Observation of room temperature photoluminescence in proton irradiated SrTiO3 single crystal

We have irradiated SrTiO₃ single crystal with 3 MeV-proton (H⁺) beam and found that blue -, green - and infrared - frequency photoluminescence (PL) are induced simultaneously at room temperature. TEM and EELS analyses show that an oxygen-deficient amorphous layer is formed at the crystal surface by the proton irradiation. Possible origin of the PL-effect is discussed.     

Synthesis and luminescence properties of europium doped YBa3B9O18

Europium (Eu³⁺) doped YBa₃B₉O₁₈ were synthesized by conventional solid state solidification methods. (Y_1−xEu_x)Ba₃B₉O₁₈ formed solid solutions in the range of x=0–1.0. The luminescence property measurements upon excitation in ultraviolet–visible range show well-known Eu³⁺ excitation and emission. The charge transfer excitation band of Eu³⁺ dominates the excitation spectra. The emission spectrum of Eu³⁺ ions consists mainly of several groups of lines in the 550–720 nm region, due to the transitions from the ⁵D₀ level to the levels ⁷F_J (J=0, 1, 2, 3, 4) of Eu³⁺ ions. The dependence of luminescence intensity on Eu³⁺ concentration shows no concentration quenching for fully concentrated EuBa₃B₉O₁₈. Eu³⁺ doped YBa₃B₉O₁₈ are promising phosphors for applications in displays and optical devices.     

Room-temperature ferromagnetism in Sn1−xMnxO2 nanocrystalline thin films prepared by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis

Sn_1−xMn_xO₂ (x=0.01-0.05) thin films were synthesized on quartz substrate using an inexpensive ultrasonic spray pyrolysis technique. The influence of doping concentration and substrate temperature on structural and magnetic properties of Sn_1−xMn_xO₂ thin films was systematically investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies of these films reflect that the Mn³⁺ ions have substituted Sn⁴⁺ ions without changing the tetragonal rutile structure of pure SnO₂. A linear increase in c-axis lattice constant has been observed with corresponding increase in Mn concentration. No impurity phase was detected in XRD patterns even after doping 5 at% of Mn. A systematic change in magnetic behavior from ferromagnetic to paramagnetic was observed with increase in substrate temperature from 500 to 700 °C for Sn_1−xMn_xO₂ (x=0.01) films. Magnetic studies reveal room-temperature ferromagnetism (RTFM) with 3.61×10⁻⁴ emu saturation magnetization and 92 Oe coercivity in case of Sn_1−xMn_xO₂ (x=0.01) films deposited at 500 °C. However, paramagnetic behavior was observed for the films deposited at a higher substrate temperature of 700 °C. The presence of room-temperature ferromagnetism in these films was observed to have an intrinsic origin and could be obtained by controlling the substrate temperature and Mn doping concentration.     

In situ Raman spectroscopy of phase transformation in CrOx-Y2O3 system at elevated temperatures

A CrO_x-Y₂O₃ sample was prepared by a deposition-precipitation method and phase transformation of the sample under N₂ and air atmospheres was characterized by in situ Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. It was found that when the CrO_x-Y₂O₃ sample was heated, CrO₃ transformed to YCrO₄ and then to YCrO₃ and Cr₂O₃. Also, the transformation started from the surface region of the sample and then extended to the bulk, due to the fact that the phase transformation was detected by Raman spectroscopy at lower temperature compared to that by XRD. In addition, both atmosphere and temperature had influence on the phase transformation in the surface region, while the phase transformation in the bulk was merely dependent on the temperature. It was also found that low oxidation state Cr(III) species on the surface could be re-oxidized to high oxidation state Cr(V) or Cr(VI) species when the thermal treated sample was exposed to ambient air.     

Preparation and magnetic properties of the conductive Co(1−x)NixFe2O4/polyaniline microsphere composites

Core-shell Co_(1−x)Ni_xFe₂O₄/polyaniline nanoparticles, where the core was Co_(1−x)Ni_xFe₂O₄ and the shell was polyaniline, were prepared by the combination of sol-gel process and in-situ polymerization methods. Nanoparticles were investigated by Fourier transform spectrometer, X-ray diffraction diffractometer, Scanning electron microscope, Differential thermal analysis and Superconductor quantum interference device. The results showed that the saturation magnetization of pure Co_(1−x)Ni_xFe₂O₄ nanoparticles were 57.57 emu/g, but Co_(1−x)Ni_xFe₂O₄/polyaniline composites were 37.36 emu/g. It was attributed to the lower content (15 wt%), smaller size and their uneven distribution of Co_(1−x)Ni_xFe₂O₄ nanoparticles in the final microsphere composites. Both Co_(1−x)Ni_xFe₂O₄ and PANI/Co_(1−x)Ni_xFe₂O₄ showed superparamagnetism.     

Field and temperature induced colossal strain in Gd5(SixGe1−x)4

Gd₅(Si_xGe_1−x)₄, known for its giant magnetocaloric effect, also exhibits a colossal strain of the order of 10,000 ppm for a single crystal near its coupled first-order magnetic-structural phase transition, which occurs near room temperature for the compositions 0.41≤x≤0.575. Such colossal strain can be utilised for both magnetic sensor and actuator applications. In this study, various measurements have been carried out on strain as a function of magnetic field strength and as a function of temperature on single crystal Gd₅Si₂Ge₂ (x=0.5), and polycrystalline Gd₅Si_1.95Ge_2.05 (x=0.487) and Gd₅Si_2.09Ge_1.91 (x=0.52). Additionally a giant magnetostriction/thermally induced strain of the order of 1800 ppm in polycrystalline Gd₅Si_2.09Ge_1.91 was observed at its first order phase transition on varying temperature using a Peltier cell without the use of bulky equipment such as cryostat or superconducting magnet.     

The effect of annealing on the room temperature ferromagnetism in co-sputtered In2O3: C thin films

In this paper, we report investigation of room temperature (RT) ferromagnetism in In₂O₃ (InO) thin films doped with carbon prepared by the co-sputtering method. InO thin films both undoped and C doped with varied thicknesses in the range of 45 to 80 nm were synthesized on Si substrates with varied C concentrations. The carbon concentration was varied from 1.6 to 9.3 at%. The undoped InO films showed no trace of ferromagnetism. Carbon doped films (InO:C) exhibited ferromagnetism at RT, which was of the orders of 10⁻⁵ emu and varied strongly with C concentrations. It is observed that the magnetization reached a maximum value of 5.7 emu/cm³ at 4 at% C. Annealing of the InO:C films in an oxygen environment resulted in a decrease in the magnetization, indicating the crucial role of oxygen vacancies in the films. It is concluded that the oxygen vacancies were important and compete with C substitution for the RT ferromagnetism.     

The enhancement of luminescence in Co-doped cubic Eu2O3 using Li and Al ions

The co-doping of Li⁺ and Al³⁺ ions drastically enhances the luminescence of cubic Eu₂O₃. The integrated emission intensity of ⁵D₀→⁷F_J bands (J=1-4) at 580-710 nm increases by a factor of about 6.7 in the co-doped Eu₂O₃ compared to the un-doped Eu₂O₃. In order to confirm that the co-doped ions were actually incorporated into the host lattice, the structural characteristics were studied using Raman spectroscopy, XPS, XRD, photoluminescence lifetime, and an SEM. These analyses consistently indicate a certain structural evolution in their results with an increase in the co-doping concentration. Variations in the crystal structure, the crystal morphology, and the intensity variation of the Raman modes at 465 and 483 cm⁻¹ are presented as the evidences showing the incorporation of the co-doped ions into the host. The luminescence enhancement is discussed in terms of concentration quenching, reduction of defect sites, and the modification of the local symmetry of the Eu³⁺ ions, especially in the inversion symmetry sites.     

Synthesis and ferroelectric properties of bismuth layer-structured (Bi7−xSrx)(Fe3−xTi3+x)O21 solid solutions

Bismuth layer-structured (Bi_7−xSr_x)(Fe_3−xTi_3+x)O₂₁ (BSFT) ceramics were synthesized and the ferroelectric properties and crystal structure were investigated. X-ray powder diffraction profiles and refinement of the lattice parameters indicated single phase BSFT was obtained in the composition range 0-1.5. The lattice parameter b of BSFT remained almost constant, while a slight decrease in the lattice parameter a was observed by the Sr and Ti substitution for Bi and Fe, respectively, which indicated an increase in the orthorhombicity. The dependence of the BSFT lattice parameter on temperature implied a phase transition from the orthorhombic to the tetragonal phase, which was in good agreement with the Curie temperature. The remnant polarization P_r, of BSFT was significantly improved by the Sr and Ti substitution for Bi and Fe, and ranged from 9 to 16 μC/cm², although no remarkable variation in the coercive field E_c was observed. As a result, a well-saturated P-E hysteresis loop of BSFT ceramic was obtained at x=0.5 with a P_r of 30 μC/cm at an applied voltage of 280 kV/cm.     

First-principles study of ferromagnetism in Zn- and Cd-doped SnO2

The electronic structures and magnetic properties of Zn- and Cd-doped SnO₂ are investigated using first-principles calculations within the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and GGA+U scheme. The substitutional Zn and Cd atoms introduce holes in the 2p orbitals of the O atoms and the introduced holes are mostly confined to the minority-spin states. The magnetic moment induced by doping mainly comes from the 2p orbitals of the O atoms, among which the moment of the first neighboring O atoms around the dopant are the biggest. The U correction for the anion-2p states obviously increases the moment of the first neighboring O atoms and transforms the ground states of the doped SnO₂ from half-metallic to insulating. The magnetic coupling between the moments induced by two dopants is ferromagnetic and the origin of ferromagnetic coupling can be attributed to the p–d hybridization interaction involving holes.     

Laser synthesis of thin layers of In4Se3, In4Te3 and modification of their structure and characteristics

Trends of structural modifications and phase composition occurring in In₄Se₃ thin films and In₄Se₃-In₄Te₃ epitaxial heterojunctions under laser irradiations have been investigated. Dynamics of the layer structure modification, depending on laser modes, i.e. pulse duration τ = 2-4 ms, irradiation intensity I₀ = 10-50 kW/cm², number of pulses N = 5-50, was studied by electron microscopy. An increase in laser influence promotes enlargement of the layer grains and transformation of their polycrystalline structure towards higher degree of stoichiometry. As a result of laser solid restructuring heterojunctions of In₄Se₃-In₄Te₃, being photosensitive within 1.0-2.0 μm and showing fast time of response, have been obtained. Laser modification of structure enables one to optimize electrical and optical properties of functional elements on the base of thin films and layers of In₄Se₃, In₄Te₃, widely used as infrared detectors and filters.     

LiB3O5晶体高温拉曼光谱研究

研究了LiB₃O₅晶体在不同温度下(在300—1173K的温度范围)的拉曼光谱,分析了LBO晶体结构随温度变化的规律.随着温度的升高,LBO晶体的拉曼光谱谱峰都不同程度地向低波数方向移动,也存在不同程度的展宽,同时强度减弱.发现晶体在1100K存在明显相变,与LBO晶体的相图给出的1107K的相变温度基本相符. 关键词： 3O₅晶体')" href="#">LiB₃O₅晶体 高温拉曼光谱 相变     

Luminescent properties of HTP AgGd1−xW2O8:Eux and AgGd1−x(W1−yMoy)2O8:Eux phosphor for white LED

Intense red phosphors, AgGd_1−xEu_x(W_1−yMo_y)₂O₈ (x=0.0-1.0, y=0.0-1.0), have been synthesized through traditional solid-state reaction and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and photoluminescence (PL). XRD results reveal that AgGd_1−xEu_xW₂O₈ synthesized at 1000 °C has a tetragonal crystal structure, which is named as high temperature phase (HTP) AgGdW₂O₈. All phosphors compositions with Eu³⁺ show red and green emission on excitation either in the charge-transfer or Eu³⁺ levels. Analysis of the emission spectra with different Eu³⁺ concentrations reveal that the optimum dopant concentration for Eu³⁺ is x=0.6 in the HTP AgGd_1−xEu_xW₂O₈ (x=0.0-1.0). Studies on the AgGd_0.4Eu_0.6(W_1−yMo_y)₂O₈ (y=0.0-1.0) and AgGd_1−xEu_x(W_0.7Mo_0.3)₂O₈ (x=0.0-1.0) show that the emission intensity is maximum for compositions with y=0.3 and x=0.5, respectively, and a decrease in emission intensity is observed for higher y or x values. The Mo⁶⁺ and Eu³⁺ co-doped AgGd(WO₄)₂ phosphors show higher emission intensity in comparison with the singly Eu³⁺-doped AgGd(WO₄)₂ in UV region. The intense emission of the tungstate/molybdate phosphors under 394 and 465 nm excitations, respectively, suggests that these materials are promising candidates as red-emitting phosphors for near-UV/blue GaN-based white LED for white light generation.     

A theoretical investigation of the special properties of SrFe1−xCoxO3

Using density-functional calculations, we investigate the special properties of SrFe_1−xCo_xO₃. The results show that the ground states have A-type antiferromagnetic order for x=0.1 and ferromagnetic order for x≥0.2 with Co ions distributed averagely. SrFe_1−xCo_xO₃ exhibits half-metallic nature for 0.2≤x≤0.7 and full-metallic nature for other values of x, and the half-metallic gap decreases with increasing x. The tunneling between the half-metallic ferromagnetic phases drives the large magnetoresistance. In addition, the Co cations are in the intermediate-spin state, while the Fe cations are in the intermediate-spin state for x≤0.5 and the high-spin state for x≥0.6.     

Structural properties of Bi1-xLaxFeO3 studied by micro-Raman scattering

This paper reports that La-doped BiFeO 3(Bi1-x La x FeO3,x = 0,0.1,0.2,0.3,0.6,0.8 and 1.0) were studied by using micro-Raman spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction(XRD).The XRD patterns indicate that the structure of Bi1-xLaxFeO 3 changes from rhombohedral BiFeO3 to orthorhombic LaFeO3.The results of Raman spectroscopy show good agreement with the XRD results.Strikingly,the phonon peak at around 610 cm-1 and the two-phonon peaks in the high frequency range exist in all compounds and enhance with increasing La substitution.The increasing intensity of the 610 cm-1 peak is attributed to the changes in the FeO 6 octahedron during the rhombohedral-orthorhombic phase transition.The enhancements of the two-phonon peaks are associated with the breakdown of the cycloid spin configuration with the appearance of the orthorhombic structure.These results indicate the existence of strong spin-phonon coupling in Bi1-xLax FeO3,which may provide useful information for understanding the effects of La content on the structural and magnetic properties of Bi1-xLaxFeO3.     

Structural and cathodoluminiscent properties of Zr0.95Ce0.05O2 nanopowders prepared by sol-gel and template methods

Nanopowders of Zr_0.95Ce_0.05O₂ composition have been prepared by a standard Pechini-type sol-gel process and by means of a colloidal crystal template approach. In the latter method, inverse opal Zr_0.95Ce_0.05O₂ powders were fabricated employing poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) colloidal crystals as a template. The effects of the two different synthesis routes on the structure and microstructural characteristics of the prepared nanopowders were evaluated by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. For both preparation routes, the X-ray diffraction analysis has shown that a tetragonal fluorite structure is formed with a crystallite size of ∼35-40 nm. The scanning electron microscopy measurements indicate that the powder obtained by the sol-gel Pechini-type process is comprised of nanoparticles that are arranged in agglomerates with shape and size relatively uniform whereas the inverse opal Zr_0.95Ce_0.05O₂ nanopowders exhibit the formation of macropores with a mean size of ∼100 nm. The cathodoluminescence spectra of the prepared Zr_0.95Ce_0.05O₂ nanomaterials have been measured in the 300-800 nm wavelength range. The powder prepared by sol-gel method yields a broad emission band centered at 482 nm whereas the emission from the inverse opal preparation is considerably less intense.     

Magnetic properties of Ni-substituted BiFeO3

BiFe_1−xNi_xO₃ ceramic powders with x up to 0.10 have been prepared by the sol-gel technique. The band gap of BiFeO₃ is 2.23 eV, and decreases to 2.09 eV for BiFe_0.95Ni_0.05O₃ and BiFe_0.90Ni_0.10O₃. The Mössbauer spectra show sextet at room temperature, indicating the magnetic ordering and the presence of only Fe³⁺ ions. Superparamagnetism with blocking temperature of 31 K for BiFe_0.95Ni_0.05O₃ and 100 K for BiFe_0.90Ni_0.10O₃ was observed. Enhanced magnetization at room temperature have been observed (1.0 emu/g for BiFe_0.95Ni_0.05O₃ and 2.9 emu/g for BiFe_0.90Ni_0.10O₃ under magnetic field of 10,000 Oe), which is one order larger than that of BiFeO₃ (0.1 emu/g under magnetic field of 10,000 Oe). The enhanced magnetization was attributed to the suppression of the cycloidal spin structure by Ni³⁺ substitution and the ferrimagnetic interaction between Fe³⁺ and Ni³⁺ ions.     

Low-voltage cathodoluminescence property of Li-doped Gd2−xYxO3:Eu

Cathodoluminescent (CL) spectra of Li-doped Gd_2−xY_xO₃:Eu³⁺ solid-solution (0.0?x?0.8) were investigated at low voltages (300 V-1 kV). The CL intensity is maximum for the composition of x=0.2 and gradually reduces with increasing the amount of substituted Y content. In particular, small (∼100 nm) particles of Li-doped Gd_1.8Y_0.2O₃:Eu³⁺ are obtained by firing the citrate precursors at only 650°C for 18 h. Relative red-emission intensity at 300 V of this phosphor is close to 180% in comparison with that of commercial red phosphor Y₂O₃:Eu³⁺. An increase of firing temperature to 900°C results in 400-600 nm sized spherical particles. At low voltages (300-800 V), the CL emission of 100 nm sized particles is much stronger than that of 400-600 nm sized ones. In contrast, the larger particles exhibit the higher CL emission intensity at high voltages (1-10 kV). Taking into consideration small spherical morphology and effective CL emission, Li-doped Gd_1.8Y_0.2O₃:Eu³⁺ appears to be an efficient phosphor material for low voltage field emission display.     

Relaxor behavior in the (1−x)BaSnO3 - xPbTiO3 solid solution

The relaxor behavior was revealed in the solid solution (1−x)BaSnO₃-xPbTiO₃[(1−x)BSn-xPT] with compositions near x=0.50. The real permittivity (ε^′) and loss tangent (tanδ) exhibit diffuse and dispersive maxima, whose temperature shifts towards a higher temperature upon the increasing frequency. The frequency dependence of the temperature of the dielectric maximum (T_m) follows the Vogel-Fulcher law, as in the canonical relaxor. A deviation from the Curie-Weiss law was observed below the Burns temperature (T_B) and well above the Curie temperature (T_C). These phenomena are well consistent with typical relaxors, which explains the existence of the relaxor behavior in the (1−x)BSn-xPT solid solution.     

Picosecond stimulated Raman scattering of BaWO4 crystal

In single-pass configuration, a picosecond pulse laser was used to investigate the stimulated Raman scattering in different BaWO₄ crystals. Using the thresholds for the first Stokes line along the a- and c-axis, the Raman gain coefficients of the BaWO₄ crystals were calculated along their respective direction. The higher Stokes (fourth) and anti-Stokes (third) lines were observed. Compared with other well-known Raman crystals, such as KGd(WO₄)₂ and Ba(NO₃)₂, BaWO₄ has favorable properties for scattering the pump radiation with picosecond pulse duration. The Raman gain coefficients of BaWO₄ are different, but do not vary for different transmission directions, which means that this Raman material can be selected more freely.