Far ultraviolet absorption spectrum of the K+ ion in KCl

The reflectivity of KCl has been measured up to 45 eV with synchrotron radiation extending the range of previous measurements. The absorption coefficient is compared with an ab initio calculation using an orthogonalized-plane-wave expansion for the final states of the excited electron and including excitonic and crystalline effects. The distribution of the oscillator strength and its modulations are well reproduced by the theory.     

Existence of minimizers for a class of quasi-convex functionals with non-standard growth

We study the lower semicontinuity properties of non-autonomous variational integrals whose energy densities satisfy general growth conditions. We apply these results to solve Dirichlet’s boundary value problems for such functionals. Received: June 14, 2000; in final form: November 25, 2000 Published online: December 19, 2001     

High energy spectroscopy in Ce and La compounds

X-ray photoemission, X-ray photoabsorption and bremmstrahlung isochromat spectroscopy in Ce and La compounds are theoretically analyzed by using the single-site Anderson model incorporated with various final state interactions. Discussions are given on the physical information derived from the analysis and also on similarities and differences in spectral features between metallic and insulating systems.     

Study of temperature dependent atomic correlations in MgB2

We have studied temperature evolution of the local as well as the average crystal structure of MgB₂ using real-space atomic pair distribution function (PDF) measured by high resolution neutron powder diffraction in a wide temperature range of T=10–600 K. We find small positive correlation factors for the B–B and B–Mg pairs, determined by mean-square displacements (MSD) and the mean-square relative displacements (MSRD). We analyze the PDF using both Einstein and force constant models finding a good agreement between the experimental data and the two models. This indicates that B and Mg atomic correlations are not sensitive to the details of phonon dispersion.     

High critical temperature by resonant quantum confinement: Evidence for polarons ordering at T *≈1.5T c in Bi-2212 and La-214 by EXAFS

Il Nuovo Cimento D - The temperature dependence of local Cu site conformations in single-domain crystals of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+y (Bi-2212) and La1.85Sr0.15CuO4 (La-214) has been determined by EXAFS...     

The character of metal-insulator phase transition in V2O3 from the plasmon behaviour

The metal-to-insulator transition (MIT) in V₂O₃ has been studied by thermoreflectance spectroscopy. The behaviour of the plasmon resonance as a function of crystal temperature has been measured. This experimental method is a sensitive probe of the effects of electron-electron correlation and/or of the band gap opening at the MIT phase transitions. A blue shift of the plasmon energy in cooling the sample throught the phase transition temperature has been found. This behaviour, with a shift in the opposite direction of that found in VO₂, provides a direct experimental evidence that the electron-electron interaction plays a minor role in driving the V₂O₃ phase transition.     

ESI‐MS/MS of expanded porphyrins: a look into their structure and aromaticity

Electrospray mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry was used to investigate the gas‐phase properties of protonated expanded porphyrins, in order to correlate those with their structure and conformation. We have selected five expanded meso‐pentafluorophenyl porphyrins, respectively, a pair of oxidized/reduced fused pentaphyrins (22 and 24 π electrons), a pair of oxidized/reduced regular hexaphyrins (26 and 28 π electrons) and a regular doubly N‐fused hexaphyrin (28 π electrons). The gas‐phase behavior of the protonated species of oxidized and reduced expanded porphyrins is different. The oxidized species (aromatic Hückel systems) fragment more extensively, mainly by the loss of two HF molecules. The reduced species (Möbius aromatic or Möbius‐like aromatic systems) fragment less than their oxidized counterparts because of their increased flexibility. The protonated regular doubly fused hexaphyrin (non‐aromatic Hückel system) shows the least fragmentation even at higher collision energies. In general, cyclization through losses of HF molecules decreases from the aromatic Hückel systems to Möbius aromatic or Möbius‐like aromatic systems to non‐aromatic Hückel systems and is related to an increase in conformational distortion. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

From manganites to cuprates: a comparative study of the local lattice instability

Recent studies have shown that structural instabilities play a vital role in segregation of charge carriers in the perovskites. We have used extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) to investigate the instability of the CuO₆ octahedra of the La_1:85Sr_0:15CuO₄ (LSCO) system showing high Tc superconductivity and the MnO₆ octhahedra of the La_0:75Ca_0:25MnO₃ (LCMO) system showing GMR (giant-magneto resistance) properties. Temperature dependent Cu K-edge EXAFS spectra on the LSCO and Mn K-edge on the LCMO systems are reported. The results show a similarity in the lattice instability of the two systems providing evidence for a similar phase segregation of localized and itinerant charge carriers in the two families of perovskite systems.     

Evidence for a striped phase of high T c superconductor at the Fermi surface

A complete Fermi surface in the normal state of superconducting Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O_8+δ at the optimum doping (T _c = 91K) has been measured by angle scanning photoemission spectroscopy using synchrotron radiation. The Fermi surface reveals broken segments and hot spots of high photointensity along lines of k _y = n:0:23Å^?1 in the (π; π) direction. The pseudogap observed at (π,0) in underdoped materials is one of this missing segments. The results indicate the presence of characteristic subbands of a superlattice of quantum stripes. This is formed by an ordered array of ～ 14Å large stripes.