Charge ordering characteristics in Y0.5Ca0.5MnO3 manganite

The charge ordering characteristics in Y_0.5Ca_0.5MnO₃ manganite, prepared by sol–gel process, have been investigated experimentally. It is found that the superlattice diffractions appear in the electron diffraction patterns recorded at low temperatures, while only basic Brag diffraction spots can be observed when temperature is higher than 300 K. This provides direct evidence for the existence of charge ordering in Y_0.5Ca_0.5MnO₃. The magnetization and specific heat measurements indicate the charge ordering temperature of Y_0.5Ca_0.5MnO₃ is 290 K, around which both the magnetization and specific heat reveal anomalous behaviors. We also observed that the MnO bond length changed remarkably and the effective number of carriers reduced prominently with decreasing temperature around charge ordering temperature through transform infrared spectra measurements.     

Energy spectra of exciton states in disk-shaped GaAs-Ga<Subscript>1-x</Subscript>Al<Subscript>x</Subscript>As quantum dots under growth-direction magnetic fields

A theoretical study, within the effective-mass approximation, of the effects of applied magnetic fields on excitons in disk-shaped GaAs-Ga_1-xAl_xAs quantum dots is presented. Magnetic fields are applied in the growth direction of the semiconductor heterostructure. The parity of the excitonic envelope function related to the simultaneous exchange of z_e→-z_e and z_h→-z_h is a good quantum number and the wave function, both the odd and even parity, can be expanded as combination of products of the quantum well electron and hole function that preserves the parity with appropriate Gaussian functions. We have simultaneously obtained the energies of the excitonic ground and excited states and discuss the behavior of these energies as a function of the magnetic field.     

A Method for Measuring the Three-Dimensional Refractive-Index Distribution of Single Cells Using Proximal Two-Beam Optical Tweezers and a Phase-Shifting Mach—Zehnder Interferometer

This paper describes a method for measuring the three-dimensional (3D) refractive-index distribution in a single cell. The method can be used to observe the distribution of cell components without fluorescence staining. The two-dimensional optical path length distributions from multiple directions are obtained by non-contact rotation of the cell. These optical path lengths are converted into the line integrals of the refractive index, and the 3D refractive-index distribution is reconstructed by means of computed tomography. The refractive-index distribution in a breast cancer cell can be measured using a phase-shifting Mach—Zehnder interferometer in conjunction with proximal two-beam optical tweezers.     

Absorption spectrum of a resonantly driven degenerate V-type atom with a dc-field coupling between excited states

We study the absorption spectra of a degenerate V-type atom, where a resonant driving field and a probe field drive different branches of transitions and a dc field is applied to drive the transition between two excited states. The effects of vacuum induced coherence (VIC) on the absorption spectra are investigated. It is demonstrated that in some special cases the VIC can lead to the depression of absorption and narrow resonance. The origin of these features are discussed. When the pump field and the dc field have the same intensity, it is interesting to find that the whole absorption spectrum comes mainly from the absorptions induced by the interferences among different transitions between dressed states.     

Dispersion interactions,electronic absorption spectra of anthracenes in polar glassy media at 77–300 K,and the change in polarizability upon excitation

The effect of dispersion interactions on the electronic spectra of organic compounds is analyzed within second-order perturbation theory. A formula is obtained which makes is possible to determine the change in the polarizability of the molecules upon excitation, Δα_eg, using data on the effect of the bulk polarizability P_n of the solvent on the position of the electronic spectrum. It is shown that when the solutions are cooled, the long-wavelength shift of the absorption spectra for the studied anthracenes in alcohols is mainly due to dispersion interactions and is caused by an increase in P_n. The possibility of using the new formula for Δα_eg is demonstrated for anthracenes as an example. It is found that for anthracene, 1-chloroanthracene, 9,10-dichloroanthracene, 9,10-dibromoanthracene, 9,10-diiodoanthracene Δα_eg is 16.5, 16.9, 17.2, 18.6, and 20.2 ų respectively. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 74, No. 2, pp. 162–168, March–April, 2007.     

K-shell ionization cross section of aluminium induced by low-energy highly charged argon ions

Al K-shell X-ray yields are measured with highly charged Ar^q+ ions (q=12–16) bombarding against aluminium. The energy range of the Ar ions is from 180 to 380 keV. K-shell ionization cross sections of aluminium are also obtained from the yields data. The experimental data is explained within the framework of 2pπ -2pσ rotational coupling. When Ar ions with 2p-shell vacancies are incident on aluminium, the vacancies begin to reduce. Meanwhile, collisions against Al atoms lead to the production of new 2p-shell vacancies of Ar ions. These Ar 2p-shell vacancies will transfer to the 1s orbit of an Al atom via 2pπ-2pσ rotational coupling leading to the emission of a K-shell X-ray of aluminiun. A model is constructed based on the base of the above physical scenario. The calculation results of the model are in agreement with the experimental results.     

Calculation of stopping power for partially stripped ions using an oscillator model

Collision of swift ions with atoms was considered in this paper. The projectile and target atoms were modeled as assemblies of quantum oscillators and it was assumed that both, target and projectile could be excited or ionized, without charge exchange. The model presented here is an extension of the one given by Sigmund and Haagerup [Phys. Rev. A 34, 892 (1986)]. The number of electrons bound to the projectile, as a function of the projectile velocity, was used from Cabrera-Trujillo et al. [Phys. Rev. A 55, 2864 (1997)]. Contributions to energy loss from excitation of the projectile and targets were separately considered. It has been found that projectile excitation contributes up to 20% to the total energy loss in the lower energy region. Comparisons with other authors, including SRIM 2003, are also given and good agreement was found.     

The role of oxygen and hydrogen partial pressures on structural and optical properties of ITO films deposited by reactive rf-magnetron sputtering

Sn doped In₂O₃ films are deposited by rf-magnetron sputtering at 300 °C under Ar, Ar + O₂ and Ar + H₂ gas ambients. For the film prepared under argon ambient, electrical resistivity 6.5 × 10⁻⁴ Ω cm and 95% optical transmission in the visible region have been achieved optimizing the power and chamber pressure during the film deposition. X-ray diffraction spectra of the ITO film reveal (2 2 2) and (4 0 0) crystallographic planes of In₂O₃. With the introduction of 1.33% oxygen in argon, (2 2 2) peak of In₂O₃ decreases and resistivity increases for the deposited film. With further increase of oxygen in the sputtering gas mixture crystallinity in the film deteriorates and both the peaks disappeared. On the other hand, when 1.33% hydrogen is mixed with argon, the resistivity of the deposited film decreases to 5.5 × 10⁻⁴ Ω cm and the crystallinity remains almost unchanged. In case of reactive sputtering, the deposition rate is lower compared to that in case of non-reactive sputtering. HRTEM and first Fourier patterns show the highly crystalline structure of the samples deposited under Ar and Ar + H₂ ambients. Crystallinity of the film becomes lower with the introduction of oxygen in argon but refractive index increases from 1.86 to 1.9. The surface morphology of the ITO films have been studied by high resolution scanning electron microscopy.     

Fluram labeling of high density NH2 surfaces

Some surface bonded and fluram labeled primary amines show a new red-shifted emission in their fluorescence spectrum. We compared the fluorescence of fluram bonded to various amine functionalized surfaces including tetraethylene pentamine (TEPA), 1,2-ethylene diamine (EDA), 3-aminopropyltriethoxy silane (APTES) and trimetylol-propanetris-(beta-aziridino)-propionate (ATA). All reactions were also monitored using XPS. It was found that the new spectral features seem to be related to the local density of amino groups on the surface. In order to verify this hypothesis we synthesized a surface bonded dendrimer with a step-wise increasing NH₂ density. Using molecules with different lengths as branches in the dendrimer, the amine density can be varied. Only in the case of the highest density, the new fluorescence emission was detected. Consequently, the fluorescence of fluram coupled to amines at a surface can be used to quantify the concentration of these amines and the appearance of the red-shifted emission indicates a high local density of the amino groups.     

A non-thermal chemical synthesis of hydrophilic and amorphous cobalt oxide films for supercapacitor application

Present work explored a room temperature, simple and low cost chemical route for the preparation of hydrophilic cobalt oxide films from alkaline cobalt chloride (CoCl₂:6H₂O) and double distilled water precursor solutions. As-deposited cobalt oxide films showed amorphous nature, which is one of the prime requirements for supercapacitor, as confirmed from X-ray diffraction studies. Changes in direct band gap energy and electrical resistivity of as-deposited cobalt oxide films were confirmed after annealing. Spherical grains of about 40-50 nm diameters were uniformly distributed over the substrate surface. Surface wettability studied in contact with liquid interface, showed hydrophilic nature as water contact angle was <90°. Finally, presence of cobalt-oxygen covalent bond was observed from Raman shift experiment.