Optical properties of films of the ternary compound CuIn<Subscript>3</Subscript>Se<Subscript>5</Subscript>

We have used the laser vaporization method to obtain films of the ternary compound CuIn₃Se₅ and have studied the composition and structure of the films obtained. We have determined the energy and nature of the optical transitions for the indicated compound from the transmission spectra in the region of the intrinsic absorption edge. We have calculated the valence-band crystal-field (Δ_CF) and spin-orbit (Δ_SO) splitting energies according to Hopfield’s quasicubic model for the ternary compound CuIn₃Se₅. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 74, No. 1, pp. 82–85, January–February, 2007.     

Three- and two-dimensional topological insulators in Pb2Sb2Te5, Pb2Bi2Te5, and Pb2Bi2Se5 layered compounds

The electronic structure of ternary compounds Pb₂Sb₂Te₅, Pb₂Bi₂Te₅, and Pb₂Bi₂Se₅, which have a layered structure that consists of nine-layer atomic blocks separated by van der Waals gaps, has been theoretically studied. It has been shown that all studied compounds are three-dimensional topological insulators. The possibility of the existence of a two-dimensional topological insulator has been found in ultrathin (0001) Pb₂Sb₂Te₅ and Pb₂Bi₂Te₅ films. Oscillations of the ℤ₂ topological invariant with an increase in the film thickness have been observed in the latter compound.     

Carrier concentration dependence and impurity effects of microwave response in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+ y

We report the surface impedance (Z _s ) measurements in high quality single crystals of Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O_8+y . At relatively low oxygen content, the change of the penetration depth, Δλ(T) ≡λ(T)-λ(0), of the pure single crystals exhibits linear temperature dependence both parallel to the CuO₂ planes and in thec direction. In contrast to this behavior, by further oxygenation or 0.6% Zn substitution, theT-linear dependence is disrupted andT ² dependence of Δλ is observed. We also found that 0.9% Ni-substitution induces no pairbreaking effect. The present results suggest that the low-lying excitation spectrum of quasiparticles depends on the carrier concentration and is easily changed by a small amount of Zn substitution.     

Intrinsic Josephson junctions in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ single crystals

We report on thec-axis superconducting energy gap parameter Δ _c (T) of intrinsic Josephson tunnel junctions inBi ₂ Sr ₂ CaCu ₂ O _8+δ (Bi2212) single crystals. Δ _c (4.2K)≈10−13 meV, which is approximately a factor of two smaller than reported in the majority of tunneling experiments. Δ _c (T) deviates strongly from the BCS temperature dependence. These observations may be explained by a multilayer model of Bi2212 which assumes that theBi−O layers are superconducting due to the proximity effects. The Josephson tunneling then takes place between adjacentBi−O layers while there is a strong proximity coupling betweenBi−O andCu−O layers. The work is supported by Swedish Supercon-ductivity Consortium and NUTEK, and, in part, by Russian Foundation for Basic Research, grant #95-02-04307     

Temperature dependence of the bandgap width in FeIn2Se4 single crystals

We have used the Bridgman method to grow single crystals of the ternary compound FeIn₂Se₄ and we have determined their composition and structure. We measured the transmission spectra in the intrinsic absorption edge region in the temperature range 20–300 K. From the transmission spectra, we determined the bandgap width and plotted its temperature dependence. We show that the E_g(T) dependence has a shape typical for semiconductor compounds.     

Optical studies of phase transitions in oxyfluoride (NH4)2NbOF5

Polarization-optical studies and measurements of the birefringence Δn and the angle of rotation of the optical indicatrix for the (NH₄)₂NbOF₅ crystal have been carried out in the temperature range 100–350 K. Two anomalies of the birefringence have been revealed at the temperatures T ₀₁ = 258 K and T ₀₂ ≈ 219 K. According to the twinning pattern, the crystal undergoes successive changes in symmetry: orthorhombic ↔ monoclinic 1 ↔ monoclinic 2. The twofold axis of the monoclinic phases (or the normal to the plane) is directed along [001]_or. The effect of the uniaxial compression along [011]_or and the electric field E ≈ 25 kV/cm along [100]_or on the twin structure has been studied. The ferroelastic phase transition at T ₀₁ is due to the appearance of the shear deformation x ₄(T) and is accompanied by significant anomalies of the birefringence. Strong pretransition phenomena mask the jumps in the birefringence Δn(T) and in the angle of rotation of the indicatrix φ(T) at T ₀₁.     

Electro- and magnetotransport in La0.67Ba0.33MnO3 nanosized films coherently grown on a vicinally polished (LaAlO3)0.29 + (SrAl0.5Ta0.5O3)0.71 substrate

The structure, orientation, and the response of electroresistance to magnetic field H and varying temperature T have been studied for 30-nm-thick La_0.67Ba_0.33MnO₃ (LBMO) films. The deviation of the [001] direction in manganite layers from the normal to the plane of the (LaAlO₃)_0.29 + (SrAl_0.5Ta_0.5O₃)_0.71 substrate strictly corresponds to the vicinal angle of the latter. The minimum yield determined from 227-keV proton scattering spectra is 0.025, signifying a high order of the cationic sublattice in the films. The biaxial compression of stable nuclei of the manganite phase affects their stoichiometry, thus contributing to the depletion of LBMO films in the alkaline-earth element. The maximum electroresistance values have been observed in the films grown at T _max ≈ 320 K, a temperature about 20 K lower than the Curie temperature of the corresponding bulk single crystals, and the maximum magnetoresistance (MR ≈ −0.42, μ₀ H = 2 T) occurs at T ≈ 300 K. At low temperatures (T < T _max/3) and μ₀ H < 0.45 T, the electroresistance response of LBMO films to a magnetic field materially depends on the anisotropic magnetoresistance and the intensity of hole scattering from domain walls; when μ₀ H > 0.5 T, the major current-carrier relaxation mechanism is the interaction with magnons.     

Anisotropic magnetoresistance of partially relaxed SrRuO3 films

The SrRuO₃ films (50 nm thick) grown by laser evaporation on (001)(LaAlO₃)_0.3 + (Sr₂AlTaO₆)_0.7 substrates were under partially relaxed biaxial compressive mechanical stresses. The films consisted of crystallites with lateral dimensions of 40–100 nm and a relative azimuthal misorientation of about 0.9°. Ferromagnetic ordering of spins in the SrRuO₃ films was manifested by a change in the slope of the temperature dependence of their electrical resistivity ρ at T ≈ 155 K. For a magnetic field H parallel to the measuring current, the maximum values (∼7.5%) of the magnetoresistance MR = [ρ(μ₀ H = 5 T) − ρ(μ₀ H = 0)]/ρ(μ₀ H = 0) were observed at temperatures of about 100 K. At T = 95 K (μ₀ H = 5 T), the anisotropic magnetoresistance of the films was 8% and increased by a factor of approximately 1.5 with decreasing temperature to 4.2 K.     

Investigation of the optical properties of AgGaTe2 films obtained by laser deposition

We obtain thin films of AgGaTe₂ by laser vaporization of starting crystals. The compositions of the starting crystals and of the films obtained are determined by x-ray spectral analysis, with their structure and the parameters of the crystal lattice being determined by the x-ray method. The energies of interband transitions and crystalline (Δ _cr ) and spin-orbit (Δ _so ) splitting are calculated from transmission spectra in the region of the main absorption band. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 64, No. 6, pp. 793–796, November–December, 1997.     

Magnetic and transport properties of Pr2Pd3Si5

We have investigated the magnetic and transport properties of a new ternary intermetallic compound Pr₂Pd₃Si₅ which forms in U₂Co₃Si₅-type orthorhombic structure (space group Ibam). At low field (0.01 T) magnetic susceptibility exhibits an abrupt increase below 7 K and peaks at 5 K, revealing a magnetic phase transition. The onset of magnetic order is also confirmed by well defined anomalies in the specific heat and electrical resistivity data. Apart from the sharp λ-type anomaly, magnetic part of specific heat also shows a broad Schottky-type hump due to crystal field effect. Magnetoresistance data as a function of temperature exhibits a pronounced peak in paramagnetic state which could be interpreted in terms of crystal field effect and short-range ferromagnetic correlations.     

PHENIX study of dihadron Δη correlation in Au + Au collision at ?{sNN } \sqrt {s_{NN} } = 200 GeV: the ridge

We show the recent study of the ridge phenomena by PHENIX Collaboration over a broad transverse momentum (p _T ) range. Properties of the ridge are extracted in terms of its shape in Δϕ and Δη, and its yield. These properties are found to be similar to the away-side modification in the same p _T range, suggesting a related modification mechanisms in both the near- and away-side.     

Magnetic properties and crystal structure of Nd2Fe14B

Outstanding permanent magnet properties have recently been reported to occur in ternary compound Nd-Fe-B¹. The tetragonal crystallographic structure of this compound Nd₂Fe₁₄B is determined (space group P4₂/mnm). This structure is related to the hexagonal CaCu₅-type structure which is the fundamental basis for the crystal structure of many rare earth-transition metal compounds.     

Emission analysis of RE3+ (Eu3+, Tb3+ & Ho3+): B2O3-BaO-LiF/AIF3 glasses

We report here the luminescence spectra of certain rare earth ions (Eu³⁺, Tb³⁺ & Ho³⁺) doped B₂O₃-BaO-LiF/AiF₃ based on the measurements of emission and decay curves of prominent emission transitions. For both the reference host glasses, FTIR, XRD, DTA-TG profiles have been recorded to understand their structural and thermal properties. Eu³⁺ doped glasses have shown five emission transitions of ⁵D₀ → ⁷F_{01,2,3 & 4} located at 580nm, 593nm, 615nm, 655nm and 704nm respectively with an excitation at λ_exci = 392 nm (⁷F₀ → ⁵L₆). Also under an UV source, these europium glasses have displayed a bright red emission from their surfaces. Tb³⁺ glasses have exhibited four emission bands of ⁵D₄ → ⁷F_6,5,4,3 at 491nm, 547nm, 588nm and 625nm respectively with an excitation at λ_exci = 376 nm (⁷F₆ → ⁵G₆). Intense green emission from the glass surfaces has been noticed upon exposure to the UV source. Prominently bluish-green emission has been noticed from the surfaces of the holmium glasses under an UV source and same emission transition (⁵F₄ → ⁵I₈) at 519 nm with an excitation at λ_exci = 389 nm (⁵I₈ − ⁵G₄) has also been obtained from their measured emission spectra. For all the prominent emissions of the rare earth glasses, decay curves have been measured to compute their lifetimes.     

Synthesis, crystal structure, thermal and dielectric properties of bis(p-phenylenediammonium) chloride hexachlorobismuthate(III) monohydrate [C6H4(NH3)2]2ClBiCl6.H2O

Synthesis, crystal structure, and dielectric properties of [C₆H₄(NH₃)₂]₂ClBiCl₆.H₂O are reported. The compound crystallizes in the monoclinic system with space group P2₁/n. The unit cell dimensions are a = 9.836(5), b = 19.582(5), c = 13.082(5) ?, β = 104.731(5)° with Z = 4. The atomic arrangement can be described by an alternation of organic and inorganic layers. The anionic layer is built up of octahedral of [BiCl₆]^3- arranged in sandwich between the organic layers. The crystal packing is governed by means of the ionic N–H···Cl hydrogen bonds, forming a three-dimensional network. The dielectric properties have been investigated at temperature range from 297 to 410 K at various frequencies (10 Hz–100 kHz). Dielectric studies were performed to confirm results obtained with thermal analysis. The evolution of dielectric constant as a function of temperature and frequency of single crystal has been investigated in order to determine some related parameters.     

Electrical properties of thin films of Eu2O3 substituted compounds

Europium oxide (Eu₂O₃) substituted compound has been prepared by solid-solid reaction of the powders of Eu₂O₃, BaCO₃ and CuO at 950°C for 16 hours. The thin films have been deposited by high vacuum evaporation technique (vacuum ≈ 10⁻⁶ torr). The variation of current (I) with voltage (V) at room temperature (RT) i.e. 294 K and in ice (273 K) are found to be linear. The variation of electrical resistivity (ρ) with temperature (T) by heating the sample above RT has been determined. Resistivity is found to decrease with increase in temperature. Further the variation of electrical resistivity (ρ) with temperature (T) from 77 K, liquid nitrogen temperature (LNT), to 270 K has also been determined. It is observed that resistivity suddenly becomes zero at around 87 K. Thus the prepared material has superconducting properties with superconducting transition temperature, T _c at 87 K.      

Switching phenomenon and optical properties of Se85Te10Bi5 films

Se₈₅Te₁₀Bi₅ films of different thicknesses ranging from 126 to 512 nm have been prepared. Energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy technique showed that films are nearly stoichiometric. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements have showed that the Se₈₅Te₁₀Bi₅ films were amorphous. Electrical conduction activation energy (ΔE_σ) for the obtained films is found to be 0.662 eV independent of thickness in the investigated range. Investigation of the current voltage (I-V) characteristics in amorphous Se₈₅Te₁₀Bi₅ films reveals that it is typical for a memory switch. The switching voltage V_th increases with the increase of the thickness and decreases exponentially with temperature in the range from 298 to 383 K. The switching voltage activation energy (ε) calculated from the temperature dependence of V_th is found to be 0.325 eV. The switching phenomenon in amorphous Se₈₅Te₁₀Bi₅ films is explained according to an electrothermal model for the switching process. The optical constants, the refractive index (n) and the absorption index (k) have been determined from transmittance (T) and reflectance (R) of Se₈₅Te₁₀Bi₅ films. Allowed non-direct transitions with an optical energy gap (E_g^opt) of 1.33 eV have been obtained. ΔE_σ is almost half the obtained value of E_g^opt, which suggested band to band conduction as indicated by Davis and Mott.     

Ferroelectric properties of bilayer structured Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3/SrBi2Ta2O9 (PZT/SBT) thin films on Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Si substrates

Pb(Zr_0.52Ti_0.48)O₃ (PZT) thin films with large remanent polarization and SrBi₂Ta₂O₉ (SBT) thin films with excellent fatigue-resisting characteristic have been widely studied for non-volatile random access memories, respectively. To combine these two advantages_, bilayered Pb(Zr_0.52Ti_0.48)O₃/SrBi₂Ta₂O₉ (PZT/SBT) thin films were fabricated on Pt/TiO₂/SiO₂/Si substrates by chemical solution deposition method. X-ray diffraction patterns revealed that the diffraction peaks of PZT/SBT thin films were completely composed of PZT and SBT, and no other secondary phase was observed. The electrical properties of the bilayered structure PZT/SBT films have been investigated in comparison with pure PZT and SBT films. PZT/SBT bilayered thin films showed larger remanent polarization (2P_r) of 18.37 μC/cm² than pure SBT and less polarization fatigue up to 1 × 10⁹ switching cycles than pure PZT. These results indicated that this bilayered structure of PZT/SBT is a promising material combination for ferroelectric memory applications.     

Controllable nanostructure and optical properties of ZrO2 thin films by glancing angle deposition

In this paper, nanostructured ZrO₂ films were prepared by electron beam evaporation with the glancing angle deposition (GLAD) technique. Columnar films with voids in between formed owing to the self-shadowing effect and the limited diffusion of deposited atoms. The microstructure evolves from slanted columnar structure to helical and pillar structures as the substrate rotational speed increases. The diameter of the columns is in the range of 30–50 nm. A higher rotational speed favors a larger nodule size and a greater surface roughness. Due to the porous structure, the refractive index n of GLAD ZrO₂ films varies from 1.75 to 1.80, lower than that of bulk material. A maximum value of birefringence (Δn=0.03) is obtained in a slanted columnar structure, and the relationship between birefringence and microstructure orientation is discussed. Our results demonstrate that glancing angle deposition is a feasible approach for designing the nanostructure and optical properties of thin films.     

Synthesis, vibrational and optical properties of a new three-layered organic-inorganic perovskite (C4H9NH3)4Pb3I4Br6

An organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite (C₄H₉NH₃)₄Pb₃I₄Br₆ was synthesized and studied by X-ray diffraction, Raman and infrared spectroscopies, optical transmission and photoluminescence. The title compound, abbreviated (C₄)₄Pb₃I₄Br₆, crystallises in a periodic two-dimensional multilayer structure with P2₁/a space group. The structure is built up from alternating inorganic and organic layers. Each inorganic layer consists of three sheets of PbX₆ (X=I, Br) octahedra. Raman and infrared spectra of the title compound were recorded in the 100-3500 and 400-4000 cm⁻¹ frequency ranges, respectively. An assignment of the observed vibration modes is reported. Optical transmission measurements, performed on thin films of (C₄)₄Pb₃I₄Br₆, revealed two absorption bands at 474 and 508 nm. Photoluminescence measurements have shown a green emission peak at 519 nm.     

X-ray diffraction, vibrational and photoluminescence studies of the self-organized quantum well crystal H3N(CH2)6NH3PbBr4

We have prepared new semiconductor H₃N(CH₂)₆NH₃PbBr₄ crystals which are self-assembled organic-inorganic hybrid materials. The grown crystals have been studied by X-ray diffraction, infrared absorption and Raman spectroscopy scattering. We found that the title compound, abbreviated 2C₆PbBr₄, crystallizes in a two-dimensional (2D) structure with a P2₁/a space group. In the inorganic semiconductor sub-lattice, the corner sharing PbBr₆ octahedra form infinite 2D chains. The organic C₆H₁₈N₂⁺ ions form the insulator barriers between the inorganic semiconductor layers. Such a packing leads to a self-assembled multiple quantum well structure. Raman and infrared spectra of the title compound were recorded in the 50-500 and 400-4000 cm⁻¹ frequency regions, respectively. The assignment of the observed Raman lines was performed by comparison with the homologous compounds. Transmission measurements on thin films of 2C₆PbBr₄, obtained by the spin coating method, revealed a strong absorption peak at 380 nm. Luminescence measurements showed an emission line at 402 nm associated with radiative recombinations of excitons confined within the PbBr₆ layers. The electron-hole binding energy is estimated at 180 meV.