Ising quantum Hall ferromagnet in magnetically doped quantum wells

We report on the observation of the Ising quantum Hall ferromagnet with Curie temperature T(C) as high as 2 K in a modulation-doped (Cd,Mn)Te heterostructure. In this system field-induced crossing of Landau levels occurs due to the giant spin-splitting effect. Magnetoresistance data, collected over a wide range of temperatures, magnetic fields, tilt angles, and electron densities, are discussed taking into account both Coulomb electron-electron interactions and s-d coupling to Mn spin fluctuations. The critical behavior of the resistance "spikes" at T-->T(C) corroborates theoretical suggestions that the ferromagnet is destroyed by domain excitations.     

Electrochemical characterization of Prussian blue type nickel hexacyanoferrate redox mediator for potential application as charge relay in dye-sensitized solar cells

A polynuclear electronically/ionically (redox) conducting mixed-valent inorganic material such as nickel(II) hexacyanoferrate(II,III), NiHCF, was considered for potential application as a redox mediator (charge relay) in dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). The NiHCF redox reactions were found fast and reversible not only when the system was studied as thin film exposed to an aqueous supporting electrolyte but also as bulk material (pasted powder) in solid state, i.e., in the absence of contact with external liquid electrolyte phase. Usefulness of NiHCF material was diagnosed using conventional electroanalytical approaches, solid-state voltammetric methodology, as well as the dynamic electrochemical impedance spectroscopy technique that permitted monitoring of impedance spectra under potentiodynamic conditions. The material was utilized in a mixed-valent state, i.e., as a mixture of K₄Ni^II[Fe^II(CN)₆] and K₃Ni^II[Fe^III(CN)₆] in which iron(II) and iron(III) sites were at the 1:1 ratio. Under such conditions, dynamics of electron-hopping between mixed-valent iron sites was maximized. Our DSSC utilized cis–dithiocyanoatobis(4,4′-dicarboxylic acid-2,2′-bipyridine) ruthenium(II) dye (N3) adsorbed onto TiO₂ semiconductor and NiHCF as redox mediator. Although performance of our DSSC was not optimized in terms of the NiHCF film thickness and morphology, as well as lower photocurrents in comparison to those characteristic of the iodine/iodide based DSSC were obtained, our system yielded readily fairly high open-circuit photovoltages on the level of 800 mV. An important issue was that the formal potential of NiHCF was more positive relative to the potential of the iodide/triiodide couple while being still more negative than that equivalent to the ground state of the N3 dye. Thus, NiHCF mediator was able to regenerate the dye.

     

Pauli paramagnetism and Landau level crossing in a modulation doped CdMnTe/CdMgTe quantum well

Electrical transport measurements are reported on a 2DEG in a CdMnTe quantum well structure. The amplitude of the Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations show a distinct beating pattern with nodes corresponding to coincidences between the spin splitting and a half integer multiple of the cyclotron energy. The observed pattern of nodes is a direct consequence of the large Pauli paramagnetism induced by the s-d exchange interaction between the spins of electronic states and the localized magnetic moments.     

Electrochemical characterization of Prussian blue type nickel hexacyanoferrate redox mediator for potential application as charge relay in dye-sensitized solar cells

A polynuclear electronically/ionically (redox) conducting mixed-valent inorganic material such as nickel(II) hexacyanoferrate(II,III), NiHCF, was considered for potential application as a redox mediator (charge relay) in dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). The NiHCF redox reactions were found fast and reversible not only when the system was studied as thin film exposed to an aqueous supporting electrolyte but also as bulk material (pasted powder) in solid state, i.e., in the absence of contact with external liquid electrolyte phase. Usefulness of NiHCF material was diagnosed using conventional electroanalytical approaches, solid-state voltammetric methodology, as well as the dynamic electrochemical impedance spectroscopy technique that permitted monitoring of impedance spectra under potentiodynamic conditions. The material was utilized in a mixed-valent state, i.e., as a mixture of K₄Ni^II[Fe^II(CN)₆] and K₃Ni^II[Fe^III(CN)₆] in which iron(II) and iron(III) sites were at the 1:1 ratio. Under such conditions, dynamics of electron-hopping between mixed-valent iron sites was maximized. Our DSSC utilized cis–dithiocyanoatobis(4,4??dicarboxylic acid-2,2??bipyridine) ruthenium(II) dye (N3) adsorbed onto TiO₂ semiconductor and NiHCF as redox mediator. Although performance of our DSSC was not optimized in terms of the NiHCF film thickness and morphology, as well as lower photocurrents in comparison to those characteristic of the iodine/iodide based DSSC were obtained, our system yielded readily fairly high open-circuit photovoltages on the level of 800?mV. An important issue was that the formal potential of NiHCF was more positive relative to the potential of the iodide/triiodide couple while being still more negative than that equivalent to the ground state of the N3 dye. Thus, NiHCF mediator was able to regenerate the dye.