Temperature‐dependent Raman spectroscopy of BaTiO3 nanorods synthesized by using a template‐assisted sol–gel procedure

In the present work, multiphase polycrystalline BTO nanorods were synthesized using template‐assisted sol–gel deposition and their structural evolution was studied using thermo Raman spectroscopy, X‐ray diffractometry and high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). In the BTO nanorods, the tetragonal phase was the dominant one, while both Raman and HRTEM indicated a coexistence with the high‐temperature hexagonal polymorph. This phase was stable across the whole of the investigated temperature range (from −95 °C to 200 °C). The investigated nanorods underwent a diffuse phase transition from tetragonal to cubic with respect to the temperature, whereas the final phase‐transition temperature was shifted to higher values compared to that expected for BTO. The low‐temperature orthorhombic‐to‐rhombohedral phase transition was also shifted to higher temperatures. These differences could be explained by the strain induced by the presence of hexagonal nanolamellas intergrown within the tetragonal nanocrystals. This result indicates that the temperature of the ferroelectric phase transition in polycrystalline BTO nanorods can be manipulated by introducing a stable hexagonal phase. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Three-dimensional spatiotemporal solitary waves in strongly nonlocal media

We construct a class of three-dimensional strongly nonlocal spatiotemporal solitary waves of the nonlocal nonlinear Schrödinger equation, by using superpositions of single accessible solitons as initial conditions. Evolution of such solitary waves, termed the accessible light bullets, is studied numerically by choosing specific values of topological charges and other solitonic parameters. Our numerical results reveal that in strongly nonlocal nonlinear media with a Gaussian response function, different classes of accessible spatiotemporal solitons can be generated and controlled by tailoring different soliton parameters.     

Bright soliton interactions in a $$\mathbf (2 +\mathbf 1) $$ ( 2 + 1 ) -dimensional fourth-order variable-coefficient nonlinear Schrödinger equation for the Heisenberg ferromagnetic spin chain

Nonlinear Dynamics - Interactions of bright solitons in the Heisenberg ferromagnetic spin chain, governed by a $$(2+1)$$ -dimensional nonlinear Schrödinger equation with variable coefficients,...     

Quasi-stable propagation of vortices and soliton clusters in saturable Kerr media with square-root nonlinearity

Analytical and numerical investigation of the propagation of optical beams in Kerr-like saturable photorefractive media is carried out, utilizing a novel model for the local isotropic part of the space-charge field generated in the medium. Using a variational technique, optimal propagation parameters for the most stable propagation of otherwise unstable single Gaussian, single vortex, and optical soliton cluster beams are determined. Analogy between a ring of identical weakly overlapping solitons and a vortex of the same topological charge is explored.     

Dynamic instability of self-induced bidirectional waveguides in photorefractive media

We report on the experimental observation of a dynamic instability in the interaction of counterpropagating self-trapped beams in a photorefractive strontium barium niobate crystal. While the interaction of copropagating spatial optical solitons exhibits only transient dynamics, resulting in a final steady state, the counterpropagating geometry supports a dynamic instability mediated by intrinsic feedback. Experimental observations are compared with and found to be in qualitative agreement with numerical simulations.     

Theory of square-wave stripping voltammetry with adsorptive accumulation

Summary A model of the anion-induced adsorptive accumulation combined with a square-wave voltammetric stripping is developed. The dependence of peak currents and peak potentials on the reversibility of redox reactions and on the reaction mechanism is demonstrated. The sensitivity of the method is estimated.

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Theorie der Square-Wave Stripping Voltammetrie mit adsorptiver Anreicherung

     

Collisions of Two Spatial Solitons in Inhomogeneous Nonlinear Media

Collisions of spatial solitons occurring in the nonlinear Schröinger equation with harmonic potential are studied, using conservation laws and the split-step Fourier method. We find an analytical solution for the separation distance between the spatial solitons in an inhomogeneous nonlinear medium when the light beam is self-trapped in the transverse dimension. In the self-focusing nonlinear media the spatial solitons can be transmitted stably, and the interaction between spatial solitons is enhanced due to the linear focusing effect (and also diminished for the linear defocusing effect). In the self-defocusing nonlinear media, in the absence of self-trapping or in the presence of linear self-defocusing, no transmission of stable spatial solitons is possible. However, in such media the linear focusing effect can be exactly compensated, and the spatial solitons can propagate through.     

Theory of reverse scan square-wave voltammetry influenced by the kinetics of reactant adsorption

A model of electrode reaction complicated by slow adsorption of the reactant is developed for square-wave voltammetry with inverse scan direction. The relationship between the dimensionless net peak current and the logarithm of dimensionless rate constant of adsorption is a curve with a minimum and a maximum. For this reason the ratio of real net peak current and the square-root of frequency is a non-linear function of the logarithm of frequency and exhibits either a maximum or a minimum. The frequency of extreme serves for the estimation of the rate constant: log(k _ads /D ^1/2 ) = log(k* _ads )_crit + 0.5 log f _crit , where (k* _ads ) _crit is a critical dimensionless rate constant of adsorption. Square-wave voltammetry is sensitive to the kinetics of adsorption if k _ads < 10² cm s⁻¹      

Disorder-induced localization of light near edges of nonlinear photonic lattices

We investigated the influence of edges and corners on the Anderson localization of light in disordered two-dimensional photonic lattices that are optically induced in nonlinear saturable photorefractive media. A systematic quantitative study of gradual transition from corner to bulk Anderson localization in truncated two-dimensional photonic lattices was carried out. We analyzed numerically the localization at several corners and edges of the square and triangular photonic lattices and compared them with the localization in bulk medium. We found that, for strong disorder, corners and edges effectively suppress Anderson localization, as compared to the bulk, but to a varying degree.     

Square-wave protein-film voltammetry: new insights in the enzymatic electrode processes coupled with chemical reactions

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - Redox mechanisms in which the redox transformation is coupled to other chemical reactions are of significant interest since they are regarded as relevant...