Quantitative characterization of chaotic instabilities in semiconductors

A method for quantitative characterization of chaotic dynamical systems is discussed. An electronic instrument for determining the number of independent variablesk ^*, involved in the motion, is described. It allows one to obtain these in real time from a single observable. The suggested technique has been applied to quantification of strange attractors underlying chaotic instabilities in semi-insulating GaAsCr, and n-Ge, irradiated with high energy electrons. In n-Ge, for instance, the measured numbersk ^* range from 2 to 4 depending on control parameters. These measurements reveal the highly deterministic nature of the observed chaotic oscillations. The physical mechanisms responsible for the current instabilities and chaotic behaviour are discussed.     

Preparation and thermal properties of chemically prepared nanoporous silica aerogels

This work focuses on the dependence preparation conditions—structure—physical properties of hydrophobic silica aerogels, all of them prepared under subcritical drying conditions (70 °C and 0.4 atm.), thus aiming at potential application as case insulation filling in heat pumps. The so prepared, millimeter scaled nano-porous hydrophobic silica aerogel granules were analyzed with standard electron microscope and atomic force microscopy, IR spectroscopy, UV/Vis spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and thermal conductivity measurements. The physical properties of the aerogels were compared with commercial aerogel granules. A method for contact angle measurement of micro-droplets situated on the silica granules was proposed to quantify the level of their hydrophobicity.     

Formation of gold-capped silicon nanocolumns on silicon substrate

Gold-capped silicon nanocolumns regularly distributed over silicon substrate were obtained. The columns length was roughly 100 nm; their deviation from perpendicular axis was less than 2°. The diameter of the columns was of the order of 10 nm or below of that. The proposed procedure of nanostructuring included the following main steps: deposition of aluminum thin layer (100–500 nm) by magnetron sputtering on (100) oriented Si wafers; formation of porous self-ordered alumina structures by electrochemical anodizing of the Al film in oxalic acid; electroless inversion of Au in alumina pores; and reactive ion etching. The obtained Si–Au structures are of importance as the platforms for biosensing applications, while the gold-free structures are of interest in photovoltaics.

     

Natrium-Triphenylcyanoborat — Cäsignost — ein Reagens zur Rubidiumtrennung

Zusammenfassung Rubidium kann quantitativ mit Cäsignost, Natriumtriphenylcyanoborat, in Abwesenheit von Cäsium gefällt werden. Ammoniak, Kalium sowie Spaltprodukte werden nicht mitgefällt. Bei Zugabe von inertem Salz (NaCl) wird die Fällung stark beschleunigt.

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Rubidium separation by sodium triphenyl cyanoborate (Cäsignost)

Summary Rubidium can be quantitatively precipitated with Cäsignost Na[(C₆H₅)₃ B(CN)] in absence of cesium. Ammonia, potassium and fission products do not interfere with the precipitation. The addition of an inert salt (NaCl) accelerates the precipitation more than twice.

     

Shear deformation potentials in metals

The differential approach, based on the Green's function method and the muffin-tin approximation for the crystal potential, which was proposed recently as a convenient method of obtaining accurate deformation potentials in metals is discussed briefly here with particular emphasis on the relation of the method to stress-modulation experiments. Specific results are presented for the deformation potentials under tetragonal and trigonal shears of some of the states of Cu, Ag, and Au at symmetry points in the Brillouin zone, and comparison is made with available experimental data.     

Dielectric response of water confined in metal–organic frameworks

Dielectric response of water confined in metal–organic frameworks was investigated in broad temperature range from 140 to 410 K and from 20 Hz to 1 MHz using a capacitance bridge. Several dispersion regions of characteristic shape were found, caused by freezing–melting of adsorbed water molecules, which disappear after a prolonged heating at 410 K. Temperature dependencies of relaxation time of confined water molecules were obtained and are compared to those of water confined in MCM-41 mesoporous molecular sieves.     

Effect of Precursor Nature and Sol-Gel Synthesis Conditions on TiO2 Aerogel’s Structure

The aim of this investigation was to synthesize high porosity TiO₂ aerogel by applying sol-gel and subcritical drying methods and to identify the influence of reagent’s nature and synthesis conditions on their structural and optical properties. Methods of XRD, FT-IR, BET, STA, SEM, and UV-vis were applied to investigate and compare the properties of synthesized TiO₂ aerogels and to determine the most effective synthesis route. The structural parameters of the synthesized materials can be varied by changing the precursor type (titanium (IV), isopropoxide (TIP), or tetrabutylorthotitanate (TBOT)) and the nature of the solvent used for additional exchange (n-hexane (nH), cyclohexane (CH), or diethyl ether (DE)). All of the subcritical dried samples show the amorphous structure, which tends to crystallize into the anatase phase after calcination. The number of micro and mesopores and the specific surface area depends on the synthesis conditions. The pores with the highest diameter have been found for additionally nH exchanged and aged aerogel synthesized from precursor TIP. Despite the imperfections in the structure, the produced aerogels show structural and optical properties typical of the TiO₂ structures mentioned in the literature.     

Formation of gold-capped silicon nanocolumns on silicon substrate

Gold-capped silicon nanocolumns regularly distributed over silicon substrate were obtained. The columns length was roughly 100?nm; their deviation from perpendicular axis was less than 2°. The diameter of the columns was of the order of 10?nm or below of that. The proposed procedure of nanostructuring included the following main steps: deposition of aluminum thin layer (100?C500?nm) by magnetron sputtering on (100) oriented Si wafers; formation of porous self-ordered alumina structures by electrochemical anodizing of the Al film in oxalic acid; electroless inversion of Au in alumina pores; and reactive ion etching. The obtained Si?CAu structures are of importance as the platforms for biosensing applications, while the gold-free structures are of interest in photovoltaics.     

A multiple-scattering Xα study of silane and germane

Calculations for some of the group IV hydrides using the multiple-scattering Xα (MS Xα method are reported, and the results are compared with available experimental data and previous calculations, in those cases where such calculations exist. From these comparisons it appears that ionization potentials and transition energies can be adequately calculated by the MS Xα method; however, in its present muffin-tin-restricted form the method gives binding energies and bond lengths that are in disagreement with experiment.