Finite size effects in shell nanoparticles

The finite size effects on magnetic properties of shell particles in the shape of truncated octahedron are studied using classical O(3) Heisenberg model. Both considered cases with nearest neighbor ferromagnetic (FM) and antiferromagnetic (AFM) exchange interactions show the existence of the well-defined ground state. The FM particles show FM order, while AFM particles show freezing in the non-collinear structure with very low magnetization due to the presence of frustrated triangular facets. The variation of magnetization, susceptibility and specific heat as a function of size shows considerable differences from that in the three-dimensional (3D) particles. We also observe effects of shell geometry, i.e. the fraction of sites in facets, edges and vertexes, which affects the apparent ordering temperature.     

Controlling structure and morphology of CoPt nanoparticles through dynamical or static coalescence effects

The structure and morphology of 1 to 3 nm size CoPt nanoparticles have been investigated in situ and in real time under different conditions: growth at 500 degrees C or at room temperature (RT) followed by annealing at 500 degrees C. The small-angle x-ray scattering measurements show size and temperature dependent growth mode with particle motions on the surface, while wide-angle scattering results, supported by Monte Carlo simulations, allow structure identification. If icosahedra are systematically detected at the first growth stages at RT, annealing at 500 degrees C yields the decahedral structure from the quasistatic coalescence of icosahedral morphology. Meanwhile, growth at 500 degrees C proceeds by a dynamical coalescence mechanism at the early stage, yielding truncated octahedral cubic structures.     

Finite size and surface effects on the magnetic properties of cobalt ferrite nanoparticles

Cobalt ferrite, CoFe₂O₄, nanoparticles in the size range 2–15 nm have been prepared using a non-aqueous solvothermal method. The magnetic studies indicate a superparamagnetic behavior, showing an increase in the blocking temperatures (ranging from 215 to more than 340 K) with the particle size, D _TEM. Fitting M versus H isotherms to the saturation approach law, the anisotropy constant, K, and the saturation magnetization, M _S, are obtained. For all the samples, it is observed that decreasing the temperature gives rise to an increase in both magnetic properties. These increases are enhanced at low temperatures (below ~160 K) and they are related to surface effects (disordered magnetic moments at the surface). The fit of the saturation magnetization to the T ² law gives larger values of the Bloch constant than expected for the bulk, increasing with decreasing the particle size (larger specific surface area). The saturation magnetization shows a linear dependence with the reciprocal particle size, 1/D _TEM, and a thickness of 3.7 to 5.1 Å was obtained for the non-magnetic or disordered layer at the surface using the dead layer theory. The hysteresis loops show a complex behavior at low temperatures (T ≤ 160 K), observing a large hysteresis at magnetic fields H > ~1000 Oe compared to smaller ones (H ≤ ~1000 Oe). From the temperature dependence of the ac magnetic susceptibility, it can be concluded that the nanoparticles are in magnetic interaction with large values of the interaction parameter T ₀, as deduced by assuming a Vogel–Fulcher dependence of the superparamagnetic relaxation time. Another evidence of the presence of magnetic interactions is the almost nearly constant value below certain temperatures, lower than the blocking temperature T _b, observed in the FC magnetization curves.     

Real-time icosahedral to fcc structure transition during CoPt nanoparticles formation

Nucleation and growth of supported CoPt nanoparticles were studied in situ and in real time by combined grazing incidence small-angle x-ray scattering (GISAXS) and grazing incidence x-ray diffraction (GIXD). GISAXS provides morphological features of nanoparticles as a function of size, shape and correlation distance between particles, while GIXD allows the determination of the atomic structure. We focus on the formation of ultrasmall CoPt nanoparticles, in the 1–4 nm size range at 500^○C. The structural analysis method based on the Debye equation is coupled with cluster model calculations performed by Monte Carlo simulations using a semi-empirical tight-binding potential to interpret diffraction spectra and structural transitions. Our results show that the cluster structure evolution during the growth is size-dependent and composition-dependent, yielding an icosahedral to fcc structure transition.     

真空退火对L1_0-CoPt薄膜结构、磁性及表面形貌的影响

本文利用磁控溅射的方法制备了L1_0-CoPt薄膜,研究了不同退火条件对薄膜结构、磁性以及表面形貌的影响.通过优化退火温度、保温时间以及升温速率,制备出了具有大矫顽力、高矩形比、粗糙度小的垂直各向异性L1_0-CoPt薄膜.实验发现,较高的退火温度有利于克服CoPt薄膜有序化转变所需要的能量,同时适当延长退火时间可以提高CoPt薄膜的扩散系数,从而促使无序相fcc转化为L1_0有序相fct结构.此外,退火过程中减缓升温速率可以有效减小薄膜粗糙度,从而形成平整连续膜.     

Size and surface effects on the magnetism of magnetite and maghemite nanoparticles

The size effects of magnetite and maghemite nanoparticles on their magnetic properties (magnetic moment, Curie temperature, blocking temperature, etc.) have been investigated. Magnetic separation and centrifugation of an aqueous solution of nanoparticles were used for their separation into fractions; their sizes were measured by atomic force microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and electron microscopy. A change in the size leads to a change in the Curie temperature and magnetic moment per formula unit. Both native nanoparticles and those covered with a bioresorbable layer have been considered. The magnetic properties have been calculated by the Monte Carlo method for the classical Heisenberg model with various bulk and surface magnetic moments.     

Interaction and size effects in magnetic nanoparticles

Magnetic nanoparticles dispersed as a ferrofluid with volumetric concentrations in the range 0.4 to 10% and sizes ranging from 59–77 Å have been studied via magnetic measurements at room and low temperatures. Remanence measurements have been used to determine switching and coupling effects. Particle size and concentration effects have been investigated and we find that the samples with higher concentrations have larger coercivities than expected due to coupling effects. Interactions have been found to be demagnetising overall as expected for dipolar interacting systems. Surface effects become evident below 10 K when thermal effects are weak.     

Finite size effects in layered superconductors

We investigate the transition temperature of layered superconductors by considering a stack ofL _z superconducting layers, separated by insulating material. We adopt a pairing Hamiltonian, invoke the variational principle and solve the resulting gap equations numerically. Our results confirm previous weak coupling and Ginzburg-Landau treatments and reveal a rise ofT _c withL _z and saturation at the bulk transition temperature. Thus, the rise ofT _c is traced back to a finite size effect, corresponding to a crossover from 2-d to 3-d superconductivity. The results also reveal a sizeable variation of the gap along the stack with pronounced variation at the ends.     

Finite size effects in ZnO nanoparticles: An electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analysis

ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized by solid coprecipitation method with consecutive high energy ball milling procedure. By reducing the particle size of ZnO to nano dimensions strong nano‐size effects were observed. In order to characterize the ZnO defect structure, EPR has been applied. It was observed that below 50 nm the surface defects play a dominant role in the electronic properties of ZnO. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Multiply twinned morphologies of FePt and CoPt nanoparticles

Based on large-scale density functional theory calculations we provide a systematic overview of the size dependence of the energetic order and magnetic properties of various morphologies of FePt and CoPt clusters with diameters of up to 2.5 nm. For FePt, ordered multiply twinned icosahedra and decahedra are more favorable than the L1_(0) phase throughout the investigated size range. For CoPt, segregated morphologies predominate with considerably increased energy differences to the L1_(0) structure. The compositional trends are traced back to differences between the morphologies in the partial electronic density of states associated with the 3d element.     

Synthesis and magnetic properties of size-selected CoPt nanoparticles

CoPt nanoparticles are widely studied, in particular for their potentially very high magnetic anisotropy. However, their magnetic properties can differ from the bulk ones and they are expected to vary with the particle size. In this paper, we report the synthesis and characterization of well-defined CoPt nanoparticle samples produced in ultrahigh vacuum conditions following a physical route: the mass-selected low energy cluster beam deposition technique. This approach relies on an electrostatic deviation of ionized clusters which allows us to easily adjust the particle size, independently from the deposited equivalent thickness (i.e. the surface or volume particle density in a sample). Diluted samples made of CoPt particles, with different diameters, embedded in amorphous carbon are studied by transmission electron microscopy and superconducting interference device magnetometry, which gives access to the magnetic anisotropy energy distribution. We then compare the magnetic properties of two different particle sizes. The results are found to be consistent with an anisotropy constant (including its distribution) which does not evolve with the particle size in the range considered.     

Electronic structure and magnetism in (CoPt)n(n⩽5) clusters

The geometrical and magnetic properties of bimetallic clusters (CoPt)_n(1?n?5) have been studied by using the generalized gradient correction spin density formalisms. In general, the ground state structures of (CoPt)_n clusters are the three-dimension structures. We found that both the binding energy and magnetism per (CoPt) unit are increasing consistently with the size of the Co–Pt cluster (n). However, as the n increases, the magnetism shows a trace of convergence while the binding energy shows a linearly increasing pattern. Generally, Co average magnetic moment is enhanced when alloyed with Pt atoms than that in pure Co clusters.     

有机超微粒的制备及其尺寸效应的研究

有机超微粒是国际上刚刚起步的研究领域,是纳米科技领域和有机光电子领域的重要前沿课题.文章从有机功能小分子出发,在制备粒径和形状可控的、高度单分散的纳米超微粒的基础上,首次系统地研究了有机超微粒的电子态随尺寸大小的变化过程.发现有机超微粒和无机超微粒一样具有显著的尺寸效应,而且更具多样性.该项研究工作为探索和比较无机和有机材料介观尺寸效应的异同点这一科学问题奠定了坚实的基础,对于理解有机分子晶体这类传统材料中的基本过程和现象以及开发新型光电材料和器件也极具意义.     

Finite size nucleonic effects in the nuclear medium

The finite size effects of nucleons inside a nucleus is investigated. This new approach is entirely different from Hagedorn’s volume correction method and is more rigorous. The size of the nucleon is varied and the magnitude of the hard-core potential is extracted by minimising the energy with respect to the nuclear radius.     

Finite size effects in stimulated laser pair production

We consider stimulated pair production employing strong-field QED in a high-intensity laser background. In an infinite plane wave, we show that light-cone quasi-momentum can only be transferred to the created pair as a multiple of the laser frequency, i.e. by a higher harmonic. This translates into discrete resonance conditions providing the support of the pair creation probability which becomes a delta-comb. These findings corroborate the usual interpretation of multi-photon production of pairs with an effective mass. In a pulse, the momentum transfer is continuous, leading to broadening of the resonances and sub-threshold behaviour. The peaks remain visible as long as the number of cycles per pulse exceeds unity. The resonance patterns in pulses are analogous to those of a diffraction process based on interference of the produced pairs. We finally comment on the dependence of the peak positions, and in turn the effective mass, on the pulse shape.     

Finite size effects on calorimetric cooperativity of two-state proteins

Finite size effects on the calorimetric cooperatity of the folding-unfolding transition in two-state proteins are considered using the Go lattice models with and without side chains. We show that for models without side chains a dimensionless measure of calorimetric cooperativity ${\kappa }_2$ defined as the ratio of the van’t Hoff to calorimetric enthalpy does not depend on the number of amino acids N. The average value $\overline{{\kappa }_2}\approx \frac{3}{4}$ is lower than the experimental value ${\kappa }_2\approx 1$. For models with side chains ${\kappa }_2$ approaches unity as ${\kappa }_2\sim N^{\mu }$, where $\mu \approx 0.17$. Above the critical chain length $N_c\approx 135$ these models can mimic the truly all-or-non folding–unfolding transition.     

Orbital magnetism and spin-orbit effects in the electronic structure of BaIrO3

The electronic structure and magnetism of Ir 5d5 states in nonmetallic, weakly ferromagnetic BaIrO3 are probed with x-ray absorption techniques. Contrary to expectation, the Ir 5d orbital moment is found to be ~1.5 times larger than the spin moment. This unusual, atomiclike nature of the 5d moment is driven by a strong spin-orbit interaction in heavy Ir ions, as confirmed by the nonstatistical large branching ratio at Ir L(2,3) absorption edges. As a consequence, orbital interactions cannot be neglected when addressing the nature of magnetic ordering in BaIrO3. The local moment behavior persists even as the metallic-paramagnetic phase boundary is approached with Sr doping or applied pressure.     

Finite size effects for quark-gluon plasma droplets

The partition function for color-singlet quark-gluon plasma droplets is calculated analytically including shell effects and a total momentum constraint. Bulk properties become size-dependent and the entropy shows how the effective number or plasma degrees of freedom decreases with size. The appropriate size-dependent phase-space distributions for quarks and gluons are derived, and phenomenological consequences of the results are pointed out.