National Institute Of Materials Physics - Romania

The Mn2+ EPR spectra of 12 marbles and limestones (calcitic, dolomitic and calci-dolomitic) collected from different Greek quarries have been analysed by means of cluster analyses numerical taxonomy. By means of Mn2+ EPR line shape this technique allowed classifying all samples in concordance with their mineralogical structure. Accordingly, we have found that while Euclidean and power distances showed to be more adequate in differentiating samples belonging to the same petrologic group, the Perason's correlation coefficient is most suitable to discriminate samples having different mineralogical composition.

We report two ion beam analysis techniques, elastic recoil detection analysis (ERDA) and Rutherford backscattering (RBS), to characterize YBa2CU3O7-x (YBCO) films, obtained in situ by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Initially, ERDA measurements were performed on a thin film to evaluate the PLD rate. RBS measurements correlated with complementary scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction measurements were performed afterwards on a good quality thick YBCO film to determine its stoichiometry, thickness, crystalline structure and surface morphology. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nonlinear optical borate crystals of Gd1-xScxCa4O(BO3)(3) and Gd1-xLuxCa4O(BO3)(3) have been grown and characterized. By changing the composition of these crystals, their optical birefringence can be controlled to obtain second-harmonic generations (SHG) in the ranges of 790-824 mn along the Y axis and 920-963 nm along the Z axis through noncritical phase matching (NUM). The refractive indices of grown crystals were measured with a minimum-deviation technique. The experimental results of NCPM conditions for SHG are in good agreement with the theoretical predictions. (c) 2006 Optical Society of America.

In the paper, the physico-chemical orientation mechanism on solid surfaces for a liquid crystal (NP5 from Merck) doped for homeotropic alignment, is tested. For that, the dispersion and polar parts of surface tension of the liquid crystal are determined. Using substrates with and without adsorbed surfactant, the dispersion and polar parts of the surface tension of the substrates were also measured. Comparison of liquid and solid surface tensions, involved in the physico-chemical mechanism, failed to explain the difference of the molecular alignment for the two substrates. In the presence of the surfactant adsorbed on the surface, the steric model probably gives the explanation for the homeotropic alignment.

The principal obstacle to long-time operation of silicon detectors at the highest energies in the next generation of experiments arises from bulk displacement damage which causes significant degradation of their macroscopic properties. The analysis of the behaviour of silicon detectors after irradiation conduces to a good or reasonable agreement between theoretical calculations and experimental data for the time evolution of the leakage current and effective carrier concentration after lepton and gamma irradiation and large discrepancies after hadron irradiation and this in conditions where a reasonable agreement is obtained between experimental and calculated concentrations of complex defects. In this paper, we argue that the main discrepancies could be solved naturally considering as primary defects the self-interstitials, classical vacancies and the new predicted fourfold coordinated silicon pseudo-vacancy defects. This new defect is supposed to be introduced uniformly in the bulk during irradiation, has deep energy level(s) in the gap and it is stable in time. Considering the mechanisms of production of defects and their kinetics, it was possible to determine indirectly the characteristics of the Si-FFCD defect: energy level in the band gap and cross-section for minority carrier capture. In the frame of the model, the effects of primary defects on the degradation of silicon detectors are important in conditions of continuous long-time irradiation and/or high fluences.

Amorphous SnSe2 films were prepared by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and pulsed electron deposition (PED) from solid polycrystalline targets. The atomic scale structure has been revealed by X-ray diffraction. Hardness properties and electrical properties were measured. The peculiarities of the structures of the films prepared by PLD and PED methods were investigated discussed.

Electrochemical polymerization of N-vinyl carbazole (VC) on carbon nanotube (CNT) films was studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV) in LiClO4/acetonitrile solutions. Comparing the cyclic voltammograms recorded on a blank Pt electrode with those obtained when single- or multi-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT or MWNT) films were previously deposited onto the Pt electrode, a downshift of the VC reduction peak potential is observed in the latter case. The influences of monomer concentration, type of solvent, and supporting electrolyte on the polymerization conditions and electrochemical properties of these composite materials are also investigated. The morphological aspects of poly(N-vinyl carbazole) (PVC)-functionalized CNTs are revealed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies. A covalent functionalization of carbon nanotubes with PVC is invoked as a result of attenuated total reflection infrared (ATR-IR) spectroscopic studies. Using PVC-functionalized CNTs as a positive electrode and an electrolytic solution containing LiPF6, the charge-discharge characteristics of the rechargeable lithium cells are determined. High specific discharge capacity (approximate to 45 and 115 mA h g(-1)) is reported for PVC-functionalized single- and multi-walled carbon nanotubes, respectively.

Fe-Ni-Co-Ti shape memory alloys were prepared by various techniques. A comparison between samples prepared by classical metallurgy and by melt spinning technique is performed in respect to the microscopic mechanisms responding for the shape memory effects. X-ray diffraction, thermomagnetic measurements and Mossbauer spectroscopy were applied for a complete structural and magnetic characterization. Only samples supporting an aging treatment gave evidence for shape memory effects and correlated structural transformations.

PbZr1-XTiXO3 (PZT) film was prepared by addition of polymer polyvinylpirrolidone (PVP) in the PZT precursor and hydrolysis of the PZT precursor sol. Porous thin films were prepared by spin coating on Pt-coated Si substrate. The structure of the films was investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD). (100)-oriented PZT 20180 film was obtained by hydrolysis of sol. PVP addition leads to the (110)-orientation of the film. The surface microstructure of the films was characterised with Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The surface profile indicates a films roughness of 5 nm. No micro-cracks were observed on film surface. The average remnant polarization and the coercive field were obtained from the hysteresis loop measurements. The ferroelectric behavior has been evidenced by the presence of the butterfly shape of the capacitance-voltage characteristics. Experimental results show that the dielectric constant of the PZT porous film is lower than that of the dense film.

The hydrophilicity of RF sputtered thin films of: (a) pure TiO2 and (b) TiO2 doped with 0.3% Ce, 0.4% Nb, and 0.4% N (atomic percents) was investigated macroscopically by measurements of the contact angle between water and film surface. The results are discussed in terms of the connection of the hydrophilic and photocatalytic properties of the materials with their structure, morphology and optical characteristics. The 280 nm thick films were deposited on optical glass substrates at 250 degrees C. Film structure and surface morphology were investigated by X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy. The surface roughness was derived from atomic force microscopy and ellipsometric data. The contact angle of de-ionized water with film surface was monitored during photo-activation and after irradiating with near-UV light. The surface super-hidrophilicity of all the investigated samples decays, when samples are kept in darkness for 48 h after irradiation. The hydrophilic behavior of the doped TiO2 thin films is discussed in terms of the effects of surface roughness, phase transformations enhanced by doping and charge carrier recombination. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.