The surface hydro-oxidation of LaNiO(3-delta) thin films

The chemical structure and possible hydro-oxidation of LaNiO(3-delta) films were studied by means of tuneable high-energy X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy using synchrotron radiation. It was shown that the hydroxyl-containing phase, located near the film surface, may be attributed to the lanthanum and nickel hydroxide species. The thickness of a hydroxide-enriched layer was estimated from the oxide/hydroxide ratio measured at normal and grazing conditions. The hydroxide layer thickness was about 2 nm for step and/or exponential hydroxide spatial distribution.     

Dynamical mean-field theory of nickelate superlattices

Dynamical mean-field methods are used to calculate the phase diagram, many-body density of states, relative orbital occupancy, and Fermi-surface shape for a realistic model of LaNiO(3)-based superlattices. The model is derived from density-functional band calculations and includes oxygen orbitals. The combination of the on-site Hunds interaction and charge transfer between the transition metal and the oxygen orbitals is found to reduce the orbital polarization far below the levels predicted either by band-structure calculations or by many-body analyses of Hubbard-type models which do not explicitly include the oxygen orbitals. The findings indicate that heterostructuring is unlikely to produce one band-model physics and demonstrate the fundamental inadequacy of modeling the physics of late transition-metal oxides with Hubbard-like models.     

Optical and magnetic characterisation of Co3+ and Ni3+ in LaAlO3: interplay between the spin state and Jahn-Teller effect

The coordination, the electronic structures and the spin of the ground state of Ni(3+) (3d(7)) and Co(3+) (3d(6)) introduced as impurities in LaAlO(3) are investigated through optical spectroscopy and magnetic measurements. The unusual trivalent valence state in both transition-metal ions was stabilised via a sol-gel process followed by high oxygen pressure treatments. We show that the crystal-field strength at the nearly O(h) transition-metal site in LaAlO(3) locates Ni(3+) and Co(3+) near the spin state crossover, yielding a low-spin ground state in both cases. We analyse how the interplay between the Jahn-Teller (JT) effect and the spin state affects the magnetic moment of the ion and its temperature dependence. The optical spectra reveal a JT effect associated with a low-spin ground state in Ni(3+) and with a thermally populated high-spin low-lying first excited state in Co(3+). The corresponding JT distortions are derived from structural correlations. We conclude that the JT effect is unable to stabilise the intermediate spin state in Co(3+). A low-spin ground state in thermal equilibrium with a high-spin low-lying first excited state is detected in diluted Co(3+)-doped LaAlO(3). These results are compared with those obtained in the parent pure compounds LaNiO(3) and LaCoO(3).     

Layer Crystallization in PZT/LNO/Si Heterostructures

Physics of the Solid State - A Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3–LaNiO3–Si composition and LaNiO3 thin films are synthesized using chemical solution deposition and studied by transmission electron...     

Oscillatory exchange coupling and positive magnetoresistance in epitaxial oxide heterostructures

Oscillation in the exchange coupling between ferromagnetic La(2/3)Ba(1/3)MnO3 layers with paramagnetic LaNiO3 spacer layer thickness has been observed in epitaxial heterostructures of the two oxides. This behavior is explained within the RKKY model employing an ab initio calculated band structure of LaNiO3, taking into account strong electron scattering in the spacer. Antiferromagnetically coupled superlattices exhibit a positive current-in-plane magnetoresistance.     

Phase modulated thermal conductance of Josephson weak links

We present a theory for quasiparticle heat transport through superconducting weak links. The thermal conductance depends on the phase difference (phi) of the superconducting leads. Branch-conversion processes, low-energy Andreev bound states near the contact, and the suppression of the local density of states near the gap edge are related to phase-sensitive transport processes. Theoretical results for the influence of junction transparency, temperature, and disorder, on the conductance, are reported. For high-transmission weak links, D-->1, the formation of an Andreev bound state leads to suppression of the density of states for the continuum excitations, and thus, to a reduction in the conductance for phi approximately pi. For low-transmission (D<1) barriers resonant scattering leads to an increase in the thermal conductance as T drops below T(c) (for phase differences near phi=pi).     

不同生长条件下BiFeO_3薄膜的显微拉曼光谱研究

使用显微拉曼散射技术观察了用脉冲激光沉积方法(PLD)在不同的生长条件下制备的BiFeO3薄膜的拉曼光谱,并且研究了薄膜的结构以及不同的生长条件对薄膜的结构和微结构的影响。与BiFeO3粉末的拉曼光谱比较,我们发现在N2气氛中,在LaNiO3缓冲层上沉积的BiFeO3薄膜具有单一的三方相和最完整的晶格结构。     

Optical conductivity of CePd3, YPd3 and PrPd3

The optical conductivity of intermediate valence CePd₃ at 300 K exhibits a maximum near 16 meV, which is absent in the reference materials YPd₃ and PrPd₃. Using a modified Drude model with a memory function ansatz this anomaly has been identified as a resonant electron-electron scattering process of conduction electrons at the localized 4f states near the Fermi level E_F. The model fit gives estimates of the width of the 4f states, of their separation from E_F and of the f-d hybridization energy. Intra-4f transitions of CePd₃ are stronger compared to those of PrPd₃ due to the stronger f-d hybirdization. 4d→4f transition energies of CePd₃ are reduced due to an electron-hole Coulomb binding energy.     

Hyperfine suppression of 2 3 S 1--3 3 P J transitions in 3He

Two anomalously weak transitions within the 2(3)S_(1)--3(3)P_(J) manifolds in 3He have been identified. Their transition strengths are measured to be 1000 times weaker than that of the strongest transition in the same group. This dramatic suppression of transition strengths is due to the dominance of the hyperfine interaction over the fine-structure interaction. An alternative selection rule based on IS coupling (where the nuclear spin is first coupled to the total electron spin) is proposed. This provides qualitative understanding of the transition strengths. It is shown that the small deviations from the IS coupling model are fully accounted for by an exact diagonalization of the strongly interacting states.     

Characteristic of dissociative decay of H 3 *

Quantum-mechanical calculations of the electronic states of a triatomic excimer of hydrogen are used to estimate the parameters of the photodissociative transition from the lowest bound state of H₃ ^* into the ground state. The estimates obtained agree with the characteristics of the emission spectra of a laser spark in dense hydrogen. The cross section for the photodissociation of H₃ ^* is small. It is also established that the terms of the combining states cross near the minimum of the bound-state energy. It is concluded that the feasibility of gain on this transition is problematic.Translated from Trudy Fizicheskogo Instituta im. P. M. Lebedeva, Vol. 120, pp. 64–68, 1980.     

Bipolar resistive switching in BiFe_(0.95)Zn_(0.05)O_3 films

Bipolar resistive switching is studied in BiFe0.95Zn0.05O3 films prepared by pulsed laser deposition on （001） SrTiO3 substrate, with LaNiO3 as the bottom electrode, and Pt as the top electrode. Multiple steps of resistance change are ob- served in the resistive switching process with a slow voltage sweep, indicating the formation/rupture of multiple conductive filaments. A resistive ratio of the high resistance state （HRS） to the low resistance state （LRS） of over three orders of mag- nitude is observed. Furthermore, the conduction mechanism is confirmed to be space-charge-limited conduction with the Schottky emission at the interface with the top Pt electrodes in the HRS, and Ohmic in the LRS. Impedance spectroscopy demonstrates a conductive ferroelectric/interfacial dielectric 2-layer structure, and the formation/rupture of the conductive filaments mainly occurs at the interfacial dielectric layer close to the top Pt electrodes.     

Doping induced electronic structure and estimated thermoelectric properties of CaMnO3 system

The electronic properties of Sr doped CaMnO₃ are studied using the first principle density functional theory calculation based on a plane wave basis and pseudopotentials. The thermoelectric properties are analyzed on the basis of electronic properties. The band structure results show that the doped system undergoes a semiconductor-to-conductor transition and the bands near Fermi level experience a significant distortion; the density of states results show that the density of states near Fermi level is increased. The combination of Mnd and Op orbitals exhibits enhanced covalence nature. It is estimated that the thermopower and carrier conduction capability should be enhanced, and the phonon conduction should be depressed, indicating the improved thermoelectric properties for Sr doped CaMnO₃ system.     

Detection of Fe 3d electronic states in valence band and magnetic properties of Fe-doped ZnO film

Fe-doped ZnO film has been grown by laser molecular beam epitaxy (L-MBE) and structurally characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), all of which reveal the high quality of the film. No secondary phase was detected. Resonant photoemission spectroscopy (RPES) with photon energies around the Fe 2p-3d absorption edge is performed to detect the electronic structure in the valence band. A strong resonant effect at a photon energy of 710 eV is observed. Fe³⁺ is the only valence state of Fe ions in the film and the Fe 3d electronic states are concentrated at binding energies of about 3.8 eV and 7 eV～ 8 eV. There are no electronic states related to Fe near the Fermi level. Magnetic measurements reveal a typical superparamagnetic property at room temperature. The absence of electronic states related to Fe near the Fermi level and the high quality of the film, with few defects, provide little support to ferromagnetism.     

Tunneling density of States of the interacting two-dimensional electron gas

We investigate the influence of electron-electron interactions on the density of states of a ballistic two-dimensional electron gas. The density of states is determined nonperturbatively by means of path integral techniques allowing for reliable results near the Fermi surface, where perturbation theory breaks down. We find that the density of states is suppressed at the Fermi level to a finite value. This suppression factor grows with decreasing electron density and is weakened by the presence of gates.     

New calculations for incoherent eta photoproduction on nuclei including nonlocal and medium effects

The relativistic amplitude for the incoherent photoproduction of η mesons on nuclei is calculated taking into account the nonlocal effects in the propagation of the S₁₁ resonance and the nucleon Born terms. The effects of the possible changes in the S₁₁ properties in the nuclear medium are also investigated within the nonlocal approach. Taking ¹²C as example, it is found that the nonlocality leads to a slight increase of the cross section to isovector states at photon energies near threshold and decreases the cross section at higher energies. The size of these effects depends on the final state interactions of the η meson. For excitation of the isoscalar states the nonlocality effects are small, consistent with the small contributions of the S₁₁ to these excitations. Density dependent broadening of the width leads to moderate suppression of the cross section for isovector states. Density dependent reduction in mass also leads to reduced incoherent cross sections.     

Effect of a magnetic field on energy transfer of band states to the Mn<Superscript>2+</Superscript> 3<Emphasis Type="Italic">d</Emphasis> shell in the CdMgTe matrix with ultrathin CdMnTe layers

The effect of external magnetic fields on two radiative (band-to-band and on-site) recombination channels in II–VI dilute magnetic semiconductors and related nanostructures has been considered. The 3d on-site emission of manganese ions in CdMgTe matrices containing periodic inclusions of CdMnTe narrow-band-gap layers with thicknesses of 0.5, 1.5, and 3.0 monolayers has been investigated in magnetic fields of up to 6 T. It has been shown that, in a magnetic field, luminescence of manganese ions weakens because of the decrease in the rate of spin-dependent excitation transfer from band states to the Mn²⁺ 3d shell. The maximum suppression of 3d luminescence has been observed in the matrix with a CdMnTe layer 3.0 monolayers thick. This indicates that the main factor responsible for the energy transfer is the internal field near the CdMnTe layers, which determines the magnetic splitting and spin polarization of band states.     

Surface Andreev bound states of superfluid (3)He and Majorana fermions

Superfluid (3)He is an intensively investigated and well characterized p-wave superfluid. In the bulk Balian-Werthamer state, which is commonly called the (3)He B phase, the superfluid gap is opened isotropically but near a flat boundary such as a wall of a container it can harbor interesting quasi-particle states inside the gap. These states are called surface Andreev bound states, and have not been experimentally explored in detail. Transverse acoustic impedance measurement has revealed their existence and provided spectroscopic details of the dispersion of the bound states. Recent theoretical arguments claim that the surface Andreev bound states of the superfluid (3)He B phase can be recognized as the edge states of the topological superfluid and be regarded as a Majorana fermion, a fancy particle which has not been confirmed in elementary particle physics. In this review, we present up-to-date knowledge on the surface Andreev bound states of the (3)He B phase revealed by acoustic spectroscopy and the possible realization of a Majorana fermion, along with related studies on this topic.     

Tunneling into multiwalled carbon nanotubes: coulomb blockade and the Fano resonance

Tunneling spectroscopy measurements of single tunnel junctions formed between multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) and a normal metal are reported. Intrinsic Coulomb interactions in the MWNTs give rise to a strong zero-bias suppression of a tunneling density of states that can be fitted numerically to the environmental quantum-fluctuation theory. An asymmetric conductance anomaly near zero bias is found at low temperatures and interpreted as Fano resonance in the strong tunneling regime.     

Surface scattering via bulk continuum states in the 3D topological insulator Bi2Se3

We have performed scanning tunneling microscopy and differential tunneling conductance (dI/dV) mapping for the surface of the three-dimensional topological insulator Bi(2)Se(3). The fast Fourier transformation applied to the dI/dV image shows an electron interference pattern near Dirac node despite the general belief that the backscattering is well suppressed in the bulk energy gap region. The comparison of the present experimental result with theoretical surface and bulk band structures shows that the electron interference occurs through the scattering between the surface states near the Dirac node and the bulk continuum states.     

Densities of phonon and electron states in V3Si and Cr3Si crystals

The regularization method has been used to solve the non-correct problem of finding out the phonon density of states from the temperature dependence of phonon heat capacity for two single crystals with A15 structure (the superconductor V₃Si and the non-superconductor Cr₃Si. The solution found agrees with the results of neutrongraphical and tunnel study. The electron density of states obtained in a narrow energy range near the Fermi level as the regularized solution of the reverse problem (from the temperature of the electron spin susceptibility) has at the Fermi energy the sharp maximum for V₃Si, but the flat minimum for Cr₃Si.