Phononless hopping conduction in two-dimensional layers of quantum dots

Regularities are studied in charge transport due to the hopping conduction of holes along two-dimensional layers of Ge quantum dots in Si. It is shown that the temperature dependence of the conductivity obeys the Efros-Shklovskii law. It is found that the effective localization radius of charge carriers in quantum dots varies nonmonotonically upon filling quantum dots with holes, which is explained by the successive filling of electron shells. The preexponential factor of the hopping conductivity ceases to depend on temperature at low temperatures (T<10 K) and oscillates as the degree of filling quantum dots with holes varies, assuming values divisible by the conductance quantum e²/h. The results obtained indicate that a transition from phonon-assisted hopping conduction to phononless charge transfer occurs as the temperature decreases. The Coulomb interaction of localized charge carriers has a dominant role in these phononless processes.     

Description of small-angle neutron scattering data for nickel–chromium–aluminum alloy within quantum mechanics and classic polydisperse sphere model

The modified Yukawa potential is used to fit the nucleus model parameters to the data on small-angle neutron scattering on nickel—chromium—aluminum alloy for the product of the transferred momentum Q and the effective nucleus radius R, satisfying the condition QR ≤ ?. The analytical polydisperse sphere model is used to calculate the neutron scattering intensity and to determine the most probable macroscopic sphere radius R ₀ at QR ₀ ≥ 3?.     

Temperaturabhängigkeit der Absorptionskoeffizienten für mittelschnelle Elektronen in polykristallinen Aluminium-, Silber- und Goldschichten

The absorption coefficientsμ _el andμ _unel for fast electrons (30–50 keV) due to elastic and inelastic scattering in polycrystalline foils of Al, Ag and Au have been measured at various temperatures between 160 and 600 °K. It is shown that,μ _unel decreases only slightly with temperature. On the other hand, the absorption coefficientμ _el, which is composed ofμ _R for Laue Bragg scattering andμ _TDS for thermal diffuse scattering increases with temperature. Asμ _R andμ _TDS depend on temperature in opposite sense, the resulting increase ofμ _el=μ _R+μ _TDS with temperature depends on the extent, to which the temperature dependence ofμ _R is reduced by dynamical extinction effects. For Al the measured temperature dependence ofμ _el is in good agreement with the theoretical calculation ofμ _TDS on the basis of the Einstein model and ofμ _R according to the two beam approximation of the dynamical theory. For Ag and Au the temperature dependence ofμ _el is much more pronounced than for Al. This is due to the facts that for heavy elements firstly the elastic scattering is stronger and secondly dynamical extinction effects are generally more pronounced. In order to study the influence of dynamical extinction, the crystal size of the foils was varied.     

VUV-luminescence and excitation spectra of the heavy trivalent rare-earth ions in fluoride matrices

VUV 4f ⁿ → 4f^n?15d transitions of Gd³⁺, Er³⁺, Tm³⁺, and Lu³⁺ in fluoride matrices have been analyzed with high-resolution luminescence and excitation spectroscopy. In trifluorides, strong electron-phonon coupling has been found. In the other matrices, the luminescence spectra clearly yield zero-phonon lines and phonon replica, indicating intermediate coupling. The energies of the zero-phonon lines observed are compared with theoretical predictions. Near the threshold of f → d excitations, some of the excitation spectra yield sharp structures which cannot be explained with phonon replica but will be discussed in terms of the energy levels of the 4f^n?15d configuration.     

Ionization potential of a metal cluster containing vacancies

A consistent procedure for determining the ionization potential of a large metal cluster of radius R _{N, v} , consisting of N atoms and N _v vacancies, is proposed. The perturbation theory in small parameters R _v /R _{N, v} and L _v /R _v (Rv and L _v are average distance between vacancies and the length of electron scattering on vacancies, respectively) is constructed in the effective-medium approximation for the electron ground state energy. The effective vacancy potential profile, the electron scattering phase and length are calculated by the Kohn–Sham method for a macroscopic metal in the stable jelly model. The obtained analytical dependences can be useful to analyze the results of photoionization experiments and to determine the size dependence of the vacancy concentration, including that near the melting temperature.     

Electronic properties of single-crystal diamonds heavily doped with boron

Single-crystal diamonds with characteristic sizes of 2–7 mm doped with boron in the concentration range 10¹⁹–10²⁰ cm^?3 have been grown by the temperature gradient method at high static pressures. The temperature dependence of the resistance R of the synthesized single crystals has been measured in the range 0.5 K < T < 297 K. An activated dependence R(T) with an activation energy of about 50 meV is observed in the range from room temperature to T ≈ 200 K. At temperatures below approximately 50 K, the temperature dependence of the conductivity for heavily doped crystals is proportional to T ^1/2, which is characteristic of degenerate semiconductors with a high number of defects.     

Optimization of C<Superscript>5+</Superscript> Balmer-α line intensity at 182 Å from laser-produced carbon plasma

Parametric dependence of the intensity of 182 Å Balmer-α line (C⁵⁺; n = 3 → 2), relevant to xuv soft X-ray lasing schemes, from laser-produced carbon plasma is studied in circular spot focusing geometry using a flat field grating spectrograph. The maximum spectral intensity for this line in space integrated mode occurred at a laser intensity of 1.2 × 10¹³ W cm^?2. At this laser intensity, the space resolved measurements show that the spectral intensity of this line peaks at ～1.5 mm from the target surface indicating the maximum population of C⁵⁺ ions (n = 3), at this distance. From a comparison of spatial intensity variation of this line with that of C⁵⁺ Ly-α (n = 2 → 1) line, it is inferred that n = 3 state of C⁵⁺ ions is predominantly populated through three-body recombination pumping of C⁶⁺ ions of the expanding plasma consistent with quantitative estimates on recombination rates of different processes.     

Magnetoresistance of a highly correlated electron liquid

The behavior in a magnetic field of a highly correlated electron liquid approaching the fermion condensation quantum phase transition from the disordered phase is considered. We show that, at sufficiently high temperatures T≥T*(x), the effective mass starts to depend on T, M* ∝T^?1/2. This T^?1/2 dependence of the effective mass at elevated temperatures leads to the non-Fermi liquid behavior of the resistivity, σ(T) ∝ T and at higher temperatures σ(T) ∝ T^3/2. The application of a magnetic field B restores the common T² behavior of the resistivity. The effective mass depends on the magnetic field, M*(B) ∝ B^?2/3, being approximately independent of the temperature at T≤T*(B) ∝ B^4/3. At T≥T*(B), the T^?1/2 dependence of the effective mass is reestablished. We demonstrate that this B-T phase diagram has a strong impact on the magnetoresistance (MR) of the highly correlated electron liquid. The MR as a function of the temperature exhibits a transition from negative values of MR at T→0 to positive values at T ∝ B^4/3. Thus, at T≥T*(B), MR as a function of the temperature possesses a node at T ∝ B^4/3.     

Investigation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">pn</Emphasis> correlations in <Superscript>4</Superscript>He<Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis> interactions at a momentum of 5 GeV/<Emphasis Type="Italic">c</Emphasis>

Proton-neutron correlations in ⁴Hep interactions are studied in an exclusive experiment by using a 2-m bubble chamber exposed to a 5-GeV/c beam of α particles (the kinetic energy of the protons in the nucleus rest frame is T _p = 620 MeV). Data on the production of pn pairs in 4π geometry for three channels, where it is possible to reconstruct the neutron momentum unambiguously, are used to determine the pn correlation function in ⁴Hep interactions. The experimental results are compared with the predictions of a modified Lednicky-Lyuboshitz model. The value obtained for the root-mean-square radius of the pn-emission region is R _pn = 2.1 ± 0.3 fm. The dependence of the correlation function on the modulus of the total momentum of the emitted nucleon pair and on the direction of the momentum transfer is studied. An indication that the emission of a pn pair proceeds predominantly through the production of a virtual deuteron is obtained.     

Anomalous transport properties of a paramagnetic NiTiO<Subscript>3</Subscript> + HTSC two-phase system representing a random Josephson junction network

Composites representing a network of random Josephson junctions and characterized by the compositions 92.5 at. % Y_3/4Lu_1/4Ba₂Cu₃O₇+7.5 at. % NiTiO₃ and 92.5 at. % Y_3/4Lu_1/4Ba₂Cu₃O₇+7.5 at.% MgTiO₃ are synthesized, and their magnetoresistance properties are studied. The temperature dependence of the resistance R(T) measured for the composite that contains the paramagnetic NiTiO₃ compound exhibits a characteristic feature below the superconducting transition temperature T_c of the high-T_c superconductor, namely, a region where R is independent of the current j and weakly depends on the magnetic field H. Below a certain temperature T_m, a strong dependence of R on j and H is observed, which is peculiar to a network of Josephson junctions. The dependences R(T, j, H) obtained for the “reference” samples with the nonmagnetic MgTiO3 compound exhibit no such features. The anomalous behavior of the HTSC + NiTiO3 composite is explained by the effect produced by the magnetic moments of Ni atoms in the insulating barriers on the transport current.     

Pseudogap and its temperature dependence in YBCO from the data of resistance measurements

The temperature dependence of the excess conductivity Δσ for Δσ = A(1 ? T/T^*)exp(Δ^*/T) (YBCO) epitaxial films is analyzed. The excess conductivity is determined from the difference between the normal resistance extrapolated to the low-temperature range and the measured resistance. It is demonstrated that the temperature dependence of the excess conductivity is adequately described by the relationship Δσ = A(1 ? T/T^*)exp(Δ^*/T). The pseudogap width and its temperature dependence are calculated under the assumption that the temperature behavior of the excess conductivity is associated with the formation of the pseudogap at temperatures well above the critical temperature T _c of superconductivity. The results obtained are compared with the available experimental and theoretical data. The crossover to fluctuation conductivity near the critical temperature T _c is discussed.     

Two-proton correlations in <Superscript>4</Superscript>He<Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis> interactions at a primary momentum of 5 GeV/<Emphasis Type="Italic">c</Emphasis>

Correlations of secondary protons in ⁴Hep interactions are investigated in an exclusive experiment with the aid of a 2-m liquid-hydrogen bubble chamber exposed to an alpha-particle beam of momentum 5 GeV/c the kinetic energy of primary protons in the rest frame of the nucleus is T_p=620 MeV). By using data obtained in 4π geometry for six basic channels of ⁴Hep interaction that lead to the production of two protons, the total correlation function for the pp system is determined, along with two-proton correlation functions for individual channels. Experimental results are compared with the predictions of the modified Lednicky-Lyuboshitz model. The value of R=1.6±0.3 fm is obtained for the root-meansquare spacetime radius of pp emission in ⁴Hep interactions. The dependence of the correlation function on the total momentum of two emitted protons and on the momentum-transfer direction is investigated.     

Photoluminescence enhancement in double Ge/Si quantum dot structures

The luminescence properties of double Ge/Si quantum dot structures are studied at liquid helium temperature depending on the Si spacer thickness d in QD molecules. A seven-fold increase in the integrated photoluminescence intensity is obtained for the structures with optimal thickness d = 2 nm. This enhancement is explained by increasing the overlap integral of electron and hole wavefunctions. Two main factors promote this increasing. The first one is that the electrons are localized at the QD base edges and their wavefunctions are the linear combinations of the states of in-plane Δ valleys, which are perpendicular in k-space to the growth direction [001]. This results in the increasing probability of electron penetration into Ge barriers. The second factor is the arrangement of Ge nanoclusters in closely spaced QD groups. The strong tunnel coupling of QDs within these groups increases the probability of hole finding at the QD base edge, that also promotes the increase in the radiative recombination probability.     

Photoluminescence and EPR of porous silicon formed on <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis><Superscript>+</Superscript> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis><Superscript>+</Superscript> single crystals implanted with boron and phosphorus ions

The effect of combined doping by shallow donor and acceptor impurities on boosting the quantum yield of porous-silicon photoluminescence (PL) in the visible and near IR range was studied using phosphorus and boron ion implantation. Nonuniform doping of samples and subsequent oxidizing annealing were performed before and after porous silicon was formed on silicon single crystals strongly doped by arsenic or boron up to ≈10¹⁹ cm^?3. The concentration of known P_b centers of nonradiative recombination was controlled by electron paramagnetic resonance. It is shown that there is an optimal joined content of shallow donors and acceptors that provides a maximum PL intensity in the vicinity of the red part of the visible spectrum. According to estimates, the PL quantum yield in the transitional n ⁺⁺-p ⁺ or p ⁺⁺-n ⁺ layer of porous silicon increases by two orders of magnitude as compared to that in porous silicon formed on silicon not subjected to ion irradiation.     

Surface Microparticles in Liquid Helium. Quantum Archimedes’ Principle

Deviations from Archimedes’ principle for spherical molecular hydrogen particles with the radius R₀ at the surface of ⁴He liquid helium have been investigated. The classical Archimedes’ principle holds if R₀ is larger than the helium capillary length L_cap ? 500 μm. In this case, the elevation of a particle above the liquid is h₊ ~ R₀. At 30 μm < R₀ < 500 μm, the buoyancy is suppressed by the surface tension and h₊ ~ R³₀/L²_cap. At R₀ < 30 μm, the particle is situated beneath the surface of the liquid. In this case, the buoyancy competes with the Casimir force, which repels the particle from the surface deep into the liquid. The distance of the particle to the surface is h_- ~ R^5/3_c/R^2/3₀ if R₀ > R_c. Here, \({R_c} \cong {\left( {\frac{{\hbar c}}{{\rho g}}} \right)^{1/5}} \approx 1\), where ? is Planck’s constant, c is the speed of light, g is the acceleration due to gravity, and ρ is the mass density of helium. For very small particles (R₀ < R_c), the distance h_ to the surface of the liquid is independent of their size, h_ = R_c.     

Searching for Constraints on Starobinsky’s Model with a Disappearing Cosmological Constant on Galaxy Cluster Scales

Predictions of the f(R)-gravity model with a disappearing cosmological constant (Starobinsky’s model) on scales characteristic of galaxies and their clusters are considered. The absence of a difference in the mass dependence of the turnaround radius between Starobinsky’s model and General Relativity accessible to observation at the current accuracy of measurements has been established. This is true both for small masses (from 10⁹M_Sun) corresponding to an individual galaxy and for masses corresponding to large galaxy clusters (up to 10¹⁵M_Sun). The turnaround radius increases with parameter n for all masses. Despite the fact that some models give a considerably smaller turnaround radius than does General Relativity, none of the models goes beyond the bounds specified by the observational data.     

Nucleon-content effect on the fission lifetime of excited nuclei

It was shown previously that the fission lifetime of a nucleus excited to about 100 MeV depends strongly and nonmonotonically on the initial value of its angular momentum L ₀. This result was obtained on the basis of a refined version of the combined dynamical and statistical model. The present study is devoted to a theoretical analysis of the dependence of the fission time on the nucleonic composition of the nucleus involved. The respective calculations were performed within the same model. The dependence of the average fission time 〈t _f 〉 on the initial fissility parameter (Z ²/A)₀ appears to be of a resonance type and is similar to its dependence on L ₀. This dependence of the average fission time on (Z ²/A)₀ stems both from statistical calculations and from a dynamical simulation of the fission mode with allowance for friction. The conditions under which the average fission time reaches a maximum are specified. The dependence of the average fission time on (Z ²/A)₀ remains nonmonotonic in the fusion-fission reaction as well, in which case the distribution of compound nuclei with respect to the initial angular momentum is broad.     

Die Anlagerung radioaktiver Atome an Aerosole (Schwebstoffe)

The attachment of the decay products of thorium emanation to aerosol particles has been studied. The dependence of the attached activity on the particle size was determined for spherical particles with radiiR ranging from 0·04 to 0·6 microns. The particles used were homogeneous dioctylphthalate droplets and polystyrene micro-spheres. It is found that the attached activity is proportional toR ²/(1+hR). This dependence can be derived theoretically by considering the deposition to be solely governed by the diffusion process (not by electrostatic forces) and assuming a quasi-stationary density distribution for the diffusing atoms. The constanth is uniquely determined by the average gaskinetic velocity and the diffusion constant of the diffusing atoms. For the decay products of thorium and radium emanation (atomic weight ≈210)h ≈ 7 · 10⁴ cm^?1. The derived equation holds for a wide range of particle sizes: For the particles with radii larger than about 10^?4 cm this means that the attachment is proportional to the radius; for particle radii below about 10^?6 cm it is proportional to the surface (R²) of the particles. It is also possible to derive an expression for the time-dependence of the attachment process from the theoretical considerations. The rate at which the average concentration of the radioactive atoms decreases is proportional to exp ?t/τ where τ=1+hR/πR² N¯ v (¯ v=average gaskinetic velocity of the diffusing atoms;N=aerosol concentration).     

A critical fluid in the Earth’s gravity field

This work proposes a mechanism for the physical processes underlying the wide practical application of the unique properties of a substance in a critical state—critical fluid (CF)—in contemporary technologies. According to the fluctuation theory of phase transitions (FTPT), this mechanism may be due to the fluctuation and structural characteristics of a critical fluid, which determine its equilibrium and kinetic properties. Among such characteristics are the system correlation radius Rs, the number of order parameter fluctuations N _f ~ R _s ^-3 per mole of critical fluid, and the fluctuation component of the thermodynamic potential F*_f = N _f k T _c/(P _c V _c) = C ₀ R _s ^-3 . These structural characteristics are studied with the use of experimental gravity effect data, such as the altitude and temperature dependencies of the scattered light intensity I(z, t) in a heterogeneous substance (n-pentane) near the critical vaporization temperature. Using these results and the literature data on the formation of Al₂O₃ nanoparticles with the use of SC-H₂O, the propagation velocity of substance molecules v _f ≈ 106 cm/s is estimated for the origination and decay of order parameter fluctuations. It has been concluded that just such high propagation velocities of substance molecules most likely cause the unique properties of a critical fluid during their practical application in a number of engineering processes.     

Metal-insulator transition in whiskers of the NbS<Subscript>3</Subscript> quasi-one-dimensional conductor under pressure

The effect of pressure on the conduction of the NbS₃ quasi-one-dimensional conductor is studied. A pressure-induced insulator-metal transition is observed. The transition is accompanied by an increase in conductivity by six orders of magnitude at room temperature. Under pressures of 3–4 GPa, an additional phase transition appears in the temperature dependences of resistance. This transition manifests itself in an increase in the local conduction activation energy. The quantity dln(R)/d(1/T) reaches its maximum under pressures of 4–5 GPa, and the temperature position of the maximum of dln(R)/d(1/T) depends on the pressure as T* ≈ 7.5P + 202 K.