Study of surface magnetic properties in Co-rich amorphous microwires

Magneto-optical investigations carried out on a Co-rich glass-covered amorphous microwire is presented. The appearance of circular magnetic bistability and the influence of tensile stress and high-frequency electric current on the surface magnetization reversal have been studied. The change of the mechanism of the magnetization reversal induced by the high-frequency electric current is also discussed.     

Causal loop diagrams as a de-escalation technique

Escalation of commitment, the tendency of decision makers to keep on investing in losing courses of action, has been shown to be a costly decision bias that affects many areas of decision making. Even though escalation is a widely studied phenomenon, there has been comparatively little research on how to avoid this bias. The present study focuses on de-escalation of commitment and proposes that causal loop diagrams (CLDs) can help to decrease escalating commitment to a failing course of action. By means of an experiment, this study shows that using a CLD decreases escalation tendencies.     

Microcavities: tailoring the optical properties of single quantum emitters

We present a general review of different microresonator structures and how they can be used in future device applications in modern analytical methods by tailoring the optical properties of single quantum emitters. The main emphasis is on the tunable λ/2-Fabry–Perot-type microresonator which we used to obtain the results presented in this article. By varying the mirror distance the local mode structure of the electromagnetic field is altered and thus the radiative coupling of fluorescent single quantum emitters embedded inside the resonator to that field is changed, too. As a result a modification of the optical properties of these quantum emitters can be observed. We present experimental as well as theoretical results illustrating this effect. Furthermore, the developed resonator can be used to determine the longitudinal position of embedded emitters with an accuracy of λ/60 by analyzing the excitation patterns of nano-sized fluorescent polymer spheres after excitation with a radially polarized doughnut mode laser beam. Finally, we will apply this resonator to a biological system and demonstrate the modification of Förster resonant energy transfer (FRET) efficiency by inhibiting the excited state energy transfer from the donor to the acceptor chromophore of a single DsRed protein.

Experimental determination of limit angle of helical anisotropy in amorphous magnetic microwires

The influence of the torsion stress on the surface magnetic structure in Co-rich amorphous glass covered microwires has been investigated. The limit angle of the surface helical anisotropy induced by the torsion stress has been determined in agreement with the model which considers the torsion stress as a interference of two tensile stresses of opposite signs directed at 45° and 135° relative to the longitudinal axis of the wire.     

Synthesis and Diels-Alder Reactions of a New Kind of Chiral Dienophiles: Cyclic Vinyl-p-tolylsulfilimines

A new kind of chiral dienophiles, cyclic vinyl-p-tolylsulfilimines (2a and 2b), were obtained from the corresponding (Z)-sulfinylacrylonitriles with HBF(4) and methanol. The asymmetric Diels-Alder reaction of optically pure 2a with cyclopentadiene under mild thermal or catalyzed conditions afforded only the endo-4a adduct with complete endo and pi-facial selectivities. The ability of the sulfilimine moiety to enhance the dienophilic reactivity of the double bond is similar to that of the sulfinyl group.     

The influence of a probe on topographical images in atomic force microscopy

Examples of the errors that arose under the studies of metric characteristics of micro- and nanoobjects with atomic force microscopy (AFM) are presented. Degradation of the tip of the probe both under successive scanning of the same part of a sample surface and in the course of a single scan is revealed. AFM images acquired with the probe having twin apexes located at different levels are demonstrated.