Antiferromagnetic Mn50Fe50 wire with large magnetostriction

This work presents a study on the relation between the fiber texture and the magnetostrictive performance in an antiferromagnetic Mn₅₀Fe₅₀ alloy wire, which was prepared through the combining process of hot rolling and cold drawing. The face-centered cubic (fcc) crystal structure can be retained during the plastic deformation process. Mixed fiber textures consisting of both 1 1 0 and 1 0 0 components were formed along the drawing direction (DD) in the wire. A large magnetostriction of 750 ppm was obtained along DD under 1.2 T, which can be ascribed to the single γ phase and the formation of preferred crystal orientation.     

Far-field properties and beam quality of vectorial Hermite–Laguerre–Gaussian beams beyond the paraxial approximation

The far-field properties and beam quality of vectorial nonparaxial Hermite–Laguerre–Gaussian (HLG) beams are studied in detail, where, instead of the second-order-moments-based M² factor, the extended power in the bucket (PIB) and βparameter are used to characterize the beam quality in the far field and the intensity in the formulae is replaced by the z component of the time-averaged Poynting vector S_z. It is found that the S_z PIB and βparameter of vectorial nonparaxial HLG beams depend on the mode indices n, m, αparameter and waist-width-to-wavelength ratio w₀/λ and the PIB and βparameter are additionally dependent on the bucket's size taken.     

Simulation of kinetically limited growth of electrodeposited polycrystalline Ni films

A kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) technique was adopted to simulate the growth dynamics of electrodeposited polycrystalline Ni thin films under kinetically limited conditions with a two-dimensional triangle lattice mapping the cross-section of the film. Effects of surface diffusion and surface-energy anisotropy on the microstructures of the plated film such as shape and size of grains, density, surface roughness, and textures were examined. This work focuses on the microstructure evolutions for different deposition parameters (for example, deposition rate and electrolyte temperature). We obtained the growth exponent β=0.46, which characterizes the scaling behavior of this growth. Preferential orientation of 1 1 1 and 1 0 0 have been observed at elevated temperature and at elevated deposition rate, respectively. To simulate the evolution of texture, the influence of hydrogen absorption on the surface energy of six main surfaces of nickel was investigated.     

Simulation of a turbulent non-premixed flame using conditional source-term estimation with trajectory generated low-dimensional manifold

Conditional source-term estimation (CSE) is a method to close the mean chemical reaction source-term in an averaged transport equation. It is used with a trajectory generated low-dimensional manifold (TGLDM) to simulate a turbulent non-premixed flame. Integral equations are inverted for two progress variables, Y_CO2|ξ and Y_H2O|ξ, by assuming spatial homogeneity in the conditional averages. Using these two progress variables, the conditional source terms of temperature and other scalars are interpolated from the TGLDM table and mapped back into the physical space to be substituted into the transport equations. Solving a transport equation using a source-term interpolated from the TGLDM is found to improve the prediction of NO over simply interpolating the mass fraction of NO directly from the TGLDM. This method has been applied in a large eddy simulation (LES) of a turbulent non-premixed flame. Both GRI-Mech 3.0 and GRI-Mech 2.11 are found to be able to predict the temperature and major species well. However, only GRI-Mech 2.11 gives an acceptable prediction of NO. It is found that major species can be interpolated from the TGLDM table which can significantly reduce the computational cost.     

Concavity for nuclear bindings, thermodynamical functions and density functionals

Sequences of experimental ground-state energies for both odd and even A are mapped onto concave patterns cured from convexities due to pairing and/or shell effects. The same patterns, completed by a list of excitation energies, give numerical estimates of the grand potential Ω(β,μ) for a mixture of nuclei at low or moderate temperatures T=β⁻¹ and at many chemical potentials μ. The average nucleon number A(β,μ) then becomes a continuous variable, allowing extrapolations towards nuclear masses closer to the drip lines. We study the possible concavity of several thermodynamical functions, such as the free energy and the average energy, as functions of A. Concavity, which always occurs for the free energy and is usually present for the average energy, allows easy interpolations and extrapolations providing upper and lower bounds, respectively, to binding energies. Such bounds define an error bar for the prediction of binding energies. Finally we show how concavity and universality are related in the theory of the nuclear density functional.     

Improvement of cubic silicon carbide crystals grown from solution

Cubic-silicon carbide crystals have been grown from carbon-rich silicon solutions using the travelling-zone method. To improve the growth process, we investigated the effect of controlling more tightly some of the growth parameters. Using such improved growth conditions, our best sample is a 12 mm diameter and 3 mm long 3C–SiC crystal. It is grown on a (0001) 2 off, 6H–SiC seed and has 111-orientation. The low amount of silicon inclusions results in a reduced internal stress, which is demonstrated by the consideration of μ-Raman spectra collected at room temperature on a large number of samples.     

Studies of the spin-Hamiltonian parameters, d–d transitions and defect structures for two tetragonal Cu centers in Ba2ZnF6:Cu crystal

Two theoretical methods, the perturbation theory method (PTM) and the complete diagonalization (of energy matrix) method (CDM), are applied to calculate the spin-Hamiltonian parameters (g-factors g, g and hyperfine structure constants A, A, obtained from electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra) and d–d transitions (obtained from optical spectra) for two tetragonal Cu²⁺ centers in Ba₂ZnF₆:Cu²⁺ crystals. The Cu²⁺(I) ion replaces the Zn²⁺ ion at tetragonally compressed octahedral coordination and has the ground state ²A₁(|d_z²), whereas the Cu²⁺(II) ion is at an interstitial site with a square-planar F⁻coordination and has the ground state ²B₂(|d_x²-y²). The calculated spin-Hamiltonian parameters and d–d transitions from the PTM and CDM coincide and are in reasonable agreement with the experimental values. This suggests that both methods are effective for the theoretical studies of EPR and optical spectral data for 3d⁹ ions in tetragonal symmetry with different ground states. The defect structures of the two Cu²⁺ centers in Ba₂ZnF₆:Cu²⁺ are also estimated.     

Both-end opened nanostructure holes by embedded carbon nanotubes realized on thinned membranes on (1 0 0) silicon substrates

Vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (CNT) have been grown in a DC-PECVD apparatus on quartz membranes. 1 0 0-oriented Si wafer has been anisotropically etched in a KOH solution. A mixture of acetylene and hydrogen gases is used to grow CNT while Ni acts as the catalyst layer. As-grown structures have been coated by titanium dioxide using chemical vapor deposition at atmospheric pressure. By means of a polishing and ashing process steps followed by total removing of the quartz membrane both ends of CNTs are opened and nano holes are obtained. SEM analysis is used to study the evolution of such nanostructures.     

Dimensional evolution of silicon nanowires synthesized by Au–Si island-catalyzed chemical vapor deposition

This study explores the nucleation and morphological evolution of silicon nanowires (Si-NWs) on Si (0 0 1) and (1 1 1) substrates synthesized using nanoscale Au–Si island-catalyzed rapid thermal chemical vapor deposition. The Au–Si islands are formed by Au thin film (1.2–3.0 nm) deposition at room temperature followed by annealing at 700 °C, which are employed as a liquid-droplet catalysis during the growth of the Si-NWs. The Si-NWs are grown by exposing the substrates with Au–Si islands to a mixture of gasses SiH₄ and H₂. The growth temperatures and the pressures are 500–600 °C and 0.1–1.0 Torr, respectively. We found a critical thickness of the Au film for Si-NWs nucleation at a given growth condition. Also, we observed that the dimensional evolution of the NWs significantly depends on the growth pressure and temperature. The resulting NWs are 30–100 nm in diameter and 0.4–12.0 μm in length. For Si (0 0 1) substrates 80% of the NWs are aligned along the 1 1 1 direction which are 30° and 60° with respect to the substrate surface while for Si (1 1 1) most of the NWs are aligned vertically along the 1 1 1 direction. In particular, we observed that there appears to be two types of NWs; one with a straight and another with a tapered shape. The morphological and dimensional evolution of the Si-NWs is significantly related to atomic diffusion kinetics and energetics in the vapor–liquid–solid processes.     

Entanglement evolution of a two-qubit system interacting with a quantum spin environment

We investigate the entanglement dynamics and decoherence of a two-qubit system under a quantum spin environment at finite temperature in the thermodynamics limit. For the case under study, we find different initial states will result in different entanglement evolution, what deserves mentioning here is that the state |Ψ=cosα|01+sinα|10 is most robust than other states when π/2<α<π, since the entanglement remains unchanged or increased under the spin environment. In addition, we also find the anisotropy parameter Δ can suppress the destruction of decoherence induced by the environment, and the undesirable entanglement sudden death arising from the process of entanglement evolution can be efficiently controlled by the inhomogeneous magnetic field ζ.     

Near UV photoluminescence of Hg-doped GaN nanowires

Mass Hg-doped GaN nanowires with an average diameter of about 25 nm and lengths up to hundreds of micrometers are fabricated by chemical vapor reaction. The as-synthesized products have a single crystal phase and grow along the 0 0 1 direction. The growth of Hg-doped GaN nanowires is suggested for quasi vapor–solid mechanism (QVSM). In particular, for as large-scale GaN nanowires like films, a novel strong near ultraviolet PL spectrum appears with a doping Hg where the Hg-doped GaN nanowires are found to be responsible for the different characteristics; the PL mechanism is explained in detail.     

Optical anisotropy and polarization fields for wurtzite films deposited on ()- and ()-orientated GaN substrates

We analyse the optical properties of GaN homoepitaxies grown on semipolar ()- and ()- orientated GaN substrates. We find the optical anisotropy of the GaN films to be strictly ruled by the angle between the growth plane and the 0001 direction of the crystal. This anisotropy offers a wide range of applications in the domain of surface emitting devices like VCELs and cavity polariton lasers based on GaN but also for similar structures relying on ZnO-related materials.     

Four-zone solidification microstructure formed by laser melting of copper thin films

Polycrystalline copper film microstructures produced by laser melting and rapid lateral solidification are analyzed using transmission electron microscopy. The microstructure is predominantly composed of directionally solidified grains up to 22 μm long and 1 μm wide lying in the plane of the film. We identify four morphologically solidification zones, corresponding to occlusion, steady lateral growth, defective growth, and nucleation. Electron diffraction analysis indicates clustering of 1 0 0 orientations around the direction of solidification for the grains in the steady lateral growth zone. Simple estimates of solidification times based on heat flow modeling and a critical nucleation temperature suggest that interface velocities of several hundred m/s may be attained during solidification.     

A timeon model of quark and lepton mass matrices

It is proposed that T violation in physics, as well as the masses of electron and quarks, arise from a pseudoscalar interaction with a new spin 0 field τ(x), odd in P and T, but even in C. This interaction contains a factor iγ₅ in the quark and lepton Dirac algebra, so that the full Hamiltonian is conserving; but by spontaneous symmetry breaking, the new field τ(x) has a nonzero expectation value τ≠0 that breaks P and T symmetry. Oscillations of τ(x) about its expectation value produce a new particle, the “timeon”. The mass of timeon is expected to be high because of its flavor-changing properties.The main body of the paper is on the low energy phenomenology of the timeon model. As we shall show, for the quark system the model gives a compact three-dimensional geometric picture consisting of two elliptic plates and one needle, which embodies the 10 observables: six quark masses, three Eulerian angles and the Jarlskog invariant of the CKM matrix.For leptons, we assume that the neutrinos do not have a direct timeon interaction; therefore, the lowest neutrino mass is zero. The timeon interaction with charged leptons yields the observed nonzero electron mass, analogous to the up and down quark masses. Furthermore, the timeon model for leptons contains two fewer theoretical parameters than observables. Thus, there are two testable relations between the three angles and the Jarlskog invariant of the neutrino mapping matrix.     

One-dimensional self-consistent solution of modulation doped nanocrystalline/crystalline Si heterojunctions

A kind of modulation doped structure of n-type nanocrystalline hydrogenated silicon (nc-Si:H) film with intrinsic nc-Si:H layer with p-type bulk Si 100 substrate was proposed. The numerical self-consistent solutions of one-dimensional Schrödinger and Poisson equations along the direction normal to the heterojunction were performed to calculate the distribution of electron density and profiles of conduction-band as a function of ionized donor concentration in doped film, thickness of intrinsic layer, and other device parameters in the junctions. The calculated results are shown to be in agreement with experimental data. The relation of mobility vs sheet density of two-dimensional electron gases under different scattering mechanisms was analyzed. The obtained consequences may be used to evaluate optimum design for the modulation doped nc-Si:H-based devices.     

GaN micromachined FBAR structures for microwave applications

This paper presents the manufacturing of GaN membrane supported F-BAR structures. The 2.2 μm thick GaN layer was grown using MOCVD techniques on a high-resistivity 111-oriented silicon substrate. Conventional contact lithography, electron-gun Ti/Au evaporation and lift-off techniques were used to define top-side metallization of the the FBAR structures. Bulk micromachining techniques were used for the release of the GaN membrane. The bottom-side metallization of the micromachined structure was obtained by means of sputtered gold. S-parameter measurements have shown a pronounced resonance around 1.2 GHz. The extracted value of acoustic velocity is in good agreement with those reported by other authors on materials fabricated by other methods. The demonstrated FBAR function in epitaxially grown GaN layers opens new avenues for a low-cost monolithic integration with GaN-based electronics and sensing devices.     

Synthesis and efficient field emission of ZnO nanoinjectors

ZnO nanoinjectors were synthesized on Au-coated Si substrate by direct thermal evaporation of zinc powder at a low temperature of 600 °C and atmospheric pressure. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction were applied to study the structural characteristics of the sample. The result indicated that the nanoinjector sample consisted of single-crystalline wurtzite structures which were preferentially oriented in the 0 0 1 direction. The field emission of the sample started at a turn-on field of 1.5 V/μm at a current density of 1 μA/cm², while the emission current density reached about 1 mA/cm² at an applied field of 5.0 V/μm.     

Scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy on multi-layered cuprate superconductor Ba2Ca5Cu6O12 (O1−x Fx)2

Scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/STS) measurements on multi-layered cuprate superconductor Ba₂Ca₅Cu₆O₁₂ (O_1−x F_x)₂ are carried out. STM topographies show randomly distributed bright spot structures with a typical spot size of 0.8 nm. These bright spots are occupied about 28% per one unit cell of c-plane, which is comparable to the regular amount of apical oxygen of 20% obtained from element analysis. Tunneling spectra simultaneously show both the small and the large gap structures. These gap sizes at 4.9 K are about Δ 15 meV and 90 meV, respectively. The small gap structure disappears at the temperature close to T_C, while the large gap persists up to 200 K. Therefore, these features correspond to the superconducting gap and pseudogap, respectively. These facts give evidence for some ordered state with large energy scale even in the superconducting state. For the superconducting gap, the ratio of 2Δ/K_BT_C = 4.9 is obtained with T_C = 70 K, which is determined from temperature dependence of the tunneling spectra.     

Scalings of elliptic flow for a fluid at finite shear viscosity

Within a parton cascade approach we investigate the scaling of the differential elliptic flow v₂(p_T) with eccentricity _x and system size and its sensitivity to finite shear viscosity. We present calculations for shear viscosity to entropy density ratio η/s in the range from 1/4π up to 1/π, finding that the v₂ saturation value varies by about a factor 2. Scaling of v₂(p_T)/_x is seen also for finite η/s which indicates that it does not prove a perfect hydrodynamical behavior, but is compatible with a plasma at finite η/s. Introducing a suitable freeze-out condition, we see a significant reduction of v₂(p_T) especially at intermediate p_T and for more peripheral collisions. This causes a breaking of the scaling for both v₂(p_T) and the p_T-averaged v₂, while keeping the scaling of v₂(p_T)/v₂. This is in better agreement with the experimental observations and shows as a first indication that the η/s should be significantly lower than the pQCD estimates. We finally point out the necessity to include the hadronization via coalescence for a definite evaluation of η/s from intermediate p_T data.     

Effects of Cr dopant on the microstructure and electromigration performance of Cu interconnects

Cu and Cu(Cr) alloy films were deposited on SiO₂ substrates by magnetron sputtering. The microstructure and electromigration performance of films were investigated. A small amount of Cr refines the Cu grains and improves the surface morphology of Cu films. After annealing at 450 °C, in contrast to the Cu film with large lateral grown grains, the Cu(Cr) alloy film exhibits fine columnar grains with a 1 1 1 preferred orientation. Most of Cr in the annealed Cu(Cr) film has segregated at the film surface and the film/substrate interface. The grain boundary grooving at the film/substrate interface is completely prohibited for Cu(Cr) films. As a result, the electromigration lifetimes of annealed Cu(Cr) lines are 10–100 times longer than those of annealed Cu lines. The final resistivity of the annealed Cu(Cr) film is 2.55 μΩ cm which is close to that of the annealed Cu film. With the improved surface morphology and high electromigration resistance, the dilute Cu(Cr) alloy film can be a viable interconnect material or a seed layer in the Cu-damascene technology.