The Magnetism of Frustrated RFe6Al6 Compounds Studied by μSR and Mössbauer Spectroscopy

Hyperfine Interactions - μSR studies on the RFe6Al6 (R?=?Tb,?Ho,?Er) ferrimagnets (T N≈340?K) show that the presence of frustration by competing exchange...     

Muon catalyzed fusion and muon to 3He transfer in solid T2 studied by X-ray and neutron detection

X-ray and neutron measurements were carried out for muon catalyzed fusion and related phenomena in solid T₂. The X-ray originated from the μ^- to α sticking in muon catalyzed fusion; t + t + μ ^- → (μ ^- α) + 2n was measured for the first time, yielding K _α X-ray intensity of (μα) atom and the intensity ratio of K _β to K _α . Utilizing the phenomena of ³He accumulation in solid T₂, the X-ray in the μ^- transfer process from (tμ) to ³He was detected, providing a formation rate and radiative decay branching-ratio of (t ³Heμ) molecule. From fusion neutron measurements, estimated values were obtained for (ttμ) molecular formation rate as well as sticking probability ω_t in ttμ fusion. A possible new insight in t + t fusion reaction process at a low energy limit is also obtained. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

μ+SR study of heavy-fermion magnetism in Ce(Cu1-xNix)2Ge2

We report muon spin relaxation (μ⁺SR) studies on the magnetic phase diagram of Ce(Cu_1-xNi_x)₂Ge₂ polycrystals for 0.5≤ x ≤ 0.8. A sharp magnetic transition, evidenced by the appearance of a fast Gaussian relaxation component σ, has been observed in the x = 0.5 alloy at 4.0 K in zero applied field. The average local field < B_μ> at the stopping sites of the muons, extracted from σ, exhibits a linear temperature dependence. We associate these features with an incommensurate spin density wave (SDW) ordering. Magnetic ordering, either long range or short range, and signatures of non-Fermi liquid behaviour have not been observed down to 2.0 K at x = 0.8. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The First Observation of the Temperature-Dependent Phenomenon of Muon Catalyzed Fusion in Solid D–T Mixtures

A systematic study on muon catalyzed fusion (μCF) was conducted in solid deuterium and tritium (D–T) mixture. A variety of experimental conditions were investigated, i.e., tritium concentrations from 20 to 70%, temperatures from 5 to 16 K. A preliminary analysis result suggests a steep decrease in the dtμ-molecule formation rate with decreasing temperature, and also an increase in the probability for a muon reactivation after an α-sticking phenomenon. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

General relations among observables in a large class of neutral-current processes mediated by one,two, or threeZ bosons

Without assuming any symmetry amongμ, e andτ leptons, we consider several neutral current processes involving 73 physical parameters and deduce general relations among them implied by different classes of gauge models with one, two and three neutralZ bosons. In the single-Z boson model there are 60 general relations while the two (three)-boson model leads to 48 (36) relations. If onlyμ-e universality is imposed, the physical parameters reduce to 41 and the single (two)-Z boson model yields 31 (22) relations, while only 13 relations exist for the threeZ boson model. Imposingμ-e-τ universality decreases the number of physical parameters to 18, while the number of relations in the single- and two-Z boson models reduces to 11 and 5, respectively. In these relations are contained those obtained by Hung and Sakurai and Parida and Rajasekaran in the corresponding cases. In addition we obtain some new inequalities among the observable parameters which are to be satisfied by all gauge models.     

Microscopy of femtoscale structures

Advances in experimental techniques are discussed for the study of long-lived isomers using gammasphere. Spectroscopy of neutron-rich nuclei in the A ∼ 180 region is made possible for the first time via neutron transfer from heavy beams, and long-predicted high-K isomers are observed.     

Enhancement of the defect field of one-dimensional photonic crystals containing <Emphasis Type="Italic">ε</Emphasis>-and <Emphasis Type="Italic">μ</Emphasis>-negative layers

Employing the transfer matrix method, we study the electromagnetic field of one-dimensional photonic crystals with a defect inserted by pairs of μ-negative (MNG) and ε-negative (ENG) material layers. The fields within the pairs of layers and the matrix defect are independent of each other, and the whole field is their superposition. The whole defect field can be significantly enhanced by pairs of ε-negative and μ-negative layers. In contrast to the conventional defect modes, the intensity and volume of the defect field with pairs of ε-negative and μ-negative layers can be precisely adjusted.     

In situ characterization of MBE grown GaAs and Al x Ga1−x As films using RHEED,SIMS, and AES techniques

A combination of the surface diagnostic techniques Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED), and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) was used in order to get more detailed information on basic processes which lead to the formation of high quality monocrystalline GaAs and Al _x Ga_1−x As films by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) under ultra-high vacuum conditions. The formation and changes of reconstructed surface structures on (100) GaAs as a function of growth parameters were observedduring growth by RHEED. AES was used to determine the relative ratio of Ga/As on the surface for different reconstructed structures, to investigate the impurity contamination on substrate surfaces and grown films, and to study the surface segregation of Sn in MBE GaAs during doping. Finally, intentional and unintentional impurities incorporated during the growth of GaAs and Al _x Ga_1−x As by MBE were detected by the SIMS technique immediately after growth within the reaction chamber.     

Observation of record flux pinning in melt-textured NEG-123 superconductor doped by Nb, Mo, and Ti nanoparticles

Flux pinning in melt-processed (Nd_0.33Eu_0.33Gd_0.33)Ba₂Cu₃O_y “NEG-123” + 35 mol% Gd₂BaCuO₅ “NEG-211” (70 nm in size) composite doped by TiO₃, MoO₃ and Nb₂O₅ achieved record values. The optimum values of all three dopands were found to be around 0.1 mol%. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) analysis found clouds of <10 nm sized particles in the NEG-123 matrix, shifting the pinning particle size distribution to significantly lower values. TEM by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis clarified that these nanoparticles contained a significant amount of Nb, Mo, and Ti. Appearance of nanometer-sized defects correlated with a significantly improved flux pining at low and medium magnetic fields, which was particularly significant at high temperatures. In the Nb-doped sample, a record J_c value of 925 kA/cm² at the secondary peak field (4.5 T) was achieved at 65 K, 640 kA/cm² at zero field at 77 K, and 100 kA/cm² at 90.2 K, the last value having been up to now considered as a good standard for REBa₂Cu₃O_y “RE-123” materials at 77 K. The greatly improved J_c–B performance in Nb/Mo/Ti doped samples can be easily translated to large-scale LRE-123 (LRE = light rare earths, Nd, Eu, Gd, Sm) blocks intended for real superconducting super-magnets applications.     

General relations among observables in neutral-current phenomena mediated by one or twoZ bosons

Ifμ-e universality is assumed, there are 17 neutral-current parameters of current experimental interest, including the parity-violating nuclear force sector. We deduce the general relations among these parameters implied by gauge models. In single-Z boson models, there are 10 relations, while two-boson models lead to 4 relations. Ifμ-e universality is abandoned, the number of parameters increases to 31, while the number of relations becomes 21 in single-boson models and 12 in two-boson models. We derive all these relations.     

Magnetic flux structures of composite superconducting structures with d- and s-waves superconductors (d-dots)

Composite superconducting structures with d- and s-wave superconductors, d-dots, can be used as two state devices. Their functions depend on structures of the spontaneous magnetic field, which appears because of the anisotropy of d-wave superconductivity. Solving two-components Ginzburg–Landau equation, we have investigated magnetic field structures for d-dots with smaller and larger holes around the corners of d-wave superconducting region. And we argued the effect of holes on the magnetic structures.     

Control of susceptibility-related image contrast by spin-lock techniques

Macroscopic magnetic field inhomogeneities might lead to image distortions, while microscopic field inhomogeneities, due to susceptibility changes in tissues, cause spin dephasing and decreasing T₂ relaxation time. The latter effects are especially observed in the trabecular bone and in regions adjacent to air-containing cavities when gradient-echo sequences are applied. In conventional MRI, these susceptibility-related signal voids can be avoided by applying spin-echo (SE) techniques. In this study, an alternative method for the examination and control of susceptibility-related effects by spin-lock (SL) radiofrequency pulses is presented: SL pulses were applied in two different susceptibility-sensitive sequence types: (a) between the jump and return 90° pulses in a 90°_x−τ−90°_−x magnetization-prepared Fast Low Angle Shot (FLASH) sequence and (b) between the 90° pulse and the 180° pulse in an asymmetric SE sequence. The range of Larmor frequencies used for spin locking can be determined for different B₁ amplitudes of the SL pulses, allowing control of image contrast by the amplitude of the SL pulses.     

Precision measurement of the coherent neutron scattering length of 3He through neutron interferometry

Improved knowledge of the real part of the neutron scattering length of ³He is important for further development of nuclear few-body theory, as well as for a thorough understanding of neutron scattering off quantum liquids. The real part of the bound incoherent neutron scattering length b_i' has recently been measured directly with an experimental uncertainty of better than 1% by means of spin echo spectrometry. The uncertainty of the more fundamental bound multiplet scattering lengths b_±' is thus limited by today's 1.2% uncertainty of the spin-independent coherent part b_c'. Employing the skew-symmetric perfect crystal Si-interferometer at the S18 experimental site at ILL, Grenoble, we have re-measured the real part of the bound coherent neutron scattering length b_c' of ³He. Our result b_c' = 6.010(21)fm exhibits a significant deviation compared to the latest accepted value b_c' = 5.74(7)fm (H. Kaiser, H. Rauch, G. Badurek, W. Bauspiess, U. Bonse, Z. Phys. A 291, 231 (1979)). Including the known value of the incoherent neutron scattering length, we obtain new values for the real parts of the free singlet and triplet scattering lengths, a_-' = 7.573(30)fm and a₊' = 3.480(18)fm. Our result contravenes by more than 7 standard deviations the measurement of the same physical quantity that has recently been performed by a group at NIST in a very similar experiment (P.R. Huffman, D.L. Jacobson, K. Schoen, M. Arif, T.C. Black, W.M. Snow, S.A. Werner, Phys. Rev. C 70, 014004 (2004)) which yielded b_c' = 5.853(7)fm.     

The power and beauty of (γ, 2e) experiments

The power and beauty of energy- and angle-resolved two-electron emission in the double photoionization of atoms is demonstrated, concentrating on the particular shapes of the angular correlation patterns of the triple differential cross section. The cases selected are direct double photoionization in helium and neon as well as sequential double photoionization in xenon, both for equal and unequal energies of the emitted electrons.     

The study of light scalar mesons at BESII

The production of σ and κ in J/ψ decays is presented using 58 million J/ψ events collected at BES II detector. We also report the study of the light scalar mesons f ₀(980), f ₀(1370), f ₀(1500) and f ₀(1710) etc. in J/ψ decays.     

Measurement and analysis of excitation functions for alpha induced reactions on iodine and cesium

The excitation functions for the reactions¹²⁷I(α, 2n)¹²⁹Cs,¹²⁷I(α, 4n)¹²⁷Cs,¹³³Cs(α, 2n)¹³⁵La and¹³³Cs(α, 4n)¹³³La have been measured up to ≈50 MeVα-particle energy using the stacked foil activation technique. Measured excitation functions are compared with pre-equilibrium geometry dependent hybrid model calculations. It has been found that theoretical calculations using an initial exciton numbern ₀=4 (2p+2n+0h) give good agreement with experimental excitation functions.     

The effect of flux materials on the physical and optical properties of Eu-activated yttrium oxide phosphors

A flux fusion method was used to obtain the various sizes of Eu³⁺-activated Y₂O₃ red phosphors. The flux material was selected as an independent variable to control the physical properties of phosphor particles and their effects on the morphology and size distribution of phosphors were examined by scanning electron microscopy. The concentration of the flux materials and synthetic temperature were optimized for maximal photoluminescence intensity. Fluoride-based flux materials were found to work for the crystal formation of Eu³⁺-activated Y₂O₃. In particular, when a BaF₂ flux was used during the reaction at 1450 °C for 3 h, the photoluminescence (PL) intensity of Eu³⁺-activated Y₂O₃ was 25% higher than that without a flux and spherical phosphors had a mean particle size of 4-5 μm. The morphology and size distribution of the synthesized Eu³⁺-activated Y₂O₃ phosphor were predominantly dependent upon the type and concentration of flux material and synthetic temperature.     

Fabrication and characterization of 1.55 μm single transverse mode large diameter electrically pumped VECSEL

We report on the design, fabrication, and characterization of InP-based 1.55 μm wavelength large diameter (50 μm) electrically pumped vertical external cavity surface emitting lasers (EP-VECSELs). The hybrid device consists of a half vertical cavity surface emitting laser (1/2-VCSEL) structure assembled with a concave dielectric external mirror. The 1/2-VCSEL is monolithically grown on InP substrate and includes a semiconductor Bragg mirror and a tunnel junction for electrical injection. Buried (BTJ) and ion implanted (ITJ) tunnel junction electrical confinement schemes are compared in terms of their thermal and electrical characteristics. Lower thermal resistance values are measured for BJT, but reduced current crowding effects and uniform current injection are evidenced for ITJ. Using the ITJ technique, we demonstrate Room-Temperature (RT) continuous-wave (CW) single transverse mode laser operation from 50-μm diameter EP-VECSEL devices. We show that the experimental laser optical output versus injected current (L–I) curves are well-reproduced by a simple analytical thermal model, consistent with the thermal resistance measurements performed on the 1/2-VCSEL structure. Our results indicate that thermal heating is the main mechanism limiting the maximum CW output power of 50-μm diameter VECSELs, rather than current injection inhomogeneity.