Structural and superconductivity study on α-FeSex

We have successfully synthesized the α-FeSe_x binary tetragonal superconductors with nominal composition of FeSe_x (x=0.6-1.0) via conventional solid state reactions between Fe and Se sealed in quartz tubes. Fe and β-FeSe are the most commonly seen impurities in this binary system. A low-temperature annealing at 400 °C is found to be crucial to remove β-FeSe, which is the thermodynamic stable phase with hexagonal symmetry. For all the samples of FeSe_x, superconductivity is confirmed by magnetic measurements as well as resistivity measurements with their T_c at around 8 K. We noticed that their T_c does not vary with the different nominal Se amount. High-resolution synchrotron X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the unit cell parameters of all these samples do not change within the error range, and their structure only tolerate the same very small amount of Se deficiency. Based on this study, we concluded that the α-FeSe_x superconductor only exist in a very narrow deficiency range.     

Co-L3 X-ray absorption near-edge structure analysis of Pr1−xCaxCoO3−δ and Pr1−xSrxCoO3−δ

The valence state of Co ions in Pr_1−xCa_xCoO_3−δ and Pr_1−xSr_xCoO_3−δ has been investigated by an analysis of the Co-L₃ X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) profile. The observed intensity distributions of Co-L₃ XANES change continuously with increasing concentration of alkaline-earth ions. To investigate the origin of this change in the XANES profile, charge transfer multiplet calculations were carried out, which could successfully explain the change in the spectral profile; they also suggest that the valence state of Co ions in Pr_1−xCa_xCoO_3−δ and Pr_1−xSr_xCoO_3−δ is between 3+ and 4+ and increases gradually with the concentration of alkaline-earth ions.     

The first high-resolution analysis of the low-lying ν9 band of propane

The ν₉ fundamental band (C-C-C deformation) of propane (C₃H₈) at 369 cm⁻¹ has been studied at high-resolution (0.0011 cm⁻¹) with spectra recorded using the synchrotron radiation from the French light source facility at SOLEIL coupled to a Bruker IFS 125HR Fourier transform spectrometer. A 2.526 m base multipass cell with optical paths from 10.296 to 151.78 m was used. In addition, a spectrum was also recorded using a conventional globar source. Comparison of these experimental spectra shows clearly the gain obtained on the signal-to-noise ratios with the synchrotron radiation. The spectra have been thoroughly analyzed and transitions up to J=65 and K_a=33 have been assigned. The upper-state rotational levels were fitted using an A-type Watson Hamiltonian written in the I^r representation. An accurate band center ν₀ (ν₉)=369.228080(25) cm⁻¹ as well as accurate rotational and centrifugal distortion constants have been obtained and used to simulate a synthetic spectrum. These parameters should be useful to simulate hot bands of propane involving the 9¹ vibrational level as their lower state.     

High temperature transport and thermoelectric properties of Ca3−xErxCo4O9+δ

Ca_3−xEr_xCo₄O_9+δ (x=0, 0.05, 0.15, 0.3 and 0.5) samples were prepared using a sol-gel method followed by hot-pressing sintering technique. Powder X-ray diffraction analysis showed the single-phases of Ca_3−xEr_xCo₄O_9+δ were obtained up to x=0.3 and the crystallinity of the samples decreased with increasing Er-doping amount. The high-temperature (323-1073 K) thermoelectric properties of the samples were investigated. The substitution of Er³⁺ for Ca²⁺ resulted in the decrease of electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity and the increase of Seebeck coefficient for all the samples except the x=0.05 one. The dimensionless figure of merit ZT reached 0.28 at 1073 K for Ca_2.7Er_0.3Co₄O_9+δ, indicating the thermoelectric properties of CaCo₄O_9+δ can be enhanced by doping Er in the system.     

α-Spectroscopic factor of Ogs from the C(O,C)O reaction

Elastic scattering angular distributions of ¹⁶O + ¹²C in the center of mass energy range from 8.55 MeV to 56.57 MeV have been analyzed considering the effect of the exchange of an alpha particle between projectile and target leading to the same nuclei of the entrance channel (elastic-transfer). An alpha particle spectroscopic factor for the ground state of the ¹⁶O was determined.     

The high-resolution FTIR spectrum of the ν6 band of C2H3D

The absorption spectrum of the ν₆ band of C₂H₃D centered near 1125.27674 cm⁻¹ in the 1100-1250 cm⁻¹ region was recorded with an unapodized resolution of 0.0063 cm⁻¹ using a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer. A total of 947 infrared transitions of the A-B hybrid-type band were assigned and fitted to upper-state (ν₆ = 1) rovibrational constants using a Watson’s A-reduced Hamiltonian in the I^r representation up to eighth-order centrifugal distortion terms. The b-type infrared transitions of the band were analyzed for the first time. The root-mean-square deviation of the fit was 0.00062 cm⁻¹. The ground-state rovibrational constants up to eighth-order terms were also obtained by a fit of 617 combination differences from the present infrared measurements, simultaneously with 21 microwave frequencies with a root-mean-square deviation of 0.00055 cm⁻¹. From this work, the upper-state (ν₆ = 1) and ground-state constants of C₂H₃D were derived with the highest accuracy, so far. The a- and b-type transitions of the hybrid ν₆ band were found to be relatively free from local frequency perturbations. The ratio of the a- to b-type vibrational dipole transition moments (μ_a/μ_b) was found to be 1.05 ± 0.10. From the ν₆ = 1 rovibrational constants obtained, the inertial defect Δ₆ was calculated to be 0.3570 ± 0.0008 μŲ.     

High resolution rovibrational spectroscopy of pyrimidine: Analysis of the B1 modes ν10b and ν4 and B2 mode ν6b

We report the first high resolution rovibrational analysis of the infrared spectrum of pyrimidine (C₄H₄N₂) based on measurements using our Fourier transform spectrometer, the Bruker IFS 125 HR Zürich Prototype (ZP) 2001. Measurements were conducted at room temperature in a White-type cell with effective optical path lengths between 3.2 and 9.6 m and with resolutions ranging from 0.0008 to 0.0018 cm⁻¹ in the region between 600 and 1000 cm⁻¹. The spectrum was analyzed in the ν₄ (), ν_10b () and ν_6b regions of pyrimidine () using an effective Hamiltonian. A total of about 15 000 rovibrational transitions were assigned. The root mean square deviations of the fitted data are in the ranges d_rms = 0.00018-0.00024 cm⁻¹, indicating an excellent agreement of experimental line data with the calculations. The results are discussed briefly in relation to possible extensions to spectra of DNA bases and to intramolecular vibrational redistribution at higher energy. The analysis of the ν_10b and ν₄ bands will also be useful in the interstellar search for pyrimidine in the infrared region.     

Electrical conductivity and structural stability of SrCo1−xFexO3−δ

Perovskite compounds in the system of SrCo_1−xFe_xO_3−δ (x=0.2, 0.4 and 0.6) were synthesized by solid state reaction. SrCo_1−xFe_xO_3−δ shows the p-type small polaron conduction behavior. Electrical conductivity and oxygen vacancy content decrease with increase in Fe content. The incorporation of Fe increases the structural stability of SrCo_1−xFe_xO_3−δ at low temperatures, while decreasing the structural stability at high temperatures. Oxygen partial pressure has a strong influence on electrical conductivity. At low oxygen partial pressure, SrCo_0.8Fe_0.2O_3−δ will transform from cubic to orthorhombic structure. This structure can remain in 5%H₂/Ar only for a short time and then dissociates into Sr₃Fe₂O_6.64 and Co due to the reduction of B-site elements.     

Low-field magnetic properties of LaMnO3+δ with 0.065≤δ≤0.154

In a weak magnetic field LaMnO_3+δ exhibits at δ=0.065 below the paramagnetic-to-ferromagnetic (FM) Curie temperature, T_C, a mixed (spin-glass and FM) phase followed by a frustrated FM phase at δ between 0.100 and 0.154. The same behavior is observed in La_1−xCa_xMnO₃ with x between 0 and 0.3. This can be understood by the similar variation of the Mn⁴⁺ concentration, c between ≈0.13 and 0.34, in both materials when x or δ is increased. On the other hand, considerable differences are found between these compounds in the values of the magnetic irreversibility, in the dependencies of T_C(c) and the magnetic susceptibility, χ(c), as well as in the critical behavior of χ(T) near T_C. These differences can be explained by distortions of the cubic perovskite structure, by the reduced lattice disorder and by the more homogeneous hole distribution in LaMnO_3+δ than in La_1−xCa_xMnO₃.     

Tight-binding parameterization of α-Sn quasiparticle band structure

The diamond structure of tin (α-Sn) can be stabilized in nanocrystals embedded in a suitable host. We developed highly accurate parameterizations for tight-binding simulation of such structures incorporating strain and spin-orbit interaction. Parameters are obtained by fitting to ab initio GW quasiparticle band structures of unstrained α-Sn as well as geometries under uniform compressive or tensile strain. The optical response calculated from this fit is in excellent agreement with experiments. As an application, confinement induced band gaps in strained and unstrained 3 nm nanocrystals are computed. It is found that compressive and tensile strain raises and lowers the gap, respectively.     

Manifestation of vortex depinning transition in nonlinear current-voltage characteristics of polycrystalline superconductor Y1−xPrxBa2Cu3O7−δ

We present our recent results on the temperature dependence of current-voltage characteristics for polycrystalline Y_1−xPr_xBa₂Cu₃O_7−δ superconductors with x=0.0, 0.1 and 0.3. The experimental results are found to be reasonably well fitted for all samples by a power like law of the form V=R(I−Ic)^a(T). Here, we assume that a(T)=1+Φ₀IC(T)/2πkBT and IC(T)=IC(0)(1−T/TC)^3/2 for the temperature dependences of the power exponent and critical current, respectively. According to the theoretical interpretation of the obtained results, nonlinear deviation of our current-voltage characteristics curves from Ohmic behavior (with a(TC)=1) below TC is attributed to the manifestation of dissipation processes. They have a characteristic temperature Tp defined via the power exponent as a(Tp)=2 and are related to the current induced depinning of Abrikosov vortices. Both TC(x) and Tp(x) are found to decrease with an increase of Pr concentration x reflecting deterioration of the superconducting properties of the doped samples.     

Electronic and thermodynamic properties of α-Pu2O3

Based on density functional theory+U$\text{density functional theory}+U$ calculations and the quasi-annealing simulation method, we obtain the ground electronic state for α-Pu₂O₃ and present its phonon dispersion curves as well as various thermodynamic properties, which have seldom been theoretically studied because of the huge unit cell. We find that the Pu–O chemical bonding is weaker in α-Pu₂O₃ than in fluorite PuO₂, and subsequently a frequency gap appears between oxygen and plutonium vibration density of states. Based on the calculated Helmholtz free energies at different temperatures, we further study the reaction energies for Pu oxidation, PuO₂ reduction, and transformation between PuO₂ and α-Pu₂O₃. Our reaction energy results are in agreements with available experiment. And it is revealed that high temperature and insufficient oxygen environment are in favor of the formation of α-Pu₂O₃.     

Exact PsTd invariant and PsTd symmetric breaking solutions,symmetry reductions and Bäcklund transformations for an AB–KdV system

In natural and social science, many events happened at different space–times may be closely correlated. Two events, A (Alice) and B (Bob) are defined as correlated if one event is determined by another, say, $B=\stackrel{?}{f}A$ for suitable $\stackrel{?}{f}$ operators. A nonlocal AB–KdV system with shifted-parity ($P_s$, parity with a shift), delayed time reversal ($T_d$, time reversal with a delay) symmetry where $B=\stackrel{?}{P_s}\stackrel{?}{T_d}A$ is constructed directly from the normal KdV equation to describe two-area physical event. The exact solutions of the AB–KdV system, including $P_s{T}_d$ invariant and $P_s{T}_d$ symmetric breaking solutions are shown by different methods. The $P_s{T}_d$ invariant solution show that the event happened at A will happen also at B. These solutions, such as single soliton solutions, infinitely many singular soliton solutions, soliton–cnoidal wave interaction solutions, and symmetry reduction solutions etc., show the AB–KdV system possesses rich structures. Also, a special Bäcklund transformation related to residual symmetry is presented via the localization of the residual symmetry to find interaction solutions between the solitons and other types of the AB–KdV system.     

The effect of La-substitution on magnetic properties of nanosized Sr1−xLaxTi0.05Zn0.2(Fe)11.75−δ(Fe)δO19 powders

A series of La-substituted M-type Sr hexaferrite powders Sr_1−xLa_xTi_0.05Zn_0.2Fe³⁺_11.75O₁₉, wherein x ranges from 0.1 to 0.5 with a step of 0.1, have been prepared by the conventional ceramic method and were then milled in a high energy mill to prepare nanosized powders. XRD investigation of the calcined and the milled powders shows that single phase hexaferrite structure has been formed after calcining and has not changed after milling. The lattice parameters and the mean crystallite sizes of the samples have been determined from the XRD data and Scherrer's formula. The results show that the lattice parameters (“а” and “c”) decrease with increase in La-substitution and the mean crystallite size of the milled powders is about 17 nm. Coercivities and magnetizations of the samples in a magnetic field of 16 kOe have been determined from the room temperature hysteresis loops. It was found that both parameters increase with La substitutions up to 0.3 and then decrease for higher substitutions. These variations were attributed to the enhancement of hyperfine field and spin-canting magnetic structure when La content increases. In addition, the magnetizations were smaller for the nanosized samples in comparison with those of bulk ones, which were discussed according to the core-shell model. Also the results show that annealing of the nanosized samples up to 500 °C can enhance coercivity and magnetization of the samples, which is discussed based on crystallite size growth.     

Effective correlation-free reduced Hamiltonian for the νt(E), νn(A1) Coriolis-interacting states of C3v symmetric-top molecules

The effective correlation-free vibrational-rotational Hamiltonian for the Coriolis-interacting ν_t(E) and ν_n(A₁) states in C_3v molecules has been derived. The Hamiltonian includes the terms describing the x-y Coriolis interaction up to the fourth-order, and several useful reduction schemes for the Hamiltonian are suggested.     

Structure and magnetism in Ho1−xSrxCoO3−δ

We have magnetically and structurally characterized the Ho_1−xSr_xCoO_3−δ family of materials where 0.67≤x≤0.95. The solid solution range and evolution of the structure as a function of x is established and correlated with the broad range of magnetic behavior observed. The structure is shown to be tetragonal I4/mmm although is possibly cubic when x=0.95. For 0.67≤x≤0.9 the material shows antiferromagnetic long range order and ferromagnetic clusters. At x=0.95 the magnetic transition is at 120 K and the imaginary susceptibility becomes non-zero and the temperature of the cusp in the ac susceptibility shows a frequency dependence indicative of glassiness.     

Studies on sintering of solid state synthesized Ba1−xKxBiO3−δ superconducting phase

Superconducting Ba_1−xK_xBiO_3−δ pellets were synthesized by solid state reaction followed by sintering. Thermo-gravimetric and differential thermo-gravimetric analysis (TG-DTA) of the mixture of nitrates was carried out to study the reactions during the phase formation. The effect of different sintering temperatures on the phase formation was studied. The X-ray diffraction data confirms the formation of superconducting Ba_0.6K_0.4BiO_2.23 phase at 700 °C. The surface morphological studies as a function of sintering temperature were studied by SEM. It is observed that the pellets prepared by solid state reaction followed its sintering at 700°C shows the superconducting transition at 26.8 K.     

Sustained high βN plasmas on EAST tokamak

Sustained high normalized beta (${\beta }_N～1.9$) plasmas with an ITER-like tungsten divertor have been achieved on EAST tokamak recently. The high power NBI heating system of 4.8 MW and the 4.6 GHz lower hybrid wave of 1 MW were developed and applied to produce edge and internal transport barriers in high ${\beta }_N$ discharges. The central flat q profile with $q(\rho )～1$ at $\rho <0.3$ region and edge safety factor $q_{95}=4.7$ is identified by the multi-channel far-infrared laser polarimeter and the EFIT code. The fraction of non-inductive current is about 40%. The relation between fishbone activity and ITB formation is observed and discussed.     

Synthesis and magnetic properties of Co1−xZnxFe2O4+γ nanoparticles as materials for magnetic fluid hyperthermia

Nanoparticles of the single spinel phase Co_1−xZn_xFe₂O_4+γ of mean size 3-23 nm, as determined by X-ray diffraction analysis, were synthesized by the co-precipitation method followed by a temperature treatment. Magnetic studies carried out in the range of 4.5-550 K revealed gradual transition from ferrimagnetic to superparamagnetic to paramagnetic behaviour depending on the composition and particle size. The observed behaviour indicates a broad distribution of volume sizes of the nanoparticles. Particular importance can be ascribed to the composition of x=0.6 where the observed transition temperature to the paramagnetic state at 310-334 K suggests applicability of this material for magnetic fluid hyperthermia in a self-controlled regime.