Local chemical state change in Co–O resistance random access memory

Kelvin probe force microscopy (KFM) and conductive atomic force microscopy (C‐AFM) together with micro X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were performed for the stacking structure comprising of the transition metal oxide Co–O and metal electrode, which exhibits large reproducible resistance switching. The application of the external voltage by the C‐AFM cantilever decreases the resistance of Co–O, which well accords with the non‐polar forming process observed in the Pt/Co–O/Pt trilayer, known as the candidate of resistance random access memory (ReRAM). Furthermore, the KFM and micro XPS experimentally revealed that the local reductive reaction of Co–O possibly nucleates the defect related energy levels which dominates the current conduction in the low resistance state. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Reduction of ion thermal diffusivity associated with the transition of the radial electric field in neutral-beam-heated plasmas in the large helical device

Recent large helical device experiments revealed that the transition from ion root to electron root occurred for the first time in neutral-beam-heated discharges, where no nonthermal electrons exist. The measured values of the radial electric field were found to be in qualitative agreement with those estimated by neoclassical theory. A clear reduction of ion thermal diffusivity was observed after the mode transition from ion root to electron root as predicted by neoclassical theory when the neoclassical ion loss is more dominant than the anomalous ion loss.     

Nanoparticles in Emissions and Atmospheric Environment: Now and Future

Journal of Nanoparticle Research -     

Spin dynamics in crystalline and amorphous DyAg

Crystalline (cr-) Dyag [CsC] structure] orders antiferro-magnetically with T_N≅60K; amorphous (am-) DyAg ferro-magnetically with T_C≈-18K. We measured the longitudinal field (LF) μ⁺SR relaxation functions G_ZZ(t) for 5K<T<300K using surface muons. In the paramagnetic state. cr-DyAg gives an exponential G_ZZ (t) in the relaxation rate rising first slowly then more rapidlynear T_N; no decoupling is observed in LF up to 0.4T. In the ordered state we see a Lorentzian Kubo-Toyabe G_ZZ(t), becoming nearly static at the lowest temperatures. Its static width is very narrow (Δ≈-7 MHz), and full dceoupling is achieved here in 0.1 T. On approaching T_N, the fluctuation rate and the static width increase mootonically bt the field distribution remains Loratzian. A LF of 0.4T is then insufficient to quench the fast exponential relaxation. In paramagnetic am-DyAg, the μ⁺ depolarization is always much faster then in cr-DyAg. At lower temperatures it is better described by a root-exponential than an exponential G_ZZ(t). Below T_C an exponentially relaxing signal with 1/3 amplitude is seen. The decoupling effect of LF up to 0.4T was negligible at all temperatures.     

Observation of Nano-Dots on HOPG Surface Induced by Highly Charged Arq+ Impact

Highly charged ions （HCIs） have huge potential energy due to their high charge state. When a HCI reaches a solid surface, its potential energy is released immediately on the surface to cause a nano-scale defect. Thus, HCIs are expected to be useful for solid-surface modifications on the nano-scale. We investigate the defects on a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite （HOPG） surface induced by slow highly charged Ar^q＋ ions with impact energy of 20-2000qeV with scanning probe microscopy （SPM）. In order to clarify the role of kinetic and potential energies in surface modification, the nano-defects are characterized in lateral size and height corresponding to the kinetic energy and charge state of the HCIs. Both the potential energy and kinetic energy of the ions may influence the size of nano-defect. Since potential energy increases dramatically with increasing charge state, the potential energy effect is expected to be much larger than the kinetic energy effect in the case of extremely high charge states. This implies that pure surface modification on the nano-scale could be carried out by slow highly charged ions. The mean size of nano-defect region could also be controlled by selecting the charge state and kinetic energy of HCI.     

Study of Strangeness Photoproduction on the Neutron in the Threshold Region

Photoproduction of the neutral kaon on the deuteron has been investigated at the Research Center for Electron Photon Science, Tohoku University. We constructed the Neutral Kaon Spectrometer-2 for the detection of charged particles from the decay of the neutral kaon and the hyperon. We obtained a momentum distribution of K ⁰ with the inclusive measurement. It was consistent with the previous measurement. The total cross section of γ + d → K ⁰ + Λ + p was estimated from the measured integral cross section of γ + d → Λ + X. The total cross section with respect to the photon energy was compared with the theoretical calculations. It favored the Saclay-Lyon A model calculation with the ratio of the neutral to charged coupling constants of the axial-vector meson, K ₁, as ~ ?1.5. The energy dependence and the magnitude of the total cross section were similar to the total cross section of γ + p → K ⁺ Λ.     

Crystal Melting and Toric Calabi-Yau Manifolds

We construct a statistical model of crystal melting to count BPS bound states of D0 and D2 branes on a single D6 brane wrapping an arbitrary toric Calabi-Yau threefold. The three-dimensional crystalline structure is determined by the quiver diagram and the brane tiling which characterize the low energy effective theory of D branes. The crystal is composed of atoms of different colors, each of which corresponds to a node of the quiver diagram, and the chemical bond is dictated by the arrows of the quiver diagram. BPS states are constructed by removing atoms from the crystal. This generalizes the earlier results on the BPS state counting to an arbitrary non-compact toric Calabi-Yau manifold. We point out that a proper understanding of the relation between the topological string theory and the crystal melting involves the wall crossing in the Donaldson-Thomas theory.