Microstructure and magnetic property of electroless-plated CoNiFeB soft underlayer

An electroless-plated CoFeNiB film as a soft underlayer in perpendicular magnetic recording is studied by magneto-optical Kerr effect microscope, magnetic force microscopy (MFM), and transmission electron microscopy. A stray field is evidently suppressed for the anisotropic CoFeNiB film, which is under an applied field during the plating process. The lines of magnetic flux show that the Ni seed layer have no intrinsic effect on the homogenous magnetic state of the CoFeNiB layer. The interaction between a MFM tip and the CoFeNiB layer is clearly observed by electron holography indicating the excellent soft magnetic properties required by the soft underlayer.     

Reduction of thermal fluctuations in a cryogenic laser interferometric gravitational wave detector

The thermal fluctuation of mirror surfaces is the fundamental limitation for interferometric gravitational wave (GW) detectors. Here, we experimentally demonstrate for the first time a reduction in a mirror's thermal fluctuation in a GW detector with sapphire mirrors from the Cryogenic Laser Interferometer Observatory at 17 and 18 K. The detector sensitivity, which was limited by the mirror's thermal fluctuation at room temperature, was improved in the frequency range of 90 to 240 Hz by cooling the mirrors. The improved sensitivity reached a maximum of 2.2×10(-19) m/√Hz at 165 Hz.     

Evaluation of zinc self-diffusion at the interface between homoepitaxial ZnO thin films and (0001) ZnO substrates

Isotopic ZnO thin films were deposited on the c-plane of ZnO single crystals by pulsed laser deposition. The isotopic abundance of Zn in the films was determined with a secondary ion mass spectrometry before and after the films was diffusion annealed. The diffusion profiles across the film/substrate interface behaved smooth features. The zinc diffusion coefficient (D_Zn) was obtained by analyzing the slope of the profile in the annealed sample. The temperature dependence of D_Zn was determined to be D_Zn(cm²/s)=8.0×10⁴exp(?417[kJ/mol])/RT, where R and T are gas constant and temperature. The zinc ion diffusion coefficients were of the same order as that in a ZnO single crystal. A comparison of the experimental and theoretical values indicated that the zinc ions diffused in the thin film and the single crystal through a vacancy mechanism.     

Polarity determination of wurtzite-type crystals using hard x-ray photoelectron diffraction

The surface structure of a single-crystal ZnO wafer was studied by angle-resolved x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ARXPS) using synchrotron radiation. As a result, well-defined x-ray photoelectron diffraction (XPD) patterns were obtained for the (0001) and (000$\overline{1}$) polar surfaces using the photoemission from the Zn 2p_3/2 and O 1s core levels. The XPD patterns were indexed assuming forward scattering of photoelectrons by neighboring ions. Further, the XPD patterns for the (0001) and (000$\overline{1}$) surfaces were different from each other, indicating the possibility for using the XPD technique for polarity determination.     

Universal reconnection of non-Abelian cosmic strings

We show that local and semilocal strings in Abelian and non-Abelian gauge theories with critical couplings always reconnect classically in collision, by using moduli space approximation. The moduli matrix formalism explicitly identifies a well-defined set of the vortex moduli parameters. Our analysis of generic geodesic motion in terms of those shows right-angle scattering in head-on collision of two vortices, which is known to give the reconnection of the strings.     

Photoinduced tandem three-component coupling of propanedinitrile, 2,5-dimethylhexa-2,4-diene, and cyanoarenes

A tandem three-component coupling photoreaction proceeds upon photoirradiation of MeCN/H2O solutions containing propanedinitrile (1, malononitrile), 2,5-dimethylhexa-2,4-diene (2), and polycyanoarenes in the presence of phenanthrene and carbonate, leading to selective alpha-monoalkylation of 1. The reaction proceeds via photo-NOCAS (Nucleophile-Olefin Combination, Aromatic Substitution) type mechanism: nucleophilic attack of the anion of 1 to photogenerated 2(*+) is followed by ipso-substitution on the radical anion of the polycyanoarene. It advances under mild, safe, and environmentally friendly conditions such as proceeding at ambient temperature without metals and halogens, and in the presence of weak base. The reaction also represents a novel and metal-free cross-coupling reaction that leads to ipso-substitution on polycyanoarene via aryl-cyano bond cleavage. In addition, the reaction is a rare example of introducing carbon nucleophile in the photoinduced electron transfer reaction, except that of cyanide ion.     

Ion-exchanger colorimetry-II microdetermination of chromium in natural waters

Ion-exchanger colorimetry for chromium(VI) with 1,5-diphenylcarbohydrazide has been developed for the determination of chromium at mug/l. concentrations in natural water samples. About 90% of the chromium(VI) in a 1-litre sample solution is concentrated in 200-400 mesh Dowex 50W-X4 resin within half an hour. It is possible to obtain higher sensitivity by employing a larger amount of sample solution. Total chromium can be determined by oxidizing chromium(III) to chromium(VI) with ceric sulphate.     

Solvent extraction of the ion-pairs of chromium(VI) and molybdenum(VI) with trioctylmethylammonium chloride and benzyldimethylcetylammonium chloride

The number of capriquat molecules per chromium(VI) atom in the chromate-capriquat ion-association complex has been found to be between one and two. The distribution ratio in the extraction of chromium(VI) with capriquat is dependent on the dielectric constant of the organic solvent, with a minimum at a dielectric constant of about 8. The absorption spectra of the ion-pair extracted into cyclohexane, carbon tetrachloride, benzene and n-butanol are very similar to that of chromate in aqueous solution. The absorption spectra of the chromium(VI)-capriquat extracts in these organic solvents gradually change to an absorption spectrum similar to that of HCrO(4)(-) in aqueous solution. Chromium(VI)-capriquat extracted into chloroform and 1,2-dichloroethane gives absorption spectra similar to that of HCrO(4)(-)in aqueous medium. The chromium(VI)-capriquat species extracted into 1,2-dichloroethane may be (Q(+))(2).CrO(4)(2-)(H(2)O)(n). In contrast, chromium(VI) is extracted with capriquat into the other organic solvents from ammoniacal medium as a mixture of (Q(+))(2).CrO(4)(2-)(H(2)O)(n) and Q(+).NH(4)(+).CrO(4)(2-)(H(2)O)(n). The spectral change is ascribed to the change of the extracted species from (Q(+))(2).CrO(4)(2-)(H(2)O)(n) and Q(+)NH(4)(+).CrO(4)(-)(H(2)O)(n) to Q(+).HCrO(4)(2-)(H(2)O)(n-1). The chromium(VI)-zephiramine species extracted is formulated as (Q(+), NH(4)(+))(2)CrO(4)(2-)(H(2)O)(n).(Q(+).Cl(-))(m). Molybdenum(VI) is extracted with capriquat into the same organic solvents as a mixture of (Q(+))(2).MoO(4)(2-)(H(2)O)(n) and Q(+).NH(4)(+).MoO(4)(2-).(H(2)O)(n).     

Palladium-catalyzed reaction of allyl carbamates; allylation of carbonucleophiles,and protection-deprotection of amines

Allylation of carbonucleophiles with allylic carbamates under neutral conditions has been studied. The C-allylation of carbonucleophile is competitive with the N-allylation of amines, and the structure of amines is crucial for the selectivity. Bulky secondary amines gave the best results. Also a new method of protection-deprotection of amines as carbamates has been developed. Smooth deprotection is possible by the palladium-catalyzed reaction of allyl carbamates with formic acid. This method is particulary useful for primary amines, including optically active amino acids.