Mössbauer study of the fast magnetization reversal in FeBO3 induced by external RF magnetic fields

The effect of fast magnetization reversal induced by external radio frequency (rf) fields has been studied in FeBO₃ using the Mössbauer technique. The rf collapse and sideband effects were investigated as a function of intensity for two rf field frequencies: 62 and 36 MHz. The switching times estimated for magnetization reversal are of the same order of magnitude as in amorphous metals and Fe-Ni alloys. Because of the relatively short switching times the magnetization reversal must be of rotational character.     

A comparison of the effects of rf fields on iron borate and an amorphous metal

A comparison of the results obtained on applying radio frequency fields (59.23 MHz; amplitude 13 Oe) to the soft ferromagnetic amorphous alloy Fe₈₁Si_3.5B_13.5C₂ and a single crystal of the weak ferromagnetic insulator FEBO₃ is presented. Spectra were accumulated in switched rf fields experiments in which the rf ON and OFF cycles were synchronised to the two halves of the triangular velocity sweep. Heating effects are found to contribute to the partial spectral collapse observed in both samples when subjected to an rf field, particularly the metallic amorphous alloy.     

Radio-frequency annealing effects in amorphous Fe40Ni40B20

The influence of radio frequency (rf) magnetic fields on the properties of amorphous Fe₄₀Ni₄₀B₂₀ was studied using Mössbauer spectroscopy. The measurements were performed with frequencies of 67 and 53 MHz and rf field intensity in the range of 1 to 12 Oe. The narrowing of the hyperfine spectra due to the rf field and the formation of rf sidebands were observed. The effect of instability and crystallization of the amorphous metal enhanced by the rf field at temperatures much lower than the crystallization temperature was observed.     

NMR Mössbauer double resonance in tantalum

Absorption spectra of Mössbauer ¹⁸¹Ta¹(W) radiation in tantalum have been measured with the source placed in a static magnetic field H_O ≈ 3400 Oe with a rf magnetic field resonant with respect to the frequency of the excited state 3 MHz with amplitude of 300 and 360 Oe, a rf field of 4 MHz with an amplitude of 300 Oe and without rf field. The dramatic change of the spectrum in the resonant field of 300 and 360 Oe, consistent with the theoretical prediction, is evidence for the observation of the NMR Mössbauer double resonance.     

CEMS investigation of surface hyperfine interactions in Fe81B13.5Si3.5C2 glass

Ferromagnetic amorphous samples of Fe₈₁B_13.5Si_3.5C₂ were exposed isochronally to pulsed radio frequency (rf) annealing (v_rf=54.8 MHz, _pulse=0.1 s) by employing field strengthsH _rfwhich ranged from 3–12 Oe. Conversion electron Mössbauer spectra (CEMS) were analyzed in terms of the rf energy dependence of magnetic hyperfine field (HF) distribution. For field strengthsH _rf>6 Oe, CEMS spectra of the rf annealed samples showed an additional quadrupole splitting (QS) distribution, which was assigned to FeSi clusters. The relative areal intensity of the QS distribution, linearly dependent on the rf field energy, is proposed as an appropriate order parameter for the onset of compositional short-range order (CSRO). An activation energy of 1.7 eV is estimated for the onset of surface CSRO in the rf annealed FeBSiC system.     

Characteristics of SiO2 etching by using pulse-time modulation in 60 MHz/2 MHz dual-frequency capacitive coupled plasma

60 MHz pulsed radio frequency (rf) source power and 2 MHz continuous wave rf bias power, were used for SiO₂ etching masked with an amorphous carbon layer (ACL) in an Ar/C₄F₈/O₂ gas mixture, and the effects of the frequency and duty ratio of the 60 MHz pulse rf power on the SiO₂ etch characteristics were investigated. With decreasing duty ratio of the 60 MHz pulse rf power, not only the etch rate of SiO₂ but also the etch rate of ACL was decreased, however, the etch selectivity of SiO₂ over ACL was improved with decreasing the duty ratio. On the other hand, when the pulse frequency was varied at a constant duty ratio, no significant change in the etch rate and etch selectivity of both materials could be observed. The variation of the etch characteristics was believed to be related to the change in the gas dissociation characteristics caused by the change in the average electron temperature for different pulsing conditions. The improvement in the etch selectivity with the decrease of duty ratio, therefore, was related to the decreased gas dissociation of C₄F₈ by the decrease of average electron temperature and, which resulted in a change in composition of the fluorocarbon polymer on the etched materials surface from C–C rich to CF₂ rich. With decreasing the duty ratio, not only the etch selectivity but also the improvement in the SiO₂ etch profile could be observed.     

High-frequency magnetic modulation of recoilless gamma radiation of57Fe

Radio-frequency (rf) magnetic modulation has been used to generate sidebands in⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectra of Fe_0.18Ni_0.82 Permalloy foils which have the smallest constant of magnetostriction among Fe?Ni alloys. Sidebands in Mössbauer spectra were observed at 30 MHz and 55 MHz. In addition to the generation of sidebands, the external rf magnetic field was found to alter the line positions of the original six line spectrum. An attempt was made to study acoustic vibrations in the foil by means of X-ray diffraction. The rf magnetic field caused changes in diffraction peak intensities and positions. It was found that X-ray diffraction can be used to study the amplitude of acoustic vibrations in Permalloy foils.     

Amorphous FexCo78-xSi9B13 alloys in radio frequency fields

The “rf collapse” effect is used to determine the quadrupole splitting distributions in ferromagnetic amorphous Fe_xCo_78-xSi₉B₁₃ alloys. The rf field induces crystallization of amorphous alloys which, for x<60 at.%, suppress the rf collapse.     

Ultrasound and vortex oscillations in high-temperature superconductors

An HTSC powder sample with grain (particle) diameter of 20–50 μm placed in a dc magnetic field B ₀ and cooled to a temperature below the superconducting transition temperature was exposed to the radiofrequency (rf) pulsed magnetic field B _∼ (B _∼ ⊥ B ₀) at a carrier frequency of 30.7 MHz. Stable echo signals were recorded which followed different rf-pulse trains. This phenomenon has the following mechanism. The rf magnetic field stimulates fluxoid oscillations on the HTSC grain surface, which are transformed into lattice oscillations through the pinning centers and induce a propagating sound wave. The second-order nonlinearity with respect to the gradient of the crystal lattice deviation from the equilibrium position taken into account in the sound wave equation yields the dependence of the crystal lattice natural frequency on the amplitude and length of the pulses which excite these oscillations. This dependence is responsible for the emergence of echo signals.     

Cryogenic 35 GHz pulse ENDOR probehead accommodating large sample sizes: Performance and applications

The construction and performance of a cryogenic 35 GHz pulse electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) probehead for large samples is presented. The resonator is based on a rectangular TE₁₀₂ cavity in which the radio frequency (rf) B₂-field is generated by a two turn saddle ENDOR coil crossing the resonator along the sample axis with minimal distance to the sample tube. An rf power efficiency factor is used to define the B₂-field strength per square-root of the transmitted rf power over the frequency range 2–180 MHz. The distributions of the microwave B₁- and E₁-field, and the rf B₂-field are investigated by electromagnetic field calculations. All dielectrics, the sample tube, and coupling elements are included in the calculations. The application range of the probehead and the advantages of using large sample sizes are demonstrated and discussed on a number of paramagnetic samples containing transition metal ions.     

Radio-frequency induced effects in amorphous and nanocrystalline Fe73.5Cu1Nb3Si13.5B9

The rf collapse and sideband effects are used to study the microstructure of the Fe_73.5Cu₁Nb₃Si_13.5B₉ alloy in the amorphous and nanocrystalline state. Nanocrystalline grains of -Fe(Si) are formed as a result of annealing of the amorphous alloy at 520–570 °C. The results show that the complete rf collapse of magnetic hfs in the Mössbauer spectra occurs only in the amorphous phase. The rf collapse is strongly affected by the onset of the nanocrystalline phase and is suppressed when the Fe₃B and Fe₂B phases are formed. Partial collapse allows us to follow the remaining crystalline fractions during the crystalline process. The rf sidebands disappear due to the formation of nanocrystals because of the vanishing magnetostriction.     

Radiofrequency forward Mössbauer scattering method in study of magnetic materials

Mössbauer spectra in forward scattering scheme were measured for iron borate (FeBO ₃) exposed to radiofrequency (rf) field below the Neel temperature. The spectra have satellites spaced by doubled rf field frequency. The semiclassical model of Mössbauer transmission through a thick magnetic sample under rf reversals of a hyperfine field is proposed. This model reproduces all features of the measured spectra. Experiments and model calculations indicate additional possibilities of this measurement scheme for study the soft magnetic materials.     

Magnetic properties of nanocrystalline FeNiCo x ZrB alloys (x=0, 10, 20)

Magnetic properties of amorphous and nanocrystalline Fe₃₁Ni₅₀Zr₇B₁₂, Fe₃₁Ni₄₀Co₁₀Zr₇B₁₂ and Fe₃₁Ni₃₀Co₂₀Zr₇B₁₂ alloys were studied by an unconventional “rf-Mössbauer” technique. Introduction of Co atoms into FeNiZrB alloy leads to a large increase of anisotropy field that suppresses the rf collapse effect. The rf induced crystallization effect observed in Co-containing alloys was attributed to the rf sidebands effect which induced in the alloys mechanical deformations via the magnetostriction. This effect is particularly strong in amorphous alloys and in nanocrystalline alloys containing significant fraction of amorphous matrix and is absent in Co-free alloy.     

Two-photon nutation excited in a two-level spin system by microwave and RF fields

Two-photon transient nutation is observed in a two-level spin system (E′₁ centers in crystalline quartz) using a transverse microwave field and a linearly polarized rf field oriented along a static magnetic field in the electron paramagnetic resonance. Nutation is excited when the sum of the energies of a microwave photon and a rf photon is equal to the energy difference between two spin states. The two-photon nature of nutation is confirmed by measuring its frequency as a function of the amplitude and frequency of the rf field as well as the amplitude of the microwave field. The amplitude of the effective field of two-photon transitions is measured. It is shown that the decay rate of two-photon nutation is close to the decay rate for one-photon nutation and is determined by the spin-spin interaction between E′₁ centers.     

Low-temperature PECVD of silicon dioxide on polymeric hydrogels

In this work, a complex investigation of the film surface composition and nanoscale mechanical properties, i.e. hardness and elastic modulus, of plasma-modified and silica-coated hydrogel thin films was carried out. Plasma treatment was performed in a reactive ion etching chamber (SF₆, CHF₃) at radio frequency (rf, 13.56 MHz) and in a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition chamber (SiH₄/N₂, NH₃, N₂O) at radio frequency and dual frequency (13.56 MHz/100 kHz), respectively. The use of the dual-frequency configuration comprising two power supplies and operated in a switched mode enabled the investigation of the ion-bombardment influence on the polymer properties. For the application in silicon micromachined sensors best results were obtained by using a NH₃ or SiH₄/N₂ low-pressure plasma modification and a silica coating of the sensitive hydrogel film. PACS 81.05.Lg; 81.15.Gh; 81.65.Cf; 81.70.Bt     

Characterization of CN<Subscript>x</Subscript>/SiO<Subscript>y</Subscript> films prepared by the inductively coupled RF discharge

Hard films were deposited in an inductively coupled rf discharge at the frequency of 3.5MHz by the chemichal transport of carbon from the graphite target in nitrogen atmosphere combined with the evaporation of a quartz tube. The nitrogen flow varied from 1.0 to 4.0 sccm. The supplied rf power was in the range of 3 kW. Silicon substrates were placed on the graphite holder whose temperature was 750°C. The films had the hardness of 35GPa maximum and they showed high elastic recovery up to 88%, good fracture toughness and adhesion to the substrate. The hardness of deposited films increases with increasing CN_x/SiO_y ratio. This ratio is influenced by the deposition time.     

Analysis and kinetic model of a high-pressure KrI excimer emission in a novel capacitively coupled rf lamp

We report and analyze KrI^*/I₂ ^* multi-emission spectra (160–360 nm) generated in a novel capacitively coupled 13.56 MHz rf lamp. The 13.56 MHz rf lamp, configured to avoid electrodes internal to the plasma, is used to generate a number of excimer emissions in the UV and visible spectral regions with potential biological, physical, and chemical application. We found that the total gas pressure strongly influenced the emission efficiency of KrI and I₂ excimers in the pressure range of 200 to 1200 torr. A simple kinetic model was developed to explain the observed KrI^* and I₂ ^* pressure dependence. This work provides valuable experimental information (in the high pressure regime) for obtaining accurate potential energy curves, to determine the vibrational distribution in the emitting states for KrI. PACS 52.80.Pi; 32.30.JC; 52.80.Yr; 42.72.Bj     

Rotational and Vibrational Temperature Measurements in a High‐Pressure Cylindrical Dielectric Barrier Discharge (C‐DBD)

The rotational (T_R) and vibrational (T_v) temperatures of N₂ molecules were measured in a high‐pressure cylindrical dielectric barrier discharge (C‐DBD) source in Ne with trace amounts (0.02 %) of N₂ and dry air excited by radio‐frequency (rf) power. Both T_R and T_v of the N₂ molecules in the C ³Π_u state were determined from an emission spectroscopic analysis the 2^nd positive system (C ³Π_u → B³Π_g). Gas temperatures were inferred from the measured rotational temperatures. As a function of pressure, the rotational temperature is essentially constant at about 360 K in the range from 200 Torr to 600 Torr (at 30W rf power) and increases slightly with increasing rf power at constant pressure. As one would expect, vibrational temperature measurements revealed significantly higher temperatures. The vibrational temperature decreases with pressure from 3030 K at 200 Torr to 2270 K at 600 Torr (at 30 W rf power). As a function of rf power, the vibrational temperature increases from 2520 K at 20 W to 2940 K at 60 W (at 400 Torr). Both T_R and T_v also show a dependence on the excitation frequency at the two frequencies that we studied, 400 kHz and 13.56 MHz. Adding trace amounts of air instead of N₂ to the Ne in the discharge resulted in higher T_R and T_v values and in a different pressure dependence of the rotational and vibrational temperatures. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Observation of rf-induced dc voltages in sputtered binary superconducting films

We have observed that an rf current of frequency 1–5 MHz, passing through a sputtered binary superconducting film, can induce a dc voltage as large as 1 mV across the film for temperatures near the critical temperature T_C. The largest induced voltage has been observed in films which are microscopically inhomogeneous, such as Mo₆₃C₃₇ films which exhibit columnar microstructure. We suggest that the effect may be due to an inverse ac Josephson effect in a randomly connected series array of many microscopic superconducting weak links that are expected to exist close to T_C.     

Radiofrequency-induced cross-over resonances

A new kind of Doppler-free cross-over resonances has been studied experimentally and theoretically. When counter-propagating fields interact with two overlapping absorption transitions at frequencies ₁ and ₂, a rf induced cross-over resonance (RICOR) appears near (₁+₂)/2 when an rf field couples two of the levels involved in the main transitions. This Doppler-free signal splits into two symmetrical components when the rf Rabi flopping frequency increases either through rf field strength or detuning. Experimental results have been checked against a theory in which the susceptibility of the molecule dressed by the rf field is calculated by a perturbation expansion with respect to infrared couplings.