Electro-responsive asymmetric nanopores in polyimide with stable ion-current signal

For the preparation of a single asymmetrically shaped nanopore in a polyimide membrane, Kapton foils were irradiated with single heavy ions and subsequently etched from one side in sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl). The other side of the membrane was protected from etching by a stopping medium containing a reducing agent for hypochlorite ions (OCl^-). The resulting conical nanopore rectified ion current and exhibited a stable ion-current flow. Received: 23 May 2002 / Accepted: 2 September 2002 / Published online: 15 January 2003 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +49-6159/712-179, E-mail: Z.Siwy@gsi.de     

Non-adiabatic transitions at a continuum edge

We consider interaction of a single level with a broad, tending to semi-infinite continuum. In an example of two exactly solvable problems, we show that for time dependent quantum systems the probability of the irreversible transition from a discrete level to a continuum is strongly inhibited or even completely suppressed by the presence of a discrete adiabatic level near the continuum edge. Received 10 October 2002 Published online 4 March 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: Alain.Sarfati@lac.u-psud.fr     

Magnetohydrodynamic properties of incompressible Meissner fluids

We consider a superconducting material that exists in the liquid state, more precisely, in which the Meissner-Ochsenfeld effect persists in the liquid state. First, we investigate how the shape of such a hypothetical Meissner liquid will adapt to accomodate for an applied external field. In particular, we analyse the case of a droplet of Meissner fluid, and compute the elongation of the droplet and its quadrupole frequency as a function of the applied field. Next, the influence of an applied field on the flow of the liquid is studied for the case of a surface wave. We derive the dispersion relation for surface waves on an incompressible Meissner fluid. We discuss some candidate realizations of the Meissner fluids and for the case of a superconducting colloid discuss which regime of wave lengths would be most affected by the Meissner effect.     

Effect of aerosil dispersions on the nematic-to-isotropic interface

The effect of silica aerosils on the kinetics of the first-order nematic-isotropic (NI) phase transition is phenomenologically described in the framework of the time-dependent Landau-Ginzburg equation. A steady-state solution to the equation is presented such that the NI interface may propagate with a solitary-like wave profile under constant quenching. The results provide a plausible basis for the interpretation of the dynamical effects of quenched disorder in the liquid-crystal systems, caused by randomly interconnected porous media, such as aerosils. In the low silica aerosil ρ_s ( ≤0.1 g/cm^3) regime, the calculated values of the interface velocity v(T,ρ_s), the interface thickness κ(T,ρ_s), and the critical radius of a spherical nucleus of new nematic phase in a bulk isotropic environment, composed of polar molecules, such as 4-n-octyl- 4^′- cyanobiphenyl and 4-n-heptyl- 4^′- cyanobiphenyl shows that the effect of silica aerosils on the kinetics is reflected in a shifting of the set of temperature-dependent curves to lower temperature values.-1     

Boundary-value problems and the validity of the Post constraint in modern electromagnetism

When a (frequency-domain) boundary-value problem involving a homogeneous linear material is solved to assess the validity of the Post constraint, a conflict arises between the fundamental differential equations of electromagnetism in the chosen material and a naïve application of the usual boundary conditions. It is shown here that the conflict vanishes when the boundary conditions are properly derived from the fundamental equations, and the validity of the Post constraint in modern macroscopic electromagnetism is thereby reaffirmed.     

Properties of Strain Compensated Symmetrical Triangular Quantum Wells Composed of InGaAs/InAs Chirped Superlattice Grown Using Gas Source Molecular Beam Epitaxy

We investigate the properties of symmetrical triangular quantum wells composed of InGaAs/InAs chirped superlattice, which is grown by gas source molecular beam epitaxy via digital alloy method. In the quantum well structure tensile AlInGaAs are used as barriers to partially compensate for the significant compressive strain in the wells, the strain compensation effects are confirmed by x-ray measurement. The photoluminescence spectra of the sample are dominated by the excitonic recombination peak in the whole temperature range. The thermal quenching, peak energy shift and line-width broadening of the PL spectra are analysed in detail, the mechanisms are discussed.     

Thermodynamics of wurtzite GaN from first-principle calculation

The density function perturbation theory (DFPT) is employed to study the linear thermal expansion and heat capacity at constant pressure (with the quasiharmonic approximation) for wurtzite GaN. The calculated results of linear thermal expansion coefficient and heat capacity at constant pressure are compared with the available experimental data in a wide temperature range. Generally these properties calculated agree well with experimental data except at high temperature, thus it suggests the thermal expansion and heat capacity can be well calculated from this first-principle approach.     

Thickness determination of molecularly thin lubricant films by angle-dependent X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

An angle-dependent X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) method used to measure the thickness of molecularly thin lubricants was developed. The method was built based on an island model of patched overlayer on a flat substrate by using the photoemission signal solely from the lubricant film. Typical molecularly thin Zdol films on the CHx overcoat of unused commercial magnetic disks were measured to verify the metrology. The lubricant thickness determined by the metrology was equal to the recent result by thermostatic high vacuum atomic force microscopy. The measured deduction in the thickness of the molecularly thin lubricant films, successively irradiated by the monochromatic source operated at 14 kV/250 W, was as low as 1 ? during the first irradiation hour. XPS spectra showed that no hydrocarbons, water or oxygen were adsorbed over the Zdol outer surfaces in the tested XPS conditions. The inelastic mean free path (IMFP) of C 1s in Zdol or in CHx was found to be independent of take off angle (TOA) when TOA < 40°. The IMFP of C 1s in Zdol was ∼63.5 ? and the lubricant island thickness was ∼35 ?.     

Nanotubular structures of zinc oxide

ZnO nanotubes with a regular polyhedral shape, hollow core, and wall thickness as small as 4 nm, have been prepared in large-area substrate by vapor phase growth. The nanotubes can be classified into two groups consisting of either polycrystalline or straight single crystal. The formation of the ZnO nanotubes was found closely related to the hexagonal structure of the ZnO crystal and the peculiar growth conditions used.