Ultrahigh sensitivity electric field detection with a liquid electro-optical film

In this Letter, an electro-optical probe configuration with polar molecule liquids as the sensing film is proposed to improve the voltage sensitivity. This method exhibited increases in intrinsic sensitivities better than 0.1 mV/√Hz, 2 orders of magnitude larger than the normal method using a GaAs probe in the same measurement system. Based on the mechanism of orientation polarization, the electro-optic coefficient was measured to be 250 pm/V by the Teng-Man method at a modulation field of 100 Hz. This technology will be promising in applications of low-frequency field detection.     

Surface self-diffusion behavior of individual tungsten adatoms on rhombohedral clusters

The diffusion of single tungsten adatoms on the surfaces of rhombohedral clusters is studied by means of molecular dynamics and the embedded atom method. The energy barriers for the adatom diffusing across and along the step edge between a {110} facet and a neighboring {110} facet are calculated using the nudged elastic band method. We notice that the tungsten adatom diffusion across the step edge has a much higher barrier than that for face-centered cubic metal clusters. The result shows that diffusion from the {110} facet to a neighboring {110} facet could not take place at low temperatures. In addition, the calculated energy barrier for an adatom diffusing along the step edge is lower than that for an adatom on the flat (110) surface. The results show that the adatom could diffuse easily along the step edge, and could be trapped by the facet corner. Taking all of this evidence together, we infer that the {110} facet starts to grow from the facet corner, and then along the step edge, and finally toward the {110} facet center. So the tungsten rhombohedron can grow epitaxially along the {110} facet one facet at a time and the rhombohedron should be the stable structure for both large and small tungsten clusters.     

Flame propagation of nano/micron-sized aluminum particles and ice (ALICE) mixtures

Flame propagation of aluminum–ice (ALICE) mixtures is studied theoretically and experimentally. Both a mono distribution of nano aluminum particles and a bimodal distribution of nano- and micron-sized aluminum particles are considered over a pressure range of 1–10 MPa. A multi-zone theoretical framework is established to predict the burning rate and temperature distribution by solving the energy equation in each zone and matching the temperature and heat flux at the interfacial boundaries. The burning rates are measured experimentally by burning aluminum–ice strands in a constant-volume vessel. For stoichiometric ALICE mixtures with 80 nm particles, the burning rate shows a pressure dependence of r_b = aPⁿ, with an exponent of 0.33. If a portion of 80 nm particles is replaced with 5 and 20 μm particles, the burning rate is not significantly affected for a loading density up to 15–25% and decreases significantly beyond this value. The flame thickness of a bimodal-particle mixture is greater than its counterpart of a mono-dispersed particle mixture. The theoretical and experimental results support the hypothesis that the combustion of aluminum–ice mixtures is controlled by diffusion processes across the oxide layers of particles.     

Structural phase transition,antiferromagnetism and two superconducting domes in LaFeAsO_(1-x)F_x(0<x≤0.75)

We report~(75) As nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)/nuclear quadrupole resonance(NQR) and transmission electron microscopy(TEM) studies on LaFeAsO_(1-x)F_x. There are two superconducting domes in this material. The first one appears at 0.03 ≤ x ≤0.2 with T_c~(max) = 27 K, and the second one at 0.25 ≤x≤0.75 with T_c~(max) = 30 K. By NMR and TEM, we demonstrate that a C4-to-C2 structural phase transition(SPT) takes place above both domes, with the transition temperature T_s varying strongly with x. In the first dome, the SPT is followed by an antiferromagnetic(AF) transition, but neither AF order nor low-energy spin fluctuations are found in the second dome. By ~(75) As nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate(1/T_1) measurements, we find that AF order and superconductivity coexist microscopically in LaFeAsO_(0.97) F_(0.03). In the coexisting region, 1/T_1 decreases at T_c but becomes proportional to T below 0.6 T_c, indicating gapless excitations. Therefore, in contrast to the early reports, the obtained phase diagram for x ≤ 0.2 is quite similar to the doped BaFe_2As_2 system. The electrical resistivity p in the second dome can be fitted by ρ = ρ0 + AT~n with n = 1 and a maximal coefficient A at around xopt = 0.5-0.55 at which T_s extrapolates to zero and Tc is the maximal, which suggests the importance of quantum critical fluctuations associated with the SPT. We have constructed a complete phase diagram of LaFeAsO_(1-x)F_x, which provides insight into the relationship between SPT, antiferromagnetism and superconductivity.     

Immunoassays Based on Surface-Enhanced Fluorescence using Gap-Plasmon-Tunable Ag Bilayer Nanoparticle Films

A novel gap-plasmon-tunable Ag bilayer nanoparticle film for immunoassays is demonstrated. Different from a traditional Ag monolayer nanoparticle film, a desired number of polyelectrolyte (PEL) layers are deposited on the nanoparticles before the self-assembly of a second Ag nanoparticle layer. Interestingly, by controlling the number of the PEL interlayers, the gap plasmon between the two Ag nanoparticle layers can be tuned across the visible spectral range. The ability of the presented Ag bilayer nanoparticle films in fluorescence enhancement has been examined experimentally. A maximal enhancement of around 15.4 fold was achieved when 7 layers of polyelectrolyte were used. When this optimal Ag bilayer nanoparticle film was applied to fluorescence immunoassay, a performance with approximately 3.3-fold enhancement was obtained compared with that performed on a traditional glass substrate. The experimental results suggest that the presented gap-plasmon tunable Ag bilayer nanoparticle films have great potential in fluorescence-based immunoassays. The method of the bilayer-film construction presented here also provides new insights into the rational design of the plasmonic substrates.     

Synthesis and luminescent properties of BaGd2O4:Dy3+, an novel scintillating phosphor

The BaGd_2?x O₄:xDy³⁺ (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.08) phosphors were synthesized at 1,300 °C in air by the solid-state reaction route. The as-synthesized phosphors were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, photoluminescence excitation spectra, photoluminescence (PL) spectra, X-ray excited luminescence (XEL) spectra, and thermoluminescence (TL) spectra. It is found that the quenching concentration of Dy³⁺ ions in BaGd₂O₄ host is dependent on the selected excitation wavelength. The optimal PL intensity for the investigated BaGd_2?x O₄:xDy³⁺ phosphors is found to be x = 0.01, 0.02, and 0.04, upon excitation by 234, 277, and 350 nm ultraviolet light, respectively. The energy transfer among Dy³⁺ ions upon excitation by 350 nm is confirmed to be an electric dipole–dipole interaction mechanism based on the fitting of Huang’s rule. In addition, the intensive XEL from BaGd₂O₄:Dy³⁺ phosphor is observed by the naked eyes at room temperature, and TL properties of the investigated phosphors are analyzed and discussed. All the results imply that the investigated phosphors could be a promising scintillating phosphor.     

Study of local environment of Cu atoms in Fe73.5Cu1Nb3Si13.5B9 alloy with different annealing temperature

The local environment of Cu atoms in Fe73.5Cu1Nb3Si13.5B9 alloy was investigated by extended X-ray absorption fine structure(EXAFS).Cu clusters began to order when the annealing temperature was around 733 K from the results of the Fourier transform curves.The fitting results showed that the first shell of the near fcc(face-centered cubic)Cu clusters only contained Cu atoms.The coordination number increased with the annealing temperature.Subsequently,the occupancy rate increased from 33.3%(annealed at 733 K)to 100% (annealed at 853 K).This local structural change of Cu atoms could probably affect the distribution of the bcc(body-centered cubic)α-Fe in Fe73.5Cu1Nb3Si13.5B9 alloy.     

Can the minimal supersymmetric standard model with light bottom squark and light gluino survive Z-peak constraints?

In the framework of the minimal supersymmetric model we examine the Z-peak constraints on the scenario of one light bottom squark (sbottom) ( approximately 2-5.5 GeV) and light gluino (approximately 12-16 GeV), which has been successfully used to explain the excess of bottom quark production in hadron collisions. Such a scenario is found to be severely constrained by the CERN LEP Z-peak observables, especially by R(b), due to the large effect of gluino-sbottom loops. To account for the R(b) data in this scenario, the other mass eigenstate of sbottom, i.e., the heavier one, must be lighter than 125 (195) GeV at 2sigma(3sigma) level, which, however, is disfavored by CERN LEP II experiments.     

Anomalous momentum dependence of the quasiparticle scattering rate in overdoped Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8

The question of the anisotropy of the electron scattering in high temperature superconductors is investigated using high resolution angle-resolved photoemission data from Pb-doped Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 (Bi2212) with suppressed superstructure. The scattering rate of low energy electrons along two bilayer-split pieces of the Fermi surface is measured (via the quasiparticle peak width), and no increase of scattering towards the antinode (pi,0) region is observed, contradicting the expectation from Q=(pi,pi) scattering. The results put a limit on the effects of Q=(pi,pi) scattering on the electronic structure of this overdoped superconductor with still very high T(c).     

Spatial resonances and superposition patterns in a reaction-diffusion model with interacting Turing modes

Spatial resonances leading to superlattice hexagonal patterns, known as "black-eyes," and superposition patterns combining stripes and/or spots are studied in a reaction-diffusion model of two interacting Turing modes with different wavelengths. A three-phase oscillatory interlacing hexagonal lattice pattern is also found, and its appearance is attributed to resonance between a Turing mode and its subharmonic.