Hydroxyl ion conduction in ytterbium-doped strontium cerate at T<580 K in H2O/air atmosphere

Open circuit voltage (OCV) measurements in H₂O/air concentration cells at T<580 K using Yb-doped SrCeO₃ electrolyte indicate that under these conditions, protons are transported through the electrolyte as -ve ions, possibly as hydroxyl (OH⁻) ions. The H⁺ ionic transport, which is generally reported, becomes the dominant mode for H₂O/air concentration cells at temperatures greater than 750 K or when H₂O/air electrodes are replaced by H₂/Ar, and the anomalous OCV sign disappears. The combination of low temperature and the presence of hydrogen and oxygen as provided by the H₂O/air system appears to be necessary for the postulated hydroxyl ion electrode reactions to take place. In addition to OCV measurements, results from impedance spectroscopy are used to provide evidence in support of the suggested hydroxyl ion mode of protonic transport under the specified conditions. These findings are directly relevant in the development of novel humidity sensors in the temperature range 450–580K and is reported in a separate paper in this conference. Paper presented at the 3rd Euroconference on Solid State Ionics, Teulada, Sardinia, Italy, Sept. 15–22, 1996     

129Xe NMR study of the homogeneity and the size distribution of small sodium metal particles in NaY zeolite

NaY zeolite samples loaded with sodium metal by vapor phase deposition have been investigated using¹²⁹Xe NMR spectroscopy. At low sodium concentration, the¹²⁹Xe NMR spectrum showed three resonance lines which clearly indicate the existence of distinct domains in the zeolite sample. Such an observation suggests that the diffusion of the xenon atoms into each domain only occurs with respect to the NMR time scale (2.9 ms). As the sodium concentration increases, observation of a single broad line indicate a macroscopic homogenization of the system. The shift of this line is explained in part due to a paramagnetic interaction between the xenon atoms and the unpaired electrons of particles containing an odd number of sodium atoms. The linewidth is due to the distribution of the local magnetic fields partially averaged by the rapid motion of the xenon atoms and to the statistical distribution of the sodium particles in the supercage cavities. The paramagnetic interaction vanishes with the oxidation of the sample leading to a narrowing and a shift of the line to higher magnetic fields.     

Logarithmic temperature dependence of the conductivity of the two-dimensional metal

We report on the first observation and studies of a weak delocalizing logarithmic temperature dependence of the conductivity, which causes the conductivity of the 2D metal to increase as T decreases down to 16 mK. The prefactor of the logarithmic dependence is found to decrease gradually with density, to vanish at a critical density n _c , 2∼2×10¹² cm⁻², and then to have the opposite sign at n>n _c ,2. The second critical density sets the upper limit on the existence region of the 2D metal, whereas the conductivity at the critical point, G _c ,2∼120e ²/h, sets an upper (low-temperature) limit on its conductivity. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 68, No. 6, 497–501 (25 September 1998) Published in English in the original Russian journal. Edited by Steve Torstveit.     

Investigation of the chemical state of copper in Cu/SiO2 composite films by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

The concentration and chemical state of copper in the subsurface region of Cu/SiO₂ composite films obtained by simultaneous magnetron sputtering from two sources (Cu and SiO₂) are determined by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It is established that copper in the as-grown film is primarily in the form of unoxidized atoms dispersed in a SiO₂ matrix. Annealing of the film results in practically no oxidation, but about 70% of the copper atoms condense into metallic clusters with sizes below 10 Å in the subsurface region and about 50 Å in the bulk of the film. The changes in the binding energy of core electrons, and especially in the energies of Auger electrons, are so large in this situation that photoelectron and Auger spectroscopy are efficient methods for monitoring the chemical state of this composite material.     

Formation of a two-dimensional periodic structure of local melting regions on a silicon surface upon pulsed light irradiation

The first results regarding the formation of a two-dimensional periodic structure of local melting regions on a silicon surface upon pulsed light irradiation are presented. The conditions are established, and the mechanism of the formation of such structures is discussed. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 67, 97–99 (December 1997)     

Excitation of bulk elastic waves at the surfaces of piezoelectric crystals with 422,622 symmetry

The problem of exciting bulk elastic waves at the surface of a piezoelectric with symmetries 422,622 has been solved by a successive approximation method. In the approximation of a fixed electric field, created at the surface of the piezoelectric crystal by a two-electrode transducer, the distributions are found for the shear wave stress and the energy flux density in the far zone. The equivalent circuit parameters for a two-electrode radiator are determined taking account of the dynamic piezoelectric correction obtained in the second approximation. The equivalent circuit parameters and the transducer loss are treated for TeO₂ crystals. A realistic possibility of using surface transducers in the development of acousto-optic modulators in the s.h.f. region is shown. Tomsk State Academy of Control Systems and Radio Electronics. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 1, pp. 8–15, January, 1997.     

Thermodynamic stability of the structure of a deformed Fe-C solid solution

An analysis is made of the thermodynamic stability of the dislocation structure in polycrystalline samples of Fe-C, deformed under conditions of high rates and hydrostatic pressures, based on experimental and theoretical data concerning the internal energy and on diffractometer measurements of the broadening of x-ray lines. The method of deformation calorimetry was used to determine the internal energy in a wide range of deformations. A theoretical model is proposed for estimating the change in internal energy in deformed alloys. An investigation is made of the dependence of the interdislocation interaction parameter on the deformation rate for different stressed state-schemes and large plastic deformations. It is shown that the relative quantity δU/A is correlated in a wide range of deformations with the relative root-mean-square distortions of the crystal lattice of the deformed solid solution. The mechanisms for the accumulation of energy in deformed solid solutions having a body-centered cubic lattice are considered. Don State Technical University. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 6, pp. 77–83.     

Investigation of the conditions for feeding filamentary silicon crystals,growing in a reactor with hot walls

An estimate of the factors which influence the rate of growth of filamentary silicon crystals in a standard chloride system using a quartz reactor with hot walls is given. It is shown that a diffusion form of crystallization is observed under the conditions investigated.Voronezh State Technical University. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 10, pp. 22–26, October, 1995.