Disorder and optical characterization of evaporation deposited a-Si: H films

Summary We have found, from optical transmission and photoconductivity measurements, that the width of the Urbach's tail and the optical-band gap value depend on the amount of disorder present in the network ofa-Si: H films. The nature of the disorder, being it thermal or structural, affects in the same way the behaviour of the absorption coefficient and supports the hypothesis that the value of the optical-band gap depends only indirectly on the overall hydrogen content. Work partially supported by CNR ?Progetto Finalizzato Energetica? and by the Energy Committee of Sicilian Region.     

A.c. Conductivity of reactive-evaporation-depositeda-Si:H films

Summary The electrical-conductivity frequency dependence of reactive-evaporation-depositeda-Si:H films has been measured in the temperature range (100÷450)K. The influence of the substrate temperature, of the hydrogen ions energy and of post-deposition thermal treatments has also been investigated. The results show that, depending on the material quality, three different conduction mechanisms associated with gap states, band or band tail states and to hopping processes near the Fermi level are observed.     

A Lower Bound for the Height of a Rational Function at S-unit Points

Let a,b be given, multiplicatively independent positive integers and let >0. In a recent paper jointly with Y. Bugeaud we proved the upper bound exp(n) for g.c.d.(aⁿ–1, bⁿ–1); shortly afterwards we generalized this to the estimate g.c.d.(u–1,v–1)<>u,v) for multiplicatively independent S-units u,vZ. In a subsequent analysis of those results it turned out that a perhaps better formulation of them may be obtained in terms of the language of heights of algebraic numbers. In fact, the purposes of the present paper are: to generalize the upper bound for the g.c.d. to pairs of rational functions other than {u–1,v–1} and to extend the results to the realm of algebraic numbers, giving at the same time a new formulation of the bounds in terms of height functions and algebraic subgroups of G_m².     

Synthesis and crystal structure of bis(dimethylthioacetonedicarboxylate)nickel(II)

Summary The title compound has been synthesized and characterized. The crystal structure has been determined by single-crystal x-ray analysis from diffractometer data, and refined to R= 0.063 for 1889 observed reflections. Crystals are monoclinic, space group P2₁/n, witha=21.97(2),b=8.21(1),c=10.44(1) A, and =101.87(3), and Z=4. Both ligands are coordinated to nickel through sulphur and one oxygen atom to realize thecis form of the complex in the square planar coordination geometry. Bond distances are: Ni-S, 2.14(1), Ni-O, 1.87(1) and 1.90(1) Å. Each nickel atom also forms two close contacts with oxygen atoms from adjacent molecules.     

Nature of point defects on SiO2/Mo(112) thin films and their interaction with Au atoms

We have studied by means of periodic DFT calculations the structure and properties of point defects at the surface of ultrathin silica films epitaxially grown on Mo(112) and their interaction with adsorbed Au atoms. For comparison, the same defects have been generated on an unsupported silica film with the same structure. Four defects have been considered: nonbridging oxygen (NBO, [triple bond]Si-O(*)), Si dangling bond (E' center, [triple bond]Si(*)), oxygen vacancy (V(O), [triple bond]Si-Si[triple bond]), and peroxo group ([triple bond]Si-O-O-Si[triple bond]), but only the NBO and the V(O) centers are likely to form on the SiO(2)/Mo(112) films under normal experimental conditions. The [triple bond]Si-O(*) center captures one electron from Mo forming a silanolate group, [triple bond]Si-O(-), sign of a direct interaction with the metal substrate. Apart from the peroxo group, which is unreactive, the other defects bind strongly the Au atom forming stable surface complexes, but their behavior may differ from that of the same centers generated on an unsupported silica film. This is true in particular for the two most likely defects considered, the nonbridging oxygen, [triple bond]Si-O(*), and the oxygen vacancy, [triple bond]Si-Si[triple bond].     

Storage of localized structure matrices in nematic liquid crystals

We show experimentally that large matrices of localized structures can be stored as elementary pixels in a nematic liquid crystal cell. Based on optical feedback with phase modulated input beam, our system allows us to store, erase, and actualize the localized structures in the matrix.