Density functional theory investigation of the structure of SO2 and SO3 on Cu(1 1 1) and Ni(1 1 1)

Density functional theory (DFT) slab calculations, mainly using the generalised gradient approximation, have been used to investigate the minimum energy structures of molecular SO₂ and SO₃ on Cu(1 1 1) and Ni(1 1 1) surfaces. On Ni(1 1 1) the optimal local adsorption structures are in close agreement with experimental results for both molecular species obtained using the X-ray standing wavefield technique, although for adsorbed SO₂ the energetic difference between two alternative lateral positions of the lying-down molecule on the surface is marginally significant. On Cu(1 1 1) the results for adsorbed SO₂, in particular, were sensitive to the DFT functional used in the calculations, but in all cases failed to reproduce the experimentally-established preference for adsorption with the molecular plane perpendicular to the surface. This result is discussed in the context of previously published DFT results for these species adsorbed on Cu(1 0 0). The optimal geometry found for SO₃ on Cu(1 1 1) is similar to that on Ni(1 1 1), providing agreement with experiment regarding the molecular orientation but not the adsorption site.     

不确定非线性系统的鲁棒自适应控制器

在ｂａｃｋｓｔｅｐｐｉｎｇ程序中，把非线性自适应控制和鲁棒控制连接起来，为参数化的严格反馈系统在不确定性存在的情况下，建立了一种鲁棒自适应控制方案．非线性自适应控制被用来处理系统的线性参数化部分，而鲁棒控制通过引进非线性阻尼项被用来处理不确定性部分．与现有的方案不同，作者给出了非线性阻尼项的无限种选择，而不是仅仅一种选择．通过使用一种合适的选择，能够设计一个鲁棒自适应控制器．它不仅能够保证对不确定性的鲁棒性，而且能够使输出误差任意小，以及用较小的控制努力取得较好的性能．     

Controlled structure and density of “living” polystyrene brushes on flat silica surfaces

Thin layers of polystyrene were grown from surface-grafted nitroxide initiators via controlled “living” free radical polymerization. The “reactive” Langmuir-Blodgett deposition method allowed an effective control of the initiator layer density leading to PS brushes with different and high grafting density and stretching. The influence of the grafting density on the layer structure was studied. Comparison with theoretical predictions for monodispersed brushes in bad solvent was discussed. The thickness was found to vary linearly with molecular weight and the density dependence was shown using wetting measurements. Special features of controlled radical nitroxide polymerization from a surface were discussed. A direct comparison of the molecular weight and polydispersity between surface and bulk polymers was made by de-grafting the brushes into a toluene/HF solution. Finally, some evidence of a “surface Fischer” effect was shown from re-initiated layers. Received 20 December 2001     

New feature in the Auger peak of adsorbed oxygen

Recent joint theoretical and experimental investigations of Auger core-core-valence spectra of alkali adatoms on simple metals have revealed that such technique is capable to ascertain contributions from different adsorption environments in the signal [M.I. Trioni, S. Caravati, G.P. Brivio, L. Floreano, F. Bruno, A. Morgante, Phys. Rev. Lett. 93 (2004) 206802]. Consequently, to verify if such an effect is present also for other chemical species, we study theoretically the KLV transition of oxygen either as a bulk impurity or as an adsorbate in/on Al and Ag (jellium-like). We make use of the Fermi golden rule in which the matrix elements of the interaction are calculated within DFT. We verify that the relevant physical quantity of this phenomenon is the excited local density of states (LDOS), calculated within a region centered on the core ionized atom. The Auger rate for oxygen in Ag bulk displays a single asymmetric peak, while for adsorbed oxygen a second smaller feature at lower energies, and very close to the first one, appears. This unexpected result follows from the removal of the degeneracy of the m quantum number of the 2p states of oxygen at the surface. It is only displayed on the electronically less dense metal (Ag), but not on Al.     

Spectroscopy of the regenerative soot

The mechanisms and processes of the formation of the regenerative soot in a graphite hollow cathode discharge that produces and emits carbon clusters are presented. Mass spectrometry with a specially designed E×B velocity filter analyzes the entire range of the charged clusters from C ₁ to ∼C ₄₃₀₀. The state of the carbon vapour within the source is evaluated by using the characteristic line emissions from the carbonaceous discharge whose formative mechanisms depend upon the kinetic and potential sputtering of the sooted cathode. The carbonaceous discharge generates atomic and ionic C and its clusters C _m (m≥ 2), noble gas metastable atoms and ions, energetic electrons and photons in the cavity of the graphite hollow cathode. The parameters of soot formation and its recycling depend critically on the discharge parameters, the geometry of the hollow cathode and 3D profile of the cusp magnetic field contours. Received 2nd July 2001 and Received in final form 10 September 2001     

Synthesis, morphology and random laser action of ZnO nanostructures

Three-dimensional (3-D) ZnO random-wall nanostructures and one-dimensional (1-D) ZnO nanorods were prepared on silicon substrates by a simple solid-vapour phase thermal sublimation technique. Optical pumped random lasing has been observed in the ZnO random-wall arrays with a threshold intensity of 0.38 MW/cm² in the emission wavelength from 380 to 395 nm. The optical gain was attributed to the closed-loop scattering and light amplification of the ZnO random-wall. The experimental result suggests that the morphology of nanostructure is the key factor to effect random lasing.     

Growth process of TiC clusters from Ti nanoparticles with evaporated carbon layer

Titanium carbide formation by the solid–solid reaction on the surface of Ti nanoparticles was studied in situ using a high-resolution transmission electron microscope with a heating stage. The cross-sectional image of the Ti surface was clearly observed. Vacuum-deposited carbon covered the whole the surface of Ti nanoparticles in spite of the partly evaporation on the nanoparticle surface. The diffusion of the carbon atoms inside the Ti nanoparticles depended on the size of the nanoparticles. When the Ti nanoparticle diameter was less than 30 nm, carbon atoms diffused into the Ti nanoparticle and formed TiC. The superstructure of the Ti nanoparticles was observed, which revealed the growth process of TiC to be the diffusion of carbon atoms. For Ti nanoparticles with diameter larger than 30 nm it was observed that diffusion of Ti atoms into the carbon layer was dominant, which resulted in formation of TiC in the carbon layer at the surface of Ti nanoparticles.     

Noncollinear optical parametric amplification in lithium triborate seeded by a cw Ti:sapphire laser

Experimental investigations of a type-I noncollinear phase-matched optical parametric amplification based on lithium triborate, which was pumped by a 5-ns second-harmonic pulses from a Q-switched Nd:YAG, seeded by a cw Ti:sapphire laser at 800 nm, was presented. The experiments generated 2-ns signal output pulses at 800 nm, the maximum signal output pulse energy reached 19 μJ, the corresponding parametric gain was 44 dB. Furthermore, the experiments demonstrate that the 65 nm-FWHM parametric fluorescence gain spectrum could also be observed. A quantitative account of the ultrabroadband parametric fluorescence gain spectrum was given with our theory. The experimental measurements are in agreement with theoretical calculations.     

Sn/Ge(1 1 1) α-phase: characterization of image resonances by specular electron reflection and selective electron scattering

Image potential resonances on the Sn/Ge(1 1 1) α-phase are investigated by two closely related methods: specular electron reflection and so-called selective electron scattering. Electrons from image resonances are detected on this surface at 120 and 300 K, i.e. below and above the phase transition at about 200 K. The dispersion of the image resonances reveals at these two temperatures equivalent effective electron masses, which are characteristic for this type of electronic surface states. The results of the two methods are consistent according to the similarity of the scattering processes. Changes in the loss peak intensity with the annealing temperature are assigned to the surface quality and are reflected by characteristic photoemission intensities.     

Behavior of zirconium in the ZrOW(100) system at high temperature, studied by ISS, AES and work-function measurements

The behavior of zirconium atoms at the W(100) surface associated with oxygen adsorption at different sample temperatures has been studied by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), ion scattering spectroscopy (ISS), and the relative change of the work function (Δф) measured by the onset of the secondary electron energy distribution. The results have revealed: (i) adsorption of zirconium onto the W(100) surface followed by the elevation of the sample temperature up to 1710 K in an oxygen partial pressure of 2.7 × 10⁻⁴ induces complete diffusion of zirconium atoms into the W(100) substrate; (ii) further exposure of oxygen induces co-existence of oxygen and tungsten on the surface at 1710 K, resulting in a work function of 4.37 eV; (iii) keeping the sample temperature at 1710 K, simple evacuation of the system has resulted in surface segregation of zirconium atoms to the surface to form a zirconium atomic layer on the top-most surface, reducing the work function to 2.7 eV. The results have revealed that this specific behavior of zirconium atoms at high temperature assures, with very good reproducibility, the highly stable performance and long service life of Zr---O/W(100)-emitters in practical use, even in a low vacuum of 10⁻⁶ Pa.