A Mössbauer spectroscopic study of an industrial catalyst for dehydrogenation of etylbenzene to styrene

Iron oxide catalyst with spinel structure used for dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene is one kind of important catalyst in petrochemical industry. In this work several series of industrial catalyst were prepared with different components and different manufacturing processes. Mössbauer Spectroscopy has been used to determine the optimal components and the better manufacturing process for spinel structure formation. The results may prove useful for producing the industrial dehydrogenation catalyst with better catalytic property.     

Multiwavelength Raman fiber lasers with equalized peak power using a sampled chirped fiber Bragg grating

Two novel multiwavelength Raman fiber lasers using a ring cavity and a linear cavity are proposed and demonstrated experimentally. Both laser configurations include a sampled chirped fiber Bragg grating used in the reflection mode. By adjusting the polarization controller (PC) in the cavities, up to ten stable lasing wavelengths with 0.8 nm spacing and equalized peak power are achieved at room temperature. It is observed that the output spectrum depends upon which port of the grating is connected to the cavity. These two fiber ring lasers offer advantages such as, stable room temperature operation, simple structure, low loss, multiwavelength lasing lines with moderate output power. PACS 42.55.Wd; 42.55.Ye; 42.81.-i     

Tensor analyzing power T 20 of the dd → 3Hen and dd → 3Hp reactions at zero angle for energies 140, 200, and 270 MeV

RIKEN Accelerator Research Facility data on the tensor analyzing power T ₂₀ of the dd → ³Hen and dd → ³Hp reactions at zero angle for deuteron kinetic energies of 140, 200, and 270 MeV are reported. The observed positive sign of T ₂₀ clearly demonstrates the sensitivity to the D/S-wave ratio in the ³He and ³H wave functions in the energy range of the experiment. Data on T ₂₀ for the ³Hen channel are in agreement with those for the ³Hp channel within the experimental errors.     

Melting of heterogeneous vortex matter: The vortex ‘nanoliquid’

Disorder and porosity are parameters that strongly influence the physical behavior of materials, including their mechanical, electrical, magnetic and optical properties. Vortices in superconductors can provide important insight into the effects of disorder because their size is comparable to characteristic sizes of nanofabricated structures. Here we present experimental evidence for a novel form of vortex matter that consists of inter-connected nanodroplets of vortex liquid caged in the pores of a solid vortex structure, like a liquid permeated into a nanoporous solid skeleton. Our nanoporous skeleton is formed by vortices pinned by correlated disorder created by high-energy heavy ion irradiation. By sweeping the applied magnetic field, the number of vortices in the nanodroplets is varied continuously from a few to several hundred. Upon cooling, the caged nanodroplets freeze into ordered nanocrystals through either a first-order or a continuous transition, whereas at high temperatures a uniform liquid phase is formed upon delocalization-induced melting of the solid skeleton. This new vortex nanoliquid displays unique properties and symmetries that are distinct from both solid and liquid phases.     

Generalization of Einstein relation for doped organic semiconductors

Under the assumption of Gaussian energy distributions of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) and the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO), analytical expressions of generalized Einstein relation for electron and hole transport in doped organic semiconductor thin films are developed. Numerical calculations show that, although traditional Einstein relation still holds for low carrier concentrations, that is, the diffusion-coefficient-to-mobility ratio in units of k_BT/q, with k_B the Boltzmann’s constant, T the temperature and q the elementary charge, equals 1. But when the electron (hole) concentration is high, the diffusion-coefficient-to-mobility ratio for electrons (holes) changes strongly with the electron (hole) concentration, the doping level, the mean energy of LUMOs (HOMOs) of the dopant E_Ld (E_Hd) and the host E_L (E_H), as well as their variances. Dopants with E_Ld<E_L (E_Hd>E_H) affect the diffusion-coefficient-to-mobility ratio mainly in the range of low and middle carrier concentrations, while those with E_Ld>E_L (E_Hd<E_H) have significant effect only in the range of high carrier concentrations. It was found that there can be a maximum in the dependence of the diffusion-coefficient-to-mobility ratio on the quasi-Fermi energy or carrier concentration exist, for appropriate values of the doping level, the mean energy and variance of LUMO or HOMO states of the dopant. PACS 71.20.Rv; 72.90.+y; 73.50.-h     

Optical properties of bulk Zn1−xCoxO magnetic semiconductors

Polycrystalline Zn_1−xCo_xO (x=0, 0.02, 0.05, 0.10 and 0.15) oxides have been synthesized by solid state reaction via sintering ZnO and Co powders in open air. X-ray diffraction analyses using Rietveld refinement indicate that a stoichiometric single phase with a wurtzite-like structure was found in Zn_1−xCo_xO samples with x up to 0.10. The elemental mapping using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopic analyses presents a uniform distribution of Co. Optical transmittance measurements show that several extra absorption bands appear in the Co-doped ZnO, which is due to the transitions between the crystal-field-split 3d levels of tetrahedral Co²⁺ substituting Zn²⁺ ions. Raman measurements show that limited host lattice defects are induced by Co doping. Magnetization measurements reveal that the Co-doped ZnO samples are paramagnetic due to the absence of free carriers and in low temperature the dominant magnetic interaction is nearest-neighbor antiferromagnetic.     

Electric transport character in the La0.7Ce0.3MnO3-SrTiO3-Nb heterojunction

The electric transport character in heterojunction composed of a La_0.7Ce_0.3MnO₃ film and a 0.5 wt% Nb-doped SrTiO₃ substrate (LCEM/STON) is investigated. It is found that the energy band gap (E_g) between LCEM and STON decreases with increasing temperatures. The most striking observation of present work is that there exists a variation of reverse transport mechanism from ionization to tunneling at the temperature of 175 K. We attribute the temperature dependence of reverse transport mechanism to co-work of E_g and the ferromagnetic (FM) insulting phase in the heterojunction. These results are helpful in configuring artificial devices using manganites.     

Integer quantum Hall effect in graphite

We present Hall effect measurements on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite that indicate the occurrence of the integer quantum-Hall-effect. The evidence is given by the observation of regular plateau-like structures in the field dependence of the transverse conductivity obtained in van der Pauw configuration. Measurements with the Corbino-disk configuration support this result and indicate that the quasi-linear and non-saturating longitudinal magnetoresistance in graphite is governed by the Hall effect in agreement with a recent theoretical model for disordered semiconductors.     

Magnetic properties of the bilayer manganese oxide (Pr0.6La0.4)1.2Sr1.8Mn2O7 under pressure

We investigated the effect of pressure on the magnetic properties of a single crystal of the bilayer manganese oxide (Pr_0.6La_0.4)_1.2Sr_1.8Mn₂O₇ by means of DC magnetization measurements under pressure. The ferromagnetic transition, which is accompanied by a metal-insulator transition, is highly sensitive to pressure. The pressure causes a structural variation, which affects the magnetic properties. We discuss the pressure dependence of the 3d electronic state of the Mn ion in this system.     

Saturation field direction dependence of domain structures in NiFe elements

The domain structures in NiFe elements were studied by magnetic force microscopy measurement and micromagnetic modeling. The remanent states in the elements were dependent on the direction of the saturation field. The “S” and “U” states were observed at remanence by applying the saturation field at different directions. The “S” and “U” states are metastable: magnetic force microscopy tip field-induced switching from the “S” and “U” states to the flux closure configuration was observed.