Luminescence of Ce doped LaPO4 nanophosphors upon Ce 4f-5d and band-to-band excitation

Luminescence spectral-kinetic studies have been performed for pure and Ce-doped LaPO₄ micro- and nanosized phosphates using synchrotron radiation for the excitation within 5-20 eV energy range at T=8-300 K. Mechanisms for the excitation of Ce³⁺ 5d-4f emission as well as the quenching processes are discussed. The influence of surface defects has been considered to modify considerably the luminescent properties of nanosized phosphors upon the excitation in the energy range of Ce³⁺ 4f-5d transitions and LaPO₄ host absorption.     

Dimerization and charge order in hollandite K₂V₈O₁₆

The metal-insulator transition occurring in hollandite K?V?O?? has been studied by means of neutron and x-ray diffraction as well as by thermodynamic and electron-spin resonance measurements. The complete analysis of the crystal structure in the distorted phase allows us to identify dimerization as the main distortion element in insulating K?V?O??. At low-temperature, half of the V chains are dimerized perfectly explaining the suppression of magnetic susceptibility due to the formation of spin singlets. The dimerization is accompanied by the segregation of charges into chains.     

The role of oxygen stoichiometry on phase stability, structure, and magnetic properties of Sr2CoIrO(6-δ)

The phase stability, crystal structure, and magnetic properties of perovskite-like nonstoichiometric Sr(2)CoIrO(6-δ) were studied. Oxygen deficiency can be well controlled and reversibly varied up to δ = 0.33. A single phase exists at least for partial oxygen pressures between 10(-5) and 1 bar at 1273 K, followed by phase decomposition at higher temperature with the elimination of metallic Ir and the formation of a new phase with approximately Sr(3)CoIrO(6) composition crystallizing in K(4)CdCl(6) structure type. The structural features of Sr(2)CoIrO(6-δ) are dependent on both temperature and oxygen content and were determined by synchrotron and neutron powder diffraction. Both the increasing amount of oxygen vacancies at constant temperature and increasing temperature at constant oxygen content result in the same higher crystal symmetry of Sr(2)CoIrO(6-δ): (1) The oxygen-stoichiometric phase Sr(2)CoIrO(6.00) is monoclinic (I2/m or P2(1)/n) at room temperature but cubic (Fm-3m) for Sr(2)CoIrO(5.67). (2) A sequence of phase transitions [Formula: see text] was observed for Sr(2)CoIrO(6.00) in air. All Sr(2)CoIrO(6-δ) compositions show weak ferromagnetism at low temperature with a canted but predominantly antiferromagnetic ground state. The magnetic ordering temperature decreases monotonously with increasing oxygen deficiency, while pronounced extrema are observed for the paramagnetic moment and the Curie-Weiss temperature at an oxygen deficiency δ ≈ 0.10, which corresponds to the P2(1)/n ? I2/m phase transformation.     

Low temperature structural variations and molar heat capacity of stolzite, PbWO4

The crystal structure, thermal expansion and heat capacity of PbWO₄ (mineral name stolzite) scintillator material were comprehensively studied over a wide temperature range. No phase transitions were found down to 2 K (I4₁/a, scheelite structure type). A distinct feature of the temperature induced structural variations in PbWO₄ are the different thermal elongations of shorter and longer Pb-O distances. The low-temperature thermal expansion of PbWO₄ was parameterized on the basis of the 1st order Grüneisen approximation using a Debye function for the internal energy with a Debye temperature of 237 K, a bulk modulus of 67 GPa and a Grüneisen parameter of 1.08. The expansion along the c-axis is about 2.5-3 times higher in the range 23-290 K than along the a-direction. This pronounced anisotropy of the thermal expansion arises from the arrangements of rigid tetrahedral WO₄²⁻ units along 〈100〉-directions while Pb²⁺ cations occupy the sites between WO₄²⁻ in 〈001〉-directions.     

High-temperature behaviour of average structure and vibrational density of states in the ternary superionic compound AgCuSe

Results of simultaneous thermal analysis (STA), synchrotron powder diffraction (in the range 300–973 K) and inelastic neutron scattering (at 285 and 505 K) on non-superionic β- and superionic α-AgCuSe are reported. The sample is stable in argon on heating. The volume change at the superionic phase transition is about 5%. A model for the average structure of α-AgCuSe is proposed. No anomalies in the temperature dependence of the parameters of the average structure were revealed. Ionic conductivity in α-AgCuSe can originate from cation jumps in “skewed” 〈100 〉 directions between nearest-neighbour tetrahedral sites via the peripheries of the octahedral cavities. A correlation between the temperature dependence of the cation redistribution in α-AgCuSe and the temperature dependence of the ionic conductivity is supposed. Various contributions (anharmonic effects, time-average static disorder and phonon-phonon scattering) to the widths of individual phonons upon temperature increase lead to pronounced changes in the neutron-weighted densities of states of β- and α-AgCuSe and accompany the superionic phase transition as well.     

Phonon density of states in γ-, β-, and α-AgCuS

The ternary superionic conductor AgCuS was studied by means of inelastic neutron scattering at temperatures of 150 to 398 K. The experimental time-of-flight spectra were recalculated into the generalized phonon density of states G(ɛ) in an incoherent approximation. It is shown that G(ɛ) of AgCuS has a nontrivial temperature dependence over the low-energy range. The relation between the temperature dependence of G(ɛ) and the existence of a low-energy mode in AgCuS is discussed. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Estimation of ultrasonic attenuation in a bone using coded excitation

This paper describes a novel approach to estimate broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) in a bone structure in human in vivo using coded excitation. BUA is an accepted indicator for assessment of osteoporosis. In the tested approach a coded acoustic signal is emitted and then the received echoes are compressed into brief, high amplitude pulses making use of matched filters and correlation receivers. In this way the acoustic peak pressure amplitude probing the tissue can be markedly decreased whereas the average transmitted intensity increases proportionally to the length of the code. This paper examines the properties of three different transmission schemes, based on Barker code, chirp and Golay code. The system designed is capable of generating 16 bits complementary Golay code (CGC), linear frequency modulated (LFM) chirp and 13-bit Barker code (BC) at 0.5 and 1 MHz center frequencies. Both in vivo data acquired from healthy heel bones and in vitro data obtained from human calcaneus were examined and the comparison between the results using coded excitation and two cycles sine burst is presented. It is shown that CGC system allows the effective range of frequencies employed in the measurement of broadband acoustic energy attenuation in the trabecular bone to be doubled in comparison to the standard 0.5 MHz pulse transmission. The algorithm used to calculate the pairs of Golay sequences of the different length, which provide the temporal side-lobe cancellation is also presented. Current efforts are focused on adapting the system developed for operation in pulse-echo mode; this would allow examination and diagnosis of bones with limited access such as hip bone.     

Synthesis,Crystal Structure and Lithium Motion of Li8SeN2 and Li8TeN2

The compounds Li₈EN₂ with E = Se, Te were obtained in form of orange microcrystalline powders from reactions of Li₂E with Li₃N. Single crystal growth of Li₈SeN₂ additionally succeeded from excess lithium. The crystal structures were refined using single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction as well as X‐ray and neutron powder diffraction data (I4₁md, No. 109, Z = 4, Se: a = 7.048(1) Å, c = 9.995(1) Å, Te: a = 7.217(1) Å, c = 10.284(1) Å). Both compounds crystallize as isotypes with an anionic substructure motif known from cubic Laves phases and lithium distributed over four crystallographic sites in the void space of the anionic framework. Neutron powder diffraction pattern recorded in the temperature range from 3 K to 300 K and X‐ray diffraction patterns using synchrotron radiation taken from 300 K to 1000 K reveal the structural stability of both compounds in the studied temperature range until decomposition. Motional processes of lithium atoms in the title compounds were revealed by temperature dependent NMR spectroscopic investigations. Those are indicated by significant changes of the ⁷Li NMR signals. Lithium motion starts for Li₈SeN₂ above 150 K whereas it is already present in Li₈TeN₂ at this temperature. Quantum mechanical calculations of NMR spectroscopic parameters reveal clearly different environments of the lithium atoms determined by the electric field gradient, which are sensitive to the anisotropy of charge distribution at the nuclear sites. With respect to an increasing coordination number according to 2 + 1, 3, 3 + 1, and 4 for Li(3), Li(4), Li(2), and Li(1), respectively, the values of the electric field gradients decrease. Different environments of lithium predicted by quantum mechanical calculations are confirmed by ⁷Li NMR frequency sweep experiments at low temperatures.     

Baryon pairs production ine + e − annihilation at\sqrt s = 2.4 GeV

Search for baryon pairs production ine ⁺ e ^? annihilation at \(\sqrt s = 2386 MeV\) is reported. The data relate to a luminosity of 161 nb^?1 collected by the DM2 experiment at DCI, the Orsay colliding ring. First measurements of directe ⁺ e ^? annihilation into \(\Lambda \bar \Lambda \) and ofe ⁺ e ^?→ \(p\bar p\) at this energy are presented. First observation of a goode ⁺ e ^?→ \(n\bar n\) candidate is reported and upper limits are given fore ⁺ e ^?→ \(n\bar n, \Lambda \bar \sum ^0 + c.c.\) and \(\Sigma ^0 \bar \Sigma ^0 \) .     

Thermal expansion of CuInSe2 in the 11–1,073 K range: an X-ray diffraction study

Structural and elastic properties of chalcopyrite-type CuInSe₂ are determined in almost full stability range of temperature from 11 to 1,073 K, by in situ X-ray diffraction, employing a synchrotron-radiation source. The studied polycrystalline sample was prepared from a stoichiometric single crystal. Phase analysis reveals the formation of a trace amount of indium oxide impurity phase at the highest temperatures studied. From the obtained smooth lattice-parameter dependencies on temperature, the temperature dependencies of thermal expansion coefficients are derived. These coefficients are found to follow the trends previously reported for narrow temperature intervals. The present results provide a clear experimental evidence that the linear expansion coefficient is slightly negative below 47 K in both, a and c, directions; this temperature limit is in between the previously reported theoretical value (35 K) and the experimental ones (60 and 80 K) of such limit.