ESR in quasi 2-d ferromagnets: The coexistence of paramagnetic excitations and magnetostatic spin waves and new interference effects

The quasi 2-dimensional layer structures (C_nH_2n+1NH₃)₂CuCl₄ with n = 1,2 have been investigated by electron spin resonance. New phenomena arise for samples with well defined natural surfaces: (i) well resolved magnetostatic volume and surface spin wave modes at 4.2 K comparable in quality with spectra of YIG, (ii) a magnetostatic spin wave spectrum which is coincident with the paramagnetic resonance over a wide temperature range, (iii) interference effects between these two types of resonances.     

Vibrational spectra oftrans-dichlorodiiodoethylene

The infrared spectra oftrans-dichlorodiiodoethylene as a solid and in solution were recorded in the region 4000–25 cm^–1. Raman spectra of the compound were obtained and semiquantitative polarization data were calculated.The mutual exclusion between the infrared and Raman frequencies are in agreement with the expectedC _2h (2/m) symmetry for this molecule. The fundamentals have been assigned and a normal coordinate analysis carried out. Thermodynamic functions and the root mean square amplitudes of vibration have been obtained.The authors wish to acknowledge financial support from theNorwegian Research Council for Science and the Humanities.     

A Silica Bilayer Supported on Ru(0001): Following the Crystalline-to Vitreous Transformation in Real Time with Spectro-microscopy

The crystalline-to-vitreous phase transformation of a SiO₂ bilayer supported on Ru(0001) was studied by time-dependent LEED, local XPS, and DFT calculations. The silica bilayer system has parallels to 3D silica glass and can be used to understand the mechanism of the disorder transition. DFT simulations show that the formation of a Stone–Wales-type of defect follows a complex mechanism, where the two layers show decoupled behavior in terms of chemical bond rearrangements. The calculated activation energy of the rate-determining step for the formation of a Stone—Wales-type of defect (4.3 eV) agrees with the experimental value. Charge transfer between SiO₂ bilayer and Ru(0001) support lowers the activation energy for breaking the Si−O bond compared to the unsupported film. Pre-exponential factors obtained in UHV and in O₂ atmospheres differ significantly, suggesting that the interfacial ORu underneath the SiO₂ bilayer plays a role on how the disordering propagates within the film.     

Membrane Chemistry Tunes the Structure of a Peptide Transporter

Membrane proteins require lipid bilayers for function. While lipid compositions reach enormous complexities, high-resolution structures are usually obtained in artificial detergents. To understand whether and how lipids guide membrane protein function, we use single-molecule FRET to probe the dynamics of DtpA, a member of the proton-coupled oligopeptide transporter (POT) family, in various lipid environments. We show that detergents trap DtpA in a dynamic ensemble with cytoplasmic opening. Only reconstitutions in more native environments restore cooperativity, allowing an opening to the extracellular side and a sampling of all relevant states. Bilayer compositions tune the abundance of these states. A novel state with an extreme cytoplasmic opening is accessible in bilayers with anionic head groups. Hence, chemical diversity of membranes translates into structural diversity, with the current POT structures only sampling a portion of the full structural space.