Self-assembled magnetic nanostructures: Epitaxial Ni nanodots on TiN/Si (001) surface

Systems containing single domain magnetic particles are of great interest in view of their possible applications in ultrahigh-density data storage and magnetoelectronic devices. The focus of this work is plan-view STEM Z-contrast imaging study of the self-assembly growth of magnetic nickel nanostructures by domain matching epitaxy under Volmer–Weber (V–W) mode. The growth was carried out using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique with epitaxial titanium nitride film as the template, which was in turn grown on silicon (001) substrate via domain matching epitaxy. Our results show that the base of nickel islands is rectangular with the two principal edges parallel to two orthogonal 〈110〉 directions, which is [110] and [] for [001] oriented growth. The size distribution of the islands is relatively narrow, comparable to that obtained from self-assembled islands grown under Stranski–Krastanow (S–K) mode. A certain degree of self-organization was also found in the lateral distribution of islands: island chains were observed along the directions close to 〈011〉, which are also the edge directions. The interaction between neighboring islands through the island edge-induced strain field is believed to be responsible for the size uniformity and the lateral ordering.An erratum to this article can be found at     

Microwave photoresistance in a two-dimensional electron system with anisotropic mobility

The effect of microwave radiation on magnetotransport in single GaAs quantum wells with anisotropic mobility, whose maximum corresponds to the direction and minimum to the [110] direction, is investigated using the Van der Pauw method. In samples shaped as squares with sides oriented along the and [110] directions, giant oscillations of magnetoresistance arise under the effect of a microwave field for the both and [110] orientations of the measuring current I _ac. In the anisotropic two-dimensional system under study, the relative amplitude of microwave photoresistance oscillations in a magnetic field weakly depends on the orientation of I _ac. At a temperature of 4.2 K and a microwave frequency of 130 GHz, magnetic field intervals characterized by close-to-zero resistance manifest themselves only for the case of the [110] orientation of I _ac. The aforementioned experimental results are qualitatively explained by a quasi-one-dimensional potential modulation of the two-dimensional electron gas in the [110] direction. Original Russian Text ? A.A. Bykov, D.R. Islamov, A.V. Goran, A.K. Bakarov, 2007, published in Pis’ma v Zhurnal éksperimental’noĭ i Teoreticheskoĭ Fiziki, 2007, Vol. 86, No. 12, pp. 891–895.     

On the magnetic anisotropy of chromium

Magnetization and susceptibility measurements have been performed on a single crystal of chromium for field orientations parallel to the symmetry directions [100], [110] and [111] of the cubic unit cell. Particular emphasis is given to the weak temperature-orientation-and field-dependent contributions to the longitudinal (field parallel) susceptibility. For the high-temperature antiferromagnetic phase with transversally polarized spin-density wave (TSDW) the magnetic easy direction is along [100] and the magnetic hard one along [110]. In the low-temperature phase with longitudinal spin density waves (LSDW) the significance of these directions has reversed. The magnetization is not strictly a linear function of the field and shows a weak minimum atB ₀1.8 T in the TSDW phase. This minimum does shift discontinuously at the spin-flip transition (T _sf=132 K) to a value of 4.6 T in the LSDW phase. TheJ/B ₀-minimum is considered as due to the field induced change from the orientationally degenerated multidomain state into a state with only polarization directions perpendicular to the magnetic field.On leave from Academy of Mining and Metallurgy, Department of Solid State Physics, PL-30-059 Krakow, Poland     

Magnetostriction relative to pretransition in Ni50.5Mn24.5Ga25 single crystal

The strain behaviors as well as the structural and magnetic changes relative to the pretransition in the Ni_50.5Mn_24.5Ga₂₅ single crystals have been characterized by various methods, such as pretransition strain, magnetostriction, magnetization measurements, and TEM observations. A large magnetostriction up to 505 ppm measured in the [001] direction of the sample is obtained at the pretransition temperature with only a low magnetic field of about 1 kOe applied along the [010] direction. We found that not only the pretransition strain pronounces a more large change, but also the magnetostriction at a certain temperature exhibits a more large magnitude for field applied along the [010] direction than with field along the [001] direction. It is concluded that the magnetoelastic interaction is responsible for the premartensitic transition, and the magnetoelastic interaction in the [010] direction is stronger than that in the [001] direction.     

Probing for new physics and detecting non-linear vacuum QED effects using gravitational wave interferometer antennas

Low energy non-linear QED effects in vacuum have been predicted since 1936 and have been subject of research for many decades. Two main schemes have been proposed for such a ‘first’ detection: measurements of ellipticity acquired by a linearly polarized beam of light passing through a magnetic field and direct light–light scattering. The study of the propagation of light through an external field can also be used to probe for new physics such as the existence of axion-like particles and millicharged particles. Their existence in nature would cause the index of refraction of vacuum to be different from unity in the presence of an external field and dependent of the polarization direction of the propagating light. The major achievement of reaching the project sensitivities in gravitational wave interferometers such as LIGO and VIRGO has opened the possibility of using such instruments for the detection of QED corrections in electrodynamics and for probing new physics at very low energies. We show that it is possible to distinguish between various scenarios of new physics in the hypothetical case of detecting unexpected values. Considering the design sensitivity in the strain of the near future VIRGO+ interferometer leads to a variable dipole magnet configuration such that B ² D≥13000 T² m  for a ‘first’ vacuum non-linear QED detection.     

Plane Waves Propagating in Chiral Plasma and Chiral Ferrite Media

Plane wave propagation in chiral plasma and chiral ferrite media is studied in kDB coordinate system. General wave equations and characteristic equations of plane waves propagating along an arbitrary direction in chiral plasma and in chiral ferrites are derived in simple formulations respectively. Four wavenumbers and their corresponding dispersion characteristics are resulted for propagation both along and normal to the biasing magnetic field. When plane wave with negative helicity propagates along the biasing magnetic field in chiral ferrites, backward waves emerge. However backward waves occur with both positive and negative helicities when propagating along the biasing magnetic field in chiral plasma.     

High-resolution normal emission UV-photoelectron spectra and band structure of Cu

The energy distribution curves of photoelectrons emitted along the normal direction from Cu (111), (001) and (110) surfaces using unpolarized HeI (hv=21.2 eV) and HeII (hv=40.8 eV, 48.4 eV) radiation incident at 45° to the surface were measured. For the interpretation the band structure as calculated by Janak et al. and by the combined interpolation scheme was used. The high resolution spectra along the [111] and [001] directions show dominant features from direct transitions, indicating strong residualk _z conservation, and density of states features, too. The band gap emission along the [110] direction using HeI radiation can be explained with direct transitions into evanescent states with nearly free electron bands. From the width of the peaks electron escape depths were calculated.     

Microwave propagation parameters in magnetic fluids

Complex dielectric permittivity and complex magnetic permeability measurements of two magnetic fluids (as microwave propagation media), in the approximate range 0.2-5GHz were performed. The two samples consisted of magnetite nanoparticles, dispersed in kerosene and in water, respectively. Based on the dielectric and magnetic measurements, the frequency (f ) dependence of the attenuation parameter, , the phase constant, , the propagation constant, , the intrinsic impedance, Z_m, the refractive index, n , the reflection coefficient, R , the wavelength, and the skin depth, , of the investigated samples were determined.     

Microwave photoresistance in a two-dimensional electron system with anisotropic mobility

The effect of microwave radiation on magnetotransport in single GaAs quantum wells with anisotropic mobility, whose maximum corresponds to the $[1\bar 10]$ direction and minimum to the [110] direction, is investigated using the Van der Pauw method. In samples shaped as squares with sides oriented along the $[1\bar 10]$ and [110] directions, giant oscillations of magnetoresistance arise under the effect of a microwave field for the both $[1\bar 10]$ and [110] orientations of the measuring current I _ac. In the anisotropic two-dimensional system under study, the relative amplitude of microwave photoresistance oscillations in a magnetic field weakly depends on the orientation of I _ac. At a temperature of 4.2 K and a microwave frequency of 130 GHz, magnetic field intervals characterized by close-to-zero resistance manifest themselves only for the case of the [110] orientation of I _ac. The aforementioned experimental results are qualitatively explained by a quasi-one-dimensional potential modulation of the two-dimensional electron gas in the [110] direction.     

Effect of mechanical stresses on the magnetoelastic properties of TmVO4

In this paper the influence of mechanical stress on magnetoelastic properties, i.e., magnetostriction and thermal expansion in the neighborhood of a structural phase transition of the Jahn-Teller crystal TmVO₄ is investigated experimentally and theoretically. It is shown that the magnetoelastic properties of TmVO₄ for a magnetic field H∥[001] do not change the domain structure of the sample, which is rather well described when mechanical stresses in the crystal are taken into account using the parameter . Conversely, for magnetic fields along the direction of spontaneous strain [110] the magnetoelastic properties are primarily caused by reorientation of the Jahn-Teller domains and short-range order effects. It is shown that the “true” magnetostriction of a single-domain crystal for H∥[110] diverges at the phase transition point T _c=2.15 K in the absence of mechanical stresses and is strongly decreased by these stresses. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 701–705 (April 1998)     

Ionization of the hydrogen atom: from weak to strong static electric fields

A quantum dynamical treatment of the S-G effect, to the leading order in for the electron, where is the fine-structure constant, and for spin 1/2 charged particles (e.g., the proton), in general, leads to a unitary expression for the probability density on the observation screen, where the magnetic field has a controllable longitudinal uniform component along the initial average direction of propagation of the particle, in addition to a non-uniform, almost longitudinal, magnetic field lying in the plane defined by the quantization axis, in question, of the spin and the initial average direction of propagation.Received: 3 April 2003, Published online: 22 July 2003PACS: 03.65.-w Quantum mechanics - 03.65.Nk Scattering theory - 24.70.+s Polarization phenomena in reactions     

Magnetoacoustic resonance on nuclear spin waves in the cubic antiferromagnet RbMnF3

Magnetoacoustic resonance on nuclear spin waves is measured in the cubic antiferromagnet RbMnF₃. A resonance change with respect to a constant magnetic field H ₀ with maximum damping at H ₀≈4×10³ Oe is observed in the amplitude of an acoustic pulse passing through a sample owing to excitation of nuclear spin waves under nuclear magnetoacoustic resonance conditions. A study of the angular dependence of the damping revealed a 90° periodicity consistent with the fact that the [001] direction, around which the rotation takes place, is a four-fold axis of the crystal. An analysis of the dispersion law for nuclear spin waves shows that longitudinal ultrasound propagating along the [001] axis perpendicular to H ₀ excites a branch of nuclear spin waves whose frequency depends on the magnitude of the constant magnetic field. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 41, 297–300 (February 1999)     

Beat excitation of terahertz radiation in a semiconductor slab in a magnetic field

Two infrared lasers of frequencies ω₁ and ω₂ propagating in the TM/TE mode along $\stackrel{?}{z}$ direction in a rippled density semiconductor waveguide are shown to resonantly excite terahertz radiation at the beat frequency when ripple wave number is suitably chosen to satisfy the phase matching. The wave vector of the density ripple is along the direction of laser propagation while a static magnetic field is applied transverse to it. The lasers exert a ponderomotive force on the electrons at the beat frequency. This force, in the presence of density ripple and transverse magnetic field, produces a nonlinear current at the terahertz frequency. The magnetic field enhances the amplitude of the terahertz wave. However terahertz yield is significantly higher in the TM mode laser beating than in the TE mode laser beating.     

Effects of phase decoherence on the entanglement of a two-qubit anisotropic Heisenberg XYZ chain with an in-plane magnetic field

We investigate the phase decoherence effects on the entanglement of a two-qubit anisotropic Heisenberg model with a nonuniform magnetic field in the x–z-plane. As a measure of the entanglement, the concurrence of the system is calculated. It is shown that when the magnetic field is along the z-axis, the nonuniform and uniform components of the field have no influence on the entanglement for the cases of and , respectively. But when the magnetic field is not along the z-axis, both the uniform and the nonuniform components of the field will introduce the decoherence effects. It is found that the effects of the Heisenberg chain's anisotropy in the Z-direction on the entanglement are dependent on the direction of the field. Moreover, the larger the initial concurrence is, the higher value it will exhibit during the time evolution of the system for a proper set of the parameters ν, Δ, θ, γ , B and b.     

Atomistic Simulations of Integranular Fracture in Symmetric-Tilt Grain Boundaries

Fracture experiments on symmetric-tilt grain boundaries in Cu are interpreted using the Peierls-Nabarro continuum model of dislocation nucleation as a starting point. Good agreement is found only when the continuum model is modified according to the results of atomistic simulations. The same experiments are also reproduced by direct Molecular Dynamics simulations of fracture propagation and dislocation emission from a microcrack placed in the interface plane of the symmetric-tilt (221)(221) grain boundary in fcc Cu. Direction-dependent fracture response is observed, namely the microcrack advancing by brittle fracture along the [11 ] direction and being blunted by dislocation emission along the opposite [ 4] direction. Moreover, the simulations allow us to establish important differences with respect to the continuum-model predictions due to the shielding of the stress field at the crack-tip and to the presence of the residual stress at the interface.     

The results of study of the anisotropy of free-electrons momenta distribution in Mg,Zn, and Cd by means of the positron annihilation method

The angular correlation of annihilation radiation was measured for single crystals of Mg, Zn, and Cd in seven crystallographic direction. The results of distribution of thez-component of the conduction electron momenta were compared with the crossectional-area distribution of the double Brillouin zone for two directions [0001] and . The results were analyzed also by the Mijnarend's method. The distributions of the electron momenta densities in the [0001] and [ ] directions are preliminarily discussed. Supported by Instytut Niskich Temperatur i Badan Strukturalnych Polskiej Akademii Nauk we Wrocławiu (Institute for Low Temperature and Structure Research, Polish Academy of Sciences in Wroclaw, Poland).     

Rotations of eigenvibration direction in anisotropic crystals

The electric field of incident light induces dipoles in anisotropic media, vibrating in two perpendicular directions of the principal axes. Because of the tensor property of the dielectric constant, an induced dipole is subject to a torque, tending to rotate it about the axis parallel to the propagation direction. The directions of eigenvibration of the ordinary (o-ray) and extraordinary (e-ray) waves are no longer perpendicular in this sense. We propose here the relationships to describe the rotation of the induced dipole in the perpendicular electric fields. The rotation angles are found to increase with increasing dielectric constants and electric field strength of the incident light, exhibiting large values near the resonance frequencies in the infrared range at the azimuth angle /4 of the polarized incident light. Piezoelectric and ferroelectric crystals have a large value of the dielectric constant in the infrared frequency range. Rotations of the vibration direction of the o-ray and the e-ray waves are shown in the infrared transmission spectra recorded by incidence of the polarized light and transmission through piezoelectric and ferroelectric crystals (-quartz, LiNbO₃, and LiTaO₃). Interference of the o-ray and the e-ray waves transmitted through the crystals confirms the rotations of the vibration directions, a self-modulation effect of light in piezoelectric and ferroelectric crystals induced by the electric field of the propagating light.     

States of cobalt fluoride in a strong magnetic field

The behavior of the magnetic subsystem of cobalt fluoride is investigated in a strong magnetic field oriented in an arbitrary direction in space. In the case where the magnetic field is out of the planes passing through the easiest magnetization axis A and the axis [100] ‖ X or through the easiest magnetization axis A and the axis [010] ‖ Y, it follows from the derived system of equations that the antiferromagnetic vector l does not change direction to be align with the basal plane, provided the magnetic field has a nonzero component along the A axis. It is demonstrated that the antiferromagnetic vector l becomes parallel to the basal plane only when the magnetic field is perpendicular to the A axis. The case of the magnetic field directed parallel to the [110] axis is examined thoroughly. The critical value of the magnetic field is determined at which the antiferromagnetic vector l becomes parallel to the basal plane and perpendicular to the external magnetic field H for H _⊥ → ∞.     

The sublimation growth of AlN fibers: transformations in?morphology & fiber direction

The growth of AlN fibers using sublimation method was investigated in the temperature range from 1600 °C to 2000 °C. Large-scale AlN fibers are obtained with diameters from 100 nm to 50 μm and lengths up to several millimeters. The fiber morphology and growth direction are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and Raman scattering. The fibers change from wire-like to prism-like in morphology and increase in diameter as rising temperatures, accompanying a transformation in axial direction from [10 ] to [0001]. The transformation in the growth direction is discussed in terms of AlN structure and supersaturation of AlN gas species. These results provide useful information for controlling the growth of large-scale AlN fibers.     

Magnetic properties on holmium iron garnet in high magnetic field. Optical absorption spectra in the infra-red region

On single crystals of holmium iron garnet (HoIG), magnetic properties have been studied in magnetic field up to 150kOe applied parallel to the main crystallographic directions in the 4.2–300K temperature range. Above 130 K, the magnetization is isotropic and linear magnetic field dependent as previously found in polycrystals and predicted by Néel's ferrimagnetic theory. Nevertheless the paramagnetic Curie temperature is much higher than the polycrystal value. Below 130K, due to the onset of the umbrella structure, the ferrite magnetization presents a non linear field variation with [111] as easy direction. The field evolutions of the anisotropy constants (K ₁ andK ₂) were calculated. Optical absorption measurements of both 5₈5I ₆ and 5I ₈5I ₇ transitions are reported and compared to the results of the literature in terms of inequivalent magnetic sites.