Growth and transport properties of CaFeAsF_(1-x) single crystals

Using self-flux method,we have successfully grown the parent phase of the single crystals of CaFeAsF1-x.The X-ray di?raction indicates good crystallinity.In-plane resistivity shows a bad metallic behavior with a sharp drop of resistivity at about T SDW=119K.This anomaly is associated with the possible spin density wave(SDW)order.Interestingly near T SDW,the resistivity exhibits a cusp-like feature,which may be understood as the strong coupling effect between the electrons and the antiferromagnetic(AF)spin fluctuations.A reduction of fluorine or application of a high pressure will suppress the SDW feature and induce superconductivity.Hall effect measurements reveal a positive Hall coefficient below T SDW indicating a dominant role of the hole-like charge carriers in the parent phase.Strong magnetoresistance has been observed below T SDW suggesting multiple conduction channels of the charge carriers.     

Doping – Dependent irreversible magnetic properties of Ba(Fe1−xCox)2As2 single crystals

We discuss the irreversible magnetic properties of self-flux grown Ba(Fe_1?xCo_x)₂As₂ single crystals for a wide range of concentrations covering the whole phase diagram from the underdoped to the overdoped regime, x = 0.038, 0.047, 0.058, 0.071, 0.074, 0.10, 0.106 and 0.118. Samples were characterized by a magneto-optical method and show excellent spatial uniformity of the superconducting state down to at least the micrometer scale. The in-plane properties are isotropic, as expected for the tetragonal symmetry, and the overall behavior closely follows classical Bean model of the critical state. The field-dependent magnetization exhibits second peak at a temperature and doping – dependent magnetic field, H_p(T, x). The evolution of this fishtail feature with doping is discussed. In particular we find that H_p, measured at the same reduced temperature for different x, is a unique monotonic function of the superconducting transition temperature, T_c(x), across all dopings. Magnetic relaxation is time-logarithmic and unusually fast. Similar to cuprates, there is an apparent crossover from collective elastic to plastic flux creep above H_p. At high fields, the field dependence of the relaxation rate becomes doping independent. We discuss our results in the framework of the weak collective pinning and show that vortex physics in iron-based pnictide crystals is much closer to high-T_c cuprates than to conventional s-wave (including MgB₂) superconductors.     

CaAs(100)的(NH_4)_2S_x和P_2S_5/(NH_4)_2S_x表面钝化

利用光致发光谱、X射线光电子谱和俄歇电子谱等技术研究了(NH_4)_2S_x和P_2S_5/(NH_4)_2S_5化学钝化GaAs(100)表面.结果表明,(NH_4)_2S_x中S钝化可以完全去除GaAs表面的氧化物.P_2S_5/(NH_4)_2S_x中P_2S_5对降低G_2A_5表面态密度,提高光致发光强度是有效的.钝化表面P氧化物存在对防止GaAs表面初期氧化起重要作用.     

Growth and optical properties of Cr~（3＋）-doped CdWO_4 single crystals

A high-quality Cr 3+:CdWO4 single crystal at a size of approximatelyΦ25×80 mm is grown using the Bridgman method with CdO,WO3,and Cr2O3 as raw materials and their molar ratio of 100:100:0.5.The temperature gradient of solid-liquid interface at growth is approximately 50?C/cm and the growth rate is 0.05 mm/h.The X-ray diffraction(XRD),absorption,excitation,and emission spectra of different parts of the as-grown and O2-annealed crystals are investigated.Two strong broad optical absorption bands of about 472 and 708 nm are observed,and they are associated with the transitions 4 A2→ 4 T1 and 4 A2→ 4 T2.The weak 4 T2→ 2 E transition(the R-line)at 632 nm is also observed.The crystal-field parameter Dq and the Racah parameters B and C are estimated to be 1 412.4,776.8,and 3 427.6 cm? 1,respectively,according to the absorption spectra and crystal-splitting theory.A broadband fluorescence at about 1 000 nm due to 4 T2→ 4 A2 transition is produced by exciting the samples at 675 nm.After being annealed in an O2 atmosphere,the crystals become more transparent,while the effective light absorption of Cr 3+ ions is evidently enhanced and the emission intensity is also strengthened due to the reduction of oxygen vacancies in the CdWO4 crystal after annealing.     

Structural and magnetic properties of HCP-CoCrPt–SiO2 granular media

Granular HCP-(CoCrPt)_100−x(SiO₂)_x thin films with Cr underlayers have been fabricated by sputtering multilayers followed by post-deposition annealing. Magnetic and structural properties of the films for potential applications in magnetic recording media have been investigated in detail. In as-deposited films coercivities exceeding 2.5 kOe have been obtained with SiO₂ varying from 8 to 16 vol%; high coercivity of 5.6 kOe and anisotropy of 4.6×10⁶ erg/cm³ have been achieved at low M_rt value (about 0.4 memu/cm²) in the post-annealed films. VSM measurements showed that the magnetic moment lies well in the film plane under proper preparation conditions. Grain isolation in the magnetic layer was improved by segregating SiO₂ into grain boundaries and further enhanced by post-deposition annealing. The rapid increase of the coercivity upon annealing is most likely due to the significant decrease in intergranular exchange coupling, as shown by the δM measurement in which the peak value of δM curves changed from a positive value to a negative value upon annealing. Magnetic reversal properties of the films have also been systematically studied. These results show that the HCP-CoCrPt–SiO₂ granular film is a promising candidate for ultra-high-density recording media up to 100 Gbit/in² or beyond because of its low Pt content and desirable properties.     

Fabrication and properties of silicene and silicene–graphene layered structures on Ir(111)

Silicene, a two-dimensional(2D) honeycomb structure similar to graphene, has been successfully fabricated on various substrates. This work will mainly review the syntheses and the corresponding prope√rties o√f silicene and√ silice√ne–graphene layered structures on Ir(111) substrates. For silicene on Ir(111), the buckled(3 ×3) silicene/(7 ×7)Ir(111) configuration and its electronic structure are fully discussed. For silicene–graphene layered structures, silicene layer can be constructed underneath graphene layer by an intercalation method. These results indicate the possibility of integrating silicene with graphene and may link up with potential applications in nanoelectronics and related areas.     

Stability and stabilization of 2H martensite in Cu–Zn–Al single crystals

The stabilization of the 2H martensitic phase in Cu–Zn–Al single crystals with an electron concentration e/a?=?1.53 was investigated. This orthorhombic 2H martensite was first induced from the cubic β phase by the direct β?→?2H or the indirect β?→?18R?→?2H transformations. On loading the 2H martensite, a transition without hysteresis is observed at a stress which was denoted σ_T1. It was found that this stress is associated with a change in the behaviour of the 2H martensite. A high stabilization of the 2H martensite, around 300?K, is only obtained if an ageing is performed at a stress above σ_T1. Additionally, the stresses of the transformation to another martensitic phase, called 18R₂, were found to be constant when the value of σ_T1 is below the retransformation stress. The 2H martensite and its behaviour on ageing were studied by dilatometry, calorimetry, mechanical testing, optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Models accounting for the stabilization of the 2H martensite on ageing are proposed.     

Electrical and thermoluminescence properties of γ-irradiated La2CuO4 crystals

Abstract

Measurements of the electrical properties of unirradiated as well as γ-irradiated La₂CuO₄ crystals were carried out at different temperatures in the frequency range of 0.1-100 kHz. Thermoluminescence (TL) studies were also performed on such crystals in the temperature range of 300-600K. The conductivity of the unirradiated La₂CuO₄ crystals were found to obey the power law frequency dependence at each measured temperature below the transition temperature (T_c = 450K). The activation energies for conduction and dielectric relaxation time have been calculated. The TL response and the dc resistance were found to increase with γ-irradiation dose up to 9-10 kGy. The results showed that the ferroelastic domain walls of La₂CuO₄ crystal as well as its TL traps are sensitive to γ-raditaion. This material can be used in radiation measurements in the range 225 Gy-10 kGy.     

One-pot hydrothermal synthesis of β-MnO2 crystals and their magnetic properties

β-MnO₂ nanorods and flower-like structures were synthesized via a one-pot hydrothermal route at 160 °C without using any template and surfactant. It is demonstrated that H⁺ in the solution has a significant effect on the morphology and resultant magnetic property of β-MnO₂ crystals. Magnetic measurements indicate that the Néel temperature of the β-MnO₂ flower-like structures is 98 K, which is about 2 K higher than that of the nanorods counterpart.     

Magnetic-field and temperature effects on the optical properties of dicyano-2,2′-bipyridyl-platinum(II) single crystals

Studies of the polarized emission of [Pt(CN)₂(bipy)] single crystals as function of temperature (1.9 K ⩽ T ⩽ 295 K) and homogeneous magnetic fields (0 ⩽ H ⩽ 6 T), and the temperature dependence of the polarized absorption spectrum are reported. Raising the temperature from 1.9 to 7 K or increasing the magnetic field from 0 to 1 T results in a blue shift of ≈175 cm^-1 in the E ⊥ a polarized emission (E: electric field vector, a: crystallographic a axis). Between 1.9 and 295 K at H = 0) and between 0 and 6 T (at T = 1.9 K), the emission lifetime decreases by factors of ≈10³ and ≈10², respectively. The results are explained within the C'_2v symmetry of the single complex assuming a coupling between neighboring central ions.     

Electrical properties and electronic structure of Cu1−xZnxInSe2 and Cu1−xZnxInS2 single crystals

Temperature dependence of the electrical conductivity of CuInS₂–ZnIn₂S₄ and CuInSe₂–ZnIn₂Se₄ solid solutions possessing n-type conductivity has been studied. It has been established that when the temperature decreases down to ~100 to 27 K, the hopping mechanism of electrical conductivity with a variable jumping length between localized states positioned in a narrow energy band near the Fermi level becomes dominant. The main parameters of the hopping conductivity have been determined. At higher temperatures (150–300 K), in the CuInSe₂–ZnIn₂Se₄ single crystals containing 15 and 20 mol% ZnIn₂Se₄ the thermally activated conductivity with activation energy of 0.018 and 0.04 eV, respectively, is detected. Among the CuInSe₂–ZnIn₂Se₄ single crystals, samples with 5 and 10 mol% ZnIn₂Se₄ were found to be close to degenerate semiconductors. Temperature dependences of the electrical conductivity of CuInS₂–ZnIn₂S₄ single crystals are described by a more complicated function that may indicate a competition of several conduction mechanisms in these compounds. For the CuInS₂–ZnIn₂S₄ solid solutions, X-ray photoelectron core-level and valence-band spectra have been measured for both pristine and Ar⁺ ion-bombarded surfaces. Our results indicate that the Cu_1−xZn_xInS₂ single-crystal surfaces are sensitive to Ar⁺ ion-bombardment. Additionally, for the Cu_1−xZn_xInS₂ crystal with the highest ZnIn₂S₄ content, namely 12 mol% ZnIn₂S₄, the X-ray emission bands representing the energy distribution of the Cu 3d, Zn 3d and S 3p states have been measured and compared on a common energy scale with the X-ray photoelectron valence-band spectrum.     

The structural,electronic and magnetic properties of Ag4M and Ag4MCO (M = Sc–Zn) clusters

The structures, spectra and electronic and magnetic properties of Ag₄M and Ag₄MCO (M?=?Sc–Zn) clusters have been studied using density functional theory and CALYPSO structure searching method. Structural searches show that M atoms except Zn tend to occupy the highest coordination position in the ground state Ag₄M and Ag₄MCO clusters. Carbon monoxide is most easily adsorbed on Ag atom of Ag₄Zn and M atom of other Ag₄M. Infrared and Raman spectra, photoabsorption spectra and photoelectron spectra of Ag₄M and Ag₄MCO clusters are forecasted and can be used to identify these clusters from experiment. Analysis of electronic properties indicates that the adsorption of CO on Ag₄M clusters changes the zero vibrational energy (ZPVE) and increases stability of the host clusters. Dopant atoms except for Zn improve the stability of silver cluster. The Ag₄Ni cluster shows high chemical activity and maximum adsorption energy for carbon monoxide. Magnetism calculations reveal that the magnetic moment of Ag₄M (M?=?Mn–Ni) cluster adsorbed by carbon monoxide is decreased by 2 μ_B. The change of magnetic moment makes it possible to be used as a nanomaterial for carbon monoxide detection. Simultaneously, it is found that the adsorption of CO on Ag₄Cu cluster is a physical adsorption.     

Lowering of magnetic field intensity at the surfaces of α-Fe2O3 and FeBO3 single crystals

Depth-selective conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy was used to study magnetic properties of the thin surface layers of the α-Fe₂O₃ and FeBO₃ single crystals. An analysis of the experimental spectra indicates that the magnetic properties of the layers at a depth of more than ～100 nm from the surface are similar to the properties of crystal bulk, and the corresponding spectra consist of narrow lines. The lines gradually broaden as the crystal surface is approached. The spectra of the ～10-nm-thick surface layers consist of broad lines, indicating a wide distribution δ=2.1 T of the effective magnetic field about its mean value of 32.2(4) T. The experimental spectra were used to determine the effective magnetic fields (H _eff) for the iron ions situated in the surface layers of thickness ～100 nm. The effective fields in these layers were found to gradually decrease at room temperature (291 K) as the crystal surface was approached. The H _eff values in the 2.4(9)-nm-thick surface layer of the α-Fe₂O₃ crystal and 4.9(9)-nm layer of FeBO₃ are 0.7(2) and 1.2(3)%, respectively, smaller than for the nuclei of the ions in the bulk of these crystals.     

Fabrication and properties of high performance YBa_2Cu_3O_(7-δ) radio frequency SQUIDs with step-edge Josephson junctions

We describe the fabrication of high performance YBa2Cu3O7-δ（YBCO） radio frequency（RF） superconducting quantum interference devices（SQUIDs）, which were prepared on 5 mm×5 mm LaAlO3（LAO） substrates by employing stepedge junctions（SEJs） and in flip-chip configuration with 12 mm×12 mm resonators. The step in the substrate was produced by Ar ion etching with step angles ranging from 47°to 61°, which is steep enough to ensure the formation of grain boundaries（GBs） at the step edges. The YBCO film was deposited using the pulsed laser deposition（PLD） technique with a film thickness half of the height of the substrate step. The inductance of the SQUID washer was designed to be about 157 pH.Under these circumstances, high performance YBCO RF SQUIDs were successfully fabricated with a typical flux-voltage transfer ratio of 83 mV/Φ0, a white flux noise of 29 μΦ0/（Hz）^1/2, and the magnetic field sensitivity as high as 80 fT/（Hz）^1/2.These devices have been applied in magnetocardiography and geological surveys.     

Birefringence of CuGa(S1−x Sex)2 single crystals

The magnitude and dispersion of birefringence of single crystals of CuGa(S_1?x Se_x)₂ solid solutions is studied in the spectral region of 0.5–2.5 μ at T=300 K. The effect of the substitution of selenium for sulfur on special features of birefringence dispersion is analyzed within the framework of the single-oscillator model.     

Sol–gel synthesis,magnetic and magneto-optical properties of CoFe2−xTbxO4 nanocrystalline films

The nanocrystalline thin films of terbium-doped cobalt ferrite were fabricated by a sol–gel method, and the effects of crystallization conditions on the phase, morphology, magnetic and magneto-optical (MO) properties of products were investigated. Due to its large radius, the doping content, x, of Tb³⁺ ion inside cobalt spinel cannot exceed 0.2. The CoFe_2−xTb_xO₄ films consist of the grains with the average size smaller than 50 nm even annealed up to 800°C. Saturation magnetization, coercive force and MO rotation are strongly dependent on the annealing temperature.     

Specific features of the pyroelectric properties of actual RbTiOPO4 single crystals in the temperature range 4.2–300 K

The pyroelectric properties of samples cut from various growth sectors of RbTiOPO₄ single crystals grown from solution in a melt were measured in the temperature range from 4.2 to 300 K. The experimental values of the pyroelectric coefficient range from ?1.3 × 10^?5 to ?4.6 × 10^?5 C/m² K. For the samples cut from the (100) sector, pronounced anomalies were revealed at 85 and 275 K, which, in our opinion, can be due to the contribution of associates formed by the coordination tetrahedra PO₄(1) and PO₄(2) and interstitial rubidium Rb _i . At T > 280 K, superionic conductivity begins to manifest itself in all of the samples studied, which indicates the decomposition of the dipole complexes with increasing temperature. From the measured pyroelectric coefficient and birefringence along the polar direction, the spontaneous polarization of rubidium titanyl is calculated to be 0.5 C/m² at 250 K, which is comparable in magnitude to that of lithium tantalate.     

A simulation study of rapid solidification and crystal configuration of Cu_(70)Ni_(30) alloy

1 Introduction It is well known that the performances of metal materials are mainly determined by their special microcosmic configuration formed in the concreting processes. For under- standing the relationship between the configuration and performance, it is very impor- tant both in theory and practice to find out the form and transition feature of microcos- mic configuration by tracking the concreting processes of liquid metals. Cu-Ni alloy is a completely solid solution or a single-phase al…