Nanoporous Network Channels from Self‐Assembled Triblock Copolymer Supramolecules

Supramolecular complexes of a poly(tert‐butoxystyrene)‐block‐polystyrene‐block‐poly(4‐vinylpyridine) triblock copolymers and less than stoichiometric amounts of pentadecylphenol (PDP) are shown to self‐assemble into a core–shell gyroid morphology with the core channels formed by the hydrogen‐bonded P4VP(PDP)complexes. After structure formation, PDP was removed using a simple washing procedure, resulting in well‐ordered nanoporous films that were used as templates for nickel plating.

     

Crucial role of paramagnetic ligands for magnetostructural anomalies in "breathing crystals"

Breathing crystals based on polymer-chain complexes of Cu(hfac)(2) with nitroxides exhibit thermally and light-induced magnetostructural anomalies in many aspects similar to a spin crossover. In the present work, we report the synthesis and investigation of a new family of Cu(hfac)(2) complexes with tert-butylpyrazolylnitroxides and their nonradical structural analogues. The complexes with paramagnetic ligands clearly exhibit structural rearrangements in the copper(II) coordination units and accompanying magnetic phenomena characteristic for breathing crystals. Contrary to that, their structural analogues with diamagnetic ligands do not undergo rearrangements in the copper(II) coordination environments. This confirms experimentally the crucial role of paramagnetic ligands and exchange interactions between them and copper(II) ions for the origin of magnetostructural anomalies in this family of molecular magnets.     

Forward mode coupling and bandgap formation in magnonic crystals

The bandgap formation for magnetostatic surface spin waves (MSSW?s) is numerically simulated in a lateral magnetic superlattice. It is found that, while the bandgaps opened at Brillouin zone edges is an intrinsic property of the periodic lattice, the exact mechanism of their formation can be revealed by incorporating a real source of MSSW excitation into the system. The obtained results uncover that the bandgaps arise due to the coupling between the MSSW?s travelling away from the excitation source (forward modes). This behavior differs from that provided by Bragg diffraction, which is the well-established mechanism for bandgap formation in periodic lattices.     

Spirocyclic derivatives of nitronyl nitroxides in the design of heterospin CuII complexes manifesting spin transitions

A method was developed for the synthesis of a nitronyl nitroxide containing cyclopentane substituents in positions 4 and 5 of the imidazoline ring, viz., 2-(3-pyridyl)-4,5-bis(spiropentyl)-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazole-3-oxide-1-oxyl (L^CP). The reaction of Cu^II hexafluoroacetylacetonate with L^CP affords different products depending on the reaction conditions: mononuclear [Cu(hfac)₂(L^CP)₂], binuclear [Cu(hfac)₂L^CP]₂, tetranuclear {[Cu(hfac)₂]₄(L^CP)₂}, or chain polymer {[Cu(hfac)₂]₃(L^CP)₂} _n . Temperature changes induce structural transformations accompanied by a change in the spin state in exchange clusters in the solid [Cu(hfac)₂L^CP]₂ and {[Cu(hfac)₂]₄(L^CP)₂}.     

Electrical transport and magnetic ordering in R 2Ti3Ge4 (R=Dy, Ho and Er) compounds

New R ₂Ti₃Ge₄ (R=Dy, Ho and Er) intermetallic compounds have been synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction and low temperature ac magnetic susceptibility, electrical resistivity and thermoelectric power measurements were carried out. The compounds crystallize in the parent, Sm₅Ge₄-type orthorhombic structure (space group Pnma) and lanthanide contraction is observed as one moves along the rare-earth series. The changeover from paramagnetic to antiferromagnetic phase happens at low temperatures and the ordering temperature scales with the de Gennes factor. The electrical resistivity is metallic with a negative curvature above 100 K. Thermopower displays a weak maximum at temperatures less than 50 K signifying the possible phonon and magnon drag effects.     

Analytical model of light-emitting diode with patterned contact

In this paper we develop an analytical model for the light-emitting diode (LED) with the metal p-contact patterned as an array of thin strips. The model is based on conformal mapping approach and accounts for the overlapped fringing electric fields created by the adjacent strips. We derive analytical expressions for the electric potential, current injected into the LED active region and power of light extracted via the openings in the pattern. Spatial distribution of electric potential and LED radiation pattern are calculated. Further investigations are necessary to elucidate the contribution of the side walls of the strips on the LED output performance.     

Observation of remanent states of small magnetic particles: Micromagnetic simulation and experiment

Micromagnetic properties of submicron ferromagnetic elements ellipsoidal in shape are studied theoretically and experimentally. By numerically solving the equations of magnetodynamics, it is found that different remanent magnetization states can be obtained, depending on the manner of magnetization reversal in such elements: one-vortex states, two-vortex states, and vortex-free states with skew-symmetric spin pinning. The magnetization configurations predicted in the calculations have been observed experimentally using magnetic force microscopy in regular lattices of microstructures formed in thin-film samples of Fe-Cr alloys under irradiation by interfering laser beams.     

Numerical study of light-emitting diode with injected current modulated by designed electrode

Numerical model and procedure are developed to study the output optical performance of light-emitting diode (LED) in which injected current is spatially modulated by mesh-like top metal electrode. The mesh strips have rectangular crossection as in realistic LEDs. The finite element method is applied to obtain three-dimensional distributions of electric potential which are incorporated in the equations for total output power. The numerical procedure is applied to evaluate LED’s total output optical power at different geometric parameters of the electrode: the mesh pitch, the width, and the height of the top mesh-like electrodes. Modeling results demonstrate the effect of mesh pitch variation on the output optical power. In particular, at a certain value of the mesh pitch maximum total output optical power is revealed. The presented approach can be used in the optimization of the LEDs with designed metal electrodes.     

Laser surface patterning using a Michelson interferometer and femtosecond laser radiation

We report on a simple method to obtain surface gratings using a Michelson interferometer and femtosecond laser radiation. In the optical setup used, two parallel laser beams are generated using a beam splitter and then focused using the same focusing lens. An interference pattern is created in the focal plane of the focusing lens, which can be used to pattern the surface of materials. The main advantage of this method is that the optical paths difference of the interfering beams is independent of the distance between the beams. As a result, the fringes period can be varied without a need for major realignment of the optical system and the time coincidence between the interfering beams can be easily monitored. The potential of the method was demonstrated by patterning surface gratings with different periods on titanium surfaces in air.