Microwave dielectric properties of the 5.5Li<Subscript>2</Subscript>O–Nb<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>5</Subscript>–7TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> ceramics

A new Li₂O–Nb₂O₅–TiO₂ (LNT) ceramic with the Li₂O:Nb₂O₅:TiO₂ mole ratio of 5.5:1:7 was prepared by solid state reaction route. The phase and structure of the ceramic were characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The microwave dielectric properties of the ceramics were studied using a network analyzer. The microwave dielectric ceramic has low sintering temperature (∼1075°C) and good microwave dielectric properties of ε _r=42, Q×f=16900 GHz (5.75 GHz), and τ _f =63.7 ppm/°C. The addition of B₂O₃ can effectively lower the sintering temperature from 1075 to 875°C and does not induce degradation of the microwave dielectric properties. Obviously, the LNT ceramics can be applied to microwave low temperature-cofired ceramics (LTCC) devices.     

Quasi-long-range order in the random anisotropy Heisenberg model

The random field and random anisotropy N-vector models are studied with the functional renormalization group in 4−ε dimensions. The random anisotropy Heisenberg (N=3) model has a phase with an infinite correlation length at low temperatures and weak disorder. The correlation function of the magnetization obeys a power law 〈m(r ₁)m(r ₂)〉∼|r ₁−r ₂|^{− 0.62ε}. The magnetic susceptibility diverges at low fields as χ∼H ^−1+0.15ε. In the random field N-vector model the correlation length is finite at arbitrarily weak disorder for any N>3. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 70, No. 2, 130–135 (25 July 1999) Published in English in the original Russian journal. Edited by Steve Torstveit.     

Measurement of the spindependent relative conversion coefficients in α-Fe and α-Fe2O3

The relative differences δ _ns (n=1, 2, 3) of the spindependent conversion coefficients were measured for α-Fe and α=Fe₂O₃. In contrast to theoretical predictions of δ_1s≃−10⁻⁵ we found δ_1s≃−1.0(4)x10⁻² for both α-Fe and α-Fe₂O₃. As a possible source for this difference we consider a dynamic coupling with the atomic spin during the conversion process.     

57Fe Mössbauer study of Fe nitrides

Summary Magnetic properties of Fe nitrides have been re-examined by⁵⁷Fe M?ssbauer spectroscopy. Hyperfine magnetic fields for α″-Fe₁₆N₂ are 30, 31 and 39T at 298K, but the averaged hyperfine field is 33T and nearly equal to the value of pure α-Fe. σ-Fe₂ N is an antiferromagnet below 9K having a small magnetic moment less than 0.1 μ_B, although γ′-Fe₄N and ε-Fe_3–2N are ferromagnets. ZnS-type FeN is non-magnetic at 4.2K. M?ssbauer spectra obtained from NaCl-type FeN are complex and some Fe atoms in this nitride show a surprisingly large hyperfine magnetic field of 49T. Paper presented at the ICAME-95, Rimini, 10–16 September 1995.     

Phase transition and electrical properties of (K<Subscript>0.5</Subscript>Na<Subscript>0.5</Subscript>)(Nb<Subscript>1-x</Subscript>Ta<Subscript>x</Subscript>)O<Subscript>3</Subscript> lead-free piezoelectric ceramics

(K_0.5Na_0.5)(Nb_1-xTa_x)O₃ lead-free piezoelectric ceramics have been prepared by an ordinary sintering technique. The results of X-ray diffraction reveal that Ta⁵⁺ diffuses into the K_0.5Na_0.5NbO₃ lattices to form a solid solution with an orthorhombic perovskite structure. Because of the high melting temperature of KTaO₃, the (K_0.5Na_0.5)(Nb_1-xTa_x)O₃ ceramics can be sintered at higher temperatures. The partial substitution of Ta⁵⁺ for the B-site ion Nb⁵⁺ decreases both paraelectric/cubic–ferroelectric/tetragonal and ferroelectric/tetragonal–ferroelectric/orthorhombic phase transition temperatures, T_C and T_O-T. It also induces a relaxor phase transition and weakens the ferroelectricity of the ceramics. The ceramics become ‘softened’, leading to improvements in d₃₃, k_p, k_t and ε_r and a decease in E_c, Q_m and N_p. The ceramics with x=0.075–0.15 become optimum, having d₃₃=127–151 pC/N, k_p=0.43–0.44, k_t=0.43–0.44, ε_r=541–712, tanδ=1.75–2.48% and T_C=378–329 °C. PACS 77.65.-j; 77.84.Dy; 77.84.-s     

Electron beam irradiation induced changes in liquid-crystal compound 5CB

Electron beam irradiation studies on liquid crystal material 5CB have been carried out at a temperature where the compound exists in the isotropic liquid phase. In situ time-resolved spectroscopic characterization was carried out during the irradiation. Three different transients were observed during the 2-μs electron pulse. After about 50 μs, only one transient species was found to be present, which has an absorption peak at 360 nm. Radiolysed sample exhibits a broad absorption at ∼400 nm. The dielectric measurements show that even a low level of irradiation results in a dramatic increase in the component of dielectric permittivity normal to the long axes of the molecules ε_⊥^′, and a corresponding decrease in the dielectric anisotropy (Δε′=ε_∥^′−ε_⊥^′ ). These studies show that 5CB is prone to substantial radiation damage on exposure to the beam of high-energy electrons.     

Temperature and frequency dependence of the spin-lattice relaxation times of E′1 centers in neutron-irradiated quartz glass

Results are reported for measurements of the spin-lattice relaxation times of E′₁ centers in quartz glass, produced by neutron irradiation, with the measurements made at two frequencies 9.25 and 24.0 GHz over a wide temperature interval 1.5–300 K. The experimental data are interpreted on the basis of interaction mechanisms of the spins with two-level systems with excitation energies ∼6, ∼26, and ∼420 cm⁻¹. A small modification of the existing theory allows us to explain a number of features of the observed temperature and frequency dependence of the relaxation rate. The results are compared with the data available in the literature on spin-lattice relaxation of irradiation centers in crystalline quartz and quartz glass. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 39, 1335–1337 (August 1997)     

Annealing Behavior of 57Fe Implanted in ZrO2(Y)

Using conversion electron Mossbauer spectroscopy(CEMS) and slow positron beam, the chemical states of the implanted ⁵⁷Fe (100KeV,3 × 10 ¹⁶ ions/cm ²) in ZrO₂ containing 3 mol% Y ₂O ₃( ZY ₃) and its thermodynamic behavior during annealing process with the temperature from 200 to 500°C were studied. After annealing at 400°C the complex of Fe³⁺-V has been mostly dissolved, and the prior phase to α-Fe and α-Fe nano-crystalline cluster were present in the sample. Meanwhile the mixed conducting of oxygen-ions and electrons in the ZY₃ containing Fe sample appeared. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Chemical reduction of hematite by sodium borohydride

Well-crystallized hematite was suspended in water and treated at room-temperature (RT) with sodium borohydride. The product of the reaction is a highly magnetic black powder, which is stable at RT. The NaBH₄ treatment converts about half of the hematite to an amorphous Fe–B alloy and to a small fraction of sub-micron sized, amorphous metallic-Fe nodules. Heating at 400°C of this composite has resulted in the crystallization and/or oxidation of more than half of the amorphous Fe–B phase to α-Fe and Fe₃O₄ and B₂O₃, respectively. After treatment at 800°C, the metallic Fe and the amorphous Fe–B have completely vanished, and the resulting product consists of hematite and FeBO₃ embedded in the matrix of α-Fe₂O₃.     

Spinodal Decomposition¶for the Cahn–Hilliard–Cook Equation

This paper gives theoretical results on spinodal decomposition for the stochastic Cahn–Hilliard–Cook equation, which is a Cahn–Hilliard equation perturbed by additive stochastic noise. We prove that most realizations of the solution which start at a homogeneous state in the spinodal interval exhibit phase separation, leading to the formation of complex patterns of a characteristic size. In more detail, our results can be summarized as follows. The Cahn–Hilliard–Cook equation depends on a small positive parameter ε which models atomic scale interaction length. We quantify the behavior of solutions as ε→ 0. Specifically, we show that for the solution starting at a homogeneous state the probability of staying near a finite-dimensional subspace ?_ε is high as long as the solution stays within distance r _ε=O(ε ^R ) of the homogeneous state. The subspace ?_ε is an affine space corresponding to the highly unstable directions for the linearized deterministic equation. The exponent R depends on both the strength and the regularity of the noise. Received: 2 May 2000 / Accepted: 8 July 2001     

Nuclear Spin-Lattice Relaxation of 82BrFe

The field dependence of the nuclear spin-lattice relaxation (SLR) of cold implanted ⁸²Br (T ≤ 25 mK) in α-Fe single crystals was investigated with nuclear magnetic resonance of oriented nuclei (NMR/ON) at low temperatures as experimental technique. The SLR at the lattice sites with the hyperfine fields found by earlier NMR/ON experiments was measured as a function of the applied external magnetic field B _ext parallel to the three principle axes [100], [110] and [111] of the iron single crystal. The data were evaluated with the full relaxation formalism in the single impurity limit and for comparison also with the often employed model of a single exponential function with an effective relaxation time T ₁′. With a phenomenological model the high field values of the relaxation rates r _{∞, [100]′} = 6.6(2) · 10⁻¹⁵ T²sK⁻¹, r _{∞, [110]} = 5.4(2) · 10⁻¹⁵ T²sK⁻¹ and r _{∞, [111]} = 5.2(1) · 10⁻¹⁵ T²sK⁻¹ were obtained.     

Excess 1/f noise in systems with an exponentially wide spectrum of resistances and dual universality of the percolation-like noise exponent

The excess 1/f noise in a random lattice with bond resistances r∼exp(−λx), where x is a random variable and λ≪1, is studied theoretically. It is shown that if the correlation function {δr ²}∼r r ^θ+2, then the relative spectral density of the noise in the system is expressed as C _e∼λ^m exp(−λ(1−p _c)), where p _c is the percolation threshold and m=νd (ν is the critical exponent of the correlation length and d is the dimensionality of the problem). It is hypothesized that the exponent m possesses a dual universality: It is independent of 1) the geometry of the lattice and 2) the θ-mechanism responsible for the generation of the local noise. Numerical modeling in a three-dimensional lattice gives m=52.3 for θ=1 and θ=0, in agreement with the hypothesis. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 63, No. 8, 614–618 (25 April 1996)     

Non-interferometric transient quantitative phase microscopy for ultrafast engineering

Lead-free piezoelectric ceramics Bi_0.5(Na_1-x-yK_xAg_y)_0.5TiO₃ [BNKAT(x/y)] have been synthesized by the mixed oxide method. The effects of the amount of K⁺ and Ag⁺ on the electrical properties were examined. X-ray diffraction patterns indicate that K⁺ and Ag⁺ ions partially substitute for the Na⁺ ions in Bi_0.5Na_0.5TiO₃ and form a solid solution during sintering. At room temperature, the ceramics exhibit good performances with piezoelectric constant d₃₃=189 pC/N, electromechanical coupling factor k_p=35.0%, remanent polarization P_r=39.5 μC/cm², and coercive field E_c=3.3 kV/mm, respectively. The curves of the dielectric constant ε_r and loss tangent tan δ versus temperature show that the transition temperature from ferroelectric to anti-ferroelectric phase decreases with increasing the K⁺ content for the compositions researched. The dependencies of k_p and polarization versus electric (P–E) hysteresis loops on temperature reveal that the depolarization temperature T_d of BNKAT(0.15/0.015) ceramics, which have good piezoelectric properties (d₃₃=134 pC/N, k_p=32.5%) and strong ferroelectricity (P_r=39.5 μC/cm², E_c=4.1 kV/mm) at room temperature, is above 160 °C. PACS 77.22.-d; 77.65.Bn; 77.80.Bh; 77.80.Dj; 77.84.Dy     

Nanocrystalline CaCu<Subscript>3</Subscript>Ti<Subscript>4</Subscript>O<Subscript>12</Subscript> powder by PVA sol–gel route: synthesis,characterization and its giant dielectric constant

Nanocrystalline CaCu₃Ti₄O₁₂ powders were synthesized by a simple PVA sol–gel route and calcined at 700 and 800°C in air for 8 h. The diameter of the powders ranges from 40–100 nm. The calcined CaCu₃Ti₄O₁₂ powders were characterized by TG-DTA, XRD, FTIR, SEM, and TEM. Sintering of the powders was conducted in air at 1100°C for 16 h. The XRD results indicated that all sintered samples had a typical perovskite CaCu₃Ti₄O₁₂ structure although the sintered samples contained some amount of CaTiO₃. SEM of the sintered CaCu₃Ti₄O₁₂ ceramics showed the average grain sizes of 13–15 μm. The samples exhibit a giant dielectric constant, ε′∼10⁵ at 150 to 200°C with weak temperature dependence below 1 kHz in the sample sintered using the powders calcined at 700°C. The Maxwell–Wagner polarization mechanism is used to explain the high permittivity in these ceramics. It is also found that all sintered samples have the same activation energy of grains, which is ∼0.122 eV.     

Sol–gel derived ferroelectric Bi3.15Nd0.85Ti3O12 thin films of predominant 100/010/119 orientation deposited both on Nb-doped (011)SrTiO3 and on (011)SrRuO3/(011)SrTiO3

Ferroelectric Bi_3.15Nd_0.85Ti₃O₁₂ (BNdT) thin films of predominant 100/010/119 orientation were grown through a cheap and simple sol–gel process both on Nb-doped (011)SrTiO₃ and on (011)SrRuO₃/(011)SrTiO₃. Using rapid heating rates during crystallization, films containing 28% (100)/(010)-oriented grains plus 19% (119)-oriented grains were obtained on SrRuO₃/SrTiO₃, while 30% (100)/(010)- and 18% (119)-oriented grains were obtained on Nb:SrTiO₃. The films consist of columnar grains and 90° a–b domains exist in large BNdT grains. The BNdT thin films exhibit excellent ferroelectric and dielectric properties with a remanent polarization 2P_r=39.2 μC/cm² and a dielectric constant ε_r=184.5. PACS 77.80.Fm; 77.80.Dj; 68.60.Wm; 68.55.Jk; 68.37.Lp     

Sub-THz radiation room temperature sensitivity of long-channel silicon field effect transistors

Room temperature operating n-MOSFETs (n-type metal-oxide silicon field effect transistors) used for registration of sub-THz (sub-terahertz) radiation in the frequency range ν = 53−145 GHz are considered. n-MOSFETs were manufactured by 1-μm Si CMOS technology applied to epitaxial Si-layers (d ≈15 μm) deposited on thick Si substrates (d = 640 μm). It was shown that for transistors with the channel width to length ratio W/L = 20/3 μm without any special antennas used for radiation input, the noise equivalent power (NEP) for radiation frequency ν ≈76 GHz can reach NEP ∼6×10⁻¹⁰ W/Hz^1/2. With estimated frequency dependent antenna effective area S_est for contact wires considered as antennas, the estimated possible noise equivalent power NEP_pos for n-MOSFET structures themselves can be from ∼15 to ∼10³ times better in the specral range of ν ∼55–78 GHz reaching NEP_pos ≈10⁻¹² W/Hz^1/2.     

Electromechanical and ferroelectric properties of (Bi1/2Na1/2)TiO3-(Bi1/2K1/2)TiO3- (Bi1/2Li1/2)TiO3-BaTiO3 lead-free piezoelectric ceramics for accelerometer application

Lead-free (0.90-x)(Bi_1/2Na_1/2)TiO₃-0.05(Bi_1/2K_1/2)TiO₃-x(Bi_1/2Li_1/2)TiO₃-0.05BaTiO₃ piezoelectric ceramics (abbreviated as BNKLBT-100x, with x ranged from 0 to 2.5 mol %) were prepared by a conventional mixed oxide method. Effects of the amount of (Bi_1/2Li_1/2)TiO₃ (BLT) on the electrical properties and crystal structure of the BNKLBT ceramics were examined. BNKLBT-1.5 ceramics have good properties with piezoelectric constant d₃₃=163 pC/N, electromechanical coupling factor k_p=0.33, k_t=0.53, relative permittivity ε_r=785 and dissipation factor cosδ=2.2% at 1 kHz. The sample has larger remnant polarization than BNKLBT-0 ceramics and the same coercive field as BNKLBT-0 ceramics. X-ray diffraction analysis shows that the incorporated BLT diffuses into the BNT–BKT–BT lattice to form a solid solution during sintering, but changes the crystal structure from rhombohedral to tetragonal symmetry at higher BLT amounts. Depolarization temperature (T_d) of the BNKLBT-100x ceramics increases from 102 °C to ∼136 °C for BNKLBT-0 to BNKLBT-2.5. BNKLBT-1.5 is used as the transduction element in compressive type accelerometer and its sensitivity is calibrated by the back-to back method. Within the ±2.5% tolerance, the lead-free accelerometer has a mean value of 2.97 pC/ms^-2 within 50 Hz–12.45 kHz and the lead-based accelerometer has a mean value of 4.34 pC/ms^-2 within 50 Hz to 8.24 kHz. PACS 77.22.Ej; 77.84.-s; 85.50.-n     

Magnetoelectric effect in laminates of polymer-based pseudo-1–3 (Tb0.3Dy0.7)0.5Pr0.5Fe1.55 composite and?0.3Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–0.7PbTiO3 single crystal

We report an extrinsic magnetoelectric effect in composite laminates made by sandwiching one thickness-polarized 0.7Pb(Mg_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃–0.3PbTiO₃ (PMN–PT) piezoelectric single crystal plate between two length-magnetized, polymer-based pseudo-1–3 (Tb_0.3Dy_0.7)_0.5Pr_0.5Fe_1.55 magnetostrictive composite plates. The laminates exhibit large magnetoelectric voltage coefficients (α _V ) of ∼0.17 V/Oe with a flat response for frequencies in excess of 40 kHz and of ∼2.97 V/Oe at the natural resonance frequency of ∼65 kHz. The distinct advantages of the laminates include high magnetic field sensitivity, low Joule heating loss, wide operating bandwidth, and low cost.     

Formation of nanosize Li-ferrites from acetylacetonato complexes and their crystal structure, microstructure and order–disorder phase transition

Nanosize Li-ferrites were synthesised by the thermal decomposition of an appropriate mixture of complex compounds with acetylacetone - (2,4 pentadione) ligands ([M(AA)_x]; M=Li and Fe) at 500 °C. The obtained sample is composed of three phases determined by the standard Rietveld procedure: Li_0.5Fe_2.5O₄ (S.G. P4₃32), Li_1.16Fe₃O₄ (S.G. Fd 3̄ m) and LiFeO₂ (S.G. Fm 3̄ m). Cation distribution in nanosize ordered spinel Li_0.5Fe_2.5O₄ deviates from that of the bulk counterpart. Microstructure parameters (crystallite size of ∼23 nm and strain of 3.2526(9)×10³) were determined by the Rietveld refinement of the TCH-pV parameters. SEM microphotographs show a particle size of ∼50–60 nm. An order–disorder phase transition in ordered spinel Li_0.5Fe_2.5O₄was studied by DSC measurements and in situ XRPD technique.The temperature of phase transition was found to be 762 °C (DSC) and (±) 7455°C.(XRPD)PACS 81.07.Bc; 81.16.Be; 61.66.Fn; 61.50.Ks     

Effect of annealing on structure and magnetic properties of Fe-N and Fe-Ti-N thin films

The structure and magnetic properties of Fe-N and Fe-Ti-N films have been studied as a function of annealing temperature T_a with a transmission electron microscope and a vibrating sample magnetometer. The as-prepared Fe-N films consist of the γ^′-Fe₄N and α^′′-Fe₁₆N₂ phases, and the Fe-Ti-N films are composed of the γ^′-Fe₄N, α^′′-Fe₁₆N₂, and TiN phases. The structural changes with annealing temperature in the Fe-N films are distinct. The α^′′-Fe₁₆N₂ decomposes into α+γ^′ phases in the Fe-N film annealed at about 300 °C, and it disappears in the film annealed at 350 °C. Annealing of the Fe-Ti-N films shows no structural changes between room temperature (RT) and 500 °C. The saturation magnetization 4πM_S and coercivity H_c of the Fe-N films change drastically with the annealing temperature T_a, whereas those of the Fe-Ti-N films do not change with T_a up to 500 °C. These results indicate that the additon of Ti may improve the thermal stability of Fe-N films. Recieved: 6 Juli 1998 / Accepted: 19 Oktober 1998 / Published online: 10 March 1999