Comparison of thermomagnetic history effects in weakly pinned single crystals of R 3Rh4Sn13 (R=Yb, Ca)

A comparative study of the thermomagnetic memory effects of J _c in two weakly pinned low T _c superconductors, Ca₃Rh₄Sn₁₃ (CaRhSn) and Yb₃Rh₄Sn₁₃ (YbRhSn), is presented. In both the systems, the peak effect (PE) phenomenon appears as an order-disorder transformation through stepwise amorphization of the flux line lattice (FLL). However, in CaRhSn. we can witness another disorder-driven transition (Bragg glass (BG) to a vortex glass (VG) in a distinct manner as in a single crystal of high T _c YBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ for H‖c.     

Resonant interaction of acceptor states and optical phonons in silicon

The resonance broadening of line 2 in the excitation spectrum of gallium acceptors in silicon due to near coincidence of its energy with that of the zone center optical phonons, $\text{h}\text{?}$ω₀, has been confirmed under significantly improved experimental conditions. An additional feature labeled X and line 2 are interpreted as mixed excitations of the bound-hole and the optical phonon. Under uniaxial stress, the stress induced components of line 2 which approach $\text{h}\text{?}$ω₀ become more phonon-like and get “pinned” while the components of X become bound-hole-like as they recede from $\text{h}\text{?}$ω₀, and exhibit a striking increase in intensity.     

Practical stereoselective synthesis of an alpha-trifluoromethyl-alpha-alkyl epoxide via a diastereoselective trifluoromethylation reaction

A practical stereoselective synthesis is reported for an alpha-trifluoromethyl-alpha-alkyl epoxide (1), which is an important pharmaceutical intermediate. The key step involves a chiral auxiliary-controlled asymmetric trifluoromethylation reaction for the introduction of the unique trifluoromethyl-substituted tertiary alcohol stereogenic center in the target molecule. The fluoride-initiated CF3 addition to chiral keto ester 6a proceeded with a diastereoselectivity up to 86:14. The major diastereomer was readily obtained with a >99.5:0.5 dr through a simple crystallization of the crude product mixture.     

In vitro antioxidant properties of new thiazole derivatives

A series of novel N2-[2-chloro-4(3,4,5-trimethoxy phenyl azetidin-1-yl]-N4-(substituted aryl)-1,3-thiazole-2,4-diamine (4a–g) were synthesized starting from 3,4,5-trimethoxy benzaldehyde thiosemicarbazone (1). The compound (1) was obtained by condensing 3,4,5-trimethoxy benzaldehyde with thiosemicarbazide in methanol. 3,4,5-Trimethoxy benzaldehyde thiosemicarbazone (1) on treatment with chloracetyl chloride afforded 4-chloro-[2-(3,4,5-trimethoxy benzylidine) hydrazinyl]-1,3-thiazole (2). Compound (2) was reacted with chloracetyl chloride and triethylamine to obtain the corresponding 4-chloro-N-[2-chloro-4(3,4,5-trimethoxy phenyl) azetidin-1-yl]-1,3-thiazole-2-amine (3). Various substitutions on compound 3 with secondary amines yielded series of compounds (4a–g). The newly synthesized compounds were characterized by IR, ¹H NMR, elemental analysis and mass spectral studies. All the compounds were screened for their in vitro antioxidant properties. The IC₅₀ values of compounds 3 and 4a–g revealed that some of the synthesized compounds were showing potent antioxidant activity.     

Real time decomposition of speech into modulated components

Motivated by the active process of the outer hair cell (OHC) in the mammalian inner ear, a real time decomposition of speech into modulated components is presented. A generalized phase lock loop (GPLL) was applied to decompose the speech signal into its envelope and positive instantaneous frequency (PIF) parts, which can be further processed and represented by timing information alone. A log-derivative operator is applied to the bandpass signal. Analytic and antianalytic components occupying non overlapping frequency bands are separated by filtering. The proposed algorithms are used to represent speech signals processed through a bandpass filter bank.     

Stoichiometry driven impurity configurations in compound semiconductors

Precise stoichiometry and departures therefrom in the composition of the tetrahedrally coordinated compound semiconductors allow impurity incorporation in more than one configuration. Ultrahigh resolution infrared spectroscopy of CdTe:O at low temperatures reveals a unique sharp doublet associated with the local vibrational modes of OTe in a (OTe-VCd) complex with nearest neighbor Cd vacancy VCd and a single sharp line attributed to the local vibrational mode of OTe in a perfect CdTe. The uniaxial (C3v) symmetry of (OTe-VCd) transforms to Td symmetry at T* approximately 300 K, acquired due to an increasing rate of dynamic switching of the "OTe-VCd" dangling bond in which the vacancy and its three next nearest neighbor Cd cations exchange positions as temperature (T) approaches T*; for T>or=T*, the doublet thus transforms into a single, triply degenerate line.