Hydrothermal synthesis and Magnetocaloric effect of La0.5Ca0.3Sr0.2MnO3

The hydrothermal synthesis and magnetic entropy change for the perovskite manganite La_0.5Ca_0.3Sr_0.2MnO₃ have been studied. The La_0.5Ca_0.3Sr_0.2MnO₃ can be produced as phase-pure, crystalline powders in one step from solutions of metal salts in aqueous potassium hydroxide solution at a temperature of 513 K in 72 h. Scanning electron microscopy shows that the materials are made up of cuboid-shaped particles in typical dimension of 4.0×2.5×1.6 μm. Heat treatment can improve the magnetocaloric effect for the hydrothermal sample. The maximum magnetic entropy change ΔS_M for the as-prepared sample is 0.88 J kg⁻¹ K⁻¹ at 315 K for a magnetic field change of 2.0 T. It increases to 1.52 J kg⁻¹ K⁻¹, near its Curie temperature (317 K) by annealing the sample at 1473 K for 6 h. The hydrothermal synthesis method is a feasible route to prepare high-quality perovskite material for magnetic refrigeration application.     

Slow positron beam study of corrosion-related defects in pure iron

Corrosion-related defects of pure iron were investigated by measuring Doppler broadening energy spectra (DBES) of positron annihilation and positron annihilation lifetime (PAL). Defect profiles of the S-parameter from DBES as a function of positron incident energy up to 30 keV (i.e. ∼1 μm depth) were analyzed. The DBES data show that S-parameter increases as a function of positron incident energy (mean depth) after corrosion, and the increase in the S-parameter is larger near the surface than in the bulk due to corrosion. Furthermore, information on defect size from PAL data as a function of positron incident energy up to 10 keV (i.e. ∼0.2 μm depth) was analyzed. In the two-state trapping model, the lifetime τ₂ = 500 ps is ascribed to annihilation of positrons in voids with a size of the order of nanometer. τ₁, which decreases with depth from the surface to the bulk, is ascribed to the annihilation of positrons in dislocations and three-dimensional vacancy clusters. The corroded samples show a significant increase in τ₁ and the intensity I₂, and near the surface the corroded iron introduces both voids and large-size three-dimensional vacancy clusters. The size of vacancy clusters decreases with depth.     

Viscometric properties of dilute polystyrene/dioctyl phthalate solutions

We report viscometric data collected in a Couette rheometry on dilute, single‐solvent polystyrene (PS)/dioctyl phthalate (DOP) solutions over a variety of polymer molecular weights (5.5 × 10⁵ ≤ M_w ≤ 3.0 × 10⁶ Da) and system temperatures (288 K ≤ T ≤ 318 K). In view of the essential viscometric features, the current data may be classified into three categories: The first concerns all the investigated solutions at low shear rates, where the solution properties are found to agree excellently with the Zimm model predictions. The second includes all sample solutions, except for high‐molecular‐weight PS samples (M_w ≥ 2.0 × 10⁶ Da), where excellent time–temperature superposition is observed for the steady‐state polymer viscosity at constant polymer molecular weights. No similar superposition applies at a constant temperature but varied polymer molecular weights, however. The third appears to be characteristic of dilute high‐molecular‐weight polymer solutions, for which the effects of temperature on the viscosity curve are further complicated at high shear rates. The implications concerning the relative importance of hydrodynamic interactions, segmental interactions, and chain extensibility with increasing polymer molecular weight, system temperature, and shear rate are discussed. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 787–794, 2006     

The generalized beta- and F-distributions in statistical modelling

The univariate generalized beta- and generalized F-distributions are frequently in recent statistical modellings and applications. They have richer properties than the standard beta- and Snedecor F-distributions and provide more flexibility than these distributions, of which they are natural extensions. Their connection with the Gauss hypergeometric function and Lauricella functions leads to further generalizations and important properties. This article gives a unified and up-to-date treatment of these two generalized distributions using only simple arguments. Proofs are given for some original results and a complete reference to their source is provided for established ones. The important problem of parameter estimation is also studied.     

How to find the Lax pair from the Yang-Baxter equation

We show explicitly how to construct the quantum Lax pair from the Yang-Baxter equation. We demonstrate the new method by applying it to the Heisenberg XYZ model.Supported by DOE contract DE-FG02-88ER25053     

Efficient domain partitioning algorithms for global optimization of rational and Lipschitz continuous functions

A domain partitioning algorithm for minimizing or maximizing a Lipschitz continuous function is enhanced to yield two new, more efficient algorithms. The use of interval arithmetic in the case of rational functions and the estimates of Lipschitz constants valid in subsets of the domain in the case of others and the addition of local optimization have resulted in an algorithm which, in tests on standard functions, performs well.     

Surface functionalisation of polymer nanofibres by sputter coating of titanium dioxide

The surface properties of nanofibres are of importance in various applications. In this work, electrospun polyamide nanofibres were used as substrates for creating functional nanostructures on the nanofibre surfaces. A RF magnetron sputter coating was used to deposit the functional layer of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) onto the nanofibres. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) were employed to study the topography, grain structure and wetting of the nanofibre surfaces, respectively. The AFM results indicated a significant difference in the morphology of the nanofibres before and after the TiO₂ sputter coating. The XRD analysis showed the amorphous structures of the TiO₂ deposition layer. XPS spectra reflected the chemical features of the deposited nanostructures. The ESEM observation revealed that the surface wettability of TiO₂ sputter coated nanofibres was significantly improved after UV irradiation.     

Polarization-dependent carrier dynamics in a passive InAs/InP quantum dot waveguide

We investigate carrier dynamics in a passive InAs/InP quantum dot (QD) waveguide using 255 fs optical pulses at a central wavelength of 1568 nm. We observe strong anisotropy of absorption saturation for different polarizations. Pump-probe measurements indicate the presence of carrier relaxation dynamics on a timescale in the order of tens of picoseconds due to cascaded relaxation of carriers generated by two-photon absorption (TPA) from the bulk region to the QDs via the wetting layer. These relaxation timescales are much longer than in QD amplifiers. Our observations are supported by a rate-equation model which includes TPA, showing good agreement with the pump-probe measurements.     

Imaging in turbid media with intensity-modulated lasers

We describe the formation of a narrow beam for intensity-modulated electromagnetic radiation propagating through highly scattering materials. We propose to use this beam to reconstruct images, similar to X-ray back-projection techniques. For sufficiently high modulation frequency, the photon density wave is primarily carried by photons that suffer small or no large-angle scattering, which gives rise to the beam’s narrow divergence. The beam-narrowing concept is supported by large-scale numerical simulations to examine the quality of the imaging.     

Influence of focusing depth on the microfabrication of waveguides inside silica glass by femtosecond laser direct writing

We studied the influence of focusing depth on the index change threshold and damage threshold of silica glass irradiated by a focused 120 fs laser beam. Both thresholds increased with the focusing depth. The aspect ratio of the waveguide cross section can be selected by changing the focusing depth. A 5 mm long waveguide was written at the depth of 2100 μm, which was single mode at 632.8 nm and exhibited propagation loss of 0.56 dB/cm. The refractive index change was calculated to be ∼2.47×10^-3. The influence of the focusing depth should be considered in multi-layer devices as shown in the fabrication of a 3×3 waveguide array. PACS 42.62.-b; 42.82.Et; 81.05.Kf