Currently available methods of industrial nanodiamond synthesis

The main theoretical aspects of detonation decomposition of powerful mixed explosives with a negative oxygen balance accompanied by the formation of nanodiamonds (ultrafine-dispersed diamonds, UDDs) are described. The basic UDD synthesis parameters are considered, and the expediency of using trotyl-hexogen alloys is shown. The conditions of diamond phase conservation in the detonation products are specified. Various versions of industrial detonation synthesis of UDDs are considered. The most efficient technology of chemical cleaning of UDDs (with nitric acid at high temperatures and pressures) for producing UDDs with the highest purity is described.

     

Microstructure and mechanical characteristics of nanodiamond-SiC compacts

Superhard nanodiamond-SiC ceramics are prepared by infiltrating liquid Si into porous nanodiamond compacts under pressure. Synthesized samples are 2.2 mm thick and 3–4 mm in diameter. The effect of particle size of dynamically synthesized nanodiamond powders on silicon infiltration and SiC phase formation is studied. It is established that silicon does not penetrate into the pores of nanodiamond powders if the original particle size is smaller than 0.5–1.0 μm. The critical pore size for infiltration is 100–200 nm. A study of the microstructure of the samples showed the presence of the nanometer-and submicron-scale SiC phase. The ultrasound velocities are measured in the prepared compacts, and the elastic moduli are calculated. __________ Translated from Fizika Tverdogo Tela, Vol. 46, No. 4, 2004, pp. 734–736. Original Russian Text Copyright ? 2004 by Ekimov, Gromnitskaya, Mazalov, Pal’, Pichugin, Gierlotka, Palosz, Kozubowski.     

Destruction and stabilization of the electromagnetic transparency of a semiconductor superlattice

Three types of transparency of a semiconductor superlattice, namely, self-induced, induced, and selective transparency, were studied. The conditions of their existence and the causes of their destruction were revealed. It was shown that the state of self-induced transparency, which is unstable in a harmonic field, can be stable in a biharmonic field.     

Excitons in Si nanocrystals

The states of electron-hole pairs in spherical silicon nanocrystals are theoretically studied using the “multiband” effective-mass approximation in the limit of an infinitely high potential barrier at the boundary. The degeneracy of the states at the top of the valence band is taken into account in the spherical approximation, and the ellipsoidal character of the electronic spectrum in the conduction band is allowed for. Coulomb interaction-induced corrections to the energy of an electron-hole pair are found.     

Optical properties of CdF<Subscript>2</Subscript> in a wide energy range

For either of the two reflection spectra of cadmium difluoride that are known from experiments, a complete set of the fundamental optical functions is calculated in the energy range 4–45 eV with the Kramers-Kronig relationships. The basic features of the optical spectra are established, and a hypothesis for their origin is suggested based on the known theoretical results for the band structure.     

Nanostructure and conductivity of thin metal films

Amorphous silver, copper, gold, and iron films of a thickness between 6 and 350 nm are grown on polymeric substrates by vacuum evaporation. The nanostructure of the films is investigated. The dependence of the conductivity on the film thickness is obtained, and a correlation between the surface morphology and the conductivity is established.     

Magnetization vector field in a uniaxial ferromagnetic film

Technical Physics - Analytical models for the magnetization vector field B m in a uniaxial ferromagnetic film are studied. Some of them are found to closely approximate B m even if the quality...     

Diffusion of a low-soluble impurity in a solid matrix

An analytical expression for the concentration profile of a low-soluble diffusant in a sample is derived for a high-capacity diffusion source. The model is checked by determining the diffusion coefficient of yttrium in beryllium.