Investigation of microwave dielectric relaxation process in the antiferroelectric phase of NaNbO3 ceramics

This letter reports microwave dielectric measurements performed in the antiferroelectric phase of NaNbO₃ ceramics from 100 to 450 K. Remarkable dielectric relaxation was found within the antiferroelectric phase and in the vicinity of the ferroelectric-antiferroelectric phase transition. Such dielectric relaxation process was associated with relaxations of polar nanoregions with strong relaxor-like characteristic. In addition, the microwave dielectric measurements also revealed an unexpected and unusual anomaly in the relaxation strength, which was related to a disruption of the antiferroelectric order induced by a possible AFE-AFE phase transition.     

Trapping probabilities and desorption energies of alkali atoms on a clean and an oxygen covered tungsten (110) surface

Alkali atoms were scattered with hyperthermal energies from a clean and an oxygen covered (θ ≈ 0.5 ML) W(110) surface. The trapping probability of K and Na atoms on oxygen covered W(110) has been measured as a function of incoming energy (0–30 eV) and incident angle. A considerable enhancement of trapping on the oxygen covered surface compared to a clean surface was observed. At energies above 25 eV there are still K and Na atoms being trapped by the oxygen covered surface. From the temperature dependence of the mean residence time τ of the initially trapped atoms the pre-exponential factor τ₀ and the desorption energy Q were derived using the relation: $\text{τ = τ}{}_0\text{exp}\text{(}\text{Q}\text{kT}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>s</mtext>}}\text{)}$. On clean W(110) we obtained for Li: $\text{τ}{}_0\text{= (8 ±}\text{8}\text{4}\text{) × 10}{}^{\mathrm{?14}}\text{sec}$, Q = (2.78 ± 0.09) eV; for Na: τ₀ = (9 ± 3) × 10^?14 sec, Q = (2.55 ± 0.04) eV; and for K: τ₀ = (4 ± 1) × 10^?13 sec, Q = (2.05 ± 0.02) eV. Oxygen covered W(110) gave for Na: τ₀ = (7 ±3) × 10^?15 sec, Q = (2.88 ± 0.05) eV; and for K: $\text{τ}{}_0\text{= (1.3 ±}\text{0.9}\text{0.6}\text{) × 10}{}^{\mathrm{?14}}\text{sec}$, Q = (2.48 ±0.05) eV. The adsorption on clean W(110) has the features of a supermobile two-dimentional gas; on the oxygen covered W(110) adsorbed atoms have the partition function of a one-dimen-sional gas. The binding of the adatoms to the surface has a highly ionic character in the systems of the present experiment. An estimate is given for the screening length of the non-perfect conductor W(110):k_s^?1≈ 0.5 Å.     

The trapping of K and Na atoms by a clean W(110) surface trajectory calculations

The fraction of K and Na atoms initially trapped by the W(110) surface has been measured as a function of the incident energy (0.5–15 eV) and as a function of the incident angle. The trapping probability equals one at low incident energies (E_i ? 0.5 eV) and decreases with increasing energy. The measurements show an increase of trapping with increasing angle of incidence θ_i (measured from the surface normal). Simultaneously the desorption energies Q_i were determined from the temperature dependence of the measured mean residence time on the W(110) surface. We obtained for K: Q_i = 2.05 ± 0.02 eV, and for Na: Q_i = 2.60 ± 0.04 eV.The trapping phenomenon at a solid surface was approximated in a theoretical way by calculating the in-plane trajectory of a projectile scattered from a diatomic surface-molecule. The important feature which showed up was the conversion of tangential to normal momentum of the projectile, and thus the inapplicability of cube models. As a function of the angle of incidence two regimes can be distinguished: at the smaller angles the scattering is governed by simultaneous interaction of the projectile with two neighbouring surface atoms, and at the higher angles of incidence the single particle interaction contributes most to the momentum transfer.     

A quantum-mechanical explanation of vibronic phenomena in atom-molecule collisions

The quantum-mechanical equivalent of a classically vibrating molecular ion during an ion-pair formation collision is presented. The classical vibration in the quantal representation is explained as an interference between partial waves which evolve along neighbouring vibronic states during the collision.     

The absolute determination of the rotational coupling range from diffraction fringes

We present strong evidence of the experimental observation of Fraunhofer diffraction effects in differential cross sections of Li⁺ ions scattered by K atoms. The fringes can be explained to be due to the sharp edges of the rotational coupling mechanism and can be compared to the Fraunhofer diffraction from an annular diaphragm.     

The trapping of potassium atoms by a polycrystalline tungsten surface as a function of energy and angle of incidence

The trapping probability of potassium atoms on a polycrystalline tungsten surface has been measured as a function of the angle of incidence and as a function of the energy of the incoming atoms. Below an energy of 1 eV the trapping was complete; above 20 eV only reflection occurred. The trapping probability increased with increasing angle of incidence. The measurements are compared with a simple model of the fraction of atoms initially trapped. The model, a one-dimensional cube model including a Boltzmann distribution of the velocities of oscillating surface atoms, partially explains the data. The trapping probability as a function of incoming energy is well described for normal incidence, justifying the inclusion of thermal motion of the surface atoms in the model. The angular dependence can be explained in a qualitative way, although there is a substantial discrepancy for large angles of incidence, showing the presence of surface structure.     

Polarization dependence on the holographic recording in spiropyran-doped polymers

We report on the photoinduced anisotropy in the holographic recording in spiropyran doped polymers as a result of the photoizomerization of spiropyran into merocyanine. Photoizomerization is achieved with UV polarized light ( = 355 nm) from the third harmonic of Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. After UV illumination a strong and broad polarization-dependent absorption peak centered 600 nm appears. Absorption holograms were recorded with low power He–Ne lasers with 2.2% output diffraction efficiency for polarization parallel to the polarization of the UV laser. The extremely long lifetime of the merocyanine states (12 days in the dark) and their high resolution makes this material promising as an optical memory element.     

Slow energy relaxation of macromolecules and nanoclusters in solution

Many systems in the realm of nanophysics from both the living and the inorganic world display slow relaxation kinetics of energy fluctuations. In this Letter we propose a general explanation for such a phenomenon, based on the effects of interactions with the solvent. Within a simple harmonic model of the system fluctuations, we demonstrate that the inhomogeneity of coupling to the solvent of the bulk and surface atoms suffices to generate a complex spectrum of decay rates. We show for myoglobin and for a metal nanocluster that the result is a complex, nonexponential relaxation dynamics.