Raman studies on local structural disorder in silicon-based amorphous semiconductor films

Raman scattering and ESR measurements were carried out for amorphous Si and amorphous Si-based alloy systems such as Si-N and Si-C. A pronounced broadening of the Si-Si To-like band of Raman spectrum is observed with an increase in the N or C content for amorphous Si-N and Si-C alloy systems. The broadening of the TO-like band for amorphous Si system as well as amorphous Si-N and Si-C systems has a good correlation with an increase in the density of dangling bonds derived from ESR measurements. The fact suggests that dangling bonds are produced in order to relax the local strain due to structural constraint and lower the total energy.     

Concentration dependence of electroosmosis and streaming potential across charged membranes

Electroosmosis and streaming potential measurements were carried out across charged membranes made of collodion and sulfonated polystyrene. Experiments were confined to the range where linear flux/force relationships hold. Saxén's relationship holds between electroosmosis and streaming potential; for porous charged membranes these exhibit an approximate inverse proportionality to ionic mobility at the limit of low electrolyte concentration. Both tend towards zero at the limit of high electrolyte concentration.     

NMR and ESR studies on a-Si1−xGex:H prepared by magnetron sputtering

NMR, IR and ESR measurements have been performed for hydrogenated amorphous Si-Ge alloy films prepared by magnetron sputtering. NMR signals similar to those for a-Si:H are observed with no motional narrowing effect. The content of dispersed hydrogen atoms estimated from the narrow component of the NMR signal is independent of the Ge content, although the total hydrogen content decreases with increasing the Ge content. Such NMR results are discussed in conjunction with the results of ESR.     

Sizeable pure tensor polarization of deuterons in a solid

A new effect of dynamic nuclear orientation has been observed in deuterated 1, 2-ethanediol, (CD₂OH)₂, at 0.12 K in a magnetic field of 25 kG: a strong RF field applied at a frequency slightly different from the proton Larmor frequency changes the deuteron tensor polarization. Mechanisms for this effect are proposed.     

Resonantly enhanced nonlinear conductance in long quantum point contacts near pinch-off

We report on a remarkable resonance in the differential conductance of long quantum point contacts (QPCs) that is observed as a precursor to regular quantized transport. This effect is increasingly pronounced in longer QPCs, in which the differential conductance may resonantly exceed 2e2/h. From a study of the experimental characteristics of this feature, we suggest that it may be associated with the formation of a well-resolved energy gap that opens dynamically as a result of enhanced many-body interactions in long QPCs.