Publications

The martensitic transformation characteristics in two series of cobalt substituted Ni-Fe-Ga Ferromagnetic Shape Memory alloys have been studied by differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, electrical resistivity and thermomagnetic measurements. Co substitution for Fe or Ni promotes an increase of the Curie temperatures but the changes of the martensitic transformation temperatures are in agreement with the valence electron concentration and unit cell volume variations. A large hysteresis observed between cooling and heating curves as feature of a first order phase transition was evidenced by r(T) and thermomagnetic measurements.

Luminescent nanorods of potassium acid phthalate (KAP) doped with rhodamine 6G (Rh 6G) dye molecules were grown by template assisted crystallization. Pores with diameters ranging from tens of nanometers to few micrometers were obtained in polycarbonate foils after heavy-ion irradiation and subsequent chemical etching of the damage trails along the ion trajectories. Crystallization from solution was employed for filling of the pores with the dye-doped KAP rods. These nanostructures were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, optical absorption spectroscopy and photoluminescence detection. X-ray diffraction was used for structural analysis. The luminescence of the dye-doped rods undergoes a redshift when the diameter of the structures decreases. This shift is probably caused by increasing dye concentration in the rods with decreasing pore diameter. The luminescence originating from the Rh 6G presence is up-converted due to the second-harmonic generation in KAP.

The extra reflection conditions as given in Volume A of International Tables for Crystallography may not be rigorously fulfilled if the thermal vibrations and positional or static disorder of the atoms are not isotropic. Although small in most cases, the intensities of reflections violating the extra reflection conditions can become measurable for large thermal and positional anisotropy. It would be useful to have an inventory of these `pseudo extra reflection conditions' for all space groups in the early stage of structure investigation. The subject is demonstrated with the aid of four significant examples and the possibility of predicting without calculation the status of the largest part of the extra reflection conditions is discussed.

A model for the detection of CO in the presence of humidity is proposed for thick porous film gas sensors based on p-type CuO. The sensing mechanism is investigated by means of simultaneous DC electrical resistance and work function changes measurements combined with appropriate modeling of the conduction in the polycrystalline sensing film. The experiments were performed at 150 degrees C in dry and humid air backgrounds. The conclusion is that, very similarly to the case of undoped SnO2, the explanation of the cross-interference of water in the CO detection is the fact that both react with pre-adsorbed oxygen ions. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

We demonstrate the theoretical possibility of obtaining a pure spin current in a 1D ring with spin-orbit interaction by irradiation with a nonadiabatic, two-component terahertz laser pulse, whose spatial asymmetry is reflected by an internal phase difference phi. The solutions of the equation of motion for the density operator are obtained for a spin-orbit coupling linear in the electron momentum (Rashba) and they are used to calculate the time-dependent charge and spin currents. We find that there are critical values of phi at which the charge current disappears, while the spin current reaches a maximum or a minimum value.

A general method for mapping the equipotential profile surrounding a conductive cylindrically symmetric high aspect ratio structure, such as a carbon nanotube or a Spindt tip, is devised. The surface of the object is replaced by a discrete set of charges located on the symmetry axis. The overall electrostatic potential must satisfy a set of boundary conditions imposed on the original surface. The optimum number of charges is determined through an iterative self-validating process such that the obtained equipotential mimics the surface of the object. The method is exemplified by calculating the electric field enhancement factor for rounded cones and cylinders resembling Spindt tips and carbon nanotubes, respectively. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3582141]

This paper discusses two arylenevinylene oligomers with optical nonlinear properties. Their trans molecular structure was confirmed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. Second Harmonic Generation and two-photon fluorescence have been observed on Matrix Assisted Pulsed Laser Evaporation-deposited thin films. We have seen two local maxima in UV-Vis spectra and a red shift of the photoluminescence peak for carbazole-based oligomer, which can be correlated with a higher conformational flexibility and with strong polarization interactions in the solid state. Scanning Electron Microscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy images have revealed a grainy morphology of the film deposited on titanium and a higher roughness for carbazole-based oligomer. Second harmonic measurements have shown nearly equal values of the second-order nonlinear optical coefficient for the triphenylamine and carbazole-based oligomers for P-laser < 100 mW. z-Scan and x-scan representations of the carbazole-based oligomer film have shown strong two-photon fluorescence intensity inside the sample confirming a volume process, and a strong second harmonic at the surface of the sample determined by the surface morphology. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Iron/iron carbide core and carbon shell nanoparticles with improved magnetic properties were successfully synthesized by laser pyrolysis. As iron and carbon precursors, iron pentacarbonyl and pure or argon-diluted acetylene/ethylene mixtures, respectively, were used. The aim of the present optimization is the improvement of the magnetic properties of the nanomaterials by the increase of the iron percent in powders simultaneously to the maintaining of the protective character of the carbon coverage of nanoparticles. The chemical content and the crystalline structure were monitored by EDX, XRD and TEM techniques. In the first study, the content of acetylene as carbon source was diminished from 75% to 0%. Consequently the percent iron increased from 10 at.% to 28 at.% while oxygen remained relatively constant (around 5 at.%). In the second step, only diluted ethylene was used (maximum 87.5 vol.% Ar). In this case, an increase of iron to 46 at.% is observed. An optimum 50% carbon source dilution was found. Above this value, the carbon content increases and below it, superficial oxidation increases through the diminishing of the carbon shell. The magnetic properties and the Fe phase composition of the Fe-C samples were analyzed by temperature dependent Mossbauer spectroscopy. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Complex oxides demonstrate specific electric and magnetic properties which make them suitable for a wide variety of applications, including dilute magnetic semiconductors for spin electronics. A tin-iron oxide Sn(1-x)FexO(2) nanoparticulate material has been successfully synthesized by using the laser pyrolysis of tetramethyl tin-iron pentacarbonyl-air mixtures. Fe doping of SnO2 nanoparticles has been varied systematically in the 3-10 at% range. As determined by EDAX, the Fe/Sn ratio (in at%) in powders varied between 0.14 and 0.64. XRD studies of Sn(1-x)FexO(2) nanoscale powders, revealed only structurally modified SnO2 due to the incorporation of Fe into the lattice mainly by substitutional changes. The substitution of Fe3+ in the Sn4+ positions (Fe3+ has smaller ionic radius as compared to the ionic radius of 0.69 angstrom for Sn4+) with the formation of a mixed oxide Sn1-xFexO(2) is suggested. A lattice contraction consistent with the determined Fe/Sn atomic ratios was observed. The nanoparticle size decreases with the Fe doping (about 7 nm for the highest Fe content). Temperature dependent 57Fe Mossbauer spectroscopy data point to the additional presence of defected Fe3+-based oxide nanoclusters with blocking temperatures below 60 K. A new Fe phase presenting magnetic order at substantially higher temperatures was evidenced and assigned to a new type of magnetism relating to the dispersed Fe ions into the SnO2 matrix. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

This review deals with recent progress on the development of composite materials based on cojugated polymers (CPs) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs), both from fundamental and applied point of view. In the first part of the manuscript, we present the different types of composites, the new protocols used in their synthesis as well as their vibrational properties reported in the last five years. A brief review of the contribution of Raman light scattering and FTIR spectroscopy to establish the type of interaction between the two constituents is discussed for different cases, i.e. bi-layers of polymers and carbon nanotubes, CPs doped with CNTs and CNTs functionalized with CPs. Recently, anti-Stokes resonant Raman studies have appeared as fruithful tools in the evaluation of functionalization process of CNTs with CPs. The review provides also information on CPs/CNTs composite properties specific to applications in the field of energy storage, optical limiting and electron field emission devices, transistors, conducting textiles, sensors, rewritable devices, biomedical and food domains as well as how these materials have been optimized to generate exploitable properties.