Atomic structure of thin dysprosium-silicide layers on Si(1 1 1)

We report on scanning tunneling microscopy results of thin dysprosium-silicide layers formed on Si(1 1 1). In the submonolayer regime, both a and a 5 × 2 superstructure were found. Based on images taken at different tunneling conditions, a structure model could be developed for the superstructure. For one monolayer, a 1 × 1 superstructure based on hexagonal DySi₂ was observed, while several monolayers thick films are characterized by a superstructure from Dy₃Si₅.     

The high quality ZnO growth on c-Al2O3 substrate with Cr2O3 buffer layer using plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy

High quality epitaxial ZnO films were grown on c-Al₂O₃ substrates with Cr₂O₃ buffer layer by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (P-MBE). The hexagonal crystalline Cr₂O₃ layer was formed by oxidation of the Cr-metal layer deposited on the c-Al₂O₃ substrate using oxygen plasma. The epitaxial relationship was determined to be ZnO//Cr₂O₃//Cr//Al₂O₃ and ZnO//Cr₂O₃//[0 0 1]Cr//Al₂O_3. The Cr₂O₃ buffer layer was very effective in improving the surface morphology and crystal quality of the ZnO films. The photoluminescence spectrum showed the strong near band-edge emissions with the weak deep-level emission, which implies high optical quality of the ZnO films grown on the Cr₂O₃ buffer.     

Modelling of phase transitions and reaction at CO adsorption on oxygen precovered Pd(1 1 1)

Using the interaction parameters up to the third neighbors and activated form of O and CO diffusion and their reaction, the model has been proposed for Monte-Carlo simulations describing the catalytic O + CO → CO₂ reaction and occurring phase transitions on Pd(1 1 1) surface. Upon adsorption of CO the pre-adsorbed oxygen transforms from p(2 × 2)_O phase into and phases in the limit of room and moderate temperatures, respectively. We demonstrate that the kinetic effects determine both the occurrence of the p(2 × 1)_O and disappearance of the phases at moderate and low temperatures, respectively. Using reaction rate as a fit parameter, we show that at room temperature the start of the reaction can be synchronized with the occurrence of phase.     

Synthesis of new La nitrides at high pressure and temperature

We have succeeded in synthesizing two new lanthanum nitrides in a supercritical nitrogen fluid at high pressure (about 30 GPa) and high temperature (about 2000 K), using a diamond anvil cell and a YAG laser heating system. These nitrides were found to be stable down to 5 GPa and ∼300 K in a nitrogen atmosphere. One of the new lanthanum nitrides is a cubic P lattice-type phase, which is a main phase synthesized nitride. The calculated lattice parameter is at 5 GPa, 300 K. The other nitride is of a trigonal P lattice-type. The calculated lattice parameters are and at 5 GPa, 300 K. The most likely phase of the former new La nitride is , the structure of which may be similar to the   Mn₂O₃-type (Ia80). The phase of the latter nitride is , the structure of which is the same as the   La₂O₃-type (hP5).     

Experimental and theoretical studies on X-ray induced secondary electron yields in Ti and TiO2

Generation of X-ray induced secondary electrons in Ti and TiO₂ was studied from both experimental and theoretical approaches, using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) attached to a synchrotron radiation facility and Monte Carlo simulation, respectively.The experiment revealed that the yields of secondary electrons induced by X-rays (electrons/photon) at photon energies to 4950 and 5000 eV for Ti and TiO₂ are δ_Ti(4950 eV) = 0.002 and δ_Ti(5000 eV) = 0.014 while those for TiO₂ are δTiO₂(4950 eV)=0.003 and δTiO₂(5000 eV)=0.018.A novel approach to obtain the escape depth of secondary electrons has been proposed and applied to Ti and TiO₂. The approach agreed very well with the experimental data reported so far. The Monte Carlo simulation predicted; and while and .An experimental examination on the contribution of X-ray induced secondary electrons to photocatalysis in TiO₂ has also been proposed.     

Time-resolved infrared diode laser spectroscopy of the ν1 (C-O stretch) band of the CoCO radical

Infrared spectrum of the cobalt carbonyl radical CoCO produced by the 193 nm excimer laser photolysis of cobalt tricarbonyl nitrosyl Co(CO)₃NO was observed by time-resolved diode laser spectroscopy. More than 600 lines were identified as belonging to the ν₁ (C-O stretch) fundamental band, consisting of the Ω=5/2 and 3/2 subbands, and the associated hot bands , , , and . The ²Δ_i electronic ground state of CoCO was experimentally confirmed. The ν₁ band origins are 1974.172582(93) cm⁻¹ and 1973.53178(14) cm⁻¹ for the Ω=5/2 and 3/2 subbands, respectively. The rotational constant in the ground state was determined as B₀=4427.146(50) MHz. The centrifugal distortion constant D₀=1.1243(68) kHz was obtained for the Ω=5/2 substate of the ground state. The equilibrium rotational constant B_e=4435.44(14) MHz was derived, together with the vibration-rotation interaction constants.     

Aromatic interactions in the close packing of phenyl-imides at Cu(1 1 0) surfaces

The oxidation of aniline at Cu(1 1 0) surfaces at 290 K has been studied by XPS and STM. A single chemisorbed product, assigned to a phenyl imide (C₆H₅N(a)), is formed together with water which desorbs. Reaction with preadsorbed oxygen results in a maximum surface concentration of phenyl imide of 2.8 × 10¹⁴ mol cm⁻² and a surface dominated by domains of three structures described by , and unit meshes. However, concentrations of phenyl imide of up to 3.3 × 10¹⁴ mol cm⁻² were obtained from the coadsorption of aniline and dioxygen (300:1 mixture) resulting in a highly ordered biphasic structure with and domains. Comparison of the STM and XPS data shows that only half the phenyl imides at the surface are imaged. Pi-stacking of the phenyl rings is proposed to account for this observation.     

The second hyperpolarizability of CdTe nanocrystals using polarization-resolved degenerate four-wave mixing

Polarization-resolved forward degenerate four-wave mixing (DFWM) in a nonresonant region revealed the effective third-order nonlinear susceptibility of colloidal CdTe nanocrystals (NCs) with the size near the Bohr radius and various concentrations. The second hyperpolarizabilities, and , of the CdTe NCs were ∼1.15 × 10⁻⁴¹ m⁵/V² and ∼3.01 × 10⁻⁴² m⁵/V² from the measurement of the concentration-dependent third-order nonlinear susceptibility of CdTe NCs, respectively. The ratio (/) of the hyperpolarizabilities was ∼0.26, which indicated a large contribution of an electronic polarization process to the third-order nonlinearity of CdTe NCs.     

The luminescence of Sm in alkaline earth borophosphates

The temperature-dependent luminescence of Sm²⁺ ions in MBPO₅ was studied. At low temperature, Sm²⁺ in this series shows 4f⁶→4f⁶ luminescence with only a single emission line observed for the transition, revealing that only one crystallographic cationic site is available for Sm²⁺ in all the hosts. With increasing temperature, the emission intensity of the transition increases whereas that of the transitions decreases. The transitions of Sm²⁺ were observed in BaBPO₅ and its intensity increases with increasing temperature. At , a broad band of the 4f⁵5d→4f⁶ luminescent transition of Sm²⁺ in SrBPO₅ and BaBPO₅ with maximum at appears due to the thermal population. The lifetime of the transition was recorded at different temperatures, showing a single exponential decay for Sm²⁺ in SrBPO₅ and BaBPO₅ but a non-single-exponential decay in CaBPO₅.