Phases and phase transitions in the mixed molecular system (NaCN)1−x(KCN)x

The phase diagram of (NaCN)_1–x(KCN)_x was examined by neutron powder diffraction in the temperature range 5K T300 K. Several non-cubic low-temperature phases were identified for concentrationsx<x _c1=0.15 andxx _c2=0.89. Lattice parameters and ferroelastic deformations were determined from the observed powder patterns. The phase transformations were characterized following the temperature dependence of the appropriate order parameters.     

Superconductivity and low-temperature specific heat in IrY eutectics

Low-temperature specific heat data on Ir-20 at% Y eutectic composition alloys characterised by scanning electron microscopy for micro-structural analysis are presented. The data agree with the results of Fradin et al.: the superconductivity in Ir-20 at% Y composition alloys stems due to the presence of YIr₃ compound with PuNi₃ structure.     

Mesoscopic magnetic inhomogeneities in the low-temperature phase and structure of Sm1−x SrxMnO3 (x < 0.5) perovskite

Results are presented of studies of the ¹⁵⁴Sm_1?x Sr_xMnO₃ system using neutron powder diffraction and small-angle polarized neutron scattering. An analysis of the neutron diffraction spectra showed that at T < 180 K these exhibit typical Jahn-Teller distortions of the manganese-oxygen octahedrons which persist under further cooling and on transition of the sample to a metallic magnetically ordered state. The magnetic contribution to the diffraction is satisfactorily described using the (A _x (A _y )F _z ) model and is interpreted as the coexistence of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic phases. The exaggerated widths of the diffraction lines indicate an appreciable contribution from microdeformations evidently associated with the inhomogeneity of the system. Small-angle polarized neutron scattering showed that the Sm system for x = 0.4 and 0.25 is magnetically inhomogeneous in the low-temperature phase. Ferromagnetic correlations occur on scales of around 200 Å and having dimensions greater than 1000 Å which, combined with the temperature hysteresis of the magnetic small-angle scattering intensity observed for an x = 0.4 sample in the low-temperature phase, suggests that the transition is of a percolation nature.     

Negatron effects in CdSe1 − x Te x and ZnS1−x Se x films

Various negatron effects in films of alloys of II–VI compounds deposited from solutions as a function of the deposition mode and heat treatment are studied. It is found that the negative photocapacitance effect, which was first discovered in ZnS_1?x Se _x films, and the slowly relaxing negative photoelectric effects, which are caused by the transition of electrons located in a nanoscale surface layer from the shallow energy levels of trapping centers to deeper levels with a lower polarizability and by the presence of nanoscale clusters in these materials, which play the role of a “reservoir” for minority charge carriers, occur according to a single mechanism. A model to explain the basic laws of negative photoconductivity in CdSe_{1 ? x} Te _x films deposited from a solution is proposed. Negative residual conductivity is explained in terms of double-barrier relief model, while negative differential photoconductivity is attributed to the presence of nanoscale electric domains.     

Specific heat of Eu x Sr1−x Te

In this paper, we report on measurements of the specific heatC of single-crystalline Eu _x Sr_1–x Te at temperatures between 60 mK and 15 K and in magnetic fields up to 6 T. Pure antiferromagnetic EuTe shows unusual critical behavior in the vicinity of the Néel temperatureT _N=9.8 K with a positive critical exponent instead of the 3d-Heisenberg exponent =–0.12. Possible reasons for this discrepancy between theory and experiment include magnetic anisotropy effects due to magnetic dipole-dipole interactions, which may give rise to a cross-over of the critical behavior very close toT _N. This anisotropy is also seen in the specific heat below 1 K where an exponential decay ofC is observed, and in the dependence of the magnetic susceptibility on the direction of the applied field. With increasing dilution of EuTe with nonmagnetic Sr, the critical behavior changes: becomes negative and decreases continuously towards –1 atxx _c. This concentration dependence of was previously observed in the diluted ferromagnetic system Eu _x Sr_1–x S. Our data thus support that the apparent change in the critical behavior depends on the degree of disorder. Samples with concentrationx lower than the critical concentrationx _c reveal spin-glass behavior in the specific heat. In addition, the dependence ofT _N on magnetic fields is discussed. The data yield a normalized magnetic phase boundaryB _c(T)/B_c(T=0) vs.T _N(B)/T_N(B=0) which is independent of concentration.     

High-Moment-Low-Moment Description of Magnetovolume Effects in Y(Mn x Al 1− x ) 2 and Y x Sc 1− x Mn 2

Based on the assumption of a high-moment-low-moment instability of the Mn atom, we construct a simple spin model with coupled magnetic and spatial degrees of freedom to describe the Laves phase systems Y(Mn x Al 1 m x ) 2 and Y x Sc 1 m x Mn 2 . Monte Carlo simulations of this model qualitatively reproduce anomalies observed in these materials like a discontinuous giant volume change and anomalous thermal expansion behavior.     

Specific heat of Ce x La1 − x B6 in the low cerium concentration limit (x ≤ 0.03)

The specific heat of high-quality Ce _x La_{1 ? x} B₆ (x = 0, 0.01, 0.03) single crystals is studied in the temperature range 0.4–300 K. LaB₆ samples with various boron isotope compositions (¹⁰B, ¹¹B, ^nat B) are analyzed to estimate the effect of boron vacancies. The experimental data are used to take into account the electron component correctly under the renormalization of the density of states at T < 8 K, the contribution of the quasi-local vibrational mode of a rare-earth ion with the Einstein temperature Θ_E ≈ 152 K, the Debye contribution from the rigid cage of boron atoms with the Debye temperature Θ_D ≈ 1160 K, and the low-temperature Schottky contribution related to the presence of 1.5?2.3% boron vacancies in the rare-earth hexaborides. The detected low-temperature anomalies in the specific heat are shown to be interpreted in terms of the formation of two-level systems with an energy ΔE = 92–98 K caused by the displacement of rare-earth ions from their centrosymmetric positions. A scenario of heavy fermion formation that is alternative to the Kondo mechanism is proposed for the systems with a magnetic impurity.     

Magnetic properties and specific heat of Tm1−xLuxCu2Si2

The tetragonal TmCu₂Si₂ compound is the only magnetically ordered material of the RECu₂Si₂ group for which crystal field parameters were determined. Quadrupole splitting measured by means of Mössbauer spectroscopy showed that two lowest lying states are nonmagnetic singlets. Therefore, this material is likely to have an induced magnetic moment, mainly due to mixing of the two lowest states. We performed specific heat and magnetic susceptibility measurements of Tm_1−xLu_xCu₂Si₂ (x = 0, 0.025, 0.050, 0.10, 0.25, 0.50 and 1) alloys to determine the crystal field level scheme and compare it with the Mössbauer data. The saturation magnetization of the antiferromagnetic phase was calculated to be 3.2 μ_B and the moment is directed along the tetragonal c axis. No direct experimental evidence is known to support this prediction.     

Structural chemistry,electrical resistivity,magnetization and specific heat in La1.85Sr0.15Cu1−xZn x O4

Samples from the oxide series of solid solutions La_1.85Sr_0.15Cu₁–xZn _x O₄, quenched from 1100°C, have been characterized by X-ray powder analysis. We report on the structural chemistry and on measurements of the electrical resistivity, magnetization, ac susceptibility and specific heat of these samples. Zinc was found to statistically replace the copper atoms in the body centered tetragonal K₂NiF₄-type of structure up to values ofx smaller than 0.15. At higher zinc-concentrations (0.15<x<0.45) the crystal structure transformes into the orthorhombically distorted K₂NiF₄-type, known for the low-temperature form of Sr-and Zn-free La₂CuO₄. Limited solid solutions are encountered when Cu is substituted by Cd and Hg. Whilst the Zn-free sample La_1.85Sr_0.15CuO₄ was superconducting with a sharp onset at 35 K, substitution of Cu by Zn by as little as 6 mole percent was sufficient to suppress superconductivity belowT _c<4.5 K. Isoelectronic substitution of Cu by (Ni_0.5Zn_0.5) was found to cause an even larger degradation ofT _c than equivalent amounts of Zn. At the superconducting transition the discontinuity of the specific heat C _p is observed in agreement with recent publications, but is found to decrease with Zn substitution. A linear term inC _p(T) is resolved at low temperatures which significantly rises upon Cu/Zn substitution.     

Structural interpretation of specific heat measurements on glassy Se100− x Sb x alloys

Differential scanning calorimetry was used to study glassy Se_{100- x} Sb _x (x = 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10) alloys at a heating rate of 10°C min^?1 under non-isothermal conditions. An extremely large increase in the specific heat, C_p , was observed at the glass-transition temperature. It was also found that the values of C_p below and above the glass-transition temperature, C_pg and C_pe , respectively, are highly composition dependent. This indicates that the Sb additive used in the present study influences the structure of the a-Se. The variation of C_p reveals local extrema in the Se–Sb glassy system at x = 4 and x = 8. The composition dependence of both C_pe and C_pg is explained in terms of the atomic structure.     

Low-temperature specific heat of icosahedral and amorphous Pd−U−Si alloys

Icosahedral (I) Pd_0.588U_0.206Si_0.206 can be obtained from melt-spun amorphous (A) ribbons by annealing. The specific heatC (measured betweenT=0.1 K and 20 K) shows very similar behavior for both phases. The main features ofC are as follows. (i) The vibrational heat capacityC _ph dominatesC at highT.C _ph is almost identical in both phases, in agreement with recent inelastic neutron scattering data. (ii) Shallow maxima in (C–C _ph)/T vs.T are found at 5.4 and 4.3 K forI andA phases, respectively, associated with magnetic order. These maxima are suppressed by 20% in an applied magnetic field of 6 T. (iii) A large quasi-linear contribution is observed with a low-T coefficient =165 mJ/mole U K² for theI phase and =120 mJ/mole U K² for theA phase. In the low-T region,C is hardly affected by a field of 6 T. This hints at the formation of a narrow 5f band with a comparable density of states for bothI andA phases.     

Oxidation of Si(100)2x1 and Gex Si1−x (100)2x1

High resolution electron energy loss Spectroscopy (HREELS), X-ray photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and low energy electron diffraction (LEED) have been used to characterize initial stages of oxidation of Si(100)2x1 and Ge_x Si_1−x (100)2x1 surfaces. Different oxidation stages of Si were identified by measuring Si 2p core level shifts and characteristic vibrations of Si-O-Si complexes. The latter may be described in the framework of continuous random network models.Then,from the experimentally determined frequencies, force constants,average bond angles and bond lengths are determined. Complementary,marker experiments with atomic hydrogen as a probe in conjunction with HREELS were used to determine the local, atomic structure for different stages of oxidation from chemical shifts of Si-H and Ge-H stretching mode intensities, respectively.     

Observation of negative photoconductivity in (ZnO)x(CdO)1−x films

In this study, (ZnO)_x(CdO)_1?x films were prepared by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis (USP) technique at a substrate temperature of 400 °C. X-ray diffraction patterns of the films indicate that the (ZnO)_x(CdO)_1?x films have hexagonal wurtzite and cubic structure for the constituent materials. A decrease in the average transmission with increasing quantity of the cadmium acetate dehydrate in the sprayed solution was observed. The photoconductivity transients were performed using UV light, which has 360 nm wavelength. After light cut off, conductivity changed slowly, and the decay time was thousands of seconds. The films with x=0.2 and 0 exhibited negative photoconductivity. Temperature-dependent photoconductivity and dark conductivity measurements were performed and negative photoconductivity was also observed for the same films (x=0.2 and 0). Photoluminescence measurements were performed and band-to-band excitation energies of (ZnO)_x(CdO)_1?x films were determined. Band gap of the pure CdO film was found as 3.11 eV, interestingly.     

The anisotropic low-temperature specific heat of organic superconductor κ-(BEDT-TTF)2CU(NCS)2 in magnetic field

We measured the low-temperature specific heat of the layered organic superconductor κ-(BEDT-TTF)₂Cu(NCS)₂ for the magnetic field directed along and across the conducting plane and found a difference between the two measurements. Our data indicate the existence of a nodeless superconducting state at zero field and low temperature. The field dependence of the specific heat anisotropy consists of two linear branches with the crossover field equal to the upper critical field perpendicular to the conducting plane.     

Thermodynamic modelling of miscibility in (InAs) x (GaAs)1−x solid solutions

Current methods used to model the solution thermodynamics of III–V compound semiconductors involve the use of the valence force field as the molecular model and the regular solution model (with the temperature independent interaction parameter and underlying assumption of random mixing) as the engineering model. In this study, excess free energy models (with three or less adjustable parameters) are investigated to predict the solid–solid miscibility of (InAs) _x (GaAs)_{1? x} . The models investigated include the Porter/one-constant Margules (OCM) model, the two-constant Margules (TCM) model and the non-random two liquid (NRTL) model. These models are fit to excess free energy values derived from free energy change of mixing (variation with composition) data available from molecular simulations at different temperatures. The parameters in all the models have been found to be temperature dependent. The coexistence compositions are best predicted by the NRTL model, indicating the need to consider non-random mixing effects present in these solid solutions. The TCM model predicts better equilibrium composition data as compared to the OCM model.     

Comparative study of the specific heat of superconducting and non-superconducting YBa2Cu3O7−x

We have measured the specific heat, the electrical resistance and the magnetic susceptibility of YBa₂Cu₃O_7–x in a superconducting (sc) and in a non-superconducting (nsc) version. The latter was obtained by inducing a small loss of oxygen. In the sc sample we find a jump of the specific heat with C=3.6 J mole^–1 K^–1. Below the maximum nearT _c the specific heat of the sc version drops too fast for an electronic effect alone: there is a cross-over from excess to deficiency already at 0.9T _c . The specific heat of the nsc version shows a change of slope in the temperature range between 70 and 80 K, which indicates the existence of a second specific heat anomaly, which apparently exists independently of that due to the onset of superconductivity and explains at least partially the premature crossover.Alexander von Humboldt fellow. On leave in absence from Centro Atomico Bariloche—CNEA Argentina     

Phonon dispersion and specific heat in ω-helical poly-N ∊(p-bromobenzoyl-l-ornithine)

Poly-N ^?(p-bromobenzoyl-l-ornithine) (PBrBO) is one of the few biopolymers existing in the rare ω-helical (fourfold) conformation. It can be obtained from the α form through an irreversible heat treatment. A study of its normal modes and dispersive behavior shows several interesting features such as “crossing over,” “repulsion with character exchange,” and Von Hove type “singularities” which lead to a fuller interpretation of its IR spectra. The existence of alternately different side-chain conformations, which makes the phonon problem too large to solve directly, has been taken into account by considering the vibrations of the PBrBO chains with two independent conformations. Detailed study of skeletal, amide, and side-chain modes is reported, and the results have been used for the calculation of specific heat via density of states.     

Synthesis,microstructure and dielectric properties of (1−x)PSN−xPLuN

Ceramic lead niobates and their solid solutions PSN–PLuN (pure lutecium niobate) were synthesized by solid state reactions. The sequence of phases formed at PSN–PLuN synthesis has been studied by X-ray analysis. Their symmetry changed from rhombohedral for PSN to pseudo-monoclinic for the 0.75PSN–0.25PLuN compositions. The performed EDS investigations revealed that the samples PSN–PLuN are perfectly sintered. They contain a little glassy phase and their grains are well shaped. The increase of lutecium content in the examined solid solution caused downward shift of the temperature of the phase transition. The decrease of the achieved permittivity values ? was observed as well.     

Ionic and electronic conductivity in CaTi1−xFexO3−δ (x=0.1–0.3)

Electrical conductivity measurements on CaTi_1?xFe_xO_3?δ (x=0.1, 0.2, 0.3) were performed on polycrystalline pressed and sintered tablets using the van der Pauw four point method in controlled atmospheres. The results were interpreted to reflect n-type, ionic and p-type conductivity at different oxygen partial pressures. An increasing iron content increases the number of oxygen vacancies and increases the ionic conductivity at high temperatures, but also increases the tendency of ordering, which suppresses the ionic conductivity at more moderate temperatures. These findings are in accordance with the phase diagram of the system CaTiO₃-CaFeO_2.5 based on X-ray and Mössbauer studies.     

Hyperfine magnetic interactions in Tb(Fe1 − x Al x )2 alloys

The structural and magnetic characteristics of phase transformations in Tb(Fe_{1 ? x} Al _x )₂ alloys with concentrations x = 0?0.9 have been measured in the temperature range from 90 to 450 K. The temperature dependences of the hyperfine magnetic fields for each of local configurations of the nearest environment of iron atoms upon substitution of aluminum atoms for iron atoms have been found using Mössbauer spectroscopy.