Dynamic magnetic susceptibility of a superconductor with a relaxing magnetic moment

Within the framework of the diffusion approximation for the dynamic magnetic flux, a model is constructed for the dynamic magnetic susceptibility of a superconductor with a nonuniform and time-dependent magnetic field distribution in the sample. The possibility of appearance of peaks in the temperature (or frequency) dependence of χ″ in a structurally homogeneous superconducting sample in the presence of a magnetic-field-induced nonuniformity of the diffusion parameter is demonstrated. The character of the temporal evolution of the magnetic susceptibility during relaxation of the magnetic moment of the sample is predicted and its properties are investigated. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 39, 811–815 (May 1997)     

Analysis of the Movement of Line-like Samples of Variable Length along theX-Axis of a Double TE104and a Single TE102Rectangular Cavity

Movement of line-like samples with lengths from 5 to 50 mm along thex-axis of the double TE₁₀₄rectangular cavity has been analyzed. The observed dependencies of the EPR signal intensity versus sample position showed: (i) a sharp maximum for sample lengths from 5 to 20 mm; (ii) a plateau, over which the EPR signal intensity remained constant within experimental errors of 0.26–1.07%, for lengths from 30 to 40 mm; and (iii) a “sloping plateau,” which could be approximated by the linear function (correlation,r= 0.98) for sample length 50 mm. Theoretical values of the experimentally observed dependencies of the intensity versus sample position were calculated using the modified sine-squared function and the correlation between observed and theoretically predicted dependencies is very good. The experimental dependence of the EPR signal intensity versus the sample length for samples situated at the same point in the cavity was nonlinear with a maximum for the 40-mm sample. The dependence of the EPR signal intensity upon the movement of a large cylindrical sample (o.d. 4 mm and length 100 mm) along thex-axis of the cavity was similar to that found for the 50-mm sample. However, an additional oscillating signal superimposed on the sloping plateau was observed. The presence of a large sample fixed in the complementary cavity of the double TE₁₀₄cavity caused an additional deformation of the signal intensity for a 30-mm sample which was moving in the first cavity. The primary effect was that the plateau was replaced by a region in which the intensity increased linearly with sample position,r= 0.99. Each of the above phenomena may be a source of significant errors in quantitative EPR spectroscopy. Cylindrical samples to be compared should be of identical length and internal diameter. Accurate and precise positioning of each sample in the microwave cavity is essential.     

Dynamics of a magnetic flux jump in a composite superconductor

An attempt is made at direct experimental verification of the theory of thermomagnetic instability in composite superconductors under conditions of external magnetic field or transport current variations. The development of thermomagnetic instability in the form of a magnetic flux jump is experimentally studied in a bulk low-temperature composite niobium-tin superconductor. The liquid-helium-cooled sample representing a compressed tape helix (helicoid) is placed in an external magnetic field orthogonal to the turn plane and varying with a constant rate. For the first time, both the magnetic induction inside the sample and its temperature are simultaneously detected in experiments. The sample overheat preceding the magnetic flux jump is measured to be 0.23 + 0.02 K. This value is found to be independent of the rate of the external magnetic field variation and the value of the jump itself and coincides, within the experimental accuracy, with the temperature parameter of electric field buildup involved in the general exponential I-V characteristic of the composite superconductor, which depends on temperature and magnetic induction.     

Finite element simulation of the magneto-mechanical response of a magnetic shape memory alloy sample

Abstract

In this paper, the stress- and magnetic field-induced variant reorientation in a magnetic shape memory alloy (MSMA) sample is simulated by using the finite element method. This model is set up based on a three-dimensional setting with the whole sample and the surrounding space taken into account. A typical loading pattern is proposed on the sample. The unknowns of the model governing system include the spatial displacement vector, the scalar magnetic potential and some internal variables related to the effective magnetization vector. By considering the different properties of the unknowns, an iterative computational scheme is proposed to derive the numerical solutions. With the obtained solutions, the magneto-mechanical response of the MSMA sample under different field and stress levels can be predicted. The distributions of the variant state and the effective magnetization in the sample can also be determined. By comparing with the experimental results, it is found that the numerical solutions obtained in this model can predict the response of the MSMA sample at a quantitative level.     

Integration of correlative Raman microscopy in a dualbeam FIB SEM

We present an integrated confocal Raman microscope in a focused ion beam scanning electron microscope (FIB SEM). The integrated system enables correlative Raman and electron microscopic analysis combined with focused ion beam sample modification on the same sample location. This provides new opportunities, for example the combination of nanometer resolution with Raman advances the analysis of sub‐diffraction‐sized particles. Further direct Raman analysis of FIB engineered samples enables in situ investigation of sample changes. The Raman microscope is an add‐on module to the electron microscope. The optical objective is brought into the sample chamber, and the laser source, and spectrometer are placed in a module attached onto and outside the chamber. We demonstrate the integrated Raman FIB SEM function with several experiments. First, correlative Raman and electron microscopy is used for the investigation of (sub‐)micrometer‐sized crystals. Different crystals are identified with Raman, and in combination with SEM the spectral information is combined with structurally visible polymorphs and particle sizes. Analysis of sample changes made with the ion beam is performed on (1) structures milled in a silicon substrate and (2) after milling with the FIB on an organic polymer. Experiments demonstrate the new capabilities of an integrated correlative Raman–FIB–SEM. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Formation of a magnetic composite by reduction of Co-Nd doped strontium hexaferrite in a hydrogen gas flow

Co-Nd strontium hexaferrite nanoparticles synthesized by the self-combustion method were treated in a hydrogen flow at different temperatures and times. The samples were characterized structurally by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction and magnetically with a vibrating sample magnetometer. Phase identification showed decomposition of the hexaferrite structure into Fe₃O₄ and different strontium mixed oxides. The sample treated at 500 °C for 30 minutes shows good magnetic properties due to the formation of a magnetite/hexaferrite composite. In this case magnetization is very close to the original sample while the coercivity slightly diminishes. The hexagonal phase is almost completely transformed into different oxides at a reducing temperature of 500 °C for 120 minutes. The obtained results are analyzed in terms of the phase composition and of the magnetic susceptibility of the studied samples.     

AC electrical behaviour of a Pb2CrO5 ceramic sample with surface electrodes

ac measurements (1 Hz–10 kHz) have been carried out on a Pb₂CrO₅ ceramic sample (with surface electrodes) at room temperature as a function of voltage and intensity of visible light illuminating the sample. Cole-Cole complex impedance plots show that the electrical behaviour of Pb₂CrO₅ is strongly modified when the sample is illuminated. The bulk conductance of the sample is found to increase with increasing light intensity indicating that this dielectric material becomes semiconducting due to the photogeneration of free charge carriers in the conduction band. The dielectric constant of the sample is enhanced by illumination probably due to light-dependent space charge effects in a manner where the dielectric's relaxation time (=RC=0.7 ms) remains constant with light intensity. On the other hand, both the bulk conductance and geometrical capacitance of the sample have been found to be almost independent of the applied voltage.     

IR Beam Deflection Spectroscopy with a Cold Source

In a photoacoustic¹ measurement, radiation is normally passed onto an absorbing sample, and one observes changes in the sample's properties or the effects they induce elsewhere. The sample itself is the prime sensor, and basically what is measured is the net energy transfer between sample and source. In practice, the source is made “hot,” i. e., a much stronger emitter than the sample. In principle, the source and detector are interchangeable, in terms of emittance or location, and also sometimes in practice. For example, infrared emission spectra of minerals were measured with hot (40°C) samples and a cold (30°C) detector² and also with cold (20°C) samples and a hot (24°C) detector³.     

Conductance asymmetry of a slot gate Si‐MOSFET in a strong parallel magnetic field

We report measurements on a Si‐MOSFET sample with a slot in the upper gate, allowing for different electron densities n_1,2 across the slot. The dynamic longitudinal resistance was measured by the standard lock‐in technique, while maintaining a large DC current through the source‐drain channel. We find that the conductance of the sample in a strong parallel magnetic field is asymmetric with respect to the DC current direction. This asymmetry increases with magnetic field. The results are interpreted in terms of electron spin accumulation or depletion near the slot.     

Twist disclination system in a planar sample of chiral smectic C* liquid crystal

In thick samples of Sm C^* liquid crystals the helicoidal structure in the sample centre is connected to the unwound structure near sample surfaces by a regular system of (?2π) and (+2π)-twist disclinations associated in rows near the upper and lower sample surfaces. The geometry and stability of such a disclination system in a high electric field is investigated and the critical electric field causing the disclination annihilation is estimated. The mutual disclination annihilation is the proposed mechanism for the field induced transition from helicoidal Sm C^* structure to unwound Sm C^* structure with the twist along the sample thickness.     

Optical bistability in a photonic crystal with a liquid-crystal defect

We investigate experimentally the nonlinear transmission of a photonic crystal with a nematic liquid-crystal defect upon reorientation of the director in a field of cw laser radiation propagating at a certain angle to the sample. At different detunings, we observed the regimes of bistability, differential gain, and optical limiting. The resonance transmission peaks were detuned from the laser radiation wavelength by changing the angle of light incidence onto the sample. The value of nematic nonlinear constant n ₂ determined from the experimental data is in good agreement with the theoretical estimate.     

Influence of the movement of cylindrical samples with variable internal diameter and variable length along thex-axis of a double TE104 and a single TE102 rectangular cavity on the EPR signal intensity: A sample shape study

The response of the cavity to the movement of cylindrical samples with internal diameters from 0.7 to 4 mm and lengths from 5 to 50 mm along thex-axis of the Bruker double TE₁₀₄ and single TE₁₀₂ rectangular cavity has been analyzed. Independently of sample internal diameter, the experimentally observed dependences of the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) signal intensity versus sample position in the cavity showed the following: (i) a sharp maximum for sample lengths from 5 to 20 mm; (ii) a “plateau”, over which the signal intensity remained constant within experimental errors of 0.47–1.16%, for lengths from 30 to 40 mm; and (iii) a “sloping plateau” region, which could be approximated by the linear function (correlationr = 0.96–0.98) for the 50 mm sample. Theoretical predictions of the experimental dependences of the signal intensity versus sample position in the cavity were calculated with the “modified” and “revised” sine-squared function, and the correlation between observed and theoretically computed dependences is very good. Additionally, the experimental dependence of the signal intensity versus the sample internal diameter and length for cylindrical samples situated at the position in the cavity at which the signal intensity was a maximum was likewise numerically approximated by the surface fitting with the Lorentzian cumulative additive function (correlationr = 0.999). The experimental dependence of the signal intensity versus the sample internal diameter for the given sample length is nonlinear. The samples with internal diameters of 0.7 and 1 mm gave the total maximum of signal intensity for the 40 mm sample, however, the samples with internal diameters of 2, 3 and 4 mm gave the total maximal value of signal intensity, which was identical for both the 30 and 40 mm samples. The experimental dependence of the EPR signal intensity versus the sample volume clearly showed that the samples with identical volumes, however, with different shapes, can give significantly different signal intensities (with differences ca. 200–400%). Then, the comparison of cylindrical samples with identical volumes but different shapes may be a serious source of significant errors in quantitative EPR spectroscopy. Cylindrical samples to be compared should be of identical shape. Accurate and precise positioning of each sample in the microwave cavity is essential.     

The influence of a demagnetizing field on hysteresis losses in a dense assembly of superparamagnetic nanoparticles

The electrodynamic method is used to measure the hysteresis losses of a dense assembly of magnetite nanoparticles with an average diameter D=25 nm in the frequency range f=10–150 kHz and for magnetic field amplitudes H₀=100–300 Oe. It is found that the specific loss power is determined by a demagnetizing factor of a whole sample. It diminishes approximately 4.5 times when the sample aspect ratio decreases from L/d=11.4 to L/d≈1, where L and d are the sample length and diameter, respectively. For H₀≤300 Oe the maximal specific loss power 120 W/g is obtained for the sample with L/d=11.4 at f=120 kHz. For comparison, the assembly specific absorption rate has been determined also by means of direct measurement of the temperature difference between the inner and outer surfaces of a flat cuvette containing magnetic nanoparticles. For both methods of measurement close values for the specific absorption rate are obtained for samples with similar demagnetizing factors.     

水声无源材料回声降低测量时反聚焦方法

提出了利用时间反转(时反)聚焦技术的水声无源材料回声降低测量方法。首先实现有界水声环境下有、无试样接收信号的时反聚焦,然后利用聚焦信号测量试样反射系数,最后通过标准试样对反射系数进行修正,从而得到试样的回声降低测量值。在小型水池中进行了铝板试样和钢板试样回声降低的测量,铝板试样的尺寸为1.1m×1.0×0.005m,测量频率范围为3~20kHz,钢板试样尺寸与铝板试样相同,测量频率范围为0.5~20kHz,测量结果经修正后与平面波理论计算值基本一致,和理论计算值的相对误差小于10%,扩展不确定度小于1.5dB。本方法采用时反原理实现了接收信号的空时聚焦,提高了测量信混比,因此适用于非自由场环境下无源材料回声降低的测量试验,尤其适用于低频的回声降低测量。      

Optical,electrical and magnetic properties of nanostructured Mn3O4 synthesized through a facile chemical route

Nanostructured Mn₃O₄ sample with an average crystallite size of ∼15 nm is synthesized via the reduction of potassium permanganate using hydrazine. The average particle size obtained from the Transmission Electron Microscopy analysis is in good agreement with the average crystallite size estimated from X-ray diffraction analysis. The presence of Mn⁴⁺ ions at the octahedral sites is inferred from the results of Raman, UV–visible absorption and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyzes. DC electrical conductivity of the sample in the temperature range 313–423 K, is about five orders of magnitude larger than that reported for single crystalline Mn₃O₄ sample. The dominant conduction mechanism is identified to be of the polaronic hopping of holes between cations in the octahedral sites. The zero field cooled and field cooled magnetization of the sample is studied in the range 20–300 K. The Curie temperature for the sample is about 45 K, below which the sample is ferrimagnetic. A blocking temperature of 35 K is observed in the field cooled curve. It is observed that the sample shows hysteresis at temperatures below the Curie temperature with no saturation, even at an applied field (20 kOe). The presence of an ordered core and disordered surface of spin arrangements is observed from the magnetization studies. Above the Curie temperature, the sample shows linear dependence of magnetization on applied field with no hysteresis characteristic of paramagnetic phase.     

Shock-wave velocity of a femtosecond-laser-produced plasma

Fluorescence measurements have been used to characterize the velocity of atoms in a femtosecond-laser-produced plasma. Nanogram amounts of a copper sample were ablated by the focused radiation (λ=775 nm) of an all-solid-state laser. The laser was operated at a pulse rate of 10 Hz with an energy of 200μJ per pulse. The microplasma expanded into a defined argon atmosphere of pressures between 0.02 and 850 mbar. Atomic fluorescence was excited in the laser plume by a dye-laser pulse with the wavelength set to the line Cu I 282.4 nm. The narrowed beam of the dye-laser was directed into the plasma at different heights above the sample surface. The fluorescence radiation was measured with an échelle-spectrometer, equipped with an intensified-charge-coupled device as the detector. The velocity depends strongly on the pressure of the ambient atmosphere and the distance from the sample surface. The highest velocity found at an argon pressure of 0.02 mbar was 1.0×10⁶ cm s⁻¹.     

Synthesis of ZnO nanospheres with uniform nanopores by a hydrothermal process

ZnO nanospheres were successfully synthesized by a hydrothermal process (S1 sample) and a wet-chemical method (S2 sample). Following synthesis, calcination treatment at 450 °C was performed for the sample prepared by the wet-chemical method (S3 sample). All of the samples possessed a regular spherical shape. A polycrystalline wurtzite structure was confirmed in the S1 and S3 samples by X-ray diffraction and selected area electron diffraction, whereas a mixture of ZnO nanoparticles and amorphous materials was observed in the sample S2. The surface area and pore structure of the samples were investigated by nitrogen adsorption–desorption measurements. Uniform nanopores with a diameter of 4.07 nm were present in the S1 sample while a broad pore size distribution was obtained for the S2 and S3 samples. The highest surface area was obtained for the S1 sample and a possible formation mechanism was studied.     

Elemental and chemical state depth analysis by combined use of a polycapillary and a thin wire in a synchrotron X‐ray microprobe

A simple method is proposed to improve the depth resolution of a conventional X‐ray confocal microscopy system by adding a thin wire close to the sample surface and upstream of the polycapillary in the exit channel. A depth resolution of around 10 μm is easily obtained. The detection efficiency is improved by a factor of two to three times, compared with the thin wire technique previously proposed. It is also shown that not only the elemental distribution but also the X‐ray absorption near‐edge structure (XANES) spectrum from locations below the sample surface can be obtained. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Electrical conductivity of a metal powder struck by a spark

Equivalent resistance of a polydisperse powder layer struck by an electric spark is evaluated. Particles were computationally created and mixed using discrete element method; the mixing protocol homogenized particle size distribution within the sample. The conductivity was determined from the equivalent resistance network for the simulated powder bed. A plasma streamer attached to a particle on top of the sample. For each particle contact, an electrical breakdown was assumed; each individual contact resistance was calculated considering its geometry and plasma resistivity. Results of calculations compare well with the available experimental data.     

Calibration of the stray field gradient by a heteronuclear method and by field profiling

Heteronuclear and field-profiling stray field (STRAFI) techniques are used to calibrate the STRAFI gradient. Both methods compare very favorably indeed with the conventional method of calibration which uses a standard with a known self-diffusion constant. The distinct advantages of the techniques presented here are that the constraints on both sample purity and sample temperature that are inherent to the conventional method are completely eliminated. The accuracy of the heteronuclear method typically matches that of the conventional method with a pure sample and temperature stability to within 0.4°C. The field-profiling method is more accurate than the heteronuclear method in the form that it is presented here.