Direct observation of charge-carrier capture in an array of self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dots

In this work, charge-carrier capture by an array of self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dots was directly observed for the first time by capacitance recharge. It is proposed to process the obtained transient-capture data by a similar method to that used for emission, by the box-car method. The capture activation energies are determined and compared with the emission activation energies.     

Distortions of the magnetic structure of a thin antiferromagnetic layer in magnetic field

Distortions induced by an external magnetic field in the magnetic structure of a thin layer of a uniaxial collinear antiferromagnet with rough surfaces are studied using computer simulation. It is shown that, under certain conditions, the presence of atomic steps at the layer surfaces causes the antiferromagnetic layer to break up into domains. The character and magnitude of distortions are found for an arbitrary ratio of the distance between atomic steps to the order parameter correlation length. Original Russian Text ? A.I. Morosov, I.A. Morosov, A.S. Sigov, 2007, published in Fizika Tverdogo Tela, 2007, Vol. 49, No. 7, pp. 1228–1235.     

Specific features of nanosystems based on natural isoferroplatinum

Nanostructuring of natural isoferroplatinum crystals is revealed by atomic-force microscopy for the first time. Typical scales of ～30, 50, and 100 nm are determined and the self-affine character of their relation is established using a wavelet analysis.     

Surface modification of polystyrene with the bovine serum albumin-Tween 80 complex and a forecast of biocompatibility

The surface of polystyrene was modified with the bovine serum albumin-Tween 80 complex. The adsorption of the complex and the formation of films on the surface of polystyrene were studied using the piezoelectric weighing method. The state of the modified surface was evaluated by contact angle measurements. The stability of the modifying layer was determined based on the critical interfacial energy values of the surface equilibrated with water. A conclusion was drawn that the complex can be effectively used to enhance the biocompatibility of polymer materials.     

Microstructural assessment of InN-on-GaN films grown by plasma-assisted MBE

The structural properties of InN thin films, grown by rf plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy on Ga-face GaN/Al₂O₃(0001) substrates, were investigated by means of conventional and high resolution electron microscopy. Our observations showed that a uniform InN film of total thickness up to 1 μm could be readily grown on GaN without any indication of columnar growth. A clear epitaxial orientation relationship of , was determined. The quality of the InN film was rather good, having threading dislocations as the dominant structural defect with a density in the range of 10⁹–10¹⁰ cm⁻². The crystal lattice parameters of wurtzite InN were estimated by electron diffraction analysis to be a=0.354 nm and c=0.569 nm, using Al₂O₃ as the reference crystal. Heteroepitaxial growth of InN on GaN was accomplished by the introduction of a network of three regularly spaced misfit dislocation arrays at the atomically flat interface plane. The experimentally measured distance of misfit dislocations was 2.72 nm. This is in good agreement with the theoretical value derived from the in-plane lattice mismatch of InN and GaN, which indicated that nearly full relaxation of the interfacial strain between the two crystal lattices was achieved.     

Common luminescence intensity fluctuations of single particle and single molecules in non-conducing matrices

Optical spectroscopy in combination with wide field or confocal optical microscopy enables the investigation of single quantum objects such as organic molecules, II/VI semiconductor quantum dots and silicon nanocrystals. They all have fluctuations of luminescence intensities on time scales longer than μs in common. A comparison reveals that despite the large differences of the nature of the respective quantum objects, the intensity fluctuations are related to a slow ionisation process followed by a trapping of the photoejected charge in the non-conducing environment. Detailed aspects of the dynamics are controlled by the dielectric properties of the matrix.     

Relaxing local modes and the theory of low-frequency Raman scattering in glasses

Raman scattering in glasses is investigated theoretically. The experimental Raman spectra of glasses exhibit a low-frequency peak (at ～10 cm^?1) that, as a rule, is attributed to vibrational modes of nanometer-sized structural units (nanocrystallites). It is established that the elastic moduli of nanocrystallites must necessarily be dependent on their sizes due to the Laplace pressure effect. A theory of the low-frequency peak is constructed using a realistic size distribution function of nanocrystallites with allowance made for the Laplace pressure effect and the dissipation of vibrational energy. Within this theory, the shape of the low-frequency peak and its evolution with temperature can be analyzed quantitatively. The proposed approach offers a physical interpretation of the experimental data and provides insight into the relation of the characteristic nanocrystallite sizes to the elastic moduli and surface tension coefficients of materials.     

Models of elastic media with stress relaxation

The stress relaxation process is linked to the change with time of the metric stress tensor of the medium. Possible types of thermodynamically justified relaxation equations are discussed.     

Experimental investigation of explosive plasma antennas

Explosion-produced plasma jets formed in free spece are experimentally investigated. The feasibility of emitting pulsed electromagnetic signals by plasma jets is shown, and the emitting conditions are studied. Comparison is made between the results of experiments with short and long plasma jets. When the jet passes through the field of a helix, a short-term increase in the emitted signal is detected. A linear parametric model of interaction between the plasma jet and an exciting electromagnetic signal is proposed. The operating performance of instrumentation developed for the investigation is presented.