Preparation of Zirconia Nanocrystals from Concentrated Zirconium Aqueous Solutions

A high concentration (0.8 M) zirconium solution turned into a stable aqueous colloid of about 60 nm in size upon low temperature (96^°C) incubation. Changing the acid concentration did not affect the colloidal growth rate nor the final colloid size much. However, the induction time before the rapid growth of colloidal particle could be altered. By limiting the incubation to just before the rapid growth of colloidal zirconia, and the addition of organic acids as surface modifiers, non-agglomerated primary crystallites (10 nm) of m-ZrO₂ could be recovered. These modified primary crystallites could then be repeatedly flocculated and redispersed in water by adjusting the pH.     

Power spectra and spatial pattern dynamics of a ring laser

Experimental measurements of power spectra of a single longitudinal and transverse mode ring dye laser are presented that reveal the critical slowing down of the laser near threshold. External pump noise serves as a probe of the frequency response of the dye laser. Detailed comparisons of the spectral characteristics with computer simulations and an approximate analytic theory are given. The dynamics of spatial pattern formation in a multimode dye laser is examined through measurements of first-passage-time distributions. A comparison of the experiments with computer simulations based on a simple theoretical model of the two-mode laser shows qualitative agreement. These measurements indicate that there are a variety of complex phenomena associated with the transverse mode pattern formation dynamics that need to be addressed theoretically and studied further experimentally.     

Visualising many-body electron dynamics using one-body densities and orbitals

As experimental techniques begin to probe electronic motions in increasing detail, the need is arising for compact and informative visualisations of simulations of such processes. The inherent challenge is that a full many-electron wavefunction is a high-dimensional object, representing the complicated correlations of strongly repulsive bodies in a small molecular volume. A general procedure is needed to distill this to a smaller amount of information that does not rely on any specific level of approximation. The result should allow for easy and intuitive interpretation while drawing out nontrivial aspects of the underlying many-body dynamics, such as the complex phase information inherent of a nonstationary state. Current visualisation schemes based on physical observables or the qualitative information contained in simple wavefunctions, such as time-dependent configuration-interaction-singles (TD-CIS) and time-dependent self-consistent-field (TD-SCF), are discussed. This information is compared to an analysis based on the one-body reduced density operator (1-RDO), which is well-defined for general wavefunctions. It is seen that the distinction between two paradigms of many-body dynamics, electron transport and energy transport, is reflected in the coherences of a difference-1-RDO, or lack thereof.     

Numerical analysis of space charge effects in electron bunches at laser-driven plasma accelerators

Laser-driven Plasma Accelerators (LPA) have successfully generated high energy, high charge electron bunches which can reach many kA peak current, over short distances. Space charge issues, even in transport lines as simple as a drift section, have to be carefully taken into account since they can degrade the beam quality, preventing any further application of such electron beams. We analyse the space charge effects within an electron bunch with numerical simulations in order to assess their effect on the beam. We use LPA beam parameters published in previous experimental studies. These studies can give an indication of the working point where space charge can dominate the beam dynamics and has to be taken into account in the application of such beams.     

Surface reactions of TiCl4 and Al(CH3)3 on GaAs(100) during the first half-cycle of atomic layer deposition

GaAs(100) was exposed to pulses of trimethylaluminum (TMA, Al(CH₃)₃) and titanium tetrachloride (TiCl₄) to mimic the first half-cycle of atomic layer deposition (ALD). Both precursors removed the 9.0 ± 1.6 Å-thick mixed oxide consisting primarily of As₂O₃ with a small Ga₂O component that was left on the surface after aqueous HF treatment and vacuum annealing. In its place, TMA deposited an Al₂O₃ layer, but TiCl₄ exposure left Cl atoms adsorbed to an elemental As layer. This suggests that oxygen was removed by the formation of a volatile oxychloride species. A small TiO₂ coverage of approximately 0.04 monolayer remained on the surface for deposition temperatures of 89 °C to 135 °C, but no TiO₂ was present from 170 °C to 230 °C. The adsorbed Cl layer chemically passivated the surface at these temperatures and blocked TiO₂ deposition even after 50 full ALD cycles of TiCl₄ and water vapor. The Cl and As layers desorbed simultaneously at higher temperature producing peaks in the temperature programmed desorption spectrum in the range 237–297 °C. This allowed TiO₂ deposition at 300 °C in single TiCl₄ pulse experiments. On the native oxide-covered surface where there was a higher proportional Ga oxide composition, TiCl₄ exposure deposited TiO₂.     

Stages in tropoelastin coalescence during synthetic elastin hydrogel formation

Synthetic human tropoelastin was chemically cross-linked to form elastic hydrogel-like structures in vitro. Discrete stages were identified during elastic hydrogel formation by cross-linking tropoelastin with bis(sulfosuccinimidyl) suberate at a range of protein concentrations during this process. In the early stages of this process, particles with the same dimensions as tropoelastin were seen. As hydrogel formation progressed, monomer width fibres were also observed. Overall, four distinct stages were identified: (1) tropoelastin monomers form discrete particles in the order of 200 nm diameter, (2) these particles merge to form larger spheres, (3) spheres coalesce into open linked networks, (4) coalesced spheres consolidate to form a porous structure to give synthetic elastin hydrogels.     

Harmonic analysis of lossy, piezoelectric composite transducers using the plane wave expansion method

Periodic composite ultrasonic transducers offer many advantages but the periodic pillar architecture can give rise to unwanted modes of vibration which interfere with the piston like motion of the fundamental thickness mode. In this paper, viscoelastic loss is incorporated into a three-dimensional plane wave expansion model (PWE) of these transducers. A comparison with experimental and finite element data is conducted and a design to damp out these lateral modes is investigated. Scaling and regularisation techniques are introduced to the PWE method to reduce ill-conditioning in the large matrices which can arise. The identification of the modes of vibration is aided by examining profiles of the displacements, electrical potential and Poynting vector. The dispersive behaviour of a 2-2 composite transducer with high shear attenuation in the passive phase is examined. The model shows that the use of a high shear attenuation filler material improves the frequency band gap surrounding the fundamental thickness mode.