National Institute Of Materials Physics - Romania

Pb(Zr1-xTix)O-3 (PZT) thin films were prepared by sol-gel method on stainless steel (SS) and on platinum-coated silicon substrate (Pt/Si). The structure revealed by X-ray diffraction shows strong crystallographic orientation: (110) and (100), respectively. A small amount of pyrochlore phases (Pb-2(Zr,Ti)(2)O6-delta is formed in the films deposited on SS substrate. The crystallite size shows significant differences: d((00l))((SS)) = 27.1 nm, d((h00))((Pt)) = 88 nm. The tetragonal splitting is (Delta c/c)((SS)) = 3.55 % and (Delta c/c)((Pt)) = 3.32 %.

The Fe-57 Mossbauer spectra of NdFe1 (-x) GaxO3 ( x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.25, 0.5 and 0.7) have been measured at room temperature (RT). For x < 0.5 the spectra have been fitted with magnetic sextets with their areas following a binomial distribution of Fe surroundings with Ga neighbours. The spectra for x = 0.5 and 0.7 show paramagnetic doublets, which account for the percolation effect induced by the non-magnetic Ga substitution for Fe, which has been estimated to be x = 0.43 at RT. The analysis of the hyperfine field values as a function of the Ga concentration shows the effect of the variations of the antiferromagnetic sublattice magnetization. Moreover, the dependence of this field with the number of susbstituted neighbours suggests an increase of the average Fe-O-Fe exchange interaction as a consequence of the lattice contraction when Ga susbtitutes for Fe. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In order to prepare poly(N-vinyl carbazole) (PVK) and carbon nanotube (CNs) based composites, electrochemical polymerization of N-vinyl carbazole (NVK) was studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV) in LiClO4/acetonitrile solutions. Cyclic voltammograms recorded on a blank Pt electrode and those obtained when single or multi-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs or MWNTs) films were previously deposited onto the Pt electrode show a down-shift of the VK reduction peak potential in the latter case. The influence of monomer concentration and supporting electrolyte on the polymerization conditions and electrochemical properties of these composite materials were also investigated. Morphologic aspects as well as the photoluminescence properties of the PVK/CNs composite were also investigated. A covalent functionalization of carbon nanotubes with PVK is suggested on the basis of infrared (IR) spectroscopic studies. Using the PVK/CN composite as a positive electrode and an electrolytic solution containing LiPF6, a higher specific discharge capacity of the rechargeable lithium cells, similar to 45 and 115 mA h g(-1), are reported for PVK functionalized SWNTs and MWNTs, respectively. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Fe-Pt-rich alloys has recently attracted a lot of interest for their potential development of the hard magnetic L1(0) (also denoted gamma(1)) FePt phase with high magnetocrystalline anisotropy. An alloy with the nominal composition Fe65Pt25Nb2B8 has been synthesised by rapid quenching of the melt. The phase evolution in the as-cast ribbons was monitored by energy dispersive X-ray diffraction of the synchrotron radiation. It is shown that the Fe65Pt25Nb2B8 alloy is completely crystallized in the as-cast state. With increasing temperature a partial disorder-order phase transformation with occurrence of hard magnetic L1(0) phase is observed. This transformation is directly related to thermal and pressure effects in the sample. With applying pressure, the phase transformation between cubic and tetragonal FePt symmetry is more pronounced and is accompanied by a strong uniaxial lattice expansion. The results are extremely promising for the direct formation from the melt of an exchange coupled hard-soft magnetic alloy with initial formation of the tetragonal hard magnetic L1(0) FePt phase. (C) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Skutterudite (Co0.92Ni0.08)(4) Sb11.88Te0.12 powder has been consolidated under an applied electrical field using a field-assisted sintering technique (FAST). The low FAST sintering temperature and relatively high heating rate considerably reduce grain growth during sintering. (c) 2007 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exchange coupling between alternatively dispersed hard and soft magnetic phases, gives rise to exchange spring magnets with enhanced energy product (BH)(max) that are believed to represent a novel class of permanent magnets with improved properties. The synthesis of a hybrid nanocomposite system made of soft magnetic Fe3B melt spun ribbon and hard magnetic Fe-Pt thin film, obtained by e-beam co-deposition in ultrahigh vacuum onto the ribbons, is reported. Scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction are used for structural characterization of these hybrid samples. Magnetic measurements provide observation of a drastic decrease of the saturation magnetization, compatible with the exchange coupling between hard and soft magnetic phases in the melt spun/thin film samples.

Pure and Nd3+ doped single crystals of Gd1-xRxCa4O(BO3)(3) (R3+ = Sc3+ or Lu3+) with large size and good quality have been grown by the Czochralski pulling technique. By changing the compositional parameter x of Gd1-xRxCa4O(BO3)(3) crystals, their optical birefringence can be controlled in order to achieve non-critical phase matching (NCPM) in the ranges of 790-824 nm along Y-axis and 920963 nm along Z-axis, during second harmonic generations. Nonlinear optical properties of these new biaxial borate crystals are reported. Preliminary investigations of self frequency doubling in NCPM condition in Gd1-x-yRxNdyCa4O(BO3)(3) crystals have been carried out. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An analysis of the high resolution spectra of the Pr3+ in strontium lanthanum aluminates, charge compensated with magnesium Sl(1-x)Pr(y)La(x-y)Mg(x)Al(12)-xO(19), (on a large composition range) is presented. The spectra are mainly dependent on the composition parameter x, and show more Pr3+ centers, two of them stable. Based on composition dependence and polarization data, structural models for the main two centers are proposed. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Thin films of composition GeSb2Te4 and (GeSb2Te4)(90)(SnSe2)to have been prepared by pulsed laser deposition and characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The electrical switching was revealed in both compositions.

We report results of a powder neutron diffraction study on the crystal structure and local magnetic moments in Nd3Co13-x NixB2 compounds with Nd3Ni13B2- type structure. The largest 3d magnetic moment resides at the 4 h sites. Nd magnetic moment is reduced with respect to the free ion value. Preferential Ni substitution for Co is also found at the 4h site. The refined magnetization direction is consistent with the T-x phase diagram derived from magnetization data. (c) 2007 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.