Observation of the boson peak at the surface of vitreous silica

The boson peak is an excess in the phonon density of states compared to the Debye model that appears in almost all glasses. It has been repeatedly measured in the bulk by a variety of methods, but its origin is still highly debated. Here we present first experimental evidence of the boson peak on the v-SiO2 surface. The measurements were obtained by helium atom scattering. The boson peak appears as a dispersionless mode of approximately 4 meV in the recorded time-of-flight spectra. It is clearly identified as an excess contribution to the low energy Debye-like region in the surface phonon spectral density which is extracted from the time-of-flight spectra using a straightforward theoretical model.     

Hyper-raman scattering observation of the boson peak in vitreous silica

Hyper-Raman spectroscopy is used to investigate low frequency vibrations of various silica glasses. A strong boson peak is observed. The corresponding modes are inactive in infrared and Raman spectra, and are nonacoustic in nature. The shape of this boson peak essentially matches the total density of vibrational states (DOS), with a constant coupling coefficient C. This and other indications suggest that these modes actually dominate the DOS of silica.     

High frequency sound and the boson peak in amorphous silica

We present the results of extensive molecular dynamics computer simulations in which the high frequency dynamics of silica, i.e. for frequencies ν > 0.5 THz, is investigated in the viscous liquid state as well as in the glass state. We characterize the properties of high frequency sound modes by analyzing J _l(q,ν) and J _t(q,ν), the longitudinal and transverse current correlation function, respectively. For wave-vectors q > 0.4 ?^-1 the spectra are sitting on top of a flat background. The dynamic structure factor S(q,ν) exhibits for q > 0.23 ?^-1 a boson peak which is located nearly independent of q around 1.7 THz and for which the intensity scales approximately linearly with temperature. We show that the low frequency part of the boson peak is mainly due to the elastic scattering of transverse acoustic modes with frequencies around 1 THz. The strength of this scattering depends on q and is largest around q = 1.7 ?^-1, the location of the first sharp diffraction peak in the static structure factor. By studying S(q,ν) for different system sizes we show that strong finite size effects are present in the low frequency part of the boson peak in that for small systems part of its intensity is missing. We discuss the consequences of these finite size effects for the structural relaxation. Received 27 June 2000 and Received in final form 9 January 2001     

Euclidean random matrices, the glass transition and the boson peak

In this paper I will describe some results that have been recently obtained in the study of random Euclidean matrices, i.e. matrices that are functions of random points in Euclidean space. In the case of translation invariant matrices one generically finds a phase transition between a phonon phase and a saddle phase. If we apply these considerations to the study of the Hessian of the Hamiltonian of the particles of a fluid, we find that this phonon-saddle transition corresponds to the dynamical phase transition in glasses, that has been studied in the framework of the mode coupling approximation. The boson peak observed in glasses at low temperature is a remanent of this transition. Received 4 May 2002     

Short-range-order lifetime and the "boson peak" in a metallic glass model

We extend the usual static view of short range order in metallic glasses to a dynamical model of local order. We use an atomistic simulation of a NiZr glass to investigate time-dependent fluctuations of the atomic environment. We show that, even in the "frozen" glass, the solute-centered clusters change their identities between distinct polyhedron types. The frequency spectrum of these transitions exhibits a characteristic peak which we show to be related to a universal vibrational anomaly of disordered solids: the controversial boson peak.     

On the role of atomic motion soft modes in acoustic phonon broadening below the boson peak in glasses

This Letter presents a mechanism of acoustic phonon broadening for frequencies lower than the boson peak frequency in glasses exhibiting a high-frequency sound above the boson peak. The mechanism is based on a resonant interaction of an acoustic phonon with harmonic vibrational excitations of soft modes in such glasses. The related width of the phonon is found to be independent of temperature and characterized by a power-law frequency dependence ν?${\nu }^{?}$, with the exponent ?   varying from ?≈2$?\approx 2$ below the boson peak to ?≈4$?\approx 4$ at lower frequencies. The dependencies do not appear to contradict some recent experimental data, for the glasses under discussion.     

On the nature of exponential decrease of boson peak intensity tail, at increasing frequency higher than the peak position

In the present Letter, an exponential decrease of a boson peak intensity tail, at increasing frequency higher than the peak position, is predicted in the soft-mode model of low-energy glass dynamics for a series of glasses which exhibit a high-frequency sound above the peak. A similar theoretical interpretation is suggested for recent experimental data which show for some glasses a resembling behavior of the peak intensity tail.     

Origin of the boson peak in systems with lattice disorder

The origin of the boson peak in models with force-constant disorder has been established by calculations using the coherent potential approximation. The analytical results obtained are supported by precise numerical solutions. The boson peak in the disordered system is associated with the lowest van Hove singularity in the spectrum of the reference crystalline system, pushed down in frequency by disorder-induced level-repelling and hybridization effects.     

Anomalous temperature dependence of transmitted phonon drag effect below 4.2 K

The anomaly of the temperature dependence of the transmitted phonon drag effect in three-layer structures based on copper is studied, which shows up as a jump-like decrease in the effect magnitude during HeIHeII transition.     

Gauge boson pair production at the LHC: Anomalous couplings and vector boson scattering

We compare vector boson fusion and quark antiquark annihilation production of vector boson pairs at the LHC and include the effects of anomalous couplings. Results are given for confidence intervals for anomalous couplings at the LHC assuming that measurements will be in agreement with the standard model. We consider all couplings of the general triple vector boson vertex and their correlations. In addition we consider a gauge invariant dimension-six extension of the standard model. Analytical results for the cross sections for quark antiquark annihilation and vector boson fusion with anomalous couplings are given. Received: 24 June 1997 / Revised version: 10 November 1997 / Published online: 30 March 1998     

Anomalous behavior of the surface state in ferromagnetic superconductors

The effect of the electromagnetic interaction between the persistent current and the magnetic moments to the surface state in ferromagnetic superconductors is studied theoretically. This interaction causes an oscillatory decay of the penetrated magnetic field near the magnetic phase transition temperature. Below a critical temperature, the spontaneous surface magnetization is stabilized by the magnetic field induced by the surface persistent current.     

Acoustic attenuation in glasses and its relation with the boson peak

A theory for the vibrational dynamics in disordered solids [W. Schirmacher, Europhys. Lett. 73, 892 (2006), based on the random spatial variation of the shear modulus, has been applied to determine the wave vector (k) dependence of the Brillouin peak position (Omega(k)) and width (Gamma(k)), as well as the density of vibrational states [g(omega)], in disordered systems. As a result, we give a firm theoretical ground to the ubiquitous k2 dependence of Gamma(k) observed in glasses. Moreover, we derive a quantitative relation between the excess of the density of states (the boson peak) and Gamma(k), two quantities that were not considered related before. The successful comparison of this relation with the outcome of experiments and numerical simulations gives further support to the theory.     

Anomalous magnetic behavior of the Co0.53Ga0.47 spin glass above the freezing temperature

We present here the detailed analysis of the magnetic behavior of the Co_0.53Ga_0.47 alloy, especially at temperatures above the freezing temperature T_f = 10 K. Low field static magnetization measurements were performed by using the SQUID magnetometer in the temperature range 5–65 K and magnetic fields up to 100 Oe. The temperature dependence of the field cooled susceptibility π_FC(T) at T > T_f has an anomaly, which is displayed in the double change of the curvature near T_s = 24 K. The data of magnetization M_FC in an external field H lie on a universal curve M_FC(H/T) at temperatures T_f < T < T_s. The plots of π^-1_FC(T) and non-linear magnetic susceptibility π^nl_FC(T^-3) are linear lines in the temperature range T_f−T_s. The strong deviation of π^-1_FC(T) and π^nl_FC(T^-3) from straight line, taking place at T T_s, indicates that T_s is an upper temperature limit of the classical superparamagnetic behavior with the constant cluster moment. The results suggest that such phenomena may be fairly universal for spin glasses.     

Glasslike structure of globular proteins and the boson peak

Vibrational spectra of proteins and topologically disordered solids display a common anomaly at low frequencies, known as boson peak. We show that such feature in globular proteins can be deciphered in terms of an energy landscape picture, as it is for glassy systems. Exploiting the tools of Euclidean random matrix theory, we clarify the physical origin of such anomaly in terms of a mechanical instability of the system. As a natural explanation, we argue that such instability is relevant for proteins in order for their molecular functions to be optimally rooted in their structures.     

Softening behavior of acoustic phonon mode in ZnO nanoparticles: the effect of impurities and particle size variation with temperature

Decay dynamics of the acoustic phonon mode in ZnO nanoparticles, synthesized using the wet chemical technique, is investigated. It is well established that optic phonon modes in a semiconductor favor an anharmonic decay dynamics; in contrast, acoustic modes evidence a rather complex decay behavior, manifesting their dependence on other parameters such as particle size, impurity species, etc. At lower temperatures (T < 500 K), the anharmonic decay process, caused by the weakening of the bond strength, is responsible for the observed decrease in the acoustic mode wavenumbers. However, particle growth due to the coalescence sintering process is prominent at higher temperatures (>600 K) and governs the softening behavior of the acoustic phonon mode towards the Rayleigh line. On the other hand, the precursor species and reaction byproducts on the surface of ZnO nanoparticles induce an anomalous softening behavior in the decay dynamics at specific temperatures by damping the acoustic phonon mode. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Three-dimensional hole drilling of silica glass from the rear surface with femtosecond laser pulses

By moving silica glass in a preprogrammed structure, we directly produced three-dimensional holes with femtosecond laser pulses in single step. When distilled water was introduced into a hole drilled from the rear surface of the glass, the effects of blocking and redeposition of ablated material were greatly reduced and the aspect ratio of the depth of the hole was increased. Straight holes of 4-mu;m diameter were more than 200 microm deep. Three-dimensional channels can be micromachined inside transparent materials by use of this method, as we have demonstrated by drilling a square-wave-shaped hole inside silica glass.