage (I) the track radius decreases linearly with the annealing time. It obeys an Arrhenius-type dependence on annealing temperature with activation energy around 1.5 eV. The second stage (II) operates after the track radius has decreased down to around 2.5 nm and shows a much lower radial velocity. The data for stage I appear consistent with a solid-phase epitaxial process that yields a constant recrystallization rate at the amorphous-crystalline boundary. HRTEM has been used to monitor the existence and the size of the annealed isolated tracks in the second stage. On the other hand, the thermal annealing of homogeneous (buried) amorphous layers has been investigated within the same temperature range, on samples irradiated with Fluorine at 20 MeV and fluences of ∼10¹⁴ cm⁻². Optical techniques are very suitable for this case and have been used to monitor the recrystallization of the layers. The annealing process induces a displacement of the crystalline-amorphous boundary that is also linear with annealing time, and the recrystallization rates are consistent with those measured for tracks. The comparison of these data with those previously obtained for the heavily damaged (amorphous) layers produced by elastic nuclear collisions is summarily discussed.     

Electronic structure and dynamics of ordered clusters with ME or RE ions on oxide surface

Selected data of ab initio simulation of the electronic structure and spectral properties of either cluster with ions of iron, rare earth or actinium group elements have been presented here. Appearance of doped Cr⁺⁴ ions in oxides, Cu⁺² in HTSC, Nd⁺² in solids has been discussed. Analysis of experimental data for plasma created ordered structures of crystallites with size of about 10^-9 m on surface of separate oxides are given, too. Change in the spectroscopic properties of clusters and nano-structures on surface of strontium titanate crystals discussed shortly using the X-ray line spectroscopy experimental results.     

Patterning of PLZT and PSZT thin films by excimer laser

The patterning of lanthanum-doped lead zirconate titanate (PLZT) and strontium-doped lead zirconate titanate (PSZT) thin films has been examined using a 5-ns pulsed excimer laser. Both types of film were deposited by rf magnetron sputtering with in situ heating and a controlled cooling rate in order to obtain the perovskite-structured films. The depth of laser ablation in both PSZT and PLZT films showed a logarithmic dependence on fluence. The ablation rate of PLZT films was slightly higher than that of PSZT films over the range of fluence (10–150 J/cm²) and increased linearly with number of pulses. The threshold fluence required to initiate ablation was ∼ 1.25 J/cm² for PLZT and ∼ 1.87 J/cm² for PSZT films. Individual squares were patterned with areas ranging from 10×10 μm² up to 30×30 μm² using single and multiple pulses. The morphology of the etched surfaces comprised globules which had diameters of 200–250 nm in PLZT and 1400 nm in PSZT films. The diameter of the globules has been shown to increase with fluence until reaching an approximately constant size at ≤ 20 J/cm² in both types of film. The composition of the films following ablation has been compared using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. PACS 79.20.Ds; 82.80.Pv; 82.80.Ej     

Influence of high-temperature annealing on the orientation of the unipolarity vector in lead zirconate titanate thin films

The factors responsible for the change in the orientation of the natural unipolarity vector due to heating to the Curie temperature of a Pt/PZT/Pt thin-film capacitor (PZT—lead zirconate titanate) formed on a TiO₂/SiO₂/Si substrate have been considered. Lead zirconate titanate thin layers containing a small excess of lead oxide have been formed ex situ using high-frequency magnetron sputtering with a variation in the annealing temperature (crystallization of the perovskite phase) in the range from 580 to 650°C. It has been assumed that the reorientation of the unipolarity vector in the PZT layer is caused by the change in the mechanism of crystallization of the perovskite phase with an increase in the annealing temperature.     

Experimental evidence for the Onsager reciprocal relation in mixed conduction

The cross conductivities in the ionic-electronic conduction have been measured for α Ag₂Se at 162°C and β Cu₂S at 340°C, and it has been found that the Onsager reciprocal relation is satisfied in the whole measured range of the nonstoichiometry. The measured cross conductivities are smaller than the ionic conductivity by the factor 10^?2 to 10^?3.     

Electrical conductivity and thermopower of lead titanate crystals

The temperature dependences of the thermopower ?? and volume conductivity ?? _V of lead titanate crystals have been studied in the temperature range 400?C550 K, in which there are anomalies of the permittivity ? that are not related to the phase transition. It has been found that, in this temperature range, the thermopower ?? has a maximum and changes sign in many crystals; in this case, ?? _V decreases. It has been assumed that the anomalies of ?? and ?? _V , which correlate with anomalies of ?, are caused by thermal activation of electron traps, which leads to compensation of the p-type conductivity. The concentrations of free charge carriers and their drift mobility in the paraphase near the Curie point have been determined. These data indicate that the possibility exists of occurring the total internal screening of the bound charge P _s .     

Investigation of two- and three-nucleon transfer reactions in12C +56Fe

Multi-nucleon transfer reactions⁵⁶Fe(¹²C, X) have been studied at an incident¹²C energy of 60 MeV. Angular distributions of¹⁰Be and⁹Be corresponding to 2p and 2p 1n transfer reactions in transition to low-lying states in the residual nuclei have been measured. The angular distribution data for 2p transfer have been analysed in terms of finite range DWBA calculations assuming a one-step transfer of two protons. The spectroscopic factors for three low-lying transitions observed in⁵⁶Fe(¹²C,¹⁰Be)⁵⁸Ni have been extracted. Transfer probabilities for the ground state transition in two- and three-nucleon stripping channels have been obtained and compared with the corresponding sequential transfer probabilities in order to emphasise the role of direct transfer of nucleons vis-a-vis sequential transfer.     

Second order elastic anomalies in barium titanate from orthorhombic to rhombohedral phase transition

The anomalies in second order elastic constants have been derived for barium titanate for the phase transition from orthorhombic to rhombohedral state. The equilibrium values of order parameter, strain variables and fluctuations in order parameter have been derived using stability conditions and Landau-Khalatnikov equations respectively. Expression for shift in specific heat is obtained. All the anomalies in second order elastic constants have been derived and relations among them reported. The numerical values of anomalies in the individual constants are calculated and their variation is represented graphically. Changes in elastic constants occur over a range of temperature of the order 10⁻²K.     

Thermal activation stage of spall fracture of aluminum in the subnanosecond range of loading time

Modern experimental data on the temperature-time dependence of the spall strength of aluminum have been generalized. These data have been compared with measurements of the durability of aluminum and interpreted in the framework of the kinetic concept of the strength of solids. The temperature-time dependence of the strength of aluminum in the time range of 10⁵–10^?11 s has been presented.     

Effect of light-induced drop in electrical resistance of bulk SrTiO3 crystals

This paper reports on the results of the experimental investigation of the light-induced drop in electrical resistance of undoped SrTiO₃ crystals exposed to illumination for a time of 10³–10⁴ s. The revealed effect reaches five orders of magnitude and has been observed even in samples irradiated with a weakly absorbed light that is not capable of inducing interband transitions in strontium titanate. The nature of the revealed phenomenon has been explained within the framework of modern concepts, according to which in SrTiO₃ crystals there is a three-dimensional network of metallized nanowires formed by extended defects, for example, edge and screw dislocations.     

Controlling precursor stability and evaporation through molecular design. Pseudo single source precursor approach to MOCVD SrTiO3 thin films

Strontium titanate SrTiO₃ thin films have attracted interest as a possible gate dielectric material. Preparation of its high quality coatings is hindered by difference in volatility of the homometallic precursors - strontium beta-diketonates and titanium alkoxides. The only earlier known single-source precursor, a sec-alkoxide derivative Sr₂Ti₂(thd)₄(OiPr)₈, has limited volatility. Bimetallic primary alkyl chain complexes, Sr₄Ti₂O(thd)₄(OR)₁₀(ROH)₂, R = Et, ⁿPr, are stable and volatile, but possess a wrong composition. Highly volatile precursor Sr₂Ti₂(thd)₄(OⁱBu)₈ has been prepared using an iso-alkoxide, combining proper ligand size with the sterical requirements, and characterized by multivariate evaporation analysis. Its evaporation is associated with complete decomposition into homometallic species, which, however, are evaporated in a single step. This permits to successfully use this novel precursor for SrTiO₃ thin film deposition by DLI-MOCVD technique in a sufficiently broad established temperature range. Using optimized experimental conditions, 100 nm thick strontium titanate films with high permittivity have been successfully obtained on (1 0 0) Si.