Magnetism on the surface of the bulk paramagnetic intermetallic compound YCo2

Using full-potential electronic structure calculations, we predict that the (111) surface of the cubic Laves phase Pauli paramagnet YCo2 is ferromagnetic. The magnetism of the (111) surface is independent of the termination of the surface, does not extend beyond two Co layers, and is related to the field-induced metamagnetism of the bulk. YCo2 appears to be a prominent candidate to demonstrate the phenomenon of surface-induced itinerant magnetism localized in two dimensions.     

Superconducting transition temperature of a paramagnetic material close to magnetic ordering

An explicit expression for the superconducting transition temperatureT _c in a paramagnetic material is derived, when the transition occurs just before a possible magnetic ordering. As first noted by Uspenskii, such a transition may arise from electronic mechanism itself, without the necessary role played by the usual phonon-exchange mechanism. The result is discussed in terms of some recent experimental observations on the binary alloy Y₉Co₇.     

Paramagnetic intrinsic Meissner effect in a bulk

We calculate the free energy of a quasi-two-dimensional (Q2D) superconductor with ξ_⊥ < d in a parallel magnetic field, where ξ_⊥ is a perpendicular to the conducting layer coherence length and d is the interlayer distance. It is shown to be different from that in the famous Lawrence-Doniach model. In particular, at high enough magnetic fields, the Meissner currents are found to create an unexpected paramagnetic moment due to the shrinking of the Cooper pairs “sizes” in a direction perpendicular to the conducting layers. We suggest measuring this paramagnetic intrinsic Meissner effect in Q2D superconductors and superconducting superlattices. The text was submitted by the author in English.     

Measurement of a pauli and orbital paramagnetic state in bulk gold using x-ray magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopy

We show that bulk gold (Au) exhibits temperature-independent paramagnetism in an external magnetic field by x-ray magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopy at the Au L(2) and L(3) edges. Using the sum-rule analysis, we obtained a magnetic moment of 1.3 × 10(-4) μB/atom in an external magnetic field of 10 T and a paramagnetic susceptibility of 8.9 × 10(-6) for the 5d orbit. The induced paramagnetism in bulk Au is characterized by a large (≈ 30%) orbital contribution. This orbital component was retained even when Au atoms formed nanoparticles, playing an important role in stabilizing the spontaneous spin polarization in the Au nanoparticles.     

Two-dimensional surface magnetism in the bulk paramagnetic intermetallic alloy CoAl(100)

Utilizing a combination of the in situ magneto-optical Kerr effect and scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy measurements, we show that the (100) surface of the B2 bulk paramagnetic CoAl is an excellent representation of a two-dimensional ferromagnet. The order-parameter critical exponent beta=0.22+/-0.02 is determined, which is the universal signature of a finite-size two-dimensional XY behavior. The Curie temperature is found to be T(c)=90 K. The magnetism can be explained by the appearance of Co antisite atoms at the surface.     

Determination of the intrinsic bulk and surface plasmon intensity of XPS spectra of magnesium

Separation of intrinsic and extrinsic intensity contributions to plasmon peaks in X-ray photoelectron spectra of free-electron like metals (Me) such as Be, Na, Mg, Al and semiconductors as Si and Ge, necessary for the accurate determination of the thickness of overlayers in the range of a few nanometers, and their composition, is difficult because of their more or less coincident energies. The intrinsic bulk and surface plasmon contributions to Me 2p spectra can be determined separately from the intensities of the metallic and oxidic main peak as obtained from a series of spectra recorded from the unoxidised metal and the oxidised metal with different oxide-film thicknesses. In the present work, this method was applied to XPS Mg 2p spectra. It was shown that the method is very sensitive to deviations in the measured data, and therefore a careful error analysis is required, which has been developed in this work. Furthermore, an alternative method based on the same theory was proposed. This method yielded values of 0.17 and 0.06 for the intrinsic bulk and surface plasmon contributions to the Mg 2p spectrum relative to the Mg 2p main peak for a detection angle of 45°. It was demonstrated that the values obtained for the intrinsic bulk and surface excitation contributions determined according to both methods depend on the oxide-thickness range investigated. This observation indicates that commonly applied simplifying assumptions for the oxidation behaviour of Mg, like a layer-by-layer growth mechanism and/or the development of a homogeneous oxide with bulk MgO properties, as for composition and band gap values, do not hold. The pronounced effect of neglect of the intrinsic plasmon intensity contributions on the thickness values determined for MgO films on Mg was shown.     

Non-destructive observation of electrically detected magnetic resonance in bulk material using AC bias

DC bias is normally found in conventional measurements of electrically detected magnetic resonance (EDMR). Usually, electrodes are formed on the sample surface to make ohmic contacts for detecting changes in the electrical characteristics of the sample material. Thus, destructive procedures are required to detect the EDMR signal of bulk material with such methods. An AC bias detection technique was developed to allow the non-destructive EDMR measurement of bulk materials. An AC bridge circuit was constructed to detect the change in impedance of the sample, which when changed by ESR, an unbalanced AC voltage can be detected. By detecting this AC bias, it is possible to cancel the effects, such as Shottky barriers, that disturb the ohmic contact between the electrodes and a sample material. Further, the AC bias current penetrates the thin surface layer of a sample such as silicon oxide, which normally obstructs a DC current. This method was utilized using conductive rubber contacts for non-destructive EDMR measurements of part of a silicon wafer. EDMR spectra observed were the same as those obtained by the conventional method of using DC bias detection.     

Probing the surface area of a cement-based material by nuclear magnetic relaxation dispersion

We show how nuclear magnetic spin-lattice relaxation dispersion of 1H water can provide a direct reliable value of the specific surface area of a cement-based material. The remarkable features of the relaxation dispersion support an interpretation in terms of coupled solid-liquid relaxation at pore interfaces, surface diffusion, and nuclear paramagnetic relaxation. The measurement is sufficiently fast to be applied continuously during the progressive hydration and setting of the material. This method is relevant to other chemically reactive porous media in chemical engineering and oil recovery.     

Field induced magnetic density in the paramagnetic compound LuCo2

The magnetization density induced in LuCo₂ by an applied magnetic field was measured by means of polarized neutron diffraction. The measurements were performed on a single crystal at 100 K in an applied field of 57.2 kOe. The observed density is localized on Co atoms with a form factor which is, within the experimental accuracy, similar to that of 3d electrons in Co metal. Weak additional magnetic amplitudes reveal a nonuniform polarization of the conduction band. Its mean value is opposite to the Co moment as in Co metal.     

Robust surface state of intrinsic topological insulator Bi2Te2Se thin films: a first-principles study

Bi(2)Te(2)Se, a ternary tetradymite compound, has recently been identified to be a three-dimensional topological insulator. In this paper, we theoretically study the electronic structures of bulk and thin films of Bi(2)Te(2)Se employing spin-orbit coupling (SOC) self-consistently with density-functional theory. It is found that SOC plays an important role in determining the electronic properties of Bi(2)Te(2)Se. A finite bandgap opens up in the surface states of Bi(2)Te(2)Se thin films due to the hybridization of the top and bottom surface states of films. The intrinsic Bi(2)Te(2)Se thin films of three or more quintuple layers exhibit a robust topological nature of electronic structure with the Fermi energy intersecting the Dirac cone of the surface states only once between time-reversal-invariant momenta. These characteristics of Bi(2)Te(2)Se are similar to the topological behavior of Bi(2)Te(3), promising a variety of potential applications in nanoelectronics and spintronics.     

Microscopic theory of intrinsic shear and bulk viscosities

A microscopic theory of intrinsic shear and bulk viscosities of solutions is given for a model of particles that interact with hard-sphere cores and weak longrange attraction. The approximation considered (the velocity chaos assumption of the Enskog theory) can be expected to yield quantitatively useful values for viscosities of the model solute-solvent system when the solute particles are not much larger than the solvent particles. Under solute-solvent mixing conditions of constant pressure and temperature we find that the intrinsic viscosities of a hard-sphere solute in a hard-sphere solvent can be positive or negative, depending upon size and mass ratios; for solute and solvent particles whose mass ratio equals their volume ratio, the intrinsic shear and bulk viscosities are always positive for solute particles larger than solvent particles: in the opposite case, the intrinsic shear viscosity is always negative while the intrinsic bulk viscosity is for the most part negative, becoming positive again when the solute particle is sufficiently small. For solute particles smaller than solvent particles, this result is sensitive to change in mass ratio. The addition of solvent-solvent attraction is found to lower the intrinsic viscosities substantially; the addition of solute-solvent attraction raises it. Detailed quantitative analysis of these effects is given.     

Competing bulk and surface fields in d=2 Ising films near bulk criticality: effects of fluctuations

The two-dimensional Ising films with bulk H and surface H₁ fields of opposite sign are studied above and close to bulk criticality by the density matrix renormalization group method. This technique, applied recently to d=2 Ising films, allows for very accurate results for the adsorption as a function of the reduced deviation from the critical temperature .For strong H₁ three distinct classes of shapes of ,determined by the value of the parameter ,where L is the width of the film, are found in agreement with earlier predictions [A. Macioek, A. Ciach, R. Evans, J. Chem. Phys. 108, 9765 (1998)]. For strong and for weak bulk fields is a monotonic function, increasing for strong H and decreasing for weak H, in agreement with scaling analysis and earlier mean-field results. For H between these extreme cases assumes a maximum for and for a depletion occurs, as in recent experiments for critical adsorption in porous materials. For a limited range of H a qualitatively new behavior of is found. In addition to a maximum, a minimum of for appears, which in the mean-field analysis was absent. Received: 11 February 1998 / Received in final form: 16 February 1998 / Accepted: 17 March 1998     

Strain imaging of a magnetic material

Magnetic microscopies developed to date sense or utilize stray magnetic fields, magneto-optical effects, interactions with electron beams, and so on, while a novel magnetic microscopy presented in this paper detects a strain induced by an external magnetic field using a scanning probe microscope (SPM). As the strains involve factors depending on the magnetization of each domain, we can observe the magnetic domain structure by detecting the strains. SPMs that have high sensitivity to surface displacements caused by strains enable us to detect small strains and provide high-resolution magnetic images. PACS 61.16.Ch; 85.70.Ge; 75.80.+q; 75.60.Ch     

Proton nuclear magnetic resonance in paramagnetic CoCl2.6 H2O

The present paper deals with a study of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) of protons of the crystal water of paramagnetic CoCl₂.6 H₂O. The measurements were carried out on powdered samples at room temperature, for values of the external magnetic field ranging from 0.3 to 1.0 T.The NMR signals of protons of the crystal water exhibit asymmetric shape which changes with the applied external magnetic field. We found that the second moment of the resonance line shows a linear dependence on the square of the induction of the externally applied magnetic field.Both the cause of the asymmetry of the NMR line of protons of the crystal water and the dependence of the second moment of the resonance line on the induction of external magnetic field are interpreted in the paper.     

Quasi-2D Monte Carlo simulations of the regime change in the aggregates of magnetic cubic particles on a material surface

We have investigated the aggregate structure of a suspension composed of magnetic particles with a cubic geometry by means of Monte Carlo simulations. From the viewpoint of application to the technology of surface modification, we have considered a quasi-two-dimensional suspension in thermodynamic equilibrium. As the magnetic interaction strength is increased, the effects of the thermal energy are reduced and the particles tend to aggregate together. These aggregates of cubic particles are not chain-like, but are designated as closely packed clusters. An applied magnetic field tends to enhance the formation of clusters along the field direction but does not significantly regularise the internal structure of the cluster. This is mainly due to the preference of a face-to-face contact configuration for the alignment of particles with cubic geometry. The regime of the internal structure of aggregates has a significant effect on the characteristics of the alignment of the magnetic moments with regard to the external magnetic field direction. Our simulations indicate that larger closely packed clusters are formed with increasing volumetric fraction, whereas the internal structure of the closely packed clusters is not found to be significantly influenced by the change in the volumetric fraction.