Towards a fully optimised organic LED device: Analysis of surface synthesis using coupling reactions by ToF-SIMS

Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) and polarisation-modulation reflection-absorption infrared spectroscopy (PM-RAIRS) have been used to monitor the surface synthesis of self-assembled aromatic π-conjugated molecular wires on gold substrates as a step towards a novel structure for organic electroluminescent devices (OLEDs). The wires have been synthesised using a series of Schiff's base coupling reactions in solution on a self-assembled monolayer of an aromatic thiolate anchor. ToF-SIMS and PM-RAIRS measurements have demonstrated that: (i) the anchor molecules self-assemble at the gold surface, (ii) the anchor molecules selectively react through imino coupling reactions with additional wire units with high efficiency and (iii) the wire-like structure is predominantly orientated normal to the surface.     

Low-frequency noise and inelastic tunneling spectroscopy in Fe(1 1 0)/MgO(1 1 1)/Fe(1 1 0) epitaxial magnetic tunnel junctions

We report on tunnelling magnetoresistance (TMR), current–voltage (IV) characteristics and low-frequency noise in epitaxially grown Fe(1 1 0)/MgO(1 1 1)/Fe(1 1 0) magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with dimensions from 2×2 to 20×20 μm². The evaluated MgO energy barrier (0.50±0.08 eV), the barrier width (13.1±0.5 Å) as well as the resistance times area product (7±1 MΩ μm²) show relatively small variation, confirming a high quality epitaxy and uniformity of all MTJs studied. At low temperatures (T<10 K) inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy (IETS) shows anomalies related to phonons (symmetric structures below 100 meV) and asymmetric features above 200 meV. We explain the asymmetric features in IETS as due to generation of electron standing waves in one of the Fe electrodes. The noise power, though exhibiting a large variation, was observed to be roughly anti-correlated with the TMR. Surprisingly, for the largest junctions we observed a strong enhancement of the normalized low-frequency noise in the antiparallel magnetic configuration. This behavior could be related to the influence of magnetostriction on the characteristics of the insulating barrier through changes in local barrier defects structure.     

Metaheuristics can solve sudoku puzzles

In this paper we present, to our knowledge, the first application of a metaheuristic technique to the very popular and NP-complete puzzle known as ‘sudoku’. We see that this stochastic search-based algorithm, which uses simulated annealing, is able to complete logic-solvable puzzle-instances that feature daily in many of the UK’s national newspapers. We also introduce a new method for producing sudoku problem instances (that are not necessarily logic-solvable) and use this together with the proposed SA algorithm to try and discover for what types of instances this algorithm is best suited. Consequently we notice the presence of an ‘easy-hard-easy’ style phase-transition similar to other problems encountered in operational research.     

Uniform non-amenability of free Burnside groups

The aim of this paper is to show that free Burnside groups of sufficiently large odd exponent are non-amenable in a certain strong sense. More precisely their left regular representations are isolated from the trivial representation uniformly on finite generating sets. It follows that free Burnside groups are of uniform exponential growth. This answers a question of de la Harpe. This work has been partially supported by the NSF grant DMS-0605093 and by the RFBR Grant # 05-01-00892. Received: 25 April 2006     

Bifurcation and Isochronicity at Infinity in a Class of Cubic Polynomial Vector Fields

In this paper, we study the appearance of limit cycles from the equator and isochronicity of infinity in polynomial vector fields with no singular points at infinity. We give a recursive formula to compute the singular point quantities of a class of cubic polynomial systems, which is used to calculate the first seven singular point quantities. Further, we prove that such a cubic vector field can have maximal seven limit cycles in the neighborhood of infinity. We actually and construct a system that has seven limit cycles. The positions of these limit cycles can be given exactly without constructing the Poincare cycle fields. The technique employed in this work is essentially different from the previously widely used ones. Finally, the isochronous center conditions at infinity are given.     

Pit your wits against young minds!

This column is a place for those bits of contagious mathematics that travel from person to person in the community, because they are so elegant, suprising, or appealing that one has an urge to pass them on. Contributions are most welcome.     

Self-organized ZnAl2O4 nanostructures grown on -sapphire

Self-organized ZnAl₂O₄ nanostructures with the appearance (in SEM) of high aspect ratio horizontal nanowires are grown on uncatalysed c-sapphire by vapour phase transport. The nanostructures grow as three equivalent crystallographic variants on c-sapphire. Raman and cathodoluminescence spectroscopy confirm that the nanostructures are not ZnO and TEM shows that they are the cubic spinel, zinc aluminate, ZnAl₂O₄, formed by the reaction of Zn and O with the sapphire substrate.     

Oil Migration in Chocolate

Oil migration in filled chocolates limits shelf life due to texture changes and loss of visual appeal. Spatial and temporal oil concentration changes of a two-layer chocolate and peanut butter filling system, which models a filled chocolate, were monitored by magnetic resonance imaging. Formulations of chocolate varied with respect to particle size, milk fat content and emulsifier level. Sorption-time experimental data was used to establish the best fit diffusion coefficient for a Fickian diffusion model. On the basis of the comparison of spatial experimental data to the model, Fickian diffusion alone does not account for oil migration. Authors' address: Michael J. McCarthy, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA     

Effect of hydrogen on interatomic bonds in austenitic steels

Mössbauer spectroscopy was used to investigate the influence of dissolved hydrogen on the interatomic bonds in austenitic steels. It was carried out to prove the decohesion mechanism of hydrogen embrittlement (HE). It is shown that hydrogen increases Debye temperature, i.e., the interatomic bonds in hydrogenated austenitic steel becomes stronger.