Large Seebeck coefficients in iron‐oxypnictides: a new route towards n‐type thermoelectric materials

The iron‐oxypnictide compounds, recently reported as a new class of superconductors when appropriately doped, exhibit large Seebeck coefficients, of the order of –100 µV/K, while keeping good electrical conductivity. Their power factor shows a peak at low temperatures, suggesting possible applications of these materials in thermoelectric cooling modules in the liquid nitrogen temperature range. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Lanthanide-doped strontium barium niobate (SBN) materials: A vibrational investigation

Vibrational Raman spectra have been measured for strontium barium niobate (Sr_0.5Ba_0.5Nb₂O₆, SBN50) single crystals and nanopowders doped with 1 mol% of the luminescent ions Eu³⁺ and Er³⁺. The nanocrystalline materials show slightly broader spectra with respect to the single crystals with the same composition. The presence of the Eu³⁺ and Er³⁺ ions at the 1 mol% doping level, and the present particle size (200 nm) do not appear to affect the ferro-to-paraelectric phase transition temperature typical of undoped SBN50 single crystals, as detected from anomalies in the dependence of the position of the Raman peak around 635 cm^?1 as a function of the temperature.     

Measured integrated band intensities and simulated line-by-line spectra for 12C2HD between 25 and 2.5 μm,and new global vibration–rotation parameters for the bending vibrations

The global analysis of published high-resolution vibration–rotation spectra of ¹²C₂HD in the bending spectral range is presented, resulting in an extension of the known vibration–rotation assignments, including a new band 2v₄+v₅←2v₄ (^IΠ←Δ). Experimental integrated band intensities are reported in the range from 25 to 2.5 μm, and both v₄ and v₅ bending fundamentals are simulated line by line. An extensive line list is produced in the bending energy range, to supply previously missing information in databases.     

Slow-light spatial solitons

We numerically and experimentally report the observation of slow-light spatial solitons in a Kerr medium owing to light amplification by stimulated Raman scattering. This was achieved in a CS2 nonlinear planar waveguide that possesses both a strong self-focusing nonlinearity to generate the spatial Raman soliton and a Raman susceptibility sharp enough to induce the slow-light process simultaneously. We show that the Raman Stokes component is optically delayed by more than 120 ps for a 140 ps Raman pulse duration and only 3 cm of propagation length, while propagating as a spatial soliton beam.     

Nonlinear coherent transport of waves in disordered media

We present a diagrammatic theory for coherent backscattering from disordered dilute media in the nonlinear regime. We show that the coherent backscattering enhancement factor is strongly affected by the nonlinearity, and we corroborate these results by numerical simulations. Our theory can be applied to several physical scenarios such as scattering of light in a nonlinear Kerr medium or propagation of matter waves in disordered potentials.     

(19)F-(19)F and (19)F-(1)H spin-spin coupling constants in cyclic FH polymers (FH)(n), n=2-6

Spin-spin coupling constants (2h)J(F-F), (1)J(F-H), and (1h)J(H-F) have been obtained for cyclic complexes (FH)(n), with n=2-6, from ab initio equation-of-motion coupled cluster singles and doubles (EOM-CCSD) calculations. Although both the Fermi-contact (FC) term and (2h)J(F-F) increase and become positive as the cluster size increases, the FC term is not a good quantitative approximation to (2h)J(F-F). The paramagnetic spin-orbit (PSO) and spin-dipole (SD) terms which contribute to (2h)J(F-F) appear to be sensitive to the orientation of the hydrogen-bonded pair. However, the large increase in the FC term and (2h)J(F-F) as the size of the cluster increases is due primarily to the reorganization of sigma electron densities in both ground and excited states, and is another manifestation of cooperativity effects in hydrogen-bonded cyclic polymers. The FC term and (1)J(F-H) always increase upon complex formation, but (1)J(F-H) increases only slightly as the size of the cluster increases due to a concurrent decrease in the PSO term. The changes in (1)J(F-H) as a function of polymer size reflect the polarization of electron density away from H and toward F in the ground state, and the electron reorganization which occurs in the excited states which couple to the ground states through the FC and PSO operators. The FC term is a good approximation to (1h)J(H-F), and is always negative, indicating that the hydrogen bonds in the FH clusters are traditional hydrogen bonds.     

Quantum order by disorder in frustrated diamond lattice antiferromagnets

We present a quantum theory of frustrated diamond lattice antiferromagnets. Considering quantum fluctuations as the predominant mechanism relieving spin frustration, we find a rich phase diagram comprising of six phases with coplanar spiral ordering in addition to the Néel phase. By computing the specific heat of these ordered phases, we obtain a remarkable agreement between (k, k, 0) spiral ordering and the experimental specific heat data for the diamond lattice spinel compounds MnSc2S4, Co3O4, and CoRh2O4, i.e., specific heat data is a strong evidence for (k, k, 0) spiral ordering in all of these materials. This prediction can be tested in future neutron scattering experiments on Co3O4 and CoRh2O4, and is consistent with existing neutron scattering data on MnSc2S4. Based on this agreement, we infer a monotonically increasing relationship between frustration and the strength of quantum fluctuations.     

Passive acoustic detection and localization of whales: effects of shipping noise in Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park

The performance of large-aperture hydrophone arrays to detect and localize blue and fin whales' 15-85 Hz signature vocalizations under ocean noise conditions was assessed through simulations from a normal mode propagation model combined to noise statistics from 15 960 h of recordings in Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park. The probability density functions of 2482 summer noise level estimates in the call bands were used to attach a probability of detection/masking to the simulated call levels as a function of whale depth and range for typical environmental conditions. Results indicate that call detection was modulated by the calling depth relative to the sound channel axis and by modal constructive and destructive interferences with range. Masking of loud infrasounds could reach 40% at 30 km for a receiver at the optimal depth. The 30 dB weaker blue whale D-call were subject to severe masking. Mapping the percentages of detection and localization allowed assessing the performance of a six-hydrophone array under mean- and low-noise conditions. This approach is helpful for optimizing hydrophone configuration in implementing passive acoustic monitoring arrays and building their detection function for whale density assessment, as an alternative to or in combination with the traditional undersampling visual methods.