Enhancement of the emission yield of silicon nanocrystals in silica due to surface passivation

The ability of surface passivation to enhance the photoluminescence (PL) emission of Si nanocrystals in SiO₂ has been investigated. Silicon precipitation in implanted samples takes place in a time scale of few minutes at 1100°C. For longer annealing at the same temperature, the PL intensity of the Si nanocrystals increases and eventually reaches saturation, while it correlates inversely with the amount of Si dangling bonds at the Si–SiO₂ interface (P_b centers), as measured by electron spin resonance. This combined behavior is independent on the silica matrix properties, implantation profiles and annealing atmosphere and duration. The observation that the light emission enhancement is directly related to the annealing of P_b centers is confirmed by treatment in forming gas. This mild hydrogenation at much lower temperature (450°C) leads to a complete passivation of the P_b defects, increasing at the same time the PL yield and the lifetime.     

On the correlation between order parameter, superconducting volume fraction and critical current density in R: 123 superconductors

Resistivity and low field ac susceptibility measurements are made on R: 123 superconducting samples with different rare earth elements R. The order parameter dimensionality OPD is deduced from resistivity versus temperature plot using the Aslamazov and Larkin expression, while the analysis of the temperature dependence of ac susceptibility is done employing Beans’ critical state model and with the help of the Ravi expression. With increasing R, the critical temperatures T_c are nearly kept constant (∼90 K), while the crossover temperatures T_o are shifted to lower values. Moreover, the superconducting order parameter OPD is shifted toward 2D behavior. On the other hand, the values of superconducting volume fraction f_g decrease with increasing ac field amplitude H_m for all samples and it is higher in Er: 123 sample than in Nd: 123 sample. Although the values of critical current density J_c at the peak temperature T_m are nearly unchanged with increasing R, the values of J_c(T), at T<T_m and T>T_m, are found to be dependent on the chosen R. The correlation between the above calculated parameters against R is also mentioned.     

Unconventional antiferromagnetic correlations of the doped Haldane gapsystem Y 2 BaNi 1 - x Zn x O 5

We make a new proposal to describe the very low temperature susceptibility of the doped Haldane gap compound Y₂BaNi_1-xZn_xO₅. We propose a new mean field model relevant for this compound. The ground state of this mean field model is unconventional because antiferromagnetism coexists with random dimers. We present new susceptibility experiments at very low temperature. We obtain a Curie-Weiss susceptibility χ( T ) ∼ C /(Θ + T ) as expected for antiferromagnetic correlations but we do not obtain a direct signature of antiferromagnetic long range order. We explain how to obtain the “impurity” susceptibility ( T ) by subtracting the Haldane gap contribution to the total susceptibility. In the temperature range [1 K, 300 K] the experimental data are well fitted by T ( T ) = C _imp 1 + T _imp / T . In the temperature range [100 mK, 1 K] the experimental data are well fitted by T ( T ) = A ln( T / T _c ), where T _c increases with x. This fit suggests the existence of a finite Néel temperature which is however too small to be probed directly in our experiments. We also obtain a maximum in the temperature dependence of the ac-susceptibility ( T ) which suggests the existence of antiferromagnetic correlations at very low temperature. Received 17 July 2001     

Surface properties of finite classical Coulomb systems: Debye-Hückel approximation and computer simulations

We report analytical and numerical studies of surface correlations in finite, homogeneously polarizable, classical Coulomb systems placed in an insulating or conducting environment. Their purpose is to understand the phenomenological, shape-dependent laws of electrostatics, from the point of view of statistical mechanics; we focus on the knowledge of the dielectric susceptibility of the system, a quantity proportional to the equilibrium fluctuation of the system's instantaneous polarization per unit volume. This goal has been achieved for a system in a conducting state. The picture is that the shape-dependent part of the susceptibilities results from the action of unbounded observables (the second moments of the instantaneous polarization of the system) on long-range surface correlations and that the relations of electrostatics are verified by means of shape-dependent thermodynamic limits. This picture is supported (i) by exact solutions and asymptotic analysis of the Debye-Hückel approximation of multicomponent plasmas in disks and spheres with insulating and conducting environment and also in ellipses in a vacuum, and (ii) by computer simulations of a one-component plasma in a disk with different environments, notably a conducting environment with permeable and impermeable wall. These observations have revealed for the first time the reason why the susceptibility of a conducting disk in a conductor with impermeable walls diverges linearly with the radius of the disk: this is due to the occurrence of long-range radial correlations in the conductor. These findings are quantitatively interpreted in terms of a novel canonical Debye-Huckel approximation as contrasted to the ordinary grand canonical version. Lastly a fresh look at the problem of the surface correlations of a conductor in a vacuum, which places the observer close to the surface of the conductor but in the vacuum, is presented and applied to the disk, the ellipse, the cylinder, the sphere, and the wedge.     

群青颜料呈色机理的电子顺磁共振研究

研究了阿富汗青金石矿石、敦煌石窟青金石颜料、合成群青的呈色机理。实验表明三者均有ｇ＝２．０２９峰，前两者多一个ｇ＝２．０４７峰，４００℃时，ｇ＝２．０４７峰变平，６００℃时消失。ｇ＝２．０２９峰随温度升高而增强，８００℃时增强放慢，颜色也随温度变深。在Ｍ０Ｏ３／ＳｉＯ２和Ｍ０Ｏ３／Ａｌ２Ｏ３表面上，Ｓ２＾－的ＥＰＲ有ｇ１＝２．０４７，ｇ２＝２．２０８，ｇ３＝１．９９８三个分量。因此，群青、青金石和     

多晶顺磁共振谱的拟合

对电子自旋1/2≤S<3.5,核自旋1/2≤I<4.5和配体少于10个的顺磁体系的多晶EPR谱的拟合进行研究。在VAX-11/785计算机上用FORTRAN语言建立EPR谱模拟程序包,计算了多个例子,获得较为满意的结果。     

Determination of molecular orientation distribution of a stable paramagnetic probe in oriented 4-cyano-4’-<Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-pentylbiphenyl

The molecular orientation distribution function of a stable radical 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl in magnetic-field oriented 4-cyano-4’-n-pentylbiphenyl was determined from the angular dependence of the ESR spectra. The preferred molecular orientation of radical species in the liquid crystal matrix was determined. The temperature evolution of the orientation distribution function was studied.__________Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 1, pp. 190–195, January, 2005.     

Groups of paramagnetic centres in coal samples with different carbon contents

Complex systems of paramagnetic centres existing in demineralised flame coal (71.4 wt% C), medium-rank coal (85.6 wt% C) and anthracite (94.9 wt% C) were analysed by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR). Different groups of paramagnetic centres were searched in macerals (exinite, vitrinite, inertinite) of coals with carbon contents of 73.8 wt% C and 85.6 wt% C. Experimental EPR spectra were fitted by different superposition of theoretical lines. Total concentration of paramagnetic centres both in coal and macerals increases with carbon content in the sample. Total concentration of paramagnetic centres in macerals increases from exinite to inertinite. Four groups of paramagnetic centres were found in medium-rank coal, and only two groups exist in flame coal and anthracite. The EPR spectrum of medium-rank coal is a superposition of two broad and two narrow lines. Both broad and narrow, and two narrow lines were measured in EPR spectra of flame coal and anthracite, respectively. Two types of paramagnetic centres with broad lines and one group with narrow lines exist in exinite and vitrinite from medium-rank coal. Two narrow components were observed in EPR spectra of its inertinite. Two different broad electron paramagnetic resonance signals were detected for macerals from low-coalificated coal. Paramagnetic centres systems of medium-rank coal samples reveal the most complex character. Broad EPR lines were not observed for the higher coalificated samples, i.e., anthracite and inertinite from medium-rank coal. Narrow lines do not occur in EPR spectra of low-coalificated macerals. Strong dipolar interactions and fast spin-lattice relaxation processes are characteristic for paramagnetic centres with broad lines. Strong exchange interactions and short spin-lattice relaxation time were measured for paramagnetic centres with the narrowest EPR signals.     

CeAgAs2 — a New Derivative of the HfCuSi2 Type of Structure: Synthesis,Crystal Structure and Magnetic Properties

Single crystals of CeAgAs₂ have been obtained by chemical transport reactions starting from a pre‐reacted powder sample. The crystal structure was solved using X‐ray diffraction (space group Pmca, No. 57, a = 5.7586(4) Å, b = 5.7852(4) Å, c = 21.066(3) Å, Z = 8) and refined to a residual of R(F) = 0.029 for 46 refined parameters and 1020 reflections. The structure of CeAgAs₂ represents a new distorted and ordered variant of the HfCuSi₂ type. The characteristic feature of this structure are infinite cis‐trans chains of As atoms with As—As distances of 2.563(1) Å and 2.601(1) Å. CeAgAs₂ is paramagnetic (μ_eff = 2.37 μ_B, θ = —10.5(2) K), with antiferromagnetic ordering at 5.5(2) K and exhibits a metamagnetic transition starting at 4.6 kOe and T = 1.8 K.     

Relationship of rotational correlation time from EPR spectroscopy and protein-membrane interaction

A study was carried out to determine if rotational correlation time of spin-labeled hen egg lysozyme (HEL) interacting with ultrafiltration membranes could be used to infer protein-membrane interaction. Polysulfone and cellulosic membranes, which have notably different adsorption properties, and membranes with varying pore sizes were used in this study. Based on this study, it was determined that the rotational correlation time does reflect variations in protein adsorption and pore plugging on membranes. The rotational correlation times for the highly adsorbent polysulfone (2.82 × 10⁻⁸ s) were significantly higher than those obtained from proteins on cellulosic membranes (0.62 × 10⁻⁸ s) and from those in solution (0.17 × 10⁻⁸ s). Rotational correlation time was also increased due to steric hindrance associated with pore plugging, although it was not as significant as the adsorption effect. This study indicates that the rotational time constant can be used to infer the type of protein-membrane interaction.