Effect of chirality on the dynamics of domain walls in the molecular ferrimagnet [MnII(HL-pn)(H2O)][MnIII(CN)6] · 2H2O

The contributions from modes of switching, sliding, creep, and Debye relaxation of pinned domain walls to the low-frequency magnetic properties of the chiral and racemic molecular ferrimagnets [Mn^II(HL-pn)(H₂O)][Mn^III(CN)₆] · 2H₂O have been separated. It has been found that the chirality of the atomic and spin structures affects the temperatures of the transitions from the sliding mode to the creep mode and from the creep mode to the mode of Debye relaxation. In the chiral crystals, transitions to the creep and Debye relaxation modes have been observed at temperatures T = 7 and 5 K, respectively. In the racemic crystals, these transitions have been observed at temperatures T = 13 and 9 K, respectively, all other factors being equal.     

Effect of chirality on domain wall dynamics in molecular ferrimagnet [Mn<Superscript>II</Superscript>(HL-pn)(H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O)][Mn<Superscript>III</Superscript>(CN)<Subscript>6</Subscript>]·2H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O

In this paper we distinguish the contributions of switching, slide, creep and Debye relaxation modes of the domain wall dynamics to the low-frequency magnetic properties of chiral and racemic [Mn^II(HL-pn)(H₂O)][Mn^III(CN)₆]·2H₂O molecular ferrimagnets. We demonstrate that crystal and spin chirality affects the characteristic transition temperatures between different modes. In chiral crystals, transitions to the creep and Debye relaxation modes were observed at T = 7 K and 5 K, whereas in racemic crystals the same transitions occurred at higher temperatures T = 13 K and 9 K, respectively. Difference of the Peierls relief in chiral and racemic crystals is a possible reason of the chirality effect on the domain walls dynamics.     

Potential Images of Ferroelectric Domain Structures Formed by Electron Beam in Lithium Niobate Crystals

Ferroelectric domain structures formed by an electron beam in lithium niobate crystals are studied using low-voltage SEM microscopy. The structures are formed in crystals with different conductivity, including samples with high-resistance congruent composition (CLN) and samples with conductivity increased by reductive annealing (RLN). The potential nature of the contrast of the domain structures observed in the secondary electron mode depending on the conductivity of the samples and the direction of spontaneous polarization of the domains is analyzed. It is assumed that the domain contrast in CLN crystals is associated with long-lived charges localized near domain walls and in the irradiated areas. The recorded domain structures in the CLN crystals are visualized on polar and nonpolar cuts. In the RLN crystals with improved conductivity compared to CLN, the potential contrast of the periodic domain structures is found only on the polar cuts, where vector P_s of the domains is perpendicular to the irradiated surface. This contrast is likely because the field of the spontaneous electric polarization charges influences the secondary electrons.     

Domain wall orientations in ferroelastics and ferroelectrics

This paper concerns the problem of orientations of domain walls in ferroelastic and/or ferroelectric single crystals. They are specified on the basis of elastic compatibility of the neighbouring domains. Results are presented in form of tables, which make it possible to find spontaneous tensors (i.e. strain and polarization) for each domain state in any ferroelastic and/or ferroelectric species. Domain wall orientations are listed in tables for all combinations of domain states. For each domain wall orientation, their charge or neutrality is indicated. Results are summarized in comprehensive table including numbers of possible domain states, domain wall types (W _∞, W _f , S) and their charge or neutrality. Domain pairs with non-permissible domain walls (R case) are also specified.     

Features of the structure and dynamics of Me1−x (NH4) x SCN (Me = K, Rb) mixed crystals

Neutron scattering is used to study the structure and dynamics of Me_{1 − x} (NH₄) _x SCN (Me = K, Rb) mixed crystals along the concentration section of 0.0 < x < 1.0 at room temperature 10 and 290 K. Phase transitions in Me_{1 − x} (NH₄) _x SCN mixed crystals are analyzed by neutron powder diffraction. The measured spectra of inelastic incoherent neutron scattering from mixed crystals in a concentration range of 0.0 < x < 1.0 at 10 are transformed into the generalized phonon density of states G(E) in the one-phonon incoherent approximation. Using G(E), we determine the changes in ammonium ion dynamics during phase transitions. Low energy resonance and local translational (two bands) and librational (two bands) modes are observed in the disordered rhombic phase at 10 K. The low energy resonance mode is not found in the ordered monoclinic phase at 10 K, though the local translational mode in the form of two bands and the local librational mode in the form of four bands are present there. The low energy resonance mode appears due to hybridization of the phonon spectrum of the host crystal with rotational tunneling modes of the split librational ground state of the impurity’s molecular ammonium ion.     

Influence of isomorphous substitution of metal ion on the low-frequency dielectric dispersion in NH2(CH3)2Al1−xCrx(SO4)2⋅6H2O ferroelectrics

This paper is devoted to the study of the influence of metal ion isomorphous substitution on the ferroelastic-ferroelectric phase transition and dispersion caused by the motion of domain walls in dimethylammonium metal sulfate hexahydrate DMAAl_1?xCr_xS ferroelectric crystals (x = 0, 0.065, 0.2). It is shown that such a substitution significantly changes the phase transition temperature and parameters of the dielectric dispersion. These changes are explained in terms of interaction between the metal-hydrate complexes and DMA groups that carry the dipole moment and due to this they are responsible for the phase transitions and motion of the domain walls.     

Acoustic attenuation in ferroelectric Sn<Subscript>2</Subscript>P<Subscript>2</Subscript>S<Subscript>6</Subscript> crystals

The temperature and frequency dependencies of sound attenuation for the proper uniaxial ferroelectric Sn₂P₂S₆, which has a strong nonlinear interaction of the polar soft optic and fully symmetrical optic modes that is related to the triple well potential, were studied by Brillouin spectroscopy. It was found that the sound velocity anomaly is described in the Landau-Khalatnikov approximation with one relaxation time. For explanation of the observed temperature and frequency dependencies of the sound attenuation in the ferroelectrric phase, the accounting of several relaxation times is needed and, for quantitative calculations, the mode Gruneisen coefficients are more appropriate as interacting parameters than are the electrostrictive coefficients. Relaxational sound attenuation by domain walls also appears in the ferroelectric phase of Sn₂P₂S₆ crystals.     

Mode dependent scattering of phonons by domain walls in ferroelectric KDP

Thermal conductivity and ballistic phonon imaging measurements in KH₂PO₄ (KDP) at low temperature (T<3K) indicate that scattering from domain walls has a large effect on phonon transport. kDP has a ferroelectric phase transition from tetragonal to orthorhombic structure atT _c =122 K. BelowT _c domains of opposite electric polarization and crystal orientation form unless the sample is colled in an electric field. Thermal conductivity measured along the [100] (tetragonal) axis drops 30% when domain walls are present, which is independent of sample size and temperature. We attribute this decrease to phonon polarization-dependent scattering at the domain boundaries. This is verified by measurements of ballistic transport, using phonon imaging techniques, which reveal the phonon polarization and mode dependence of the scattering. The scattering is successfully modelled using continuum acoustics with simple acoustic mismatch at the domainwall. The interface scattering is found to be mode dependent: Caustic structures in the phonon images due to slow transverse phonons are most affected by the domain wall scattering, which channels these phonons along parallel planes by multiple reflections without mode conversion. Mode conversion scattering, though possible for a number of phonons, has little effect on the overall phonon transmission.     

Surface effects on optical phonons and on phonon-plasmon modes

The size and shape dependence of the properties of long wave optical phonons in polar crystals is discussed. The main effect occurring due to the presence of surfaces is the appearance of a surface optical phonon band in the frequency region between the frequencies ω_t and ω_l of the long wave transverse and longitudinal bulk modes. The surface modes give rise to strong absorption peaks in the infrared absorption spectra of small samples. For very small crystallites the surface mode absorption is dominant, and as the size of the specimens is increased, the ratio of surface to bulk mode absorption decreases. It is shown that the large spread in particle sizes usually encountered in experimental work and the increased damping of the phonon modes in small samples both tend to obscure the fine structure of the absorption spectrum. The surface phonon-plasmon modes in polar crystals containing free carriers are treated in an analogous manner.     

Micro-channel fabrication by femtosecond laser to arrange neuronal cells on multi-electrode arrays

The surface of a single-crystal germanium wafer was transformed to crystals of germanium fluorides and oxides upon exposure to a vapor of HF and HNO₃ chemical mixture. Structure analysis indicates that the transformation results in a germanate polycrystalline layer consisting of germanium oxide and ammonium fluogermanate with preferential crystal growth orientation in 〈101〉 direction. Local vibrational mode analysis confirms the presence of N–H and Ge–F vibrational modes in addition to Ge–O stretching modes. Energy dispersive studies reveal the presence of hexagonal α-phase GeO₂ crystal clusters and ammonium fluogermanates around these clusters in addition to a surface oxide layer. Electronic band structure as probed by ellipsometry has been associated with the germanium oxide crystals and disorder-induced band tailing effects at the interface of the germanate layer and the bulk Ge wafer. The acid vapor exposure causes Ge surface to emit yellow photoluminescence at room temperature.     

Theoretical study of the temperature dependence of the width of magnetic domain walls

The temperature dependence of magnetic domain walls in ferromagnetic systems with strong exchange coupling and weak lattice anisotropy is studied assuming that the thermal influence results mainly from the temperature dependence of the magnetization. We obtain that in lattices with an uniaxial symmetry like Co the wall width increases with temperature, but stays finite up to the Curie temperature T_c. In contrary, for a cubic lattice like Fe the wall width diverges for T → T_c, if only the lattice anisotropy is taken into account. The shape of the domain walls is not conserved, since at T_c the wall is determined only by the lowest order of anisotropy. In addition, the temperature dependence of a domain wall width for a thin magnetic film is determined. Using a special symmetry, we obtain a diverging wall width at a temperature markedly lower than T_c. However, the consideration of additional domain wall modes should modify this result.     

On surface phonons and reconstruction: Comparison of the W and the Fe (001) surface

A phenomenological surface phonon model of the (001) surface of W and Fe is used to clarify some questions related to the problem of which high-symmetry surface phonon mode is the most perspective candidate for the tungsten (001) surface reconstruction observed experimentally. Conditions are derived for the appearance and softening of the relevant modes. The ¯M ₁,¯M ₅ and ¯X ₃ modes seem to be the most promising. A few points from the current literature on the reconstruction problem are discussed. The results seem to support the idea about the general instability of the tungsten (001) surface.     

Concave and convex shapes of the Pn3m/L1 interface

Shapes of the interface between the L1 and cubic Pn3m phases in the mixture C₁₂EO₂/water are studied. The concave and convex variants of the interface are realised using Pn3m crystals surrounded by the L1 phase and L1 inclusions on surfaces and in the bulk of the Pn3m phase. It is shown that both variants of the Pn3m/L1 interface contain the (111)-type facets in coexistence with everywhere else rough surfaces. The matching between facets and curved parts of the interface is angular. In the vicinity of the upper limit of the L1 + Pn3m coexistence domain, additional (200)-type facets appear on the interface. The influence of the contact angle at glass walls on shapes of crystals and of inclusions is discussed.Received: 16 June 2003, Published online: 11 November 2003PACS: 64.70.Md Phase transitions in liquid crystals - 68.35.Md Surface thermodynamics, surface energies - 61.30.-v Liquid crystals     

Vibrational analysis of IR reflection-transmission from single crystal C60

We represent results of IR reflectivity and transmission measurements in the spectral range from 50 to 5000 cm^–1 for crystallographic {111} and {100} planes of C₆₀ single crystals between 80 K and 460 K. The spectra turned out to be highly anisotropic due to differences in geometric resonances. The geometries used allowed detailed simultaneous investigation of the four infrared activeF _1u fundamental modes together with some weak silent modes and the whole set of second- and third-order combination modes from an analysis of the reflection-transmission response. Photopolymerization is observed on the surface of the crystals after illumination in argon atmosphere. The orientational phase transition at 260 K is accompanied by a dramatic jump in the line widths within a fraction of a degree. This result is explained by a broadening mechanism due to collisions with librons and paralibrons for the low temperature phase and for the high temperature phase, respectively.     

Periodic domain structures obtained by growth of LiNbO<Subscript>3</Subscript> crystals doped with gadolinium

The growth of a periodic domain structure in LiNbO₃ crystals doped with gadolinium (Gd, 0.44 wt %) was investigated by special electron beam surface charging in a scanning electron microscope and on a atomic force microscope. Ferroelectric domain boundaries with “tail-to-tail” and “head-to-head” P _s orientations were comparatively analyzed. The domain boundaries had different forms and differed by their physical properties. Micron-size surface crystal regions close to the “tail-to-tail” boundaries were charged slower by electron irradiation and had modified elastic properties. This region was detected by using the lateral force mode of atomic force microscopy. The observed morphology and property features were supposed to be due to different concentration gradients of the Gd impurity and different width of its distribution close to the domain boundaries of different types.     

铌锌酸铅-钛酸铅薄层中Lamb波模式的交叉特性

以[001]_c和[011]_c极化的铌锌酸铅-钛酸铅晶体为研究对象, 利用子波理论对其无限大自由薄层中传播的Lamb波的色散及模式交叉特性进行了研究. 发现只有[001]_c极化的晶体中的对称与反对称模式Lamb波之间出现了多次交叉, 并且变化规律与铌镁酸铅-钛酸铅的情形相同. Lamb波的A₀和S₀模式的交叉是由准纵向剪切波慢度曲线的多值关系引起的, 此时其x₃方向的波数在一定范围内存在一对非纯虚数的复共轭根. 利用此结论推导出A₀和S₀模式交叉时弹性常数需要满足的条件, 为判断正交、四方对称性晶体中Lamb波的A₀和S₀模式是否交叉提供了一种直观、简便的方法.     

Domain formation inside thick crystals of ferroelectric PbNb2O6

Stress dependence of domains in thick crystals of PbNb₂O₆ is reported. Successive etching shows numerous domains in the bulk not extending to the surface. These domains have correlation with the dislocation substructure in the bulk. The dislocations are in the form of small loops, and domain walls are found terminating along with these loops. The general problem of volume nucleation is discussed, and it is suggested that these dislocation loops play a significant role in domain formation.     

Atomic force microscopy study of Gd(Co,Cu)<Subscript>5</Subscript> single-crystal surface relief

A comprehensive study of the magnetic properties, magnetic viscosity, and microstructure of Gd(Co,Cu)₅ intermetallic compounds has been carried out using vibrating-coil magnetometry and atomic force microscopy. High-quality images of liquation inhomogeneities at the basal planes of Gd(Co_{1 − x} Cu _x )₅ single crystals with x = 0.1−0.6 have been obtained. Their size distribution curves have been plotted, and a correlation between the size of the structure inhomogeneities and the effective width of domain walls has been established.     

Domain structures in tetragonal Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 single crystals studied by piezoresponse force microscopy

The domain structures in (001) surface of Pb(Mg_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃-40% PbTiO₃ single crystals were investigated by piezoresponse force microscopy. Both micron-sized fingerprint 180° and parallel 90° domains were observed in the sample. Different sets of favourable {110} oriented domain patterns were found to meet, intersect or grow through each other. In addition, the piezoelectricity decreases sharply at the domain walls in 180° structures, but does not in the 90° domain structures.     

Aging,rejuvenation, and memory phenomena in a lead-based relaxor ferroelectric

Isothermal aging and temperature cycle experiments were done on the relaxor ferroelectric lead magnesium niobate mixed with 10% lead titanate (PMN-10PT) around and below the diffuse maximum of the dielectric loss. With increasing aging time t_w the isothermal evolution of the linear susceptibility follows a power law and does not show frequency scaling. The non-linear susceptibility, however, obeys nearly perfect ωt _w-scaling. After aging the sample at a single temperature we observed both rejuvenation and memory effects in temperature cycle experiments. This observation indicates symmetric behavior in the sense that it shows up irrespective of whether cooling with subsequent re-heating or heating with subsequent re-cooling was performed. The memory effect is absent if subsequent to aging the temperature is increased significantly above that corresponding to the maximum in the dielectric loss. The symmetric behavior within negative and positive temperature cycles under these conditions can be rationalized by the notion of movable domain walls. These become fixed in their configuration on a large spatial scale while more flexible wall segments still show re-conformation processes when cooling or heating the sample after aging. Received 18 December 2001 and Received in final form 28 January 2002