Critical current density in MgB2 bulk samples after co-doping with nano-SiC and poly zinc acrylate complexes

The co-doped MgB₂ bulk samples have been synthesized using an in situ reaction processing. The additives is 8 wt.% SiC nano powders and 10 wt.% [(CH₂CHCOO)₂Zn]_n poly zinc acrylate complexes (PZA). A systematic study was performed on samples doped with SiC or PZA and samples co-doped with both of them. The effects of doping and co-doping on phase formation, microstructure, and the variation of lattice parameters were studied. The amount of substituted carbon, the critical temperature (T_c) and the critical current density (J_c) were determined. The calculated lattice parameters show the decrease of the a-axis, while no obvious change was detected for c-axis parameter in co-doped samples. This indicates that the carbon was substituted by boron in MgB₂. The amount of substituted carbon for the co-doped sample shows an enhancement compared to that of the both single doped samples. The co-doped samples perform the highest J_c values, which reaches 3.3 × 10⁴ A/cm² at 5 K and 7 T. It is shown that co-doping with SiC and organic compound is an effective way to further improve the superconducting properties of MgB₂.     

Organic/inorganic interfaced field-effect transistor properties with a novel organic semiconducting material

A novel 1,3,4-oxadiazole-substituted benzo[b]triphenylene was synthesized by three-step synthetic procedure and OFET device design was successfully designed after theoretical calculations made using Gaussian software. For investigating the field-effect properties of designed organic electronic device, a SiO₂ (300 nm) was thermally grown on p-Si wafer at 1000 °C as a dielectric layer and gate, source and drain contacts have been deposited using Au metal with physical vapour deposition. 1,3,4-Oxadiazole-substituted benzo[b]triphenylene was spin coated on the source and drain electrodes of our device, forming organic/inorganic interfaced field-effect transistors. Surface morphology and thin film properties were investigated using AFM. All electrical measurements were done in air ambient. The device showed a typical p-type channel behaviour with increasing negative gate bias voltage values. Our results have surprisingly shown that the saturation regime of this device has high mobility (μ_FET), excellent on/off ratio (I_on/I_off), high transconductance (g_m) and a small threshold voltage (V_Th). The values of μ_FET, I_on/I_off, g_m and V_Th were found as 5.02 cm²/Vs, 0.7 × 10³, 5.64 μS/mm and 1.37 V, respectively. These values show that our novel organic material could be a potential candidate for organic electronic device applications in the future.     

Effect of temperature-dependent surface heat transfer coefficient on the maximum surface stress in ceramics during quenching

We study the difference in the maximum stress on a cylinder surface σ_max using the measured surface heat transfer coefficient h_m instead of its average value h_a during quenching. In the quenching temperatures of 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 and 800°C, the maximum surface stress σ_mmax calculated by h_m is always smaller than σ_amax calculated by h_a, except in the case of 800°C; while the time to reach σ_max calculated by h_m (f_mmax) is always earlier than that by h_a (f_amax). It is inconsistent with the traditional view that σ_max increases with increasing Biot number and the time to reach σ_max decreases with increasing Biot number. Other temperature-dependent properties also have a small effect on the trend of their mutual ratios with quenching temperatures. Such a difference between the two maximum surface stresses is caused by the dramatic variation of h_m with temperature, which needs to be considered in engineering analysis.     

Mobility of Dirac electrons in HgTe quantum wells

The mobility of Dirac electrons (DEs) in HgTe quantum wells with the thickness close to the critical value corresponding to the transition from the direct to inverted spectrum has been studied experimentally and theoretically. The nonmonotonic dependence of this mobility on the electron density is found experimentally. The theory of DE scattering on impurities and fluctuations of the thickness of a well caused by its roughnesses is elaborated. This theory is in good agreement with experiment and explains the observed nonmonotonicity by the decrease in the ratio of the de Broglie wavelength of DEs to the characteristic size of the roughness with the increase in their concentration.     

Laser ignition of low-rank coal

The measured thresholds (H _cr) and kinetic characteristics of the ignition of the volatile substances and the coke residue of low-rank coal under the action of the pulses of a neodymium laser (1064 nm, 120 μs) are reported here. The ignition of volatile substances was observed in microsecond (H _cr = 0.3 J/cm²) and millisecond time intervals (H _cr = 1.2 J/cm²). The combustion of the coke residue occurred in a time interval of 30–100 ms (H _cr = 2.6 J/cm²).     

Discharge Characteristics of Microwave Plasma in Ethanol Solution

An apparatus was designed for generating plasma in ethanol solution. The plasma was generated on the top of the electrode by applying microwave radiation of 2.45 GHz. The results showed that ignition power decreased with increasing temperature of ethanol solution. However, ignition power increased with increasing pressure and point electrode radius of curvature. Plasma and bubbles were generated periodically in the same manner. The electron temperature of the plasma increased with increasing power, while it decreased with increasing pressure. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

KB scanning of X‐ray beam for Laue microdiffraction on accelero‐phobic samples: application to in situ mechanically loaded nanowires

A mapping technique has been developed where a sub‐micrometer focused polychromatic X‐ray beam is scanned across a stationary sample instead of scanning the sample in front of the X‐ray microbeam. This method is applied to a gold nanowire during its mechanical loading using the tip of an atomic force microscope. During the loading process, such a sample is `accelero‐phobic', i.e. the sample scanning stages must not to be moved to avoid parasitic additional load. Without beam scanning, only one single position within the sample can be probed during the test. The probed material point may even change because of drifts or movements induced by the test itself. The new scanning approach facilitates the in situ mapping of the entire wire giving access to the evolution of the wire shape as well as to the boundary conditions. This novel scanning technique opens promising perspectives for studies where sample motion is forbidden because of the sample environment.     

Heat treatment effects on spinel phase of Zn x Ni1 − x Fe2O4 and MnFe2O4 nanoferrites

We report the effects of heat treatment on Zn _x Ni_1???x Fe₂O₄ (x?= 0, 0.5 and 1.0) and MnFe₂O₄ ferrite nanoparticles. The as-prepared compounds were sintered from 400°C to 1100°C. Pure ZnFe₂O₄ (x?= 1.0) and MnFe₂O₄ could be obtained under low reaction temperature of 200°C. NiFe₂O₄ (x?= 0) and Zn_0.5Ni_0.5Fe₂O₄ (x?= 0.5) nanoferrites crystallized with single phase cubic spinel structure after annealing at 600°C. The single phase cubic spinel structure of these compounds was destroyed after annealing at temperature above 700°C. The magnetization measurements indicate superparamagnetic behavior of the nanosized compounds produced.     

Searching for the process e+e- → K+K-π0 in experiments with the spherical neutral detector at VEPP-2M

We have searched for the process e⁺e^- → K⁺K^-π⁰ at energies up to 1.38 GeVin an experiment with the spherical neutral detector at the VEPP-2M e⁺e^- collider. The upper limits of the cross sections for the processes σ(e⁺e →; φπ: → K⁺K^-π⁰) < 0.023 nb and σ(e⁺e^- → KK*(892) → K⁺K^-π⁰) < 0.059 nb have been established at a 95% confidence level.