Synthesis and characterization of substituted garnet and perovskite-based lithium-ion conducting solid electrolytes

Titanium, tantalum-substituted Li₇La₃Zr_2-xA_xO₁₂ (LLZO, A?=?Ta, Ti) garnets, and chromium-substituted La_(2/3)-xLi_3xTi_1-yCr_yO₃ (LLTO) perovskites were prepared by a conventional solid-state reaction and the Pechini processes. The desired crystal phases were obtained by varying the calcination temperature and time, as well as the substitution concentration. All samples indicated decomposition of the precursors when heated above 750 °C and formation of the desired phase after heat treatment at higher temperatures. Neutron diffraction data shows the formation of a predominant cubic phase in the case of Ta-LLZO, and monoclinic phase with minor impurity phases for Cr-LLTO. Ionic conductivity for Ti-LLZO (Li₇La₃Zr_1.4Ti_0.6O₁₂), Ta-LLZO (Li_6.03La₃Zr_1.533Ta_0.46O₁₂), and Cr-LLTO (La_(2/3)-xLi_3xTi_0.9Cr_0.1O₃) at room temperature were found to be 5.21?×?10^?6, 1.01?×?10^?6, and 1.2?×?10^?4 S cm^?1, respectively. The activation energies of the compounds were determined from the Arrhenius plot and were 0.44 eV (Ti_0.6-LLZO), 0.54 eV (Ta_0.5-LLZO), and 0.20 eV (Cr_0.1-LLTO).     

High-resolution diffusion imaging using phase-corrected segmented echo-planar imaging

Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed with a high-resolution segmented echo-planar imaging technique, which provided images with substantially less susceptibility artifacts than images obtained with single-shot echo-planar imaging (EPI). Diffusion imaging performed with any multishot pulse sequence is inherently sensitive to motion artifacts and in order to reduce motion artifacts, the presented method utilizes navigator echo phase corrections, performed after a one-dimensional Fourier transform along the frequency-encoding direction. Navigator echo phases were fitted to a straight line prior to phase correction to avoid errors from internal motion. In vivo imaging was performed using electro cardiographic (ECG) triggering. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps were calculated on a pixel-by-pixel basis using up to seven diffusion sensitivities, ranging from b = 0 to 1129 x 10(6) s/m(2).     

Influence of composition on hyperfine interactions in FeMoCuB nanocrystalline alloy

Influence of varying Fe/B ratio upon hyperfine interactions is investigated in the Fe_91?x Mo₈Cu₁B_x rapidly quenched alloys. They are studied both in the as-quenched (amorphous) state as well as after one-hour annealing at different temperatures ranging from 330 °C up to 650 °C. Such a heat treatment causes significant structural changes featuring a formation of nanocrystalline bcc-Fe grains during the first crystallization step. At higher annealing temperatures, a grain growth of bcc-Fe and occurrence of additional crystalline phases are observed. The relative fraction of the crystalline phase governs the development of magnetic hyperfine fields in the residual amorphous matrix even if this was fully paramagnetic in the as-quenched state. The development of hyperfine interactions is discussed as a function of annealing temperature and composition of the investigated alloys. ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectrometry was used as a principal analytical method. Additional information related to the structural arrangement is obtained from X-ray diffractometry. It is shown that in the as-quenched state, the relative fraction of magnetic hyperfine interactions increases as the amount of B rises. In partially crystalline samples, the contribution of magnetic hyperfine interactions inside the retained amorphous matrix increases with annealing temperature even though the relative fraction of amorphous magnetic regions decreases.     

On the Singular Effects in the Relativistic Landau Levels in Graphene with a Disclination

The effect of a pseudo Aharonov-Bohm (AB) magnetic field generated by a disclination on a two-dimensional electron gas in graphene is addressed in the continuum limit within the geometric approach. The influence of the coupling between the spinor fields and the singular conical curvature is investigated, which shows that singularities have pronounced impact in the Hall conductivity. Moreover, the degeneracy related to the Dirac valleys is broken for negative values of the angular momentum quantum numbers, l, includingl ≡ 0. In this case, a Hall plateau develops at the null filling factor. Obtaining the Hall conductivity by summing over the positive and the negative l's, the null Landau level is recovered and the plateau at the null filling factor disappears. In any case, the standard plateaus, which are seen in a flat graphene are not obtained with these curvature and singular effects.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">f</Emphasis>(<Emphasis Type="Italic">R</Emphasis>) global monopole revisited

In this paper the f(R) global monopole is reexamined. We provide an exact solution for the modified field equations in the presence of a global monopole for regions outside its core, generalizing previous results. Additionally, we discuss some particular cases obtained from this solution. We consider a setup consisting of a possible Schwarzschild black hole that absorbs the topological defect, giving rise to a static black hole endowed with a monopole’s charge. Besides, we demonstrate how the asymptotic behavior of the Higgs field far from the monopole’s core is shaped by a class of spacetime metrics which includes the ones analyzed here. In order to assess the gravitational properties of this system, we analyze the geodesic motion of both massive and massless test particles moving in the vicinity of such configuration. For the material particles we set the requirements they have to obey in order to experience stable orbits. On the other hand, for the photons we investigate how their trajectories are affected by the gravitational field of this black hole.